Visitors of the Sunset Hills website can expect to be greeted by a small pop-up that reads, “We need your input to shape the future of the Parks + Recreation Department!” This is the city’s master plan survey, which city staff has released in the hopes of garnering feedback from parkgoers about the state of the city parks in Sunset Hills.
Responses from the survey will be used for consideration as the city establishes “priorities for the future development of park and recreation facilities, programs and services within the community.”
The five-minute survey includes questions about the parks, facilities and programs that the respondent has used, before leading into requests for feedback about future plans for the next 20 years.
Options for recommended plans include the enhancement of existing aquatic facilities and playgrounds, the replacement of tennis courts, the development of another dog park, new trails, an indoor lap pool, a gymnasium and mixed-use center and/or an indoor walking track. Of those selections, respondents are prompted to choose four.
The survey later asks what else the city should focus on in those same 20 years: upkeep of existing parks and facilities, improvements to parks and facilities, development of new indoor facilities, development of multi-use walking and biking trails and/or development of passive nature areas like trails, ponds and prairies. Respondents are told to select two of the five options in this section.
Near the end of the survey, there are a few questions about the funding for these projects. One asks for feelings about the continuation of a ½ cent sales tax that was passed in 2007 and slated to end in 2027. Another question asks how supportive community members would be of increasing user fees to fund ongoing maintenance and park improvement.
The survey will remain open until Aug. 22, according to Sunset Hills Parks and Recreation director Gerald Brown. Updates will be provided at the Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen’s Aug. 12 meeting, as well as at the Park Board meeting on Aug. 27. In late August or early September, there will be a wrap-up meeting to discuss the survey.
