New Bern Housing Authority and the City of New Bern

CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS PLANNING GRANT

Trent Court/Craven Terrace/Greater Five Points Neighborhood

Recreation/Open Space/Green SpaceWorking Group

Tuesday, March 17 at 12:00pm

Stanley White Recreation Center

TOUR of study area recreation, open space and green space facilities

  1. Questions to consider during the tour, for each facility:
  2. Has the Parks & Recreation department (or other stakeholders) planned any specific improvements or other changes for the facility?
  3. Who does the facility serve?
  4. What activities are supported?
  5. How well is it used?
  6. What is the physical/landscape condition – good, acceptable, poor?
  7. Does it feel sufficiently safe?
  8. Is it sufficiently accessible to the community it is intended to serve? If not, how could it be made more accessible? (improved sidewalks, parking, bike path etc.)
  9. Who maintains the facility?
  10. Who is involved in programming/sponsoring activities (if any)?
  11. Besides parks and other dedicated green spaces, are there certain streets that deserve special attention because they need street trees or other landscape/appearance improvements? Are there certain streets that can serve as good models for others?

AFTER THE TOUR

  1. Re-convene with introductions (as needed)
  2. Identify/confirm a scribe to record discussion highlights and themes
  3. What do we want to accomplish at this meeting?
  1. Review of first meeting on March 3
  2. Review minutes – do they accurately reflect the discussion? Amend as necessary.
  1. Preliminary list of critical needs (based on needs assessment and community input)
  2. Biggest recreation/open space issues:
  3. More youth programming and recreation space is second-rated change residents would like to see happen (18%)
  4. Desired amenities include both outdoor recreation space (34%) and indoor recreation space (30%)
  1. Review of facilities seen on the tour
  2. Taken as a whole, how well does the group of facilities serve the community? Are there aspects of the facilities that are working especially well?
  3. Are certain community members or activities underserved?
  1. Review community preferences and past/standing plans related to recreation, open space and green space
  2. CNI community survey input on recreation/open space/green space needs and desires.
  3. Review Parks & Recreation Department master plan goals for the facilities.
  4. Review Gateway Renaissance plan goals & recommendations
  5. City’s pedestrian and bicycle plans
  6. Other relevant plans/initiatives
  1. Start developing recreation, open space, and green space vision, goals, and strategies
  2. What is your vision for recreation, open space, and green space in the community?
  3. Review sample matrix and strategies handout from previous meeting
  4. Start identifying key goals and outcomes to address critical needs identified above
  5. Identify the three most important improvements needed in the study area related to the critical needs identified above. Consider physical improvements to specific facilities, programming enhancements, access/street improvements and/or other initiatives that would help.
  1. Next steps
  2. What additional information is needed, if any, to finalize priorities and develop strategies that address critical needs?
  3. Do we need to engage any other stakeholders in this process (i.e. resident focus groups)?
  4. Activities for future Working Group meetings: finalize priorities and strategies; identify desired outcomes, available metrics, key partners, and resources
  1. Next meeting: Date, time, location

DRAFT