PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE
INTRODUCTION
One of the most critical components in maintaining and enhancing a community's quality of life is it's system of parks, recreation, and open space. The careful location of parks and open space areas and preservation of the Town's natural resources as a complement to existing development can be a useful tool in guiding the Town's development into a logical, orderly and environmentally sensitive pattern. In addition to recreational and aesthetic benefits, open spaces provide a framework for various land uses. Properly located, they become boundaries and buffers between conflicting uses of land and a nucleus for building neighborhood areas. Natural features can be preserved as valuable scenic and environmental attributes of the Town. A park system and recreational program can also go a long way toward resolving the age-old problem of a community offering nothing for young people "to do."
This chapter examines the current state of Easton's Parks and Recreation system and proposes methods by which it might be improved. The importance of this topic to Easton's residents and visitors was underscored at the Town Planning Workshops. During the course of these two sessions, those who participated in the budgeting exercise spoke loudly and clearly by their actions. In short they felt that Town spending in this area should be significantly increased.
BACKGROUND
An inventory of existing Town parks and opens space areas is summarized in Table 11. One of the first things this points out is that there are a fairly large number of parks (14) in Easton. This was supported by the Town Planning Workshop participants who expressed surprise at the number of parks in Town. Also, at the Town Planning Workshops, participants confirmed that they overwhelmingly use only one park, Idlewild. Taken together, these two findings suggest that while Easton has a lot of acreage for parks, much of it is undeveloped and/or underutilized. In fact, 9 out of 14 parks are currently undeveloped and all of these are Town Parks. This represents an opportunity for the Town to proactively improve the availability of Parks and Recreation facilities/programs in Easton.
87% of all Town Planning Workshop respondents identified Idlewild as the park or open space they visit most often. Interestingly, though, Idlewild was also identified as the one park that people would, most like to improve. This implies that the one improved Town Park is still not what it is desired to be by a lot of people. Recommended improvements expressed as desirable by the Workshop participants included such things as a playground, bathrooms, water fountain, and picnic facilities. These are all amenities which are already present at Idlewild, suggesting that this Park has the kinds of features the public desires, but that these amenities somehow fall short of their expectations. Perhaps there needs to be more of a particular amenity or perhaps another is simply in need of modernization and/or repair.
Another aspect of Idlewild Park which received much comment was the condition of parking. The automobile was the prevailing mode of transportation to/from Idlewild and concern was expressed about the adequacy of parking in this Park.
TABLE 11
EXISTING PARKS AND OPEN SPACES
| TYPES AND AREAS | SIZE (ACRES) | OWNERSHIP | FACILITIES |
| Mini-Parks | |||
| Thompson | 0.5 | Town | Benches/Fountain |
| Clifton | 0.25 | Town | Passive |
| Neighborhood Parks | |||
| South Street | 0.3 | Town | Playground |
| South Clifton | 10.0 | Town | Undeveloped |
| Chapel East | 1.7 | Town | Undeveloped |
| Matthewstown Run | 1.2 | Town | Undeveloped |
| Tots Park | Town | Undeveloped | |
| Golton II | 0.8 | Town | Undeveloped |
| Glenwood Elementary | 10.0 | County | Playground
Softball Field Baseball Field Basketball Courts |
| Mount Pleasant | County | Playground
Fields |
|
| Community Parks | |||
| Idlewild | 15.0 | Town | (2) Softball Fields
Track Picnic Area & Tables (3) Tennis Courts Basketball Court Football Field Playground |
| North Easton Park | 26.2 | Town | Undeveloped |
| Former RTC Property | 58.3 | Town | Undeveloped |
| Moton Park | 12.2 | Town | Undeveloped |
| County Swimming Pool | 2.8 | County | Swimming Pool |
| Easton High School | 18.0 | County | Football Field
Soccer Field Field Hockey Field Lacrosse Field (3) Ball Fields Track |
| Easton Middle School | 12.5 | County | (3) Ball Fields
Football Field (2) Field Hockey Fields Lacrosse Field |
| Stoney Ridge | 20.0 | Town | Undeveloped |
| Special Park Areas | |||
| Rails-To-Trails | 8.0 (est.) | Town | Walking/Bicycling Path |
| Talbot County YMCA | 10.0 | Quasi-Public | Indoor Facilities
(14) Tennis Courts Deck Tennis |
| VFW | 5.0 | Quasi-Public | Baseball Field |
| Talbot County Historical Society | 1.0 | Quasi-Public | Historic Structure & Gardens |
| Warner Wildlife Sanctuary | 8.0 | Quasi-Public | Nature Conservancy |
Source: Talbot County Land Preservation and Recreation Plan Draft, 1987 & Easton Comprehensive Development Plan, 1989.
The Visioning process identified the need for Easton to develop a park system. One impediment to this goal is illustrated in Table 11. That is the multiple ownership structure of the parks and open spaces in Easton. There are a number of Town Parks, quasi-public parks and facilities, and, being the County seat and home to the largest County population base, there are numerous County parks. Not included in the Table are private or semi-private recreational spaces like the golf course at Easton Club. A park system would consider all of these lands and evaluate them as a whole as to their effectiveness in meeting the recreational needs of the residents of Easton and environs.
A second factor inhibiting the effective development of a coordinated park system, is the way in which these spaces and facilities are managed. Easton has only a year-round part-time Director of Parks and Recreation with additional seasonal part time assistance.
