Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Survey: Splash Pad, Safety, Beauty Important
FARMINGTON — Results from a park survey for the city of Farmington show that participants consider water activities, such as a splash park and swimming, of high importance for recreation at a park and say a feeling of safety and beauty are elements that draw them to a park.
Sarah Geurtz, with Earthplan Design Alternatives in Springdale, said 39 people initially responded to the survey. The survey was then reopened, and it closed about three weeks later with comments from 270 people.
Even with the additional interest, results basically stayed the same, Geurtz told members of Farmington Planning Commission during their Nov. 22 meeting.
Geurtz presented findings from the survey to the commission that night.
Of the respondents, 72% lived in Farmington city limits and about 50% of the respondents were in the 30-49 age group. Another 30% were in the 50-59 age group.
The survey asked participants about passive recreation and active recreation activities.
For passive, 63% said they would enjoy hiking and nature walks if those activities are offered at parks. About 39% said they like nature, wildlife and bird viewing and about 33% said they would enjoy, if offered, a dog park and bicycling.
For active activities, about 60% said they would enjoy a splash park and swimming if it was offered at a park. Other active recreation activities enjoyed are a children’s playground (53%), historical or archeological sites (24%) and main sports (14-23%).
Football, skateboarding and bicycle motocross were listed as activities of lower importance, based on the survey results.
Respondents were asked the importance of park elements that draw them to visit a park. Survey results showed 83% said a feeling of safety is of high importance. Others: beauty (66%), park location (63%), walking and jogging (57%) and children’s play (51%). Active sports play and social gatherings were activities of lower importance
in attracting the respondents to a park.
The survey also asked participants what they would like to see in Farmington parks in the next 10 to 20 years, and results show that children’s play and green space as a refuge along with picnic areas were ranked as the highest in importance for the future. Others included ecological preservation, spaces to relax, space for sports and play, and walkable distances to parks.
Geurtz said her “takeaways” from the survey are that the city could look at ways to enhance safety, such as fencing of playgrounds, more lighting, open spaces and to continue with the city’s upkeep of the park.
Geurtz said other desirable elements for parks, according to the survey results, would be more children’s playgrounds, trails, walking and hiking paths, splash park and/or swimming.
Farmington’s population, according to the 2020 census is 7,584 people, and the city is projected to grow to more than 15,500 by 2045, based on estimates from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.
The minimum standard for park land, Geurtz said, is 10 acres per 1,000 people. The city meets this standard now with 83.21 acres in the park system. If the city grows as projected, it would need 72 more acres by 2045. One way to help reach this, Geurtz said, would be a partnership to allow school yards to be open to the public after hours.
Another factor to consider with parks, Geurtz said, is how long it takes people to get to a park. According to the survey, 34% said they would be willing to spend up to 10 minutes walking to a park and 21% said they would be willing to spend 20 minutes walking to a park. In a related question, 40% said they would be willing to drive 5-10 minutes to get to a park.
“Right now, there’s a big push to have parks within 10 minutes of everyone as a goal,” Geurtz told commission members. “Thirty-two ( 32) percent of Farmington residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.”
Geurtz said the city’s master park plan should have a vision statement with goals and objectives. She offered a draft vision statement, along with draft goals and objectives.
The draft vision statement says Farmington will be known for its beautiful parks, and the parks will encourage interconnections through a walkable, family-friendly community and park system. The parks will promote physical and mental health for all.
Draft goals include pedestrian connections throughout the community, a mixture of park sizes where appropriate, something for all abilities and ages and preserving the natural historical beauty of the parks.
Geurtz said the commisssion will have continued discussions to create a master park plan. These discussions will include looking at trends for parks, what’s the best way to incorporate parks into the city and placement of future parks.
When a draft plan is ready, the commission will hold a hearing to get public input. The final document will have to be adopted by Farmington City Council.