Kenai is creating its first full-scale Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which will guide the city’s recreational development for the next 10 to 20 years. While a 2012 inventory offered some direction, this marks the department’s first formal, long-term strategy.
Tyler Best, Kenai Parks & Recreation Director, says the plan aligns with Kenai’s broader goals of improving services and reflects a growing emphasis on strategic planning.
“Utilizing a master plan is a pretty common practice in parks and rec departments to better serve the residents of Kenai because a huge component of it is getting community feedback and using that information to develop a plan so we can really know what the community wants and then we can really plan it out accordingly.” Best said.
He mentions that a major component is public input.
Community feedback from the workshop held at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce on April 29th has shown strong community interest in consolidating sports fields into a centralized Sports Complex, preserving the number of fields while improving access and use.
The planning process is being led by contractor Corvus Design.
“This is a project we’re really excited about. There are so many benefits to having a master plan that truly reflects what our community wants.” Best says.
An online inventory survey, the first of several opportunities for folks to contribute to the Master Plan, is open until May 21.
The Parks and Rec will review a draft plan before it is presented to the city council early next year.