Regardless of how big a city might grow, the need for open space, recreational facilities and parks will continually grow along beside it, offering people of all ages a place for enjoyment.

Recognizing the continual population growth in Turlock, the Parks and Recreation Commission took action on Wednesday evening directing city staff to prepare an agreement request to present to the City Council.

 If approved, the City would enter an agreement with an outside consultant to perform a Sports and Recreation Facilities Prioritization and Feasibility Study, looking at a range of different types of public amenities currently identified in the City’s General Plan.

During the study, the City would identify what projects could be built in the near future, in addition to the estimated costs of construction and continued operation. Working alongside the consultant, City staff would evaluate the feasibility of each potential new project, while also identifying potential funding strategies.

Once the improvements are evaluated and prioritized, the Council would be asked to determine which of those facilities to include in financing programs, such as the Capital Facility Fees program, and the amount of money to be added.

According to Parks and Recreation Superintendent Erik Schulze, most of the projects will end up being public-private partnerships due to the high cost of operations and maintenance, such as the Carnegie Arts Center.

The study is said to be an important step in determining Turlock’s future recreation facility needs, being based primarily on projected population growth.

With an estimated cost of $75,000, the study aims to ensure that adequate park facilities are available to the citizens of Turlock to enjoy recreation activities and socialize.

Also during the meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission received a brief staff update on the relocation of Brandon Koch Memorial Skate Park from its current Starr Avenue location to Donnelly Park, where staff are currently also looking into placing a full size basketball court following the request of a community member. Parks and Recreation Department staff is currently looking into the feasibility of adding a new full size court to the location, with an update to be provided at the next meeting.