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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSurveySummary_MemoCITY OF PORT ORCHARD Department of Community Development 216 Prospect Street Port Orchard, WA 98366 Memorandum To: City of Port Orchard Land Use Committee From: Nicholas Bond, AICP Date: January 15, 2025 Re: Sherman Avenue Stormwater Park Public Outreach — Survey Results Background: In 2022, the City of Port Orchard purchased a 30 -acre property located at the south end of Sherman Avenue near Blackjack Creek (see the green pin on the map on Figure 1). The property was purchased to provide a regional stormwater facility that would facilitate the development of sidewalks and road improvements in the surrounding neighborhood and to provide a neighborhood park. The City's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan identifies the property as a resource conservancy and neighborhood park in the Flower Meadows/Ruby Creek area. The City initiated a public outreach process to better understand neighborhood preferences reading park improvements to inform the development of a park master plan for the property. Page 1 of 10 At Issue: To better understand the residents' wants and needs for a new park, the City targeted residents and businesses within a set boundary in proximity to the acquired property, as well as separated by physical barriers: Highway 16 to the west, Blackjack Creek to the east, and Tremont St. W to the north. The focus engagement audience within the determined boundary, as shown in Figure 1, includes single family and multifamily development, senior living and memory care centers, a school, hospital, and a mix of business services. Downtown Port Orchard Figure 1 — Location Map In November 2024, the Planning Department kicked off the Sherman Avenue Stormwater Park community engagement through mailers (Figure 2), doorhangers, and posters. Staff created several different graphic deliverables which presented a QR code for members of the public to scan and give their feedback on what they'd like to see in a park. Almost 900 mailers were sent out to tenants and property owners, staff hung 621 doorhangers on three multifamily properties and visited 20 businesses with posters to be displayed. SHERMAN AVENUE ORCHARD QN_- STORMWATER PARK`v"`W° Lp,q-t—e ite tostay informed a nd get involved! Are you a resident in this area? Participate in the engagement process! 1;. Figure 2 — Postcard Mailers K Staff also created an individual page for the park's engagement process on the City's website that provides a more in-depth description about the purpose of stormwater parks, case studies, timeline, and property details. Hybrid outreach utilizing direct mailing and flyer methods for project kickoff. Creation of website for outreach and project updates. Online Survey for the Development of Alternatives. Finalize alternatives and solicit input. - Project workshop. File application to amend comprehensive plan to adopt park master plan by reference. Summer 2024 winter cuc5 - Project Workshop - Survey to determine priorities and themes for alternatives. Draft Alternatives Development Tentative Engagement Timeline ORCHARD. Review input on alternatives and develop preferred alternative. - Review preferred alternative with the Land Use Committee - Present preferred alternative to the Planning Commission. - Adopt preferred alternative by reference as part of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Amendments. v 3 The survey gathered input from residents about their use and preferences regarding community parks and outdoor spaces in Port Orchard. It asked about current park usage, preferred modes of transportation, ranked interest in various park amenities (such as walking trails, community gardens, playgrounds, sports courts), and desired level of park design and development features. The survey also asked about potential challenges in the park's development, the unique aspects of the surrounding area that may be relevant in the planning phases and invited participants to engage further in the planning process through community workshops. Additionally, it collected demographic information to better understand the participants' background. The survey was open from November 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025. The City received 80 survey responses. The survey included required questions accompanied by optional follow- up questions for an opportunity to give more detail. Participants were asked how often they currently use a community park or outdoor space in Port Orchard, their current method of transportation in getting there, as well as their preference in transportation for getting there. The number of responses is reflected by the "n" in each question. While there were 80 respondents, not all questions were required or responded to. 40% of respondents shared they use a community park or outdoor space in Port Orchard "Weekly". The next highest result was "Rarely" at 27.5%. n=80 • Daily • Weekly Monthly • Rarely • Never • Common themes for those who rarely visit include poor maintenance, inconvenient locations, safety concerns, not accessible, and lack of offerings. n=24 • 77.5% of households currently drive to parks in Port Orchard and 15% walk. n=80 • Walk • Bicycle Automobile • Public Transportation Walk, Bike, or Automobile walk or drive Walk. Run. Car 4 • 57.5% of households would prefer to walk to a park in Port Orchard. • Walk • Bicycle Automobile • Public Transportation • Participants were asked to include any interests or activities that they are involved in that might find use in a park. Common activities included walking and hiking, family activities, dog -related activities, group fitness and sports, and nature observation. n=54 Participants were asked to rank their preferred level of design and development from one to five, one being the most preferred and five being the least preferred. This question is to help gauge opinions on the level of development intensity they'd like this park to be at (natural landscape or a fully designed space) • In ranking the desired level of park design and development, a balance of recreation space, amenities, and conservation landscape was most preferred. • The second highest preference was keeping a natural landscape focusing on conservation and passive recreation. Most Preferred Prioritization of amenity structures, gathering spaces, and active recreation (highest level of development) Balance of recreation space, amenities, and conservation landscape. Minimal amenities such a pathways and seating mixed in with conservation. Natural landscape focusing on conservation and passive recreation (lowest level of development) 10 15 20 25 30 Participants were asked what types of amenities they would be most interested in seeing at the proposed park and ranking their preference from one to five, one being the most preferred and five being the least preferred. 