ASTORIA, OR, September 27 – The Astoria Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan has received two exciting Awards for excellent planning and extraordinary community participation. Parks Director, Angela Cosby and former AmeriCorps RARE Volunteer and Park Planner, Ian Sisson, will be presented with the awards this fall.
The first-ever parks and recreation plan for the City of Astoria was completed over the course of eleven months through the University of Oregon’s Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) program, and was adopted on July 18, 2016.
Over 1,200 members of the community participated in the project and provided input through public meetings, a guided tour of the parks system, online and paper surveys, and stakeholder focus group meetings. This was an unprecedented level of public involvement in a planning project for the City of Astoria, and the process substantially increased public awareness and understanding of parks and recreation-related issues, opportunities, and long range planning strategies.
Project Manager Ian Sisson of RARE spent the duration of the project living and working in Astoria, which was a key aspect of the project’s success. The 10-year plan received critical acclaim from the community, City staff, and elected officials.
For this outstanding effort, the Master Plan was awarded the Oregon Parks and Recreation Associations Planning Award.
The Master Plan also received the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Associations Public Involvement and Participation Award.
The Awards Committee stated they were impressed with the proportion of the community who engaged with the project, and the admirable effort to enlist residents in creating a plan in a climate of limited resources.
Angela and Ian will be presented with the Public Involvement and Participation Award on October 27th during the Oregon and Washington joint American Planning Association Conference in Portland. They will receive the Planning Award on November 8th during the Oregon Parks and Recreation Association Conference in Salem.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Angela Cosby, Director of Astoria Parks and Recreation at acosby@astoria.or.us or 503-298-2460.
Originally Published in Astoria Parks and Recreation News
1997 Marine Dr
Astoria, Oregon 97103
Phone: 503-325-7027