City of Alexandria, Virginia
______________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 23, 2009
TO: MARK JINKS, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER
DEBRA COLLINS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
FROM: JAMES SPENGLER, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION, PARKS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
SUBJECT: CHANGE IN RPCA - PARK PLANNING, DESIGN AND CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION FOCUS – ITEM IV-A
Consistent with the City Manager’s “Roadmap for Change”, the Park Planning, Design and Capital Development Division of RPCA are redirecting its efforts to focus on core activities. This is principally Park Planning and Capital Project implementation. The redirection away from private development review provides an approximate 25% recovery of staff time that can now be dedicated to core activities. We anticipate increasing public benefits through service improvements driven by more focused planning.
These changes were coordinated with the City’s Planning and Zoning and Transportation and Environmental Services Departments. As we have discussed I thought it hard to find value in our review of development with no significant open space or recreation issues. The Division’s redirection includes cessation of private property development landscape/site plan review for new Plot/Grading Plans, Subdivision, Site Plan, SUP, DSUP and DSP projects. We will remain “on call” to assist other departments as needed.
Commencing in January, 2010, RPCA’s Park Planning, Design & Capital Development Division will lead a major endeavor to comprehensively plan existing public park lands and acquired public open space in Alexandria. For the first time-ever, a Park Master Planning Process that integrates an inventory of existing conditions, park standards, policy, capital project scoping, implementation and operational sustainability will be undertaken.
Based on the comprehensive stewardship of public land, the Park Master Planning Process will beundertaken in five separate but interconnected parts. Parts One and Two will commence in January, 2010 with anticipated completion in fall, 2010. Parts Three/Four/Five will commence in succession thereafter.
o Part One – Inventory: will identify the general location, quantity and relative quality of physical conditions including existing materials, fixtures and special features. The inventory process will be performed in two task phases: Survey/Data Collection and Documentation of Findings. Using initial discovery survey findings as baseline data, the inventory will be continuously updated to reflect changes over time.
December 23, 2009
Change in RPCA-Park Planning and Capital Development Division
Page 2
o Part Two – Park Standards: will provide a menu of performance criteria for park materials, fixtures and facilities that will guide life-cycle replacement of existing stocks, new work and serve as a basis for future upgrades. The standards are not intended to be so all-inclusive that every park related item is specified, but they will provide recommendations from which to make informed future decisions. The park standards development process will be undertaken in five task phases: Synthesize (Part One-findings) Inventory with Park Standards Criteria; Evaluation of Existing Standards; Identify Special or Unique Conditions; Recommendation of New and/or Additional Standards and Recommendation of Standards for Athletic Facilities. The standards will be continuously updated to reflect operational lessons-learned and evolving future technologies.
o Part Three - Master Planning: will provide general management criteria and recommendations for future use, programming, capital development and operational needs in coordination with existing studies and related plans - to reasonably anticipate change and guide/prioritize future City-wide and site-specific decisions.
o Part Four - Capital Development: will continuously identify priority resources and implementation recommendations of the Master Planning Process.
o Part Five - Operational Sustainability Review: will continuously review/evaluate prioritization of new work, life-cycle replacements and updated needs with Inventory, Park Standards, Master Planning and Capital Development.
It is anticipated that there will be extensive involvement of the Park and Recreation Commission
and general public as we move forward.
cc. James K. Hartmann, City Manager
Judy Guse-Noritake, Chairperson, Park and Recreation Commission
______________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 23, 2009
TO: MARK JINKS, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER
DEBRA COLLINS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
FROM: JAMES SPENGLER, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION, PARKS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
SUBJECT: CHANGE IN RPCA - PARK PLANNING, DESIGN AND CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION FOCUS – ITEM IV-A
Consistent with the City Manager’s “Roadmap for Change”, the Park Planning, Design and Capital Development Division of RPCA are redirecting its efforts to focus on core activities. This is principally Park Planning and Capital Project implementation. The redirection away from private development review provides an approximate 25% recovery of staff time that can now be dedicated to core activities. We anticipate increasing public benefits through service improvements driven by more focused planning.
These changes were coordinated with the City’s Planning and Zoning and Transportation and Environmental Services Departments. As we have discussed I thought it hard to find value in our review of development with no significant open space or recreation issues. The Division’s redirection includes cessation of private property development landscape/site plan review for new Plot/Grading Plans, Subdivision, Site Plan, SUP, DSUP and DSP projects. We will remain “on call” to assist other departments as needed.
Commencing in January, 2010, RPCA’s Park Planning, Design & Capital Development Division will lead a major endeavor to comprehensively plan existing public park lands and acquired public open space in Alexandria. For the first time-ever, a Park Master Planning Process that integrates an inventory of existing conditions, park standards, policy, capital project scoping, implementation and operational sustainability will be undertaken.
Based on the comprehensive stewardship of public land, the Park Master Planning Process will beundertaken in five separate but interconnected parts. Parts One and Two will commence in January, 2010 with anticipated completion in fall, 2010. Parts Three/Four/Five will commence in succession thereafter.
o Part One – Inventory: will identify the general location, quantity and relative quality of physical conditions including existing materials, fixtures and special features. The inventory process will be performed in two task phases: Survey/Data Collection and Documentation of Findings. Using initial discovery survey findings as baseline data, the inventory will be continuously updated to reflect changes over time.
December 23, 2009
Change in RPCA-Park Planning and Capital Development Division
Page 2
o Part Two – Park Standards: will provide a menu of performance criteria for park materials, fixtures and facilities that will guide life-cycle replacement of existing stocks, new work and serve as a basis for future upgrades. The standards are not intended to be so all-inclusive that every park related item is specified, but they will provide recommendations from which to make informed future decisions. The park standards development process will be undertaken in five task phases: Synthesize (Part One-findings) Inventory with Park Standards Criteria; Evaluation of Existing Standards; Identify Special or Unique Conditions; Recommendation of New and/or Additional Standards and Recommendation of Standards for Athletic Facilities. The standards will be continuously updated to reflect operational lessons-learned and evolving future technologies.
o Part Three - Master Planning: will provide general management criteria and recommendations for future use, programming, capital development and operational needs in coordination with existing studies and related plans - to reasonably anticipate change and guide/prioritize future City-wide and site-specific decisions.
o Part Four - Capital Development: will continuously identify priority resources and implementation recommendations of the Master Planning Process.
o Part Five - Operational Sustainability Review: will continuously review/evaluate prioritization of new work, life-cycle replacements and updated needs with Inventory, Park Standards, Master Planning and Capital Development.
It is anticipated that there will be extensive involvement of the Park and Recreation Commission
and general public as we move forward.
cc. James K. Hartmann, City Manager
Judy Guse-Noritake, Chairperson, Park and Recreation Commission
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