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Comprehensive Plan Recreation and Open Space Element <br />Private Recreation Facilities <br />Another component of the recreation system consists of those private recreation facilities within the <br />county. Some of those facilities are privately owned yet publicly available. Examples of these are <br />golf courses open to the public, health clubs, marinas, and racquet/tennis clubs. Other privately <br />owned recreational facilities are restricted to specific groups and not open to or available to the <br />general public. Examples include recreational facilities which are accessory to a residential project <br />and private golf courses and clubs open only to members. The many private recreation facilities are <br />too numerous to inventory on an individual basis. <br />Recreation Activities and Programs <br />Currently, programs and activities at County and municipal parks are operated separately. At county <br />parks, the Indian River County Recreation Department provides, operates, and publicizes <br />recreational programs and facilities for use by County residents and visitors. <br />Within the County, a variety of recreational activities are available for residents of all ages. For <br />example, shuffleboard and bocce ball are provided for the older population, while playground <br />equipment, jungle gyms, a splash pad, and a skate park are available for a younger crowd. <br />Additionally, trails for walking, open fields for soccer, and piers for fishing provide further outdoor <br />recreation options. <br />Overall, the County Recreation Department provides diversified recreational opportunities <br />supervised by professional staff in modern facilities. As structured, the county's recreational <br />program supplements recreational programs provided by private non-profit or for-profit providers. <br />Generally, county programs are free to children of very low and low income families. Because the <br />county -provided recreation programs usually cost less than programs offered by private for-profit <br />providers, the county recreational programs are generally more suitable for very low and low income <br />individuals. Since very low and low income individuals usually cannot afford programs offered by <br />private providers, the county's programs do not compete with private recreation providers. <br />Due to limited resources, the county provides only CORE recreational programs. CORE programs <br />are those programs that keep resources, staff, and/or funding focused on the primary activities that <br />the Indian River County Recreation Department must support. Determining if a program or service <br />is CORE involves an evaluation based on the following criteria. <br />• It is a program that must be provided because of an external regulation, law, or other <br />regulatory requirement. It is not viewed as optional by the department. Depending on the <br />program, the County may not have to provide the program, but the county must ensure that <br />the program is provided. <br />• It is a direct service to the public <br />Community Development Department Indian River County 26 <br />