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Chapter 5
DEMAND &
NEEDS ANALYSIS
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CHAPTER 5 x
DEMAND & NEEDS ANALYSIS
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Introduction
The purpose of the Needs Assessment is to evaluate, quantify and understand parks/facilities
and recreational programming demand and identify existing and future needs for Jefferson
County. The definition of needs includes both preservation of existing services and resources
and the need for additional ones.
When combined, State and National trends; as well as an assessment of local needs and
demands provide information for meeting public demand and determining priorities. The
Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
2013 (SCORP) as well and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) serve as valid
sources of information to help decision-makers better understand and prioritize recreation
issues on the local level.
STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN:
The Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act of 1965 provides funding to the
states for planning, acquiring, and/or developing land and water facilities designed to
encourage participation in outdoor recreation. The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor
Recreation Plan (SCORP)1 (completed in 2013) assesses current outdoor recreation facilities and
opportunities and projects future needs. States are required to submit a SCORP to be eligible for
LWCF grants. The public participated in the SCORP planning process through an Advisory
Group. Advisory Group meetings open to the public, an online SCORP Town Hall, as well as a
large-scale telephone survey. Recreation providers participated in the SCORP planning process
through online recreation provider surveys conducted to obtain information about recreation
supply and need.
The 2013 adopted SCORP addresses key issues related to outdoor recreation in Washington:
Benefits of outdoor recreation
Recreation participation
Constraints to recreation participation
Recreation equity
Land supply and use
Providing sustainable recreation opportunities
Economics and funding
Technology
Findings:
Research suggests that the social elements of outdoor recreation are very important to
residents, particularly among youth and young adults.
1 RCO 2013 SCORP: http://www.rco.wa.gov/documents/rec-trends/2013-2018SCORP-fullrpt.pdf
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Research has shown that natural areas and physical activities have a significant positive
impact on human health, including both physical and mental health benefits.
Washington‘s economy benefits from outdoor recreation: In 2011, outdoor recreation
contributed more than $22.5 billion in consumer spending to Washington‘s economy, as
well as $1.6 billion in state and local tax revenue.
Outdoor recreation promotes environmental stewardship and volunteerism, and research
suggests that outdoor recreationists are more connected to natural resources and tend to
have more care and concern for their environment.
One of the greatest challenges among recreation providers over the next decade will be
meeting the demands of an ever-increasing population in Washington, especially increases in
urban residents, older residents, and minority residents.
This SCORP is designed to help decision-makers better understand the most important
recreation issues statewide and make funding decisions based on public priorities and
expectations.
Other important trends that were highlighted in the 2013 SCORP are:
“The trend among all residents show a dramatic increase in many nature based activities,
and a decline in team based sports, as one might expect with an aging population”
“The most notable increase in participation by activity is for picnicking, BBQing and cooking
out which went from 9th ranked activity in 2012 to the top ranked activity in 2013”
“The top problems in Washington State are related to lack of facilities or closed facilities,
access or travel distance, costs of recreation and poor quality of existing facilities.
NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION:
In 2014 the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Board of Trustees presented a
report2 on trends influencing the field of Parks and Recreation in the next few years. The report
provides a fascinating glimpse of where parks and recreation in heading in the near future. The
NRPA Board Trendswatch 2014 focused on five key trends; 1.) Human Capital. 2.) Green
Infrastucture; 3.) Societal Piece; 4.) New Narrative/Reframing Our Proposition; 5.) Economic Forecast;
and 6.) Human Capital.
The NRPA identified trends that potentially will affect Jefferson County’s planning efforts for
developing and maintaining parkland, recreation facilities and programs now and into the
future are:
Trendline:
HUMAN CAPITAL
Job classifications and employment types are still predominate but new models are emerging
rapidly, which provide fewer benefits and less security for workers and require greater
flexibility in job skills, training and education.
The definition of what park and recreation services are; what skills and what new models are
emerging rapidly is an important trend. Understanding the range of human-capital needs will
be necessary, especially a better understanding of the role of contractual, seasonal and private-
sector employees.
2 NRPA 2014 Trendwatch Report 2014:NRPA Magazine: Lauren Hoffman and Richard J. Dolesh
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In addition, understanding the impact of this trend on the community fabric is key to
understanding how to serve the communities needs. Traditional models of volunteers coaching,
afterschool programing, educational components, challenges of child care, and programming
for adult workers are changing.
Trendline:
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Parks play a key role in lessening and mitigating the environmental impacts of modern
transportation, commercial, residential, storm water, and utility infrastructure.
Trendline:
SOCIETAL PIECE
More recognition of changing demographics; parks and recreation must adopt a new role of
becoming facilitators and innovators in the larger social contexts the need to recognize the role
parks and recreation plays in social innovation, place making and providing health, economic
and safety solutions for communities.
Trendline:
NEW NARRATIVE/REFRAMING THE PROPOSITION
The basic value proposition that parks were created as public “good” remains, but clearly, parks
and recreation must evolve into something more to remain relevant in a dramatically changing
society and environment.
The total population of Jefferson County is currently 29,8723. Table 5.1 below lists the
population projections under the Growth Management Act to accommodate growth over the
next 20 years.
Trendline:
ECONOMIC FORECAST FACTOR
The status and health of parks and recreation serves as a bellwether for the state of the
economy.
However, perhaps more than any other public-sector service provider, parks and recreation
agencies suffer direct consequences as a result of fluctuations in national and regional
economies.
Evidence shows that park and recreation agencies receive cuts in greater proportion to any
other public-service sectors when economies decline. The simple fact is that the state of the
economy is always going to be a driving factor for park and recreation budgets. Even if that fact
is a given, the Great Recession of 2008–2011 has had a greater and more long-lasting impact
than any other recession of modern times. The events of the past few years have had major
implications for how agencies operate now and how they will be funded in the future.
Many who are knowledgeable about funding for public parks and recreation believe that
economic models for these areas are changing irrevocably, and not always for the better.
3 Jefferson County Department of Community Development. Source: OFM
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While recessionary pressures over the past few years led to greater efficiencies and greater
adoption of business-oriented models, it also led to what many fear are permanent declines in
tax-supported funding devoted to parks and recreation.
Moreover, new trends, such as the infusion of private capital into public parks, the growth of
public-private partnerships, and the development of privately funded and managed parks and
park systems through Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) or Tax-Increment Financing (TIF)
mechanisms, have caused a re-evaluation of traditional methods of funding parks and
recreation through tax-supported general funds.
Critical to the success and the future of public parks and recreation is engaging communities in
understanding the benefits and value of parks and recreation. The greatest need to make the
most compelling case for public parks and recreation is evidence-based research. The urgency
level of understanding and responding to this trend is high.
NRPA LOOKING FORWARD:
In the 2014 PARKS AND RECREATION National Database Report4, NRPA’s research team
constantly studies the PRORAGIS database to find shifts and changes in operations, services
and development — trends that can help you in planning for the future. They use extensive
resources to determine the causes and meanings behind these trends and what they might mean
for agencies and regions. For instance, in recent years, climate changes — including more
frequent and intense natural storms — have affected the planning, design and materials used to
build parks and facilities. In addition, these powerful storms have sometimes resulted in higher
costs of development and maintenance for park facilities, while possibly reducing discretionary
funds. Because of these reductions, there may see more public-private agreements to support
programming, cultural events and upper-skill-level activities begin to emerge in the coming
years.
Figure 5.1Below are the NRPA more current trends that may affect how the park and recreation
field does business. “Opportunity” is defined as a trend that creates a win for both progressive
departments and users. “Challenges” may present difficult decisions surrounding current
operations, but with proper planning, can create benefits for everyone. “Conflicts” indicate that
a trend runs counter to best practices, so options need to be carefully considered:
4 NRPA 2014 PARKS AND RECREATION National Database Report (Now in its 5 th year the PRORAGIS database,
NRPA tool, is the largest collection of detailed data on municipal, county and state park systems in the U.S.
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Figure 5.1
PAST
CURRENT PRACTICES FUTURE DIRECTION PRESENTS
JEFFERSON COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION DEMAND & NEEDS
ASSESSMENT
Identification of the needs for parks, recreation facilities and program services is based on the
community’s vision for the County Park and Recreation system. Interpreting this vision for
Jefferson County involved multiple tasks, including identification of existing park and
recreation inventory, public involvement, review of trends, geographic analysis, demand and
standards analysis.
Demand and needs are sometimes difficult to quantify. A numerical standard may not reflect
the local priorities of a community, its economic situation, history, traditional recreation uses, or
political environment. This report assesses the recreational needs of Jefferson County using
national and state standards and trends, past levels of service standards, The Recreation and
Conservation Office (RCO) Level of Service Tool5, public involvement and identified
community demands.
5 RCO “Statewide Level of Service Recommendations: A Report on the Testing and Applicability of the RCO’s Proposed LOS
Tools” November 2010 & RCO LOS Tools in Manual 2/Appendix C Planning Policies and Guidelines
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SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND PROJECTIONS
Table 5.1: Population
2012
Census
2025
Projected
2035
Projected
Jefferson County
29,872
33,678
37,914
This report uses 29,872 as the population for level of service analysis, and 37,914 for future
(2035) need standards. The population per square mile is 16.6 as compared to the average
population per square mile in Washington State of 101. There are proportionately more females
in the county’s population at 50.6 percent compared to that of the state at 50.0 percent in 2013.
The percentage of people 19 years of age or younger is 16.4% which is lower than the state
average of 30%. The percentage of the population between the ages of 20-39 is 15.8%; 40-59 is
30.2%.6
In Jefferson County, 30.5% of the population is 65 years and older as compared to 13.6% of the
state’s population. The relatively older population of Jefferson County (when compared to the
state average), is also reflected in the labor force figures. Over 31% of the workforce was age 55
or older in 2012. Baby boomers (the 76 million people born between 1946 and 1964) are rapidly
hitting retirement age. The oldest boomers turned 65 in 2011, and for the next two decades the
population will reach that age at a rate of 8,000 a day.7 Developing recreation services, facilities
and programs that reflect age demographics is and important way to create a standard for
allocating resources that serve Jefferson County’s citizens.
In Jefferson County the 2010 census shows race and ethnicity is primarily white persons (91%)
which is higher than the state rate of 77.3%. Jefferson County is 2.3% American Indians, the
state wide average is 1.5%.
The 2010 census shows that 93.8% of the persons 25+ were high school graduates (state 89.4%)
and 35.9% received bachelor’s degrees or higher as compared to the statewide average of 30.8%.
The County is mostly residential with 13,215 households and 16,439 existing housing units with
a higher than state percentage (65.3%) of rate of homeownership at 76.3%. The median value of
owner-occupied housing units is $296,800 versus the state which is $277,600. The per capita
income, (2009) was $27,258 and the median household income was $48,176 as compared to the
state which is $56,479. 13.7% of Jefferson County are below the poverty level, which is slightly
higher the statewide percent of 12.3%.