One step toward providing more direction and more active participation in planning, acquiring, and improving Easton's parks was taken recently by the Town Council when they reformulated the Easton Park Board. However, there is still much work to be done as this organization is still struggling with determining its role and how it relates to the Easton Planning and Zoning Commission, in whom State Law (Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Section 305.a.1.iv.) vests the authority to make "proposals for the most appropriate and desirable patterns for the general location, character, and extent of [parks and recreation areas] for specified times as far into the future as is reasonable." Nevertheless, having a group dedicated to examining and making recommendations on park issues is a positive step towards the development of a coordinated Town-wide Park system.
FUTURE PARKS
One area in which it is crucial for the Planning Commission and Park Board to work together, is the planning for future park sites. The Visioning Committee made several recommendations in this area. These are graphically depicted on the Conceptual Plan Map contained in the back of this document.. The following recommendations for future parks are highlighted by this map:
u The Rails-to-Trails Park should be built in its entirety, from approximately Idlewild Avenue to the North Easton Park. Furthermore, the Town should work with the County to extend this trail wherever possible. Such an extension in a westerly direction towards St. Michaels seems particularly feasible. The portion of the trail presently planned to open in the Summer of 1997 should be extended northward. However, in recognition of the concerns of residents from the neighborhoods north of Tanyard Branch, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommends that once the trail crosses this stream, it should veer eastward and follow the eastern boundary of the former RTC property that was acquired by the Town in 1996. The final link in the trail, from this parcel to the North Easton Park should be built when the intervening parcel develops, using a corridor as the park dedication required for its development. It should then cross Chapel Road across from the North Easton Park entrance. Furthermore, this entrance should be developed only for non-motorized access in conjunction with the downgrading of the intersection of Chapel Road and U.S. Route 50 as described in the Transportation section of this Plan.
u A plan should be formulated for the development of the recently purchased park on the land that was formerly to be developed as future phases of the Chapel Farms Subdivision. Given the relatively vast size of this property (and particularly of usable land), a wide array of uses is possible.
u The Town should work with the State of Maryland to help insure the preservation of Seth Forest. The Town should also ask the State to consider the possibility of making this property more accessible. This property might be appropriate as a Regional Park of some sort rather than simply as passive and largely unused, unknown, and perhaps unappreciated open space.
u Two areas on the western side of Easton should be considered as waterfront parks. One is located along the Parkway and a portion of the site is already used informally as a place where people pull off the road to have lunch or just to look at Papermill Pond. This site is identified in Easton's Critical Area Program as appropriate for a park, perhaps with a boardwalk/nature trail which could also serve an environmental education role as well. The second area is not pin-pointed, but would be in the general vicinity of MD Route 33 (St. Michaels Road) and the Parkway on the southwestern side of that intersection. This might be located on either or both sides of the North Branch of the Tred Avon River. This would provide the Town with the waterfront park that many residents have long expressed a desire to have.
u (Not depicted on Conceptual Plan Map) In the long-range planning period (i.e. by 2020) a new Community (or Regional) Park, on the scale of Idlewild or Moton, should be secured and developed on the eastern side of Town, east of U.S. Route 50. This is the portion of Town anticipated to accommodate the majority of future growth and as such, a community park is essential within this area. Furthermore, this area may not necessarily be provided by any one development. As an alternative, the area for the park might be pieced together by adjoining subdivisions.
PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
GOAL
To provide a coordinated system of parks that meet the recreational needs of all of Easton's residents.
OBJECTIVES
§ Create/preserve public access and recreational opportunities at Easton Point.
§ Increase funding for the operation of a Parks and Recreation Department.
§ Develop more of the parks which already exist in Easton.
§ Identify a site or sites for regional parks in future annexation areas.
§ Develop Easton's parks as a coordinated system in order to insure that all areas of Town are equitably served with parks and that a variety of recreational opportunities are provided.
§ Work with Talbot County to coordinate Town and County Park Planning and eliminate unnecessary duplication of services.
§ Examine and refine, if necessary, the policy of requiring usable park/open space during development review and approval.
§ Provide for the contribution of fees in lieu of parks in subdivisions where such land is not available or is not needed due to the lack of appropriate lands or the proximity of other suitable parks or open spaces.
§ Develop the proposed Rails-to-Trails in Easton and explore possibilities for expanding this system throughout Talbot County.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
v The Town should increase funding to Parks and Recreation above the 1995-96 level of approximately 2% of the budget.
v Town staff should rely upon the mapped recommendations contained in this Chapter for future park lands during the development review process in order to obtain necessary lands for future larger-scale parks.
v The Planning and Zoning Commission should work with the Parks Board to determine which of Easton's existing parks should be improved and what types of improvements are needed therein as well as to develop a plan for future park sites.
v The Town should meet and coordinate planning efforts with Talbot County in order to enhance/increase recreational opportunities available to Town residents and in return to provide Easton's fair share of County Park and Recreation services.
v The Town and County Park Boards should offer one Board seat to a member of the other jurisdiction’s Park Board.
v The Town should utilize monies collected as fees-in-lieu of providing parks and open space for the acquisition of new parks and the improvement and/or maintenance of existing undeveloped or underdeveloped parks.
v The Town should coordinate efforts with St. Michaels and Oxford in planning for an expanded Rails-to-Trails project.