A comprehensive Master Plan for Forsyth County's projects and park budget decisions through 2026 is now available to residents.
“The update to the county’s Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan will guide staff and elected officials through decision making and actions, while balancing the opportunities and challenges of the county’s growth, over the next 10 years,” said Forsyth County Parks & Recreation Department Director, Jim Pryor.
The strategic plan was formally adopted by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners November 3 and is now in effect and available online.
It includes an inventory of current amenities, an overview of the public involvement process, a needs assessment, recommendations for improvement and expansion as well
as an action plan.
Earlier this year, the county asked for resident feedback regarding future park plans through a mail-in survey. Pryor stated that the survey indicated residents’ high ranking of healthy lifestyle amenities. Of the most frequently used outdoor facilities, the three most popular are walking and nature trails, Greenways and playgrounds. Recreation centers, indoor walking tracks, and nature and environmental education centers ranked the highest for most frequently used
indoor facilities.
Residents ranked renovations of existing older parks and trails, expanding the Greenway system and acquiring park land for passive facilities as the most important improvements.
Pryor said another valuable learning point from the survey that will be indicated in future planning decisions, was the communities desire for more usage of Lake Lanier.
"One thing we also learned was the value of Lake Lanier. We always knew it was a valuable asset to our community, but people really enjoy the parks and access to the water so that is one area that we need to focus on more options there when it comes to designing and renovating parks."
The Comprehensive Master Plan Update was conducted by Benesch, a consulting firm who works with local governments throughout the country to determine community park and recreation needs and develops plans to meet those needs.
