Document can be viewed online at www.forsythco.com/parks

Forsyth County Parks & Recreation’s Comprehensive Master Plan Update was formally adopted by the Board of Commissioners November 3 and is now in effect and available online at www.forsythco.com/parks. The Comprehensive Master Plan Update will guide the county’s Parks & Recreation Department through future budget decisions and park system projects through 2026.

“The update to the county’s Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan will guide staff and elected officials through decision making and actions – while balancing the opportunities and challenges of the county’s growth – over the next 10 years,” said Forsyth County Parks & Recreation Department Director Jim Pryor.

The comprehensive plan includes an inventory of current amenities, an overview of the public involvement process, a needs assessment, recommendations for improvement and expansion as well as an action plan. The needs assessment section outlines input from stakeholders, focus groups, public meetings and a community survey. 

The community survey was mailed out in May 2016 to a randomly selected sample of 7,000 households. Out of the many findings that came from the survey, the most evident is residents’ high ranking of healthy lifestyle amenities. Of the most frequently used outdoor facilities, the three most popular are walking and nature trails, Greenways and playgrounds. Recreation centers, indoor walking tracks, and nature and environmental education centers ranked the highest for most frequently used indoor facilities. Residents ranked renovations of existing older parks and trails, expanding the Greenway system and acquiring park land for passive facilities as the most important improvements.

To read more about the community survey results and to view the full Forsyth County Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan Update 2016-2026, visit www.forsythco.com/parks.

The Comprehensive Master Plan Update was conducted by Benesch, a consulting firm who works with local governments throughout the country to determine community park and recreation needs and develops plans to meet those needs. Through gathering information, collecting data and talking to citizens for nine months, they prepared the final document.