In summary, the socio-demographic factors that will affect the demands and needs for park and
recreation facilities and programs include national trends as outlined by NRPA, community
6 2010 U.S. Census Bureau Jefferson County WA; by age. [under 10 yrs-7.3% / 10-19: 9.1% / 20-29:7.5% / 30-39:8.2% /
40-49:11.4% / 50-59:18.8% / 60-69:20.9% / 70-79 3.7% / 80 and older 5.9%
7 GOVERNING GENERATIONS / Book 1: Baby Boomers by Neil Howe [2013 E.REPUBLIC] & Jefferson County
Health District Stay healthy…stay healthy 2014 THE HEALTH OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, 2014 SUMMARY
FACTORS
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makeup as to age and characteristics, influences from schools and non-profit agencies and
potentially increased population from development.
The current changes in economics at the local and national level have the potential to alter the
future direction of public parks and recreation services. The full effects of the current economic
climate on the demands and needs for park and recreation, the provision of facilities and
programs and the conditions facing public parks and recreation are unknown at this time.
FACILITY DEMAND AND NEEDS ANALYSIS:
An inventory of parks, facilities, and recreation programs provided by public, non-profit and
private providers was the first step in the process of updating the existing Parks, Recreation and
Open Space Comprehensive Plan for Jefferson County. Understanding what is in place is
critical to the final recommendations of the Plan.
Development of the statement of need is dependent on local values, financial resources, and
desired levels-of-service. The analysis represents a combination of results from the 2011
Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Community Questionnaire, the City of Port Townsend
Youth and Park Plan surveys, state and national standards; trends, as well as current and future
population demands.
Population Allocations / RCO Baseline Criteria:
Numerical level-of-service standards for parks and facilities are a traditional methodology that
was originally advocated by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). The Level-
of-Service (LOS) method is used nationally and in the Washington Statewide Comprehensive
Outdoor Recreation Plan (RCO SCORP 2013) planning process. The NRPA population ratio
guidelines establish an overall parkland/open space guideline of 10 acres per 1,000 population
(NRPA 1983, 1996). Additionally, it also provides guidelines for park types (e.g. Mini,
Neighborhood, Community, and Regional) as well as recreation facilities (e.g. baseball,
playground, pools, tennis etc.)
In 2010 the RCO proposed a level-of-service (LOS) planning tool to help assess the provision of
and need for park and recreation facilities. These preliminary LOS tools are recommended but
not required at the local level. The RCO’s LOS approach is an option for local governments;
either for use as a primary method or as an enhancement to their preferred planning
methodology.8 This plan will include the additional RCO assessment process as well as
traditional sources of information to assess the quality and quantity of County parkland and
facilities.
As stated by the RCO, the preliminary local agency LOS tool “reflects public input that just one
indicator of need is not enough to adequately capture the complex nature of determining and providing
access and recreation opportunities.” The tool is intended to meet the needs of local governments of
differing sizes and varied planning capabilities. It includes three sets of guidelines. The first two
are traditional NRPA population allocation analyses, (Table 5.2) and park geographic (GIS) LOS
indicators (Table 5.3 & GIS Maps 4.2-4).
8 2010 Statewide LOS Recommendation: A Report on the Testing and Applicability of the RCO’s Proposed LOS Tools.
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The RCO/SCORP identified guidelines include:
Baseline Criteria (Population Allocations): Per capita participation (in outdoor
recreation activities) indicators.
Enhanced Criteria (Park Geographic LOS): GIS-based travel distance/population
density indicators.
“In-Depth” Criteria: Function-related indicators.9
Quantity Criteria
Quality Criteria
Distribution and Access Criteria
The RCO/SCORP “In-Depth” assessment for Jefferson County Parks is attached in Appendix B-
3.
Park Per Capita Level-Of-Service / RCO Baseline Criteria:
Table 5.2: NRPA Guideline Standards for Population
Park Type Guideline
Mini Park .25-.5 acres/1,000
Neighborhood Park 1-2/acres/1,000
Community Park 5-8/acres /1,000
Regional 5-10 acres/1,000
Resource Conservancy/Open Space Variable
Special Use Areas Variable
Recreation Facilities
Baseball/Softball Fields 1 field/5,000
Football Fields 1 field/20,000
Playgrounds 1/playground/3,000
Pools 1 pool/20,000
Soccer Fields 1 field/10,000
Tennis Courts 1 court/2,000
Trails (miles) 0.5 miles/1,000
As previously stated, the following population allocations, provided by the Jefferson County
Planning Department and the U.S. Census Bureau: City/County Facts 2012, will be used:
The current population is 29,872 County-wide
The future population is estimated at 37,914 people by 2035
Park Geographic Level-Of-Service / RCO Enhanced Criteria:
Appropriate distribution of parks throughout the County creates a more balanced system of
parks and facilities county-wide. The geographic method of planning and identification of
“service areas” relies on (GIS) mapping of existing parks and the associated distance and time
of travel. Parkland and facilities within the service area will have access to the parks and
9 The needs assessment will use one or all three as an indicator to a ddress a specific planning need and/or may assess
all applicable function-related indicators to inform the entire planning process.
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facilities while those outside the area of travel distance are identified as lacking opportunities.
The use of the service area identification provides analysis of access gaps in the park system.
NRPA also recommends service areas by park type and both location and percent of population
served. These will be used in the analysis of the needs for Jefferson County.
Table 5.3: NRPA Service Area Guideline Recommendations / RCO Enhanced Criteria10
Service Area
Range
Neighborhood Community
Park
Regional Park
Recommended ½-mile 1-mile 15-miles
Acceptable ½ -mile 2-miles 20-miles
Minimum 1-mile 3-miles 25-miles
PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE:
The needs analysis defines the types of parks, recreation facilities and recreation programs/
services in the following grouped sections. The sections will identify existing and future needs
for funding and administration of the Jefferson County parks and recreation system. The
sections are:
1.1 PARKLAND AND OPENSPACE
1.2 RECREATION FACILITIES
1.3 RECREATION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
10 Jefferson County is using the NRPA GIS/LOS guidelines.
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5.1.
PARKLAND
AND OPEN
SPACE
The 2002 Jefferson
County
Comprehensive
Park, Recreation
and Open Space
Plan and the 2010
City of Port
Townsend Park and
Recreation
Functional Plan
identified existing
parks and open
space, as well as
current deficiency
and future need.
The 2002 Jefferson
County Park Plan
used non-
traditional
identification of
parkland (Table
Table 5.4: Land requirements 2002 Jefferson County Park, Recreation & Open
Space Plan: Jefferson County Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan
(Note: 2002 Inventory includes Olympic National Park acres under “all total”)
TOTAL PARK LANDS
According to National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) standards, a
park, recreation, and open space system should provide approximately 34.45
acres of all types of parkland per every 1,000 persons in the population.
Standards Existing supply Recmnd
NRPA IAC JeffCo All total Add/std*
Acres of park land 687.0 710,395.7 222.0
Ratio per 1,000** 34.45 Na 26.47 27,372.39 15,854.20-
-
* Identifies additional land or facilities recommended to be added and the level-of-service
per 1,000 persons that will result from the addition and the projected population
increase over the next 20-year planning period. The level-of-service ratio will decline
due to additional population increase (44,822 or an additional 18,869 persons by the
year 2020) if no additional land or facilities are recommended.
** Ratio is expressed per 1,000 residents within Jefferson County (current population of
25,953) under JeffCo and for all public and private facilities under All total and
Recommended additional standard.
By comparison, Jefferson County owns 687.0 acres of parkland or about
26.47acres per every 1,000 county residents. All public and private agencies
own 710395.7 acres or about 27,372.39 acres per every 1,000 persons within the
total county.
Generally, the county, city, port, state, nation, and school district combined
provide a significant amount of land for park, recreation, and open space
interests within the total county to satisfy most local and significant regional
interests.
The total land requirement is somewhat satisfied by the availability of other
public park lands that are within a one-hour driving distance including parks
provided by Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission, Department of
Fish & Wildlife, Department of Natural Resources, US Forest Service, and US
National Park.
However, even though significant, the present allocation is not balanced
between different types of park, recreation, and open space land requirements –
particularly within the developing urban areas. Select acquisitions of additional
park land to be described in following pages, may provide another 222.0 acres
for a total equal to a ratio of 15,854.20 acres per 1,000 residents by the year 2020.
The resulting standard should be sufficient to provide for local needs and to
conserve important regional attributes within the urbanizing areas.
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5.4)11. The City of Port Townsend parks and recreation classifications are primarily based on the
National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) parkland types (Table 5.5). The NRPA
definitions of parkland will be used in this Plan update report which reflects the definitions
used in the November 2010 RCO Statewide LOS Recommendations Report.
In 1992, Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend adopted a joint resolution establishing
the County-wide Planning Policy (CWPP) as a policy framework to guide the development of
comprehensive plans. Therefore in Table 5.5 is a parkland summary table for the City of Port
Townsend and Table 5.6 lists the Jefferson County parkland by park type, parkland acres, the
current and future need and adopted level-of-service.
The 2010 City of Port Townsend Park and Recreation Functional Plan identified 115.9 total
overall acres of Mini, Neighborhood, Community, Regional and Natural Open Space parks
which are listed in Table 5.5. Additionally they have a number of beautification areas and 31-
miles of trails. The adopted existing level-of-service is 7.6 acres per 1,000 which addresses
current and future needs for the City.
The updated Jefferson County Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan lists the existing adopted
level-of-services (LOS) for county owned parklands only. The updated plan standards for
11 The 2002 PROS Plan existing ratio was determined to be 26.47 acres/1000 residents. The Plan included all public
and private lands with a LOS of 27,372.39 acres per 1,000/ (includes NPS Olympic National Park) for all parkland
inventoried.
Table 5.5: Port Townsend Parkland LOS
Park Classification Existing Acres 1983 NRPA
Standard
Current (2011)
Deficiency/Need
*Future (2024)
Deficiency/Need
Mini/Pocket Park 1.1 .25 Acres/1,000 1.2 Acres 3.3 Acres
Neighborhood Park 9.6 1 Acres/1,000 None None
Community Park 6.4 5 Acres/1,000 39.2 Acres 60.3 Acres
Regional Park 0 5 Acres/1,000 45.6 Acres 45.6 Acres
Natural/Open Space *98.8 No Standard NA NA
Overall Parks *115.9 7.6 acres/1,000*** None None
Natural/Open Space *69.8 No Standard N/A
Overall Parks **86.9 7.6 acres/1,000*** None None
Beautification Areas N/A No Standard N/A N/A
Trails 31 Miles No Standard N/A N/A
Includes 29 acres of Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park property owned by the Port of Port Townsend (including 9 acres of City
unopened right-of-ways).
