Item B: Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan

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6. Provide findings of the PROS Comprehensive Plan, regarding its consistency with the Metro Plan and State land use goals. Does the Metro Plan require private recreation facilities to be included in the Parks and Open Space inventory? . Staff Response: Attached as Attachment B to the Staff Report are findings of consistency with the Statewide planning goals and applicable Metro Plan policies. At this stage in the process, these findings are considered a work in progress and may change to reflect comments made during the public hearing before the City Council andj or questions and comments from the Planning Commission and the City Council. The Metro Plan does not require that private recreation facilities be included in the Parks and Open Space inventory. Policy 4 of the Parks and Recreation Facilities Element of the Metro Plan states: "Encourage the development of private recreation facilities." PROS Comprehensive Plan strategies A-16, A-23, A-37, C-2, C-27, H-12, H-16 and H-17 address this Metro Plan policy. 7. Provide a comparison analysis of the verbiage in Rivers to Ridges, vs. that in the PROS Comprehensive Plan regarding "willing seller" infonnation. Staff Response: Rivers to Ridges, the Metropolitan Regional Parks and Open Space Study, includes the following implementation strategy: · "Rely on voluntary participation of property owners when acquiring land or purchasing conservation easements. A key objective of this study is to devise strategies that will not infringe upon the rights of property owners and will stress voluntary participation. Most park and open space protection programs rely on responsible negotiations with willing sellers based on appraisals of fair market value to benefit the public's and owners' interests." The PROS Comprehensive Plan includes the following implementation strategy: · "1-24 Identify and pursue opportunities with willing sellers as the preferred approach when evaluating parkland and natural open space acquisition options. Consider willingness of seller as a key criterion when prioritizing acquisition opportunities." The PROS Comprehensive Plan utilizes the term "willing sellers" while Rivers to Ridges utilizes the term "voluntary participation". Each term refers to the concept of working with a property owner who is voluntarily willing to sell their property. The PROS Plan uses the term "preferred approach" while Rivers to Ridges uses the term "rely" and "stress". None of these terms are absolute guarantees against the governing jurisdiction exercising its power of Attachment A October 31, 2005 Page 6