Survey allows public input on Black Mountain Recreation Master Plan

Recreation and Parks Department seeks public input on facilities and programs

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 17, 2022

A survey released by the Town of Black Mountain seeks public input as the town begins the process of developing a master plan for the Recreation and Parks Department. Photo by Fred McCormick

A survey released, Oct. 14, by the Town of Black Mountain seeks public input, as the town begins the process of creating a new master plan for the Recreation and Parks Department.

The 25-question document, available on the Town of Black Mountain website and linked here, represents the first opportunity for local residents to offer feedback, according to recreation director Josh Henderson.

“It’s important that we capture a diverse range of results because that will allow us to really understand the views of the community, as a whole,” he said. “We really want to understands what improvements people are seeking and what amenities they use, or want.”

The town council allocated $65,000 for the development of a new recreation and parks master plan in the 2022-23 budget this summer, and approved a contract with Asheville-based consultant firm McGill & Associates to complete the project. The document, which was last revised in 2017, serves to guide future decisions related to the municipality’s recreation programs and park facilities and programming.

The survey is designed to provide insight into demographic information, barriers to use of existing assets and public interest in improvements and expansion. The questions allow residents to rate how often they utilize current facilities and programs and prioritize potential enhancements.

The online survey, which will also be distributed by cards with quick response (QR) codes, marks the initial phase of public outreach, according to Henderson, including a series of Tuesday, Oct. 25 drop-in sessions, hosted by representatives from McGill & Associates. The department will also host representatives from the firm during its pumpkin composting event at the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden, scheduled for 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5.

“We will also be doing five focus meetings with subsets of people who regularly use the facilities and programs,” Henderson said. “We’ll be speaking with, for example, those who participate in youth programs or racquet sports and people who use the greenways and the community garden.”

The process should be completed by the end of the year, according to the recreation director, with the town receiving the finalized plan in early 2023.

“The key thing about this plan is that it will be the driving document for our recreation and parks department for the next 10 years,” Henderson said. “So, we want people to give their feedback and think about they will want recreation in Black Mountain to look like a decade from now.”