Page 99 - parks-master-plan

District. Those relationships extend the lands, amenities, facilities and recreational programming offered to the public. These valuable partnerships should be courted and expanded upon for the betterment of the community at large.

Much of the park system's success is directly attributable to the City's land dedication requirements and open space dedication ordinance.

All residential land developments are subject to these requirements, and 56 percent of Dublin parklands are a direct result of these policies.

The tree preservation ordinance helps staff convince developers to make wooded areas and riparian corridors part of their parkland dedications.

The balance of parks and open space are acquired through long-term leases, perpetual easements and acquisitions either directly or in partnership with other agencies.

The extensive staff review during platting and development has resulted in Dublin acquiring much of the stream corridors and greenways that link parklands and neighborhood subdivisions to destination points.

Before specific property is dedicated to the City through the Open Space Ordinance, staff reviews development plans to ensure the proposed land serves the best interests of the community. Connectivity to existing public land, unique or environmentally sensitive natural features and existing aesthetic qualities are examples of criteria used in the review of proposed land set-aside. Essentially the same criteria are used in parkland selection for land purchased by the City.

Various revenue sources have been used to fund park development, including income taxes, proceeds from debt, service payments

generated from TIF districts, grants, donations and funding from partnerships. Staff prepares a five-year park development plan within the five-year CIP and presents the plan to Council annually. Within this document information is provided projecting costs of all aspects of a particular park development. The CIP document segregates park development into “major” and “minor” categories, with “major” referring to park developments that, in their entirety, generally cost more than $500,000. Projects also are identified that are not programmed in the current five-year plan.