A36 fiMLYSES OF ME PARKS AND RECREAYHON SYSTEM ‘ ‘ GF 34212637? 0? EAST 1mm, MICHIGAN ‘ Thesis ft»? the Degree 0f M. S. mam STATE UWERSSY mmm ENE mafiamm ' 1969 . \Htslb 18 9144 “III IHHI lll \Ilt III mm W |u| HI H 1|! ll" U HI HHII . J .. 3 1293 101 54;ijle ? 15333223?“ ABSTRACT AN ANALYSIS OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM OF THE CITY OF EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN By Ronald Dale Donahue Various organizations and officials in East Lansing have been in the process of attempting to evaluate available park and recreation Opportunities for the last five years. Unfortunately, little data has been available rela— tive to users desires or habits. Two City recreational bond issues have failed during that period and very little improvement of local facilities has been accomplished. There has appeared to be no clear mandate for recrea— tional develOpment and the reason for public apathy has never been fully explained. This study examines the factors which have an effect on East Lansing's develOpment. In addition there is a program—by—program, facilities-by- facilities examination of the City of East Lansing's offerings. In order to see how East Lansing compares with other cities in Michigan, all cities from 25, 000 to 50, 000 were compared on the basis of acreage, valuation and budget. East Lansing was found to have a low ranking in most categories. Since "hard data" was so elusive, a LOGO-questionnaire survey was accomplished by mail and the results coded and processed by computer. A final response of 37. 4 percent was realized. To increase the validity of this sample, 10 percent of the non-respondents were interviewed. Their answers appeared to be similar to the mailed questionnaire results. The survey showed the East Lansing profile to be one characterized by relatively high income, fairly stable home ownership and tenure, excellent Ronald Dale Donahue education, good private transportation, well develOped recreational de- sires and a penchant to travel away from East Lansing for recreation. As expected, occupations were predominantly professional, technical and administrative in nature. Those 19 and under, and 65 and over said that East Lansing parks were their primary source of recreation, while the 20 to 64 group were attracted more frequently to Michigan State University and private recreational resources. Most requested new facilities were an outdoor swimming pool, more parks and additional tennis courts. In financing, the consensus was that the City Council should be the prime financing agency. In equipment ownership, winter sports equipment led the way followed by yard picnic equipment and yard play equipment. In conclusion, 23 recommendations were made in the four general categories of Lands and Facilities, Programs, Organization and Financing. These recommendations were made on the basis of the total study, taking into consideration the survey, inspection of facilities, interviews with officials and citizens, research on accessory facilities available as well as close inspection of City and school facilities, policy and programs. AN ANALYSIS or THE PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM or THE CITY or EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN By Ronald Dale Donahue A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Resource Deve10pment 1969 A-s\ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to take this Opportunity to thank the officials of the City of East Lansing, and especially the Planning Commission, for the financial help and interest they have provided in the survey state of this project. Professors Twardzik and Chubb have helped guide me in the overall study and have always been willing to offer constructive suggestions and departmental help whenever possible. Without their help this study would certainly have suffered. To my wife, Beverly, I owe the greatest vote of thanks for her help and encouragement not only on this study, but for my entire graduate education. Ronald Dale Donahue ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................... LIST OF FIGURES .......................... CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .................. Statement of the Problem (2) —Hypothesis (5) —Assumptions (5) CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........... General Recreation Demand Considerations (6) —Assessing East Lansing (8) —Preparation of Evalua- tion Instruments (10) —Analyzing the Data (13) CHAPTER III. FACTORS AFFECTING PARK AND RECREATION DEVELOPMENT IN EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN Climate (16) —Soils (18) —Water (19) —POpulation Characteristics (20) -Age Distribution (23) —Educa- tion (25) —Income (26) —Occupation (27) —Accessory Recreation Opportunities (27) CHAPTER IV. EXAMINATION OF EAST LANSING SYSTEM ..... The East Lansing Municipal Park and Recreation System (46) —Lands and Facilities (46) —School Facilities (55) ——Recreation Programming (57) —Organizational Structure (65) —Park Department (65) --Recreation Division (67) —Comparisons Between Michigan Cities of 25,000 to 50,000 (68) —Financing Possibilities (87) CHAPTER V. THE SURVEY .................... Methodology (95) —Survey Findings (101) iii vi 16 46 95 CHAPTER VI. IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ....... O O O O ....... 1 27 Lands and Facilities (127) —Programs (133) —Organ- ization (138) —Financing (141) —Concluding State- ment (142) SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................... 144 APPENDIX .............................. 147 Cover Letter (147) —Survey Questionnaire (148) —Follow-up Card (150) iv LIST OF TABLES Growth Comparison of East Lansing and Michigan State University .................... Projections of Permanent POpulation ............ Projections of East Lansing Total POpulation ........ East Lansing POpulation by Age Groups ........... Education Level of the Population ............. Income Level of the POpulation ............... Comparative Distribution of the Labor Force ........ 1967 Budget Data ...................... 1967 Budget Data ...................... Recreation Activity Program Budgets ............ 1967 Capital Outlay Budget ................ Acreage Inventory and Recreation Costs .......... Valuation Table ....................... Page 22 22 23 24 25 26 28 72 74 77 82 84 86 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Survey Zones, City of East Lansing ............ 96 vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Recreation demand has burgeoned as a national phenomenon at a fan— tastic rate. In 1962, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission had predicted that the number of activity occasions in the 16 most pOpular outdoor activities would rise from a 1960 level of 4. 282 billion occasions to 7. 463 billion in 1980. By 1965, the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation re— vised this projection to 10.128 billion in 1980, based mainly on a demand survey which indicated a 6. 476 billion figure already reached in 1965. 1 Such figures are examples of this rapid expansion of demand. Coupled with this new demand is the fact that while a hundred years ago only 15 percent of the pOpulation lived in the cities, this figure is in excess of 70 percent today. 2 More peOple in less Space has caused many problems and recreation Opportunity has not been spared. National introspection into the nature of this expanded demand has been in response to widespread grass roots pressure. All levels of government have been involved in eval- uating their respective jurisdictions to ascertain what recreation demands exist and attempting to relate this demand to their potential for recreational adequacy. The National Park Service with "Mission 66" and the U. S. Forest Service in "Operation Outdoors" both based development programs on expected recreation demand. "Mission 66" development was based on an expected visitor figure of 80 million by 1966. Actual figures were 128 million. "Operation Outdoors" projected 66 million visitations by 1966 and 1 U. S. , Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Outdoor Recreation Trends (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1967). p. 20. 2American Institute of Park Executives, The Crisis in Open Land (Wheeling, W. Va.: The American Institute of Park Executives, 1959). p. 8. l were overwhelmed by 115 million by that same date. 3 If large federal agencies have been unable to visualize the enormity of increasing recrea— tion demand, it is no wonder that many of the smaller subdivisions with their smaller staffs and lesser resources have found it difficult to provide adequate recreational Opportunities for the citizenry. Statement of the Problem Evidence is overwhelming that the recreation boom is with us and continues to grow year by year. Increased leisure, income, mobility, and pOpulation have combined to strain our existing recreational facilities. Barring a great national disaster, these trends should continue to such an extent that recreation demand in the year 2000 will nearly triple that of the 1960's. 4 National trends may or may not be relevant to a local situation and each locality has some characteristics which make it different from the classic American profile. It is therefore necessary to examine each com- munity to ascertain its needs for recreation and its ability to meet those needs. Cursory examination of East Lansing's physical park assets would lead one to believe that the city is deficient in the amount of Opportunities for park and recreation experiences. It would also seem that the city gov— ernment has perceived the role of Parks and Recreation in East Lansing to be a minor one as evidenced by the small yearly budgets apprOpriated and the placement of their Parks and Recreation Department in a relatively minor organizational position. Citizen support must also be examined in light of their defeat of two bond issues directly related to recreation. The Park Acquisition and Swimming Pool referendums have been the only two bond issues which 31967 Almanac (Pleasantville, N. Y.: Reader's Digest, 1967), p. 645. 4 U. S. , Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Outdoor Recreation Trends , p. 20. have failed at the polls since 1960 out of six issues voted on. A voter turnout of 41 percent was far less than is normal in East Lansing. Was this apparent apathy caused by a general lack of interest in recreation in East Lansing? Have the relatively few park locations caused recreational habits to be formed which take the resident outside of the city? Are the East Lansing residents satisfied or dissatisfied with the present system? Are Michigan State University and Lansing providing the Opportunities which East Lansing is not? If so, how long will they be able to do so or be willing to do so in the face of rising demand and its associated costs? If demand is unmet in East Lansing, why has there been no effective grass roots movement to improve the program? Do East Lansing residents have the financial means to provide their own recreation or is the greater portion' of the pOpulation a resident of East Lansing for only a short time and does not feel either the need or capability to demand improvement? A multitude of questions such as these arise when the contradiction of East Lansing's high income, well educated, mobile populous, tradition- ally a combination with high recreation requirements , is compared to a program which is not well developed. A number of factors complicate the problem in East Lansing. The City Council has shown a genuine interest in improving the Park and Recreation program and through the Planning Commission two studies have been done to examine this program. The 1965 School Park Study and Parks, Recrea- tion and Beautification completed in January 1968 are both concerned with the acquisition and development of additional park sites. Unfortunately, neither study has led to acquisition of new sites and there is evidence that some of the prOposals made will seemingly be impossible to imple- ment because private develOpment has removed these sites from the market. An example of this is an area called Christmas Tree Hill, a 215—acre former Christmas tree farm close to East Lansing which promised to be an excellent location for future park develOpment. 5 The area has been sold and will be East Lansing Planning Commission, Parks, Recreation and Beautifica— tion (East Lansing: Planning Commission, 1968), p. 22. 4 develOped as a trailer court. Financing is, of course, the prime problem and without sufficient funds for acquisition other acceptable sites will no doubt be lost to private develOpment. Demand plays a part in establishing a priority for spending and any municipal government has competition for its tax dollars from many directions. When the quantity and type of need is clearly established progress is much easier, especially in capital im— provement projects. The Mayor has established an ad hoc Recreation Study Committee to aid in determining recreation demand and direction for future develOpment. This citizens committee holds monthly meetings and explores various aspects of recreation problems within the community. Recreation programming has been assisted by the East Lansing School Board. They provide office Space for the Recreation Director and one—half of the funds to carry out the program. In addition, school facilities are made available as a basic recreation resource. Millage levies have had mixed success lately in Michigan and the rising school costs have caused some school systems to withdraw their financial support from community recreation. In most cases, Lansing for instance, the City Council has assumed the administrative and financial responsibility formerly shared with the Board of Education for the entire recreation program. The Board of Education in East Lansing has announced that they may have to withdraw their financial support for community recreation. Should this happen, the City Council will either have to accept the added financial burden or the program will be drastically curtailed. This would further reduce the pos— sible monies available for develOpment or acquisition of new facilities. To compound matters, some of the facilities now in use in the schools, such as the swimming pools, are becoming less available to the general public due to the increased pressure from exclusively school—oriented programming. This composite group of problems makes it necessary to be extremely efficient in any develOpment program. To do this , information on recrea- tion usage should be available to serve as a basis for these decisions. In developing this study an attempt will be made to enumerate the various factors which influence recreational demands and development in East Lansing. A review of the facilities, programs, financing, and organ- izational makeup of the East Lansing School Board and City Council's co- Operative program will also be undertaken. This overview will put into one document a description of the various sectors of the present recrea- tion program. Data on users preferences and recreational habits is not now available in sufficient quantity to be useful in the develOpment of recommendations. The survey phase of the study is intended to discover the recreational requirements and habits of East Lansing residents. Hypothesis That the present Parks and Recreation system in East Lansing, Mich- igan, is not sufficiently well developed to meet the present or future rec- reation needs of its citizens. Assumptions 1. That a satisfactory survey questionnaire can be devised which will accurately assess the recreational usage of East Lansing citizens. 2. That the analysis phase of the survey will provide information which will be valid for purposes of making recommendations. 3. That the persons answering the questionnaire will provide information correctly representing their family status and recreational character- istics in all questions surveyed. 4. That for the portions of the study where the use of standards are made, the published National Recreation Association recommendations are sufficiently well accepted to serve as standards. 5. That pOpulation figures used in the analysis sections are representa- tive. When a number of cities are cited, pOpulation figures used are official and not estimates unless stated as estimates in the text or on tables prepared. CHAPTER II REVIEW‘ OF THE LITERATURE General Recreation Demand Considerations After World War II a wave of recreation demand swept over the country that was not only unparalleled in history but in many cases totally unex— pected. In an effort to understand the tremendous increase in demand and in an attempt to predict future demands, a flurry of evaluations took place on the national level in the early 1960's. As a tool for evaluation and future planning, a series of 27 reports were prepared by the Outdoor Rec- reation Resources Review Commission which have served as an invaluable set of aids in recreation research efforts. Inability to recognize recreational needs has been contributory to the problems of governmental subdivisions in providing adequate Opportunities for its citizens. It would seem simple enough to determine the pOpulation of a city, apply one of the recognized Space standards , compare the two and make recommendations. This simple test may have some general value, but is too light a treatment on which to base a potentially costly develOp- ment plan of great social significance. The parameters and character of recreation demand are such that many of its most important values are linked with intangibles traditionally hard to assess. Conrad Gesner, a 16th century Swiss physician-botanist- geologist, typifies this elusive feeling when he states: As long as it may please God to grant me life, I will ascend several mountains, or at least one, every year at the season when the flowers are in their glory, partly for the sake of examining them and partly for the sake of good bodily exer— cise and mental delight. 1 1Conrad Gesner, On the Admiration of Mountains (San Francisco: Grathorn Press, 1937), p. 55. Even as sociologists struggle with the reasons for man's attitudes about recreation, we continue to develOp methods of assessing the mani- festations of these needs. Factors most closely described as socio- economic have been sighted as indicators in the variance of demand. These factors are: (1) pOpulation changes, particularly growth in total population, but also changing age distribution and increased urbaniza— tion; (2) increased discretionary income; (3) improved travel facilities and intensified travel; (4) additional leisure time, a phenomenon com- prised of reduced work weeks, time-saving devices in the home and growth in the number of paid holidays and vacations. In an effort to compare and classify peOple, ORRRC found that Ameri- can culture seems to develOp interests which have geographic homogeneity. Both urban-rural and regional comparisons show rather small differences in participation in each outdoor recreation activity. Greater differences emerge when women are compared to men and when age, income, and other social variables are used as primary classification. 3 Some variability within classifications may take several forms. In analyzing income, apparently some limitations exist in outdoor recreation activity. ORRRC found that participation rose up to the $7,500 to $10, 000 income group and then shows no further rise, even a slight decline. They further found that paid vacations extended recreation activities in a direct relation to the increased vacation time. A third variability type is found in the effects of education on recreation Opportunities. It was determined that education increased outdoor recreation experiences except in the case 2George Henry Stankey, "A Conceptual Paradigm for the Evaluation of Recreation Resources" (unpublished Master's thesis, Oregon State Uni- versity, 1967), p. 27. 3U. S. , Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, Participa— tion in Outdoor Recreation: Factors Affectim Demand Among American Adults (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1962), p. 27. 8 of male high school graduates which were higher in their expressed de- mands than male college graduates.4 Just as we have attempted to establish benchmarks on needs as a develOpmental tool, we have also attempted to establish area standards as a resource evaluation tool. There has been considerable controversy concerning the applicability of such standards. Sessoms has referred to traditional planning standards based upon distance traveled from home and number of acres per 1 ,000 pOpulation as obsolete. 5 Tankel, however, sees the National Recreation Association standards as adequate. 6 Despite this controversy, it seems that the widespread use of such standards, which are not necessarily absolute, are at least a consistent basis for inter-community comparisons. The basic standard of 10 acres per 1,000 per— sons7 has had such widespread acceptance that some more liberal stand- ards must be considered more as policy statements rather than an accepted standard. Each type has its particular benefits but in areas of severe deficiencies it may be self defeating to apply these higher standards, thus creating an aura of hOpelessness in attainment of a goal. Asses siniEa st La rising After considerations of general significance are examined, it is neces— ' sary to examine the local situation to see if these findings may apply to local conditions. East Lansing is largely residential in type, but is com- prised of a rather small percentage of residents considered permanent. East Lansing listed its total pOpulation in 1960 as 30,198; of this total 4Ibid. , p. 10. 5H. Douglas Sessoms, "New Basis for Recreation Planning," journal of the American Institute of Planners, January 1964, 26. 6Stanley B. Tankel, "Resort and Recreation Planning, " Planning 1959 (Chicago: American Society of Planning Officials, 1959), p. 103. 7 National Recreation Association, Outdoor Recreation Space Standards (New York: National Recreation Association, 1965), p. 55. only 12,490 were estimated to be permanent residents. Others are stu— dents considered temporary. It was further estimated that the permanent pOpulation figure rose to 15,020 by 1965 while comprising 29. 7 percent of the total pOpulation. 8 A strong second influence is its close proximity to Lansing with its 70 parks and total park acreage of 1,450, and Michigan State's extensive campus and outdoor recreation Opportunities. 9 These two influences have certainly affected past developments in East Lansing and will continue to influence future develOpment. These influences have undoubtedly been felt in the general apathy in East Lansing residents to support improvement at the ballot box. Since 1960, four bond issues have passed in East Lansing and only the referendums on the construction of a swimming pool and an addition to the park system have failed. At that election only 41 percent of the registered voters went to the polls. 10 To further emphasize East Lansing's atypical composition, the East Lansing Planning Commission reports that educational attainment is con— siderably higher in Ea st Lansing when compared to Lansing, the Tri-County area, and the State of Michigan. 11 Income, a factor widely associated with higher education, is significantly higher in East Lansing than in adja- cent areas. The lone exception of affluence may be found in one census tract which is heavily influenced by college students. 1 8East Lansing Planning Commission, Comprehensive Plan Nineteen Eighty (East Lansing: Planning Commission, 1968), p. 63. 9Michael Chubb, " Recreation as an Element in the Economic Geography of Greater Lansing" (unpublished field problems report, Department of Geog— raphy, Michigan State University, 1966), p. 35. “Voting Results" (unpublished results of elections, on charts of city clerk: East Lansing, Michigan, 1968). 1 East Lansing, Comprehensive Plan, p. 45. 2Lansing Tri-County Region Median Family Income by Census Tract 1960 and 1965 (Lansing: Tri—County Regional Planning Commission, 1965). 10 Employment distribution was found to be heavily oriented toward the professional and technical categories, while clerical was listed as second in importance, one notch ahead of the service category. The nationally most significant classification, craftsman, foremen, and Operatives was far down the list in order of importance. 13 Age group and growth comparisons between East Lansing and Michigan State University yield further insights into the complex problem of deter— . . . . 14 mining a community profile. Preparation of Evaluation Instruments It is apparent in searching for material as an evaluative instrument, that no one existing form will suffice for a given local situation. It is therefore wise to lean on the philosophical treatment of evaluation from a number of sources. ORRRC Report No. 5, The Quality of Outdoor Recrea- tion: As Evidenced by User Satisfaction, describes the preferences of visitors for various develOpments and relates these desires to the visitor's socioeconomic characteristics. 15 Turning to factors of demand, Study Report 20, Participation in Outdoor Recreation: Factors Affecting Demand Among American Adults, examines through a multivariate analysis the rela— tive significance of age, income, education, sex, and place of residence as they influence participation. 16 ORRRC Report 26, Prospective Demand for Outdoor Recreation, discusses the demand for various activities in 13East Lansing Planning Commission, Comprehensive Plan, p. 27. 14Ibid., p. 45. 15 U.S. , Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, The Quality of Outdoor Recreation: As Evidenced by User Satisfaction (Wash- ington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1962). 16U.S. , Participation in Outdoor Recreation. ll relation to a number of socioeconomic characteristics and provides ex- pected demand in these same categories in 1976 and 2000.17 By this examination of the role of social research in recreation re- source development, it has been shown that preference for certain types of develOpment varies in relation to certain social and economic charac- teristics. The ramifications of such a relationship should be clear to resources managing agencies. Disregard of these implications in the develOpment of resources is not only illogical but inefficient. Burge, et a1. , in a 1962 study of a rural Ohio county, analyzed the recreation situation in terms of the sociological, economic, and the physical aspects of the area. They note: "The social class composition of a particular locale is an important factor in determining the extent and location of different types of recreation facilities . "18 Among the findings it was noted that the average participant in outdoor recreation activities was an urbanite who favored public develOpment over that of private. 1 This statement indicates the public wish for the develOpment of public areas by public agencies, and secondly this trend of urban demand should increase as urbanization increases. Growing recognition of the ramifications of variable social preference can be noted in the literature. Anderson's User-Resource Planning Method is based largely upon the identification of user groups, major divisions of recreation users based upon similar recreation experiences and certain social and economic characteristics. He notes that such data is readily available, both from on-site interviews and census data.‘20 Significantly, 17 U.S. , Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, Prospective Demand for Outdoor Recreation (Washington: U. 8. Government Printing Office, 1962). 18Rabel J. Burge, John Sitterly, and Frank So, Outdoor Recreation Research (Columbus: Ohio State University, 1960), p. 14. 19Ibid. , p. 4. 0Kenneth R. Anderson, et al. , A User-Resource Recreation Planning Method (Loomis, Cal.: National Council on Regional Planning, 1958), p. 20. 12 our most prestigious recreation planning unit, the Bureau of Outdoor Rec- reation, in establishing criteria for individual states to meet for receiving grants-in-aid, calls for the analysis of social attitudes and preferences in the completion of state outdoor recreation plans . Possibly the most accurate way to determine users satisfaction is to ask the user his Opinions about outdoor recreation. Surveys have thus become the ready tool for the recreation researcher. The Detroit Metro- politan Area Regional Planning Commission used a survey in 1960 to obtain information as a basis for develOpment of a regional park program. 22 Pre- viously, in 1959, they had used a less comprehensive mail-out question- naire to establish park users patterns . 23 Reid, in Outdoor Recreation Preferences: A Nationwide Study of User Desires, uses a questionnaire as the basis for his findings in conjunction with some on-site analysis by 24 . . the survey team. A standard community assessment form and question- . . . . . , . 25 naire sample 15 found In W1111am 5 Recreation Places. Groves demon- 2 strated the method of on-site distribution of survey material. 6 21U.S. , Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Outdoor Recreation Grants-In- Aid Manual (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1965). 2Detroit MetrOpolitan Area Regional Planning Commission, Home Survey of Regional Recreation Activities (Detroit: Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission, 1959). 23Detroit Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission, Park Users Survey (Detroit: Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission, 1960). 4Leslie M. Reid, Outdoor Recreation Preferences: A Nationwide Study of User Desires (published Ph.D. dissertation, University of Mich- igan, 1963). 25Wayne R. Williams, Recreation Places (New York: Reinhold Pub- lishing Corporation, 1958), p. 282. 26Jesse Grove, "A User Survey of the Stone Valley Recreation Area and DeveIOpment of Selected Facilities" (unpublished Master's thesis, Pennsylvania State University, 1960) . l3 Establishment of sampling procedures by Slonim in Sampling seem to . . 27 indicate the use of random sampling procedures for this research prOJect. Stratification by census tracts should enable prOper and comprehensive analysis. Analyzinthhe Data In the analysis phase, different phiIOSOphies of park evaluation and develOpment may determine the exact course of analysis. Chubb has out- lined a program of outdoor recreation develOpment using the systems anal- ysis approach in conjunction with the utilization of a computer. Non—computerized approaches may have to rely heavily on interpreta- tions of standards. They have usually been concerned with the traditional space concepts of: (1) total recreation Space as expressed in a population ratio and in area, and (2) space needs based upon user characteristics. School-park concepts have begun to gain wide acceptance with the advan— tages of efficiency of purchase, accessibility, and avoidance of unneces- sary duplication of facilities. Batchelor, in A Master Plan of ParkyRec— reation and Outdoor Facilities for the CitLof Cuyahoga Falls, typifies this concept. 30 East Lansing has a projected plan concerned with parks, rec- reation and beautification which adOpts some features of the school-park idea. 31 Bartholomew, in Schools and Parks, uses a similar method of analyzing Battle Creek. 32 27Morris James Slonim, Sampling (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960). 28Michael Chubb, Outdoor Recreation Planning in Michigan by a Systems Analysis Approach: Part III—The Practical Application of "Program RECYS and SYMAP" (Lansing: Michigan Department of Commerce, 1967). 9National Recreation Association, Outdoor Space Standards, p. 5. 30W. C. Batchelor, A Master Plan of Park, Recreation and Outdoor School Facilities for the City of Cuyahoga Falls (Columbus: Ohio State University, 1960). 1 East Lansing, Parks, Recreation and Beautification. 32Harland Bartholomew, Schools and Parks (Battle Creek, Mich.: City of Battle Creek, 1965). 14 A rash of planning efforts under the Federal "701" program has spawned enumerable studies throughout the nation and a mere cataloging of these efforts would be a major research project in itself. Hillsborough County in Temple Terrace Recreation Study seems typical of many of these "701" studies. 33 Many other analysis forms have taken the form of public rela- tion tools , especially when funded by local money. Park Story, by the Grand Rapids Park Department, is one such example. 34 In relation to future needs, the importance of the accurate assessment of these needs and preparation for future trends is well documented in . 35 . . . Strong's Open Space for Urban America. Even more relative to Immediate area, Milstein forecasts the implication of outdoor recreation and tourism in the State of Michigan. 36 Recently university departments have been prominent in extending their talents and resources to urban park and recreation studies. The De— partment of Park Administration, Texas Technological College, in IE Sociological and Economic Impact of Urban Parks in DallaspTexas, in 1966 typify their efforts. They examined the economic impact of parks on ad— joining property and also examined social benefits but were unable to es- tablish a link between social benefit and economic value of these benefits. 37 The Field Service unit of the Department of Recreation and Municipal Park Hillsborough County Planning Commission, Temle Terrace Recrea- tion Study (Tampa, Fla.: Hillsborough County Planning Commission, 1965). 34Grand Rapids Park Department, Park Story (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Park Department, n.d.). 35Ann Louise Strong, Open Space for Urban America (Washington: U. 8. Government Printing Office, 1965). 6David N. Milstein, Michigan's Outdoor Recreation and Tourism— Now and in 1980 (East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1966). 7.Department of Park Administration, The SocioloLical and Economic Impact of Urban Parks in Dallasg Texas, in 1966 (Lubbock: Texas Techno- logical College, 1967). 15 Administration, University of Illinois, is active in community evaluation and its Salem, Illinois, Parks and Recreation is an example of the type of planning and evaluation service they provide. In this study, emphasis is placed on organization and planning of a Park and Recreation District. 