Give input into Charleston Parks & Recreation Master Plan

The City of Charleston is creating a master plan for City of Charleston Parks and Recreation and is seeking resident input. In a YouTube video on the City’s website, Mayor Tecklenburg urges residents to share their input with city planners.

“The city has over 100 parks and it’s a great system but it can be even better,” the Mayor said. “Now we need your engagement, your input, your suggestion on what the future improvements should be for both our parks and recreation programs.”

Residents can join the year-long planning process to let city planners know what you want to do with the parks, how they can be improved, and what suggestions you have to improve the quality of life for Charleston residents and visitors.

The Master Plan once developed, will lead policies and direction for the City’s leaders, Parks Department, and Recreation Department for the next ten years.

Here’s how you can share your ideas:

Parks and Recreation Master Plan Survey can be completed online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CHSParks (options for English and Spanish)

Handout versions of the same survey are available at recreation and community centers as well as at other city facilities. These may be returned to the centers or the Charleston Parks Department.

Public Open Houses – Later in the year, open houses will be held throughout Charleston and will be held in conjunction with the City’s Comprehensive Plan process.

Stakeholder Group Discussions – A series of stakeholder groups of park and recreation users, community leaders, and partners will be invited to provide their input specific to their group’s interests.

Public Presentations – The Draft and Final Master Plans will be presented in a public forum later in the process for the Community’s review and discussion.

In addition to completing the survey, residents can go online to CharlestonParks.MindMixer.com to provide additional input throughout the year-long master planning process. The discussion topics will change as the process advances. Currently, the discussions focus on topics that are usually covered at public open houses, but since public meetings are not being held at this time due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Charleston parks mind mixer site is designed to simulate the experience.

This site will allow you to: tell the city what you miss most about city parks and recreation during the Covid-19 pandemic, identify your favorite activities in Charleston Parks, and vote with dollars on the types of improvements you would like to see. You will also be able to identify your ideas for improvements to parks, trails, natural areas, programs, and events; to identify your vision for the future of parks in Charleston; to share photos of your favorite places and activities in Charleston Parks; to identify on a map where new parks and facilities should be located; and, to respond to suggestions by others.