Item B: Proposed Modifications to the Parks Systems Development Charge Methodology and Rates

Home Browse Search

issue was the essential nexus between non-residential development and parks/recreation facilities; stakeholders were skeptical that such a nexus exists. This, again, underlined the importance of conducting a parks’ user survey to establish the nexus. Parks and Recreation Facilities’ User Survey In February 2004, the SDC Project Team issued a request for proposals (RFP) to conduct a City of Eugene Parks and Recreation Facilities’ User Survey. The objectives of the survey were to provide a more thorough understanding of park usage and data to evaluate a nexus between residential/nonresidential development and the use of parks, open space and recreation facilities in the City. It was expected that the consultant’s report would provide statistically sound results that could be used as input to a revised SDC calculation method, which would include a charge for residential and nonresidential development and potentially different types thereof. Additionally, the statistical results were expected to provide input to the City’s parks, recreation, and open space planning efforts. Through a competitive process, the SDC Project Team selected Quantec, LLC, in association with Bruce Appleyard, AICP, to undertake the survey. The Quantec team developed a survey of the City’s parks and recreation “service population” (comprised of residents, employees and visitors), and implemented it over a seven-week period beginning May 17 and ending July 7, 2004. The team undertook random intercept surveys of park users, using a detailed sampling procedure by park, on weekdays, weekends, and holidays. The sample of parks was chosen to represent park types used in the City’s current comprehensive park planning process. Key data on surveys included: ? 1,746 surveys were completed in 549 hours in the parks; 207 hours were spent on surveys during the weekdays, 138 during weekends, and 204 during two holidays ? 21 parks were represented ? 20 percent of all surveys were with bicycle intercepts As the raw data collected by the surveyors represented the activities and attitudes of park users during the survey period, the results were then “weighted” to extrapolate findings to the overall usage during the “dry season” and to the full year. The Quantec team prepared an analytical report with their findings, and delivered a complete data file of the raw survey responses to the City. The SDC Project Team shared the consultant’s report with the RAC, and highlighted implications of the results for the parks SDC. A key conclusion of the Project Team was that the survey results could be used to calculate a percentage of parks usage which could be linked to nonresidential uses. Several calculation approaches were reviewed with the RAC. In light of this review, there was general consensus from the RAC to proceed in further examining a parks SDC methodology using a proposed nonresidential share of 16.4 percent of total growth costs. Assessment Alternatives As the RAC had identified shortcomings with approaches used in other communities for measuring park capacity demand by size and type of nonresidential land uses, the SDC Project Team developed additional assessment alternatives for RAC consideration. The first such approach was based on trip generation rates. Trip rates measure traffic activity at each type of development and therefore include employees, customers, clients, and any other trips to the PSDCNOA P310 ARKS ONRESIDENTIAL PTIONS ATTACHMENT AGE OF