38 38Field Services, Recreation and Municipal Park Administration, Salemgllinois, Parks and Recreation (Urbana: University of Illinois, 1967). CHAPTER III FACTORS AFFECTING PARK AND RECREATION DEVELOPMENT IN EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN Factors which may affect the develOpment of recreational programs and facilities are varied and sometimes complex. While they may be enumerated easily enough, their relationship to one another and their exact relationship to recreational develOpment can be elusive. Some of these factors may be considered as natural factors such as climate, soils and availability to water. Others such as pOpulation characteristics, economic profile and accessory recreational develOpments may be con— sidered as more a product of artificial develOpment. Climate Technically, the climate in East Lansing has been described as alter—- nating between continental and semimarine, depending on meteorological conditions. Semimarine classification is due to the influence of the Great Lakes and is governed by the force and direction of the wind. Under con- ditions of little or no wind, the weather becomes continental in character. This means pronounced fluctuations in temperature, hot weather in summer and severe winter cold. Strong winds from the Great Lakes may transform the weather into a semimarine type in a relatively short time. 1 Large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes, are less responsive to temperature changes than large land mass areas. The East Lansing area tends to hold the winter cold longer into spring and carry summer heat 1U. S. , Department of Commerce, Local Climatological Data, 1967 (Washington: U. 8. Government Printing Office, 1968), mp. 16 17 longer in the fall than land mass influenced areas. This is apparent when East Lansing temperatures are compared to cities of similar latitudes west of the Great Lakes. Milder winters and cooler summers are also a result of the Great lakes influence. 2 Temperature ranges and the length of the growing season have a great deal of influence on the possible horticultural develOpment of the East Lansing area. A 154—day average growing season is sufficient to allow a wide range of species and varieties to be grown for landsCaping pur- poses. May 7 is the average date of the last freezing temperature. Maintenance schedules for construction, renovation and floral plantings can be established to accomplish major changes in the parkscape before a heavy influx of users, usually beginning on Memorial Day. The mean annual precipitation is 30. 57 inches well distributed over a 12-month period. Snowfall has varied in the period since 1930 from a high of 88.8 inches in 1951-52 to a low of 21. 2 inches in 1948—49. During the year of 1967 the U. S. Weather Bureau recorded 81 days classed as clear, 106 partly cloudy, and 178 as cloudy. The relationship of clear, partly cloudy and cloudy days was mixed with nearly half of the clear days occurring in the months of July, August, September and October. Wind speed records indicate an average of 10. 8 miles per hour and a direction predominantly from the south or west. Relative humidity averages 62 per— cent at 1 p.m. and 68 percent at 7 p.m. The summer months average lower humidity than the yearly average while the winter months are higher. 4 Translation of the climatological conditions and how they affect rec- reation and recreational develOpment is dependent on the specific activities being conducted. Snowfall patterns and amounts may have an impact on winter sports in very different ways. Frequent snows are a boon to the 18 skiers, sledders and snowmobile fans, but cause major problems in the maintenance of outdoor skating rinks. Certain activities such as swimming have a lower tolerance to temperature fluctuations than picnicking or or- ganized baseball leagues. Remarkably little research work has been done on the exact relation- ship of weather conditions to recreation demand, but it may be possible that it is the single most important factor in determining demand for out- door recreation on any given day. According to records kept on attendance and temperature at Memorial Pool in Fremont, Nebraska, swimming demand rose and fell with the temperature regardless of the day of the week. Other weather factors such as wind velocity and humidity are closely associated with temperature and work in dynamic combination with it to affect comfort of recreators. Indoor recreation is far less affected by weather conditions and often only extremes of weather such as snowstorms, heavy rainstorms, or ex— tremely low or high temperatures are major factors in participation levels. Justifying costs in develOping facilities greatly affected by climatological factors may prove to be a difficult problem. Construction costs are the least for an outdoor swimming pool with unheated water. Heating the water extends the swimming time during the day and allows a longer average swimming season. Indoor—outdoor pools further extend the season and offer protection against adverse weather conditions, but each of these extra treatments raise both the construction and maintenance costs. Bene— fits balanced against costs usually determines what type of facility is ultimately constructed. Soils Many types of soils exist in the East Lansing area—most of which would be suitable for any type of recreational development contemplated. 5 Final determination on soil suitability for a particular activity or structure 5East Lansing, Comprehensive Plan, p. 24. 19 must be made on an individual basis for each project. Artificial drainage may be required on certain soil types to make them acceptable for inten- sive use. A number of areas such as the area known locally as Chandler's Marsh contain large deposits of peat and muck soils , reducing their avail- ability for unrestricted recreational develOpment. They are, however, satisfactory for pastoral and aesthetic uses and as buffer zones between areas of high density. These natural areas may serve to establish tracts for nature study which free other locations with better soils for use in more intense recreational pursuits. Some of the muck soils are as deep as 40 to 50 feet and without extensive excavation or deep piling will continue to be unsuitable for most building purposes until land is so scarce or high priced that the necessary modification techniques are economically justified. Kite; Despite Michigan's tag "Water Wonderland, " East Lansing is lacking in surface water which would have any great impact on recreation. The Great Lakes are within reasonable driving distance for vacationers and weekend trips, but day-to-day recreation in water-related activities will be largely restricted to the Red Cedar River in East Lansing. In East Lansing proper, the Red Cedar is the only major surface water feature. Flow problems have reduced its effectiveness for recreation in several ways. The Red Cedar is a "flashy" river subject to rapid rises after precipitation, with the result that flooding is common in the Spring. This reduces the desirability of affected bank areas for private or commer- cial construction, but does not limit some types of park develOpment. In the summer water demand is increased and flow augmentation by ground water is not extensive enough to maintain a high flow rate. A combination of low flow and the increased quantity of pollutants introduced into the Red Cedar severely limits recreational uses on it. Outside of its intrinsic value 6C. R. Humphrys , ed. , Anatomy of a Watershed (East Lansing: De- partment of Resource DeveIOpment, Michigan State University, 1964), p. 10. 20 as an aesthetic feature, the main recreational value is its use in canoeing, which seems to be unaffected to any great extent by poor water quality. Drinking water and supplemental water for irrigation are available in sufficient quantities from the City of East Lansing supply so that no severe limitations on development are imposed by this factor. Some problems may arise related to the extension of supply lines, but this does not ap— pear to be insurmountable in developmental planning. Primary supply sources for the City are wells and despite the fact that the water table has been dropping an average of 2-1/2 feet per year due to greater urban 7 demand, these sources appear adequate for several years into the future. Pgmlation Characteristics Recreation demand is greatly influenced by a number of components of the broad category known as pOpulation. Very little exception will be taken with the statement that more people will result in more recreational demand. There are, however, factors included in population growth that preclude the use of mathematical progression in charting future trends of particular recreation activities . The Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, in Participation in Outdoor Recreation: Factors Affecting Demand Among American Adults, uses four categories of population concentration in sampling the relation- ship of residence to participation in outdoor recreation activities: "(1) cities in excess of 50,000, (2) suburban areas immediately surrounding the cities, (3) the adjacent areas which go from these to a distance of 50 miles, (4) the outlying areas which are at least 50 miles from a city of 50,000. "8 ORRRC found that a weak relationship existed in total activity as compared toplace of residence, with the major differences noted in types of activity rather than frequency. People in the outlying areas seem 7East Lansing, Comprehensive Plan, p. 25. 8 U.S. , Participation in Outdoor Recreation, p. 25. 21 to participate in activities where "roughing it" is an important constituent. Camping, hunting, and fishing appeal to them and may occupy high activity ratings because of their closer relative proximity to the resource. City dwellers evidence greater interest in sightseeing, driving for pleasure, picnicking and swimming than those persons living outside the urban envi— ronment. Those peOple living in suburban areas show a higher total activity rate which has been interpreted as due to a reflection of income, education and occupation. East Lansing can best be described as suburban, both because of its proximity to Lansing—a city exceeding 120, 000 in population—and its relationship to Michigan State University. The 1960 census figures placed East Lansing's pOpulation at 31,198, and a subsequent 1965 estimate totaled 50, 502.10 Michigan State University has unquestionably the greatest impact on the city growth patterns. Because of this influence and the influx of students, the permanent population of East Lansing is much less than census figures seem to indicate. Under present census procedures, students are counted at their place of residence at school rather than at their home residence which was done previous to 1950 . East Lansing's permanent pOpulation has advanced rapidly as Mich- igan State University has expanded its facilities and enrollment. This expansion has not quite kept pace with the greater number of students living in East Lansing. Table 1 shows that while permanent population has increased, the proportion of permanent population to total population has steadily become smaller. It is projected that East Lansing's permanent pOpulation will continue to grow to a total of 24,000 by 1980. In consideration of population ex- pansion, Meridian Township is also shown as its growth will affect East Lansing and conceivably by subject to annexation by East Lansing, thus 9Ibid . 1 0East Lansing, Comprehensive Plan, p. 49. raising the population potential for the city (Table 2) . 22 Since it is evident that the growth of Michigan State University has been the greatest factor affecting growth, population figures are shown in Table 3 which compare student body size and East Lansing permanent population. Although Mich- igan State University is technically not part of East Lansing, their physi- cal relationship is so closely knit that it is well to examine them together. Table 1. Estimated Permanent Population Michigan State East Lansing Percent of Total University Year Permanent Population East Lansing Population Enrollment 1910 802 40.6 1,174 1920 1,889 57.2 1,411 1930 4,389 64.0 3,278 1940 5,839 52.8 6,967 1950 8,170 39.3 14,996 1960 12,490 36.5 21,157 1961 12,820 35.8 22,724 1962 13,150 34.0 25,040 1963 13,600 32.5 27,309 1964 14,030 29.6 31,268 1965 15,020 29.7 35,580 Source: East Lansing Planning Commission, Comprehensive Plan Nineteen Eighty (East Lansing: City of East Lansing, 1968), p. 44. Table 2. Year East Lansing Meridian Township Total 1960 12,490 13,884 26,374 1965 15,020 16,290 31,310 1970 18,000 20,000 38,000 1980 24,000 30,000 54,000 Source: East Lansing Planning Commission, Comprehen- sive Plan Nineteen Eighty (East Lansing: City of East Lansing, 1968), p. 47. 23 Table 3. 1965 1970 1975 1980 On Campus Single 18, 500 27,000 32,000 34,000 Married Students & Families 6,030 9,000 9,200 9,410 Sub-Total 24, 530 36,000 41, 200 43,410 Off Campus Single 8,100 10,900 12,000 13,000 Married Students & Families 2,850 3,200 3,400 3,500 Sub-Total 10,950 14,100 15,400 16,500 Permanent Population 15,022 18,000 21,500 24,000 Total 50,502 68,100 78,100 83,910 Source: East Lansing Planning Commission, Comprehensive Plan Nineteen Eighty (East Lansing: City of East Lansing, 1968), p. 49. Age Distribution Age has a direct and powerful relationship to recreation activity. Of the various considerations having to do with the delineations of popula- tion characteristics, none is quite so striking or consistent as the rela- tionships having to do with age. It has been found that recreation activity is at the highest when persons are in their early adult years (18—24) and 1 decreases as people grow older. Physical abilities are partly a cause for this diminishing activity as best evidenced in those activities requiring a great deal of skill or are rigorous such as swimming, horseback riding, boating and canoeing, hunting or skiing . these categories . The drop in participation is sharpest after age 55 in Even in those activities such as driving, picnics, fishing, hiking, camping and walking where physical abilities are less of a requirement, the decrease in activity is steadily downward although not . . , I quite as sharp a decline as the more active types of recreation. 2 11 U.S. , Participation in Outdoor Recreation, p. 15. 12Ibid., p. 17. 24 Aging appears also to cause a decrease in recreation activity separ- ate from entirely physical reasons. As people's age changes, so do their interests, style of life, and their relationships to their own families as well as others. The social aspects of recreation may possibly account for part of the lessened recreational inclinations of older persons. Many of these older peOple had very little opportunity to develop skills or rec— reation habits because they grew up in an economy which left very little income or time for recreation after basic requirements were met. It may be interesting to speculate on the activity rates of the 20-year—olds of today after 45 years have passed. If at the end of this period significant changes in recreation participation occur, it may be concluded that the physical process of aging has less effect on recreation activity than ex- posure to recreation in the life cycle. For purposes of prediction of future demand, there is no evidence which leads us to believe that recreation demand will diminish in the future. Quite the contrary, there may be an acceleration factor due to increased exposure. In East Lansing the population distribution is atypical as might be predicted because of the influence of Michigan State University. The following Table shows not only that East Lansing residents are younger than the national average, but that the percentage of persons under 24 continues to increase . Table 4.‘ 1960 1950 1960 National Age Group Number Percent Number Percent Percent Under 15 3,025 14.7 6,237 20.6 31.0 15-19 3,350 16.2 5,680 18.8 7.4 20-24 6,188 30.0 7,356 24.4 6.0 Sub-Total 12,563 60. 19,273 63 8 44.4 25-29 2,523 12.2 2,719 9.0 6.1 30-44 2,525 12.2 3,924 13.0 20.2 45-59 1,763 8.5 2,670 8.8 16.2 60 and Over 951 4.5 1,612 5.3 13.1 Total 20,325 30,198 100. 100.0 Source: East Lansing Planning Commission, Comprehensive Plan Nineteen Eighty (East Lansing: City of East Lansing, 1968), p, 44 . 25 Education It is difficult to separate education and its effects on recreation from other closely related Characteristics such as occupation and income. There are some strong indications that activities associated with Sports and viewing sports rise with education. 13 Highly educated persons tend to be younger than peOple with less education in the same income brackets, thus accounting for another direct link with age, income and frequency of participation. Again the influence of Michigan State University is unmistakable. In addition to the large numbers of students with varying years of academic completion, there are large numbers of teaching and administrative person- nel living in East Lansing and their occupation usually required advanced degree work. This is borne out in the following Table which shows that over half of the peOple 25 and over have completed at least four years of college. Table 5. East Lansing Lansing Tri-County Michigan Persons 25 and over 10,878 59,430 151,354 4,217,000 None 9 521 982 62,000 Elementary 542 16,942 43,779 1,494,000 High School 2,560 30,993 75,367 2,034,000 College, 1-3 years 2,458 6,227 15,439 341,000 4 or more 5,309 4,747 15,797 285,000 Median School Years Completed 15.8 11.9 12.0 10.7 Source: East Lansing Planning Commission, Comprehensive Plan Nineteen Eighty (East Lansing: City of East Lansing, 1968) , p. 45. l3Ibid. , p. 34. 26 Income A twofold effect seems to be present when income is compared to rec- reation activity. Higher incomes enable persons to participate in a wider group of activities , because some of the limitations of cost in recreation have been removed. A higher proportion of discretionary income may be coupled with better transportation to allow higher income groups to pro— vide recreation for themselves not strictly limited by local or public rec- reation sources. Activity levels which may be charted by income groups often contain a large number of older persons in the low income brackets which will affect participation rates. Some evidence exists that those persons moving into the higher income brackets use more of their leisure time for recreation, rather than simply resting. 1 In the particular case of East Lansing, the lower income grouping is sure to contain large numbers of students, a traditionally active segment of the pOpulation regardless of income level. It may be that recreation activity will be considerably higher under these circumstances than would be true nationally and that fewer differences in participation in recreation will be present in the lower and upper income levels. Family income in East Lansing is quite high as can be shown in a study done by the Planning Commission in 1962 (Table 6). Table 6. East Lansipg Lansing Tri-County Income Level Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Under $5,000 1,760 31.5 10,187 29.1 24,059 32.8 $5,000—$9,999 2,159 37.7 14,838 53.8 37,207 50.8 $10,000-$14,999 1,073 18.7 3,614 13.1 8,746 11.9 $15,000 and Over 750 13.1 1,071 4.0 3,257 4.5 All Families 5,742 100.0 27,551 100.0 73,269 100.0 Median Income $7,152 $6,477 $6,177 Source: East Lansing Planning Commission, Comprehensive Plan Nineteen Eighty (East Lansing: City of East Lansing, 1968), p. 44. l4Ibid. 27 Subsequent U. 8. Census information republished by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission indicates a rise in income for all census tracts except one—the area immediately north of Michigan State University. Expanded student use of this area for housing is the probable cause for this downward trend. By national standards , the potential for high rec- reational activity exists in East Lansing. The community survey should serve to establish the validity of this prediction. Occrmation Occupation is another factor strongly linked with education and income. Some similarity of recreation interest exists within occupations and the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission found that "college edu— cated peOple, businessmen and professional peOple are particularly likely to engage in outdoor recreation away from home. "15 This is not to imply that they do not participate at home, but that despite generally larger yards and nicer surroundings, they spend a majority of their recreation time away from home. Semi—skilled to unskilled occupations tend to pro— duce persons who spend more than half of their recreation time at home. Labor force distribution in East Lansing shows a high percentage em- ployed in educational services and a low percentage employed in manu— facturing. The percentage of persons employed in different types of jobs other than professional and technical is low compared to the Tri-County area, Michigan and the U. S. (See Table 7.) Accessory Recreation Opportunities Public recreation develOpment in any city may be strongly affected by recreational Opportunities available in close proximity but outside the city limits, and from a number of sources outside the strictly public realm but still within the city. "The presence of attractive facilities within a reasonable 15Ibid. , p. 48. 28 .50 d .0002 .0523 $0000 .300 ”05000.0 0005 3:000 200002070 :20 0300030000800 .co0mm0EEoO 0550000 00:0ch0 .0000 "00.300 0.000 0.000 0.000 050.000 0.000 550.00 0000.0 .34. 0100: 034: a N .A all 8:80. .02 0822.822 .0 005000 0000003000 0003.00 0.0 5.0 0.0 000.00 0.00 500.0 000300 0.; 0.5m 0.0m $0.0...” 0.x :0 330808 5058.0 £05020 0.5 00.5 0.5 000.0 0.5 500 00000 00.000 0.00 0.00 000.00 0.00 000.0 00000000 «:00 05 0.2 $0.: 0.0 08 28952 0.00 0.00 0.00 000.000 0.00 000.00 00000000910000000000000 00000003000 00 0:0EWo0mEm 0.000 0.000 0.000 050.000 0.000 550.00 0000.0. 0.00. 0.0 0.0 00010 0.0 000 000.30.200.00 000.000 o .0 0 .m 0 .0 000 . 5 N .0 000 050020005804 935 0.0 0.0 0.00 000.00 0.00 000.0 0000300 05000050000 0.00 0.000 0.00 0.00.00 0.00 500.0 0000.0. 000000 0.0 0.0 5.0 000.0 0.0 000 00000. 000003003. 0.00 5.00 0.00 000.000 0.0 500.0 0000.500 00000000 .0 00000000000000 00:05.0 0005030 0.0 5.0 0.0. 0.8.0. 0.0 050 0030005 .0 00800000038830 5000000on00000. 0.50 0.00 0.00 $0.00 0.5 005 0200300030002 5 .00 0 .0 0 .00 000 . 00 0. .0 000 05000300000 .0 020502 . 0030300004. 00.000000 0000.000 0000.000 000852 50000 0008370 30020020 .3 E0E>o0QEm 000000 0000005 30.300012 NESOOICH 0500000 000m 0000.0 0000.0 05. 00 00000200000000 0300000800 .5 038. 29 distance seems to have a tendency to stimulate interest in outdoor rec- reation which in turn leads peOple to desire still better facilities. " 16 The Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission found that avail- ability of facilities appears to have some influence on increased participa— tion, and that the segments of the nation reporting the most recreational development also report the most complaints about lack of recreational facilities. Those facilities which can be considered accessory to East Lansing's public park and recreation system may be evaluated from a number of dif- ferent viewpoints. One such evaluation might be that this composite group provides a valuable supplement to East Lansing and serves as an important resource. A second position might be that this group is so well developed that it has retarded the develOpment of public facilities in East Lansing. If sufficient Opportunities exist near East Lansing, its citizens may feel little compulsion to dedicate tax money for develOpment of a more exten- sive recreational system. A third viewpoint may be that these develOp- ments have filled a void in past develOpment. It is now possible for East Lansing to establish an eXpanded program based on modern planning and construction principles which can become singularly outstanding by not fighting the problems of an antiquated hard—to-redesign system. To examine in detail every area , facility or program which may have some possible impact on East Lansing is a monumental task and is not the purpose of this study. An attempt will be made to catalog the major types of recreation affecting possible public Park and Recreation develOpment in East Lansing. For the sake of convenience, a system of categorizing these types is needed. A resource-based system of classification was used by the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission and Six major categories were established. l61bid. , p. 8. 30 Class I. High Density Recreation Areas—Areas intensively develOped and managed for mass use. Class II. General Outdoor Recreation Areas—Areas subject to substantial develOpment for a wide variety of specific recrea- tion uses. Class III. Natural Environmental Areas—Various types of areas that are suitable for recreation in a natural environment and usually in combination with other uses. Class IV. Unique Natural Areas—Areas of outstanding scenic splendor, natural wonder or scientific importance. Class V. Primitive Areas—Undisturbed roadless areas, char- acterized by natural wild conditions including "wilderness areas. " Class VI. Historic and Cultural Sites—Sites of major historic or cultural significance, either local, regional, or national. This classification system appears to be most useful when the full range of classifications is present within the study parameters. National, regional or state planning will no doubt find these categories very useful, but the broad classification which is valuable to a large geographic juris- diction is too broad to be useful on a local basis. Problems of classifica- tion, not easily resolved, are introduced and the difficulties of compiling relevant data are increased because local informational sources do not organize material on recreation in this manner. A number of other systems of classifications were considered such as Clawson's three-category system: User-Oriented, Intermediate, and Re- source Based. 18 This system also is too broad for local use and does not lend itself readily to the gathering of supporting data. There are a number of similar systems based on land types and develOpment patterns which are excellent for considerations which are strictly public. Their main weak- ness is in classifying those develOpments outside of the public sphere. l7 . . . . U. S. , Outdoor Recreation Resources Rev1ew CommISSIOn, Outdoor Recreation for America (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1962), p. 97. 18Marion Clawson, Land and Water for Recreation (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1963). p. 13. 31 More usable for a study of this type is classification by ownership or operating agency. Michael Chubb, in a doctoral pressure problem on recreation in the Greater Lansing area, used a nine-class system which was broad enough to include all aspects, but yet detailed enough to have clear demarcation between classes. 19 His last two classes—Vending of Recreational Goods and Services, and Recreation-Oriented Manufacturing —may be significant to the economic geographer, but will not be treated in this study as separate classes. The remaining seven classifications are relevant and form a convenient framework for listing the availability of recreation Opportunities outside of East Lansing's public system. Class I. Unrestricted Public Recreation All publicly owned facilities which are Open to the public are included. Charging fees for entrance or programming by age or sex does not affect this classification. All divisions of government which own facilities or Sponsor programs open to the general public such as schools, libraries, park systems, museums, arboretums or zoologic gardens are included. School activities and facilities restricted to students will be found in Class 11. City of Lansing Included in the offerings of the Lansing Park and Recreation Depart- ment are 70 parks totaling over 1,450 acres, 4 golf courses, 55 super— vised playgrounds, 25. 1 miles of river frontage, a zoo and an arboretum. Two outdoor swimming pools are available, one at Hunter Park and the other at Moores Park. The Recreation Division, which is responsible for recreation programming, sponsors a varied fare Spanning a 12-month period . 19Chubb, "Recreation as an Element," p. 35. OLansing Department of Parks and Recreation, A Guide to Parks and RecreationLCity of Lansing (Lansing, Michigan: City of Lansing, 1966). 32 Activities which they sponsor include golf, swimming, playground programs, Senior Citizens program, craft classes, recreation clubs, soft- ball, baseball, basketball, touch football, horseshoe tournaments, tennis, performing arts, ice skating, shuffleboard, talent shows and various spe- cial events. The total impact of all types of participation has not been accurately measured because of the problems involved with the large num— bers of peOple taking part in informal recreation. It has been estimated that between 5 and 10 million visitations would be reasonable when all types of activities are considered. Still more difficult to access than total participation is the numbers of East Lansing residents taking part in Lansing's program. Lansing's policy in regard to nonresident participation is liberal. Nonresidents are given the same privileges as residents. Because of this policy, insuffi— cient information exists on how much East Lansing demand is absorbed by Lansing. Certain types of develOpments are more attractive to nonresident visitations than others because of size or type of facility offered. Potter Park Zoo is no doubt a pOpular place for East Lansing residents because of the large multi-purpose park surrounding it, its close physical proximity, and for the added feature that it is free. Studies have shown that zoo visitors regularly are willing to travel 20 miles to see a zoo. It is unlikely that the immediate area would support a second zoo, so use habits dictate a continued pOpularity for a number of years to come. Use could be changed in a number of ways. If maintenance levels decreased, crowded conditions increased or fees instituted, some reductions of use might appear. On the other hand, if pOpulation increases or the zoo is substantially improved, frequency could jump quite dramatically. Fenner Arboretum is another develOpment which attracts peOple from a wide area, certainly within the effective use range of East Lansing. Officials estimate that of the 300,000 persons attending the arboretum, one-third are 21Chubb, "Recreation as an Element, " p. 70. 33 from East Lansing. 22 In addition to regular visitor traffic, a number of schools and organizations bring groups on tours and they contribute strongly to the rather large prOportion credited to East Lansing. Lansing's four golf courses are located in geographic positions which place them closer to a majority of East Lansing residents than they are to some persons living in the south and southwestern parts of Lansing. The lack of public courses in East Lansing suggests that at least a share of the golfing demand is directed at the Lansing courses. Recreation habits are often lasting and the use of Lansing facilities will no doubt continue well into the future. Modifications of the impor- tance might occur if fee structures were changed, overcrowding became a problem or more convenient facilities were to become available in East Lansing. Michigan State University Facilities on the campus may be divided into two major types—outdoor and indoor. Chief among the outdoor attractions of Michigan State University is the campus complex itself. President John A. Hannah has referred to the campus in several speeches as a "park. " Its landscaping, physical lay- out and high maintenance levels make walking and driving for pleasure common, especially in the spring when the flowering trees are at their best and in the fall when the foliage is turning color. Canoeing on the Red Cedar is pOpular with students and nonstudents alike. The canoe livery makes rental canoes available. Beal-Garfield Gardens near the Library and the Horticultural Gardens near the Natural Science Building are famous for their outstanding seasonal flower displays. Walking on nature trails in the Pinetum, Sanford Woodlot, Red Cedar Woodlot and 2Bob Papenfus, Arboretum Director, Lansing, Michigan, telephone interview, May 1968. 34 Baker Woodlot offers arboretum-type atmosphere. 23 Forest Akers Golf Course is Open to the public, but at a rate higher than that offered to stu— dents or faculty. Higher rates and a strong sociologic link with Univer- sity personnel may have some effect in discouraging the general public in East Lansing from using it like a strictly public course. Since Big Ten Conference sporting events draw nationwide interest, local attendance at these contests is pOpular. Publicity, win-loss records and weather often dictate interest in particular events, but football, base- ball, traCk, soccer, tennis, swimming are all popular with the local sports fans. Football is definitely king and the 76,000 seat stadium is generally filled to capacity more often than not. Forty tennis courts are available to the public when not being utilized for classes or meets. Nine softball fields and nine football fields are theoretically also available, but as a practical matter are so heavily used by students that few others have the Opportunity. Special events such as Greek Week, the Water Carnival and Homecoming offer diverse viewing fare. By virtue of the many forms of activities offered on the campus , Mich- igan State University has become the cultural center of the region. Its many indoor facilities provide diverse Opportunities for those interested as spectators or participants. Abrams Planetarium schedules public shows as well as special group showings for organizations and for schools. The same general policy exists for the University Museum with the exception that public hours are somewhat expanded over hours offered by the Planetarium. The University Library is available to the general public for reading and research, even though borrowing is restricted to students and faculty. Kresge Art Center has a pOpular gallery Open to the public. 