Robb McCormick Photography www.robbmccormick.com
“Reassess, reengage and reignite.”
That’s how Matt Earman, director of Parks and Recreation, views the City of Dublin’s current undertaking to develop a charter that will govern the green space and activities around the community. It’s time for the next Parks and Recreation Master Plan in Dublin.
The plan is not just a document but a structure in which Dublin works to evaluate past successes of services, parks, facilities, processes and recreation programming – and what triumphs will look like for residents in the future.
“When you create a plan like this, this is truly the vision of the community, and it’s our job to execute it and fulfill that vision,” Earman says. “This is the guiding plan that helps us justify, fund and prioritize those projects. It’s a very organized system through which to make those things happen.”
Many cities find essential direction from their parks and recreation master plans, and Dublin is no different. Since 2009, the City has implemented the vast majority of its original plan, which Earman confirms has served as the “foundation” that’s led to the nationally accredited parks system Dublin has today. That policy-driven plan included best methods for the maintenance of parks and green areas as well as outlined practices to acquire land along the Scioto River for public use.
Now, the time is upon City officials to design an updated approach that will ensure Dublin’s strategically planned parkland and world-class amenities continue to benefit residents, business and visitors while opening up the doors for fresh ideas.
Through a competitive process, the City has selected PROS Consulting to lead Dublin officials on a 10-month journey to create the master plan and offer suggestions for the City’s consideration. PROS will recommend the “broad strokes” as well as specific projects the City will work to implement.
“They are very experienced in this kind of work,” Earman explains. “They understand the scope. They understand Dublin. They understand the region. They’ve done work here in Ohio. So, we’re really looking forward to garnering their expertise and exploring the needs of the
community to create a vision for us going forward.”
Engaging the Community
For PROS to make its recommendations to the City, the firm will look to the most trusted source in Dublin: its residents. Earman explains the master plan process values community input to find out what Dubliners want most from their 64 parks and accredited fitness and programming hub, the Dublin Community Recreation Center. The framework for the next five to 10 years, the plan will focus on fulfilling critical needs for parks and services while mapping out residents’ aspirations.
Robert Ranc, Dublin’s deputy city manager and chief operating officer, notes the significance of these types of periodic reviews that assess people’s values. The plan “allows you to keep a pulse on where the community is at that time,” he says.
Community members will have numerous avenues to share their vision for Dublin’s parks and programming, and anyone can access a dedicated website for up-to-date information as the plan progresses. Residents can look f
or:
- Online surveys
- Phone surveys
- Focus groups
- Public input sessions
- Mailed materials
- Find more: DublinOhioUSA.gov/parks-and-recreation-master-plan
“We want to make sure that we get input from a broad cross-section of the community,” Ranc shares. “What types of amenities people want to see, types of activities people prefer in the community, and their general satisfaction with our current parks system.”
“I think another big factor,” Earman says, “is that we now have a new picture as to what the demographics of the community are with the 2020 Census that was just completed. We’re going to be using updated data and updated projects (in the plan).”
To gain varied perspectives and voices in the discussion, Ranc also plans to work with the newly formed Community Inclusion Advisory Committee as a key stakeholder group to “make sure that diversity, equity and inclusion is at the forefront of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Looking Back, Forging Forward
Ranc credits the elected officials and City leadership “who have come before us” for current parks and recreation achievements based on their methodical decision-making. He notes that something as disciplined and robust as Dublin’s programming and City planning “doesn’t happen overnight.”
With that in mind, Ranc wants the City to continue to make a “positive mark” on the great outdoors as seen with recent premier developments like The Dublin Link pedestrian bridge and the downtown Riverside Crossing Park that opened earlier this year. He says the types of “cutting-edge” features that prioritize green spaces along thoroughfares, shared use paths and updated playgrounds all showcase Dublin as a community of choice.
“All of that goes into that special feeling that you get in Dublin, and I think that our residents take a lot of pride in that, and I know our staff takes a lot of pride in that,” he shares. “The master plan is about looking forward, but it’s also about balancing that with what we are currently doing and making sure that we are maintaining that at a high level.”
Building on the past for a stronger tomorrow, Ranc notes, plays into the spirit of Dublin.
“A big part of what Dublin is,” he says, “is always looking forward to what’s the next thing that we can do that keeps us on the forefront of cities in Ohio and around the country.”
Rebecca Myers is a public information officerfor the City of Dublin. Feedback welcome at rrmyers@dublin.oh.us.
