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East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

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Executive Summary for the East Orange Parks Master Plan
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the east orange parks master plan executive summary City of East Orange Open Space and Recreation Element Update Adopted by the City of East Orange Planning Board September 4, 2013
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Page 1: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

the east orange parks master plan

executive summary

City of East OrangeOpen Space and Recreation Element Update

Adopted by the City of East Orange Planning Board September 4, 2013

Page 2: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

This report is a summary of the 2013 East Orange Parks Master Plan. The full report and its appendices are available under separate cover and can be obtained from the City of East Orange Department of Policy, Planning, and Development.

The Master Plan effort was led by the City of East Orange Department of Policy, Planning, and Development.

The consultant team was led by Wells Appel, with the Nishuane Group, Toole Recreation Planning, Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, and VJ Associates.

Page 3: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 1

The purpose of this plan is to update the City of East Orange 2006 Comprehensive Master Plan, provide a roadmap for improving parks and recre-ation in the city, and provide a resource for pursu-ing additional funding and grant opportunities.

Parks and recreation in East Orange once held a place of prominence in the country and was widely regarded as a model for its innovative management and investment in urban parks and recreation. Offi-cials from other municipalities would make the trek to East Orange to learn from its approach and tour its parks. The quality of life in the city was so great that in 1921, the population was projected to climb to 122,000 by 1971. Today’s population hovers near 70,000.

The parks are a vehicle for change in East Orange. Investing in parks and recreation will have an enormous impact on the quality of life in the city.

Residents will be happier, healthier, and take more pride in their city; property values will increase; air quality will improve; stormwater will be better man-aged; communities will be brought closer together; and new residents and businesses will be drawn to the city.

Economically, studies have shown that quality of life comes right after location and availability of work-force as a key factor in determining where to open a business. Parks and recreation are a major quality of life component.

Research shows that every dollar invested by a city or metropolitan area in parks and recreation has a return of $1.70 (Crompton 37).

MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN

• Improvements to all existing parks to make them

Elmwood Park has great structure and history, but needs physical improvements and an update for today’s users.

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2 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

precious valued public spaces to be used and trea-sured by people of all ages for many generations yet to come.

• Development of strategies for the design, plan-ning, maintenance and programming of parks to ensure their long-term sustainability.

• Use of creative place making techniques to reflect the community in the parks.

• Reunification of the city through park connector streets, gateways, public art, and a new deck park over Interstate I-280.

• Strategies to increase usable park and recreation space without reducing tax rateables and build un-derstanding that great parks foster economic de-velopment.

• Identification of alternative methods of support-ing parks and recreation through partnerships, sponsorships, civic engagement, and private rev-enue generation.

• Suggested reorganization of the management and administration of parks and recreation.

• Generate public consensus for park revitalization and a call to action for citizens to become engaged

in park stewardship.

• Delineation of a phased implementation strategy with budget cost estimates for parks and recreation improvements.

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Many partners were involved in the development of this plan. Civic engagement was the hallmark of the planning process. Focus groups, interviews, and public meetings generated valuable input from the people of East Orange, community organizations, and key stakeholders. The information and communi-ty perspectives were used to develop the initiatives and recommendations in this plan. It reflects a broad consensus of public opinion and user needs.

The Department of Policy, Planning, and Develop-ment in the City of East Orange spearheaded the effort. In 2011, the city selected a consultant team led by Wells Appel (landscape architects), with the Nishuane Group (community planners), Toole Recre-ation Planning (parks and recreation planners), Lan-gan Engineering and Environmental Services (civil engineers), and VJ Associates (construction cost estimating). The project commenced in January 2013 and was substantially complete by July 2013.

The consultant team conducted in-depth research,

Page 5: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 3

analyzed existing conditions, and explored nation-al trends and ideas that could take root in East Or-ange.

THE MASTER PLAN

The Master Plan is a comprehensive set of recom-mendations for the revitalization of East Orange’s parks and recreation facilities. The recommenda-tions are put into a context that will lead to the establishment of a system that will organization-ally and physically connect them through effective management, programming and maintenance.

A LIVING DOCUMENT

The Master Plan is a guide for future implementa-tion projects that will be necessary for the City of East Orange to achieve the goals established in this plan. While there may be different views about specific recommendations or projects, the goals were arrived at through extensive public involve-ment and represent core principles and community consensus.

The challenge is to build momentum for implement-ing the plan. Every success, no matter how small, is a step forward in returning the parks of East Or-ange to their former glory and renown. The plan and its recommendations should be reviewed annually

in light of changing needs and opportunities. The key is to keep moving forward in harmony with the core principles and goals established by the community in the East Orange Parks Master Plan.