Does not include 29 acres of Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park property owned by the Port of Port Townsend (including 9 acres of
city unopened right-of-way)
Adopted LOS standard
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parkland service levels are expressed in acres per 1000 residents. The parks are defined by types
of park which are: Neighborhood, Community, Regional, Natural Open Space, and Special Use
Areas.
Table 5.6 is a summary of the parks in Jefferson County with existing acreage, the future need
and adopted LOS, and the future (PLOS) need versus the existing (ELOS). The County types of
parks are then listed and defined in detail. This detail assessment of need includes existing
inventory, GIS service area, demand and defined need, public input/trends and demand
standard.
Table 5.6: County Needs and Demand:
Provider:
Jefferson County
GIS Service Area
Park
Classification
Existing
Acres
Future Need
(2035)
Adopted
LOS
Future Need
vs. ELOS
1-mile Neighborhood 7.0 5 acres 0.16/1000 -1.0
3-mile Community 115.5 91.0 acres 3.05/1000 -24.0
25-mile Regional 723.0 570.0 19.07/1000 -153.0
25-mile Open Space 183.8 145.0 4.85/1000 -39.0
25-mile12 Special Use 122.8 97.0 3.24/1000 -.26.0
Jefferson County Overall 1,152.2 908.0 30.4 -243
5.1.1 NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
Inventory:
Currently there are three Neighborhood Parks (NP) within the County (6-acres) that serve local
communities.13 On a per acre basis, Neighbor Parks are more expensive to maintain than the
larger Community Parks which are more efficient to operate, and serve a greater population of
recreational users. Neighborhood Parks however are most important to small community
areas. The service area for Neighborhood Parks is ½-mile to 1-mile.
At this time three Jefferson County parks provide three local communities with the benefit of
facilities very close to home. The Neighborhood Park are listed on the Inventory Table 4.1, the
Needs and Demand Table 5.6 and on the Service Area GIS map, (Map 4.2) which displays the
location of the following parks:
County Courthouse Park
Irondale Community Park
Quilcene River Park & Bay/East
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Neighborhood Parks
Jefferson County has a 1-mile service area for Neighborhood Parks (standard is ½-mile to 1-
mile.) The three current Neighborhood Parks provide a current level of service of 0.20/1000 per
population. Jefferson Counties Neighborhood Parks are distributed in three of the County
population center: Port Townsend, the Tri-Area, and Quilcene.
12 Community Centers GIS LOS is 3-mile. The same GIS as Community Parks
13 The City of Port Townsend has eight Mini and Neighborhood Parks.
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Public Input/Trend for Neighborhood Parks:
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input14
When asked the benefits of parks, recreation and natural areas (Q: 7) 59.7% indicated it
provided opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and 29.4% said it was to promote youth
development. 20.7% said it was to connect people together, building stronger families
and neighborhoods.
24.4% of respondents felt the City and County should focus their efforts upgrading
existing parks (Q: 10).
2010 Port Townsend Teen Opinion Survey:
By Gender: Both genders report parks, other than the skate park, as the location they
visit with the highest frequency (i.e. weekly)15.
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
When asked what they depended on parks and open space to provide (Q-6) 87% said a
quiet place to relax, picnic or walk and 67% stated a place for children to play.
The important park amenities and the top five priorities that they wanted to see were:
nature path/trails, wildlife corridors, open grass areas, picnic tables, and play
structures.
Trends
In some communities Neighborhood Parks, playground sites are popular as they are
relatively inexpensive to build and can serve a specific subdivision.
However, on a per acres basis, Neighborhood Parks are very expensive to maintain and
provides limited services, especially if they are located within a small community area
which lacks easy access.
The Neighborhood Parks located near residents provide the opportunity to get outside,
be active and play within a park that is within close proximity to their homes.
Neighborhood Parks have the same service area as playgrounds, therefore it is
recommended that playgrounds be located at each of the park sites.
In some cases where availability of park land or for coordinated use of public funds, a
partnership with the schools is created to help meet the need for Neighborhood Parks.
This option in some cases though, does not meet the needs of the entire service area, as
times of access are limited to hours outside of the school days.
Demand Standard: Neighborhood Parks
NRPA recommends 1-2 acres per 1,000 population as a standard for Neighborhood Parks. The
three Jefferson County Neighborhood Parks are within this standard size. With an average size
of a park in the 1-2 acre size. The existing 6 acres when divided by the future 2035 population
(37,914) a demand standard of 0.16 acres per 1,000 population results in a demand standard of
0.16 per 1,000 population. If this is applied to the current population (29,872), the existing six
acres of Neighborhood Parks meets the current and the future need of five acres of
Neighborhood Parks county-wide.
14 Full Report of 2011 Community Questionnaire Appendix B-1.
15 Teen Opinion Survey: quote
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Table 5.7
Recommended Demand Standard
Neighborhood Parks
Jefferson County
Existing Inventory 7 acres
Existing sites 3
Existing ratio ELOS 0.2/1,000
Recommended
Demand Standard
0.16 / 1,000
5.1.2: COUNTY / COMMUNITY PARKS
Inventory:
Jefferson County has 10 County/Community Parks (See Inventory summary Table 4.1), the
Needs and Demand Table 5.6 and on the Service Area GIS map, (Map 4.3) which displays the
location of the ten County Community Parks which are:
Bob Bates Field
Cape George Trailhead
Chimacum County Park
East Beach County Park
Hicks County Park in Shine
Irondale Beach County Park
Lake Leland County Park
North Beach County Park
Quilcene County Park
Quilcene Sports Park/Deema Smackman Field
The Community Parks in Jefferson County provide fairly even coverage throughout the service
areas. The existing developed sites serve a broad range of recreational opportunities. They
provide athletic fields, fresh and salt water access, picnicking, trails, sport courts, playgrounds
and group picnic shelters. A number of the Community Parks are small in size but are vital as
they serve a greater value by providing shoreline access to regional saltwater and freshwater
areas. One of Jefferson County’s Community Park serves as trailhead for the Cape George Trail.
There are five Jefferson County Community Centers and one Parks and Recreation Service
District #1 Community Center (Coyle Peninsula) throughout the County. They are displayed on
Map xx by location and service area coverage. The combination of the Community Parks and
the Community Centers across the County are shown on Map xx. The Community Centers
create opportunities for recreational activities, programs, events and social services that benefit
citizens in the service area.
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Community Parks
The Community Park service area is recommended at between 1-3 mile radii. The GIS service
area mapping (GIS Map 4.3) depicts the County service area of 3-miles for Community Parks
and Community Centers. The park map also shows that the Community of Brinnon, is currently
Page 16
not being served by a County Community Park. However Brinnon has Dosewallips State Park
as well as a Parks and Recreation District. The park maps also show that the Community of Port
Ludlow is not being serviced by a County Community Park. However, Port Ludlow is a Master
Planned Resort with significant recreation services and trails. In addition, the citizens of Port
Ludlow have easy access to Oak Bay Park, Indian Island Park, HJ Carroll Park, and Gibbs Lake
Park. Most areas of the County are within the service area that benefit from the Community
Centers. The City of Port Townsend service area for Community Parks is ½-3 miles.
Public Input/Trends: Community Parks
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
Respondents in the questionnaire (Q: 4) who were visitors indicated that waterfront and
beachfront activities (5.4%) as well as festivals, fairs or special events (4.4%) are why
they visit Jefferson County.
64% of all respondents indicated that parks are “very important” (Q:9), but due to the
number of responses with no answers to this question, the percentage could also be
interpreted as, “79% of those who responded to this question indicated that parks and
recreation and natural areas are very important to “quality of life.”
Maintaining (73%) and upgrading (24.4%) existing parks should be the County focus for
its parks and recreation efforts (Q: 10).
In listing their favorite park (Q: 12) the City of Port Townsend’s Chetzemoka
Community Park appeared most often in this write-in response. In the next group
Jefferson County’s North Beach Park was listed as their favorite.
Questions regarding trails (Q: 13-15) indicated that they want more trails (57.7%) for
recreation (26.4%) which are unpaved for non-motorized use (21.1%).
2010 Port Townsend Teen Opinion Survey:
In general, the “activities with the strongest weekly” participation include team
sports (42%)
Respondents overall, 329 separate youth (74%) said they participated in an activity
“often” and team sports was the highest response.
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
When asked to prioritize a list suggested park improvements, second on the list was to
“Develop a park on the west wide of the city similar in size to Chetzemoka Park (5-10)
acres.”
Trends: Community Parks
Community Parks provide a wider range of opportunities for activities and serve a larger
multi-service in many communities.
Counties are primary providers of County/Community Parks which are more efficient to
maintain on a per-acre basis than the smaller Mini/Pocket or Neighborhood Parks.
As population density increases, Community Parks will serve residents with a variety of
functions, which include organized active recreation, spectator events and passive
recreational opportunities.
Parks and playgrounds are important spaces for children and adults for physical
activity and are among ways to create or enhance access to physical activity for
Americans.16
16 Let’s Go To A Park Today www.dcpac.org & www.cdc.gov 2012 Report on addressing childhood obesity.
Page 17
It is known that youth need to have greater opportunities to experience the outdoors and
research has shown that kids are spending less time outdoors than they did 20-years
ago.17
The Centers for Disease Control recommends that children and adolescents participate in
at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week.
Demand Standard: Community Parks
The NRPA recommended guideline for Community Parks is 5-8 acres per 1,000 population.
They are typically 15 acres in size. Jefferson County’s existing inventory is 115.5 acres. If this
acreage is divided by the 2035 population (37,914), the demand standard is 3.05 acres per 1,000
population. If this LOS standard is applied to the existing population (29,872) Jefferson County
meets the current need for Community Parks. In addition the six Community Centers add an
additional 10.1 acres to serve Community needs throughout the County18.
Table 5.8
Recommended Demand Standard
Community Parks
Jefferson County
Existing Inventory 115.5 acres
Existing sites 10
Existing ratio ELOS 3.09/1,000
Recommended
Demand Standard
3.05/ 1,000
5.1.3: REGIONAL PARKS
Inventory:
Jefferson County has five Regional Parks. The 50-acre H.J. Carroll County Park and trail is one
of the most heavily used parks in the system with a regional draw for recreational use. Gibbs
Lake County Park site is 601 acres. This total includes the recent Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) land transfer of 291.00 acres. The Larry Scott Trail is a Regional trail with over
8.5 miles of trails in the seven acre site. Lower and Upper Oak Bay County parks each provide
a unique experience. Upper Oak Bay County Park has camping and picnicking and Lower Oak
Bay County Park is a natural experience on the Oak Bay waterfront, as well as limited camping.
