The City of Nacogdoches invites all residents to a discussion about a new parks master plan in our community. The meeting will be held at the C.L. Simon Recreation Center on October 11th, 2016 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The goal of this discussion series meeting is to gain public opinion on a new parks master plan. This plan will serve as a guide for decision-making processes related to the availability, location, type, scale and quality of recreation in our community.
"In addition to meeting local needs in Nacogdoches, this Master Plan will be organized, have the appropriate content, and reflect the leadership, community and stakeholder input necessary for it to be reviewed and deemed an 'acceptable plan' by Texas Parks and Wildlife, making Nacogdoches eligible for park grants," Brian Bray, Director of Community Services said. 
Overall this project serves to:

• Assess current and future needs for improving the existing parks and recreation system,
• Involve community leaders, residents and stakeholder groups in capturing (or renewing) a vision and setting priorities for the future parks and recreation systems,
• Provide an update-to-date reference document with useful information on local recreational assets for all residents,
• Set strategic direction regarding necessary improvements to parks and recreation facilities to respond to the issues and gaps identified,
• Frame policies and standards for eliminating existing deficiencies and seizing on opportunities,
• Generate a prioritized action agenda to guide ongoing efforts for acquiring, designing, developing, upgrading and maintaining particular sites and components within the overall public parks and recreation system, within associated near-term and longer-term time frames.

This new plan version is also re-framed as a Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan to encompass a broader and more integrated view of public recreation needs and priorities in Nacogdoches. While some cities maintain separate master plans for parks and trails, this master plan looks beyond the core public park system to incorporate the results of concurrent trail system and sports facility planning.
The City hopes to align this plan with the overall Comprehensive Plan and other means for anticipating and responding to community growth and change, thereby linking this plan to broader objectives for enhancing livability, promoting economic development and tourism, preserving local natural, historic and cultural assets, and improving community image and appearance.
The City prepared and adopted a full Parks Master Plan in 2003 in conjunction with an update of the City's Comprehensive Plan. Interim plan updates have occurred periodically, including more extensive updates in 2009, especially regarding implementation considerations and prioritization of needs, wants and specific projects for near-term and longer-term action.