Town of Mead Parks, Open Space, and Trails Plan
Mead’s Parks, Open Space, and Trails are essential to residents’ quality of life, economic vitality, and environmental and social health. Developed park systems and open space allow residents daily access to the outdoors and promote neighborly interactions, and protection of open space conserves agricultural and historic landscapes.
The Town of Mead is embarking on a long-range planning process to create a shared vision for the future of the Town's parks, open space, and trails (POST) system. The POST Plan, titled Mead in Motion, will guide the planning, development, implementation, and maintenance of the Town’s trail system, parks, and open spaces.
This planning process will engage the community; evaluate existing conditions and future opportunities; and ultimately, present a compelling vision and implementation plan for the future. Once complete, the plan will chart a course for the next 10+ years of Mead's parks, trails, and open space.
Phase I: Understanding the Mead POST System
Building an understanding of the system helps us set a foundation for recommendations based on understanding the history of and gaps in the system. This task will include:
- Existing Plans, Reports, Studies Review
- Plan Audit
- Inventory of Existing POST Facilities
- Maintenance Assessment
- Facility Assessment
- Opportunities and Challenges Mapping
- Development of a Planning Context and Existing Conditions Report
Phase 2: Needs Assessment
The consultant team will conduct a Needs Assessment consisting of five detailed analyses to determine the “what” and the “where” of the Mead community’s POST needs for improved quality or quantity of services and amenities.
Needs assessment tasks will include:
- Statistically valid survey
- Benchmarking study
- Population-based Level of Service Analysis
- 10- minute walkability Analysis to existing facilities
- Trail gaps analysis
The results of all five analyses will be summarized in a concise report documenting key takeaways and implications for Mead’s POST service delivery.
Phase III: Options and Recommendations
The project team will identify goals and recommendations for parks, open space, and trails including, but not limited to:
- New off-street trails and trailheads
- New open space/park locations and program needs
- Agricultural open space preservation strategies
- Major improvements to existing trailheads, trails, parks, and open space facilities
- Future land use compatibility with open space and parks recommendations