3 East Lansing, Parks, Recreation and Beautification, p. 16. 24Chubb, ”Recreation as an Element, " p. 80. 35 Both the Lecture-Concert Series and POpular Entertainment boast large public attendance. Also available are the International Film Series and Lecture~Travel programs. 25 In addition to the large capacity programs listed above, there are innumerable music recitals, lectures and Special programs to which the public is invited. Indoor sports provide opportunities for viewing Big Ten competition in basketball, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, fencing, track and ice hockey. The Ice Arena also allows recreational skating which is Open to the general public. In addition to college competition, high school meets are hosted on campus, notably track and state high school basketball playoffs. Often overlooked in the consideration of recreation is the extensive program carried on by libraries. Recreational reading and storytelling by library personnel is offered by the City of Lansing Public Library. The State Library specializes in general reference material, government pub— lications, a Michigan collection, art and music, children's books and non—musical recordings. Class II. Restricted Public Recreation This class includes all types of recreation on public prOperty except those activities covered by Class I and those activities which are carried on by a major permanent organization which would qualify for either Class III—Quasi—Public Recreation, or Class IV—Organizational Recreation. Student or employee restrictions are the most common, providing the ac- tivities of employees are at their own expense. Programs provided by the employer are considered Class V—Institutional Recreation. Lansing Public Schools carry on an extensive program of sports activ- ities which they do not consider recreational but educational, plus a num- ber of intramural-type activities. The major impact of these programs 2590141., p. 82. 26Ibid., p. 84. 36 might be to reduce the number of persons requiring public recreational fa- cilities. In those areas closest to East Lansing, the impact of these pro- grams will be most important. Should a reduction of recreational programs take place in the Lansing School System because of the recent defeat of the millage referendum, some extra pressure may be felt on public facilities. Significant numbers of students at Michigan State University are in— volved in student organizations which have varying recreational values. The Handbook for Students lists 204 student organizations, 12 of which are listed under the heading of recreational. Listed are the Acrobatics Club, Judo Club, Lacrosse Club, Michigan State Cycling Club, MSU Crew Club, MSU Flying Club, MSU Ski Club, MSU Spartanettes (ice skating), MSU Outing Club, Promenaders (square dancing), Sailing Club and the Weightlifting Club. In addition most of the other clubs or organizations have some type of recreational function at least once a year. Intramurals and the facilities associated with the program offer students a tremendous range of sporting activities. The Men's Intramural Building has courts for paddleball, squash, handball, basketball, badminton, tennis and volley— ball. A golf driving range, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and rooms for archery, table tennis, and weightlifting are also available. The Women's Intramural Building provides for volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, two indoor swimming pools, gymnastics and dancing. Other facilities on the campus restricted to student and faculty use are intramural fields, a running track, a soccer field and student union facilities. Some of the residence halls have independent recreation programs with a small fee charged. Additional programs are sponsored in tournaments for bridge, chess, billiards, table tennis, dances, musical groups, recreational charter flights, and the publication of the State News newspaper. Participation in organized groups such as athletic teams, musical groups , and theatrical groups are assumed to be essentially pleasure giving to the participant, and form another segment of Restricted Recreation. Even though they may participate in performances which are Open to the public, the requirement for the performers is still restrictive. 37 Class III. Quasi-Public Recreation This category covers recreation sponsored by organizations such as the YMCA, YWCA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Red Cross, and other groups which, while not funded directly by tax money, still enjoy special priv- ileges such as grants from the United Fund, tax exempt status, and agree- ments with public agencies for special use of facilities. YMCA and YWCA programs are similar and in fact sometimes use the same facilities, segregated by time programming for the two sexes. A YMCA branch and a YWCA branch are found in Lansing and a YMCA branch in East Lansing. In addition they utilize some school facilities , Churches , parks and homes for various phases of their program. Boy's activities include Sports, physical fitness, clubs, crafts, cook— outs, swimming, picnics, field days, leadership clubs and Special trips. They have day camp and resident camp facilities available during the sum- mer. Girls participate in sports, physical fitness, swimming, and a num- ber of varied club activities. Men have access to the gyms, handball courts, squash courts and the swimming pool. Women take part in swimming, physical fitness programs, and numerous special club functions. 2 A stronger emphasis to family activities has been a recent trend. Fathers and sons participate together in Indian Guides, swimming and outings. Young married couples have athletic mixers, special social events, and have formed a Young Married Couples Sports Club. In addi— tion there is the Singles and Doubles Club, Y's Men's Auxiliary and the Mothers Club for women. Activities planned for the whole family are being conducted which include swimming, gym, social and recreational outings. They use the Resident Camp and Day Camp facilities in a number of the programs. Informal lounges for reading, television viewing, and relaxation as well as game rooms, meeting rooms, a chapel, and facilities for food 271.10.10.10. 117. 281bid., p. 113. 38 preparation add to their recreational capacity. In 1965 , it was estimated that the YMCA programs had an attendance of 635,74729 and the YWCA had an attendance of 168, 224. The YMCA is constantly striving to improve and enlarge their programs, often using public facilities as part of these programs. With an expansion of the "Y" activities, greater pressure Should be felt on public facilities. The Parkwood Branch in East Lansing had an estimated usage of 62,368 in 1965, which was less than 10 percent of the areawide total. However, it should be taken into consideration that many peOple in East Lansing use the YMCA facility in Lansing rather than the smaller one in East Lansing. While other organizations carry on some small programs, the only other large group functioning in this classification is the Scouting move— ment. It consists of the Boy Scouts of America in its three categories: cubs, scouts, and explorers; and the Girl Scouts of America with its two divisions: brownies and scouts. Their organizational makeup does not follow political boundaries, so it is possible for individual units in Lansing or Okemos to have Ea st Lansing residents included in their membership totals. 31 Scouting has been considered a combination educational and recrea- tional type of organization. It has many facets which include craft work , special educational projects , and the major item of outdoor activities. Camping, boating, and outdoor projects have been the backbone of the movement, and as such, usually takes its membership away from the urban setting for many of its activities. A number of Scout Camps have been es- tablished which provide for a wide range of recreational activity, all outside of the City limits of Lansing or East Lansing. As interest in Scouting in- creases, pressure on urban parks may be relieved somewhat by the use of these outlying areas , especially in the warm weather months. Since Scouting relies heavily on volunteer help, adult participation in leadership 292311., p. 114. 301818. 31111101., p. 109. 39 capacities involves older peOple as well as youngsters. This involvement is essentially recreational and has been seen to contribute to adult and family interest in camping—primarily a recreation form enjoyed outside of the urban area . Class IV. Organization Recreation This class includes all privately organized groups that do not fall into one of the three groups previously used but which cannot be considered commercial or institutional. The numbers involved in this type of recreation may be incalcuable because of the diversity of its SCOpe. Some 215 different organizations in the Greater Lansing Area are enumerated in the telephone book Yellow Pages. Probably as many more exist which do not have telephone service. Some of these organizations are concerned with recreation only in its broadest definitional form or as a fragment of their total objectives , but the cumulative effect produces huge numbers of participants. Churches, for instance, have a number of social groups which they would be reluctant to call recreational, but nevertheless do furnish some form of recreation experience. In addition, the churches are carrying on an energetic program of social activities in all age groups which participate in dances , dinners, games of all kinds, athletic leagues and recreational travel. In age distribution this class may be one of the most important single groups providing recreation for the adult sector of society. By the require- ment of dues and Special charges for their many programs , economic lim— itations may be a factor in participation. Participation is further limited by criteria established by each organ— ization for membership. Veterans qualify for such groups as Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. Other groups may be restrictive for religious , economic, professional, hobby or ethnic reasons. Indoor 321bid., p. 135. 40 recreation is predominent although selected groups may be outdoor recrea- tion oriented. Many types of recreation enjoyed by the older community lend themselves to the convenience of indoor facilities and their added advantage of greater organizational control. This category may present a contradiction in its impact on the public sector in East Lansing. A great many of its activities are such that no public facilities are involved or will likely be involved—bars dispensing alcoholic beverages for instance. On the other hand, some of their func— tions such as picnics have a definite relationship because of the use of a park as a picnic site. Some groups such as the Lansing Country Club, Walnut Hills Country Club, and the Lansing Ski Club have built and main— tained facilities which serve important numbers of interested persons willing to support a costly develOpment with private funds. In this respect these develOpments may often substitute for public facilities. Class V. Institutional Recreation This class is intended for the recreational programs that are organized for employees by industries , by business or government. To qualify for this class the industry, business or government agency must provide the major part of the expenditure for organizing the program and providing fa- cilities. This eliminates those after-hours activities in which little or no financial support is given. In the Lansing area the only major program is conducted by General Motors. The employees of Oldsmobile and Fisher Body Divisions and their families are eligible. 33 While this gives Opportunities to all those peOple in East Lansing employed by General Motors , their numbers are probably under 10 percent as evidenced by the figures given in the occupation data Shown previously. For those eligible, the General Motors program includes baseball, 33Ibid. , p. 138. 41 basketball, bowling, outdoor trips, girls' club, card parties, choruses, social activities and picnics. 3 Formation of a Faculty Club at Michigan State University has been discussed, but at the present time no University—financed program has been develOped. Class VI. Commercial Recreation In this class are all types of recreation activity that are offered with the primary purpose of personal or corporate gain. Great diversity in type and purpose mark Class VI, but the greatest impact on East Lansing and its public recreation develOpment are those enterprises in Class VI which dispense a recreational service or product. Examples which are of importance are movie theaters, bowling alleys, nightclubs, taverns, dance halls, roller skating rinks, music stores, and Civic Center entertainment features. Movie houses are pOpular in the area with a total of 11 listed in the telephone book. Two theaters and one drive—in are listed as having East Lansing addresses. Close proximity is an aid to full movie houses , but first class movies usually draw large crowds regardless of location. A great many East Lansing residents attend movies in Lansing prOper, espe- cially if popular films are being shown. It is difficult to assess or separate the recreational value of bars, taverns and cocktail lounges, but undoubtedly they have a high recrea- tional value to the pOpulation in general. In Chubb's study on recreation in the Greater Lansing area, 80 establishments are listed in this classi- fication. 35 Obviously this large number of commercial enterprises ca— tering to this segment shows the pOpularity of social food and drink. It 4Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Rec- reation, Recreation in Lansing—A Survey (Bloomington: Indiana University, April 1964), p. 109. 35Chubb, "Recreation as an Element," p. 145. 42 illustrates the ability of recreation to support itself financially and in fact return a profit. Restaurants also have a high social value but are often thought of as essentially food dispensing services. Various forms of Sporting events and sports centered facilities are available to accommodate the different athletic interests. Wrestling Exhi- bitions are booked at the Civic Center in Lansing. 36 Bowling is available at 12 locations, billiards and pool at eight. Dance halls, studios, and dancing schools list 43 establishments, testifying to the great popularity of dancing in the Greater Lansing area. Passive recreation Opportunities in recreational reading are aided by a great many shOps which sell paperbacks, books and magazines. Record shOps are numerous in East Lansing and are especially pOpular with college and high school students. A great deal of incidental recreation is avail— able in the form of shOpping and special commercial events which consume a great deal of time, but which are not planned as recreation and result as a byproduct of commercial availability. It is not intended nor is it possible to list all of the various forms of commercial enterprises that have recreational implications in this study. An attempt was made to eXpose some of the most significant and obvious examples to indicate the magnitude of this classification. In economic terms, it has been estimated that the Greater Lansing Area receives gross receipts in excess of $15 million per year. 38 Since the income level of East Lansing has been shown to be higher than that of the surrounding area , it may be possible that its residents spend more money per capita for rec-— reation than an equal number of Lansing residents. From this conjecture we may theorize that East Lansing would be a fertile area for further ex- pansion of commercial recreation ventures. Some forms of commercial recreation such as skiing have dedicated advocates which readily use commercial ski resorts far from the city. This 361319, p. 146. 3711310., p. 152. 38Ibid., p. 153. 43 is another example of demand translating itself into a profit-making Op- portunity spanning distance and economic considerations. The importance of this class should not be underestimated since this sector may be the most flexible of all the classes in response to public recreation needs. Faddish types of activities often find a champion in the commercial sector. By virtue of this ability to undertake new projects and ones which may be slightly controversial from a public standpoint, they furnish an important supplement beyond the usual capacity of public groups. Golfing has been a good example of response to public demand. Golf re- quires a relatively large area and costly maintenance. Despite this draw- back, large numbers of commercial courses have been develOped through- out the nation in response to demand and in the local area six golf related facilities have been constructed in addition to publicly-owned courses. Class VII. Private Recreation Private recreation is defined as all types of recreation that are pro— vided on private prOperty by owners of the prOperty for the recreation of guests or for themselves. Convenience is a prime factor in this class of recreation and it may be that of all classes of recreation, private recreation accounts for the greatest amount of total time spent in recreational activities. Problems are associated with ascertaining the quantity of this time, as peOple often separate Simple leisure time pursuits from recreation. Few people con— sider all the time spent in watching TV, listening to the radio or records, recreational reading, children's play time in the house or yard, and simple rest and relaxation at home as recreation. Often these activities are carried on at odd times with no real effort expended to remember the cumulative time spent in these activities. Backyard picnic equipment, swimming or wading pools, play equip— ment and games are a part of home equipment in evidence more today than in previous generations. This is especially true in suburban areas of above average income levels such as East Lansing. The Outdoor Recreation 44 Resources Review Commission found that of all the leisure activities in which adults engage, the tOp four are in the private recreation class. They are the only ones which were listed by more than 50 percent of those sur- veyed. Looking at TV, visiting with friends and relatives, reading and gardening and work in the yard were listed in order of greatest pOpularity. 39 This pOpularity of home entertainment is evident by even casual inquiry. A quick scan over my own back fence revealed that of the houses in the block, six had barbeque equipment, four had play apparatus for children, two had basketball goals and five had some type of patio furniture. In a more affluent neighborhood this total may be much higher. Since time is often a limitation in recreation participation40 part of the problem of avail- ability has been solved by the purchase or construction of home equipment. Despite the fact that a great deal of recreation is available in the home, it cannot be considered a substitute for other forms of recreation. "There is no support in this study [ORRRC No. 20] for the notion that living in a nice neighborhood in the suburbs and having one's own yard diminishes the desire to engage in outdoor recreation on vacation and week— end trips. "41 In reviewing the factors affecting public park and recreation develOp— ment, it would seem that the natural features of the area set the general recreation tone of the region. These combinations of water features, soils and climate have a great influence on the interest and ultimate availability of facilities. In areas where terrain and snowfall are suitable, ski demand has risen. The character of Michigan streams and rivers aids in the devel- Opment of canoeing pOpularity. This same type of thing is evident in a purely local Situation. Groups of activities become regionally pOpular, and this pOpularity produces a demand for facilities to accommodate them. Influence such as economic profile and pOpulation are more dynamic 39 U. S. , Participation in Outdoor Recreation, p. 32. 4010a. 411bid., p. x. 3'9 45 in their nature and are often responsible for a great change in recreational habits. When Michigan was a lightly pOpulated state, heavily engaged in logging, leisure time pursuits were far different than present pOpulouS Michigan now enjoys. Increased wealth and urbanization will no doubt cause a Shift in preferences and in the ability of a community to financially support the cost of expanded local recreation facilities. Recreational develOpment immediately surrounding East Lansing is a paradox. It can both increase the need for facilities by stimulating wide- spread interest and decrease the need for certain facilities by providing Opportunities sufficient to meet local demands. This broadpgrouping is highly elastic and appears to present a gigantic potential for recreational experiences. Whether or not it will be adequate to meet future demands may be a moot question. It does seem that if the important sector of rec- reational Opportunities is to be developed to its maximum capacity, each of the component areas must develOp its own segment fully. Due to the basic self interest associated with each of the components, it would seem that the general population will be served prOperly only when there is a balance between the various agencies involved with develOpment or dis— pensing recreation services . CHAPTER IV EXAMINATION OF EAST LANSING SYSTEM The East LansingMunicipal Park and Recreation System At the present time, the East Lansing Municipal Park and Recreation System consists of lands , structures and programs owned, controlled or sponsored by the City of East Lansing and the East Lansing Board of Educa- tion. In order to prOperly develOp the analysis of this system it will be divided into five major groups: (1) lands and facilities, (2) programs, (3) organizational structure, (4) comparisons with other Michigan cities , and (5) financing. Lands and Facilities In examing lands and facilities available to the general public for recreational purposes some use of standards will be made. While not goals or ideals in themselves, they can serve as frames of reference for comparisons and as indicators relative to pOpulation size. Other important considerations such as develOpment of the Site, access, attractiveness of location, maintenance level, use in organized programs and recreation de- mand may be of more importance individually, but the broad consideration of Opportunity is strongly linked to acreage. When comparisons are made between cities, the complexities of individual cities are such that acreage per pOpulation may be the only one which is consistent. Selection of standards can often seem arbitrary, but the one set of standards which has been used most often is the National Recreation Association Standards. They have been compiled by experts in the park and recreation profession and have been widely accepted and used throughout the nation. "A rec- reation space standard is not a measure of the availability of land for the purposes or of the availability of money to buy the land. It is a measure 46 47 ..1 of the need of land for the purposes for which recreation space is provided. Standards should be realistic to be useful and according to the Recreation and Park Yearbook—1961 , 46 of the 50 largest cities in the country had an average of 7 acres per 1,000. 2 Large cities have traditionally been the poorest in pOpulation per 1 , 000 and in fact have often considered 10 acres per 1,000 a high figure for large cities despite the fact that 24 percent of those 46 large cities equal or surpass that figure. Medium-sized cities have found the 10 acre figure reasonable while some of the smaller cities are using standards of 15 acres per 1,000. A tendency towards expanding total acreage for recreation is evident presently and it may be that in the near future present standards will be considered too conservative and will be raised. 3 Community parks are the group of urban parks which are large in terms of area. By definition they are designed to serve the community as a whole. In size, 12 acres is minimum and 20 or more acres desirable, 1 acre per 800 persons in the city is considered an appropriate total size. In design they may be either strongly playfield in concept, strongly park or passive in concept or a mixture of both. Often large community parks include pools, recreation buildings, zoos, tennis courts and other intensively develOped areas. Recommended Size for community parks is pOpularly 100 acres or more. Neighborhood parks Should be designed to serve a neighborhood of up to 5,000 to 8,000 persons. A minimum size of 2. 75 acres is desirable. One acre per 800 persons Should provide adequate space for neighborhood type recreation. In addition to size, the park Should be no further than one-half mile from any portion of the neighborhood with no major traffic 1 . . . . . National Recreation Assoc1ation, Outdoor Recreation Space Standards, p. 18. 2National Recreation Association, Recreation and Park Yearbook—1961 (New York: National Recreation Association, 1961), p. 12. 3 National Recreation Association, Outdoor Recreation Space Standards, p. 24. 48 or other dangerous barriers. Typical develOpment in a park of this type might be an area for sports activity, children's play area, picnic and rest room facilities. larger neighborhood parks may contain swimming pools, tennis courts and specialized buildings for recreation. A subclas— sification of the neighborhood park is the tot—lot or mini—park. These small parks may be used as buffer zones, landscape areas, playground areas for children or as is the case with downtown mini—parks , a spot for relaxation and beauty. Special parks usually found outside city limits may be developed as arboretums, golf courses or other uses requiring large amounts of land. Golf courses are usually recommended at the rate of 9 holes per 27 ,000 of pOpulation. A number of communities have established large parks out- side of the city limits which are used by the community, but also are of great enough attraction to classify them as a regional park. Only one of the East Lansing parks meets the criterion established for community parks. Alton Road Park or City Park are both pOpular names for the largest of the municipal parks. Its 36. 6 acres are divided into areas for picnicking, children's play equipment, tennis, field sports, and archery. Rest rooms are also available. Its location on the intersec- tion of Alton and Saginaw offers excellent automobile access but dangerous access on foot or bicycle. Adequate parking is available on the Site to accommodate large numbers of park users. The major attraction of the park is the combination picnic and children's play area. Excellent use of play equipment fashioned from trees and scrap materials has been accom— plished. Several of the pieces of equipment are very imaginative and ap— pear to capture the fancy of the young park visitors. Conventional park equipment is also present and the combination provides a diversity not always found in public parks. Picnic facilities may be reserved by telephone for any of eight des— ignated areas, the largest of which will accommodate up to 200 persons. Total capacity of all of the eight areas is 1,020 persons. A pavilion is available where large groups may set up group picnics and be relatively 49 protected from extreme weather—either excessive sunshine or rain. Memo— rial Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July are days on which no reserva— tions will be taken. First-come, first-served is the rule on these three days and if the weather is pleasant, high attendance is common. One of the special events most pOpular in East Lansing is the Fourth of July Fireworks Demonstration held at Alton Park. Capacity crowds are common and the park usually fills early and stays full until the fireworks are completed. In fact, such pressures are put on the park that a number of grass areas not usually available for parking are pressed into service to handle the demand. Parking space is at a premium for the fireworks demonstration and most of the streets in the adjacent neighborhoods are parked full. The Park Superintendent estimates an area attendance of 20, 000. Not all these peOple are actually at the park, but enough are present to constitute an uncommonly intense usage. A certain amount of damage due to the huge crowds has been noted on the turf areas, and some minor problems in cleanup have occurred, but the demonstration has been enough of a success to be considered a local tradition. Financing is pro— vided through local donations and the Chamber of Commerce has taken on the reSponsibility for the park cleanup. Saint Thomas Aquinas School and East Lansing High School use some of the turf areas for field Sports practices. COOperation between schools is necessary to avoid conflicts in scheduling times. At this point, COOp- eration has been effective in avoiding major problems. It is interesting to note that to carry out an effective program it is necessary to use some park facilities and in turn the schools make available some of their facil- ities for park usage. The size and design of the park area is paramount in its attraction to the schools. Few school sites have space adequate to accommodate all the demand for baseball and football practice areas. Six softball-baseball fields are in use in Alton. They are designed back to back, thereby giving maximum utilization of available acreage. Care in programming is required in using these diamonds, as the outfielders 50 playing on different diamonds are close together when older children or adults are playing. Perimeter fencing reduces traffic control problems which might occur as a natural consequence of nearby picnicking and play area activities. ‘ Four lighted tennis courts are located on one Side of the park separated from the main picnic and play areas by the ballfields. They are well fenced and in good condition and because of their green-colored surface have very little glare for daylight play. Lighting, perimeter in type, extends the playing time into darkness hours. The extension of usable time on the courts due to the lighting is a definite asset and may be equal to one or more additional courts in terms of extra availability. During the seasons of the year when there is short daylight hours, lighting makes it possible for peOple to play after work or school who would not otherwise be able to play except on weekends. Landscaping material is quite mature in Alton and a mixture of tree varieties offers good shade. Areas where grass is difficult to maintain, such as play equipment and picnic areas , are nicely surfaced with wood chips. This attractive surfacing also is very natural in appearance and blends well with the trees and dark colored picnic tables. In the northeast corner of the park is a house which at present is being rented. This renting constitutes a non-park use and removes a sec- tion of the park from unlimited public use. Some future recreational poten- tial exists in the building provided it is adapted to handle public activity. Valley Court must be listed as the only other major develOped park in the East Lansing system. It does not meet the requirements for a community park but because of its size and location may be considered more then a neighborhood park. Its close proximity to the central business district and the influence of multiple-family housing catering mostly to students makes it valuable from a resource standpoint. In existing facilities, the baseball field is possibly the most intensively used portion of the park. It lies in the middle of the 5. 0 acre park with Open 51 space to the west and game area to the east. League play in youth base— ball is pOpular in the summer and a great number of students utilize the field in the Spring for softball. Usage for the greater part of the year is influenced mainly by what the students in adjacent housing consider in vogue. In the fall hardly a section of the park is without a touch football game in prOgress. Sur- prisingly, the basketball court and the tennis court which are both readily available are used sparingly. Evidently the students prefer the better fa- cilities available on the Michigan State campus for these activities. The play area has playground equipment available near the tennis and basketball areas. As a general rule, this play equipment is poorly utilized. Since students are so often in the park it appears that few small children have established play patterns which include this park. Some of the mothers who live close by bring their children to the park in the mornings but frequent usage is the exception rather than the rule. In the winter, two areas for ice skating are established by natural freezing methods. No warming house accommodations are available and no rest rooms are located within the park. Arbor Park is adjacent to Red Cedar School and in fact belongs to the East Lansing Board of Education. Its 2. 7 acres are dedicated mostly to a childrens' play area and limited picnicking. Due to the limited parking available it is most significant as a walk—in park to be used by the neighbor- hood. Multiple-family housing units are nearby and their density contrib- utes to the park's usefulness. In the winter an area is provided for skating. Henry Fine Park is, at the present time, an undeveIOped 20—acre area. It might even be considered as less than undeveloped because of the physi- cal nature of the area. The park consists of a peat bog with a fair amount of mature tree vegetation. The peat has been estimated at between 20 to 30 feet in thickness by the Park Superintendent and during the warm season has water on or just under the surface of the ground. In order for the Park Department to eliminate excess vegetation it has been necessary to wait 52 until the ground is frozen to get machinery in the area. It would take some sort of specialized vehicle like a swamp buggy to Operate in the area during the summer. Mosquitoes are a serious problem to peOples' comfort and effective develOpment of the area seems to hinge on the installation of some sort of drainage system. The peat soil is ill adapted to building construction, but stabilized nature trails are possible. Peat soils are so sensitive to heavy use that the carrying capacity of this park will always be low unless major filling with better soils is accomplished. If heavy demand were to develOp on the existing soils, compaction of soils, veg— etation die off and erosion would surely follow. Its location adjacent to Pinecrest School may prove valuable for Outdoor Education purposes of the school. The school in turn provides an intensive recreation site nearby to modify some of the natural weak points of the park. Burcham Road Park, across from the new Middle School, is bounded on the north by Burcham Road and on the east by Park Lake Road. Mount Vernon Street ends at the west end of the park. The park is undeveIOped at present and contains some mature trees on peat soil. Only part of its 11. 