The City of Asheville approved funding in March to develop a comprehensive parks and recreation plan, called Recreate Asheville: Shaping Our City’s Parks. The plan is being developed to inform and steer the next 10+ years of planning and decision-making for Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR).
The first step is to assess the community’s needs, which includes four open house workshops in October to give residents a chance to offer their ideas and feedback. There will be fun kids’ activities at each workshop.
- Thursday, Oct. 5, 5-7 p.m. at WNC Nature Center
- Friday, Oct. 6, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center
- Monday, Oct. 9, 2-6 p.m. at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
- Thursday, Oct. 12, 5-7 p.m. at Carrier Park
For those who can’t attend in person, you can share your thoughts in the online survey available through Monday, Nov. 20 — or look for the APR team at local farmers markets, festivals, and park events as they gather community comments.
After the needs have been determined, the next step will consist of drafting recommendations for the City and sharing them with the public and City advisory groups, which is expected to last from this winter to the spring of 2024.
Once draft recommendations have been finalized, APR will develop a strategic action plan to present to the City Council for adoption — aiming for the summer of 2024.
