bainbridge island park comprehensive plan

identifying and illustrating community priorities

The Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park District (Park District) and its partners steward over 2,500 acres of open space, park lands, trails, and facilities for a population of 25,000. This planning cycle was an opportunity to illustrate the immense resources residents have access to, while discussing the tradeoffs of further expanding the system versus investing into existing facilities (the operation of which accounts for the majority of the budget). Framework worked closely with the Parks Board and public to create a plan that organizes assets into 5 Park System Areas, translates community priorities into an updated Level of Service tool, and charts a clear path forward.

Key to this effort was a public engagement process that both educated the public on budget constraints and invited discussion around what was most important them. Framework worked with RRC Associates to administer a statistically-valid survey, and hosted multiple community meetings with engaging activities, including a bespoke boardgame that challenged players to balance the park budget and weigh multiple funding priorities.

Public feedback was woven into an updated Level of Service tool that addresses not only park Quantity, but park Quality, and Distribution. The Quantity LOS assessment utilized a peer cities comparison to provide realistic guidance for future park acquisition – Bainbridge has far and away more parkland and facilities than similarly sized and resourced peers. Quantity and Distribution scores reflected staff assessments and ArcGIS analysis. The final plan includes compelling maps and graphics as well as an action-oriented implementation matrix.