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When developing
a park master plan, the hardest work takes place up front. Richard Tharp
should know. As the superintendent of parks for the City of White Settlement,
Texas, he has worked for several years with architects, city officials
and residents on a plan for revitalizing the community's Central Park.
What type
of facilities will best meet the needs of the community? Who will use
the park most frequently? How will the project be funded? Will the park
generate revenue when it is complete? Who should be hired to develop the
plan? These questions and many more must all be answered.
According
to Tharp, community involvement is critical to the decision-making process.
This is especially true when the plans include something as substantial
as the aquatic center the City of White Settlement intends to build. The
city council, economic development board and parks and recreation department
co-hosted three public meetings to solicit input from residents during
2003.
Although
Tharp believes there is much work to be done before engaging an architect,
he also points out the value of hiring a firm that can help with the planning.
"Most
architectural firms can assist in the planning process by surveying the
community and using census data to create a 'picture' of the community,"
he said. "This information can then be used to determine how the
proposed plan fits the 'picture'.
"The
planning phase involves the most time because you want to make sure every
aspect of the project is covered and all the details, including potential
park revenue, have been thoroughly researched," he continued. "Construction,
on the other hand, is a rather rapid process."
For the City
of White Settlement, a small community with a finite amount of actual
and potential revenue, how to cover the cost of building and maintaining
the new Central Park has been a major focus during the planning process.
Sales tax will be the primary source of funding, but the city also hopes
to secure grant money. According to Tharp, the city plans to reduce or
possibly eliminate debt financing by implementing the master plan in phases.
Providing
residents with the best park facilities possible with the money available
is the City of White Settlement's mission. And as the man with the parks
superintendent title, Richard Tharp dedicates himself to accomplishing
that mission.
As he puts
it, "The overall process goes something like this: plan, plan, plan
some more, design, present, plan some more, re-design, gain approval and
build."
The process
may not be easy, but the results will certainly be rewarding.
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