Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission announces public workshop dates for “Parks and Recreation for All” Comprehensive Plan

Public encouraged to provide input on comprehensive master plan update for parks, open spaces, trails and facilities; online survey also available

(CHARLESTON COUNTY) – The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) has scheduled seven public planning workshops in July to gather public input on the agency’s “Parks and Recreation for All” (or “PARFA”) 10-year Comprehensive Master Plan. 

The PARFA planning process is currently underway, and CCPRC staff, consultants, and Commissioners are working to gather community goals and recommendations for the agency’s parks and facilities, open spaces, trails, programming and land acquisition strategies through 2033. Public feedback is vital to the success of the plan, and all interested members of the general public are encouraged to attend any of the July workshops. 

Public Planning Workshops will be held on the following dates:

Tuesday, July 19 from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

• Wando Mount Pleasant Library
• Otranto Road Library in North Charleston

Wednesday, July 20 from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

• Main Library in downtown Charleston
• St. Paul’s Hollywood Library
• Bees Ferry West Ashley Library

Thursday, July 21 from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

• St. James Santee Elementary School in McClellanville
• St. John’s High School on Johns Island

These general public workshops will be a drop-in style format, and CCPRC encourages attendees to stop by any time during the scheduled meeting time. Attendees will get an introduction to CCPRC, CCPRC programs and facilities, the PARFA comprehensive planning process, and preliminary findings from the planning process. CCPRC is working to identify park and recreation priorities for the next ten years, and welcomes all feedback and suggestions for improving the quality of life of Charleston County residents, in accordance with its mission. As an added bonus, CCPRC will have cool treats (e.g., ice cream, snow cones) available for all workshop attendees! 

Community Engagement

This title of the plan, “Parks and Recreation for ALL,” points to the importance of creating a truly inclusive and community-driven planning process where the recommendations are directly informed by community priorities, needs and ideas. An additional opportunity for public input is through CCPRC’s 2022 Community Survey, available at ccprc.com/PARFA. A printed/paper version of the survey will be available at the July public workshops.

Other public engagement measures for the PARFA plan include targeted community-scale workshops; pop-up-style information stations; and focus group meetings with community advocacy groups, existing and potential public and non-profit partners, park and recreation-oriented businesses,mobility and accessibility advocacy groups, and cultural and natural resource agencies and organizations. For more information about the PARFA planning process, upcoming events and ways to participate, visit ccprc.com/PARFA.

About the Project Team

The consulting team leading the PARFA planning effort is Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Agency Landscape + Planning. The project team also includes Alta Planning for connectivity and trails, BerryDunn for recreation programming and operations, and ETC Institute to develop and deploy a statistically valid community survey. Charleston-based Community Solutions Consulting is also on the team and brings recent, hands-on knowledge of reaching area communities from their work on the Charleston City Plan. Dr. Tiffany Johnson of Rocket Solutions brings her expertise in organizational structures in parks and recreation. Lead consultant Agency Landscape + Planning is a mission-driven, women-owned practice dedicated to addressing social equity, cultural vitality and environmental resilience through design excellence, strategic planning and community-engagement on projects across the country. The firm has led parks and open space planning projects for over a decade, including system-wide plans for communities including Denver, CO; Mecklenburg County, NC; Howard County, MD; Greensboro, NC and Jersey City, NJ, among others.

About Charleston County Parks

The mission of the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission is to improve the quality of life in Charleston County by offering a diverse system of park facilities, programs and services. The large park system features over 11,000 acres of property and includes four day parks, three beach parks, three dog parks, two landmark fishing piers, three waterparks, 19 boat landings, a climbing wall, a challenge course, a historical plantation site, an interpretive center, an equestrian center, cottages, a campground, a marina, as well as wedding, meeting and event facilities.The park system also offers a wide variety of recreational services – festivals, camps, classes, programs, volunteer opportunities, and more. For more information, call 843-795-4386 or visitwww.charlestoncountyparks.com.