It's been 20 years since Washoe County developed a master plan, so officials decided now would be a great time to get feedback from the community as they try to address needs, and look big picture for the next 20 years.
At Spanish Springs Library on Monday, Washoe County Park officials held their first of four open houses this week, to learn from the public what parks and facilities they use, what's missing in their neighborhood, and what the county could do better.
"We want to know how we can improve our existing facilities, where are our gaps," Dennis Troy, Park Planner for Washoe County, says. "And how can we help fill those in to best serve the constituents within Washoe County."
Dawn Costa is a Spanish Springs resident who showed up to the meeting to participate in her community. She uses neighborhood parks almost every day, and drives across town to visit dog parks and go mountain biking.
"I want a dog park," Costa says. "I would love to see a dog park out here."
She also says she would love to see a major outdoor facility like a mountain bike path. While she would obviously use it herself, she see a group in her area who can't always get across town.
"I would love to see something regional for the kids to be able to ride dirt bikes, mountain bikes," Costa says. "Some kind of recreational facility out here in our community."
Troy says they're in the early stages of gather information so it's hard to pinpoint needs in the community. While they want specific feedback about current needs, Troy says areas like Spanish Springs and the North Valleys that will see a lot of growth, will have to be a long-term focus of the master plan.
"Where's the future development taking place," Troy says. "And are there going to be any sort of holes and service areas that we'll have to fill in in the future."
Costa has no idea what's planned for Spanish Springs, and frankly it's far too early to tell. She's just happy the county is taking a closer look at parks in the area.
"Whether that happens or not, I'm still excited to see any new development or anything they can do to build our parks and make them better," Costa says.
Washoe County is asking people to take an online survey to help them gather info. Here's a link: http://parksurvey.woodpolls.com
Here are the dates and locations of the remaining meetings this week. All meetings run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and are open house format. Troy says they will hold more if they feel they need more information.
April 10- Ranch House at Rancho San Rafael, 1595 N. Sierra Street
April 11- Bartley Ranch Heritage Interpretive Center, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road
April 12- North Valleys Community Center, 8085 Silver Lake Road