REGIONAL CONTEXT + OVERVIEW OF EAST ORANGE

East Orange is located in Essex County, in the up-per half of New Jersey. Downtown Newark is a close ten minute drive or five minute train ride to the east, while New York City is about a half hour drive or less than an hour by train.

The city is situated between the Watchung Moun-tains to the west and Newark Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It is surrounded by a wealth of rec-reational opportunities, including a number of Essex County Parks within a short drive or transit ride from the city. Essex County established the first county park system in the country and almost all the parks were designed by the famed Olmsted Brothers.

The city is largely a bedroom community with many residents commuting to Newark, New York, or other areas within Essex County for employment. As such, the city is well connected to the region through New Jersey Transit train lines and bus routes. Interstate 280, running east and west, and the Garden State Parkway, running north and south are the primary

Page 6: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

4 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

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WEST ORANGE

BLOOMFIELD

SOUTH ORANGE

IRVINGTON

NEWARK

UNION

CITY OF ORANGE

EAST ORANGE

HARRISON

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UPPER ROSEVILLE

BELLEVIEW

FAIRMOUNT

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REGIONAL CONTEXTEast Orange Park Master Plan

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 5

vehicular connections between the city and points throughout the region.

The boundaries for East Orange were first layed out in 1863 and the city was incorporated in 1909. Prior to extensive development, there were report-edly numerous springs, brooks, woods, and bog lands scattered throughout East Orange. However, by 1921, the city plan reported that “East Orange contains no ponds and only three small streams...the wooded tracts have almost entirely disap-peared...There is scarcely any natural scenery left in the community” (City Plan Commission). Today, the only remaining open water is the channelized segment of the Second River flowing along Soverel Park. Due to the highly developable nature of the topography and the rapid pace of growth, the ma-jority of the city has been developed, rendering parks, open space, and any reminders of nature ex-tremely valuable.

Today, East Orange is roughly 4 miles square and houses close to 70,000 residents, making it one of the densest municipalities in the country. New Jersey is ranked 1st in the country for population density, while East Orange is ranked 12th out of 566 municipalities in the State. It is served by two New Jersey Transit train stations and by an extensive

system of bus routes.

The city is sharply divided into north and south right across its center by Interstate 280, and into east and west by the Garden State Parkway. I-280 was con-structed in the 1960s and, as happened in many cit-ies, contributed to the relocation of much of the tax base to the suburbs.

City Hall and the majority of civic buildings are locat-ed near the center of the city, close to the intersec-tion of the interstate and the parkway, and adjacent to one of the city’s train stations.

Five distinct wards make up the city and a strong spirit of friendly competition exists among them. Each ward has a unique character and its own set of concerns and issues.

The diverse race and ethnicity of the citizens of East Orange is special and sets it apart from other cities and the state. While only about 13% of New Jersey is African American, 86% of East Orange is African American. And within this number, a whole range of diversity resides. Regarding ancestral origins, the population contains citizens from Haiti (3,400 individ-uals according to the US Census), Jamaica (3,400), Guyana (2,900), Trinidad and Tobago (1,200), Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, and many others. The hispanic and

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WEST ORANGE

BLOOMFIELD

SOUTH ORANGE

IRVINGTON

NEWARK

UNION

CITY OF ORANGE

EAST ORANGE

HARRISON

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UPPER ROSEVILLE

BELLEVIEW

FAIRMOUNT

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Page 8: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

6 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

latino population of the city hails from Puerto Rico (1,980), Brazil, and many others.

Demographics research also indicated that there are many single mothers residing in the city. Of householders in East Orange, 16.5% are female without a husband and with children (the state’s percentage is 6.9%). The percentage of people liv-ing below the poverty line in East Orange between 2007 and 2011 was 19.4%, compared to 9.4% in the State, and 14.9% in Essex County. The Census in-formation also indicates that East Orange has a much lower rate of home ownership (26.4%) than the State (66.6%) or the County (46.8%), evidenced by the continued high amount of multi-unit build-ings and the high population density. These factors combine to indicate a high need for quality parks and recreation within the city.

There are a total of 9 municipal parks throughout the

city, comprising a total of 45 acres. Two large county parks serve the city directly: Watsessing Park to the north and Monte Irvin Orange Park to the east.

The Board of Education operates its own grounds, which include Robeson Stadium and the grounds of the East Orange Campus High School. Currently, these facilities are difficult or expensive to use for the general public. The master plan recommends a renewed relationship between parks and recreation and the schools for the benefit of the city as a whole.

