2013 RECREATION, PARK, and OPEN SPACE ... - Titusville City Hall

Chapter 2: Inventory & Analysis
In the development of a comprehensive recreation plan such as this, it is important to establish a baseline of existing
conditions. This entails conducting an inventory and analysis of all park and recreation resources that impact the residents
of the Titusville area. This inventory and analysis describes in great detail the recreation facilities and programs available
to area residents. It also analyzes how these resources are managed, maintained, operated, and funded and compares
Titusville to established standards and to other municipalities. This baseline establishes an indicator from which to work;
it allows the community to know and understand what the current conditions are as they lay plans for the future.
RECREATION FACILITIES
This section provides an overview of the park, recreation, and open space classifications defined by the National
Recreation and Parks Association. Also included is an inventory of parks and recreation facilities found in the Titusville
area, with particular emphasis on facilities located within the bounds of the Titusville Area School District. Each park
site was visited and evaluated noting the type, quantity, and condition of equipment, playing fields, and playgrounds.
Factors such as site access, general condition, and conformance with American with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines
and the National Playground Safety Institute safety standards were assessed.
Hierarchy of Parks
The recommendations of this study, with regard to parks, are based on the premise that in order to provide the optimal
level of service to area residents, recreation providers must understand and take into consideration the different ways in
which people use recreation facilities. The function or use of a park depends on its size, location, and available facilities.
Parks can be organized into a “hierarchy” which defines their functions and the types of activities they should be
expected to accommodate. The National Recreation and Park Association’s 1995 “Park, Recreation, Open Space, and
Greenway Guidelines” offers facility classifications to be used as a guide when planning for the future of recreation
and open space systems. The classifications identified in the tables on the following pages provide the parameters
that are necessary for any planning effort while establishing a common terminology that defines facility functions and
the kinds of recreation activities they can be expected to accommodate.
Given the unique qualities of every community due to geographical, cultural, social, economic, and environmental
characteristics, each community must develop and adopt recreation and open space guidelines unique to its community
setting. These guidelines are important because they provide a common framework for the planning of future recreation
and open space efforts, allowing for orderly development of a parks system that fulfills all community needs.
Controlled flexibility is an important part of successful guidelines given the potential for unique circumstances and
situations that may arise. A community should not limit its resources by relying on rigid standards. This may prematurely
thwart creative efforts to enhance the community’s recreation and open space system. A flexible-use policy may allow
for accommodation of a non-typical use of a facility on an interim basis to accommodate short-term demand. Such a
policy should not be used to fulfill a long-term community need.
It should be noted that there are not specific standards for the amount of community conservation lands. The desired
acreage of conserved land is dependent on the number and quality of natural resources in the area, public desire to
preserve these resources, and the availability of funds for their conservation.
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