May 19, 2007 By Rebekah Sungala 3 min read

A handful of residents attended a public meeting Monday to provide input on a countywide plan devoted to recreation. The first-ever Fayette County park, recreation, open space and greenway plan is being backed by the county’s office of planning, zoning and community development and is being paid for with a state grant matched by the county.

Environmental Planning & Design LLC of Pittsburgh is drafting the plan.

Carolyn E. Yagle of Environmental Planning & Design said the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) requires all counties to have a recreation plan in place by the end of the year.

The goal of a recreation plan, according to Yagle, is to maximize opportunities and encourage people to become more involved in organized activities.

Yagle said the recreation plan is broken into two parts – one that addresses parks and recreation and the other that addresses open space and greenways.

According to Yagle, a greenway is defined as a section of land or water that connects different destinations together.

Yagle said it’s important recreational areas in the county are linked, either by road, water or walking/biking trail.

Using various maps of Fayette County as visual aids, Yagle pointed out that the eastern side of the county is primarily forested area while the western side of the county is more developed.

However, Yagle said the eastern side of the county is the “richest in resources” and has the most potential for recreational development.

The goal, she said, is to get people from the western side of the county and surrounding areas to participate in activities in the eastern half of the county. Several issues were discussed at Monday’s meeting, including ways to acquire funding for recreational programs and the need for more county parks.

Also discussed, among other topics, was the importance of communication between the county, municipalities and school districts and the need for consistency, especially in reference to signage directing visitors to local attractions.

Yagle said surveys asking questions in regards to recreation were sent out to residents, municipal officials and school districts for students in grades five, eight, 10 and 12 to complete.

With results still being compiled, Yagle said the information will be used to help the steering committee overseeing the recreation plan when it comes time for decision-making.

Information collected so far has showed residents are interested in preserving rural areas, she said.

Tammy Stenson, director of the Fayette County Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development, previously said the recreation plan must be completed by Dec. 31. A required safety audit of the three existing county parks and five municipal parks has already been completed, she said.

Stenson said Monday’s meeting was the first of two public meetings.

A second meeting will be held in the fall to inform the public of Environmental Planning & Design’s suggestions for the recreation plan, Yagle said, noting that comments and suggestions will be taken.