Parks and Recreation System Masterplan

Delray Beach is a diverse community whose fabric is a rich blend of cultures, ages, seasonal and year-round residents. While this multi-cultural nature enriches the City, it also provides a challenge for how best to serve the needs and desires of all residents. To ensure that a high quality of life remains a priority for current and future generations, a long-range vision for the City's parks and open spaces has been developed. In keeping with the All America City theme, the Delray Parks and Recreation vision is one that embraces all cultures and ages, and provides all residents with the highest quality recreation opportunities.

Components of the vision include:

Park Lands and Facilities

Urban Open Spaces and downtown civic spaces that provide a place for residents and visitors to sit, eat and congregate;
Neighborhood Parks that provide recreation opportunities to residents within walking distance of their homes;
A system of Community Parks to meet residents interests - specifically the need for an adequate supply of active recreation facilities for all residents;
Community Centers that meet the needs of all residents - regardless of age or cultural background;
A system of Special Use Facilities of the highest quality - and providing opportunities for residents to participate in activities from sports league play to golf;
Access to beaches, lakes and waterways for swimming, fishing and boating;
Appropriate public access to nature preserves and conservation areas for passive recreation and education;
Flexible use of public buildings and civic space to provide increased opportunities for small community meetings for programs and classes;
Private recreation facilities that expand recreation opportunities for some within the City;
An interconnected system of safe bike lanes, multipurpose paths and shaded sidewalks;
A comprehensive system of functional and consistent signs for public spaces and facilities to provide a cohesive theme to the parks and open space system;

Recreation Programs

Programs that reflect the needs of the entire community - including programs for children, teens, pre-teens and seniors;

Administration, Operations and Maintenance

A parks and open space system that is of the highest quality and efficiency;

Implementation Resources

A parks and open space system that aggressively utilizes public and private partnerships to provide for the needs of the entire community.

Implementation - Priority Actions

Improve Facilities and Uses Provided Within Existing Neighborhood Parks

Existing Neighborhood Parks should be modified as much as possible to provide facilities for a greater portion of residents who wish to use them. In general, needs at existing neighborhood parks include additional benches; picnic tables and barbecues; shade tree plantings; improved pedestrian links/ walking paths; improved playground equipment.

Build the Proposed Soccer Complex

The City's Soccer program has grown significantly but is limited in expansion due to lack of facilities.

Create a Teen Center at the Women's Club Site

A teen center should be built as proposed at the Women's Club property. This facility should allow as wide a variety of facilities and educational/recreational programs as possible, in order to attract a significant number of teens.

Create a Skate Park Facility

A skate park facility should be constructed. If opportunities arise to locate this facility near the planned teen center at the Women's Club site, this should be pursued.

Build a Community Center in Western Delray Beach

Although many communities in the western portion of the City contain their own private clubhouse facilities, there is a need for community meeting space, particularly for Seniors. This facility could provide a simple space for recreation programming and community functions within this area. Several locations are possible for this type of facility, with perhaps more than one location advisable depending upon the size of the site(s).

Continue Aggressive Promoting Existing City Programs, as well as those Occurring Through Partnerships

Targeted, direct marketing - such as Department representative attending City employee, parent/student, or larger homeowner group functions to discuss programs offered - should be conducted. In addition, Old School Square, the Sandoway House, and County facilities west of Delray such as Morikami Center are among those facilities that provide significant recreation, cultural, and educational program opportunities for City residents, and should be included in the City's marketing program.