Palmer seeks input on parks, trails plan

The city of Palmer’s Community Development Department is planning four public meetings to discuss its Parks, Trails and Recreational Fields Master Plan project at 7 p.m., March 29 at the Palmer Depot, 610 South Valley Way. This is the first meeting about the master plan.

People are invited to attend and provide input on the proposed future of the city’s park system.

Management of local parks and recreation sites, facilities, and programs in Alaska is generally the responsibility of boroughs. In 2005 at the city’s request, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough granted the city of Palmer responsibility for its parks, trails, and recreational fields.

In January 2011, the city began a nine-month process to develop a Parks, Trails and Recreational Fields Master Plan. This process is grounded in multiple forms of community input that is being utilized to develop the plan. These include four public meetings, numerous focus groups and interviews, and a statistically valid household survey.

The consulting team led by PROS Consulting LLC, has been hired by the city to assist in organizing and facilitating the planning process, and to produce the final plan. The project team will utilize public input to identify the community’s prevailing needs, interests, values, and priorities related to parks, recreation, trails, and recreational fields for the next 10 years.

For more information, contact Sandra Garley at 761-1322 or send email to sgarley@palmerak.org.