Despite showing that Reston far exceeds recreational needs in most areas, B.G. Clark of Pros Consulting told the Reston Association Board that if changes weren’t made the community could face a decline in its appeal to new residents.
In an effort to assist RA’s Parks and Recreation Department draft a recreational master plan, Pros Consulting was retained to inventory and assess recreational needs in the community, which, along with recommendations, were reported to the board Thursday, May 26.
YET, ACCORDING to the data provided by the company, Reston exceeds or nearly meets 17 of 20 identified national or regional recreational facility and levels of service standards. And, according to the same data, will continue to do so through 2009.
So, why the dire forecast for Reston?
"It’s changing from a developing community to a build-out community," said Clark, whose company is based in Texas. He took several opportunities to emphasize that RA is reaching its financial capacity, referring to the assessment cap and that the recreational facilities are "aging."
Clark also praised the work of the Parks and Recreation Department. "The parks staff does a really good job at maintaining facilities," said Clark. "But we see a system that is out of balance," said Clark, referring to the abundance of outdoor recreational facilities and a lack of indoor ones. One of Clark’s broader, more strategic recommendations was to "reallocate resources to achieve balance and sustainability in facilities."
Clark’s chief example, referred to often throughout the presentation, was declining pool use and participation, which has dipped downward for the past 10 years. The two-year rolling average of pool use in Reston, according to his figures, is 31 percent.
"That’s very, very low," Clark said. "Anytime a facility is not being utilized at level then your subsidies start adding up," he said, referring to the RA costs of keeping under-utilized pools open.
AFTER THE PRESENTATION, in an interview, Clark said that there is no "typical" utilization percentage because it depends on the community. However, Clark said that 65 percent was a good benchmark "to run an efficient operation." Of Reston’s 15 pools, only three are utilized more than 40 percent — the highest, Uplands pool, is 51 percent.
The five pools that fall below an average 25 percent capacity utilization — Shadowood, Golf Course Island, Newbridge, Tall Oaks and Dogwood — would face closure according to Clark’s recommendations. "Evaluate potential closure of pools that are below a threshold of 25 percent Capacity Utilization (two-year rolling average)," said in Clark’s presentation document.
"Reston is not the only group providing these facilities," said Robert Poppe, director at large, referring to the other private and public entities that provide recreational needs in the area. "Just because we’re Reston [government], doesn’t say we have to do it," he said after the presentation.
"Where do we draw the private-sector line?" said Douglas Bushée, vice president of the board, referring to crossing into the areas of service typically provided by the private sector.
"It’s all about filling a gap where a need exists," said Clark, responding to Bushée’s question.
IN THE CASE of the pools, however, the recommendation doesn’t suggest filling a gap, but instead recommends closing pools for the purpose of reducing patron overlap and increasing capacity utilization.
"This is going to drive us crazy for months," said Poppe.
The board, on Director William Keefe’s suggestion, agreed to cut discussion of the report short, to be resumed at a board advisory meeting later in June when more time could be dedicated to the subject.