10.3.1 – Level of Service Standards
Standard: The agency shall have level of service (LOS) standards for provision of land, facilities and services within the jurisdiction. LOS standards are a type of performance measure associated with equitable provision service, such as the number of facilities per 1,000 residents in a service area or facilities available within a designated travel distance or travel time, e.g. percent of population that have a park within a 10-minute walk. LOS standard can also address other dimensions of equitable access, such as connectivity, maintenance and affordability, e.g. percent of parkland connected to the trail network.
Suggested Evidence of Compliance: Provide the LOS standards and describe how LOS standards are used to establish facility and service priorities.
COMMENT: Need: We will need to discuss this one further. A Level of Service Standard is a target of how much of a service needs to be provided for a given amount. Each agency should have a list of standards they will provide residents. It looks like the existing amount of parkland was calculated. How does this compare to what your LOS is for access to parkland?
RESPONSE: As mentioned in our narrative, Westchester County provides 18 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. This does not include parks and recreation areas provided by State and local municipalities. PRC strives to provide a level of service for access to its parkland that meets or exceeds the national average.
According the 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review which compiles data from over 1,000 park and recreation agencies across the United States, the median amount of acres of parkland provided by these agencies was 9.9 acres per 1,000 residents. The amount of parkland that Westchester County provides for its residents (18 acres per 1,000 residents) far excees that of the national average.
COMMENT: Need: The SCORP RIN shows what is the Relative Index of Needs, is there a source for how they got to that info? And how does your agency use the info in the RIN?
RESPONSE: As part of the SCORP, NYS OPRHP conducted a recreation facility update through an online survey. OPRHP and County-level park managers completed a survey for each recreation facility under their management. The RIN has been incredibly useful in understanding the types of recreation facilities that are most needed in the County. This helps inform decisions pertaining to PRC’s capital budgeting process as well as influence day to day operations such as conducting improvements on the County’s trailways to enhance bicycle safety.
Narrative:
When using Level of Service Standards (LOS), PRC considers its role not only as a county parks and recreation agency but as a regional organization providing facilities and services similar in scope to that of state parks and recreation agencies. PRC operates and maintains over 18,000 acres of parkland and according to the 2020 Census, the Westchester County (WC) population was 1,004,457 which represents an LOS of 18 acres per 1,000 residents.
PRC refers to performance standards most applicable for measuring and identifying recreation and facility needs found in the New York State Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) prepared by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP).
Within SCORP is a level of service analysis known as the “Relative Index of Need (RIN)” for every County in the State. Utilizing its recreation facility inventory system, this analysis measures the ratio of supply and demand for the most popular recreation activities. These results are instrumental in crafting and understanding LOI provided by PRC.
PRC also uses information and statistics found in Land Use in Westchester as part of the Westchester 2025 A Partnership for Westchester’s Future effort spearheaded by the County Planning Department. This resource is valuable in LOS in a county that has 45 municipalities within it, each having their own parkland and recreation functions.
Additionally, PRC’s comprehensive Residents Recreation Preferences Survey is used as an LOI tool regarding needs assessment, types of facilities visited and benefits of parks.
Agency Evidence of Compliance:
10.3.1 – EOC 1 WC Census Bureau Profile 2022 Westchester County, New York – Census Bureau Profile
10.3.1 – EOC 3 NYS SCORP Excerpt – Relative Index of Need (RIN)
10.3.1 – EOC 4 Westchester 2025 A Partnership for Westchester’s Future Webpage
Westchester 2025 (westchestergov.com)
10.3.1 – EOC 5 Westchester 2025 Land Use Report
10.3.1 – EOC 6 Westchester Land Use Report – Parkland Maps by Municipality
10.3.1 – EOC 8 PRC Residents Recreation Preferences Survey 2022: Types of Facilities Visited
10.3.1 – EOC 9 PRC Residents Recreation Preferences Survey 2022: Types of Facilities Needed