2013-040 Adopting a Parks Master Plan for the City of Paris

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round activities. Recreation centers may include both passive and active recreational amenities. The key to a successful recreation center is the flexibility built into the design of the center, which allows for the same facility to be used for multiple activities. This enables the center to accommodate changing interests and trends with little or no physical improvements required to the facility itself. The need for an indoor recreation center is apparent and should be addressed. Due to the high cost of construction, an existing facility can be purchased/donated and renovated into an indoor recreation center. The adopted standard for indoor recreation centers is one per 20,000 residents. The high cost of constructing, maintaining and operating an indoor recreation center are all important aspects that need to be reviewed by city officials. Senior Citizens - Needs Senior citizens play an important role in the City of Paris and have their own needs as a park user group. Ages 65 and up were tabulated separately on the citizen survey in order to better understand the needs of senior citizens. Many seniors expressed the need for more walking trails, shaded areas, security, benches, community gardens and other outdoor activities. It is important to notice the top priorities of the senior citizens (page 20) all closely match the city's overall priorities (page 19). This is important because by providing specific needs for senior citizens, the City of Paris is also creating areas that are appealing and available to the entire community. Senior citizens are a growing population and frequently use the park system in Paris. Their needs should be considered when upgrading and/or constructing parks and outdoor spaces. Maintenance - Needs It is important to keep all parks and public facilities well maintained and safe. The citizen's were asked how they would rate the existing level of maintenance of the parks and recreational facilities in Paris and only 50% of the respondents said "Good" to `Excellent." In addition, a question asked what was the most important consideration regarding future parks in Paris and the number one answer was `Maintenance after Construction." Future park development plans should be prepared with reduced maintenance as a key objective. This can be achieved by the use of native plants and City of Paris Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan 2013 -2023 G�b 3 Page 31