PRCR announces upcoming opportunities for continued community participation in Master Plan Update

Monday, October 9, 2023 - 1:07pm

In July, the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department began the process of updating its Master Plan.

The Master Plan reflects the Town’s vision of a vibrant community and responds to the needs and desires of its residents, friends, and visitors for fun, healthy, exciting, and diverse activities. The purpose of the five-year master plan update is to examine where we are now, what the anticipated needs are for the future, and how we can improve and upgrade our existing facilities and programs to effectively serve residents and visitors in years to come.

Community input is the cornerstone of the Master Plan process. Over the past four months, the project team has posted two surveys on Engage Wake Forest soliciting public input on community values and recreation preferences (Community Survey #1) and ways to enhance and improve existing parks (Community Survey #2). In the coming months, the Town will utilize additional methods to engage the community and solicit its input to help shape the future of the PRCR Department.

Public Open House
The PRCR Department will host two public meetings (drop-in style open houses) where attendees will be asked for their input concerning the need for facilities, amenities, programs, and services – and how the Town of Wake Forest should prioritize its investments in recreational offerings. These open house sessions will take place according to the following schedule:

  • Thursday, Nov. 2, 6-8 p.m.; Alston Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St.

  • Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6-8 p.m.; Ground Floor Meeting Room, Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St.

Scientific Survey
The project team will mail a survey to approximately 3,000 randomly selected households in Wake Forest. The questionnaire will provide critical information in determining community values, satisfaction levels, needs, priorities, and demographics. Residents receiving the survey are encouraged to submit the mail-in survey or to use the link provided in the accompanying letter to submit the survey online.  

Web-based Survey
After the project team receives the required number of scientific survey responses, a web-based survey will be released to the community to reach a broader audience and provide an opportunity for residents who were not selected in the random sample. The data obtained from the survey will be used to inform recommendations within the master plan.

Special Events
The project team and the PRCR Advisory Board will organize an input session at the Lighting of Wake Forest on Friday, Dec. 1.

Focus Groups
The project team will engage with focus groups to evaluate the PRCR Department’s parks and recreation services across five user segments. Focus group participants will be invited to weigh in on the extent to which Wake Forest parks and recreation facilities, programs, and services meet their unique needs. A call for focus group volunteers will be announced soon. The groups will be limited to a maximum of 10 participants, and space will be on a first come, first served basis.

Wake Forest is contracting with McAdams, a multidisciplinary planning, design, and engineering firm, to assist with the process. McAdams’ team of planners and consultants will inventory and assess the Town’s existing parks, facilities, recreational amenities, and program offerings to determine how they can be updated, expanded, and improved to meet the community’s current and future needs.

Work on the Wake Forest, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department Play It Forward Master Plan update is expected to be completed in 2024. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/PlayItForwardWF.