St. Louis County Parks Master Plan Data Collection Public Outreach Summary Introduction

St. Louis County Parks Master Plan

Data Collection Public Outreach Summary

Introduction

Feedback from the community is an important component of the Master Plan and opportunities for public engagement are planned during each phase of the Plan’s development. During the data collection phase, primary public input opportunities included user group meetings and public open houses. The public was also able to submit comments to the Master Plan’s website. The goal of public input during data collection is to better understand what the community likes about the current system and what their “wish list” is for the future. This summary captures public comment received through November 16.

Public Open Houses

Five public open houses were held in the month of October. The purpose of the meetings was to:

• 
  Provide information on St. Louis County Parks and Recreation to increase community awareness and foster appreciation for the system as a whole.
  
• 
  Provide information on the Master Plan process and encourage the public to participate.
  
• 
  Gather feedback from the public on what they like most about St. Louis County Parks and what they would like to add or modify.
  

Information Presented

Information presented to the public included the purpose of St. Louis County Parks and Recreation and how the Department fits with other parks systems; an overview of the facilities and services offered by St. Louis County Parks and Recreation by planning district; and details on the master plan process. Members of the planning team were available to answer questions and frequently served as hosts to attendees, guiding them through the displays.

Attendance

Total attendance at the five meetings was one-hundred seventy one (171).

Tuesday, October 11	Greensfelder Recreation Complex	District 1	25
Wednesday, October 12	North County Recreation Complex	District 4	31
Thursday, October 13	Pavilion at Lemay	District 3	46
Tuesday, October 18	St. Vincent Community Center	District 2	24
Thursday, October 27	Wildwood Middle School	District 5	45
Total Attendance			171

Public Comments

Attendees were invited to provide comments in two ways. First, at a “community perspectives” station, staff members asked attendees what they love most about St. Louis County Parks and what they would like to see added or improved. Responses were written on conversation bubbles (printed on 8.5 x 11 pieces of paper) and posted on nearby walls so attendees could see each other’s ideas. Typically, the ideas offered in this format were brief and to the point. Second, a traditional comment form was available for more detailed comments.

Overall, it is worth noting that comments were all in support of the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Department. There were a lot of suggestions for improvements and upgrades but they were constructive. No one was against the Department or County government more generally. It was not uncommon to be told or see written comments along the lines of “I love County parks.”

Though responses varied considerably and were often site-specific, there were a few common themes. Comments regarding maintenance and upgrading of facilities came up most often, followed by the desire for more trails. A desire for more recreational activities was also mentioned with some frequency.

Common Themes in Public Feedback

1. 
   Maintain/Upgrade
   

Maintenance of structures and outdoor areas were both mentioned often. Maintenance of structures was mentioned more often than maintenance of outdoor areas. Of maintenance comments related to structures, upgrades to bathrooms were mentioned most frequently. More maintenance comments were received at Greensfelder Community Center in Queeny Park and St. Vincent Community Center in St. Vincent Park than at other locations.

2. 
   Love for Trails/More Trails
   

At every location, comments were received regarding love of trails and the desire for more. Trail comments included a desire for more trails in general; there were also specific mentions of the type of trails desired – hiking, mountain biking, equestrian, and trails connecting to streets and other parks.

A distant third in terms of volume of comments received:

3. 
   More Activities
   

More activities for seniors was mentioned most often. Comments also included the desire for more youth, tween and teen activities.

4. 
   Location Specific Themes
   

Location specific themes were present at some meetings based on affiliations of attendees.

1. 
   Greensfelder Recreation Complex: more support for equestrians
   
2. 
   North County Recreation Complex: no location specific theme
   
3. 
   The Pavilion at Lemay: more support for volleyball
   
4. 
   St. Vincent Community Center: safety
   
5. 
   Wildwood Middle School: more support for cricket
   

Appendix A includes a majority of responses received through both formats by location. Complete verbatim responses will be provided to St. Louis County Parks for their review.

User Groups

User group meetings were designed to allow small-group opportunities to those who use the parks most. A list of user groups was developed by Parks staff and consisted of those who use park facilities on a regular basis, whether for an annual event, a seasonal sport, or to host a certain activity on an ongoing basis. Representatives of each group were notified by email of the user group meetings and asked to sign up for a certain day and time.

User group attendance is presented below.

Location	Date	Number of Meetings	Attendance
Greensfelder Comm. Center	October 11^1	1	6
North County Recreation Complex	October 12^1	1	6
Lemay Pavilion	October 13^1	1	6
Museum of Transportation	October 25	6	36
St. Vincent Community Center	November 1	4	16
Bissell Barn	November 2	4	11
Kennedy Recreation Center	November 9	7	23
Faust Park	November 16	10	65
Total Attendance		34	169

Website Activity

A website was published for the Master Plan on September 27th. Traffic to the site to date has been significant: 10,274 page views and 6,863 unique visitors.

