Chapter 1 action plan updatedCOMPREHENSIVE
PARKS AND
RECREATION SYSTEM
PLAN
MERIDIAN, IDAHO
ACTION PLAN
PLANNING TEAM
Mayor:
City Council:
City Clerk:
Parks and
Recreation
Commission:
Parks and
Recreation Staff:
Map Editing:
Consulting:
Robert D. Corrie
Tammy de Weerd, Council President
William L. M. Nary, Council Member
Keith Bird, Council Member
Cheri McCandless, Council Member
William G. Berg, Jr.
Bruce MacCoy, President
Creg Steele, Vice President
Jim Keller
Andee Stockton
Bud Porter
Ryan Riley
Sean Wardle
Douglas Strong, Director
Diane Stewart, Office Administrator
Elroy Huff, Parks Superintendent
Steve O’Brien, Public Works
M.I.G. Inc., Portland, Oregon
Jerry Dragoo, Planner
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction to the Project 1-1
1.2 Integration with other Planning Studies 1-2
1.3 Mission Statement 1-3
1.4 Planning Area 1-3
1.5 Population Growth 1-3
1.6 Existing Recreation Resources 1-4
PARK LAND AND OPEN SPACE RECOMMENDATIONS
2.1 Introduction 2-1
2.2 Facilities Plan 2-1
2.2.1 Mini Parks 2-5
2.2.2 Neighborhood Parks 2-7
2.2.3 Community Parks 2-10
2.2.4 Large Urban Parks 2-17
2.2.5 Special Use Areas 2-19
2.2.6 Open Space Areas 2-20
FACILITY RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1 Introduction 3-1
3.2 Pathways and Trails 3-1
3.3 Community Center 3-6
3.4 Sport Fields 3-7
3.5 Specialized Recreational Facilities 3-9
MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 Introduction 4-1
4.2 Staffing Requirements 4-1
4.3 Impact Fees 4-3
PROJECT FINANCING
5.1 Introduction 5-1
5.2 Project Priorities 5-1
5.3 Funding Sources 5-2
5.4 Financing Strategy 5-4
5.5 Project List 5-6
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1 - Introduction Page 1- 1
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
Contents:
Introduction to the Project
Integration with Other Planning Studies
Mission Statement
Planning Area
Population Growth
Existing Recreation Resources
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO
THE PROJECT
Report Organization
This report, titled the Action Plan, is a supplement to the
Comprehensive Parks & Recreation System Plan completed in
July of 2000. The intent of this second report is to provide
specific recommendations on a layout plan for parks, open
space, trails and other recreation facilities and to present a
strategy for funding and implementing the Plan.
Once the Action Plan is accepted, it and the original
Comprehensive Parks & Recreation System Plan should be
adopted together. Where inconsistencies appear between the
two documents, the Action Plan should take precedence.
The Action Plan has been divided into the following chapters.
Chapter 1 - Introduction: provides an overview of the document
organization, a brief analysis of population growth, and an
inventory of park land found in the City.
Chapter 2 – Park and Open Space Recommendations: identifies
a concept for parks, trails and open space, provides design
standards and policies for each park type and makes specific
recommendations for each site.
Chapter 3 - Facility Recommendations: provides policies and
recommendations for specialized facilities such as pathways and
trails, indoor recreation space, sports facilities, and other
specialized areas.
Meridian Comprehensive Parks and Recreation System Plan 2003
Chapter 1 - Introduction Page 1- 2
Meridian Comprehensive Parks and Recreation System Plan 2003
Chapter 1 - Introduction Page 1- 3
1.2 INTEGRATION
WITH OTHER
PLANNING
STUDIES
Comprehensive Parks &
Recreation System Plan
(Completed July 2000):
City of Meridian
ComprehensivePlan:
Development Monitoring
Report:
Chapter 4 – Administration and Management Recommendations:
includes recommendations and policies for administrating a park
and open space system, establishes policies and
recommendations for staffing the program, and looks at potential
changes to the Park Impact Fee structure.
Chapter 5 – Project Funding: provides a list of potential funding
sources, identifies project priorities, suggests a financing
strategy, and recommends a six year capital improvement
program.
There have been several documents and studies prepared
over the last several years that influenced the development of
the Action Plan. These documents were reviewed for policies,
guidelines, and relevant information that could be incorporated
and used to prepare the Action Plan. These documents
Include:
Comprehensive Parks & Recreation System Plan (July 2000)
City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan - (July 2002)
Development Monitoring Report (February 2002)
Local Land Use Planning Act (Seminar, April 2000)
Park Impact Fee Ordinance (June 2003)
It is also important for the Action Plan to comply with existing
land use regulations as they apply to park and facility
development.
This planning document was intended to provide the background
information and set policy for managing a park and recreation
program in Meridian. Upon its completion it was decided that
additional studies were needed to provide more direction and
establish a design program for parks, open space and trails. The
original plan evaluated existing conditions, assessed the need
for park land and established objectives for land acquisition, park
development, and management/operations.
This draft plan was adopted in July 2002 and is currently
undergoing minor revisions and analysis for the North Meridian
Area Plan. This document provides policies and direction on
how the City should grow and develop. It includes a profile of
the demographic, physical, and service characteristics of the
community, and establishes policies for urban growth.
