2.4 – Park and Recreation System Master Plan 
Standard: The agency shall have a comprehensive park and recreation system plan that provides recommendations for provision of facilities, programs and services; parkland acquisition and development; maintenance and operations; and administration and management. The plan shall be officially adopted by the policy-making body, updated periodically and linked with a capital improvement budget and a phased development program. The system master plan shall implement policies adopted in the comprehensive plan for the jurisdiction. Interested and affected agencies, organizations, and groups shall be engaged in the planning process.
Suggested Evidence of Compliance: Provide the current plan with documentation of official approval; describe update process; and describe a phased implementation program with linkage to the agency’s capital improvement budget.
The system master plan shall include:
a. Agency mission (1.4);
b. Agency objectives (1.4.1);
c. Recreation and leisure trends analysis (10.5.1);
d. Needs assessment (10.4);
e. Community inventory (10.5.2); and
f. Level of service standards (10.3.1).
COMMENT: Need: The complete Master Plan with where the “Shall Include” items are included in the Master Plan.
RESPONSE: In accordance with the Master Plan Review Policy, the current Master Plan was amended to include the five-year capital program, mission, goals and objectives, user survey, community inventory and level of standards. These “to include” (otherwise referred to as “shall include” in your comment) items represent addenda to the Master Plan document. We have clarified this by amending the PRC Master Plan Review Policy to include a new “Table of Contents” section that clearly shows all the components of the Master Plan Report including the Addendums.
COMMENT: Need: The official adoption of the Plan with these components being adopted (e.g., authority meeting minutes).
RESPONSE: The Master Plan including all its components was officially adopted on December 12, 2023 by the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. See EOC 6R – PRC Master Plan Review Policy-Revised which was has now been amended to include the new Table of Contents.
REVISED AGENCY EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE:
Narrative:
The first comprehensive master plan of the Westchester Park Commission was released in a report on May 17, 1923. The 1924 “Report of the Westchester County Park Commission” summarized major recommendations from the Plan including the acquisition of parks and parkways. It was groundbreaking at the time and took ten years to complete.
PRC’s current Master Plan was conducted in two phases and offers a comprehensive system plan which provides a framework for development and evaluation. Phase I includes a parks and open space inventory, a recreation survey, bench marking comparison of other Counties with similar demographics, demographic trends analysis and other essential components. With input from the public, Phase II makes recommendations for future services and development.
The Master Plan was developed by a collaboration of many groups, including the PRC Parks Board, the County Board of Legislators, the County Planning Department (Planning), Department of Public Works and Transportation, local recreation departments, and the public.
Internally PRC has amended the Plan in its Master Plan Review Policy to include the five-year capital program, mission, objectives, user survey, community inventory and level of standards to present a phased implementation approach.
Planning works with PRC on the development of its ongoing and yearly updated phased Five-Year Capital Projects Program which is the vehicle through which the Master Plan objectives are accomplished. In addition, PRC utilizes the latest Census demographic data compiled by Planning, and results from the recently completed PRC Residents Recreation Preferences Survey to better understand current recreation trends and leisure needs which facilitate strategic planning of investments.
PRC also looks to the ongoing Planning program Westchester 2033 Open Space as an important tool in developing current and long-range plans as it provides information about public and private recreational facilities available.
Agency Evidence of Compliance:
2.4 – EOC 1 Excerpt from “Report of the Westchester County Park Commission-1924”
2.4 – EOC 2 PRC Master Plan Phase I Executive Summary
2.4 – EOC 3 PRC Master Plan Phase I Report
2.4 – EOC 4 PRC Master Plan Phase II Executive Summary
2.4 – EOC 5 PRC Master Plan Phase II Report
2.4 – EOC 6 PRC Master Plan Review Policy
2.4 – EOC 7 PRC Five-Year Capital Projects Program
2.4 – EOC 8 PRC Mission Statement – 1.4 Mission
2.4 – EOC 9 2024 PRC Goals and Objectives – 1.4.1 Agency Objectives Sample
2.4 – EOC 12 PRC Matrix – 10.5.2 Community Inventory Sample
2.4 – EOC 13 Land Use Report – 10.3.1 Level of Service Standards Sample
2.4 – EOC 14 Planning Census and Statistics Gallery Webpage
Census and Statistics (westchestergov.com)