5 acres are now suitable for intensive recreation. The close proximity of undeveIOped land behind the Middle School may allow an effective rec— reational area to be develOped. Tamarisk Park is a neighborhood park of 1. 5 acres serving a relatively new housing area called Tamarisk. In physical appearance it looks like three undeveIOped lots which have a few trees on them. It contains no equipment of any kind and the turf has not yet been established in park quality. This park evidently has very little use, because not even the usual evidence of worn baselines common on empty lots is present. No signs identify the area and coupled with the lack of equipment of any type, peOple may not realize that this area is a public park. Ehinger Park is similar to Tamarisk in that it is a small neighborhood park. Its . 8 acre is situated on Chesterfield Parkway abutting eight expen— sive and well-kept homes and is below the level of the houses and the 53 street. Neighborhood children use the area for ball games, the basepaths being well established ruts in the turf. Turf quality is poor and the gen- eral level of maintenance does not equal that of the surrounding area. No equipment of any kind is present. Mature trees offer good shade but the setting is so subtle a person might not consider it a park. No identifica— tion marks or signs are evident to the passerby to denote a park, but there is a dedicatory plaque on one of the steps leading down into the park from the sidewalk. Shaw Park is a l. 3 acre neighborhood park bounded on the north by Northlawn and served on the south by the dead end of Stuart Avenue. This is another of the parks which is surrounded by quality residential housing. Adequate shade is present in the park and many of the adjacent houses have mature shrubbery near the park boundary giving an added measure of landscaping to the area. No equipment has been placed in the park by the city but someone has built a small backstOp at one end of the park where children often play ball. Some of the adjoining prOperty owners have placed playground equipment and picnic tables near the back of their lots and are evidently using the park as an extension of their back yards. The turf is of poor quality, possibly because of pool soil quality. Several shallow settle holes dotted throughout the park gives evidence that the soil is probably a peat type and is somewhat unstable. No signs of any type mark the area as a public park. Glencairn Park comes the closest of any of the parks to what would be called a school-park complex. The 1. 5 acre park is contiguous to Glen- cairn School. Unfortunately the soil is a peat soil without the same ca- pacity for active use that the improved school area enjoys. It is readily apparent where the school boundary and the park boundary meet. Turf is good quality and well kept on the school area and weedy and ragged on the park area. The shade trees present on the park site make it very at— tractive. Some limited picnicking would certainly be a possibility if tables were placed in the tree area. Several tables are placed near the school, but in numerous personal checks of the park I have never seen them used. 54 Glenhaven Park is a triangular park formed by the intersection of Glenhaven, Harrison and Wildwood streets. Some trees are on the site but it is substantially Open turf. It is used by children for field Sports on occasion but its chief value seems to be as a landscape feature. The three street boundaries which enclose the . 8 acre make the area dangerous for active sport activities. Both its size and its location are limiting factors for possible develOpment. Linden Park is another of the parklets formed by the intersection of three streets. Orchard Street, Chittenden Drive, and Linden Street form the . 4 acre boulevard triangle. Landscaping is evident but for some reason pipe and construction materials have been stored on the area continuously for over two months. There is certainly an aesthetic clash between small Spruces and large-diameter stacked pipe. Its ultimate potential seems to be as a landscape feature only. Delta Park with . 2 acre is the smallest of all the acreages. Located on Delta Street close to multiple-family housing, it serves as a passive recreation area for apartment dwellers despite its very small size and no parking availability on the street. It contains one picnic table and a trash collection barrel and may have its greatest value as a buffer Space to re- duce building density in the area. Its small size limits future possibilities for further development. Forest Park is a . 4 acre park on Southlawn close to East Lansing Junior High School. It is narrow and contains trees making sports impractical. Informal play or perhaps location of some playground equipment seem to be the only alternatives for the area. No identification that it is a park is evident and no equipment has yet been installed. In summing up the impressions of the park land under the jurisdiction of the City of East Lansing, it is essentially a one park system. Alton Park comprises nearly half of the total acreage and without a doubt contains the majority of all park improvements in the City of East Lansing. With the exception of Valley Court and Arbor, no other parks contain any play 55 equipment or other recreational facilities. If total and accurate figures .on individual attendance were available they would no doubt show a strong , majority of all park activity taking place at Alton. Most of the parkland outside of Alton is handicapped by poor soil conditions, poor turf, lack of equipment or a combination of all three. Some of the area listed as parks are little more than boulevard landscape triangles and will have very little recreation potential other than aesthetic improvement of the roadways. The small neighborhood parks constitute an expensive cost per acre maintenance problem for the department if the maintenance level is high. School Facilities In addition to the parks, a number of schools are available for use in the recreational program of East Lansing. Twelve sites with a total of 132. 2 acres are present, many of which are used in sponsored programs. Not all of the 132. 2 acres is always available to the general public. Some of the acreage listed is occupied by buildings and facilities unrelated to recreation. Some areas like the gyms and pools are available to the public only on a very restricted basis. The fact that an area is fenced and adja— cent to a school building may in itself be discouraging the public from general use psychologically. Where the facilities do exist there is a pos- sibility for utilization of that site and for that reason the following list of schools' acreages is given. School Acres Bailey School . . . . . . ..... 2.3 CentralSchool........... 1.2 Donley School . . . . . . ..... 19.0 Glencairn School .......... 2. 9 Marble School . . . ..... . . . 10.8 Pinecrest School . . . ....... 6.8 Red Cedar School . ..... . . . 4. 8 Spartan Village School ....... 4. 5 Whitehills School ......... 15. 7 East Lansing Junior High School . . 5. 2 East Lansing Middle School . . 35. 0 East Lansing High School 24. 0 1-‘ 00 N N 56 Two swimming pools are available for use at the present time: indoor pools at MacDonald Middle School and at the High School. A third indoor pool is under construction at East Lansing Junior High and Should be ready in September of 1969. The pool at the High School has not been available for recreational swimming during the 1968 summer due to some repairs that are being made. The capacity of the existing pools is limited because of their small deck area. At pools where sufficient deck area is present, it is not uncommon for over half of the persons in the pool area to be out of the water at any given time. Limited deck area is therefore a limitation on capacity. The High School pool has a capacity of 50 persons while actual attendance at MacDonald has been close to 200. Their capacity of 250 is less than 1 percent of the pOpulation of East Lansing. National Recreation Association standards recommend a capacity for 3 percent of the pOpulation at any one time. All nine elementary school sites are used as playfields for activities of some sort. In addition, the track facility at the High School is also available. Tennis courts, four at the High School and two at Marble School, are Open to public use with the provision that scheduled activities have priority. In addition to the playgrounds , the multipurpose rooms of the elemen— tary schools, the gym at the High School and two gyms at MacDonald Middle School can be used for public programs at selected times. Avail- ability is most restricted at the High School because of the demand of the sports and physical education programs. ' Without the use of school facilities and school grounds the recreation program in East Iansing would be severely curtailed. School units provide the only track, gym, and swimming pools currently in use. In addition, the play equipment and ball fields comprise a very important part in facility availability. 57 Acreage Recap City of East Lansing Acreage Alton Street Park. . . . . . 36.6 Valley Court Park . . . . . 5.0 ArborPark......... 2.7 Ehinger Park . . 8 Forest Park . 4 Glencairn Park. . . . . 1.5 Henry Fine Park . 20.0 Burcham Road Park . . ll. 5 Glenhaven Park . 8 Linden Park . . . . . .4 Shaw Park 1. 3 Tamarisk Park . . . 1.5 DeltaPark......... .2 Total 82.7 School Lands . . . . . 132.2 Total Lands Available. . 214.9 Recreation Programming Designated the School—City Activity Program, recreation prOgramming in East Lansing is essentially divided into two main segments. The largest segment in terms of participation is the summer program. Nine schools and two parks are used in some way in the program. Participation in all summer programs has been estimated at 2,000. Leadership and supervision for this large group requires the employment of approximately 55 peOple, some part time. One of the most pOpular activities is the playground program. A great variety of activities are scheduled at the seven elementary school sites which are the centers for this activity. Each playground has an adult supervisor and at least one youth aid. Activities for fifth and sixth graders are stressed primarily with playground games, crafts, and ball games oc- cupying the majority of the programming time. Special events are scheduled to highlight the playground season. Sports tournaments, art and craft shows, puppet shows, pet shows all are typical of these special events. The seven elementary schools—Spartan Village, Marble, Donley, Bailey, Glencairn, 4State Journal (Lansing), July 30, 1968, p. 2. 58 Pinecrest, and Red Cedar—vary in registrants from 45 to 145 with a com- bined total of approximately 600 registrants. Time scheduling for the play— grounds is from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. A registration fee of $1. 00 is required for the six—week program. Swimming instruction is another very pOpular part of the summer program. Even though only MacDonald Middle School was available for the 1968 summer, nearly 600 swimmers took advantage of the instructions. A fee of $7. 50 was charged for the multi-level classes. Instruction is based on the station method which allows students to advance through various levels of achievement according to their individual abilities. In order to qualify for classes, children must measure at least 42 inches to the chin. Four separate two-week classes are scheduled during the summer in the time intervals of 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Competi- tive swimming is provided by the Swim Club. This advanced program is for both boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 17 who can demonstrate pro— ficiency in one of the four basic strokes. The eight—week program has morning practice sessions and requires a $20. 00 membership fee. Diving instruction at a $7. 50 fee is also offered for both beginning and advanced divers. Classes are scheduled in the weekday mornings. Recreational swimming was offered from June 20 through August 16 at MacDonald School. Hours were from 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p. m. and from 7:00 p. m. to 9:00 p. m. Monday through Friday. Saturday hours ran from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 and 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The pool is not open on Sundays. Fees are S. 25 for children and $. 50 for adults with no more than $1. 00 charged for family swimming. On Tuesday and Thursday nights the pool is reserved for family swimming. No children are admitted without being accompanied by at least one parent on these two evenings. Average attendance was approximately 200 on weekdays and slightly less on Fridays and Saturdays. 5 5Ibid. 59 Baseball is another extremely pOpular program, involving approximately 450 boys in league play sponsored jointly by the School City Activity Pro- gram and the East Lansing Kiwanis Club. Play in East Lansing takes place in the morning and afternoons. The Farm League is for boys 9 and 10 years old and comprises the largest league in the baseball program. The 16 teams are divided into two divisions playing a two-game schedule weekly. Games are held at Marble, Donley, Glencairn, Bailey, and Red Cedar Schools. Eleven to twelve boys are on each roster to promote every boy's chance for playing. One paid adult supervisor is at each school as well as unpaid youth aids, to help organize and officiate games. Second on the progression of leagues is the Minor League for the 11 and 12-year olds. Twelve teams form the league and volunteers help man— age each club. One adult and two youth aids are paid to handle the games which are played at Valley Court Park. Thirteen and fourteen-year olds play in the Major league whose games are held at Alton Park. One adult and one youth aid supervise the four teams in their six-week schedule. This league has decreased in total participants as the population has increased, indicating less interest in this particular league. Two Citywide teams are organized as entries in the Lansing baseball leagues. Boys 13 through 15 form one all—star team which competes in Lansing's B League. Boys 16 through 18 compete in the A League. Lansing league games are scheduled afternoons and early evenings. Girls 10 to 14 on each of the playgrounds have an Opportunity to join one of the seven softball teams which play an inter—playground schedule. In addition to the regular schedule, a tournament is held at the conclusion of regular season play. Adult softball play is scheduled for 6:30 p. m. games at Alton Park. Four teams compete in this slow pitch league on a multi round robin basis. A separate league for 18 to 25-year olds has been held in the past but was discontinued this year due to lack of interest. It has been speculated that 60 increased draft calls have reduced the number of prospective players in the 18 to 25 age category resulting in too few players to form a separate league. A $10. 00 per team entry fee is charged. Tennis instruction on the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels is offered. Two three—week sessions are scheduled for the Senior High tennis courts. Class size is limited to 16 and participants are required to furnish their own rackets and tennis balls. In addition to the three levels of youth instruction, adult instruction is also offered for those adults with little or no tennis eXperience. Basketball classes for boys between the ages of 9 and 17 were held at MacDonald School. Two three-week sessions with a session fee of $7. 50 are conducted. Each session has separate classes for boys 9 through 13, 14 through 15, and 16 through 17. Each participant furnishes his own uniform, basketball shoes and towels. A total of 75 registrants took part in these programs. Gymnastic classes attracted 150 participants at the MacDonald Middle School gym. Instruction was given on tumbling balance stunts, parallel bars , side horse, climbing rOpes, rings and balance beams. Two three— week sessions were divided into two groups, one for persons who were in grades one through six the past year and the second for those in grades seven through twelve. Afternoon time periods from 1:00 to 3:55 were set aside for this activity. A $7. 50 registration fee is required. The High School track was the site for classes held in various track events. Running form, use of starting blocks, high jumping, long jumping, pole vaulting, and shot putting were specialty areas covered. Elementary age boys and girls were scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a. m. while secondary age (grades 7 through 12) held meetings at 10:00 a. m. to 11:30 a. m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p. m. Two separate three-week sessions were held with a fee of $7. 50 per session. Golf is the one class offered at a site which is not part of public prOp— erty. Par Mor Golf Course located on Park Lake Road hosts the two three- week Classes. Emphasis is placed on rules of play, grip, stance, and swing. 61 The $7. 50 registration fee pays only for the cost of instruction, other costs such as driving range and greens fees must be borne by the student. Class size is limited to 10 students and divided into three separate age groups. Elementary (students under 12), Junior (Students 12 to 15) and the Senior and Adult classifications have their own time schedules. To accommodate the greater numbers of interested persons in the lower two age groups, multiple classes were scheduled. Approximately 80 persons took advantage of the golf program. The Modern Dance WorkshOp is a year-round program with Monday night meetings at MacDonald Middle School scheduled in the summer sec- tion of the program. Classes are Open to anyone with or without previous dance experience. The group meets for technique, choreography and per- formance. This is a free program and requires no preregistration. A slightly different type of program is the Summer Community Band. Not only do the participants benefit from the instruction but their perform— ances are popular public entertainment. Concerts were given on the Fourth of July, the day of the Kiwanis Barbecue and three Wednesday evenings. Practice sessions are held once a week at the MacDonald Middle School band room. Ages of the band members ranged from adults down to junior high students. A great deal of flexibility in the choice of music must be maintained since the size and composition of the band may vary each week and rarely is the same for any two concerts. Large instruments such as basses or drums are made available to the band members. Although the Winter portion of the School—City Activities does not con— stitute as large a share of the year's total costs as the summer portion, it is nevertheless an important segment of the year's total program. After school sports programs in both the elementary schools and Junior High have comprised an important part of the costs expended for cool weather recreation. The character of these programs has been essentially an intra- mural sports program. Since there has been such a close relationship with the phiIOSOphy of a regular school program, the after school programs have been recommended for inclusion in the regular school physical education 62 program. This transfer would relieve some of the financial pressures on the SCAP program and allow the expansion of programs more closely as- sociated with communitywide recreation. This transition has already taken place in the Junior High Tribal Sports program which was a part of the SCAP program in the winter of 1967. It has been recognized entirely as a school physical education function, and is removed from the recreation budget for the 1968 winter program. Elementary after-school recreation consumes nearly a third of the winter budget ($3,100 of $10,460) . The inclusion of the elementary recreation program in the regular physical education program would provide substantial relief for a budget which has been described in budget requests as inadequate. Fitness classes for ladies have been held in the past and will be ex- panded for the 1968 winter season. A men's program will be added. Both programs will be taking advantage of MacDonald School facilities. Fees vary for each of the programs. Women's Slim-Trim Class is $10.00 for ten sessions, which includes the use of the swimming pool. The Men's Health Club has a $5.00 registration fee. Fees generally cover the costs involved in these programs, so if they grow, they should not be a burden to the taxpayer. The men's program is scheduled to be an informal program with equipment availability its prime asset. It is possible to depart from the formal instruction in the Women's Slim-Trim Class by purchasing a ticket for $5.00 which entitles the person to eight swims. In the past, the winter aquatics programs have proved an important part of the total program. The 1968 program should be even more important as expansion in a number of areas is planned. A full range of instructional swimming is offered in the same age group breakdown as the summer pro- gram. An age group swimming team will be formed to attract competitive swimmers in the 10 to 14 age category. Swimmers interested in synchro- nized swimming who are in Middle or High School may participate in the . classes conducted at MacDonald Middle School. Plans for a new handi- capped swim program are being formulated to be initiated in September. 63 For the general public, one night a week will be scheduled for family swims and one night a week for Open swimming. All programs are offered to the public in general and are not restricted to those attending public schools. Parochial school students are welcomed into all programs and may take advantage of them. Preference is given to those residing in the East Lansing School District in cases where class enrollment becomes so large as to require limitation. Gymnastics instruction will continue into the cool weather months by establishing a series of ten-week classes. Scheduling will be on Satur- day mornings . Modern Dance Class is another continuation of a summer program. This class continues to be free of charge, chiefly due to the volunteer leadership which has been a guiding influence and has provided the needed supervision and instruction without cost to the students or the taxpayer. One night a week a men's free night will be held to allow unstructured recreational activity. Most popular of the activities in the past has been basketball, and largely for that reason it has been promoted as a Men's Basketball night. Even so named, it does not preclude activities such as volleyball taking place on those designated nights. This activity will be held at MacDonald Middle School Gymnasium. Ice skating is a sponsored activity when the whims of nature allow suitable weather for the sport. Four different areas establish ice for one or more rinks . Marble School has two rinks and it has been the most pOpular site in the past several years. Arbor Park has two areas iced, Valley Court three areas, and Gainsborough one rink. The Gainsborough rink is formed by utilizing part of a dedicated but unpaved street and thirty feet of private prOperty. This rink will be abandoned at its present site and shifted to a school location some time in the near future. These rinks are established by packing snow and spraying layers of ice with a hose. Needless to say, without a cover to reduce sun melt, some winters offer only a short skating season. The year 1965 was one of the best on 64 record according to the Park Superintendent when 72 skatable days were recorded. Most years have far less availability, but interest has been steady throughout the entire season with the traditional Christmas holidays noting the heaviest pressures. A youth supervisory group is hired to aid in conduct on the rink areas . Despite the formal tag of Rangers, they do not act as policemen, but as helpers to explain rules and to help when and if injuries should occur. Their hours range generally from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Fridays, and 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays providing the ice is usable. Another example of an expanding activity is the Open Gym program. This is essentially an unstructured free play program designed to allow a freedom of choice in activity and to encourage self organization in inter- personal recreational relationships. Greater utilization of expensive capital structures in the School District and an expanded recreation pro- gram are prime benefits associated with this particular program. The most recent scheduling provides gym availability in the following manner: Elementary Schools - January, February, March (two hours on Saturdays). MacDonald Middle School - One evening per week during Jan- uary, February, and March. (Four hours per day for 12 days during the Christmas and Spring vacation periods and three hours per Satur- day for 12 weeks during January, February, and March.) East Lansing High School - Four hours per day for 12 days during the Christmas and Spring vacations and three hours on Satur— day afternoons for 12 weeks during January, February, and March. 65 The overall recreation program appears to get a great deal of mileage out of its stated budget. Free donated volunteer services, school facil- ities provided free of charge, and fees which pay most of the costs of supervision are all used to good advantage in putting together the existing recreation program . Organizational Structure Perhaps an apt description of the organizational make-up of depart- ments concerned with public park and recreational programs in East Lansing is fragmented. Typically one might expect to find a department under the direction of the city's chief administrative officer charged with the respon- sibility of park and recreation resources, programs and develOpment. Some— times the department is responsible for all recreational functions under one director, sometimes there are two directors, one responsible for park functions and the other responsible for recreation programming. In the examples cited at least one of the directors occupies a department head status. Where recreation programming has been recognized as a function of the School District, a Recreation Director is employed on a full-time basis by the School Board and is responsible to the Superintendent of Schools for the performance of his job. East Lansing does not fit into any of the examples cited. The park and recreation departments are sep- arate and since they are divided they will be examined separately. Park Department The Park Department occupies sub-department status at the present time. Up to this year, the chain of command started with the City Man- ager, through the City Engineer to the Park Superintendent. In the past the Park Superintendent has submitted his budgets through the Engineer, without the benefit of presenting or defending the budget in person to the City Manager or City Council. Recently another executive was inserted in the chain of command directly above the Park Superintendent. The Park Superintendent now goes through the Public Works Director, the City 66 Engineer, and finally the City Manager. With each level the Park Super- intendent must negotiate with requests for policy change or budget requests , there is an increased possibility of some modification taking place. Even when absolutely no change is made at any of the levels, the fact that the request originated from a lower level may make it somewhat less effective. Housing the Park Department in the Public Works Maintenance Building may have been prOphetic, since it appears that the departmental mission has been dedicated to strictly a maintenance role. Evidently, even the role of park resource develOpment is beyond the SCOpe of the department. When the 1964 School Park Plan and Parks, Recreation and Beautification in 1968 were produced, they were projects of the Planning Commission. Of course the Park Department was in an advisory role, but the fact was that the prime responsibility for park planning originated outside the Park Department. All recreation promotion and programming originates outside the Park Department. When programming, planning and promotion respon- sibilities are removed from the Department, its emphasis naturally will be on maintenance, the only clear-cut duty left. Public accessibility to the Park Department is at an absolute minimum. No telephone number is listed individually and persons interested in con- tacting the Department must call the City offices. This may not seem too much of a chore, but it appears to be an unnecessary public nuisance. A Simple listing of the Park Department under the City of East Lansing master listing would enable the public to easily contact the department. For those who would like to personally visit the Park office and by some method find. out that the Department is housed with the Public Works De- partment, it takes some questioning to locate the office on the second floor. If the Superintendent is absent there is no second level administra- tive personnel to answer questions or authorize action. As a matter of fact, there is no second level administrative personnel in the Department assigned either to the office or in the field. 67 Recreation Division Entirely separate from the Park Department is the Recreation Division. The term division is used for want of a better word. Recreation program- ming is the responsibility of the School-City Activities Program Director. The Director heads a large part-time staff some of which are paid, some of which are volunteers. Even the Director is part time in a sense. He is a full time paid employee, but only 60 percent of his time is supposed to be devoted to the public recreation program. The other 40 percent is allotted to the East Lansing School District's physical education department. The Director is appointed to the dual post by the concurrence of the City Manager and the East Lansing Public School Superintendent. His salary is calculated on the basis of school qualifications for teachers. The regular teacher salary rate is then expanded from the 38-hour-week rate to a full year amount. Since it is necessary to meet the school re— quirement for physical education background, it would seem that even though the physical education phase of the job is only 40 percent of the responsibility it is probably the controlling prerequisite for the job. The Director signs a teacher-type contract and has his office in the East Lansing High School. No separate listing for the Director is in the phone book, requiring prior knowledge of his office location to be able to call for information. Secretarial help has been part time consisting of a college girl working 20 hours per week. The workload has increased to the point where the Director has requested a full—time secretary but has not received approval for one. All other paid personnel are hired on a part-time basis for the activ- ities in which they take part. The number employed at any one time de- pends, of course, on the number of programs in progress. When the reporting responsibility is divided between two separate agencies as in the SCAP program it appears that neither agency is aggres- sive about expanding that particular program. Neither agency bears 68 individual responsibility for the program so neither apparently feels ded- icated to departmental excellence. In the Director's request for funds this past year, he indicated that past programming had been developed as a response to extreme pressure rather than anticipated planning. Comparisons Between Michigan Cities of 25,000 to 50,000 In examining budgets and park acreages, inevitably the question arises of how East Lansing compares with other cities of similar size in Michigan. The source of information on cities of 25,000 to 50,000 is taken from a survey conducted by the Michigan Department of Conservation and as yet unpublished. It will be assumed that since the information was provided by the respective cities, the information is correct and fairly represents the cities listed. Where incomplete information was provided, comparisons will be made between the cities providing information. Nine- teen cities fumished information, 16 of which furnished complete informa- tion. The three which furnished fragmentary information will be used in the categories they completed. Tables 8 to 13 summarize this material. To supplement the information provided by the Department of Conserva- tion, figures on assessed valuation were obtained from the Michigan De- partment of the Treasury. This information provides an insight in the pos— sible financing problems and an indication of why some communities can support relatively costly programs . A word of caution at this point is in order on the interpretation of the assessed valuation information. This is intended as a gross indicator of ability in financing. SOphisticated com- putations are beyond the SCOpe or intent of this study and may in fact be worthy of a separate study all its own. To understand the idiosyncrasies of individual community budgets and financing many things should be taken into consideration. Some communities 6James Oestrich, Memo to City Manager — School Superintendent, October 27, 1967. 