Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Parks and Recreation Department

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Roger Steinbrock, Recreation Marketing Supervisor
CC:	Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager Ernie Shaw, Interim Parks and Recreation Director Mark Hecker, Parks and Recreation Assistant Director
Date:	October 6, 2011
RE:	Review of PLAY Report

PLAY, Partners for Lawrence Athletics and Youth, was a grassroots committee formed in 2006 to study how to best meet the recreational facility needs in the community. PLAY received financial support from the City of Lawrence, Lawrence Public Schools, Douglas County, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and private individuals to conduct a feasibility study and needs assessment to evaluate the needs of competitive and recreation sports venues within the community. The PLAY committee had multiple stakeholder and public meetings to solicit information on community needs. A random public survey was also conducted in the creation of the committee’s final report presented in April of 2007.  The PLAY final report (internet access required) included five recommendations:

1. The construction of an indoor fieldhouse

2. A School District Sports Complex

3. Upgrades to the YSI (YSC) Complex

4. Upgrades to Free State High School

5. Upgrades to Lawrence High School.

Of the five items, only the fieldhouse has yet to be addressed.  The fieldhouse was the second highest rated venue identified by the public survey and the largest identified indoor need during the PLAY stakeholders meeting. The facility identified in the final report was developed to meet the current identified need at that time to both Lawrence Parks and Recreation and private sports organizations. The facility outlined in the report was designed to include possible expansion to meet the growing needs of the sports and recreation community.  The facility in the PLAY report also met the current neighborhood recreation facilities needs of the community.

In review of the PLAY report, Lawrence Public Schools opted not to create a school district sports complex but enhance and upgrade facilities on each high school campus to hold both practices and games. The addition of stadium seating and artificial field turf at both Lawrence and Free State high schools provided venues that would have multi-use i.e. football and soccer, as well as practice allowing for seated crowds at games. Additional enhancements were also created for baseball, softball and track to hold all activities on each of the high school’s campus and eliminate travel to an alternate site.

The PLAY report also echoed the improvements and additions proposed for the YSC complex in the 1515-Acre Park Land Masterplan received by the Lawrence City Commission in 2003 and were consistent with the needs and deficiencies indentified during PLAY’s stakeholders meeting. To date, Lawrence Parks and Recreation has added four additional softball fields to accommodate the growth and needs of programming and is currently finishing up a new restroom facility to accommodate the additional need.