Pond was selected to help update the existing 15-year Parks and Recreation Masterplan for Effingham County. The revised plan will reflect the next 5 to 15 years of parks and recreation maintenance and growth in Effingham County. Elements of this effort include an inventory of existing facilities, community demographic research, reviewing other relevant plans, performing a needs assessment, and a gap analysis.

The needs assessment establishes a baseline for recommended types and the number of recreational facilities that should be provided in Effingham County and will be bolstered by community input to validate the need for certain types of facilities. The gap analysis will include a map of service areas within the county and identify areas that may lack access to parks, in general, and certain types of parks or facilities.

Based on the inventory, assessment, and feedback gathered from the steering committee and community, Pond will develop concept plans for each park, including master plan-level detailed cost estimates. These estimates will include both design/engineering and implementation costs.

Community Outreach activities include a series of meetings and engagement opportunities with the community to gather feedback that directly influences the final plan recommendations. We have held one public meeting and have hosted an online survey and interactive mapping tool (Social Pinpoint) that allows residents to provide individual feedback related to parks and recreation needs within the county.

An additional public meeting will be held toward the end of the planning process to present the concept designs, cost estimates, and other plan recommendations in draft form and allow the community to provide feedback on the proposed actions.