Henderson residents pleased with parks

By Jeremy Twitchell

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | midnight

Most Henderson residents have used a city park or recreation facility in the past year, and most of those who used one liked what they saw, according to a survey presented Aug. 20 to the Parks and Recreation Board.

Of more than 600 people surveyed, 81 percent said they had used a city park or recreation facility within the past year and of those, 51 percent said the site was in excellent shape, compared with a national average of 30 percent who would make that claim.

Overall, the survey found that nearly 70 percent of Henderson residents reported they were satisfied to some degree with the city's parks system: 35 percent "very satisfied" and 34 percent "somewhat satisfied." Another 16 percent were neutral on the issue, 9 percent didn't know, 4 percent were "somewhat dissatisfied" and 2 percent were "very dissatisfied."

The survey also identified areas for the department to improve — 90 percent of those surveyed said the city needs to acquire more open space, and residents expressed strong desires for more shade over outdoor amenities, more walking and biking trails, indoor walking and jogging tracks, weight rooms and indoor leisure pools.

The survey also found residents want more adult fitness and wellness programs at the city's recreation centers.

City parks officials said the survey was the first statistically valid survey of its kind in the city and will be used in the preparation of the city's Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

"It's good to know what we're doing well. It's even better to know where we can better serve the public," Parks and Recreation Director Mary Ellen Donner said. "I was very pleased with the survey. It gave us some good goals to aim for."

The survey, conducted by Kansas-based Leisure Vision, surveyed 617 Henderson households and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percent.

Leisure Vision representative Ron Vine, who presented the survey's findings, said his company has done more than 500 similar surveys throughout the nation and, based on the responses he saw in this survey, he placed Henderson within the top 5 percent to 6 percent among recreation departments nationwide.

"Your overall satisfaction with the system is about 15 percent higher than what we see in the normal city," he said.

One interesting finding was that a significant portion of residents are more concerned with maintaining the existing parks and recreation system than expanding it.

A question that asked residents where they would put $100 if they had it to invest in the recreation system found that 25 percent of them would pay for improvements and maintenance at existing facilities, compared with 23 percent that would develop new indoor facilities, 14 percent that would develop parks and open space and 14 percent that would develop walking and biking trails.

Another 13 percent said they would invest in green building and conservation programs, 7 percent said they would develop new sports field and 4 percent had other responses.

"People recognize that you've made a significant investment in your system … and they want to protect that," Vine said.

Vine said the survey showed that parks and recreation staff made good use of the funds they were allotted, but also pointed to the areas where residents said their needs were not being met.

"You're doing a great job, but there's more to be done," he said. "Part of that is because you're growing so fast."

The final question of the survey asked residents how they would vote on a tax-neutral bond to increase funding to the Parks and Recreation Department. Voters passed a similar measure in 1997 that directed $54.6 million to the department.

When asked if they would consider another, similar measure, 51 percent said they would vote in favor and 30 percent said they might.

Donner said the department is considering putting such a bond on a future ballot.

At this point, she said, she was most pleased to have some validation and guidance for the department.

"It kind of gave me the idea that, you know what? We're on the right road," she said.

Jeremy Twitchell is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-8928 or [email protected].