Tigard Park System Master Plan - City of Tigard

TIGARD PARK SYSTEM MASTER PLAN UPDATEparks are color-coded by park classification. Existing and planned regionaltrails are identified with solid and dashed lines.The park concept map was developed after analyzing projected populationgrowth, current land availability and the ability of the City to acquireland in meaningful locations. This analysis is detailed in the needs analysischapter of this plan. It is important to note that the map is a conceptualrepresentation and is not intended to pinpoint exact locations for futurepark sites. Access to neighborhood and community parks is increasedthrough the distribution of park facilities. Potential park locations arewithin a half-mile walking distance of most residents and most are sitedin locations near the existing and planned pathways system.PARK AMENITIESParks rarely serve just one purpose for visitors. Whether a community orneighborhood park, there are usually a number of amenities to choosefrom. Much of the public will travel to a park, not so much because of itsclassification, but because of the amenities that it provides. Many parksinclude, in some form, amenities such as play areas, trails and pathwaysand a recreation area. Each of these serves a specific purpose, but togetherthey contribute to the visitor’s overall experience. It’s important tounderstand that when developing parks, the amenities—as much as theclassification—are equally important in ensuring that Tigard residents areprovided ample recreation opportunities. There are basic park amenities thatmust be provided to reach the level of service desired across the park system.Playground or play area;Trails or pathways;Benches, tables or other seating areas;Activity-oriented features, such as a basketball court, geared atincreasing opportunities for play and physical activity;Site features such as trash receptacles and a drinking fountain; andRestrooms.These features would not all be included in every park, but the goal is tohave a park serving this variety of needs within walking distance of eachresident—namely, a “Local Park”. Ideally, the full range of basic facilitieswould be provided at one site, but in some cases, basic park amenityaccess could be achieved through the combination of several sites in onearea.52 CHAPTER 6 IMPLEMENTATION