The Ada County Development Monitoring Report provides an
overview of development activity in Ada County for the year
1999. This is one of many annual reports prepared since
1980. It contains information regarding platted subdivisions
and building permits issued for both residential and non-
residential development.
Meridian Comprehensive Parks and Recreation System Plan 2003
Chapter 1 - Introduction Page 1- 4
Local Land Use Planning Act:
Park Impact Fee Ordinance:
1.3 Mission Statement
1.4 Planning Area
1.5 Population Growth
The Idaho Local Land Use Planning Act provides cities with the
authority to plan, protect and implement policies related to the
development of lands within its jurisdiction. This includes the
use of zoning to control land development.
Title 67, Chapter 82 of the Idaho Code authorizes the
imposition of park development impact fees as an equitable
program for planning and financing park improvements needed
to serve new growth and development. This fee is attached to
every new housing unit developed in the City and can only be
used for land acquisition or development. The current rate is
about $667.39 per single-family unit and $607.14 for a multi-
family unit.
The Planning Area for this study includes all of the City limits of
Meridian (approximately fourteen square miles) plus
unincorporated lands that may eventually be annexed to the
City. This total area is called the Area Of Impact and consists
of approximately 43.5 square miles. Generally, the boundaries
of the planning area extend from the Chinden Road on the
north to Amity Road on the south and from McDermott Road
on the west to approximately one-half mile east of Eagle Road
on the east side.
Population growth primarily occurs through three means; 1)
annexations, 2) in-migration, and 3) natural growth within the
City. In Meridian, the two primary growth sources are in-
migration and subsequent annexations. Both of these sources
are hard to forecast because they are dependent upon outside
influences such as regional growth, ability to attract growth that
comes to the Boise area, the economy and the City’s policies
towards accommodating new growth.
The following population estimates and growth forecasts are
taken from the draft of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and
Meridian Parks and Recreation seeks to provide
opportunities for the citizens of Meridian to
participate in life enhancing activities by offering
quality year round recreation programs, and a well
designed and maintained parks system.
“It is not the parks we maintain, or
the recreation programs we operate,
but the value we add to people’s
lives and the memories we help
create that are most important.”
Meridian Comprehensive Parks and Recreation System Plan 2003
Chapter 1 - Introduction Page 1- 5
represent the current thinking on
how Meridian will grow in the future.
Meridian Comprehensive Parks and Recreation System Plan 2003
Chapter 1 - Introduction Page 1- 6
1.6 Existing Recreation
Resources
Table 1.1
Population Estimates and Growth Forecasts
City of Meridian
Year Meridian Planning
Area
1980 5,059
1990 9,596
2000 34,919
2010 54,203
2020 74,825
Source: Intermountain Demographics
The Park Layout Plan presented in the next chapter is
designed to serve the community near the year 2020. Taking
the amount of available residential land within the Impact Area
calculated in the draft Comprehensive Plan and multiplying by
an average density of 2.93 persons per household, the
expected population is derived at build-out.
Table 1.2
Population Density
City of Meridian
Density Available
Acres
Density/
Acres
Total Units
Low Density 10,902 2.5 27,255
Medium
Density
8,503 5.5 46,766
High Density 751 8.0 6,008
Total 20,156 16.0 80,029
The 80,029 housing units multiplied by an average of 2.93
persons per household derives an estimated population of
188,000 at build-out. This number will be used to develop the
Level of Service ratio for park land.
Three types of park land are found in Meridian: developed
park sites owned by the City, developed park sites owned by
Western Ada County Park District, and undeveloped park sites
owned by the City. An inventory of this park land is shown
beginning on the next page.
Meridian Comprehensive Parks and Recreation System Plan 2003
Chapter 1 - Introduction Page 1- 7
Table 1.3
Inventory of City Park Land
City of Meridian
Park Acres Type
Existing Parks
Storey Park 15.00 Community Park
Tully Park 18.70 Community Park
8th Street Park 4.60 Neighborhood Park
Generation Plaza 0.25 Special Use park
Cox Monument Park 0.20 Special Use park
Chateau Park 6.80 Neighborhood park
Bear Creek Park 18.80 Community Park
Meridian Settler’s Park 26.80 Regional Park
Subtotal Existing 91.15
Undeveloped Sites
Lochsa Falls Park 30.01 Community Park
McDermott Park 29.00 Community Park
Settler’s Park 31.40 Also listed above
Centennial Park .75 Mini Park
Storey Park 5.00 Also listed above
Kiwanis Park 9.30 Neighborhood Park
Autumn Faire Park 6.90 Neighborhood Park
Park Stone Park 6.00 Neighborhood Park
Subtotal Undeveloped 118.36
Total City Park Land 209.51
Table 1.4
Inventory of Park Land Owned by Western Ada Recreation District
Meridian Area
Park Acres Type
Fuller Park 25.00 Community Park
Tammy Street Park 0.50 Mini Park
Swimming Pool 1.00 Special Use Area
Total 26.50
Chapter 1 - Introduction Page 1- 8
Table 1.5
Total Existing Park Land
Meridian Area
Park Acres
City Park Land 209.51
Western Ada Rec. Park Land 26.50
Other Parks Dept. maintained land 17.52
City Golf Course 119.00
Total 372.53