Daily page views peaked on October 16 at 903 pages viewed and remained above 400 pages viewed for the 10-day period ending October 26. Unique visitors to the site followed the same pattern, peaking on October 16 at 658, followed by a 10-day period of moderate activity with new users above 250 on all days. The peaks align closely with publication of an article in West News Magazine on the Master Plan. Activity reduced after October 26 as the public advertising period for the open houses ended.

A total of ninety-six (96) comments were received through November 16, 2016. A copy of the comments has been provided to St. Louis County Parks staff for their review. Generally speaking, the comments echoed what was heard at the public meetings.

APPENDIX A

District 1: Greenfelder – Queeny Park

Tuesday, October 11

Comments regarding County Parks:

• 
  Love the historical facilities, open spaces, new playgrounds, pools and buildings
  
• 
  Better street connections/trails to county parks
  
• 
  Upgrade basic assets, such as pavilions, benches, tables, pathways
  
• 
  Upgrade restrooms and sewer systems
  
• 
  More trails/connections
  
• 
  Protect green space and parks
  
• 
  Get rid of invasive plants
  
• 
  Add pollinator gardens
  

Comments regarding Queeny Park:

• 
  Love horses in Queeny Park
  
• 
  More support for equestrians
  
  • 
    Create a level field for equestrian (and other) events
    
• 
  Would like to see equestrian use balanced with use by others
  
• 
  Bring back the pool
  
• 
  More trails
  
• 
  More single track trails for mountain biking
  
• 
  Would like to see closer parking for everyday use
  
• 
  Remove the pool
  
• 
  Love the natural areas. Great job on the honeysuckle removal and flowers by Dog Museum.
  
• 
  Improve the façade of Greensfelder
  
• 
  Improve bathroom facilities
  
• 
  Add a butterfly garden and a bird watching area
  
• 
  Improve the playground
  
• 
  Clean out the lakes
  

Comments regarding other local parks/facilities:

• 
  Love the Museum of Transportation
  

District 4: North County Recreation Complex – Veterans Memorial Park

Wednesday, October 12

Comments regarding County Parks:

• 
  Keep Sioux Passage rustic! No development!
  
• 
  More diversity in outdoor recreation in North County
  

• 
  Sand volleyball courts
  
• 
  Tennis courts
  
• 
  Soccer/football fields
  

• 
  Connecting bikes & walking trails (North County- Mississippi River)
  
• 
  Connect nature trails with parks (i.e. Spanish Lake)
  
• 
  No tax increase for improvements
  
• 
  Take care of existing facilities
  
• 
  Display trail maps
  
• 
  More trails
  
• 
  Need readily available information on the parks system
  
• 
  Safe, patrolled parking area
  

Comments regarding North County Recreation Complex:

• 
  More picnic areas
  
• 
  More programs and activities for seniors
  
• 
  Too many deer!
  
• 
  Improve maintenance of grounds and buildings
  
• 
  Make sure landscaping is trimmed to minimize use by animals (coyotes, etc)
  
• 
  More lighted ball fields
  
• 
  Bike path
  
• 
  More activities for pre-school, youth
  

Comments regarding other local parks:

• 
  Grand Staircase and Fort Bellefontaine: upgrade and improve
  
• 
  Redman Park: more picnic areas and play areas for children, control deer and wild animals
  
• 
  Redman Park: larger pond, add trail, more space for cook-outs
  
• 
  Spanish Lake: outdoor concession stand
  
• 
  Spanish Lake: improve shoreline access around Sunfish and North Lakes
  
• 
  Spanish Lake: keep up
  
• 
  Schaefer Bend: add practice athletic field and widen the park road
  
• 
  Larimore Park: add a baseball field for youth
  
• 
  St. Vincent’s: basketball gym with more than one court
  

District 3: The Pavilion at Lemay – Jefferson Barracks Park

Thursday, October 12

Comments regarding County parks:

• 
  Lower fees for organized event promoters
  
• 
  Increased brand awareness
  
• 
  Affordable court space for volleyball
  
• 
  More volleyball courts
  
• 
  Add sand volleyball
  
• 
  Add a water park
  
• 
  Love the hiking trails, activity guide booklet, activities at various parks – great variety
  
• 
  Great support for geocaching community
  
• 
  Connecting trails – Bee Tree to Cliff Cave for example
  
• 
  More dog parks
  
• 
  More open space, wild lands and lakes
  
• 
  Update bathrooms
  
• 
  Upgrade playground equipment
  

Comments regarding Jefferson Barracks Park/Lemay Pavilion:

• 
  Love the trails
  
• 
  Add dog park
  
• 
  Love the wildlife and the Pavilion
  
• 
  More space for volleyball, concessions, standing during tournaments
  
• 
  Indoor pool
  
• 
  Senior exercise classes and programs
  
• 
  More programs for tweens – maybe a rec room
  
• 
  Love the indoor track
  
• 
  Like the new visitors center at Jefferson Barracks
  
• 
  Indoor and outdoor security monitoring
  

Comments regarding other local parks

• 
  Suson Park: Love it. More animals please.
  