(Map 4.4) Specifically the parks are:
Beausite Lake County Park & NW Kiwanis Camp
Gibbs Lake County Park
H.J. Carroll County Park and Trail
17 2014 Gov. Jay Inslee Blue Ribbon Task Force recommends that Washington’s Outdoor Recreation Goal is to have
“no child left inside.” Richard Louv author of “Last Child in the Woods” coined the phrase the “Nature Deficit
Disorder”.
18 Recreation Centers: section 5.2.3. needs analysis
Page 18
Larry Scott Trail
Lower Oak Bay County Park
Upper Oak Bay County Park
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Regional Parks
Regional Parks provide outdoor recreational facilities with regional significance. They are
generally 200+-acres and can serve several communities with natural qualities and outdoor
recreation. Facilities at regional parks can include recreation sport facilities, boating, camping,
water access and trail use. The service area for Regional Parks is defined under the NRPA
guidelines as a park that is from 5-10-miles travel distance or located within one hour driving
time.
Public Input/Trends: Regional Parks
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
In listing their favorite park (Q: 12) the Jefferson County’s H.J. Carroll Regional Park
appeared most often in this write-in response.
Questions regarding trails (Q: 13-15) indicated that they want more trails (57.7%) for
recreation (26.4%) which are unpaved for non-motorized use (21.1%).
Respondents (27.4%) indicated that sports (baseball, softball, soccer, basketball) (Q: 19)
are types of additional recreation programs that should be offered.
2010 Port Townsend Teen Opinion Survey:
Team sports remained the most popular activity for either gender, but females were
more likely than males to participate in individual sports.
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
94% of the respondents stated that it is either important or very important that every
household has reasonable access to parks/open space (Q:16)
Trends: Regional Parks
(Let’s Move: Recommendation 5.13: Increase the number of safe and accessible parks
and playgrounds, the goal of this program is to increase access to a park, a river, or an
area of open space close to home.19
Kansas State University researcher Andrew Kaczynski’s 2010 research shows children
living within a half-mile of a park or playground were five times more likely to be a
healthy weight, rather than overweight, as compared to children who didn’t have a park
with a playground nearby.20
Increased cost for vehicle travel and long auto-trips will create a demand for local
Regional Park opportunities that provide less travel and localized access to regional
facilities and trails.
A minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity lowers the risk
for heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the United States.21
Demand Standard: Regional Parks
19 Increasing Physical Activity “Let’s Move” www.letsmove.gov/sites/letsmove.gov/files/TFCO
20 Andrew Kaczynski, Ph.D. currently is Assistant Professor and Director of the Built Environment and Community
Health (BEACH) Laboratory in the Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior within the Arnold
School of Public Health and CDC Prevention Research Center at the University of South Carolina.
21 NRPA “Physical Activity: The Key to Good Health and Reducing Obesity” Issue Brief 2013 www.nrpa.org
Page 19
The NRPA guideline for Regional Parks is 200+ to 1000+ acres in size with potentially resources
and an area of natural quality for outdoor recreation. Jefferson County has a total of 723 acres of
Regional parkland. These facilities include picnicking, camping and trail use, waterfront access
as well as play areas, a group picnic shelter, and unique gardens. The six Regional Parks in
Jefferson County currently meet the ELOS and PLOS. The regional trails (Larry Scott Trail and
trails at H.J. Carroll Park) will continue to address current and future needs as defined in
section 5.2.1: Pathways/Trails Demand and Need analysis.
Table 5.9
Recommended Demand Standard
Regional Parks
Jefferson County
Existing Inventory 723.0 acres
Existing Sites 6
Existing Ratio ELOS 24.0/1,000
Recommended
Demand Standard
19.0/ 1,000
5.1.4: NATURAL OPEN SPACE
Inventory:
Jefferson County has 183.8 acres of Resource Conservancy Natural Open Space parks22. (Map
4.4)The two sites are:
Indian Island County Park
Broad Spit County Park
Jefferson County citizens have a large number of acres of federal parkland available for public
use in the Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park in East Jefferson County23.
Additionally the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Parks and
Department of Natural Resources provide additional natural open space sites for public
recreation. Jefferson County also funds acquisition of natural open space through the levy of
Conservation Futures Taxation for acquisition of natural open space.
On February 7, 2014 the Department of Ecology approved the Jefferson County Shoreline
Master Program (SMP) comprehensive update. The SMP and Critical Areas Ordinance include
policy and planning guidance to protect and enhance natural resources, while encouraging
educational interpretation and community stewardship.
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Natural Open Space
The NRPA guidelines do not specifically define the service area for Resource
Conservancy/Natural Open Space parks. These sites are dedicated to protection, natural
features, and historically significant sites and/or for habitat protection with minimal
22 The City of Port Townsend has identified five Natural Open Space Parks.
23 See Chapter 4 existing state and federal public lands inventory.
Page 20
improvements. The Resource Conservancy/Natural Open Space sites provide benefit and value
to the entire County.
Public Input/Trends: Natural Open Space
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
Benefits to the natural environment is a particular interest (Q: 7) with 57.7% responses.
Protecting the natural environment (Q: 7) ranked third with 26.6% stating this is the
benefit of parks, recreation and natural areas that are personally important.
There is a high value (Q: 9) placed on parks, recreation and natural areas in relation to
quality of life in Jefferson County.
Acquiring new lands for future parks ranked lower (12.2%) (Q: 10) than maintaining
existing with 70.0%.
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Recreation Functional Plan Public Survey:
87% of those responding with a 1-10 ranking indicated as #1 that they depend on parks
and open space to provide a quiet place to relax, picnic or walk.
97% (#1 ranking) and 79% (#2 ranking) indicated that they participated in
hiking/walking or wildlife observations.
Trends
Research continues to confirm that well-tended natural resources attract businesses.
Using parks, greenways and trails to connect to each other and to natural, recreational
and heritage assets are discovering new economic development and revitalization
opportunities.24
The proximate principle states that the market value of properties located proximate to a
park or open space (POS) are frequently higher than comparable properties located
elsewhere.25
The National Park Service (NPS), a bureau within the Department of the Interior,
manages 397 national parks, has over 17,000 miles of trails, employs 22,000 staff, has
221,000 volunteers, and offers activity opportunities and snacks and meals to over 280
million visitors annually, making the NPS a major employer and one of the largest
tourist destinations and food providers in the United States.3,4 The NPS also provides
technical assistance programs and pass-through funding to establish local, regional, and
state parks, trails, and greenways in all 50 states.26
Demand Standard: Natural Open Space
NRPA does not have a recommended standard for natural open space; however protection of
natural resources to provide management for the natural/cultural environment is primary with
recreation use as secondary. There should be sufficient acreage to protect the resources while
planning for passive recreational opportunities. The current ratio of 6.2 per 1,000 for natural
open space for the County meets the recommended demand standard unless substantial
resources are identified in need of protection. Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend
continue to work to provide protected wildlife and natural habitat for maximum enjoyment
with integrated users.
24 Using Conservation to Fuel Sustainable Communities and 21 st Century Economies/2008 NRPA Congress: Secretary
Michael DiBerardinis, PA. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
25 Dr. John Crompton Texas A&M University “The impact of parks and open spaces on Property Values”
26 Health Promotion Branch, Office of Public Health, National Park Service, Washington, D.C.
Page 21
Table 5.10
Recommended Demand Standard
Resource Conservancy: Natural Open Space
Jefferson County
Existing Inventory 183.8 acres
Existing Sites 2
Existing Ratio ELOS 24.0/1,000
Recommended
Demand Standard 4.85/ 1,000
5.1.5: SPECIAL USE AREAS
Inventory:
Jefferson County’s inventory of Special Use sites includes Jefferson County Memorial
Athletic Field (5 acres), the Jefferson County Fairgrounds (27.7 acres) and the Jefferson
County Horse Park (80.0 acres). They also own five community centers that are leased to
the OlyCap non-profit for provision of social services. The Coyle Community Center is
operated by Park District #1. Jefferson County Parks and Recreation provides
recreational programs at the Port Townsend Community Center which is also the site
location for the Jefferson County Senior Citizen programs. There are a total of 122.8 acres
of Special Use Areas within the County Park system. Map 4.4) The City of Port
Townsend has a variety of Special Use Areas that include the swimming pool, the
recreation facilities at Mountain View Commons as well as the municipal golf course
and skate park.
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Special Use Areas
NRPA does not list a specific standard for Special Use Areas. Special Use Areas serve the
County as a whole. Specific site facilities or recreational programs serve as the guideline
standards for the specific activity or function provided to the citizens at the Special Use site. The
Community Center service area is the GIS standard of 3-miles as Community Parks.
Public Input: Special Use Areas
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
Visitors (5.4%) indicated that they visit because of the “waterfront/beachfront activities”
(Q:4) which could indicate visitor use of the fresh and salter waterfront sites in the
County park as well as those waterfront sites located in the City of Port Townsend.
When listing their favorite parks or recreation facility in Jefferson County (Q:12) the
second highest listing of write-in responses was Mountain View Pool, the Jefferson
County Port Townsend Community Center and Jefferson County’s North Beach Park.
Indoor swimming, multi-use gym and spaces for teens and seniors were the top four
types of indoor recreation spaces that were most important when selecting two choices
(Q:18).
Responses to Questions 20 (activities have done) and 21 (activities would like to do) the
shift from the bottom in “have done” (Q:20/ranked 23rd) to the middle of “would like to
Page 22
do” (Q:21/ranked 13) for “Outdoor Adventure” programs and “Horseback riding” could
be reflective of the desire for outdoor and environmental programming in Question 19.
Some of the “Other” responses (Q:20 & 21) that received multiple mentions include: Disc
Golf, Dog Walking and Gardening which are all recreation facilities that are sited in
Special Use Parks.
2010 Port Townsend Teen Opinion Survey:
74% of the overall (329 separate youth) said they participated in an activity “often”.
Both genders report parks as the location they visit with the highest frequency.
Pool attendance is highest in 6th and 7th grade (with 50% and 46% respectively reporting
weekly to monthly attendance).
Most youth said that they preferred activities and programs to be offered after school or
in the summer.
During the public workshops and when asked “what was needed” of a list of five
priorities, the 4th item mentioned, was the need to “secure Mountain View Commons for
long term”.
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
When asking what they like to see the former “Golden Age Cub” land to be used
for ranked 3rd out of 5, those responding (20%) indicated that they wanted to
“replace it with a new building for the public”.
Demand Standard: Special Use Areas
To locate the identified special use facilities, parkland is needed to provide for the facilities and
programs. Many of these facilities can be located in Community park acreage or as an amenity
at existing parkland sites. Currently there are a total of 122.8 existing acres of Special Use Areas.
