Annie McVay has been Moab’s parks, recreation, and trails director for just over a year. Among her responsibilities is creating a master plan for Moab’s parks, something the city has never had before.
“The need for a parks master plan has been talked about for quite a long time, and we are finally ready to start that process,” McVay said.
The plan will provide an inventory of existing parks and a conditions report for each, including what future amenities could be added; identify unmet current and future needs; prioritize park improvements, development, and expansion; and develop recommendations for operations, staffing, maintenance, programming, and funding needs.
It will be developed with a consultant and technical advisory committee; there will also be a community survey, workshop, and public comment period.
McVay anticipates the plan will be finished in November 2023. In the next few months, the city plans to begin the process by finding and hiring a consultant.
When Carly Castle began as city manager in April, she said one of her biggest goals was establishing master plans for the city’s assets—the parks plan included.
“We don’t have some of those foundational guidance documents that usually, that’s what I would pick up—I’d be like, what’s your strategic plan? And those would be my marching orders,” Castle told the Moab Sun News in May.
Unified Transportation Master Plan
The council unanimously adopted the Grand County and City of Moab’s Unified Transportation Master Plan, which “identifies actions, strategies, and projects to achieve the community’s goals for a safe, reliable, connected, and efficient transportation system to improve mobility and connectivity for all people, using all modes of transportation,” according to the plan.
“This is a joint city-county plan,” said City Engineer Chuck Williams. “I think that in and of itself is pretty exciting.”
It identified 38 improvement projects: active transportation improvements and planning assessments (19), roadway improvements and assessments (14), and parking and transit improvements (5).
The plan also included a “Vision Zero Goal” policy, meaning the city established a goal to have zero traffic accidents in a year. The goal will allow the city to pursue projects and grant funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
The plan still has to go to the Grand County Commission for adoption on its end.
