Park Development Issues

• Future Park Needs. Marion's public park and open space system contains approximately 234 acres, excluding the private Indian Creek and Hunters Ridge Golf Courses. To serve its twenty-year target population of 33,000, Marion will have a need for about 100 acres of additional open space. Within this requirement, Marion will need an additional 25 acres of neighborhood parks and 75 acres of community parks to meet future population needs.
• Facilities by Geographical Distribution. Most existing developed areas in Marion are nominally (if not actually) served by neighborhood parks, although service north of 29th Avenue is dependent on recreation use of the Novak and Indian Creek school sites. Most of the city falls within the community park service areas of Thomas/Legion and Willowood Parks. However, the Willowood Park is too small to provide a full array of community park services.
• Incremental upgrading of existing park facilities.
• Development of a community park facility to serve development east of Indian Creek outside of Thomas Park's service area.
• Growth and financing of parks to serve projected growth areas.
• Evolution of a trails and greenway system to connect existing and future parks.
• Use of park and open space amenities to support other community development and neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Green Network. Marion's park system should be a network of parks, connected by continuous green corridors defined by trails, greenways, boulevards, and civic streets.

Park Site Enhancements. Marion should implement a regularly budgeted program of park site improvements and upgrades at its existing parks. The improvement program should address three specific types of situations:

• Parks which lack certain facilities that most users would expect to be present. An example of this situation is a neighborhood open space that lacks a playground, picnic area, or informal ballfield.
• Parks which have conditions that prevent use by certain population groups, require rehabilitation, or present potential hazards to safety. An example of this situation is a restroom which is not accessible to disabled users.
• Site and landscape improvements to upgrade the character and design of existing parks.

Greenway Access To Community Features. Major community activity centers should have pedestrian connections to the greenway system.

Neighborhood Parks in Growth Centers. Marion should develop new neighborhood parks in growth areas. These parks should either develop as nodes along the greenway system or be linked to the system. Neighborhood park policy for Marion should identify the range of facilities typically included in a neighborhood park and size and location criteria.

Neighborhood Park Finance System. In order to finance acquisition of appropriately sized parks, Marion should establish a park acquisition fund.

Two New Community Parks. Marion should acquire and develop two new community parks to serve citywide park needs. Major projected growth north of 29th Avenue will require additional community park development. Parks should be located on the greenway and trail system, include the features of a neighborhood park along with special regional facilities, have a minimum size of 20 to 25 acres, and be highly accessible.

Joint Use School Sites. Marion should continue its policy of identifying joint school/park opportunities at new school sites. As Marion grows and needs additional school sites for an expanding population, the two school districts and parks department should continue to cooperate to identify joint use opportunities for park and recreational development.