This report builds on a 1979 study of park and recreation needs prepared by Gardner Gidley and Associates.

Actions recommended in that study have largely been completed. Standards and principles recommended in the previous study have served the City well, and with minor changes, continue to form the basis of recommendations in this current study.

Most of the standards recommended relate to population. Since 1979, Hickory’s population has grown to 32,300 and is projected to be 48,000 by 2020. Regionally, the Hickory-Morganton SMA is expected to grow to 324,000 by 2000. In 1990, the average age in Catawba County was 34.2 years, becoming 37.2 by 2000.

Employment in the region is steady and unemployment has remained in an acceptable range for the past decade.

The median family income in Catawba County was $34,153, only slightly below the State median.

Hickory’s population is 81.4% white, 17.1% black and 1.5% other. Approximately 23% of the population is 55 or older, and this percentage is increasing. School aged children comprise about 10% of the total population.

Hickory is increasingly involved in regional planning in all areas. Vision Quest 2010, Catawba County’s Comprehensive Plan, identifies two major recreation issues:

"Recreation Facilities – Municipal / Private

At present, the County does not directly fund and maintain park or recreation facilities. Municipal, private and civic recreation facilities are growing in the County due primarily to the rapid growth of residential development and influx in populations. Most of the larger municipalities in Catawba County offer parks and recreation services to their residents. In order to expand the recreational options for all County citizens, particularly those who do not have access to municipal or private recreational facilities, there needs to be a mechanism for establishing joint partnerships between these public and private entities.

There are virtually unlimited opportunities for development of access areas for Lakes Hickory, Lookout Shoals and Norman. Such recreational sites could be developed on little land area and with minimal environmental impacts. However, the use of these natural recreational resources in the past has been primarily limited to boat access at a few sites. Catawba County shares with its neighboring Counties three reservoirs along the Catawba River (Lake Hickory, with an estimated 4,100 acres and 105 miles of shoreline; Lake Lookout Shoals with 1,270 acres and 39 miles of shoreline and Lake Norman with 32,510 acres and 520 miles of shoreline). In spite of these abundant water resources, relatively few access areas exist for swimmers, sunbathers and other to enjoy water-based recreational activities. For example, no public swimming areas on the Catawba River exist within the Unifour.

Future Park Needs

The most effective way to accurately determine the potential demand for recreational facilities in Catawba County is through a comprehensive needs assessment. Such a project will help policy makers determine the need for County park and recreation facilities and the cost of developing such a County service. This study should reflect the demand for these services in rapidly developing areas of the County which also are generating recreational needs.

A portion of the demand for residential services could be minimized by requiring recreational space in new residential developments and large-scale commercial and industrial projects to serve employees and residents.

Regional concerns, along with demographic factors have major implications for future recreation programming and for the provision of facilities. As examples, more innovative programming will be required for an aging population, and more methods must be found for meeting the needs of single parent families and families where both parents work. Additional, cooperative efforts between all recreation suppliers will be needed in the future."

At the present time, Hickory’s existing recreation system is positioned very well to meet many of these needs. With the exception of swimming places, recreation facilities are mostly conveniently located and are for the most part adequate in number to meet present needs. The problem, then, is to anticipate future needs which will develop as the population continues to grow. Thus, the focus of this report is on extending recreation services to new areas and improving the existing recreation system, to bring it up to contemporary standards.