Pleasanton Parks and Recreation Master Plan

2-21 Pleasanton Parks and Recreation Master Plan Section Two – Recreation Facility Needs Assessment 2014 A key element of the telephone survey is information that generates participation rates in each of twelve (12) recreational activities. These participation rates are analyzed in the recreation demand and needs analysis (Section 2.9), where facility demand is calculated in relationship to the population served. The full Community‐Wide Telephone Survey report can be found in the Appendix. 2.9 Recreation Demand and Needs Analysis This section summarizes the evaluation of demand for twelve (12) recreation and park activities based upon actual participation rates as determined by the residents of Pleasanton. A key element in any park and recreation planning strategy is an understanding of the nature of demand for parks and recreation facilities. Without this understanding, policy can only be based on general standards, such as population ratios (acres per thousand residents) or service area (distance to park facility). Such standards are useful, but the demand analysis guarantees that the needs assessment reflects Pleasanton specifically. The National Recreation and Park Association, in their 1983 update to the publication Recreation, Park and Open Space Standards and Guidelines, states: “Park and recreation services are community services. Ideally, the national standards should stand the test in communities of all sizes. However, the reality often makes it difficult or inadvisable to apply national standards without question to specific locales. The uniqueness of every community, due to differing geographical, cultural, climatic, and socioeconomic characteristics, makes it imperative that every community develop its own standards for recreation, parks and open space.” The information used to calculate community demand for recreation facilities comes from four sources:  The community‐wide telephone survey  Pleasanton population projections  Sports and community organization questionnaires  California State Department of Parks and Recreation The telephone survey provides a statistically valid basis for determining how the residents of Pleasanton participate in recreation activities. The participation rates in recreation activities from the survey constitute a quantitative basis for the demand analysis that is used in calculating the current need for facilities. The nature of growth and population change establishes trends in demand for recreation and leisure services. These population projections, together with the survey results describing participation rates for various demographic measures, are the basis for a quantitative projection of future facility needs. In terms of sports facilities, it should be noted that the analysis pertains to participation in sports games on game fields, for which quantitative inventory is possible. This information is obtained in part from the sports organization survey. Participation in sports practices and evaluation of practice field demand is not included, in part because practices often occur on informal, non‐regulation facilities. Further, it is assumed that practices can occur on game fields during non‐peak portions of the season. Based on the responses received from the sports organization survey there appears to be an adequate quantity of practice fields, although there are concerns limited playability due to the quality of some of the middle school fields, winter closures, and lack of lighted fields within the community.