Mesquite, TX – April 9, 2021 – The City of Mesquite is beginning to develop a parks master plan and is seeking the community’s participation with two public input meetings at 6:30 p.m. on April 13 and April 22. Visit www.cityofmesquite.com/ParksMasterPlan for details on the planning process and to access the virtual meetings.
Elizabeth Harrell, Director of Parks and Recreation, said, “The first step in getting the voice of the public on this planning process was establishing an advisory committee of community members, business partners, and city staff. The advisory committee has already participated in visioning sessions and completed a brief assessment, laying the groundwork for these upcoming public input sessions. Now we have two separate opportunities for the public to share their input.”
The information gathered from the public sessions and visioning assessment will be used to design a detailed, more concise citizen survey for future park and recreation services. This comprehensive survey will be made available to the public in the next few months. The plan is expected to be completed later this fall and can actively be used to guide the future of the department for approximately ten years.
Harrell indicated in order to meet the needs of Mesquite’s growing community and stay current with the changing expectations of its citizens, the city needs to develop a comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan which hasn’t been done in over 20 years.
Mesquite currently has more than 80 parks and facilities, approximately 1,600 acres of park land and in excess of 17 miles of walking and biking trails. The city has been recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA designee every year since 1990. In 2021, City Lake Park earned the Lone Star Legacy Park award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society.