STANDARDS OF SERVICE

1.    Introduction

The standards of service recommended in the 1979 study have served the City well. With minor modifications, those same standards are recommended to carry the City into the next century.

In preparing this and similar studies, the planners have examined standards developed by numerous other agencies, including the National Park and Recreation Association and the State of North Carolina's State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. The standards recommended in this study are generally consistent with those recommended by the above agencies; however, they have been modified to meet Hickory's specific needs. It should be noted that recreation space standards, other than those required for games such as tennis or football, represent relative rather than absolute requirements.

The National Park and Recreation Association states, "Outdoor recreation space standards are goals which have proved to be desirable and practical. The need for outdoor recreation space is increasing so rapidly that standards established as a result of past experience may not be adequate to meet the needs of the next century. Therefore, the following standards should be exceeded wherever possible."

Basic for the planning approach used throughout this study is that the recommendations of this report be periodically reviewed. This same review process should be applied to the proposed standards to see that they are adequately meeting needs, since today's standards may change in the future. As examples, standards recommended for soccer fields, passive recreation places, and tennis courts presently provide for more facilities of these types than would have been the case just a few years ago.

2.    Standards for Park Lands

This report recommends a minimum of ten acres of recreation land per one thousand of population served. Hickory's 1997 population is approximately 32,300 people, estimated to grow 45,000 in the next twenty years. This report further recommends that recreation land should be approximately equally divided between land for active recreation pursuits such as softball, soccer, etc., and land for passive pursuits such as nature study, hiking, etc. These passive areas are also described as open space.

Parks recommended in this report, and the population which they serve are as follows:

Source: Gardner Gidley and Associates

*Includes parkways, historical sties, small parks and ornamental parks, as well as special use areas, acres are included in appropriate categories (active, passive, etc.).

NOTE: In low income areas, where transportation to recreation areas is a major problem, neighborhood level areas and facilities should predominate. In more affluent areas, the need for neighborhood areas is not as great, since district and private facilities are more available to this income group.

3.    Standards for Selected Facilities

Source: Gardner Gidley and Associates

NOTE: These standards differ from national, state and county recommended standards, and have been created specifically for Hickory.

4.    Indoor Spaces

A search of existing literature in the field reveals no specific recommended standards for indoor spaces. However, such spaces are a vital part of any comprehensive recreation program as they are required in order to provide year-round services. Numerous factors affect the creation of a reasonable standard. Chief among these being the availability of other public spaces such as schools and spaces offered by quasi-public and private agencies. Other factors include the local climate and local interests in specific building-centered activities.

As a general guide, the planner has proposed one and one-half square feet of indoor program space per person served.

5.    Swimming

Nationally, swimming continues to rank among the most popular of all recreation activities. The many aspects of swimming include learning, recreation, fitness, competitive and activities for the handicapped.

In determining the need for swimming areas, it can be expected that at least sixty percent of the population will want to swim at some time. Of this number, about one-half, or thirty percent of the population can be expected to swim about once a week, and finally, about fifteen percent of the population will want to swim on a regular basis.

While requirements differ for deep water swimmers, shallow water swimmers, and divers, or instructional programs, on the average, a swimmer will require approximately twenty square feet of water surface. Thus, if five hundred people wish to swim at one time, approximately ten thousand square feet of water surface will be required. This requirement, however, may be reduced by the fact that no more than seventy percent of the swimmers will actually be in the water at any given time, and by the availability of private and quasi-public facilities serving specific segments of the population.

This formula works out to five hundred square feet of swimming pool surface for every one thousand of the population served.

For Hickory, this means that fifteen thousand square feet of swimming area should be provided to meet current needs. Park of this being met by private agencies at Lenoir-Rhyne and at the YMCA.

6.    Types of Areas

The types of areas described below fall into three general classifications: places for active recreation, resource oriented (open space) areas, and specialized facilities. Each of the functions implied by these descriptions requires different types of areas and facilities.