69 have school board help in financing. Tax support of school systems is much more liberal in Michigan both from a legislative standpoint and the traditional local support given schools. Often the school district bound- aries are larger than the city limits of municipalities thus furnishing a broader base from which to draw than city government enjoys. There has been a recent tendency for this support to be reduced or withdrawn be- cause rising salaries and costs have pushed tax levies so high that many millage prOposals have been difficult to pass. These changes in support from school boards can drastically alter local budget capacities from year to year. Budget information provided here can change with any Shift in legal or policy considerations and should not be considered static even though they may be representative of present and past support. Variations can also occur in the method of equalization in the various communities. Equalization is supposed to be established at 50 percent of cash value. Some communities have not brought their valuations up to that figure. 7 This may account for some variation in effective valua- tion figures from year to year. It may also account for changes in re- corded valuations in years which have not had annexation or building activity which would account for the increase. Even in cities which report a high taxable base, the potential for recreational purposes is not necessarily rosy. Existing legislative or policy considerations within local governmental units may limit the amount of money available. For example, Southfield has by far the largest tax base of any of the cities listed but has a charter restriction which limits the total tax for municipal government to 7 mills. Since some of the governmental units listed are able to utilize a much larger mill levy, the effective tax draw of Southfield may be reduced to a lesser valuation in its relationship to other communities . Local charter changes or amend- ments could change this in any given year so care must be exercised in projecting 1967 figures into future years' estimates. 7Michigan Tax Bureau, Interview, May 1968. 70 Another Situation which exists, especially in the 25,000 to 50, 000 pOpulation bracket, is the location and supplemental recreational devel— Opment in the region in which they are located. East Lansing and Portage are adjacent to larger cities where a state-supported university is situated. Portage has experienced a greater population growth rate than East Lansing in the past 10 years but their physical proximity to larger cities is Sim- ilar. Battle Creek, Midland, Muskegon, and Port Huron more or less stand by themselves as independent Cities and as such tend to have a slightly different develOpmental orientation. The other 13 cities in this pOpulation group are metropolitan suburbs of Greater Detroit. As such, many have experienced the rapid growth and resultant high land values typical of the recent urban population explosion. All are located in the Huron-Clinton MetrOpolitan Authority jurisdiction. AS such, up to one quarter of one mill can be levied for park and recrea- tional purposes. This in effect adds a quarter of one mill to the budgets of those 13 cities listed which are in the Huron-Clinton area. Huron- Clinton had six regional parks located within an hour's drive from any of the cities. These regional parks relieve some of the need for large pas- toral type of park in the individual cities. Plans are to improve this sys- tem and it continues to be a significant factor in recreational Opportunities in those 13 cities. Thirteen state park areas are also located in this same five-county area (Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, Livingston, Washtenaw) which also have an impact on these 13 cities. Further, Oakland and Wayne counties have shown interest in develOping park lands as part of their official program. Wayne County has two parkways already developed, Lower Rouge River Parkway and Middle Rouge River Parkway.8 All of these developments have an impact on not only the amount of local park devel- opment but also the type. Most of these cities which have access to large regional parks feel less of an urgency to develop large parks of this type on their own than they would if they had no regional parks available. 8Detroit MetrOpolitan Area, Park Users Survey, p. 58. 71 After citing a number of cautions and influences which can affect park and recreation budgets and park acreage, comparisons can be made with- out the fear that these figures are taken to represent absolute ratings of departments. Certain speculations about these figures can be made, but should be interpreted as rough indicators of the relationship of various cities and their park and recreation systems. POpulations vary from lows barely in excess of 25,000 as in Hazel Park and Birmingham to highs of over 45, 000 in Muskegon and East Detroit. The 1970 census will undoubtedly find several of the cities exceeding populations of 50, 000. This is especially true in the suburban Detroit area. These growth patterns are noted and the possibility that new cities will move into this population bracket or some cities will have grown larger by 1968 are recognized. Since 1967 figures are the most recent complete figures available, city classification is frozen for the purposes of this portion of the study at the year 1967. East Lansing's pOpulation of 30, 208 falls into 15th position considering the largest city as number one. As such it would seem reasonable to ex- pect that in terms of park and recreation development it would rank in the lower third in those categories expressed in quantities. Because popula- tion varies widely, per person evaluations will be used to express some items of budget and park acreage. Table 8 summarizes total budget figures for the 19 cities . Only one city, Portage, has a smaller total yearly budget than East Lansing. Portage's $38,195 total is by far the smallest of all the 19 cities. East Lansing's $69, 250 figure is one of only three cities which are under $100,000 annually. With the exception of Portage all the other non- metrOpolitan cities reflect budgets ranging from $247,181 at Battle Creek to $518, 535 for Port Huron. In the significant category of dollars per person East Lansing maintains it 18th position in terms of total budget with a figure of $2.29. This is compared with Portage's low of $1.38 and Port Huron's high of $14.37. Median expenditure of 19 cities is $4.50 per person while the average is $6. 19. After citing the above figures it (Listed in order of highest per person expenditure) 72 Table 8. 1967 Budget Data Total Budget City Population Yearly Budget Per Capita 1. Port Huron 36,084 $ 518,535 $14.37 2. Birmingham 25,525 315,506 12.36 3. Midland 27,779 329,247 11.85 4. East Detroit 45,756 540,971 11.82 5. Muskegon 46,485 400,215 8.61 6. Battle Creek 44,169 374,181 8.47 7. Oak Park 36,632 249,000 6.80 8. Southfield 31,501 160,000 5.08 9. Hazel Park 25,631 115,526 4.51 10. Garden City 38,017 171,000 4.50 11. Highland Park 38,063 160,522 4.22 12. Ferndale 31,347 124,033 3.96 13. Inkster 37,184 124,000 3.34 14. Hamtramck 34,137 113,000 3.31 15. Wyandotte 43,519 140,000 3.22 16. Allen Park 37,494 120,000 3.20 17. Madison Heights 33,343 87,582 2.63 18. East Lansing 30,208 69,250 2.29 19. Portage 27,642 38,195 1.38 TOTALS 670,516 $4,150,763 $ 6.19 is safe to say that East Lansing is considerably below other cities in Michigan in total budget expenditures. Nearly one third the average per person expenditure marks East Lansing as a definite low budget city. Not all the cities completed information on Operation and Maintenance sections of their budgets but East Lansing was among the 16 which did, therefore allowing useful comparisons among the 16. Approximately 73 80 percent of East Lansing's entire budget is spent on operations and maintenance functions. The cost per capita is $1.83 compared to a 16- city average of $2. 55. In relation to the other cities, East Lansing's per capita expenditure is ninth on the scale of 16. As listed in Table 9, there is some correlation between the amount of maintenance money available and the level of maintenance. Often small maintenance budgets coupled with large acreage indicates a difficulty in providing high quality main- tenance. Large budgets on the other hand do not always insure that main— tenance levels are high. Efficiency, pride of workmanship, design of the parks and facilities requiring high maintenance costs all have a bearing on the relationship between budget size and maintenance level. Some may consider high budgets as a sign of inefficiency or waste. With the increase in the level of administrative quality in recent years, most cities will not suffer from poor utilization of funds or if inefficiency is present only extensive inspection will reveal it. In either case we must assume efficiency in these comparisons. More pertinent to this question is the complexity of responsibility assigned to the various departments and the local method of accounting for work done for the public or other city de- partments . Dutch Elm Disease control programs are handled in a number of ways by the survey cities . Some, such as East Lansing, absorb all the costs of this program in their operations and maintenance budgets, resulting in high per acre costs of maintenance. On the other hand some of the other cities contract for all tree work and these charges are borne outside the Park and Recreation Department budgets. A third method of handling these expenses is to contract the work and charge the operation and maintenance budget, but this method results in the same budgetary results as if the work was done within the Department. The $1.83 costs per person for East Iansing needs further interpretation because of the nature of the department. They cross charge other departments for certain functions performed. The landscaping and maintenance costs of the plantings at the city owned parking lots are charged to the parking lot maintenance accounts. Besides interdepartmental work, East Lansing's 74 Table 9. 1967 Budget Data (Listed in order of operation and maintenance costs per capita) Park Operation & Per Per City Population Acreage Maintenance Acre Capita 1. Midland 27,779 1,398 $ 167,467 $ 120 $6.03 2. Port Huron 36,084 161 165,723 1,029 4.59 3. Battle Creek 44,169 1,024 197,181 193 4.46 4. Oak Park 36,632 131 140,000 1,069 3.82 5. Muskegon 46,485 714 145,215 203 3.12 6. Southfield 31,501 168 89,500 533 2.84 7. Inkster 37,184 50 99,537 1,991 2.68 8. East Detroit 45,756 47 104,000 2,213 2.27 9. East Lansing 30,208 83 55,250 658 1.83 10. Garden City 38,017 96 64,575 673 1.70 11. Allen Park 37,494 110 57,772 525 1.54 12. Ferndale 31,347 64 42,641 666 1.36 13. Highland Park 38,063 48 49,000 1,021 1.29 14. Madison Heights 33,343 60 40,437 674 1.21 15. Wyandotte 43,519 100 50,000 500 1. 16 16. Portage 27,642 NA 23L445 NA .85 TOTAL 4,589 $1,491,743 $2.55 Park Department mows vacant lots during the summer, which owners have allowed to grow too high for city ordinances and the owners are then charged for the service. The Park Superintendent has stated that he feels that this service is charged at a lesser cost than could be obtained by private enterprise and at an actual loss to the Department. Therefore the budget cost figure of $1 .83 is actually higher than the costs directly attributable to Park and Recreation functions. The difference between stated budget costs and actual tax money requirements will not be reduced in as great a percentage as some other cities since East Lansing has few 75 revenue producing facilities to offset the cost figures. Others with facil— ities such as fee charging zoos, swimming pools or recreation centers may list per person costs higher than East Lansing but in fact require less tax money support. Unfortunately this study is not designed to delve that deeply into cities outside of East Lansing and in the absence of the availability of this type of information, comparisons must be con- sidered general in nature. Looking at operation and maintenance costs from another angle, it is interesting to see the change in order when the cities are ranked on the basis of Operation and maintenance costs per acre of park land available. By some coincidence East Lansing again occupies the ninth position in this breakdown with a cost per acre available of $658.00. Of the top five cities in operation budget per person, only Oak Park and Port Huron con- tinue in the first five in cost per acre of park land available. Battle Creek, Midland, and Muskegon, the three cities with the largest park acreage plunge from the tOp five of cost per person to the bottom three in terms of cost per acre of park land available. Not surprisingly this is an indication that as acreage goes up costs also go up, but the cost per acre available actually is smaller. There is a certain break-even point in personnel and equipment which allows a greater acreage to be cared for with very little extra cost being involved. Small park systems find that each improvement in men or equipment results in a significant increase in the percentage of costs. In Situations where specialization is present or union negotiation limits the work flexibility of personnel, it is possible that some Departments are staffed in such a way that not all individuals are working at full capacity. Additional acreage acquisition generally works no serious hardship on departments so disposed. Again, they experience an actual cost per acre reduction. While each community will vary in its character and therefore its most efficient staffing, it is possible to calculate efficiency curves for individual Cities. This theory also may be an interesting subject for future research. 76 East Lansing is not especially high nor low when compared to other cities in both operation and maintenance costs per person and costs per acre of park land available. After conversations with East Lansing's Park Superintendent it seems clear that actual costs attributable to purely Park and Recreation function may be significantly lower than budget figures indicate. Only two of the department's 21-man summer staff is assigned to 100 percent park functions. The remaining 19 may be involved in various tasks spending much of their time in tree work, mowing boulevards, mowing vacant lots, mowing water department property and parking lot maintenance functions . Even though cross charges are made, the budget figures published indicate apparent ex- penditures for park purposes in excess of monies actually spent there. In addition, problems not park in nature nor directly a responsibility of the Park Department add to the problems of maintenance. For example, many of the boulevard curbs are in poor condition with the result that the mowers are constantly confronted with pieces of curbing which they must remove. The problem of doing an edging job with their hand mowers further is a problem as good edgers with a capacity for fast edging are dependent on curbing in good condition. These problems decrease effi— ciency and cause higher maintenance costs . In the division of the budget assigned to Recreation Activities listed in Table 10, 16 cities completed information usable for comparisons. East Lansing's total budget of $14,000 was the lowest of all the cities reporting. Only Inkster's $ .38 per person was lower than East Lansing's $.46. Average expenditures for the 16 cities were $1.72 ranging from East Lansing's low to Highland Park's $3.02 per person. The City of East Lansing shares the costs of its municipal recreation program with the East Lansing School Board on a 50-50 basis. If recrea- tion budgets of the other cities exclude school board support, they are understating their recreation budgets. There is no reason, however, to believe this is the case in any of the cities surveyed but the possibility does exist. In the absence of specific information to the contrary, the 77 budgets listed are considered to be representative of funds spent on Rec- reation Program activities in each of the cities. Since tax money supports both municipal and school board budgets, the effect to the public is the same. The public pays the costs for both sectors . Table 10. Recreation Activity Program Budgets Recreation City Population Activity Programs Per Capita 1. Highland Park 38,063 $ 115,022 $3.02 2. Midland 27, 779 83,416 3.00 3. Oak Park 36,632 109,000 2.98 4. Battle Creek 44,169 127,000 2.88 5. Port Huron 36,084 88, 316 2.45 6. Garden City 38,017 74, 850 1.97 7. Muskegon 46,485 85,000 1 .83 8. Southfield 31, 501 57, 500 1.82 9. Ferndale 31,347 56, 392 1.80 10. Allen Park 37,494 53, 278 1.42 11. East Detroit 30, 208 56,000 1.22 12. Madison Heights 33, 343 35,470 1.06 13. Wyandotte 43, 519 25,000 .58 14. Portage 27,642 14, 750 .53 15. East Lansing 30, 208 14,000 .46 16. Inkster 37,184 14,138 .38 TOTALS $1,009,132 $1.72 Typically recreation budgets are composed of supervision salaries and materials germain to individual activities such as craft materials, baseballs or softballs, and game equipment. It was once very common to conduct a majority of recreation programs with a great percentage of the organization accomplished by volunteer help. This still applies in 78 many cases where Little League Baseball is active, but the public has become increasingly more sophisticated in their requirements for recrea- tion in recent years. This sophistication has resulted in the demand for better and more numerous recreation supervisors. Unfortunately, salaries for proper supervision can boost activities budgets to rather high figures. Unlike Operations and maintenance budgets which are often related to land resources or facilities, it is often more difficult to evaluate and justify leadership funds when competition for tax money is spirited. In the management aids bulletin Budgeting, published by the Ameri- can Institute of Park Executives and authored by Thomas Hines, it is suggested that an overall budget expenditure of $6.00 per capita is considered an acceptable standard. Of this, 50 percent would be for parks and 50 percent for recreation. Further breaking down the recrea- tion budget, $1.50 should be used for leadership, $1.00 to be used for maintenance of activity facilities and $. 50 for supplies. Capital ex- penditures should not be considered as part of the $6.00 standard. The 19 cities furnishing information have a $6.19 average expenditure per person including capital expenditures, indicating the recommendations are fairly realistic and are being met or exceeded by at least some of the cities of 25,000 to 50,000. The varying methods of accounting in the various cities makes it impossible to clearly identify expenditures as listed by Hines' recommendations. Some operation and maintenance budgets are likely to contain charges which would be identified as rec- reation charges as defined in Budgeting. Under these circumstances it would seem logical to compare the combination Operation and Main— tenance and Recreation Activity budgets with the suggested standard of $6.00 Battle Creek, Midland, Oak Park, and Port Huron all exceed $6.00 per person and Birmingham has a $12.36 per person total budget, indi- cating they probably would have exceeded $6.00 per person had they furnished information with a more detailed breakdown. Of course this $6.00 recommendation figure is meant only for guideline purposes and 79 should not be considered ideal nor should those cities below the guide- lines be considered derelict in their public responsibility. Guidelines are proposed as reasonable levels of attainment and are useful when city government is interested in doing a good job of park and recreation development and are unsure as to what constitutes reasonable expendi- tures for these purposes. The guidelines are predicted on the premise that reasonable park acreage is available, so if a city has not been able to attain suitable acreage they logically will not have high Operation and maintenance budget figures. Highland Park is one such example where their 40 acres of park land does not require a large budget for Operations and maintenance but their $3.02 per person expenditure for Recreation Activities indicates a fairly well developed activity program. It appears that there may be two extremes in recreation activity. One exists where a great deal of park land is available distributed so the populace has easy access to it. This results in much informal rec- reational activity because of convenience and Opportunity. The second extreme is small acreage which has been highly develOped and has ag- gressive leadership programs . This allows greater efficiency of small land resources, but larger recreation budgets. East Lansing seems to be in the position of being low in park acreage (2. 70 acres per 1,000) and low in recreation activities budgeting with only a $.46 per person expenditure. They supplement their recreational programs by utilizing school lands and swimming facilities so the land gap is not quite as deficient as it may seem. The low recreation activ- ities budget is very restrictive since the directors salary consumes about 50 percent of the entire $14,000 budget. The budget of $6, 800 for a di— rector and $1, 000 for a part—time secretary leaves very little for second level supervision or extensive programming.9 The percentage of salaries cited is not the important issue as it is common for salaries to consume 9James Oestrich, SCAP Budget (East Lansing, 1967), p. 2. 80 75 percent of a prOperly prepared budget. 10 More important is the small dollar amount left after the "fixed overhead" is accounted for. The re— maining amount must be expended very carefully to permit any kind of comprehensive program to be carried out and leaves very little flexibility. Funds in excess of the $14,000 are spent but are derived from fees and not shown as budget costs. Capital Outlay was reported by twelve of the nineteen cities and varied from a high of $380,000 listed for East Detroit to $3,000 for Inkster. It is difficult to know from the information available whether the remaining seven cities had no expenditures for capital items or if they failed to com- plete the requested information. It is a good guess that four of the seven actually had no expenditures budgeted since they completed all other in- formation requested. East Lansing was among those which listed no cap- ital expenditures for the year 1967. One of the reasons no expenditures are listed may be that East Lansing purchases all of its motor equipment and machinery through a city pool. The pool then rents the equipment back to the individual departments on an hourly basis. This results in no figures listed as capital expenditures for equipment and these costs are then absorbed as Operation and maintenance costs. East Lansing will have higher Operation and Maintenance budgets and lower Capital Outlay budgets than cities that have the policy which allows the depart- ment to purchase their own equipment, providing of course, that they are spending equal dollar amounts. Unlike the other budget divisions, Cap- ital Outlay is often a one time charge. Large facilities, equipment or buildings are built, park land is acquired, lands are landscaped and develOped and bond issues are passed. All these situations may cause a large one-year Capital Outlay figure to Show up in city budgets. To properly evaluate capital expenditures between cities a record of 10 years would be very helpful. Since these figures are not available, the amounts 10Charles Brightbill and Harold Meyer, Recreation (New York: Prentice- Hall, 1953), p. 453. 81 listed in the 1967 budgets indicated that currently a large percentage of the cities are spending money for capital improvements. Six of the cities had expenditures of $25,000 or more. Nothing is to say that the other cities have not had large expenditures in previous years, that they have plans to expend large funds in subsequent years or that they may not have had gifts of a substantial nature. In addition, some of the large expenditures such as Muskegon's $170,000, Port Huron's $264,495, and East Detroit's $380,000 appears too large for absorbtion in regular budget terms. They are most likely expressions of bond issues or other long- range financing and as such, the costs shown on a per person basis are overstated. They should be spread over the period of the bond issue if the costs were to be comparable to other sections of the budget. Not all jurisdictions reported Capital Improvement Programs in progress. Twelve of the 19 cities did Show varying programs in progress during 1967. The remaining cities may have completed capital programs before 1967, are planning to embark on one after 1967 or simply failed to report what programs were being carried out in their communities . For these reasons, and the fact that East Lansing listed no such program in 1967, the informa— tion presented as a general indication of what type of activity is being carried on in the cities from 25,000 to 50,000 as they have reported it. Table 11 lists, in alphabetical order, information on Capital Outlay pro— grams for the twelve cities. All cities furnished an acreage inventory with the exception of Portage and Hazel Park. The range in system sizes runs from the large ones like Battle Creek and Midland with their 1,024 and 1, 398 acre systems to Hamtramck which has only 10 acres. East Lansing, with 83 acres, has the 11th largest acreage of the 17 responding. This is 2.70 acres per 1,000 of population. Generally accepted standards of 10 acres per 1,000 of population11 does not seem inappropriate for this population category since the average of all cities was close with 7.43 acres. It is fair to 1National Recreation Association, Outdoor Recreation Space Standards, p. 18. 82 point out that only four of the cities individually exceeded the standard of 10 acres. School Sites are not counted as park land for the purposes of these comparisons. All cities which have fewer acres per person than East Lansing are located in the metrOpolitan Detroit area. Table 11. 1967 Capital Outlay Budget (Capital improvement programs in progress) 1967 Capital Land Facilities City Outlay Costs Acres Cost 1. Allen Park $ 9,000 $150,000 15 $2,000,000 2. Battle Creek 50, 000 90,000 3. East Detroit 380,000 380,000 4. Ferndale 25,000 15,000 NA 10,000 5. Inkster 3,000 100,000 22 3,000 6. Madison Heights 11,675 24,000 4 7,800 7. Midland 78, 364 24,000 12 67,164 8. Muskegon 170,000 170,000 9. Oak Park 10,000 36, 360 10. Port Huron 264,496 60,000 20 13,500 11. Southfield 13,000 7, 500 1 NA 12 . Wyandotte 5 ,_000 NA NA NA TOTALS $1,019,535 $380,000 $3,027,824 When acres per person available is coupled with dollars Spent per person on recreation activities only Inkster is lower in both categories than East Lansing . Eight cities had smaller acres per thousand than East Lansing, but of those eight only Inkster spent less money per 1,000 per- sons for recreation programming activities. By tying these two figures together it is speculated that perhaps recreation programming can make up some of the acreage deficiencies in cities by promoting intensive use on available acreage . It may seem that linking acreage per 1, 000 persons 83 and recreation programming dollars per 1,000 persons is like comparing apples and peaches. For this reason it is difficult to make a statement regarding the possible efficiency of a park and recreation system or the relative efficiency of one city to another using this combination. There is, however, a relationship in these two categories and while abstract figures may not produce a clear picture, some indications of system de- velOpment are certainly present even if they may exist in rough form. Table 12 shows the available acreage figures and recreation program costs per person. Ability to afford large budgets is not necessarily tied to the pOpula- tion of a community. It is a mistake to use population figures entirely, as a measurement or evaluation tool. Population is important from a service standpoint while financing is more dependent on assessed valua— tion than any other single constituent. Cities with high valuations have a large pool from which to draw tax funds. For instance, a city like East Lansing with a valuation of $58,638, 200 will produce $58, 638 in tax funds when they levy one mill. Southfield, with a valuation of $309, 558, 597 can levy that same one mill and produce $309, 558. It is readily apparent from this illustration that those cities with large valua— tions can get by with a low tax rate and still produce large dollar amounts for municipal services . Business and industrial develOpment are the key to high valuation. East Lansing has a great deal of high quality residential property that carries high assessment valuation, as well as a downtown business sec- tion not untypical in size for a city of 30, 208. What is conspicuous by its absence is industry. A considerable portion of East Lansing is em- ployed by Michigan State University or by businesses and industries out- side of East Lansing. Business and industrial prOperty bears a tax load which is not returned to them in the form of services to the same extent as demanded by residential property. Residential prOperty is associated with school costs for children, street maintenance costs, garbage disposal costs, parks and recreation costs and other similar costs which are not 84 Table 12. Acreage Inventory and Recreation Costs Present Acres Program Costs City Acreage Per 1, 000 Per Capita 1. Midland 1,398 50.32 $3.00 2. Battle Creek 1,024 23.18 2.88 3. Muskegon 714 15.36 1.83 4. Birmingham 325 12. 73 NA 5 . Southfield 168 5 . 33 1. 82 6. Port Huron 161 4.46 2.45 7. Oak Park 131 3.58 2.98 8. Allen Park 110 2.93 1.42 9. East Lansing 83 2.70 .46 10. Garden City 96 2.52 1.97 11. Wyandotte 100 2.30 .58 12. Ferndale 64 2.04 1.80 13. Madison Heights 60 1.80 1.06 14. Inkster 50 1.34 .38 15. Highland Park 48 1.26 3.02 16. East Detroit 47 1.03 1.22 17 . Hamtramck 10 . 29 NA 18. Hazel Park NA NA NA 19 . Portage NA NA . 5 3 TOTALS 4,589 7.43 $1.72 demanded by the commercial property. Even police and fire costs are often greater to serve residential property than commercial when the prOportion of commercial taxes to residential taxes is considered. Under this premise we can be reasonably assured that commercial property taxes pay more than their share of the municipal services costs. Since parks and recreation costs are one of these services, it follows that com- mercial development aids in establishing adequate recreational budgets. 85 If cities all used the same accounting procedures, had equal motiva- tion for establishing park and recreation budgets and had equal facilities and programs, city budgets would probably rank directly with their ranking in assessed valuation. It is apparent from the examination of Table 13 that such a condition does not exist. Tax money available is directly linked to valuation for tax purpose. Park and recreation budgets are very dependent on the amount of this valuation and even though a major mod- ifier in ultimate budget size may be the local policy of fees and charges, most communities will find the major portion of their support coming from tax monies. While there may be a great variation in the percentage of budgets attributable to revenue from fees and charges, Whettstone in User Fees states that revenues normally averaged approximately 20 per- cent of park operating expenditures. 12 Given the possibility of variation due to revenues from fees and charges it appears that the individual communities financial support hinges most strongly on its perception of parks and recreation as an im- portant municipal function. In examining the tOp five cities in assessed valuations only two of the cities have correspondingly high park and rec- reation budgets: Portage, which has the 5th highest valuation, is 19th in terms of total budget; East Detroit is 8th in valuation but lst in total budget size. Several cities ranked the same in both categories: notably Muskegon, 3d; Oak Park, 7th; Wyandotte, 11th; and Allen Park, 14th. East Lansing was among those cities whose budget ranking corre— sponded closely to their valuation rank. They occupy 18th position in budget totals and 17th place in assessed valuation. Even though a low valuation may portend low budget totals such is not always the case. Garden City with its $64, 584,120 assessed valuation is very close to East Lansing in total valuation but has nearly three times the total park and recreation budget, a figure of $171,000. Battle Creek has a valuation 12Jerry Whettstone, User Fees (Wheeling, W. Va.: American Insti- tute of Park Executives, 1963), p. 23. 86 of $85,568,895, less than twice East Lansing's valuation, while its $374,181 parks and recreation budget is more than five times larger than East Lansing's . Table 13. Valuation Table Property Total Assessed Valuation P&R City Valuation Per Capita Rank Budget Rank 1. Southfield $309,558,597 $9,827 1 $160,000 10 2. Highland Park 181,576,025 4,770 4 160,522 9 3. Muskegon 145,010,850 3,120 9 400,215 3 4. Midland 144,266,500 5,194 2 329,247 5 5. Portage 137,595,000 4,978 3 38,195 19 6. Port Huron 123,323,400 3,418 6 518,535 2 7. Oak Park 120,756,960 3,296 7 249,000 7 8. East Detroit 115,271,630 2,519 11 540,971 1 9. Birmingham 113,965,620 4,465 5 315,506 6 10. Ferndale 102,796,100 3,279 8 124,033 12 11. Wyandotte 102,266,100 2,350 13 140,000 11 12. Madison Heights 94,483,280 2,834 10 87,582 l7 13. Battle Creek 85,568,895 1,937 17 374,181 4 14. Allen Park 82,251,480 2,194 14 120,000 14 15. Hamtramck 80,269,136 2,351 12 113,000 16 16. Garden City 64,584,120 1,699 18 171,000 8 17. East Lansing 58,638,200 1,951 16 69,250 18 18. Inkster 56,135,620 1,510 19 124,000 13 19. Hazel Park 50,463,220 1,969 15 115,526 15 PrOperty valuation comparisons per person as recorded on Table 13 are also offered in an attempt to further establish the relative "richness" of the communities. By breaking valuation down per person an effort is made to equalize the various sizes of communities. 