• 
  Suson Park: Donation collection point needs better access
  
• 
  Clydesdale Park: restore the trail
  
• 
  St. George Park: add signage on the street; add new equipment for older kids and toddlers
  
• 
  Museum of Transportation: more staff, better marketing, better library/archive
  
• 
  Cliff Cave: like the expanded trails and parking; add playground
  
• 
  Black Forest Park: very trashy and unappealing. Not much for kids to do.
  
• 
  Lone Elk: save the lake
  
• 
  Sylvan Springs Park: improve
  
• 
  St. George Park: additional park/open space. See Gravois Great Streets Plan.
  

District 2: St. Vincent Community Center – St. Vincent Park

Tuesday, October 18

Comments regarding County parks:

• 
  Love the scenery; the location of the various parks are excellent
  
• 
  Working water fountains & restrooms in parks
  
• 
  Offer amenities at parks in communities with the greatest need.
  
• 
  Connectivity to greenways- all that are yet to be connected, money to community resources (transportation, store/retail, etc.)
  
• 
  St. Louis County Parks needs a multi-person department to conduct natural areas management such as timber stand improvement, invasive species eradication, and habitat restoration.
  

Comments regarding St. Vincent Community Center:

• 
  Membership prices are affordable
  
• 
  Love the fishing facilities
  
• 
  Playground should be visible from the building so children can be watched from inside
  
• 
  More safety in the garden area is needed. Keep animals (cats/dogs) out of garden.
  
• 
  Love the recreational opportunities: swim & exercising classes, park area, walk area, tennis, gym exercise
  
• 
  Love the indoor/outdoor spa area
  
• 
  Need room for more classes/more gym space. Larger workout room.
  
• 
  Love the greenery and walk paths
  
• 
  I appreciate the trails.
  
• 
  Think about an indoor pool
  
• 
  Better workout equipment
  
• 
  Need childcare service
  
• 
  Upgrade whole facility
  
• 
  Indoor walking track
  
• 
  Provide a sauna
  
• 
  Great connection to GRG trails
  
• 
  More safety in all parts of the park
  
• 
  Keep wanderers (overnighters) out of park
  
• 
  More activities
  
• 
  Lighting and security for night visitors is needed.
  

[no comments regarding other local parks]

District 5: Wildwood Middle School

Thursday, October 27

Comments regarding County parks:

• 
  More cricket. More infrastructure for cricket, both kids and adults. (2 dozen+ comments)
  
• 
  More hiking & biking trails
  
• 
  Include more bathroom access at trail heads (like Al Foster)
  
• 
  Love our “Green” Environment!
  
• 
  Love mountain bike trails!
  
• 
  30/30 program is great! I’m looking forward to start the 10/10 program too!
  
• 
  I like any green space escape- no matter how small.
  
• 
  Love the elk
  
• 
  Add a mountain bike park
  
• 
  Educate trail users on proper usage
  
• 
  Increase the amount of usable park property away from the main areas
  
• 
  More signage on plants
  
• 
  Bathroom stalls should all have doors
  
• 
  More inclusive play equipment
  
• 
  More unique activities like Winter Wonderland to support parks
  
• 
  Routine scheduled mowing of areas to facilitate access in grassy areas for family activities
  
• 
  We love our parks!
  
• 
  Need an outdoor amphitheatre
  
• 
  Consider bathroom access at trail heads and along longer trails
  
• 
  Tend to deferred maintenance
  
• 
  No remote control aircraft over athletic fields
  

Comments regarding local parks:

• 
  Lone Elk: repair bridge to start hike near ranger station
  
• 
  Creve Coeur Lake: better bathroom near Taco Bell shelter area
  
• 
  Creve Coeur Lake: way to kayak into Mallard Lake from Creve Coeur Lake
  
• 
  Queeny Park: add additional park entrance to improve traffic flow for major events
  
• 
  Queeny Park: more equestrian facilities
  
• 
  Queeny Park: wider gravel road back to the day use parking, repair shelters
  
• 
  Queeny Park: more hiking/cycling trails
  
• 
  Greensfelder: connect to Arbors of Rockwood development in Eureka
  
• 
  Tilles Park: love the holiday lights
  

• 
  Lower Buder Park: ballfield needs to be improved
  

1^ On this date, a single user group meeting was held on the day of an Open House at the same location. The number of groups and attendance are lower than on dates where multiple user group meetings were scheduled.