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04-23-2009 Open Space Land Use Surveys Planned
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Open Space Land Use Surveys Planned
By Dave Maxwell
Staff Writer
Lincoln County Planning Director Clint Wertz gave an update to County Commissioners at their regular meeting April 20 about the Open Space Planning project he is currently working on.
"We need to collect information from the public about what their priorities are, what they would like to see happen in terms of parks and recreation and open space and what they consider the values to be," he said. "It is a part of the research part of the project, to take the temperature of the community to find out what level of interest there is and throwing out some ideas."
The five-page surveys, with a pre-stamped return envelope, are being sent to about 1,000 addresses, Wertz said, "about half of the addresses we have for the county, and should begin arriving in early May." The surveys are multiple-choice with the reader filling in the appropriate response.
Some of the questions will have blank spaces for the reader to write in their own comments.
There will be questions on general demographic information, Wertz said, as well as questions on preservation of agricultural lands, community parks, access to public lands, what types of activities you do and what facilities are available, what facilities do you use now and what would you like to see in your community. "It's the first time anyone has really asked a lot of these questions," he said.
In addition to the questionnaire, color maps will be included in the mailings, maps that show where parks are currently located, also showing wilderness boundaries. Wertz said one map is a countywide map and a second map is specific to your own area. "Some of the questions will ask you to mark on the map where you do recreation, where you walk the dog, where you jog, where do you ride your OHV, etc.," he said. "We need to get location information about areas people are concerned about or use."
Sometime in June, Wertz thought, the third phase of the project will revolve around community workshops to be held in each town. "By then we will have a foundation of information from people as to what they think the priorities should be." The workshops will not be like a public meeting, but quite interactive in nature, "probably involving poster boards where you can walk around, look at the maps, and put your own notes on the map," he said.
The Open Space Plan is important, Wertz explained, "so we can identify areas that BLM has slated for disposal, and people won't get land locked from areas they like to use for recreation. We can identify those ahead of time, such as a trail or a special place people from the community would like to see protected. It's a real opportunity for people to get involved."
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