87 East Lansing's valuation averages $1,951 per person, 16th on the scale of 19 cities, just slightly higher than Battle Creek, which has one of the highest park and recreation budgets of all cities cited. From this information presented it is apparent that public motivation may be the central determiner for parks and recreation budgets. Merely the ability to finance is no guarantee that cities will develop a strong park and recreation program. Some cities with a large capacity to fi- nance recreational programs have not done so. On the other hand, some cities with modest means have undertaken and continue to support rather large and extensive programs. Citizens' demands and needs for recrea- tional activities which are clearly defined and expressed prOperly to the governing bodies of the municipalities no doubt have resulted in a gen- erous amount of financial support. In areas where demand is ill defined or the communications process is defective, municipal support may be much less. In 1967, 11 of the 19 cities had embarked on some type of capital improvement program. Information has been previously given of the amounts committed for the year 1967. Table 11 reports Capital Im- provement Projects underway and splits the total into land and facilities. In some cities the program will be entirely financed in the 1967 budget, while in others 1967 is only one year in a multi-year program. East Lansing does not list itself among those cities committed to a firm devel- opment program. Allen Park has the most ambitious plan with a total of $2,150,000 involved. Battle Creek with $90,000, East Detroit $380,000, Inkster $103,000, Midland $91,164, Muskegon $170,000, and Port Huron $310,000 all are participating in major improvement programs. In all, $380, 500 for land acquisition and $3, 027, 824 for facilities develOpment is listed. These considerable expenditures indicate the general interest in Michigan cities of 25, 000 to 50,000 for expanded recreational Oppor- tunities is high. Financing Pos S ibilities Most communities will point to financing as the major obstacle blocking 88 proper park and recreation development. Whether or not this is in fact the problem often is a moot question as the psychological limitation present is often as formidable as a true limitation. As proof of this theory, consider the success of matching programs of the Federal Gov- ernment. By offering matching funds they have stimulated many local governments in recreational development. Cities which have taken ad- vantage of these matching funds often find their local expenditures are far larger than before the enticement of the matching funds. This seems to indicate that the cities actually had the financial ability but not the immediate will. It took financial inducement to pry these extra expend- itures loose. A number of federal and state programs exist which could conceiv- ably be used in some form of recreational financing. Rather than detail all of these programs, which could consume a body of information nearly as large as this study, a few of the more important programs will be noted. 13 Open Space Program - 50 percent matching grants for acquiring, developing or preserving open space land. Land and Water Conservation Act - Grants in aid equal to 50 percent of the costs for planning, acquiring and develOping outdoor recreation areas and facilities. CrOpland Adjustment - Greenspan - 50 percent grants for the acquisi- tion and develOpment of lands for conservation and recreation uses. Small Watershed Program - 50 percent grants for the acquisition of lands for parks, water storage, flood control and recreation facilities. Urban Beautification - 50 percent grants to beautify publicly owned or controlled land such as streets, sidewalks, parks, squares, plazas, or malls . Office of Education - Up to 100 percent grants to local education agencies for the development of playgrounds. 3 . . . . . East Lansrng, Parks, Recreation and Beautification, p. 6. 89 Administration on Aging - Under title 111 of the Older Americans Act cost sharing programs promoting recreation programs for the aged. This is by no means an exhaustive listing of all the programs which are available. The vaguarities of getting qualified for participation in individual programs is such that even in cases where a community qual- ifies for the grants, priorities may be so low that money will not be avail— able for long periods of time. Changes in national policy can alter or completely eliminate a particular program at any time. For these reasons it seems reasonable to put the greatest emphasis in the discussion of financing on local means. Not only are factors affecting local programs somewhat less subject to adverse external forces such as bureaucratic regulations and red tape, but are often simpler and quicker to implement. It has been traditional in the United States for private donations to form an important part of park acquisition. One only has to look to East Lansing's Ehinger Park or Lansing's Francis Park for examples. The im- portance of these gifts cannot be discounted, but these donations seldom constitute a reliable single method of building a park system. Public at- titudes further must be carefully cultivated so that persons in a position to donate or will property or money for these purposes will do so. This is particularly beneficial to a city where a piece of prime park property can be linked with other available land to form a large park complex. It is desirable that the public as a whole feel a definite link with the rec— reational program of a city. In this way those who may be predisposed to make contributions may be encouraged directly or indirectly to consider such a move. If a person feels the City would make effective and efficient use of such a gift he would be more likely to contribute than if he thinks poor administration might mismanage any gift. In some cases persons may be persuaded to make contributions of home estates prior to their deaths with provisions that the contributors are allowed to occupy the area until their deaths. There are some ad- vantages to this action for both parties. For a city the advantage of being able to start landscaping is important, for it often takes up to ten 90 years for landscape stock to mature properly. For the donors certain tax and maintenance advantages may be worked out. Donations of another type are those by organizations. This is a type which has become increasingly common. Public service organiza- tions such as Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimists or JayCees often can be persuaded to make important contributions of money, equipment or program administration. Kiwanis Baseball is a good example of such a contribution being made at the present time in East Lansing. A park plan can be drawn which allows the park to be developed in part or its en- tirety by such an organization. Sometimes a park is named after the organization lending developmental assistance. Gifts of land by individuals or groups often contain a revisionary stipulation in the deed which requires the land to be used for the pur- poses stated or revert to the donor or their heirs. This may not seem important at the time of gift, but many parks have resisted encroachment or destruction thanks to the inclusion of such a provision. Several alternatives exist in subdivision practices which can either provide for Open spaces or provide a convenient vehicle for purchase of such lands. Some cities have subdivision requirements which require a certain percentage of new developments to be reserved for recreational purposes. These may vary from 3 percent to 20 percent (the local provi- sion in Fremont, Nebraska) and set up a period of time in which the city must exercise its option to purchase. 14 One drawback to this) method is the reluctance of legislative groups to exercise the Options before they lapse or their unwillingness to act as land holding agencies until a usable parcel can be accumulated. DeveIOpers in an effort to save money on taxes and compulsory develOpment costs often offer for annexation only small develOpments at any one time. This results in dedication, in some cases, of only small acreages for recreational purposes. Unless the city can require sufficiently large single areas dedicated or is willing l4City Zoning Code (Fremont, Nebraska, 1961), p. 4. 91 to acquire small plots for later consolidation or sale and repurchase, the impact of zoning on acquisition could be ineffective. Some Planning Commissions have had a great influence on new de- velopment. By Commission insistence on buffer zones and encouragement of cluster develOpment surrounded by park acreages, attractive new open Spaces have been added to many communities. Compulsory donation of land for park purposes has been viewed by many as an illegal use of zoning power, but the Planning Commissions have avoided statutory re- quirements for outright park land donations by granting concessions on density provided apprOpriate "buffer" lands are present. In many large develOpments the maintenance of these Open spaces is the responsibility of the developer, thus causing less of a municipal expense than would occur if the lands were deeded to the city for park purposes. Zoning flood plains has been an accepted practice in many areas and has resulted in the reservation of large amounts of land adjacent to water features such as lakes and rivers. Flood danger is sometimes high near moving streams and therefore zoning is justified on the basis of prevention of loss of life or prOperty under the accepted police powers of government. The use of these flood plains as recreational areas has resulted as a by-product in locations where prevention of flood damage was actually the paramount issue. The coincidence of the need for res- ervation of flood plains for safety and the general public's great attrac- tion to water features in conjunction with recreation is fortunate indeed. Special assessments have been used and others prOposed to be used for acquisition and develOpment of park lands. One such prOposal requires an assessment on a front footage basis for new develOpments. This total fund is then divided—half going for the acquisition of school lands and the other half for park land. Aurora, California, assesses $3.00 per front foot against develOpments to provide for a city forestry and street tree planting program. 1 5East Lansing, ParksLRecreation and Beautification, p. 10. 92 General Obligation Bonds are a great source of money for the acquisi— tion and develOpment of recreational lands and facilities. They have both the advantage or disadvantage of being considered a public mandate for recreation. If the public passes a referendum at the polls supporting fi- nancing by this method it is usually quite clear that there is good general support for such a project. Defeat of an issue on the other hand is not quite as easy to analyze. Poor promotion of the issue, a bad press, general business slow downs or light voter turnout can combine to defeat a really solid and worthwhile prOposition. It is even highly possible that an unpopular issue on the same ballot, even though it has no connection with the recreation referendum might result in a defeat of all issues. Many persons who were interviewed in researching this study felt the Park Land Acquisition Referendum went down to defeat because there was sentiment against the Swimming Pool Referendum. Some observers phiIOSOphize that a light vote works against a money raising issue be- cause those Opposing such an issue always seem to vote while some of those for it never make it to the polls. Realizing that it is easy to say no to a capital building or acquisi- tion program when presented in referendum form, a new item of legisla— tion has been enacted. Public Act 96, signed into law in 1968, allows cities to establish a building authority which has the power to build recreational facilities and lease them back to the city. In order for the action of the Building Authority to be subject to a vote of the public, a petition requesting such a referendum must be completed according to the provisions of Act Number 94 of the Public Acts of 1933, as outlined in Section 33 of that Act. For a change, the group who Opposes the issue is put in the position of having to organize and work against the prOposal instead of being able to count on the hard core percentage of persons who are against most revenue issues. Even if the petition for referendum succeeds, the public has a chance to approve the issue, if it appears worthy, at a general or special election. The Building Authority is given the power to purchase, construct, lease, accept gifts or condemn prOperty 93 for the purposes of carrying out its desired program. The City of South— field is utilizing this form of financing to build a new multi—million dollar recreational complex. Of course, the legislative body of a City or School District must be in favor of such a project since they must create the Building Authority and approve all official actions of it. Financing by regular budget means is no doubt the most common and the one which is the simplest to implement. Some budgets are so arranged that one section is set up as a develOpmental fund, a sinking fund or a combination of both. The sinking fund allows an accumulation of funds over a period of time, often resulting in an amount large enough to pur- chase land, equipment or build a facility. The payments of land con— tracts on land acquisition can often be accomplished as regular budget items and should be considered when funds are so restricted that entire acquisition cannot be accomplished by single payment. Options for future purchases of land are usually reasonable and may be effective in reserving lands until funds are available for purchase. Some skill may be needed to obtain Options as some landowners might be reluctant to commit themselves to a future sale by the Option method. Options may prevent the loss of land to commercial interests until financial arrange— ments such as referendums , fund raising drives , or new budgets can be completed. Raising the money for regular budgets will vary from community to community but generally consists of two major divisions. General taxes form one group while the revenue producing programs and facilities form the second group. Most cities are fairly well committed to a fixed method of tax col- lection subject to state and local laws. Some cities have expanded their traditional reliance on prOperty tax levies to raise money by insti- tuting local sales or income taxes to supplement prOperty taxes. Rebate of state taxes on such things as gasoline taxes may be utilized in certain road beautification projects, freeing money which might have been spent on parkway landscaping for other recreational develOpments which are not eligible for financing under gas tax rebate regulations. 94 The second main division in the revenue section is that group of monies provided by fees charged for programs and use of facilities. Individual communities will vary in their approach and phiIOSOphy of charging fees. A good deal has been written about what constitutes a well balanced fee versus free program. The purpose of mentioning this varying phiIOSOphy at this point is not to expand the discussion on phi- losophy but merely to indicate the reason for variance in different cities. For those cities with facilities which often charge a fee for their use the prOportion of total revenues due to fees should be high. In a system such as East Lansing's which has few facilities constructed which lend themselves to the charging of fees one would expect the support from this quarter to be rather small. When the charges from a facility can be expected to not only cover the entire costs of Operation for the facility but consistently return a profit, the possibility of adding such facilities by the use of Revenue Bonds is introduced. Since Revenue Bonds do not require taxes to sup— port them, they are bound to be a pOpular form of financing from a tax- payers point of view. Voter approval is still required for Revenue Bonds making the problems of passage of the issue similar to those encountered with General Obligation Bonds. This form of financing is often used in conjunction with the public support of large sport complexes which can be rented or leased at a profit. Houston's Astrodome is an example of one such large issue approval by the public. CHAPTER V THE SURVEY Methodology One of the primary considerations in the survey was selection of an apprOpriate sample size. Many statistical methods are available to select a sample size related to the variables involved in the questionnaire and the statistical validity desired. As in all research projects there was the need to balance the ideal with the practical. It would have been ideal to have been able to sample the entire pOpulation of East Lansing, an estimated 8, 000 or more households. Had there been unlimited time, unlimited money and sufficient secretarial help, a complete sample might have been possible. As is often the case, a compromise was necessary because of finances. In the design of the project, six major areas were selected within East Lansing to provide for a more detailed analysis of the city. The sample size had to be large enough to elicit sufficient usable responses for each of the zones selected. These zones corresponded as closely as possible to those zones used by the Federal Census. By using these tracts, some comparisons of past pOpulation characteristics may be pos— sible and future census information may further prove valuable. POpulation varies widely in the six zones and the process of sorting prospective households for inclusion in the sample size by zone appeared to be a monumentally difficult task. A sufficiently large community-wide sample based on random selection furnished the needed information with— out the problem of prior assignment to specific zones. The list of resi- dents to be surveyed was chosen from the telephone book. Most of the households in East Lansing have telephones and the few which do not have phones because of the expense or that have unlisted numbers are a 95 96 Con-I, lino lot. Ina-06.. (condo. A...” A 5 0 8°00 IC‘LIOI'II' Figure 1. Survey Zones, City of East Lansing 97 small percentage of the total. In addition, the updating of the book each year results in one of the most up-to-date lists available. A sample size of 1,000 was chosen as the largest sample that could be financed. After discussion about the prospective survey with the Mayor's ad hoc Recreation Study Committee, the Committee contacted the Mayor about COOperation with the project. The Mayor in turn con- tacted the Planning Commission about possible financial help in the survey. Through action of the Planning Commission, $200 was granted to help finance the cost of the survey. In addition to the monetary help the Planning Department of the City of East Lansing agreed to furnish the art work on the questionnaire, print the questionnaire, furnish a cover letter and print the first follow-up card. A pre test was used to evaluate the completed questionnaire. A ran- dom sample of 25 persons was selected from the telephone book and a cover letter plus a self—addressed stamped enveIOpe was sent. Only seven were returned, which indicated a lukewarm reception to the ques- tionnaire. It was felt that because the cover letter was a personal one and the final version would have East Lansing Planning Commission en— dorsement, a greater return would result. Wording changes were made per suggestions returned on the sample questionnaire and some minor rearrangements on spacing and question order were also accomplished. Systematic sampling selected the list of 1,000 which were to receive the final questionnaire. After the selection, each of the names were assigned one of the six zone breakdowns established initially. Each of the questionnaires were then pin-hole marked by zone, so that an ac- curate assessment of the returns could be made. In discussions about the questionnaire content with Planning Department officials, it was felt that because of questions concerning income and other personal facets of household composition, a completely anonymous return was required. The coding by zone furnished sufficient identification by loca— tion, but fulfilled the requirement of anonymity. The questionnaire was mailed with a cover letter signed by the Chairman of the Planning 98 Commission. Enclosed was a self-addressed enveIOpe which had return postage guaranteed. A permit to pay postage on returned letters was more expensive per letter, but since obviously 100 percent of the forms were not returned, a total savings resulted. The mailing was accom- plished so that each individual would receive their questionnaire before Memorial Day. This also was before finals week so that the resident students would be included in the survey. Follow-up cards were sent out to each of the original sample house- holds timed to arrive 10 days after receipt of the first returned question- naire. A total of 243 returns were received by the time the follow-up cards reached the households. In order to allow a good distribution of the work load, labels were typed while the follow-up cards were being printed with their text. This allowed work to be done on the follow-up while waiting for the printing to be completed. Typing directly on the cards would have been Slower and made it necessary for the printing to be done well in advance of the mailing date. With uncertain printing schedules, this seems to be a distinct advantage, since the labels were applied on the day before mailing was accomplished. The returned questionnaires were checked for usable responses and a number of questions pre—coded to expedite later transfer to key punch coding sheets. They were numbered consecutively so that information could be checked with the original questionnaire in case of error in coding or transfer. Three cards were punched for each questionnaire used. Fourteen days after the first follow—up was received, a second follow—up was mailed. At that time 341 questionnaires had been received. Again, the entire sample size received the reminder. Part of the message on the follow-up card requested those needing additional questionnaires to contact the survey address and additional questionnaires would be provided. Approximately one dozen requests of this type were received and answered. Another 14 days was allowed for collecting questionnaires and then 99 the survey was finalized and taken to the computer. In all, 51 days were consumed from the time the first questionnaires were received by the citizens and the last return was received. Three hundred seventy-four returns were received, of which only five were totally unusable for the purposes of this study. In the last four days before finalization, no questionnaires were received. Had there been a continuing return, more days may have been allotted to improve the return. The second reminder was hardly worth the trouble and expense since it netted less than 40 additional responses. To validate the results received, the non-respondents were sampled. A 10 percent sample of non-respondents in each of the six zones was accomplished, 63 in all. To determine who these non—respondents were, telephone contacts were made to those surveyed. Those indicating they had not responded were then interviewed. In evaluating the methodology of the survey a number of speculations COme to mind in improving this type of questionnaire retrieval system. Originally a 60 percent return was the target. With the official endorse— ment of the Planning Commission of East Lansing, this seemed to be a realistic return. Other surveys taken by the Planning Commission have exceeded 60 percent. This estimate obviously was too high and the method of recording responses and issuing reminders provided no real leverage for the survey taken. By keeping the reSpondentS anonymous very little criticism could be issued that the information asked for was confidential and that it could be misused. A certain advantage might have been gained by an anonymous return by those which considered questions like income to be sensitive. A more representative return is probably obtained by the avoidance of offending questions, but items like income, number of cars owned and occupation are so necessary for the interpretation of data they cannot be left out. All three above mentioned questions were considered on some returns to be "none of your business.’ The few which were returned with this information missing indicate that despite all efforts to make a ques— tionnaire non-challenging, a few individuals protest at everything but the 100 most innocuous information requests. The number of non—respondents due to personal prejudice against revealing the type of information re- quested remains a mystery. Question content did not appear to be a serious problem since a high percentage of those questionnaires returned were usable. Had there been a high degree of noncompletion, specula- tion might have been that restructuring the content might have resulted in a much higher return. Official Planning Commission sanction as a help for a high return was overestimated in importance. The character of the sample size was such that all persons living in East Lansing were part of the potential sample. Had only homeowners been surveyed or some other list of residents which would have been composed of long—time residents, the Planning Commission endorsement might have been more significant. The larger numbers of students and short term residents may not always feel the compulsion to respond to official questionnaires the way that residents with tenure might. A high return under the methodology used was predicated on two points. First that the character of the East Lansing profile indicated that concern for recreational pursuits might be high. Secondly, this concern would translate itself in interest in any study which might have an effect on future park and recreation develOpment. Further evaluation of indications of public interest and response will be deferred at this point and included in the survey evaluation. On the basis of the experience of this survey, an alternate meth— odology is suggested. Because of the requirements established to ob- tain City of East Lansing's financial and sanction support, this alternate form was not possible in this particular study. Subsequent studies with- out inherent restrictions should consider a system whereby each sample household is assigned an identification number. As the questionnaires are returned the appropriate numbers are checked off, this removing that household from the reminder roles . In this way those who do re— spond are not bothered by needless reminders . After the first reminder 101 has been sent, it might be necessary to send an additional questionnaire because it is very possible that the original questionnaire has been dis- carded by this time. To send out a repeat of the first mailing is often too expensive. When only the non-respondents are to receive all mate- rials again, the costs are greatly reduced. In order to accomplish this it is necessary to be able to identify non-respondents individually. Re- peated reminders with questionnaires enclosed should improve the return over what this study has experienced. Identifying the individual ques— tionnaires might be expected to increase the number of questionnaires returned because of the increased efficiency of follow-ups but it may also increase the number of questionnaires which have failed to fill out the information requested on income or other confidential type questions. Survey Findings Despite the 37 percent return, completion on the returned question- naires were very good on nearly all questions. Three hundred seventy- - four questionnaires were retumed in some stage of completion. Five had to be discarded because the major areas of inquiry such as income, occupation, usage and recreational interests were left blank. The re- maining 369 all offered valuable information in most of the major categories. Sampling error was not calculated because of the more than 200 vari- ables and the liberal use of Open-end questions. When the results were tabulated and processed by the CDC 3600 computer, the resultant information provided a print-out of l, 562 con- tingency tables. Not all or even a major portion of these tables will be reproduced in this study, but they will be examined to see if they point out important relationships which may not be evident in the summary tables. In cases where a question is raised on a particular point in the analysis, the comprehensive breakdown of information should provide an aid in explanations. The program used to process the information was a Standard Acts Program and it provided a number of computations which are not necessarily applicable to the type of information gathered in the 102 survey. Frequency counts and percentages, are most germaine to this study. Data will be examined question by question. Clarification or in- terpretation will be included in the presentation of question tabulations . Complete information is available by each of the six survey zones. On questions where zone breakdowns seem appropriate, information will be listed in this manner. The six zones were chosen to closely corre- spond with the 1960 census tract areas. While the present study used Slightly expanded zone boundaries, much census information is still roughly applicable to these new areas. The zone boundaries are shown on Figure 3 and will apply to all material listed as being zone information in the text. The return on the questionnaires as a whole was approximately 37 percent. Zones 1, 2, 3, and 5 had returns of 43, 41, 40, and 40 per- cent respectively. Zones 4 and 6 were below survey average with returns of 28 percent for 4 and 35 percent for 6. When non-respondents were interviewed, it was found that results were essentially the same as the body of information which was repre- sented by the 37.4 percent return. If any deviation could be detected, it was that the income was a little lower and a few more households which could be described as students were present. When asked why they did not respond to the original request the consensus was they "got busy" or "forgot" rather than were offended by the questionnaire. Evi- dently those which might not have wanted to participate still evaded the survey by telling me on the phone that they already had returned a questionnaire . Question 1. How many persons in your household are in the following age groups ? Number Age Group 68 Under 5 years 114 5 — 9 years 119 10 - 14 years 120 15 - 19 years 103 Question 1 . (continued) Number Age Group 192 20 - 24 years 309 25 - 44 years 231 45 - 64 years 69 65 and over Total 1,222 369 Households Reporting It should be noted that approximately 50 percent of all those persons responding were age 25 or older. This compares to 36 percent listed as 25 and older in the 1960 census information.1 From this comparison it appears that either a greater portion of East Lansing's population has moved into this age category since the 1960 census was taken or the older group was a more consistent respondent. Probably the latter is true. It was possible to determine the composition of the various house- holds from information which was returned. It is often an aid in under- standing later information, so this breakdown is offered at this point. Number of Composition of Family Unit Households Percentage Single persons 73 19 . 8 Married - No children 96 26.0 Married - Younger children (14 & under) 84 22. 8 Married - Older children (15 & older) 54 14.6 Married - Both older and younger children 50 13 . 6 Single parent with children 12 3 . 2 Complete Information 369 100 . 0 From examination of the composition of families it appears that at least one older person was living with the basic family unit in 17 house- holds . 1East Lansing, Comprehensive Plan, p. 45. 104 @estion 2. How long have you lived in East Lansing? Number of Households 50 70 52 46 70 fl 366 Years 0 to 1 year 1+ years to 3 years 3+ years to 5 years 5+ years to 10 years 10+ years to 20 years over 20 years Percentage 13. 19. 14. 12. 19. 21. Those households responding recorded a fairly stable residency pat— tern with 53 percent of them living in East Lansing over five years. Some significance may be attached to the different zones in the community and their residency pattern. Zone CWU'IAOON Residency by zone is as follows: Percentage of Hous eholds 5 Years of Residency or More 35 59 75 44 50 55 Question 3. Do you own or rent your living accommodations ? % Own % Rent Zone 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total 65 77 77 41 59 62 64% 35 23 23 59 41 38 36% Question 4. What does the head of the household do for a living? Occupation Number Professional, Technical & Kindred 186 Managers 25 Clerical 13 Sales 30 Craftsmen, Foremen, 6: Operatives 13 Service 9 Private Household, Laborers, & Misc. 62 Retired __2_7_ Total 365 Percentage 5 ._a 1 \JNubCDbV IV C 105 It is easy to see that the occupation of the respondents was strongly technical or administratively oriented. The most named occupation in this study was clearly the Professional, Technical and Kindred classifica- tion, which corresponded to the 1960 census information as the most prevalent occupation. In the survey the percentage of 51 percent for this category was larger than the 38 percent registered for East Lansing as a whole in the 1960 census.2 Question 5. Circle the level of formal education last completed. Husbands Wives Level of Education (men if single) % (women if single) % Grade 7 2 2 7 2 . 2 High School 51 15.7 75 23.7 Business/Trade School 14 4 . 3 30 9 . 5 College 105 32 3 149 47. 2 Advanced Degree 148 45 5 55 17 . 4 Totals 325 100.0 316 100.0 One might expect the educational level of the East Lansing record to be very high because of the proximity of Michigan State University, and this is by census information the case. The 1960 census information showed over 50 percent of the population had completed four or more years of college. 3 This survey showed nearly 78 percent of the men and 64 percent of the women with college or advanced degrees . No doubt there has been some advance in the tendency towards a college education as a general trend, but it might be that the better educated respond better to questionnaires, accounting for an even high percentage in the returns. Another consideration in assessing the educational level of East Lansing is that a major portion of the 126 persons who indicated that they had a high school education also indicated in some way on the questionnaire that they were college students and had some possibility of completing a 211510., p. 27. 