The descriptions of various areas describe space requirements and facilities or programs associated with typical areas of each type. Where few facilities exist, areas such as those described below may conform to the typical plan. In some cases, however, it may not be practical to place all of the activities described for a typical site at one locations. Thus, the functions described for a District Park may be dispersed over several sites because of the availability of existing areas and facilities or limited land availability.

a.    Neighborhood Facilities

Tot Lots - Tot lots are small, near-at-hand areas ranging in size from 2,500 square feet up and are designed to serve populations where urban densities are quite high and where yard space is limited. The tot lot is specifically designed to serve pre-school children. It has a service radius of one-eighth to one-quarter mile, and usually includes age-grade play apparatus, sandboxes, benches, and perhaps picnic tables.

Neighborhood Parks - The neighborhood park is a near-at-hand area serving a neighborhood with a population of approximately one thousand to two thousand people, and should contain a minimum of five acres and up to fifteen acres. It should have a service radius of one-half mile to one mile. Where space is available, the neighborhood park may adjoin an elementary school.

It should provide recreation opportunities for each member of the family and contain a play lot for small children, a ball field with a 60' diamond for softball and junior baseball, an open field for fall sports, an apparatus area for older children, and a multi-use slab for basketball, volleyball, and similar court games.

It may also include areas for quiet activities and for such adult games as shuffleboard, horseshoes and croquet. Picnic tables and places for quiet activities such as chess, checkers and card games are also appropriate. Supervised play activities may be offered during the summer months. Parking may or may not be required. Where possible, the land area should be equally divided between active play areas and quiet areas. Wooded areas and other natural features are also desirable. A typical Neighborhood Park is shown in the appendix.

b.     District Park

The term "District Park" as used in this report describes large activity parks. These parks have a service radius of approximately two to two and one half miles.

The district park serves several neighborhoods or communities - about the same area normally served by a junior high or senior high school The district park should be easily accessible and should contain 5 acres per 1,000 of the ultimate population served. Again, this acreage should be roughly divided between areas for active games and sports and areas which are left in a natural park-like or wooded state.

The district park should contain an indoor recreation building, where possible. These parks should contain facilities for basketball, volleyball, and similar court games, fields for softball, soccer, several tennis courts, and, if needed, a swimming pool. Parking facilities are necessary as are toilet facilities.

In addition, the district park may provide those activities which are included in the neighborhood park - apparatus and active play areas, a tot lot for smaller children, a turf area, shaded areas for crafts and similar activities, picnic facilities, nature trails, and perhaps a small outdoor theater.

Multiple athletic fields for league activity such as softball or soccer can be concentrated in district parks where separate city-wide facilities have not been provided.

District parks should contain a minimum of fifteen acres and up to fifty acres, and should serve populations of five thousand to fifteen thousand people.

c.    Open Space Parks

In contract to neighborhood and community parks where space for activities is the primary concern, open space parks are resource-oriented and place great emphasis on the beauty and attractiveness of the site. Greenways and linear parks are examples of open space parks. These parks, which may vary in size, are designed to provide open spaces, access to water, and opportunity for more passive and less structured recreations. Studies by numerous public agencies over the last several decades indicate that most people choose relatively simple forms of outdoor recreation and that they want opportunities to enjoy these experiences near at hand.

Picnicking, walking for pleasure, sightseeing, swimming, visiting the beach, bicycling, fishing, and nature activities are the most frequently mentioned activities. Open space parks are designed to provide these opportunities. Each park will vary in character and in size, depending on the resource, but each is resource oriented. That is, the resource itself forms the basis of activity. Generally, activities in these parks are self-directed and require no direct leadership. The management role is primarily custodial and, in some cases, interpretive.

d.    City-Wide Facilities and Special Use Areas

City-wide facilities are those which serve all city residents. Examples are athletic complexes, open space parks, unique areas, and special use areas.

7.    Levels of Responsibility

In Catawba County, the provision of recreation services should be shared by more than one agency or level of government. The following chart indicates these levels of responsibility.