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<br />-...... <br />4'. .. <br />c::. ... <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />City of La Porte Parhs Anti Open Space Master Plan <br /> <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />1.1 Why are Parks Important? <br /> <br />Recreation is an increasingly important part of the fabric of our lives <br />today. A good parks system, in concert with timely and interesting <br />recreational programs, contributes to the health of the residents of a city; <br />provides an outlet for involvement by citizens of all ages; and gives us a <br />place to gather on special occasions. Attractive parks and natural areas <br />are often the first place that visitors view in our communities. Parks are <br />one of the most visible elements of our city government at work, and can <br />instill a strong sense of pride in the residents of a community. <br /> <br />The City of La Porte has <br />long recognized that parks <br />are an important <br />component of the city, the <br />evidence of which is seen <br />in the park ground$ <br />throughout the city as well <br />as the many citizens using <br />those parks. <br /> <br /> <br />~ <br />Pier at Seabreeze Parle <br /> <br />La Porte is growing at a <br />moderate pace, <br />approaching a population of almost 32,000 in 2001, and is projected to <br />grow to almost 43,000 over the next 20 years. In addition, La Porte <br />serves certain recreational needs for several small communities within a <br />10 to 15 mile radius. These factors have lead to some overuse, e.g. of <br />Little Cedar Bayou Park, Lomax Park, Sylvan Beach and Fairmont Park. <br />Also, new forms of recreation and leisure time use which where not <br />predicted 5 years ago are now becoming increasingly popular. <br /> <br />In light of the significant increase in population, and the overuse of <br />certain existing parks in the city, La Porte has chosen to take its 1996 <br />Comprehensive Plan (updated in 1999) one step further with a new Year <br />2001 Parks and Open Space Master Plan to assess the current system <br />and plan for the Mure. This document is the culmination of the planning <br />process that evaluates and assesses the current and future park, open <br />space and trail needs of La Porte. <br /> <br />er I · Introduction <br /> <br />P.ge 1 <br />