2010-252A (11) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Comprehensive Plan Recreation and Open Space Element In the future, the county should develop its current undeveloped park lands as well as purchase and develop new park lands as needed to accommodate future growth. Specialty (Beach, River and Lake) Parks Two facts are important in analyzing the County's beach, river and lake parks. These are: All indications are that the population of the County will continue to grow. For example, the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research projects that the County's population will increase from 130,041 in 2005 to 196,900 in 2030. That growth represents a nearly 51% population increase in 25 years; The amount of parkland adjacent to natural water bodies in the County has remained constant since 1998 (356 acres). Of those 356 acres, 192 acres are beachfront parks, and 164 acres are riverfront or lakefront parks. In the past, the county and the municipalities have provided beach, river, and lake parks to accommodate the population of the county. In the future, the opportunities for acquiring additional beach, river, and lake parks will be limited. Consequently, the county will probably not be able to obtain additional access to these water bodies. In the future, the county should ensure that the current accesses to water bodies are retained. One of the major ongoing expenses for beach parks is providing for lifeguards and beach rescue operations. Since all of the public beach parks are located within the City of Vero Beach and the unincorporated county area, operational expenses for beach rescue operations and lifeguards are borne by the county and the City of Vero Beach. Since beach rescue operations and lifeguards are essential health and safety services, the City of Vero Beach and the county should continue to provide these services to county residents. Recreation Facilities and Programs Since 1998, the major recreation change in the County has been the separation and restructuring of the County's and the City of Vero Beach's recreation departments. The most significant aspect of that change has been in the way that recreation programs are delivered. Specifically, the change resulted in the county creating a separate recreation department not affiliated with the City of Vero Beach. As a separate organization, the County Recreation Department on an annual basis identifies CORE recreation programs and services that must be provided to serve the county population. The most important factor for providing CORE recreational programs is funding. A list of the existing CORE and non -CORE programs is provided as Appendix E. To more accurately determine demand for existing park and recreational programs and to identify Community Development Department Indian River County 37