5 • In ranking the top five most preferred amenities, walking and running trails were most preferred followed by community gardens, playground equipment, sports courts, and picnic tables/shelters. 51% of respondents chose walking and running trails as their most preferred. The least preferred included a skate park and pump track. n=80 Most Preferred Fitness Stations - 11 Education/Interpretive Spaces 13 Pump Track 16 Skate Park 16 Open space lawn 16 Picnic Areas with seating, tables, and shelters 17 Sports Courts 21 Playground Equipment 21 Community Garden 22 Walking and RunningTrails 41 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Least Preferred Open space lawn 8 Picnic areas with seating, tables, and shelters 9 Sports Courts 11 Playground Equipment 12 Walking and RunningTrails 14 Fitness Stations 14 Education/Interpretive Spaces 14 Community Garden 17 Pump Track 18 Skate Park 22 0 5 10 15 20 25 6 Participants were asked what type of site, design, or development challenges the proposed park face would. They were asked to rank their top three concerns amongst a given list. There was also an option to include their own written responses if the list didn't include it. • When asked about potential challenges that the site may face during design and development, access and parking ranked the highest among 60% of respondents. n=80 Environmental Light pollution None of the above Turning in and out. The ar... Proximity to highway/smell homeless campers interest Please pave the streets an... Garbage problems, especi... graffiti, vandalism, pickleb... Who is going to pay forth... Vandalism, graffiti, mainte... Noise from freeway, adjac... Traffic breaking up the alre... The fact that you're not doi... outlet for drug use. If not well lit, could turn int... Homeless/drugs/mental h... Safety and Privacy Concer... All of them, and more! 0 15(188% 7 (8.8%) F-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H1 (1.3%) F-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) H-1 (1.3%) F-1 (1.3%) 10 20 31 40 50 • When asked to provide significant or unique aspects about the surrounding neighborhood that would be important to be aware of during the planning process, most respondents commented on traffic and road safety as Sherman Avenue is in poor condition with no pedestrian infrastructure. The following demographics were collected through optional participation. The level of detail or participation was left up to the participant. These questions help us better understand who we were able to engage with and where we need to improve. o 30.8% of participants were between the age of 30-39 years old, the largest category of participants. The second highest age group was 60-69 year olds at 19.2% of respondents. n=78 • Under 22 • 22-29 30-39 • 40-49 • 50-59 • 60-69 • 70 and over o 95% of respondents live within city limits. n=79 • Yes •No o When asked to optionally share where their residence is, majority of all answers given were within the focus boundary, as described earlier (Figure 1). n=68 o The largest participant category of household ages was between 26-40 years old. M � one T,vo Thee or More 15 10 5 0 0.5yearsd0 5.10yearsold 11-14 years old 15 -IS years old 19-25 years old 26-40 years old 4'-55 years old 55-65 years old 65s years old 8 o 62% said they would be interested in participating in future community workshops to provide further input on the park's design and development. n=80 • Yes •No o 60% of participants submitted contact information for further participation in the park planning process. n=48 Next Steps: Community Members can continue to learn more and stay involved with the park planning process by visiting the City's website and finding the Sherman Avenue Stormwater Park tab under the Community Development category. Residents can sign up for the project's mailing list on the webpage to find out about future community engagement opportunities and learn more about the benefits of a stormwater park facility. Visit https://portorchardwa.gov/sherman-avenue-stormwater-park/ City staff will begin developing detailed design alternatives for the park proposal. These alternatives will consider the preferences expressed by residents and address concerns shared in the survey process. The alternatives will provide the public with a clearer image of the park's potential layout (subject to the stormwater ponds and buffers), amenities, and overall design feel, allowing for further feedback and refinement before finalizing a plan to be adopted. The survey feedback revealed three popular themes for the park design: Trails and Conservation Park A space focused on walking and running trails, nature conservation and education, and maintaining a balance between light amenities and the preservation of the natural landscape. Family Nature Park A family -friendly space with dedicated areas for playground equipment, picnic areas, and nature exploration, appealing to all ages. Community Garden and Recreation Park A park prioritizing community interaction through opportunities of shared gardening areas and spaces for recreational activities such as playgrounds and sports courts. As part of the next phase, the City will continue developing these alternatives for public feedback through community workshops, ongoing printed and digital marketing, and will seek additional creative opportunities to gather diverse and representative feedback. Activities such as workshops will provide an opportunity for residents to find better understanding of what a stormwater park's purpose is, the surrounding neighborhood street improvements, and give further adapted input shape the final design. Attachments: Post card mailer Door hanger Poster Project webpage on City website 10