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Some of the Major Ancestral Origins of East Orange Residents.

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FIRST WARD

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THIRD WARD FOURTH

WARD

FIFTH WARD

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COLUMBIAN PLAYGROUND

EAST ORANGE OVAL

SOVEREL PARK

ROWLEY PARK

HOFFMAN PARK

MEMORIAL PARK

FRANCIS HAIRE PLAYGROUND

ELMWOOD PARK

WASHINGTON PLAYGROUND

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Page 9: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 7

OVERALL CITY PLANEast Orange Park Master Plan

Page 10: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

8 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The parks master plan is rooted in community en-gagement. Many of the ideas proposed emerged from this process.

To engage the community, the consultant team talk-ed with more than 100 East Orange residents, gov-ernment employees, and representatives of non-profit and recreation groups in the city. A survey was conducted that received 86 responses, most of them from children, teens and older adults; the types of residents most likely to use local parks. A Facebook page was created to share news, events, and to post images of the developing master plan.

Aside from Rowley Park, which re-cently won an award for its renova-tion, all of the municipal parks are in need of significant renovation. One major finding is that there is very little opportunity to experi-ence nature within the parks (or within the city as a whole). Also, many residents expressed feel-ing unsafe in the parks, despite evidence that crime has dropped considerably. There should also be

more opportunities for all generations and ages to enjoy the parks. It was found that the parks do not reflect the diversity of the current population of the city, and do not reflect their communities. Other key issues and ideas raised by residents include: better use of the parks’ fieldhouses; more attractive plant-ings and furnishings; rubberized tracks; more sports programming and more basketball; more after school programs for children; more programming and facili-ties related to arts and culture; some substantial im-provements should happen quickly to demonstrate the city’s commitment; and residents want to con-tinue to be involved in the planning process for parks and recreation improvements. Over 50 residents pro-vided contact information and stated their interest

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 9

in joining a Park Friends group. One of the major recommendations of this master plan is to facili-tate and nurture an extensive Parks Friends sys-tem throughout the city to take advantage of this valuable resource.

Rooted in a thorough existing conditions analysis of each park and its neighborhood, and after listen-ing to the community, ideas and visions for each park and for the city as a whole took shape. The following pages present the major concepts that arose from this process.

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10 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

a vision for soverel park

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 11

CELEBRATE THE SECOND RIVER IN SOVEREL PARK

MORE SPACE FOR NATURE IN THE PARKS

MORE AREAS TO GATHER, SIT, STROLL, AND JOG

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12 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

a vision for memorial park

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 13

AT MEMORIAL, CREATE AN ACTIVE PARK AT THE CITY CENTER THAT BECOMES A MODEL FOR A NEW TYPE OF PARK: THE COMMUNITY LIBRARY PARK

PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AGES OF USERS

OUTDOOR SPACE FOR PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS

Page 16: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

NATURAL ELEMENTS IN PLAY AREAS TO INCLUDE SAND, WATER, PLANTS, AND STONE

Shown here is Riverplay Discovery Village Playground, in Eugene, Oregon.

OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE SPACE

COMMUNITY GARDENS IN PARKS + VACANT LOTS

GAMING TABLES, MORE SEATING, AND PICNIC TABLES

Shown here is Washington Square Park in New York.

OUTDOOR FITNESS EQUIPMENT

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Page 17: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

COLORFUL, TOUGH PLANTINGS; MOST NATIVE TO NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

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Page 18: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

16 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

a vision for elmwood park

WELCOME A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL GENERATIONS

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 17

UTILIZE PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHTING TO MAKE THE PARKS MORE WELCOMING AT NIGHT

RENOVATE THE HISTORIC FIELD HOUSE TO BE OF MORE USE TO THE COMMUNITY

KIOSKS FOR CONCESSIONS

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18 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

a vision for the east orange oval

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 19

RUBBERIZED TRACKS AND WALKING PATHS

AMENITIES FOR LARGE GATHERINGS: PICNIC AREAS, CONCESSIONS, RESTROOMS, AND A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES

INTERCEPT STORMWATER IN RAIN GARDENS AND SWALES

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20 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

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Page 23: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 21

A MULTI-PURPOSE SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD WILL HOLD UP TO THE SPORTING EVENTS HOSTED AT THE OVAL

PUBLIC ART TO COMMEMORATE THE HISTORY OF THE NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUES

Shown is the work of The Mural Arts

Program in Philadelphia.