The ELOS is 4.1 acres per 1,000 population. This level of service meets the existing need. In the
future (2035 population 37,914) the PLOS current acreage meets the demand.
Table 5.11
Recommended Demand Standard
Special Use Areas
Jefferson County
Existing Inventory 122.8 acres
Existing sites 927 sites
Existing ratio ELOS 4.1/1,000
Recommended
Demand Standard
3.24/1,000
5.2 RECREATION FACILITIES
27 The Coyle Community Center/Park District #1 additionally has the Laurel B. Johnson Center.
Page 23
On the following pages, specific needs for a number of types of facilities were selected and
highlighted. The types of facilities and the demand for use was completed as part of the
community June 19, 2012 ERPRC study, report and recommendations presented to the
Jefferson County Board of Commissioners and the Port Townsend City Council. Table 5.12
introduces the needs and demands with the listing of facilities inventory that includes
Jefferson County as well as the City of Port Townsend and the east Jefferson school district.
This listing reflects the close partnership and shared use by these three entities for recreation
facility services.
Table 5.12: Summary of Facilities Inventory: Jefferson County, Port Townsend, & schools.
FACILITIES
Ex
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Sports Fields
Baseball Field 300+
youth lighted
2 2 2 4
1 per 30,000
Baseball Field
250+grass
5 5 1 6
1 per 5000
Fields Multi-
purpose
1 1 1 2
Fishing (1 dock) 5 5 5
Football Field 1 1 3 4 1 per 20,000
Recreation Play
courts
3 3
Softball 6 6 1 per 5,000
Soccer Grass Field 2 2 4 6 1 per 10,000
Other Athletic
Basketball Court
outdoor
3 3 3
1 per 10,000
Challenge Course 1 1 1
Tennis Court
unlighted outdoor
2 2 8 12
1 court per 2000
Track (running)
1/2-mile
2 2
1 per 20,000
Trails (miles) 25.2 27.2 52.4 52.4 1 per system
Indoor Facilities
Community Centers
Arts/Craft Rooms
sf.
2,000 2,000 4,000 6,000
Auditorium/staging
/facilities sf.
13,500 13,500 10,000 23,000
Page 24
The following pages defines the specific needs for the following recreation facilities. Recreation
services and facility use is from each of the public entities. Citizens and visitors enjoy the facilities
Classrooms/meetin
g rooms sf.
17,900 28,000 45,900 1,000 46,900
Community Centers
sf.
14,000 14,000 14,000
1 per 5000*
Gym sf. 4,000 34,000 38,000 20,400 1 per 5000
Gym & basketball 1 1 2 6 8 1 per 5,000
Rec/Teen Ctr.sf. 2,000 2,000
Sub-Total 21,900 62.900 84,800
Golf Course 1 1 1 1 per 50,000
Interpretive
Centers/signs
6 1 7 7
Museum 4,000 4,000 4000
Rec/Teen Ctr. sf. 2,000 2,000 2000 1 per 5000*
Other Amenities
Boat Launch
freshwater
1 1 1
Boat Launch
saltwater
2 2 2
Boating non-
motorized
3 3 3
Campgrounds 5 5 5
Disc Golf 1 1 1
Dog Park/Walk 1 1 1
Gardens 1 1 1
Historic Features 1 1 1
Horse Trails (miles) 4.2 4.2 4.2
Playground
uncovered
4 4 8 5 13
Picnic table w/o
shelter
7 40 47
47
Picnic shelter-group
use
3 5 8 8
Restroom
permanent
53 53 53
Skate Park 1 1 2 2
Stadium 1 1 1
Swim Beach 3 3 3
Swim Pool sf. 2,500 1 1 1 per 20,000
Shellfish 1 1 1
Waterfront
Freshwater access
1 5 6 6
Waterfront
Saltwater access
15 8 23 23
Page 25
provided by the City, the County and the local School Districts. The assessed need reflects existing
inventory, public input and priority interest from national or state trends. Recreation facility and
program categories include:
5.2.1 PATHWAYS AND TRAILS
5.2.2 CHILDREN’S PLAY AREAS
5.2.3 RECREATION CENTERS
5.2.4 SWIMMING POOLS
5.2.5 SPORTS FIELDS
5.2.6 RECREATION PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
5.2.1: PATHWAYS AND TRAILS
Inventory:
Jefferson County completed the 2010 County-wide Comprehensive Plan update for Chapter 5.
This Chapter defines the Land and Facility Demand for Non-Motorized Transportation and the
adopted Recreational Trails Plan element. The County considered standard measurements of
demand for level-of-service (LOS) methodologies as assessed in the 2002 Plan28. The County
developed a priority list that had significant public support and presented the projects in
Chapter 11 Implementation section of the Plan. Jefferson County has focused on the top
priorities which are the Larry Scott Trail, the Rick Tollefson Trail and the Olympic Discovery
Trail. The adoption of the 2010 Comprehensive Plan and the update in Chapter 5 and defined
projects in Chapter 11 provides eligibility for Jefferson County as an applicant for RCO grant
programs for “trails” from both the state and federal matching grant programs.
The County has constructed 7.5 miles of the Larry Scott Multiple Purpose Trail. The trail
extends from the Port Townsend Boat Haven to Four Corners (Milo Curry Trailhead). Jefferson
County has 6 miles of single track trail at Gibbs Lake, and about 1.5 miles of multiple purpose
trail at Indian Island Park.
In 2008 the County began planning, design, easement acquisition and grant applications for the
Rick Tollefson Trail. This trail serves as a non-motorized link between the residential and
commercial center of Port Hadlock and H.J. Carroll Park, Chimacum School and the Tri-Area
Community Center. In 2010, the County in partnership with the Chimacum School District and
the Sheriff’s Department applied for a Safe-Routes-to-Schools grant to construct a specialized
trail at the Chimacum School Campus and provide traffic safety and bicycle education
programs.
The Olympic Discovery Trail will extend from the end of the Larry Scott Trail at Four Corners on
SR 20 around the southern end of Discovery Bay to Clallam County. In 2010 Jefferson County
initiated development of the Olympic Discovery Trail / Discovery Bay estuary connection on
the abandoned railroad grade which develops a route connection around the southern end of
Discovery Bay.
In 2014 Jefferson applied for grant funding from the RCO under the Washington Wildlife and
Recreation Program (WWRP) for matching funds appropriated by the 2015 Legislature in their
28 Jefferson County Non-Motorized Transportation and Recreation Trails Plan 2010 Update
Page 26
capital budget. Trail advocates have taken the lead on planning a back county segment from
Four Corners through Anderson Lake State Park to Discovery Bay. This trail uses existing utility
easement, logging roads and constructed trails.
In 2009 the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT) was established by Congress and the
U.S. Forest Service. It is designed as the agency responsible for trail development. The PNT will
extend from the Continental Divide in Montana to Cape Alava on Washington’s Pacific Coast. It
is anticipated that the route will use the Larry Scott Trail from the Port of Port Townsend to
Four Corners and the Olympic Discovery route from Four Corners to Discovery Bay.
In June 2011, the City of Port Townsend adopted the Non-Motorized Transportation Plan
Supplemental (NMTPS) to the 1998 Non-Motorized Transportation Plan.29 The 2011 plan
affirms the importance of the existing plan elements. Port Townsend’s Non-Motorized
Transportation Plan seeks to strengthen the connection between County and City transportation
networks.
The City of Port Townsend has over 25.2-miles of developed and undeveloped use pathways
and 7.7 miles of bicycle lanes. The plan describes the various types of destinations (schools,
parks and open space, commercial areas) and facilities (sidewalks, trails, road shoulders, bicycle
facilities and non-motorized support facilities.) The plan identifies 8.7-miles of developed and
16.5 of undeveloped use paths with original surface. The plan identifies needs for direct, safe
and simple routes to schools. It also identifies routes for separation from traffic or off-road
access for parks and identifies that parks and open spaces are important destinations for
pedestrians and bicyclists. The June 6, 2011 supplement to the 1998 plan affirms the importance
of the existing plan elements and Port Townsend’s NMTP Supplement seeks to strengthen the
connection between County and City transportation networks.
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Pathways & Trails
East Jefferson County is the service area for Jefferson County Public Works Non-Motorized
Transportation and Recreational Trails Planning. The Urban Growth Areas of the incorporated
City of Port Townsend is the identified city service area.
Public Input/Trends: Paths & Trails
Between 2002 and 2010 the City of Port Townsend completed a number of surveys of
bicycle and pedestrian use which included the bicycle parking survey, bicycle and
pedestrian counts and K-8 student transportation mode tally.
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
Just over half of the respondents indicated that more trails are needed in Jefferson
County (Q: 13/52.7%).
The largest portion of respondents (26.4%) feel that the primary reason to develop trails
is for recreation reasons (Q: 14).
When asked what type of trails or pathway was most needed in the County or City (Q:
15) 46.8% listed unpaved trails for non-motorized, off-street paved for bicycling or
walking and community connections trails to link disconnected streets.
29 City of Port Townsend Non-Motorized Plan
Page 27
Walking for pleasure rank first and bicycling ranked second in both Question 20 “have
done activity” and Question 21 “would like to do this activity.”
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
In a number of the various questions, places for walking and use of nature paths and
trails were a continual supportive theme.
In Questions 6, 10 and 11 they stated that they depend on parks for a place to walk (87%)
hike (82%).
When asked about additional amenities 86% ranked nature path/trails as the number
one amenity and when asked to rank the priority of amenities 77% again ranked nature
path/trails.
Trends
Trails Lead to a "Fit" Community: With the emphasis on health and fitness in today's society,
trails are becoming just as important as streets and sidewalks in our communities.30
Demand and Need: Pathways & Trails
Based on the original projected 2035 County population of 37,914 and the adopted LOS of 1.8
miles per 1,000 population, equates to a total of 41.3 miles of trails. Since the adoption of the
1998 Comprehensive Plan, Jefferson County has constructed 4.8 miles of the Larry Scott Trail,
1.5 miles of trails at H.J. Carroll Park, and 5.0 miles of trails at Gibbs Lake County Park. Trails
are also discussed in the Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element. The discussion of
capacity-related and non-capacity-related needs for the non-motorized transportation system
(Comprehensive Plan, Page 10-34) refers the reader to the Capital Facilities Element, Parks
section, Trails subsection.
