Where do we need more parks, playgrounds, and/or other facilities?
What recreational programs do you want to see?
How can parks and recreation help address certain challenges facing our community?
In hopes of answering questions like these, the Huntley Park District launched Plan To Play Huntley, the agency's park and recreation Master Plan, in May of 2022. Utilizing public input and community collaboration, a vision was created for the Huntley Park District’s operational planning over the next 10 years.
Mission Statement:
Connecting the community.
Vision Statement:
To be a leader in providing recreation for generations.
Core Values:
Fun: We believe that recreation and leisure activities should be enjoyable and entertaining. We strive to provide fun experiences for all ages and abilities, promoting healthy lifestyles through playful activities.
Inclusive: We believe that everyone deserves equitable access to our services and programs. We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and supported.
People-Focused: We believe that our success depends on the satisfaction and happiness of our employees, customers, and community members. We are committed to putting people first, fostering a positive culture, and providing exceptional customer service.
Sustainable: We believe that our actions have an impact on the environment and future generations. We are committed to promoting sustainable practices, protecting natural resources, and reducing our carbon footprint. We strive to be responsible stewards of our resources and leave a positive legacy for future generations.
The Plan, Meeting Future Demand
The Strategic Master Plan is a comprehensive planning document for the Huntley Park District, covering a broad range of interconnected topics that provides guidance for the next 5-10 years on how to meet the demands for future recreational, programming, environmental, and maintenance needs, and to establish priorities for facility improvements, future park development, and park land acquisitions.
The Huntley Park District undertook this Parks and Recreation Strategic Master Plan to develop as a “blueprint” for the Huntley community and develop the values and data driven roadmap to best serve the District going forward. This is intended to be a dynamic and realistic document, designed to strengthen existing programs, facilities, and amenities and adapt to the community’s changing demographics.
How the Plan Gathered Information
The recommendations are based on an iterative visioning process with staff and use community input, demographics and trends, and an analysis of the Department’s programs, maintenance and operations, and levels of service. See below for more information on the public input process.
Public Input Process
To gain a better understanding of the current state of the District and determine future needs and priorities, the planning process gathered input from Huntley residents. This involved several methods such as stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions including a dedicated meeting for Del Webb’s Sun City residents, a public workshop, an online community survey, a statistically valid survey, and the crowdsourcing website www.PlanToPlayHuntley.com. More than 1,200 individuals participated in these mediums, including elected and appointed officials, employees, and residents who represented a diverse range of community groups serving the Huntley community.
Resident Survey
As part of the public input process, a statistically valid Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment survey was sent to randomly selected households in the District's boundaries to help the District plan for future recreation programs and facilities that meet the community’s needs and preferences.
The goal was to obtain 350 completed surveys from residents. The goal was exceeded with 478 completed surveys collected. The overall results for the sample of 478 households have a precision of at least +/-4.4 at the 95% level of confidence.
Priorities for Program & Facilities/Amenities Investments
While these priorities are based solely on the survey, this data is one piece among many data points gathered during the Master Plan process. All factors and measurements must be included when considering investment in any facility/amenity or program.
Through the statistically valid survey, facilities/amenities and programs were rated for investment priority.
Based on the survey, the highest priority programs for investment included:
- Community special events
- Adult fitness & wellness programs
- Cultural enrichment programs/events
- Senior trips
- Senior fitness/wellness programs
The highest priority facilities/amenities for investment included:
- Multi‐use paved trails
- Indoor pool/aquatic center
- Indoor walking/jogging track
- Outdoor amphitheater
- Off‐leash dog park
- Sled hills & ice rink
Big Moves
Staff and Commissioners collaborated to identify the primary District-wide outcomes they hope to achieve from this plan. These Big Moves are the most significant outcomes desired and when achieved, will serve as the legacy fulfilling the Plan’s vision. The following are the Big Moves that were identified through the process:
- Address needs for parks, amenities & indoor recreation spaces based on the existing parks and facilities inventory
- Collaborate with community partners to increase access to existing amenities & connectivity to trails
- Develop a vision for enhanced entertainment/recreation value at Pinecrest Golf Course
- Invest in staff development and staffing levels to match the growth in offerings
- Plan a funding strategy including a referendum to address capital needs
- Offer Recreation Programs that reflect community needs and evolving trends
The Action Plan
The Executive Summary highlights:
- The strengths of our parks and facilities
- How we could improve our parks and facilities
- Equity maps for amenities
- Short, medium, and long term action plan recommendations
Plan Contents
- Chapter 1 - Executive Summary
- Chapter 2 - Community Profile
- Chapter 3 - Public Process
- Chapter 4 - Recreation Program Assessment
- Chapter 5 - Parks and Facility Assessment
- Chapter 6 - Value, Vision, Mission & Big Moves
- Chapter 7 - Conclusion
- Appendix A - Core vs. Casual Participation Trends
- Appendix B - Statistically Valid Survey Results
- Appendix C - Statistically Valid Crosstabs - Sun City vs. Non-Sun City Households
- Appendix D - Program Classification
- Appendix E - Other Service Providers
- Appendix F - Volunteer/Partnership Recommended Practices & Recommendations
- Appendix G - Mini Business Plan