LARGE AREAS OF UNPROGRAMMED LAWN

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Page 24: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

22 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

SOVEREL PARK

• The Second River: a natural landscape at the river’s edge with an open air pavilion, seating ter-races, and meandering paths.

• Raingardens and swales to collect stormwater.

• Upgraded, durable and flexible athletic fields.

• New courts for Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball and Handball

• Welcoming signage, pedestrian lighting and orna-mental planting.

• A bridge across the Second River to the other side. Tie into a linear park along the abandoned rail corridor- a path to connect with Watsessing Park.

MEMORIAL PARK

• A new type of park—the community library park—will build fruitful collaborations and takes full ad-vantage of the park’s central location and civic connections.

• A wide open lawn for unprogrammed play or for watching performances in the bandshell.

• Spaces for younger and older children to play – separate junior basketball courts just for kids.

• Activities for both passive and active uses and

for inter-generational use.

ELMWOOD PARK

• Space for events and an active center of community celebration, pride and history. Renovate the field house inside and out to be the community center-piece it once was.

• Sidewalks all the way around the park.

• Pedestrian lighting and upgraded entrances for a safer and more inviting park.

• Commemorate the history of the Elmwood basket-ball courts through public art.

• Rubberized track and renovated sports field.

• Attractive plantings, meandering paths, game ta-bles, exercise equipment and places to picnic. Pro-vide passive and active activities for all park users.

WASHINGTON PLAYGROUND

• Programming for diverse park users: a dog park, a skate park and community gardens.

• Allow for unprogrammed play and pick-up softball games on the open lawn.

• Renovated basketball court and a new field house.

• Play areas for both younger and older children.

a vision for all city parks

Page 25: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 23

• Attractive landscaping, rain gardens, and upgrad-ed entrances.

THE OVAL

• An artificial turf field for baseball, soccer, or foot-ball with plenty of spectator seating and all the amenities necessary for large sporting events.

• An oval-shaped rubberized track for walking and running.

• Public Art to commemorate the Negro Baseball League.

• Connect the Oval to the Fellowship Civic Center.

• Attractive natural planting areas; raingardens and swales; and a winding perimeter path with plenty of benches for passive park users to enjoy.

FRANCIS HAIRE PLAYGROUND

• The swimming pool becomes a sprayground.

• A new field house with a shade structure gives parents a place to watch their kids play.

• A new urban plaza with seating, shade trees, and space to gather to welcome park visitors from Grove Street.

• New trees and a creatively designed bus stop to increase visibility, safety, and comfort at the park

edges.

HOFFMAN PARK

• Lush ornamental plantings and a universally acces-sible path make the park a neighborhood amenity.

• A seating area with a brick seatwall and water fea-ture inspired by the history of the ‘Boiling Spring.’

• A creatively designed bus shelter.

COLUMBIAN PLAYGROUND

• Accommodation for inter-generational use.

• Pedestrian lighting and universally accessible paths.

• A new play area to stimulate with elements of natu-ral play.

• Open lawn, meandering paths, plenty of seating, and game tables.

• New programming with community gardens and a skate park.

• An enhanced field for soccer and baseball games.

• A renovated field house and expanded pool deck.

Page 26: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

24 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

CREATE A DECK PARK OVER I-280 TO BRING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE CITY TOGETHER AND CREATE A NEW OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE VENUE THAT COULD BECOME A REGIONAL DRAW AND ECONOMIC DRIVER.

Klyde Warren Park, Designed By The Office Of James Burnett, was built over a freeway and reconnects downtown Dallas (Photo: Mei-chun Jau).

Page 27: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 25

FIRST WARD

SECOND WARD

THIRD WARD FOURTH

WARD

FIFTH WARD

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USE LIGHTING AND ART TO MAKE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS OVER I-280 MORE ATTRACTIVE AND WELCOMING

Shown here is ‘Lightspan’, in Memphis, a project by Electroland.

CREATE PARK CONNECTOR STREETS TO TIE THE PARKS TOGETHER. USE NEW PLANTING, SPECIAL PAVING, BICYCLE LANES, PUBLIC ART, LIGHTING, SIGNAGE, AND STREET FURNISHINGS TO MAKE THESE STREETS SPECIAL.

a connected citywide park systemOPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING PARK SPACE WITHIN EAST ORANGE INCLUDE:

• Pocket Parks that occupy undersized or city-owned vacant lots; • Urban plazas within commercial areas; • Train station parks, in the areas below and around the elevated tracks; • Schoolyard Parks, in partnership with the Board of Education; • Library Parks, in partnership with the public libraries; • A Linear Park along the abandoned rail corridor near Soverel; • An East Orange Gateway Park in part or all of Hollywood Plaza; and • A Deck Park over I-280.