31bid. , p. 45. 106 a college education in the near future. All of these considerations coupled with the 44 persons indicating a Business or Trade School education points to a highly educated citizenry. So general is the high educational level, that none of the six zones is below 70 percent in its distribution of col- lege and advanced degrees present. The following chart illustrates this point. Zone 1 2 3 4 5 6 College Degree 33% 43% 33% 34% 26% 23% Advanced Degrees 42% 4_1_% 4_9_% 52% 4_5_% _5_O_% Total 75% 84% 82% 84% 71% 73% Educational combinations within the family units was computed for those married persons furnishing full information in response to the ed— ucation question . Composition Number Percent 2 Advanced Degrees 42 15. 2 Advanced Degree & College Degree 68 24. 5 Advanced Degree & Business or Trade School 11 4.0 Advanced Degree & High School 16 5.8 Advanced Degree & Grade School 1 .4 2 College Degrees 59 21 . 2 College & Business or Trade School 14 5.0 College & High School 21 7.6 College & Grade School 2 . 7 2 Business or Trade School 2 . 7 Business or Trade School & High School 6 2.1 Business or Trade School & Grade School 1 .4 2 High School 29 10.4 High School 6: Grade School 2 . 7 2 Grade School ___4 1.4 Total 278 100.0 Over three quarters of the completed questionnaires were completed by married persons . There was no way of determining how many of the original sample was a married person. Some speculation might be made 107 that perhaps households represented by married couples respond better to questionnaires. On the surface of things this appears to be a valid assumption even if only from the standpoint that the married household has at least twice as many potential persons to fill out the questionnaire. The results of this study neither attempt to prove or disprove this theory but merely lists the composition of the respondents. There is one characteristic eminently evident from the educational composition chart. People tend to marry partners with similar educa- tional backgrounds. The exact impact that this tendency has on recrea- tion in East Lansing or any other city is still Open for speculation. Per- haps a later research study will establish some relationship between these two variables . Question 6. Does your family spend long periods of time away from East Lansing in the summer (more than 2 weeks)? Yes 152 42.2% No 208 57.8% A percentage approaching half of the families is a large portion of a community population to be absent from a city during any single 12-week period. This presents problems from a programmers point of view as a significant number of families may be reluctant to participate in programs scheduled over an extended period. In some cases an extended vacation period away from home may even replace the lure of certain traditional summer recreation activities. Children who have just returned from three weeks vacation at a northern lake cottage are apt to find a day camp activity less inviting than a child who has spent his entire summer in the city. Those people who have spent extended periods during their vacations with access to outdoor swimming pools or beaches may find that indoor swimming in East Lansing is not as great an attraction to them as it would have been had they had no access to outdoor swimming. There is no indication in this particular question that any deficiency in local recreation Opportunities contribute to the amount of time spent away from East Lansing. 108 There is some variation by zone in the percentage of families which leave East Lansing for periods in excess of two weeks in the summer. While the variation from the average is not large there may be some relationship of this variable with other variables listed later in the survey. Zone breakdown on absence is as follows: Zone 1 2 3 4 5 6 Absence from EastLansing% 35 47 33 39 48 41 Question 7. This question asked the household to rate each of six rec— reational jurisdictions in terms of popularity, a first ranking or a one rating for the most used, down to a six for least used. Non use was indicated by marking a zero. Each household was broken down by eight age groups to deter- mine if age has an effect on what facilities are used. Number of Times East Lansing Ranked Age Group lst 2d 3d Under 5 21 7 4 5 - 9 45 16 6 10 - 14 44 ll 3 15 - 19 42 17 5 20 - 24 20 45 13 25 - 44 34 33 27 45 - 64 31 34 16 6s & up _1_3 __z _4 Total 250 170 78 Number of Times Lansing Ranked Age Group lst 2d 3d Under 5 4 ll 9 5 - 9 5 12 12 10 - 14 2 9 19 15 - l9 2 12 21 20 - 24 8 22 29 25 - 44 13 24 27 45 - 64 11 13 24 65& up i ___5_ __5 Total 47 108 146 109 Number of Times Michigan State University Ranked Age Group lst 2d 3d Under 5 4 9 11 5 - 9 4 22 22 10 - 14 5 22 17 15 - 19 17 25 15 20 - 24 60 10 15 25 - 44 49 27 24 45 — 64 46 26 14 65 & up _fi __7 __5_ Total 194 148 123 Number of Times Private (clubs, commercial) Ranked Age Group lst 2d 3d Under 5 1 0 O 5 - 9 4 2 10 - 14 15 3 1 15 - l9 7 6 5 20 - 24 5 6 5 25 - 44 12 10 8 45 - 64 26 13 5 65& up _4 __4 __1_ Total 78 46 27 Number of Times State Parks Ranked Age Group lst 2d 3d Under 5 5 5 3 5 - 9 7 8 11 10 - 14 3 7 8 15 - 19 2 6 9 20 - 24 5 5 18 25 - 44 10 16 12 45 - 64 4 11 13 65& up _1 _Q _2_ Total 37 58 76 110 Number of Times YMCA Ranked Age Group lst 2d 3d Under 5 O l 0 5 - 9 2 6 9 10 - l4 0 5 6 15 - 19 5 l 3 20 - 24 2 4 1 25 - 44 3 6 3 45 - 64 1 3 2 65 & up _i _0 _1 Total 14 26 25 Pulling the totals from each of the jurisdictions together the rankings appear as follows: lst 2d 3d East Lansing 250 170 78 Lansing 47 108 146 Michigan State University 194 148 123 Private 78 46 27 State Parks 37 58 76 YMCA 14 26 25 Popularity of jurisdictions is not consistent through all the age classifications, as evidenced by inspecting the number of first place rankings each jurisdiction received. lst Place Ratings Under 5 5-9 10—14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45-64 65 & up East Lansing 21 45 44 42 20 34 31 13 Lansing 4 5 2 2 8 13 11 2 Mich. State Univ. 4 4 5 17 60 49 46 9 Private 1 8 15 7 5 12 26 4 State Parks 5 7 3 2 5 10 4 1 YMCA O 2 0 5 2 3 1 1 From this chart we might assume that the recreational habits change with age. Under a situation where a majority of the population spends their various stages of growing up in one city, one might wonder whether 111 the habits of early youth might not carry over into adult life. In a town influenced strongly by a large university, a great many young people from other communities with varying recreational backgrounds move into East Lansing and while living there seek recreational opportunities. Re- gardless of the reason for the change in recreational habits it is quite clear that such a change does take place. In the age categories up through the 19 year olds, East Lansing is overwhelmingly the most pop- ular recreational jurisdiction. This pattern abruptly changes for the 20 to 24 age category shifting from East Lansing to Michigan State University. That should not be too startling for an age group which applies to many college students . This popularity for Michigan State continues through the age categories 25—44 and 45-64 certainly indicating that the popular— ity for Michigan State facilities is not due entirely to students. To further point out the apparent attraction well developed facilities have, the Private sector attracts nearly as many first place ratings for the 45-64 age group as does East Lansing. For the 65 and older group East Lansing again regains the most popular designation. When comparing the facilities provided by the City of East Lansing and the ratings we may have an indication of what age group clientele certain facilities attract. Area of residence does not appear to have any great influence on the preference of the age groups involved. In the households surveyed the preference established by age groups held true for each of the six separate zones. From this we might conclude that interest goes to the facility rather than mere conveniences being the greatest factor in usage. Certainly convenience and access must play part in affecting recreational use patterns but it appears that when facil- ities which are desired are present within reasonable distance peOple will go to that facility rather than change their recreational habits. 112 Question 8. What park in East Lansing do you use most often? Park Response Alton 2 2 7 Arbor 6 Valley Court 3 Shaw __1_ Total 23 7 In all of the cases where a park other than Alton was named it was found that the respondent lived in the zone in which the named park was located. In several of the instances the respondent volunteered addi- tional information which indicated they lived very near the park they mentioned. An interesting thing about the overwhelming choice of Alton as the most used park was the fact that in many cases the respondent did not know the name of the park. They described the location in a large num- ber of cases. Sometimes they said "the one on M—78" others said "M-78 and Alton." In a number of cases "City Park" was the description. Evi- dently a large percentage of people refer to the park as "City Park" de- spite the sign at the entrance which says Alton Park. The general public has certainly not accepted the Alton designation or are not sufficiently exposed to the name to remember it. A number of people commented after giving Alton as their choice— "is there any other" or "are there others .' It is also interesting to note that a great many of those who called Alton "City Park" have lived in East Lansing 10 years or more. As few parks as exist in East Lansing, Iwould wager it would be a rare citizen, indeed, that could tell you how many parks East Lansing has, let alone name them. Another significant finding from examing the basic material in this particular question was the number of persons who indicated preference for a park which is in the Lansing Park System. At least 20 questionnaires were in this category. Potter Park and Fenner Arboretum were most often mentioned. This caused some speculation on the actual number of people who know the difference between the Lansing and East Lansing Park Systems . 113 @estion 9. What attracts you to this park? (check all apprOpriate categories) Activity Responses Picnicking 175 Children's Play Area 114 Warm Weather Sports 49 Rest/Scenery 47 Fireworks 17 Winter Sports 10 This tally seems to correspond to the facilities which are available linking pOpularity loosely to availability. Availability is evidently not paramount since some of the park areas are as well suited to participa— tion of one type of activity as another. For instance, more park land could be considered suitable for "Rest/Scenery" than for "Picnicking, " but four times as many are attracted to picnicking. @estion 10. If East Lansing facilities are not used, why not? Reason Responses Get recreation elsewhere 121 Lack of time 87 No interest 47 Inadequate facilities 35 Crowded 34 Not attractive 15 Too far away 15 Heavy traffic 8 In the face of direct questions on why the facilities are not used all three of the most frequent answers are linked with various forms of local apathy. Irregardlessof the underlying reasons for the categories of "Get recreation elsewhere" and "No interest" we must conclude that over a third of the respondents are not overly concerned with East Lansing as a recreational resource. If facilities were the major problem, more people should have checked inadequate facilities as a prime reason for non use of facilities. It will be interesting to see if this proportion is borne out in other 114 studies or prevails as a trait in future studies in East Lansing. Because the respondent was able to check as many appropriate categories as they chose, the figures given do not represent separate household answers. A key to the lack of public support for park and recreation improve- ment might be cited at this point. From the total response obtained by the survey it was obvious that a majority of the population did not feel urgency of recreation research for East Lansing. Of the interested one third, one third of those did not have a major interest or attachment for recreation in East Lansing. Not all of those who did not participate in East Lansing recreation were disinterested entirely. The largest category participated, but not in East Lansing. This seems to tie in previous in- formation about the absence from East Lansing of over 40 percent of the households for over two weeks each summer, traditionally the high rec- reational season. It also corresponds to the high popularity of Michigan State University facilities. It does seem curious that so many persons indicated an interest outside of East Lansing, but did not attribute this interest to a lack of facilities in East Lansing. It would be an interesting study to find out what attraction people feel for existing facilities and ascertain if they have any concept of what a park system can become. Under the hypothesis that the average person only has a vague idea of what a park and recreation system should be, but is attracted to a well planned and well constructed facility, it fol- lows that professional leadership is needed to provide the recreation needs of a community. Some support for this rationale is provided in this question. It may be possible for additional facilities to capture the interest and attendance of those persons checking categories of No interest, Lack of time and Get recreation elsewhere, but there is insufficient in- formation available in this study to prove this point. On the other hand, the information provided earlier shows East Lan- sing to have a high income level. High income groups tend to spend 4 . much leisure time away from home. That may account for the high count 4U.S. Outdoor Recreation, p. 48. 115 of those getting recreation away from East Lansing. This may prevail as a community trait in East Lansing despite the number or type of facilities provided locally. Question 11. What park or recreational facilities, improvements or pro- grams would you most like to see in East Lansing? This was an open end question which allowed the respondent to name any single improvement or any number they chose. A total of 42 different recommendations for improvement were given. Some were combinations of several improvements. Because so many different ideas on what fa- cilities could conceivably improve the East Lansing system, only the responses that were repeated five times or more are recorded here. Only a few prank responses like "rent-a-mattress service" were in evidence, indicating the overall quality of the answers was very high. In all, 214 questionnaires listed some recommendation. Suggestions Number Outdoor swimming pool 70 Additional parks 26 More tennis courts and a swimming pool 14 More parks and a swimming pool 11 Golf course 10 Improved sports facilities 8 Tennis courts 7 Nature center 7 Teen center 6 Outdoor swimming pool was mentioned in some combinations 102 times. This is nearly one third of total responses to this question. Ad- ditional parks were requested in 54. Both of these were concerned in bond issues which failed. There evidently is still strong sentiment for developments in this direction. Tennis court additions were listed 28 times. This was a surprisingly high count since there are over 60 courts in the immediate area counting Michigan State University courts and those in Lansing parks close to East Lansing city limits. Evidently the availability of facilities of a 116 certain type stimulates a request for more, or for facilities closer to their homes. This is again borne out by the requests for a Nature center "like Fenner Arboretum.‘ In actuality, Fenner Arboretum is as close to all people in East Lansing as it is to most of the peOple who live in Lansing. Notable in its absence was the lack of requests for additional pro- grams. In all of their various forms only eight requests were made for programs of any type. Of these, most were for additional arts programs or senior citizen programs. Question 12. In your experience, what city has an ideal park system? This question was included for two reasons. One was to attempt to establish some form of reference for questionnaires which showed crit- icism of local conditions. The second was to explore the park experiences of the populous in an effort to gauge their park experience. Naturally there is a great deal of variation in each individual's con— cept of what might be considered ideal. This is certainly the case with East Lansing residents. Travel experience, former place of residence, personal tastes, age, family size, income and education no doubt play some part in these considerations. When these variables are put together one would expect a wide range of responses to this query. There were only 136 questionnaires which had answers to this ques- tion. Considering this fact, the 57 different United States cities and 6 foreign cities presented quite a different view of what constitutes an ideal system. The leading cities are as follows: Number of Times City Mentioned Ideal Lansing 27 Chicago 10 Minneapolis 9 Washington, D. C. 7 Milwaukee 5 It is not too surprising to find Lansing leading the park because of its close proximity to East Lansing and the correspondingly general 117 exposure it must have received. A number of persons indicated Lansing- East Lansing as though they considered it one consolidated system. Other Michigan cities mentioned more than once were: East Lansing Iackson Grand Rapids Dearborn Kalamazoo NOOrbNN Question 13. If you feel improvements are needed in East Lansing, how should they be financed? Number Indicating Method This Preference City Council (pay as you go) 156 Bond Issue 94 Private donation 67 School Board (pay as you go) 33 Write in selection - fees used to pay for facilities 11 Obviously the general public feels the responsibility for the contribu- tion of new facilities lies with the City Council. Even though the School Board has been involved in co-sponsoring recreation programs, the public must associate recreational develOpment with only the Council rather than both agencies. It is also significant that the public would like to see a pay as you go program carried out rather than a Bond Issue program which might produce facilities more quickly. This response may indicate a lukewarm reception to recreational bond issues in general, a fact which could have been contributory to the two recreational bond issue defeats in East Lansing. It is interesting to note the support given to private donations as a response. It has been true historically that private donations have been important to the recreational movement. It is an admirable situation if that situation is the case in East Lansing. The combination of high in- come and a belief in private donation may be an important source to tap in a public drive for funds, if such an undertaking is considered at some time. On the other hand, there is the possibility that when a person 118 marked down "Private Donation, " he did not mean his private donation but he thought that somebody should donate. This of course is a form of pro- crastination about the problems of recreational financing and reflects a further problem when the public is to be convinced they must support de- velOpment through their taxes . Several persons were very concerned about not having their taxes raised, and took the opportunity on this question to state their thoughts on the matter. I am sure that in any questionnaire which asks a question having to do with financing, a firm lecture in print on economics can be expected. This survey was no exception. In addition to the single responses for financing forms, 54 question- naires contained suggestions for a combination of financing forms. Methods Responses Private donation plus Council apprOpriation 17 Bond Issue plus Council appropriation 11 Council apprOpriation plus School Board appropriation 9 Combination of three methods 14 Combination of four methods 3 It is again significant that nearly every one of the combinations in— cluded City Council (pay as you go) as one of the forms of finance. Question 14. What recreational equipment does your family own. Equipment Responses Skis, ice skates, sleds 202 Yard picnic equipment 193 Yard play equipment 123 Camping equipment 118 Boat 80 Cottage 72 Swimming pool (including access if pool is available at apartment) 24 Snowmobile 12 Write in equipment - trailers 10 Ownership of equipment may be one of the best indicators of interest in particular activities. An investment of money in equipment, especially 119 costly equipment such as boats or swimming pools usually indicates not only an interest in the activity but gives strong clues as to the amount of time spent in the activity. It is one thing to enjoy a snowmobile, and quite another to buy one. Surprisingly, winter sports equipment was the most named equipment. When one considers how often that backyard picnic equipment is observed, is is remarkable that even more families own winter sports equipment. This tremendous response is even more significant when you stOp to con- sider how often skis are rented rather than purchased. It is no wonder that an important portion of the pOpulation spends a good deal of recreation time away from East Lansing. Camping, boating, snowmobile and winter sports equipment depend on facilities away from City—owned facilities. Only skating is provided as a sponsored activity in the park system which would apply to ownership of the above mentioned equipment. Despite, or perhaps because of, the popularity of picnic equipment at home and play equipment at home as indicated by the 193 and 123 households, this home equipment did not discourage pOpularity of those same activities in East Lansing parks. Question 9, which showed pic- nicking and childrens play area to be the most popular public park attrac- tion, coincides with often owned private equipment establishing a con- sistent recreational habit in both private and public areas. Boating shows strength, indicating the importance of the Great Lakes, local lakes such as Lake Lansing and Park Lake, as well as streams and lakes further removed from this area. This is just one more indicator of the interest generated by water. Also significant was the fact that the majority of the households indi- cated the ownership of more than one type of equipment. From the fol— lowing figures it should be clear that most households have a variety of recreational interests as evidenced by the amount of equipment they own. *3 ”mu-mun. . rum - y s 120 Number of Number of Categories Checked Households 1 66 2 69 3 74 4 63 5 25 6 9 Question 15. What was the approximate total family income in 1967 (total of all income by all members of the family)? Number Percentage Under $3,000 27 7.7 $ 3,000 - $ 5,999 21 6.0 $ 6,000 - $ 7,999 35 10.0 $ 8,000 - $ 9,999 46 13.1 $10,000 - $14,999 88 25.2 $15,000 — $24,999 93 26.6 $25,000 and over __4_O 11.4 350 For a question that is generally regarded as sensitive, the comple— tion percentage of 95 percent for the households responding was very good for this question. Over 63 percent of those households responding had incomes in ex- cess of $10,000, a figure which is not too surprising when four of the six census tracts reported family incomes in excess of $9,400 in 1965. 5 Surely income levels have risen since that time. This level should be sufficient to provide basic family requirements plus at least a moderate level of disposable income available for recreational expenditures. Most of those persons which listed themselves as having incomes under $6,000 also listed themselves as either students or retirees in the occu— pation question. Zone of residence is related to income as we can see from the infor- mation furnished. This should have some effect also on recreational habits. 5Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Median Family Income by Census Tracts (Lansing: Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, n.d. ), p. 1. 121 The composition of residential zones according to income levels is as follows: Under $3,000— $6,000— $8,000- $10,000- $15,000— $25,000 Zone $3£OO $5,999 SL999 $9.999 $14,999 $24,999 &Up Percentage l 2 2 7 15 35 26 13 2 7 3 6 8 15 34 27 3 2 10 6 12 12 43 15 4 15 15 13 5 36 11 5 5 9 4 15 19 36 24 3 6 14 7 11 11 39 11 7 Question 16. How many cars in your family? Cars Responses 1 154 2 154 3 29 4 9 5 0 6 0 7 1 As the figures show, over half the households have two cars or more. The mobility this fact implies is clear. It would appear that a business use of one car would not interfere with the possibility of other members of a family having transport to recreational areas. It would also enable different members of the family to participate in different activities at the same time without a transportation problem. The great amount of automobiles pose some problems in present and future park design. Since there is a great ownership of autos it follows there will be a corresponding use of them to get to recreation activities. Sufficient parking must be provided at present parks to make them desir— able from a users standpoint and future development must also take this factor into consideration. This substantial personal tranSportation resource allows additional possibilities for future develOpment. If it were necessary to obtain land outside the city for park purposes , few of the families surveyed would 122 find it impossible to reach this area by the use of personal autos. This gives the city of East Lansing some flexibility in choosing park sites, especially those sites requiring special features such as ski or sledding hills. Question 17. Check all activities in which your family members partic— ipate. The following chart is a tally sheet for each of the activities. 5—9 10-14 15—19 20—24 25—@ A League games and sports 9 27 25 29 41 B Winter Sports: skiing, skating, etc. 66 68 73 55 116 C Social activities: dances, parties 18 37 66 61 145 D Music: vocal, instrumental 16 50 34 25 71 E Water sports: swimming, diving 68 72 78 77 165 F Boating: canoe, motorg sailing 25 36 43 57 115 G Arts and crafts: painting, ceramics 21 28 18 22 60 H Dramazjlays, musicals 9 23 15 13 68 I Dancing: ballet, tap 7 ll 3 10 10 J Nature outings: hikinchamgping 54 52 43 47 152 K Golfing 6 18 35 37 110 L Bicycling 66 60 42 34 100 M Huntinggr fishing 28 29 29 42 120 N Viewigg sports activities 37 50 67 68 197 O Picnicking 73 61 56 57 189 P ArcherL 11 8 11 12 21 Q Horseback riding 8 13 19 26 23 R Tennis 9 20 46 44 73 The numbers indicated are not comparable between age groups be— cause of difference in the total numbers of responses in each age category. For instance, 10 responses in the 5 to 9 age category represents nearly 10 percent of the total responses in that age category, while 10 responses might represent less than 2 percent in the 24 and up category which has more total responses. For that reason ranking within age categories is probably more significant. C301 (13% 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 123 Popularity of Activities Age 5 - 9 Picnicking Water Sports Winter Sports Bicycling Nature Outings Viewing Sports Activities Hunting or Fishing Boating Arts & Crafts Social Activities hAusic Archery League Games & Sports Drama Tennis Age 10 — 14 Water Sports Winter Sports Picnicking Bicycling Nature Outings Viewing Sports Activities Adusic Social Activities Boating Hunting or Fishing Arts & Crafts League Games & Sports Drama Tennis Golf Age 15 - 19 Water Sports Winter Sports Viewing Sports Activities Social Activities Picnicking Tennis Nature Outing Boating Bicycling Golfing Music Hunting or Fishing League Games & Sports Horseback Riding Arts & Crafts Water Sports Viewing Sports Activities Social Activities Picnicking Boating Winter Sports Nature Outings Tennis Hunting or Fishing Golfing Bicycling League Games & Sports Horseback Riding Music Arts & Crafts Drama Archery Dancing (ballet, tap, etc.) Horseback Riding Horseback Riding Drama Dancing (ballet, Dancing (ballet, Archery tap, etc.) tap, etc.) Golf Archery Dancing (ballet, tap, etc.) Age 20 - 24 Age 24 & Up Viewing Sports Activities Picnicking Water Sports Social Activities Nature Outings Hunting or Fishing Winter Sports Boating Golfing Bicycling Tennis Music Drama Arts & Crafts League Games & Sports Horseback Riding Archery Dancing (ballet, tap, etc.) 124 Rank Composite of All Age Groups 1 Water Sports 2 Picnicking 3 Viewing Sports Activities 4 Winter Sports 5 Nature Outings 6 Social Activities: dances, parties 7 Bicycling 8 Boating 9 Hunting or Fishing 10 Golfing 11 Music (vocal, instrumental) 12 Tennis 13 Arts and Crafts 14 League Games and Sports 15 Drama: plays, musicals 16 Horseback Riding l7 Archery 18 Dancing (ballet, tap, etc.) Question 18. If you have elementary school age children, how far will you allow them to travel for recreation? Blocks Responses 2 8 3 8 4 12 5 l3 6 13 7 2 8 5 10 10 12 6 15 2 16 1 20 3 The value of parks convenient to neighborhoods is illustrated by the responses to question 18. The limited distance elementary age children are allowed to travel for recreation may affect both unsupervised programs and supervised ones. A single location, even though it is staffed with a number of leaders, may not attract as many total recreators as scattered locations within reasonable access distance of residents. Some rule of 125 thumb measures which have said that parks should be no further than one-half mile to serve neighborhoods seem to be confirmed by those who answered this question. Closeness must imply something more than mere convenience, the most obvious being safety. Safe travel to and from an activity for this age group appears to be the controlling issue as several questionnaires indicated that the older the children were, the further they were allowed to go for recreation. While this must seem a foolishly evident statement, even a supposition such as this benefits from actual verification by research. Question 19. How many children attend camp for more than one week? Number in Family Attending Camp Responses 1 27 2 14 3 3 6 1 Total number of persons attending camp for more than one week = 70 Question 19 is further indication that a fairly large number of poten- tial recreators are absent from East Lansing for substantial periods of time. When the responses in other questions, such as "get recreation elsewhere, and "gone from East Lansing over two weeks in the summer" are linked with this question, it becomes clear that a great deal of recrea- tion by East Lansing residents is taking place somewhere removed from East Lansing. Whether this recreation away from East Lansing is pre- ferred by residents or forced upon them by insufficient local opportunities is not clear from the results of this questionnaire. Some speculation must arise that a certain combination of both reasons apply. Since there is no camp in East Lansing, it follows that to take part in camp activities they must leave the City. There is no guarantee that even if a camp were in or adjacent to the City that residents would use it in preference to camps further away. It seems there will always be a certain demand for 126 new places away from home for recreation, but basic needs for day-to— day recreation demands should be available locally. On the basis of this study, there were a number of areas of interest which might be appropriate for additional research. A special study on outdoor swimming pools and possible methods of financing for such a pool would seem to be valuable to the City of East Lansing should they consider construction of such a facility. A special research project on teen centers might uncover the reason why there has been vocal support for a teen center, but why such little support was found for one in this survey. Perhaps the age of the person who completed the survey would account for a difference in opinion. This survey was not able to ascertain this point satisfactorily. A further study on winter sports would also help define what winter sports programs might be developed by the City of East Lansing. CHAPTER VI IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS In this, the concluding chapter, observations and comments about the existing and potential park and recreation system will be made with a number of items taken into consideration. Investigation of existing facilities and programs, interviews with residents, officials and persons living next to parks, comparisons with cities of similar size and analysis of a community-wide survey were all viewed by a hopefully unbiased in- vestigator. Since this has not been a study done at the request of the City of East Lansing nor any pressure group advocating increased facil- ities, the Opinions expressed were not pre-prejudiced. To keep conclusions in logical order, the same procedure will be used in this chapter that was followed in Chapter IV when the present system was examined. Four sections are relevant in this case: Lands and Facilities, Programs, Organization, and Financing. They will be discussed and the recommendations which are made will be consecutively numbered regardless of the category to which the recommendations apply. Lands and Facilities Projections of 1980 population in the East Lansing planning area run as high as 60,000.1 Under the generally accepted standard of 10 acres per 1,000, a total park acreage by 1980 should be 600 acres. Existing city and School Board lands total 214.9 acres. This leaves a deficit by 1980 of 385.1 acres. In order to accomplish any project which will more than double existing acreage within 12 years, such a project must get started now . 1East Lansing, Comprehensive Plan, p. 47. 