Although it is not explicitly stated in the Comprehensive Plan, it is evident from this discussion
that the LOS for trails is a composite LOS for several types of non-motorized transportation and
recreational trail facilities. Chapter 3 of this Plan provides a detailed inventory of existing non-
motorized transportation facilities and recreational trails that includes:
• Multipurpose trails – 4.0 miles,
• Urban sidewalks – 0.7 miles
• Park walking trails – 9.7 miles,
• Shoreline trails – 1.1 miles,
• On-road bicycle routes – 28.3 miles,
• Off-road bicycle trails – 0.2 miles, and
• Horse riding trails – 4.2 miles
The total trail inventory is 52.4 miles31. Based on this inventory, Jefferson County currently
exceeds its existing LOS for trails (41.3 miles) and future need of 15.9 additional miles (68.25
total miles). This Plan does not propose to modify the existing Comprehensive Plan trail LOS
standard or to adopt LOS standards for each specific type of non-motorized transportation
facility and recreational trail.
In addition to the priority projects listed in Chapter 11 Implementation of the 2001 Plan, the
County has developed the following list of facility concepts for consideration by the public
through the 2010 Plan update process.
30 By Randy Martin Trailscape.net Hosted by: American Trails Association
31 Current inventory for City and County: Jefferson County 27.2 miles a nd Port Townsend 25.2 miles. Total
Page 28
Larry Scott Trail from the Port of Port Townsend to Four Corners on SR 20.
Olympic Discovery Trail from Four Corners around Discovery Bay to Clallam County.
Chimacum Trail (now named the Rick Tollefson Trail) from Port Hadlock across the
Chimacum Creek valley and through H.J. Carroll County Park to Chimacum School.
Quilcene Village Center sidewalks, crossing, and pedestrian route to the Community
Center.
Brinnon pedestrian route from Brinnon School to Dosewallips State Park along County
Roads and parallel to Highway 101.
Multi-purpose trail from H.J. Carroll Park and the Chimacum School campus to the
Olympic Discovery Trail at Anderson Lake State Park.
Larry Scott Trail Extension from Four Corners to Port Hadlock via Irondale road and to
Glen Cove.
Construction of trailheads with parking, benches, and restrooms to provide services to
trail users.
Table 5.13
Recommended Demand Standard
Pathways & Trails
Jefferson County
Existing Inventory 52.4 miles
Current Ratio 1.8/1,000
Recommended
Demand Standard
1.8.0 /1,000
5.2.2: CHILDREN’S PLAY AREAS
Inventory:
There are eight children’s play areas in the City of Port Townsend and in Jefferson County
Parks. Additionally there are 5 additional school sites accessible to the public.
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Children’s Play Areas
The service area for children’s play areas is the same as that of a neighborhood park, or ½-mile
radius.
Public Input/Trends: Children’s Play Areas
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
Playground (visit/play) ranked 7th out of 25 listed activities (Q: 20) that “you have done”
(9.84% participated annually) which indicates the important and use of playgrounds to
the respondents.
“Promoting youth development” (29.4%) and “Providing opportunities to enjoy
nature/outdoors” (59.7%) ranked highest in the two choices for the respondents (Q: 7).
Page 29
“Connecting people together, building stronger families and neighborhoods” (Q: 7) was
also a priority (20.7%).
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
When asked why they primarily depend on parks and open space (Q-6) fifth in priority
was “a place for children to play” (67%), also fifth with 54% was “play structures” (Q-10)
as an important amenity and when ranked for priority “play structures” (Q-11) was
ranked fifth.
When asked (Q-17) for suggested improvement, second on the list was “replace or add
play equipment for children”.
Trends: Children’s Play Areas
Active living and healthy lifestyles are one of the ways to address the important issue
facing communities today with regard to the staggering increase in the rate of obesity and
chronic disease.
Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States - triple the rate
from just one generation ago.32
90% of students in Jefferson County do not get daily physical education class, 70% in WA.33
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, children and adolescents should
participate in physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day.34
Demand and Need: Children’s Play Areas
Jefferson County has four playgrounds throughout the system. The City of Port Townsend also
has four. There are a total of five in the school districts. Using the total of the three public
agencies there are 13 playgrounds county-wide. This meets the current and future need for
playgrounds. It is important to understand that at times playgrounds are not accessible for
public use on school grounds while the schools are in session. This limits public use to late
afternoons, evenings and weekend use. Using the determined PLOS of .34 per 1,000 citizens
calculated for just the eight County and City available playgrounds, the need would be for five
additional playgrounds. Calculating the need with just the existing Jefferson County
playgrounds, there is a current and future need for nine additional playgrounds on Jefferson
County parkland.
Table 5.14
Recommended Demand Standard
Children’s Play Areas35
Jefferson County
Existing Inventory 4 sets
Current Ratio 0.3/1,000
Recommended
Demand Standard
0.34 /1,000
32 2014 Preventing Childhood Obesity; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
33 Jefferson County Health Care & Jefferson County Public Health May 2014
34 CDC Childhood Obesity: www.cdc.gov/obesity/children/current facts 2014
35 The City of Port Townsend LOS is 7.6/1000
Page 30
5.2.3: RECREATION CENTERS
Inventory:
Jefferson County has 93,500 sf. of rooms for recreation, meetings, and community centers. The
six community centers make up 14,000 sf. of the total. The City of Port Townsend has 17,900 sf.
of classroom, teen center and meeting space and 4,000sf of gym space at the Mountain View
Commons. The school districts have 11,000sf. of meeting rooms, auditorium and gymnasium
space available for public use.
Jefferson County Parks and Recreation provides a number of traditional recreation programs at
the Port Townsend Community Center. The primary County recreation programs focus on youth
by providing summer and special interest camps as well as youth sports leagues and fitness
programs. The grounds of the Port Townsend Community Center function as an important
community park with playground, picnics, and home to the Farmers Market. Jefferson County
also leases community center facilities in Brinnon, Gardiner, Quilcene and Tri-Area. The
Brinnon Community Center primarily provides for senior citizens programs without typical
recreation programs. The Gardiner Community Centers offers room rental with very few
classes. The Quilcene Community Center provides typical recreation center programs
(activities, afterschool programs) which are primarily operated by WSU 4-H additionally they
have a computer lab available. The Tri-Area Community Center mostly provides food bank and
senior services. The County contracts with non-profit organizations such as OLYCAP which
program and manage the sites for community services. The Jefferson County Park District #1
provides the Laurel B. Johnson Community Center and provides community based
programming needs for the Coyle/ Toandos Peninsula service area. The City of Port Townsend
operates the Mountain View Commons and has contracted with the Jefferson County YMCA for
use of the rooms and the gymnasium to provide recreational programs for the community.
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Recreation Centers
The service area for Community Recreational Centers is generally a 1-3 mile radius which
reflects the services area of County/Community Park service areas. If using either a 2-mile or a
3-mile service area (GIS Community Center map 4.3) the community centers provide a
substantial benefit throughout the County. The two sites in Port Townsend, where county
population is higher, provide the service area coverage to benefit the citizens.
Public Input/Trends: Recreation Centers
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
Providing recreation programs and activities was a popular choice with over 40% of
respondents selecting it (Q: 10).
43% is a high level of participation compared to other northwest communities. (Q:16 re:
“participate in recreation, cultural, senior or sports programs offered by the City or the
County”)
In answer to “why you do not participate in recreation or sports programs offered by the
City or the County” (Q: 17) the top responses (too busy, no interesting activities, not
aware of programs) indicate a need for targeting activities and marketing.
Page 31
The types of indoor spaces (Q: 18) the respondents felt were most important (two
choices) the pool was listed as most important but the next four responses which are
essentially tied (multi-use gym, teen space, senior center, fitness and classrooms) all
reflect the awareness that these are important indoor recreation spaces for activities.
When asked types of additional recreational programs to provide the top five responses
are very close (Q: 19) (Outdoor Programs, Aquatic, Before and After school, Fitness and
Special Events) and should be considered essentially a tie.
Question 20 (activities you have done) and Question 21 (would like to do) “fitness &
wellness programs” continued to rank in the top 25% ranking of activities.
2010 Port Townsend Teen Opinion Survey:
When asking “what other activities did youth suggest?” the write-in suggestions for Q: 9
listed recreation center as one of the lowest categories.
When asked attendance by gender at locations, females list frequency of 20.60% (Total
High Att. %) and males listed 28.15% (report page 18)
In response to involvement in community centers by grade, 6th graders were more active
(24.64%) and the percent stays relative consistent through 11th grade (24.53%).
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
In answer to the question of recreation programs that should be provided (Q: 8) ranked
1st was afterschool programs (87%), 2nd Teen programs (83%), 3rd Youth day camps
(74%), 4th Youth/Teen enrichment classes, 5th Youth sports leagues (65%), 6th Senior
programs (62%) then 7th, 8th, and 9th were Adult enrichment classes (53%), Outdoor
adventure (47%) and Adult sports leagues (38%).
Trends
One of the most important issues communities face today is a staggering increase in the
rates of obesity, chronic disease and the pressing problems with inactivity.
Federal and state programs (i.e. IMPACT Act, HeLP Act, Childhood Obesity Reduction
Act) directs efforts to develop, implement and enforce policies to prevent obesity among
children and youth providing grants to promote good nutrition and physical activity for
youth.
Facility operating costs can be off-set through revenue generating programs that are
defined to meet the established core values of the public agency.
Being physically active is one of the most important steps that you can take to improve
your health. Bone-strengthening suggestions for youth include: running and sports such
as gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, tennis.36
Stress relief, clearing one’s mind, and exercise were the most common benefits that older
adults attributed to their parks and recreation visits.37
Demand and Need: Recreation Centers
The NRPA recommends 1 per 5,000 population as a guideline. Jefferson County Parks and
Recreation has 93,500 s.f. of existing community center, recreation center and special centers
(day care/gym /teen/senior center). The estimated future space demand of 94,500sf. reflects a
need for an additional 1,000sf of recreation space for the future PLOS. The current inventory,
estimates that there is a total of 14,000sf of space in the six Community Centers. Using the
existing inventory 93,500sf divided by the future population (37,914) gives an ELOS of 3,130sf
36 Center for Disease Control: Action Statement: Aerobic, Muscle - and Bone -Strengthening: What Cou nts?
37 http:www,ind.state.edu/inrrdp/docs/health-benefits.pdf & Godbey; Final Report on the Health and Park Use Study,
NRPA
Page 32
per 1000 which equals a current need for 94,500sf of Community Recreation Center space based
on the inventory of County facilities.
Port Townsend has 17,900sf of existing classroom/meeting room space and a 4,000sf gym at the
Mountain View Commons.
Adding the Port Townsend Community Center space to the Jefferson County provides
115,400sf of existing space. If this total number is divided by the future population (37,914) a
combined ELOS is 3,149sf/1,000 population. If this is applied to the current County population
(29,872) there is a current demand of 94,067sf of space needed for the population. Applying the
Planned Level-of-Service (PLOS) to the future population, the current space available
(115,400sf.) will meet the future need for both the County and the City.