Page 28: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

26 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

The Park Master Plan recommends a strategic or-ganizational framework to harness the parks and recreation functions now dispersed among mul-tiple city departments. The new configuration cen-tralizes the responsibility for planning, directing, controlling, and evaluating parks and recreation in the proposed Parks & Recreation Department. A Certified Parks and Recreation Professional with education, training and expertise in all functional areas of parks and recreation would steer the De-partment toward re-establishing the City of East Orange as a leader in urban parks nationwide. Un-der the auspices of professional leadership and a unified department, the City will undertake the fol-lowing measures to deliver sustainable parks and recreation services to the community:

• Demonstrate leadership and vision in moving East Orange forward in reclaiming its status as a leading parks and recreation system nation-wide,

• Organize support for parks and recreation through Friends Groups, pubic private partner-ships and interdepartmental collaboration,

• Create an information management system

to guide the effective allocation of funding and staff, for informed decision-making, and increased awareness about the benefits of the City’s parks and recreation efforts,

• Develop a maintenance management system, and

• Establish park planning as a centralized function and incorporate municipal interdepartmental col-laboration and public participation as an on-going element of park planning.

PROGRAMS

Programs are the single most important factor in spurring the use of parks by people of all ages. The Park Master Plan recommends that the Parks & Rec-reation Department:

• Develop a program management plan with pro-gramming that is at least one year ahead of imple-mentation,

• Adopt three roles in recreation programming: di-rect provider of programs, facilitator of programs by other providers, and promoter of recreation op-portunities by serving as the “go-to” source of real-time information about activities and contacts,

Page 29: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN >>> 27

• Concentrate on active healthy living, connect-ing people with nature (especially youth), and the arts. Continue to facilitate sports, a function that the City already does effectively.

• Collaborate with the Library, the Division of Se-nior Services, and the YMCA in community pro-gramming, and

• Create a formalized promotional program to inform people of all ages about parks and rec-reation opportunities. Use a mix of traditional method and social media for outreach.

FINANCING

While City support for parks and recreation is cru-cial, the City of East Orange cannot provide, or be expected to provide, all that is necessary for an ex-cellent parks and recreation system. A mix of pub-lic and private funding is required to support the kinds of improvements and programs that emerged as important to the public in the public participa-tion process for this plan. Creating private support for public recreation is relatively new to the City and this plan provides direction in accomplishing that goal through astute management. Recommen-dations include the following:

• Increase support for parks and recreation

through a mix of public and private resources. In-clude increased city support balanced with fees and charges, partnerships, sponsorships, grants, gifts, donations, bequests, concessions, leases, rentals and sales.

• Develop a revenue policy to guide the generation of private revenue sources,

• Establish a financial management system that includes policies on setting and collecting fees, handling of cash, and reporting,

• Adopt an outcome-based financial management system that links the allocation of resources to the benefits generated. Promote the benefits achieved as a strategy to build support for continued invest-ment in parks and recreation,

• Develop a five-to-seven year Capital Improve-ment Program to enable strategic holistic im-provements. Strive to leverage the Open Space Tax proceeds with other funding sources such as grants.

Page 30: East Orange Parks Master Plan Executive Summary 2013/09/04

28 >>> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: THE EAST ORANGE PARKS MASTER PLAN

IMPLEMENTING THE PARKS MASTER PLAN

In Year One:

Following adoption of the master plan, the sug-gested actions for the city include the following:

• Establish leadership for Parks and Recreation to ensure efficiency, sustainability, and account-ability;

• Make decisions on how Parks and Recreation is organized;

• Outline a strategy and allocate city resources for continued public involvement through a net-work of Park Friends groups;

• Undertake the pilot project(s) to create momentum and set the stage for how future improvements are made (the master plan iden-tified high priority improvements at Elmwood Park, Memorial Park, and Columbian Playground as potential pilot projects); and

• Make decisions on what data and information to track throughout the year in order to create an Annual Parks and Recreation Report which will guide future planning efforts, increase ac-countability, transparency, and efficiency.

In Year Two and Beyond:

There are many improvements recommended for parks and recreation. To fully complete all recom-mendations, a twenty-year time frame may be real-istic. All high-priority improvements could be made in the first five years, with medium- and low-priority improvements following.

On average, $1 - $3 million per year is shown to cap-ture the physical improvements that arose out of the parks master planning and community engagement process.


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