(A) Generally. Three major factors affect the recreation facilities that the borough should provide. These are the type of programs that will be provided, the facilities and land needed for unprogrammed activities and the suitability of the available land for different facilities.
(B) Types of parks.
(1) There are many types of public recreation areas, based generally upon the standards of the National Recreation and Park Association.
(2) The following are important to our area.
(a) Regional parks. These are large, primarily passive parks typically of over 200 acres that are developed by the county or the state. The nearest examples include the Jacobsburg State Park and Environmental Education Center and Louise Moore Park.
(b) Conservancy lands. These are passive lands that are set aside primarily to preserve important natural areas, and not primarily for recreation. These usually include creek valleys and wooded steep areas. The size of these areas will depend upon the amount of these resources in a community.
(c) Community parks. These are parks typically of over 20 acres that include a wide variety of active and passive recreation, and that emphasize facilities for organized recreation programs, such as athletic fields. These parks mainly serve a large portion of a municipality. This type of park usually includes three or more good quality athletic fields, two or more picnic pavilions, three or more tennis courts, basketball courts, trails, woods, volleyball courts and children’s play equipment. Braden Park serves as the borough’s community park.
(d) Neighborhood parks. These are parks of typically three to 12 acres that primarily serve the surrounding neighborhoods and that emphasize more informal “pick-up” recreation as opposed to organized programs. These parks typically include a youth athletic field, basketball courts, volleyball courts, a picnic pavilion, benches and children’s play equipment. Mark Metz Park and High Street Park serves as the borough’s community parks.
(e) Tot lots. These are small play areas averaging one acre in size that mainly serve small children from nearby homes and that are built around children’s play equipment. An example is the playground behind the Municipal Building.
(f) Mini-park. These are used to address limited, isolated or unique recreational needs between 2,500 square feet up to one acre in size. These could include green space with trees, shrubs and benches.
(Ord. passed 8-3-2015)