Table 5.15
Recommended Demand Standard
Recreation Centers
Existing Inventory Total 115,400sf38
Existing sites 7
Port Townsend, Chimacum,
Tri-Area, Quilcene, Brinnon,
Gardiner and Mountain View
Existing Ratio 3,863sf. per 1000 population
Recommended PLOS 3070 sf. / 1,000 population
5.2.4: SWIMMING POOLS
Inventory:
The Mountain View Indoor Pool was originally built by the Port Townsend School District in
1963. Over the years the pool was managed by Jefferson County but currently is managed and
funded by the City of Port Townsend. The L-shaped pool has a 60’ x28’ lap area and a deep
water section off to the side that is 28’ x 28’. The holding capacity of the 20-yard pool is 2450sf
with approximately 90-100,000 gallons of water. The facility provides locker rooms, restrooms, a
sauna and public viewing areas. There are a number of privately owned pools throughout
Jefferson County but the Mountain View Pool is the only public pool in the County.
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Swimming Pools
The service area for a swimming pool is 15-minutes to 30-minutes of travel time. Larger pools
are often considered to be a more regional facility.
Public Input/Trends: Swimming Pools
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
The Mountain View Pool and “indoor swimming pool” is the most important
(46.9%)recreation space identified (Q:18)
Ranked at the top of “additional” recreation programs (Q: 19) is “aquatic programs”
(37.1%) and essentially tied with Outdoor/Environmental Programs (37.3%).
38 Jefferson County: 93,500sf & City of Port Townsend: 21,900sf
Page 33
Swimming continues to be an activity that respondents (average participation annually
12.85) are participating in (Q: 20) and “preferred to do” (Q: 21) (ranked 4th of 25).
“Fitness” and “Swimming” rank higher than in most communities, which may reflect
high quality programs (either public or private) (Q: 20 & 21).
Most respondents indicated “Maintain existing parks and facilities” as one of their two
choices (73%) (Q: 10).
In Question 12 which was open-ended they could list their favorite park and the
Mountain View Pool was frequently mentioned.
When asked (Q:23) how much of $100.00 they would spend on parks and recreation
47.0% listed maintaining existing sites and recreation facilities is the highest priority
followed by a group of responses with similar support that includes “Adding new
facilities”, “Making existing programs and entrance fees less expensive” and “Offering
new recreation programs.”
Question 25 provided respondents and opportunity to tell other points about parks and
recreation and themes drawn from full responses were that many mentioned the
importance of a “quality pool in the community.”
2010 Port Townsend Teen Opinion Survey:
By Grade: Pool attendance is highest in 6th and 7th grade (with 50% and 46%
respectively) reporting weekly to monthly attendance. Attendance declines to a low of
11.32% by 11th grade.
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
When asked what was their most used park facility, the Mountain View Pool was
ranked 5th (30%) out of 15 facilities.
In answer to the question of recreational activities they were involved in, 40% responded
that they were involved in swimming ranking it 5th out of 13 activities.
65% of the survey respondents indicated that they, or someone in their household, had
used the Mountain View Pool during the past year (Q:12)
Those who indicated that no one in their household used the pool, the three top reasons
were: 1. other: The most popular “other” was: don’t like chlorine or water too cold. 2.
Run down facility and 3. Doesn’t fit my schedule.
Trends: Swimming Pools
On a national basis, swimming continues to be a very popular recreation activity.
Many communities are looking to adapt pool facilities with a variety of play
amenities which provide enhanced revenue to off-set the annual cost of operation.
According to the 2013 RCO “State Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP)”, when asked
on the focus of increasing and or improving recreation facilities and opportunities
that support active recreation, (83%), which include activities such as swimming. In
Chapter 5 active recreation statewide is 54.04% (a B score on the Level of Service. 39
Demand and Need: Swimming Pools
The NRPA standard is 1 pool per 20,000 population. For the purposes of this analysis, all
swimming pools in private clubs have been excluded because of limited access and
availability. In working with MIG, Inc. a demand model has been used for indoor
swimming pools which were developed through their past research and a wide number
of aquatic studies that they conducted. To help present a model for Jefferson County and
39 RCO Outdoor Recreation in Washington State; The “2013 State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan”
Page 34
using the MIG, Inc. formula and the existing attendance of 33,800 swimmers annually, it
calculates to an average daily attendance of 103 swimmers or 137,056 swim occasions.
MIG, Inc. know that 75% of the total swimming activity occurs in shallow water (5’ or
less) with need for 12 sf. per swimmer in shallow water and 27 sf. for deep water and
that winter peak months represent about 10% of the total demand. This then gives a
peak demand of 13,700 occasions. Using the MIG, Inc. data the following example
formula helps develop the demand model information:
Shallow Water Demand for Jefferson County
13,700 demand swims x 75% = 10,300 shallow swims
Divide by average of 30 days per month = 340 daily swims
Multiply by a 75% peak load estimate = 255 peak swimmers
Multiply by 12 sf. per swimmer = 3,060 sf. of water area demand
Deep Water Demand for Jefferson County
Multiply 13,700 peak demand by 25% = 3,425 deep water swims
Divide by average of 30 days per month = 114 daily swims
Multiply by the 75% peak load estimate = 86 peak swimmers
Multiply by 27 sf. per swimmer = 2,310 sf. water area demand
Based on the previous calculations
Total pool area demand: 5,370 sf. water area for residents
Mountain View Pool Existing sf. 2,450 sf.
Net Pool existing need demand +2,920 sf.
Table 5.16
Recommended Demand Standard
Swimming Pools
Existing Inventory 2,450 square feet*
Existing Ratio 1.2 square feet/1,000
population/one swim pool
Recommended PLOS One - 5,370 square feet
swim pool
*2002 Jefferson County Comprehensive Park Plan
5.2.5: SPORTS FIELDS
Inventory:
As identified in the Facilities Inventory on Table 5.12, there are 28 sports fields in Jefferson
County parks and schools located at three parks, the fairgrounds and all four school districts.
Page 35
These fields include lighted/unlighted and grass baseball fields, multi-purpose fields, football
fields and soccer fields.
Service Area and Geographic Distribution: Sports Fields
The recommended NRPA service area guideline for sports fields is within one-mile distance of
travel from the county and school district sports fields. Throughout the county, fields are
located within a 1-3 mile range.
Public Input/Trends: Sports Fields
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
In Question 7, “Youth development” is listed as a significant benefit valued by
respondents.
Providing programs and activities (Q: 10) was a popular choice with over 40% of
respondents selecting it.
H.J. Carroll Park was identified in the open-ended responses (Q: 12) as the most
frequently mentioned County park.
43% indicated that they were involved in recreation, cultural, senior or sports programs
(Q: 16).
When asked what additional programs should be offered, 27.4% stated that “Sports
(baseball, softball, soccer, basketball) should be added.
Organized sports, which have high participation for the individuals who participate, are
not frequently listed (Q: 21) in the top five activities respondents would like to do.
The final open-ended question for allowing people to write in their responses one theme
drawn from full responses. (Q: 25) The answers to this question (Appendix B-1
Community Questionnaire) indicated that “bringing partnerships together, avoiding
duplication of effort” was mentioned.
2010 Port Townsend Teen Opinion Survey:
Of the youth who had to write-in suggestions for Q: 9, most wanted athletic activity
(7.69%). (Written response #34 of 164 suggestions)
Very few youth thought there were too many of any program, mostly indicating the
number was just right or that they didn’t know. In general, females believe more
activities are needed, with a significant percent of female youth indicating the need for
more individual sports (37%).
When the question regarding weekly participation in Team Sport-“often?” was broken
down by age, team sports was relatively high across all grades (mean of 42%). 6th graders
have the lowest rate (38%) and several mention in comments that they felt there was a
lack of opportunities for them to participate due to age.
Q: 9 suggested several activities, by gender; males wanted an Ultimate Frisbee team
(41%) with 11th graders in highest support for the activity.
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
When asked (Q:11) to list the top five of their choice of possible additional park
amenities, sports fields ranked 10th out of 15 at 16%.
When asked what recreational activities did you or someone in your household
participation in within the last year (Q-20) out of 13 choices softball ranked 12th with 6%
and baseball ranked 13th at 4%. Hiking/walking, wildlife observations and picnicking
ranked highest.
Page 36
When asked what types of recreation programs should be provided 65% stated youth
sports leagues and when asked if they were going to participated in the listed recreation
programs what ones would they likely take advantage of they ranked adult sport
leagues as 4th and youth sport leagues as 5th out of 9 listed recreation programs.
Trends
The 2013 RCO SCORP Outdoor Recreation in Washington key recommendations in Chapter
7 note that the promotion of outdoor recreation provides economic benefits and
contributed 22.5 in consumer spending to Washington’s economy. In Chapter 1 shows
that “outdoor recreation is a major economic engine that produces jobs and tax revenues,
especially in local economies and in many instances in rural areas where these jobs and
tax revenues are needed”.
As Findings and Implications in the 2013 RCO SCORP, the Plan noted that “An
important approach to increasing participation among children and youth in outdoor
recreation activities is providing opportunities for outdoor recreation and education in
the classroom.
According to the Sports Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), the 2010 US Trends
in Team Sports Report indicated that after two years of negative participation growth for
most of the mainstream Team Sports, this past year they saw a turnaround in
participation for sports like tackle football, soccer, basketball and baseball. While working
from a small base in some cases, niche sports like lacrosse, rugby, track and field and
ultimate Frisbee are seeing double digit increases in participation.
SGMA also states that younger teens are a main driver for some of the double digit
participation increases as they are gravitating to organized sports programs which will
bode well for many of the local Recreational oriented programs that are established
throughout the county. As they state, Recreation programs need to turn part of their
attention to these early teens, to bring them back to Team Sports in some cases or keep
them playing after their elementary school years.
New sections of the 2011 SGMA report demonstrates that children participating in active
lifestyles outside of a team are more likely to end up participating in Team Sports at some
point in their life as there is a correlation to general physical fitness and an enjoyment of
any type of play centered around physical motion/activity, and part is a result of
exposure to a diverse mix of activities.
Demand and Need: Sports Fields
The sports fields in Jefferson County function differently with regard to use. Competitive games
which are scheduled and controlled occur on school fields, parks and also at the leased baseball
sites. Examples of competitive fields in Jefferson County include Memorial Field, the Bob Bates
fields and H.J. Carroll fields as well as fields located at the fairgrounds, high schools and middle
schools. The recreation fields include informal use such as with afterschool programming, or
family activities. Jefferson County collaborates with the various school districts on the use of
Memorial Field seasonal and year-around use as it serves as the major county-wide sports field
facility.
