2006 Parks, Trails and Open Space Plan - City of Lakeville

Chapter
5
Parks, Trails & Open Space Policies
Introduction
Since its incorporation in the late 1960s, the City of Lakeville has maintained a tradition
of organizing and preparing for the future plus managing its growth through a
progressive comprehensive planning program. This management technique continues
to guide the City decision-makers in addressing private development proposals, as well
as in providing community facilities and services. In carrying on this progressive
management approach, periodic updates of plans and programs have been required in
order to maintain responsive positions and adequate preparation for community needs.
Such is the current situation involving the City’s overall parks and recreation system and
this sixth edition of the Parks, Trails and Open Space Plan. An updated Policy Plan
portion of the Lakeville Parks, Trails and Open Space Plan is presented in this section.
This updated plan is based upon previously established planning documents plus
expanded topic areas identified as part of this most recent effort to address the City’s
changing condition and the maturation of the park and trail system.
The context of the overall Lakeville Parks, Trails and Open Space Plan and the Policy
Plan sub-component must be recognized. The City’s Comprehensive Plan, comprised
of a Policy Plan and Development Framework, establishes the overall parameters for
community change and growth management. The physical aspects of the community
involving the natural environment, land use, transportation and community
facilities/services are addressed in a fundamental, but broad based approach. From
this basis, more detailed, system plans focusing upon specific topics, such as parks,
trails and open space, are generated.
Within the Lakeville Parks, Trails and Open Space Plan, there are sub-chapters which,
when totaled, comprise the entire or completed plan. In this regard, the Policy Plan is
the first component that outlines in written fashion what the community desires to
achieve in terms of its parks, trails and open space system. The Policy Plan does so
through generalized guidelines as to how such goals and objectives are to be pursued
and realized. With the establishment of these guidelines, attention can be directed
toward specific recreational programming and the acquisition, development,
maintenance and upgrade of physical facilities.
Based upon the rationale explained above, the first section of the Policy Plan reiterates
the general community goal statements from the City’s 1998 Comprehensive Plan -
Policy Plan/Development Framework. This sets the context for recreation/parks/trails
system planning. Subsequently, the standards and policies for general outreach are
established. This is followed by a definition of recreational program criteria. Next, the
physical aspects of the System Plan covering parks/trails acquisition, development,
City of Lakeville, Minnesota
Chapter Five
2006 Comprehensive Parks, Trails, & Open Space Plan Page 77