Overland Park is paving the way for the future of its parks and recreation system. 

Called Playbook OP, the updated long-range plan currently under review will eventually identify future goals for the city’s pools, parks, green spaces and other recreational facilities. 

The plan will also address recreation programming, system development and other recommendations for expanding the city’s vast parks network. 

Parks plan in Overland Park is 10 years old

• Enacted by city leaders in 2013, Overland Park’s existing long-term parks plan is called the Comprehensive Park System Master Plan.
• Under the current plan, Overland Park refreshed playgrounds at several parks, including Bluejacket Park, Brown Park and South Lake Park, said Meg Ralph, communications manager, in an email. 
• The city also closed some of its neighborhood pools and has started replacing them with smaller parks.
• Additionally, Overland Park added amenities to what’s now called Thompson Park as part of an effort to grow  “the recreation potential of existing sites,” Ralph added.
• Plus, the city is poised to add a community park in Overland Park’s southernmost area in honor of its sister city Bietigheim-Bissingen.

The playbook process is just starting

• Last week, Parks and Recreation Director Jermel Stevenson told the Overland Park City Council Community Development Committee that the process to update the long-range parks plan kicked off in late September. 
• Updating the comprehensive plan is part of the parks and recreation accreditation process, Stevenson said. 
• At this stage, the city is identifying some of its parks and recreation needs for the future and studying current recreation trends.
• The city is working with MIG, a design firm specializing in environmental planning and design, to update the master plan. The group worked on the 2013 parks plan.
• Stevenson expected the city to finish drafting Playbook OP by the end of next year.

How can you weigh in on the parks plan?

• Over the next few months, Overland Park will lead a number of public engagement activities connected to the revision process. 
• That will include interviews with community members and some focus groups. 
• The city is also hosting a town hall meeting at 5 p.m. on Dec. 11. 
• A citywide questionnaire about parks and recreation will also go out next month. 
• “We intend for this to be done with a lot of community input,” Stevenson said.

More Overland Park parks and rec news: Overland Park to turn old Marty Pool site into a new park