Do you want an outdoor pool? Are Pattee Park and Wiese Park safe and well lit? Should the McCreary Community Building start renting out cross-country skis for use on the trail?
If you have answers for these questions and opinions about the current state of Perry’s parks, trails and rec center, and if you have ideas for developing new recreational resources in Perry, then you should share your opinions in an online survey available now.
The city of Perry, with help from ISU students of community and regional planning (CRP), is creating a Parks and Trails Master Plan, and your input is needed. A master plan must be based on research, and the online survey — available in Spanish and English — is the main empirical component of the students’ research.
The CRP students will study the subject and conduct the online survey and then present their findings to the city Wednesday, Nov. 28 in the form of a report. Along with the survey, you can also share your opinions in focus groups that will meet Wednesday, Oct. 24 with the Parks and Recreation Board Steering Committee.
The report will have several chapters. There will be a list of existing parks and trails and a review of past and present planning initiatives. One chapter in the report will assess Perry’s present and future needs for parks and trails. This is where your opinions will carry weight.
The online survey is extensive. You should set aside about one hour to complete it. The questions are arranged around three topics:
- Perry’s recreational trails
- Perry’s parks
- The McCreary Community Building
The questions are detailed, and they ask you to make specific comments and suggestions, so if you use the trails, relax in the parks and/or go to the MCB — whether a little or a lot — then your opinions are wanted.
“Please help shape the future of our Parks and Recreation Department by participating and taking the survey,” the city’s website said.
“I finished the survey,” said a Perry resident. “For those who are saying it’s too long, finish it. This is our town.”
The CRP class is made up of ISU seniors working collaboratively in three groups, with one focusing on trails and green spaces, another on neighborhood parks and the third on regional parks. SVPA Architects Inc. of West Des Moines is assisting in the development of the master plan.