Table 5.17
Recommended Demand Standard
Sports Fields
Page 37
Jefferson
County
County &
Schools
Current County
& School Need
Existing Inventory site sites
Baseball fields 300+ 2 4 3 fields
Baseball grass 250+ 5 6 5 fields
Football 1 4 3 fields
Multi-purpose fields 1 2 2 fields
Soccer Fields 2 6 5 fields
Current Ratio
Baseball fields 0.3/5000 0.7/5000
Baseball grass 250+ 0.8/5000 0.3/5000
Football 0.2/5000 0.2/5000
Multi-purpose fields 0.2/5000 0.8/5,000
Soccer Fields 0.3/5000 0.3/5000
Recommended
Demand Standard
Baseball fields 0.3/5,000 0.5/5000 4 fields
Baseball grass 250+ 0.8/5000 0.8/5000 6 fields
Football 0.2/5000 0.5/5000 4 fields
Multi-purpose fields 0.2/5000 0.8/5000 2 fields
Soccer Fields 0.3/5000 0.3/5000 6 fields
5.3: RECREATION PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
There are a variety of recreation activities available throughout East Jefferson County. Jefferson
County Parks and Recreation along with commercial businesses, community groups and youth
sports groups, offer classes, sports leagues and special events. The City of Port Townsend
provides aquatic recreation programming at the Mountain View Pool. At times the City and
County have collaborated with a variety of community partners including the YMCA and the
local school districts to provide events and recreation programs. In addition to the City and
County offerings there are a number of private and non-
profit organizations that provide recreational
programming serving East Jefferson County (see
Inventory Table 4.7). The most popular activities
provided by the City and County include swimming,
afterschool, camps and special events. Residents also
participate in sports and fitness programs for youth and
adults. County programs are also provided for special
populations with clubs and sport activities.
Between the City of Port Townsend aquatics and
Jefferson County recreation they provide programs in
major recreation program areas. The areas include: Aquatics, Arts & Culture, Adult Sports &
Recreation, Youth Sports/Fitness and Recreation, Camps, Afterschool Programs, Recreation
Clubs, Special Recreation and Events & Activities. Annually there are fitness, sports and
Page 38
outdoor adventure camps and sports leagues and fitness sessions for youth. Parks and
Recreation provides different adult sport activities as well as a number of annual community
events throughout the year.
Figure 5.1 reflects the total participant hours by the categories of recreation programming
provided by Jefferson County Parks and Recreation. Youth sports and recreation programs
annually are 40% of the programs offered and the participant hours of activity. The Department
also offers a variety of sports and specialized camps for youth which accounts for 21% of
participant hours even though these programs are offered with a limited duration typically
throughout the summer. Adult fitness, drop-in programs and leagues (21%) provide co-ed
softball, basketball and indoor soccer, badminton and pickle ball. The Department also provides
Special Olympics basketball and specialized Recreation Clubs. 7% of the participant hours
provide recreation play with afterschool sessions at the Port Townsend Recreation Center.
Figure 5.1: Jefferson County Recreation Program Participant Hours by Activity Offered
1%22%
40%
2%
21%
7%1%1%5%Arts & Culture 1%
Adult Sports & Rec 22%
Youth Sports & Rec 40%
Camps 21%
After School 7%
Clubs 1%
Special Rec 1%
Events & Activities 5%
Figure 5.2 reflects participant hours of the aquatic programs provided by the City of Port
Townsend at the Mountain View Pool. Repetitive programs such as lap swimming and swim
team reflect the largest percent of hours. This points to the importance of these activities for
fitness and youth recreational team competition. Swim fitness programs range from the daily
lap swimming, water sports and games, synchronized swimming to water aerobics. Youth are
involved in the swim lessons and pool programs. These provide the opportunity for young
adults to advance through the junior lifeguard program to the lifeguard training classes to
becoming a lifeguard at the facility.
Page 39
Lap Swim
60%
Open Swim
8%
Lessons/Classes
8%
Swim Team
24%
Figure 5.2: City of Port Townsend Aquatics Participant Hours by Program
In addition to the City and County’s recreation program offerings, the inventory identifies a
variety of public and private providers (see Table 4.7: Program Inventory 2011/All Recreation
Program Providers). In addition programs are provided by the public schools, library, WSU
Extension Service (4-H) funded through separate identified public funding sources. The
Jefferson County divisions of Public Works, Health, Sheriff, Juvenile, and Solid Waste also
provide public programs. The Port of Port Townsend, the Fairground Board, State Parks and
colleges were all accounted for due to their geographic overlap but also because of their more
focused public program services that they provide. Rounding out this analysis are the non-
profit and private service providers that create options for users to complement the
programming offered by public agencies.
The Inventory (Table 4.740) summarizes the programs provided, area served by a specific
provider and funding sources (e.g. public funds, membership or private). Most providers,
indicated that they were involved in Cultural Special Events which reflects the community
dynamics. The Special Interest Classes provide programs in non-sporting/educational
enrichment classes and activities focused on training or developing a specific skill or knowledge
base. The inventory indicates that program categories are provided at the same level by both the
public and private sector services.
Afterschool Programs and Day Camps were offered by both the City and County parks and
public libraries (afterschool only). Public schools also indicated that they provide afterschool
programs. Private schools, daycares, churches and non-profit organizations also provide
afterschool and day camps programs for youth. The provision of afterschool programming and
day camp options seemed to be balanced between the public and private providers.
Table 4.7 shows gaps in the provision of recreation programming in some program areas. Many
programs are highly dependent on public agencies. Examples of program types are:
Aquatic/swimming; Recreational Sports Leagues, Drop in Family Recreation and Teen Centers.
Public Input/Trends: Recreation Programs & Activities
40 Inventory of all recreation program providers in the area presented as part of the 6-10-12 Exploratory Regional
Parks and Recreation Committee’s report to the Jefferson County BOCC and the Port Townsend City Council.
Page 40
2011 Jefferson County Community Questionnaire results/survey input
There is a high value placed on parks, recreation programs and natural areas in relation
to quality of life in Jefferson County (Q:9) with 79.0% of those who responded to the
question indicating that they are “very important to quality of life.”
Printed materials (particularly newspapers and posters) are important sources of
information for respondents (Q: 8). Word of mouth is also a critical factor. Websites and
electronic newsletters are reaching about ¼ of respondents.
40% of respondents indicated that “Providing programs and activities” was a focus area
for parks and recreation (Q: 10).
(Q: 16) 43% is a high level of participation.
Responses to Question 17 indicate a need for targeting activities and marketing.
Indoor swimming pool (46.9%) is the most important indoor recreation space identified
(Q: 18) followed by gym space (31.6%) and teen activity space (28.2%) which are
essentially tied.
Additional recreation programs (Q:19) top five responses are very close and should be
considered essentially a tie (Outdoor/Environmental Programs, Aquatics, Before and
After School, Fitness Classes, Special Events) which can help focus programming
decisions.
Few people (Q: 19) believe that no new programs are needed.
The top ranked activities (Q:20 & 21) centered on trial activities (walking/biking/hiking),
wellness and fitness (swimming, exercise, dance)
When asked about the long-term solution to funding recreation facilities and services (Q:
22) 45.2% listed a definite “Yes” and 21% a definite “No”. 24% gave no answer. (Those
listed as non-completed exited the questionnaire before reaching this question).
The cross-tabulated analysis (Q: 22 by Q: 2) community most closely identified with) the
overall results are fairly similar in Jefferson communities with larger numbers of
respondents. Less than 30% are in the “No” category.
Cross-tabulated with length of residency (Q: 22 by Q: 3) the responses were similar
regardless of how long respondents have lived in Jefferson County.
The MIG, Inc. planning staff looked at the general nature of this question. It informs
more about the negative response that could be expected. 21% of respondents
indicating a district should not be considered, which is considered a relatively low
number.
2010 Port Townsend Teen Opinion Survey:
Team sports were the highest in “weekly” participation and were popular for either
gender and relatively high across all grades.
The survey (Q-9) with several suggested activities the average youth wants 4.17 of the
suggested activities, with a 24 hour internet café being the most desired by all grades.
The youth activity advertising section in the newspaper was also strongly supported.
In general, females want more activities than males and the most popular was an arts and
crafts shop.
Activities by grade differed; 6th graders/arts & crafts shop, 7th and 12th graders/youth
advertising section of the newspaper, 8th graders another bookshop, 9th graders arts &
crafts shop, and 10th and 11th graders Ultimate Frisbee team.
The most frequently attended locations were parks (40.95%) and the pool second at
15.16% with pool attendance highest in 6th and 7th grades and declines to a low of 11.32%
by 11th grade.
Page 41
2010 City of Port Townsend Park & Rec Functional Plan Public Survey:
When asked what types of programs should the City offer, #1 was After School programs
(87%), then teen programs (83%), youth day camps (74%), youth/teen enrichment classes
(71%), youth sports leagues (65%), senior programs (62%) and adult enrichment classes,
outdoor adventure and adult sports leagues.
When asked if they would likely take advantage of the programs offered the list changes
to: Adult enrichment classes as number one then in priority senior programs, adult sports
leagues, youth sports leagues, youth/teen enrichment classes, after school programs,
youth day camps and teen programs.
When asked (Q:12) about use of the Mountain View Pool and aquatic program
involvement in order of priority they stated lap swim, aqua fitness class, swim lessons
and then recreation/open swim.
Trends: Recreation Programs & Activities
It is important to deliver benefits that address important community issues and meet
fundamental human needs.
For efficiency, it is important to develop outcome-oriented performance measures and to
provide “evidence-based” justifications for budget requests.41
Providing assistance to smaller towns in planning, designing, building and marketing
outdoor recreation opportunities in their area, in collaboration with non-governmental
organization when appropriate.42
One of the greatest challenges among recreation providers over the next decade will be
meeting the demands of an ever-increasing population in Washington, especially
increases in urban residents, older residents, and minority residents.43
Demand and Need: Recreation Programs & Activities
To meet the need for indoor recreation classes, gymnasium space, aquatics, sports, events,
fitness, after-school programs and community meetings traditional recreation center space
needs to be maintained. Demand for youth programing continues to be a need in Jefferson
County. Interest in recreation programming continues to reflect a supportive interest by the
citizens. The ability to meet the demand and needs is limited by the resources available to fund
continuation at current levels. Knowing the support for programming, and with a commitment
of resources, staff needs to continue to provide recreational programs and look at opportunities
for partnerships for sustainability of year-round service levels.
41 Evolution and implications of a paradigm shift in the marketing of leisure services in the USA; John L. Crompton,
Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, Texas A&M University, (final version January 2008)
42 Governor’s Blue Ribbon Parks & Outdoor Recreation Task Force/ FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO
GOVERNOR INSLEE September 19, 2014
43 2013 State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan: Introduction Highlights