Bike Friendly Richardson

In spite of having a scheduling conflict, I decided to swing by the City of Richardson’s Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan: Draft Plan & Public Response meeting last night. The meeting was lead by Michael Massey, Director of Parks and Recreation. Together with Mark Spencer with MHS Planning, they discussed the results of a 6 month study on our current parks and open space system, as well as their plan is for future growth. The plan was described as an aggressive undertaking, over the next 10 years, to improve, update and grow the current parks and recreation system to accommodate the city’s population growth. Having a parks system that is 50 years old, this left me optimistic that the City of Richardson is making some great steps towards keeping this city a great Metroplex destination. Here are some key points that caught my attention.

– Richardson is working to attract a younger population growth the replace it’s aging community that may be moving out. This is one of the key reason’s they are looking to improve the parks system.

– Along with growth and improvement, the planning group recommended a ‘jeweled attraction’ that would not only serve as the cornerstone of the park system, but also give Richardson a featured destination for residents and visitors.

– Although they only slightly touched on the trail system, I got the impression that this is a priority with the citizens of Richardson and it’s pretty high on the list of improvements. If I heard correctly, there are already 9 miles under development, including a trail that will go under Central – which is expected to start construction in January. This is a huge hurdle for those who want car-free passage across town.

Other than that, there was a lot of discussion of topics from aquatics to skate parks. Michael did inform us that the parks plan isn’t set in stone and will be contingent mostly on funding. The good news is, we have a plan to help facilitate getting that funding.