Around this time last year, West Chester Borough announced it would begin work on a 10-year Parks, Recreation, & Open Space (PROS) Master Plan. The plan would spell out an execution and utilization strategy that includes activities, maintenance, and upkeep for all 12 parks as well as Borough-hosted events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Turks Head Music Festival, Chester County Restaurant Festival, Halloween Parade, and Santa in the Square. To this end, for the last 10 months or so, architectural consultants Johnson, Mirmiran, Thompson (JMT), Toole Recreation Planning, and the nine members of the all-volunteer PROS Committee have been assessing our parks and associated activities.   

“We’ve certainly learned a lot about your community,” JMT landscape architect and Associate Vice President Andy Mears told members of Borough Council last month. And while we have some pretty amazing facilities and events, the Borough, he noted, is not without its challenges. 

“One of your greatest assets is also your biggest challenge.”

Andy Mears, JMT landscape architect

Besting the Benchmarks

Part of the early assessment process involved measuring Borough operations against national averages and recommended best practices to generate some benchmarks. The results, to quote Borough Council President Patrick McCoy, were eye-opening. 

While data shows 95 percent of the Borough’s population lives within a five-minute walk of a park, broken infrastructure and missing sidewalks can mean these parks are not always easily accessible. There are also not enough of them. West Chester Borough has 45 acres of parkland or roughly 2.3 acres per 1000 people. The recommended average is 10 acres per 1000 people. 

“We have some challenges on our end to get to some better benchmarks,” said Andy. 

In addition to limited acreage and accessibility, the Borough also budgets relatively little toward park programs and maintenance. The Borough spends about 1.4 percent of its annual budget on Parks and Rec or roughly $25 per resident. For comparison, the state average spend is $42 per person. Consultants are also reviewing West Chester’s “Friends of” model or the volunteer groups now associated with at least four Borough parks. While these groups provide huge maintenance benefits (and note our maintenance spend on the graphic below), there are concerns over the model’s long-term sustainability.

“One of your greatest assets is also your biggest challenge,” Andy said of the groups. 

With bencmarks in hand, the PROS committee wants your input on what is most needed and which of the challenges comes first. The survey takes about 8 minutes to complete and the responses are being prioritized by park proximity.

Don’t let your voice go unheard – take the survey here.

“My biggest push is that when all is said and done, I don’t want anyone to say they didn’t have a chance to add their input,” Park & Rec Director Keith Kurowski shared via email.

Leaving their mark 

Does the name Toole Recreation Planning sound unexpectedly familiar? That may be because their fingerprints are all over the area’s park systems. In 2018, they helped East Goshen redesign its park approach. The new model included introducing a bicycle network, developing a state-of-the-art playground, and a 500 percent increase in programming. They also helped Westttown develop a master plan for Oakbourne Park and they are currently working with West Goshen on their own PROS plan. West Goshen is following a similar community engagement model to the one used by the Borough consisting of a planning committee, public meeting, and survey. West Goshen’s public meeting was held in September but the survey is still open if you have thoughts. 

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Originally published on Nov. 1, 2024

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