Jefferson County Parks & Recreation

SGA was selected as the prime consultant, along Toole Recreation Planning and Sustainable Strategies DC by the Jefferson County Parks & Recreation Commission to develop a Master Plan for the county’s park system. The purpose of the project was to evaluate, assess, and make recommendations regarding parks, recreation, and open space needs for Jefferson County over the next 10 years with the goal to put in place a set of clear, logical, and precise guidelines that can be used for future development and growth. The plan was coordinated through the Parks and Recreation Department, but solicited input and data from other County and City Departments as well as the community at large. The project proposed to establish criteria for what constitutes the county’s most effective role in providing parks and recreation opportunities for residents throughout the county along with key partnerships with the cities and the county’s school district, to provide a diverse set of parks and recreation options that would not otherwise be achievable by an individual entity working alone. A major aspect of the plan focuses on connectivity, through its proposal to create several major trail and greenway spines which inter-connect parks and historical sites as well as the NPS Harpers Ferry National Park, a planned expansion of the NPS Antietam Battlefield National Park into Jefferson County and working with the American Battlefield Preservation Program. The proposed greenways are based partially on historical troop movements between Civil War battles.
More information on the plan and its virtual town hall site is available at: http://www.jcprc.org/