Kendallville 5-Year Parks Master Plan, 2024

JPR partnered with the City of Kendallville to create a 5-Year Parks Master Plan. Having completed Master Plans for the Kendallville Parks and Recreation Department in the past, JPR possesses a strong understanding of the community. Building on the previous 5-Year Parks Master Plan, JPR developed a Plan featuring updated graphics and comprehensive historical, cultural, and park information.

Key efforts of the project included:

- Evaluating park amenities and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each site

- Working with the Parks Department to explore their goals and objectives as well as action items they would like to tackle over the next five years

- Organizing community engagement meetings and survey efforts, as well as assisting with media outreach efforts to gauge public opinion on the Parks Department and their assets

- Updating maps with current GIS information

- Completing in-person site visits with drone flight evaluations

- Engaging the Parks Department on potential projects to enhance or expand existing amenities and introduce new ones

Community engagement was a crucial aspect of this project. Historically, the Parks Department had not received as much community input as desired. To address this, JPR implemented various strategies to boost community involvement. This included identifying diverse methods to inform Kendallville’s different demographics about the online survey.

Additionally, we assisted Kendallville in considering long-term goals to aid in future planning. JPR provided valuable support by identifying areas for improvement, opportunities for further enhancement, and potential funding strategies to improve the parks system over the next five years.

This is the third 5-Year Parks Master Plan our team has worked on with the City of Kendallville.

‍