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2019-170 10 Minute Walk UpdateDate: August 30, 2019 Report No. 2019-170 INFORMAL STAFF REPORT TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL SUBJECT: An update on the 10-Minute Walk Campaign BACKGROUND: In November, City Council Member Briggs requested more information regarding the 10-Minute Walk to a Park Campaign. On Dec. 19, 2018, and Jan. 16, 2019 Parks and Recreation staff met with members from the Dallas and Boston offices of The Trust for Public Land (TPL). PARD learned more about the program and how Denton could get involved. TPL, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) are leading a nationwide movement to ensure there is a park within a 10-minute walk (half mile) of every person, in every neighborhood, in every city across America. Approximately 229 communities have already come together to support the 10-Minute Walk to a Park campaign. These communities are dedicated to increasing equitable park access and quality through local policy changes, master planning efforts, and increased funding TPL created the ParkServe.org website platform to measure and analyze current access to parks in cities, towns, and communities nationwide. This new comprehensive, standardized database provides communities with helpful data to examine their city park space using the US Census, ESRI, and various other data sources. Analyzed park property includes publicly-owned local and state parks and trails, school parks with a joint-use agreement, and privately owned parks opened for full public use. Properties not included are golf courses, cemeteries, and HOA parks. PARD will utilize the “10-Minute Walk” as a measuring tool and development standard when identifying where public park spaces are placed. This measuring tool will be used when trying to identify land needs during the planning of parkland development. This standard is not a requirement, but a tool for staff and community leaders when determining if land should be purchased or developed. This tool will be a helpful standard as the City redevelops the Parks, Recreation and Trail System Master Plan, which is expected to be concluded by the end of the calendar year. On Feb. 26, 2019, City Council approved the resolution, and Mayor Watts signed the 10-Minute Walk to a Park campaign commitment. DISCUSSION: PARD staff has been working on strategizing how to accomplish the 10-Minute Walk standard as time permits with current staffing. To date, Parks and Recreation has taken the following steps toward the campaign: Date: August 30, 2019 Report No. 2019-170 • PARD staff has initiated a discussion with DISD facilities management to consider an agreement between the City of Denton and Denton ISD to provide open school playgrounds after hours for residents. More work will take place in the next few months. This work will help provide more parks for Denton residents with minimal cost while obtaining our goals to meet the national average of parks within a 10-Minute Walk. • PARD staff did a research analysis on the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) regarding park standards acreage nationwide on similar cities based on population. Currently, Denton meets the median park acreage by population compared to other cities nationwide. Although Denton does meet the national median for park acreage, PARD identified it still doesn’t meet the 10-Minute Walk to a park standard based on the location of the parks. In addition, based on the projected population growth in Denton, there will be a deficit on park acreage by 2030. • In March, PARD staff presented to City Council a list of property for consideration and an evaluation worksheet scoring each property based on the needs of Denton. The evaluation is a weighted numerical system that includes tree canopy, unique land features, connection to trails, and 10-Minute Walk accessibility. • City staff is in discussion with a few property owners about the potential acquisition for future park land. Once a price point is established, City Council will be presented with the needed information. • PARD staff is working on an agreement with UNT for a lease on land for a future park called Veterans Village Park. This parcel would provide open space, picnic areas, and trees for public recreational use. This park would help Denton in the goal to meet the national average of parks within a 10-Minute Walk. • PARD staff is working with numerous developments throughout the community on potential park and trail development that will help achieve master plan goals and improve the 10-Minute Walk scoring. • In June, City Council approved a development agreement for the construction of land currently called Patrick Park. Construction of the park is underway. • PARD staff met with the Army Corps of Engineers about the potential use of CORPS land for future park space. • PARD staff has met with the development team with Hunter and Cole Ranch about desired parks and recreation amenities that would be located in the proposed developments west of I-35W. • PARD staff met with Denton County staff to discuss the possibility of an easement to connect Carl Young Sr. Park to Woodrow Open Space as part of the Pecan Creek Linear Park. • PARD staff has been working with the Technology Services Department to get an accurate inventory of current parks and acreage. Once completed, the GIS map will be sent to TPL to update the ParkServe website. https://parkserve.tpl.org/mapping/index.html?CityID=4819972 • With the assistance of the Technology Services Department, a GIS map can now identify regional areas that do or do not meet the 10-minute walk criteria. • With collaboration with various departments and UNT, PARD staff have created a map to identify possible future trails. This is currently a concept. However, if some of these Date: August 30, 2019 Report No. 2019-170 trails were developed in the future, this will help increase park accessibility within a 10-Minute walk for Denton residents. CONCLUSION: As an ongoing effort, PARD staff continues to work towards improving the accessibility of parks within a 10-Minute Walk. With the incorporation of the 10-Minute Walk into the Parks, Recreation and Trail System Master Plan, this will help foster ideas and strategies to meet the current needs of Denton residents on an ongoing basis. In addition, the Parks, Recreation and Trail System Master Plan will also help plan for future population growth and density, which the City can strategize and prepare for to meet the 10-Minute Walk standards for every resident in Denton. STAFF CONTACT: Gary Packan Director of Parks and Recreation 940-349-7460 REQUESTOR: Council Member Briggs PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS: Parks and Recreation, Technology Services, Engineering, Real Estate STAFF TIME TO COMPLETE REPORT: 1 hour