Prince William County is trying to establish more parks and open space for its growing number of residents.
The county plans to include small neighborhood parks, trails and school ballfields in the comprehensive plan to better guide future development and open space.
“We have put the dots on the map. The next focus is how do we connect those dots to create green channels,” said Sean Connaughton, Prince William County Board of Supervisors chair.
The county is striving to reach a goal of 13.8 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, said David McGettigan, a Prince William planner. The county now has 8.8 acres per 1,000 residents.
“Our surveys that we’ve done show there is a demand for more passive recreation opportunities, such as trails,” he said.
A more complete comprehensive plan would allow the county to better identify areas that could be parkland, create more connections to parks and focus efforts on environmental and historical preservation, he said.
For the first time since 1998, the Prince William County Park Authority will have a bond referendum on the November ballot, said Rebecca Morgan, an authority spokeswoman. The bond would be between $32 million and $50 million, she said.
“Anything we can do to increase the acreage and continue to meet the needs of the citizens is what we are looking to do,” Morgan said.
Staff members are working to raise the county’s development proffer rates on schools, roads and parks to generate more funding, Connaughton said.
