2001-04-04 Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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EXECUTIVE SUIVIiV1�QRY: REGIOiVAL RECREAI'IOiV OPEN SPACE POLICY PLAN EX�C��IVE ��Y Parks and open space are vital to the quality of life of residents in the region. Parks and open space benefit the individual by providing opportunities for recreation, fitness, self-discovery, and education. They benefit communities by serving as public gathering places, and they have been shown to reduce juvenile crime rates and increase community pride. Parks and open space have economic benefits as well, with increased values of land adjacent to parks and trails, as a stimulus for tourism, as a factor in curbing health care costs, and as a quality of life factor for retaining and ath business to the region. Parks and open space also provide significant environmental benefits by preserving natural habitat, and by protecting and improving air and water quality. �►uthority and Purpose Various pieces of state legislation authorize the Council to prepare and adopt the Regional Recreation Open Space Policy Plan and determine its contents, including the 1967 Metropolitan Council Act and the 1974 Metropolitan Parks Act. The Council intends to use the policy plan in preparing reviews, distributing funds, handling referrals, and preparing plans and programs for other Council functions. F2egional F'ark System's Support of Smart Growth The concept of a regional park system is a foundation of the concept of Srnart Growth. Regional parks make the region a more attractive place to live, work and do business. In a high-technology economy that provides businesses and workers with unprecedented mobility, amenities that add measurably to the quality of life, such as parks and natural open space, create a powerful draw for economic development. The regional park system itself is an excellent example of how some Smart Growth planning concepts have been in place for over 25 years. The new challenge posed by a broader concept of Smart Growth is far the regional park system to become a more integrated member in the entire system. Park managers and planners need to work with housing, transportation, and other system managers and planners at the local, regional and state levels. This policy plan will help ensure that the regional park system remains healthy and responds to growing demands on its resources and facilities. A variety of actions promoting Smart Growth have either already been implemented or are proposed in the policy plan. Signafscant Poiicy Change� and Additions The policy plan discusses existing issues facing the regional system and others that may come up in the future if preventive actions are not taken now. The policies and directives it contains are specific actions that should be taken as a response to the issues. Taken as a group, the policies express the Council's most basic views as to what the regional recreation open space system should be, now and in the future. Significant policy changes and additions are highlighted below: S6tang ar�c! Acquisition Issues and Poficies: Designation of lands for the regional park system should primarily stress lands with important natural resource features and then lands with the natural resource qualities that enhance outdoor recreation (Policy A-1). In the past the pnmary focus had been on sites with high recreation potential. The new language reflects both the desire and need to protect additional lands with quality natural resources and the successful development of a regional park system whose recreation capacity is projected to meet the needs of citizens through 2050. 3