127 128 Recommendation #1. Enact an official park acquisition policy which is backed by specific funding in the City of East Lansing budget. A great deal of discussion has taken place in East Lansing on the School-Park concept. There appears to be a reasonable chance that a majority of neighborhood park needs could be resolved by the implementa- tion of an effective School-Park plan. Unfortunately, even though a School-Park study was completed in 1965, no effective implementation has taken place to date. To have a school site with enough acreage to be suitable for such a project or to have park ground adjacent to a school is not enough. It is necessary for school area and park areas to be de- signed, develOped and maintained so that they are compatible with the concept. Without a willingness of the City Council to acquire and de— velOp land adjacent to new school sites as they are acquired, the School- Park plan has very little chance for success. This means that both the City Council and Board of Education must work closely in planning future sites and have an agreement on acquiring such sites. Recommendation #2. That the City Council and Board of Education adOpt a formal agreement to cooperate in the development of a School—Park program designed to fulfill the needs of the neighborhoods . Lands suitable for recreational use are often times lost to commer— cial development. If such lands are now zoned residential the discourage- ment of pre-empting uses can be accomplished by the maintenance of residential zoning. In areas where land is zoned commercial or multi- family, the requirement of buffer zones in plan approvals can result in the establishment of park areas which will contribute to the total effec- tive park acreage. Recommendation #3. All possible administrative measures should be taken by the City Council to preserve potential recreational lands until they can be acquired for park purposes. In dozens of discussions about East Lansing's general problems with 129 recreational development a curious attitude consistently cropped up. Most peOple in an official capacity in East Lansing consider the student population going to Michigan State as temporary residents not subject to the same considerations due "permanent" residents. The general attitude seems to be that Michigan State University should be responsible for providing for all student needs regardless of where they happen to reside. No doubt that it is important to recognize the percentage of total popula- tion in East Lansing attributable to Michigan State students so that ac- curate population projections can be made using University growth pro- jections. It is a contradiction in terms to consider this portion of the population as "temporary.' It is true that many of these students reside in East Lansing for short periods of time, but it is also true that in most cases when one person moves out, another person moves in. Capacity ' is the determiner of student population and it has been the case in the past that few apartments or living units have been vacant even in summer sessions. Therefore the succession of "temporary" or "non-permanent" population are in fact a basic and stable unit of East Lansing citizenry. This group has basic recreation needs which have to be considered. This is especially true of those students who are married and have children. Very little emphasis has been given to development of parks near student housing centers as witnessed by the lack of develOpment of Valley Court and Arbor parks in comparison with Alton, a park located some distance from high density housing. The economic health of East Lansing is de- pendent on Michigan State University students . They account for more than half of all retail trade2 in the area and the money they pay for rent eventually pays the property taxes on that property. If the amenities offered by East Lansing residency proves consistently unsatisfactory, a condition exists which could prove a serious problem in the future growth of East Lansing. Some discussion has taken place about the develOpment 21bid. , p. 29. 130 in Meridian Township of a student housing complex capable of serving 5,000 students. If such a develOpment does take place in close proxim- ity to the campus, providing both shOpping and recreational Opportunities, East Lansing might suffer a serious loss of business and rental revenues. Some special effort might be made in advance of such a project which would improve the feeling of the students that they belong and enjoy living in East Lansing. At the present time there is a widespread feeling on the part of these students that they are treated as second class cit- izens prized only for their spending ability and their need for rental housing. If this feeling persists and new housing, coupled with recrea- tional Opportunities, becomes available outside of East Lansing, out- migration of pOpulation is highly possible. Recommendation #4. That an additional official effort be made to recog- nize the student pOpulation as an important part of East Lansing commun- ity life and that recreational Opportunities in both facilities and programs be instituted for the student residents of East Lansing. ESpecially neces— sary is the develOpment of park sites near student housing to accommo— date pre-school and elementary school age children. A great many peOple have indicated they have an interest in winter Sports, picnicking and nature outings of several types. This type of activity may be worked into land which has rolling tOpography and has a pastoral setting. There are a number of areas outside of the city limits of East Lansing which offer such tOpography. It is not unusual for mu- nicipalities to purchase land outside of their city limits to develOp rec- reation requiring special tOpographic features such as lakes , hills, or woods. If large acreages are required for the activity such as golf, horseback riding or camping, large amounts of land can often be pur— chased for no more money than a moderate amount of urban land. As the survey has shown, peOple in East Lansing have good personal transporta- tion and have some penchant to travel for recreation presently. A rela- tively short drive to a unique recreation site should be very little barrier to use. 131 Recommendation #5. The City of East Lansing should acquire at least one large parcel of land outside the city limits which offers some out- standing feature such as potential for a water feature, winter sports , nature outings, golf or a combination of several features. To make the most of any system, all parks should be used to their fullest extent. In order for peOple to use parks, they must be aware of their location. In inspecting all the parks only one, Alton Park, has signs which identify it to the passerby. Arbor Park also has a sign but it is nearly unreadable from a moving car, and several other parks are :1 difficult to identify as parks even when you are in possession of enough 1 information to find them. It became apparent from some reSponses on the survey and interviews that few peOple know where the parks are or ". are able to identify one when they drive by it. 7 Recommendation #6. The Parks Department should immediately erect signs to identify city-owned parks. In connection with the identification of parks it is also a fact that there is no public document in general circulation that clearly shows or identifies each park in the East Lansing system. With the frequent turnover of a large portion of the pOpulation, the majority of the citizenry should have some method of finding out where recreational Opportunities may be found. Recommendation #7. A brochure or information sheet should be prepared listing the park name, location and facilities available so that residents may more fully utilize the existing park system. A location map would be helpful. Attractiveness has much to do with the desirability of a park from a users standpoint. Good maintenance procedures improve attractiveness. Regular mowing on turf areas will in itself eliminate many weeds which do not tolerate frequent mowing. Well kept parks are a necessity when they are located in residential areas where homes have a high degree of 132 lawn maintenance. It is a poor reflection on the City to have property which is consistently less attractive than surrounding properties. In interviews with residents who live next to several neighborhood parks they stated that mowing was infrequent and often only done as a result of a phone call requesting the action. Even at Glencairn School where park land adjoins the school, the level of maintenance of the park area is far below that of the school. During the summer vacation when school lands are Often on a minimum mowing schedule, the school land at Glen- cairn looks well manicured in comparison with the tall weedy grass in the park. Recommendation #8. That a regular mowing and adequate maintenance schedule be instituted for all parks in East Lansing. With a relatively small park system it is important to use all existing facilities as well as land. Alton Park has a house in the northwest corner which has been used as domestic rental prOperty. A more appropriate public use might be for some type of recreational activity. It may be necessary to modify the interior to make it suitable for group activities , but often times service groups take on projects of this sort, removing the need for expenditures of public funds. In any case the use of park of a public park for a singularly individual interest should be corrected. Recommendation #9. The house in Alton Park should be modified to provide an additional recreational facility at the park. If the house proves unusable the building should be razed to expand the usable park acreage. Public demand for facilities of certain types evidently have not been satisfied by recent building projects. When the swimming pool bond issue was defeated at the polls two major objections were offered by Opponents of the measure. The construction of an additional pool at MacDonald Middle School was projected as a future modification of demand even though it would be an indoor pool. Michigan State has an excellent out- door pool which was available to many of the youths in East Lansing who had parents or relatives working at the University. Even though MacDonald 133 School was in use at the time the community survey was taken, over one— third of the reSpondents recommended that an outdoor swimming pool be built. Michigan State University in the last year has instituted restric— tions on who may use the outdoor pool, and it is now the official summer policy that only those dependents 14 years old and older are allowed the use of the pool. At the time the referendum on pool construction was offered and soundly defeated, circumstances were different than present conditions. The survey gave no clear indication for the failure of the swimming pool issue but in numerous discussions with residents on general recreation matters, the consensus Opinion was that the bond issue was not generally pOpular and was poorly promoted. Any issue which promises to raise taxes and is not well explained should have trouble in a public referendum. This is especially true when there is a light voter turnout. Recommendation #10. The construction of an outdoor swimming pool should be accomplished at one of the East Lansing parks. If construc- tion cannot be financed by other means, a second public referendum, well promoted, should be considered. Programs From the answers obtained in the survey, a community composite can be projected with some surety. The general pOpulation has excellent ed— ucation, a good income and adequate personal tranSportation to allow them to participate in recreation away from East Lansing as well as take advantage of local Opportunities. Most families enjoy water sports, winter sports , viewing sports activities , picnicking and nature outings as well as various forms of individual sports activities. Many spend significant amounts of time away from East Lansing in the summer and most families own a variety of recreational equipment eSpecially picnic and winter sports equipment. Most peOple consider develOpment of rec— reation programs and facilities the responsibility of the City Council and show a strong preference for a systematic pay—as-you—go program of “.11“ “fig-rm. ‘5."- ~ : ,. - r I ’ ‘ 134 financing. East Lansing parks are the most pOpular site for recreation with those under 20 and over 65. In the 20 to 64 group, Michigan State University and private recreational facilities become the most popular. By establishing the community composite it becomes easier to eval- uate and project programming needs. Without question, good facilities aid in prOgramming and any city without adequate facilities forces their programmers to be extremely resourceful in providing a well balanced program. East Lansing is not particularly blessed with recreation re— sources and if it were not for extensive use of school facilities, pro— gramming would indeed be difficult. Very little criticism was evident in the survey where recreation pro- grams were concerned. It appears that even though the Recreation Di- rector is assigned to public recreation only 60 percent of his working schedule, the program in East Lansing is quite good. Several times in the past, requests for expanded programs have been modified because larger budgets have not been approved. Perhaps the program is a bit youth and Sports oriented, but when funds are restricted, high usage activities are bound to receive the most attention. From the standpoint of numbers and public pressure, youth programs are traditionally the most significant programs. From evaluation of the survey one weakness in the program became evident. At present there is no Senior Citizen program and there appears to be sufficient interest and numbers of older persons to warrant one in East Lansing. Seven percent of those who answered the questionnaire were retired. Nearly 25 percent of those represented by the survey were 45 or older. No one would call the lower end of this age group a Senior Citizen but those in their late 50's or older have many interests and friends in common and a program geared for this age group seems appro- priate. Recommendation #11. A Senior Citizen program should be develOped. In the area of cultural arts programming, East Lansing's public program 135 is not well develOped. Lack of manual arts such as painting and ceram— ics is most evident. In many instances a city—sponsored arts program will attract more peOple than a program which is School District sponsored and held in a school site. Some peOple are school shy even though schools have the best facility for conducting such a program. The popularity of such activities becomes evident when the East Lansing Sidewalk Art Show draws so many exhibitors and Spectators. Professional recreational journals are full of articles on develOpment of cultural arts programs and how important and pOpular they are becoming. Recommendation #12. The cultural arts portion of the total program should be expanded, especially for adults , since they have fewer instructional Opportunities than do youths. One of the most interesting findings of the survey was the widespread ownership of winter sports equipment. It was in fact the most named equipment surpassing even picnic equipment. Skiing and sledding are dependent on tOpography and suitable slopes are few in number. Depend— ency on natural freezing plays havoc with programming the ice areas es- tablished at four locations. At best only about 75 days a year are suitable for skating of any kind. Snow, rain, or any kind of warm weather can quickly destroy natural ice. Under this type of handicap, skating activ- ities must operate under the most flexible type of scheduling. Two agencies near East Lansing have facilities which modify natural weather conditions: Michigan State University and Lansing Ski Club. If some sort of COOperative agreement could be made with either of those agencies to allow a public session or at least a clinic to be held at their facility, an effective additional winter program could be added. The Lansing State Journal sponsors a Ski School at Mount Brighton each winter. It is up to the individual to find tranSportation. A sound ski promotion program could be established by arranging for bus transportation to the ski school. This should be a self-financing program. Sledding hills should not be as much of a problem. The area east of .3 '7‘ A. xm-J'Vn‘ :uvrw E: . 136 MacDonald Middle School has potential for a sledding hill. Improvement of the lepe by adding an ice coat with a snow nozzle is certainly pos- sible. This convenient site could prove very pOpular with the youngsters. Recommendation #13. An extra effort should be made to improve the winter sports program for East Lansing even to the extent of arranging transportation to a suitable facility outside of East Lansing. A strong interest in nature outings has been shown in the survey, and in discussions with the Fenner Arboretum Director it was revealed that approximately one third of the total attendance was attributable to East Lansing residents. Schools in the area have taken advantage of organized trips to the Arboretum and the Arboretum is happy to accommodate groups. Michigan State University has several areas such as the Pinetum, San— ford Woodlot and Beal Botanical Gardens which are suitable and conven- ient for the develOpment of a nature program. With the abundance of talent and training at Michigan State there should be someone capable of conducting a competent nature program. There may be a possibility that a COOperative agreement between the City of East Lansing and Michigan State University could be worked out. In some circumstances programs can be worked out without additional public finances being involved. Due to the close relationship of East Lansing to the University, closer relationships should be develOped between school and community. The University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor have started a COOpera- tive program which could serve as an example in East Lansing. Recommendation #14. That the City of East Lansing develOp a nature— oriented program to take advantage of the excellent facilities found close to the city. Teenage girls have very few activities which are available to them in the summer. Organized outdoor activities are nearly non-existent. The playground program is geared for only the 10 to 14 age group and teen- age girls have a tendency to shy away from activities which include 137 persons younger than their particular social group. One program utilizing facilities which already exist in East Lansing is girls softball. Some cities have developed programs in this area which nearly rival the boys program. When such a large group of youth such as the teenage girl group has no well develOped outdoor summer program, the summer pro— gram cannot be considered well balanced—no matter how many programs are offered for the boys. Recommendation #15. That an outdoor program for teenage girls be de- velOped as part of the summer recreation program. One of the most serious deficiencies discovered in this study was the lack of communication with the general public. The average citizen is not well acquainted with the programs available and he has a difficult time finding out what they might be. If a person has moved into the corn- munity and is used to the Park Department as a source of recreation, he is hard put to find either the location of the office or its telephone num- ber. If he does get the department, they have only a vague idea that recreation programs are being carried out and not all the girls who answer the phone even are able to give him a number to call and find out about recreation. For those fortunate enough to find out the recreation office is reached by calling the East Lansing School District, the only hOpe for information is to be fortunate enough to catch the Recreation Director. Even when the part-time secretary is on duty, most questions are referred to the Director, who is so busy doing his job he has no time to act as an information source. Program information is dispensed through the Towne Courier, a local weekly which suffers—as most weeklys suffer—from lack of general cir— culation and a once a week publication. This poses certain limitations on the type and amount of coverage that can be expected. The State journal is probably in more general circulation, but as basically a Lansing publication with sketchy coverage of East Lansing. The other way program information is given out is through the schools. 138 Children in schools receive the information and probably many take the material home so their parents also are informed. If East Lansing stu- dents are typical, there are probably a large number which discard the information sheets before they ever reach the families. Those people without children in school do not receive the information. This does not appear too serious as most programs are for school age children, but over. 45 percent of those responding to the survey were single or married with no children. If the program is designed for some of this 45 percent, they have poor communications telling of programs. In the absence of good public information resources some other form of communication should be considered. Individual brochures can be printed and mailed to each family for less than the cost of a first class letter. Simple listing of a recreation telephone number manned with a girl knowledgeable in the recreation program would go a long way toward public promotion. A general information brochure on recreation programs and facilities posted in public places would also be helpful. There may be some civic group which would like to sponsor the brochure program at no cost to the City of East Lansing. Recommendation #16. An aggressive promotion campaign to inform the public about available recreational resources should be instituted using all modern communication techniques. Organization One of the problems found in the course of this study has been a rather lukewarm public acceptance of the local parks and recreation pro- gram. No doubt this has been a major factor in the defeat of the two recreational bond issues. Too few peOple in the community seem dis- turbed about a local lack of facilities and the large number of student residents who live, shOp, and pay rents in East Lansing seem not only to be completely ignored, but often referred to as a problem. " Under the present East Lansing system no citizen group is utilized to either represent interests in the community or to Spread the gospel of recreation mrwur 3- .‘ar '7]... 7'- 139 to others. In many communities members of recreation commissions indi- vidually and collectively have made great contributions in develOping sound recreational programs. The more individuals that can be exposed to the problems and aSpirations of a local recreation program, the better understood that program is likely to be. Through the use of influence leaders, projects can often succeed which would not get off the ground under a organizational structure not involving citizen representation. The very presence of a citizens advisory committee or commission may prove to be psychologically beneficial to the general public when they feel that the expenditure of their tax monies are being scrutinized by other citizens. When residents feel, whether well founded or not, that they are not receiving value for their taxes they are likely to rebel at any improvement measure which requires additional tax money to support them. Strong citizen leadership widely dispensing accurate information about existing programs and acting as a sensitive listening post for public opinion should be of immense value to a growing park and recreation system. Recommendation #17. An advisory park and recreation commission should be created to help guide future park and recreation develOpment. Presently the organizational structure of both the parks division and the recreation division is a professional nightmare. Despite whatever potential talents or innate abilities personnel may have, working condi— tions, if limiting, will limit his potentiality for delivering a maximum effort. The Park Superintendent is buried far down the organizational ladder and must suffer psychologically if not actually when promoting his budget and program. It may be speculation to say that the influence of a partic- ular job is related to its organizational position. It is not speculation, however, to say that when recruiting a replacement, job importance, as evidenced by organizational status, is extremely important. The present Superintendent is close to retirement and replacement problems will soon 140 have to be faced. It is my personal feeling that the evaluation of the Park Superintendent job shows the official administration emphasis on park develOpment. Only recently another level of supervision was placed above the Superintendent making him a fourth level supervisor. Most cities place the Park Superintendent on the second level of administra- tion or at worst in the third level. Duties assigned the department are largely maintenance with the strongest emphasis on Dutch Elm Disease control. If the official policy has been to hold expenses to a bare mini- mum and develop facilities only in response to strong public demand, the organization of the department has been ideal. Recreation is not in exactly the same situation as the park section. Ultimate reSponsibility is divided between both the School Board and the City of East Iansing. The City Manager and School Superintendent act in accord on matters of recreation policy and the two jurisdictions split the costs equally. There is a certain weakness in the line of responsi- bility when there is a dual master involved. There has been no signif- icant growth in the recreation program in the last five years and the status quo actually must be considered a reduction of program when pOpulation growth and rising costs are considered. Repeated reductions in requests for additional programs have occurred over the years and it is remarkable that the recreation programs have develOped as well as they have. Neither the City of East Lansing nor the School Board seems willing to embark on a significant prOgram improvement and neither has to share the full blame for lack of development. By having a dual reSponsibility in school physical recreation and public recreation, the director is not able to devote his full energies to a program which demands a full-time administrator. If the school district bows completely out of public recreation as has been rumored, serious consideration of how staffing will be accomplished must take place now. Much has been written and discussed on the merits and disadvantages of a combined park and recreation Operation. Many cities have found that consolidation of the departments under one head has economic advantages Ermnmil‘mm: 1s“ ,.v 141 as well as promotes a sounder, better executed program. It seems to be an advantage to smaller cities to have a well-qualified executive in charge of a combined department directing workmen in various specialty areas. This can eliminate much duplication of overhead expenses and the financial advantage of being able to afford a top-flight administrator for the same salary as two lesser qualified divisional heads. Recommendation #18. That a combined Park and Recreation Department be formed with the tOp administrator given the same organizational status as the planner, police chief or fire chief. He should report directly to the City Manager and be responsible for the develOpment and Operation of all park and recreation functions. As a slight modification of the preceeding two recommendations an alternative possibility to the suggested reorganization might exist. There is some virtue in the consideration of forming a Metro-Park and Recreation Authority. By COOperative agreement an authority might be formed which takes in the entire greater Lansing area. This type of authority would give the advantages of a large well-staffed department with the expertise and broad financing often unavailable to smaller jurisdictions. If the City of East Lansing were willing to sacrifice some of its autonomy and others in the area are also willing to COOperate in such a venture, many problems might be solved by such an organization. Recommendation #19. That in the face of economic distress by the City of East Lansing, they should consider the possibility and work toward the formation of a Greater Lansing Metropolitan Park and Recreation Authority. Financing East Lansing has been shown to have one of the lowest expenditures per capita for parks and recreation of any of the Michigan cities of 25, 000 to 50,000. Undoubtedly the lack of funds has resulted in what can only be described as an inadequate park and recreation system. With future recreational demands on the rise nationally, there is no reason to believe 142 that East Lansing's demand will not also rise. Only a more substantial financial budget will allow the kind of facility and program develOpment necessary to COpe with the expected demand. Up until now the City of East Lansing has not been realistic in its approach to the develOpment of this park and recreation system. As a result, all forms of financing are needed to bring the system up to a desirable level. Recommendation #20. A substantial increase in regular budget funds should be dedicated starting with the next budget period. Recommendation #21. All forms of Federal and State funds should be ex— plored to provide acquisition and develOpment funds. In the survey there were a substantial number of persons (67) who thought private donations were an appropriate method of financing public recreational facilities. If this indeed is a consistent local philOSOphy and not a form of procrastination where individuals think other individuals should make private donations, the Opportunity to tap this source of fi- nancing should be taken. Recommendation #22. All possible encouragement should be given private citizens who might make donations of land or money to be used for public park and recreation purposes. The new Public Act 96 which allows the formation of a Building Au- thority to acquire lands and build recreational facilities holds high promise for Michigan cities. This authority issues bonds to cover the cost of the develOpment, then leases the facility back to the City on a contract covering the life and value of the bonds. No public referendum is required but City Council approval is necessary. Recommendation #23. The City of East Lansing should create a Building Authority for the purposes of acquiring and develOping recreation facilities. ConcludinlStatement East Lansing has demand and Opportunity at two extremes. Its citizens 143 have a well develOped inclination towards recreation, own significant amounts of recreational equipment, but have limited recreational Oppor— tunities. In an area which was economically poor this combination might be viewed as disastrous. Fortunately many East Lansing residents have the money, transportation and Opportunity to find recreation outside the City. It does seem strange, however, to allow a Situation to develOp in an affluent suburban area which would be considered an indication of blight in an inner urban area—lack of adequate open Space and recreation opportunities . It has been said that peOple get the type of government they deserve and paraphrasing that statement to say they get the kind of park and rec- reation system they deserve might be a fair statement. A step in the right direction has been the Planning Commission's Parks, Recreation and Beau- tification: An Implementation Program for East Lansing. It is not enough that an official city department prOposes a plan, but widespread educa- tion throughout the community is needed so that the residents understand the plan. In this way public Opinion can be used to support the imple- mentation of such a plan and peOple will be more willing to finance such an undertaking. To meet the challenge of future demand it will be necessary for East Lansing to start immediately on a systematic, well conceived and ade- quate develOpment program. Development prOposals started in 1964, and as yet no significant improvements or land additions have been accom- plished. Establishment of cultural and physical amenities becomes more important as urbanization increases. Arnold Toynbee, the noted historian, once commented that the future of civilized man may rest in his creative use of leisure time. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY '- — t“- I. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY American Institute of Park Executives. The Crisis in Open Land. Wheeling, West Virginia: The American Institute of Park Execu- tives, 1959. Anderson, Kenneth R. , et al. A User-Resource Recreation Planning Method. Loomis, California: National Council on Regional Planning, 1958. Bartholomew, Harland. Schools and Parks. Battle Creek, Michigan: City of Battle Creek, 1965. Batchelor, W. C. A Master Plan of Park, Recreation and Outdoor School Facilities for the City of Cuyahoga Falls. Columbus: School of Social Administration, Ohio State University, 1960. Brightbill, Charles, and Meyer, Harold. Recreation. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1953. Burge, Rabel 1.; Sitterly, john H.; and So, Frank S. Outdoor Recreation Research. Columbus: Natural Resources Institute in COOperation with the Departments of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, and City and Regional Planning, Ohio State University, 1960. Chubb, Michael. Outdoor Recreation Planning in Michigan by a Systems Analysis Approach: Part III—The Practical Application of " Program RECYS and SYMAP. " Lansing: Michigan Department of Commerce, 1967. Chubb, Michael. "Recreation as an Element in the Economic Geography of Greater Lansing. " Unpublished field problems report, Department of Geography, Michigan State University, 1966. City Zoning Code. Fremont, Nebraska: City of Fremont, 1961. Clawson, Marion. Land and Water for Recreation. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1963. Detroit MetrOpolitan Area Regional Planning Commission. Home Survey of Regional Recreation Activities. Detroit: Metropolitan Area Re— gional Planning Commission, 1959. Detroit MetrOpolitan Area Regional Planning Commission. Park Users Survey. Detroit: MetrOpolitan Area Regional Planning Commission, 1960. 144 145 East Lansing Planning Commission. Comprehensive Plan Nineteen Eighty. East Lansing, Michigan: City of East Lansing, 1968. East Lansing Planning Commission. Parks, Recreation and Beautification. East Lansing, Michigan: City of East Lansing, 1968. Gesner, Conrad. On the Admiration of Mountains. Zurich, 1543. Trans- lated in Conrad Gesner. San Francisco: Grafhorn Press , 1937. Grand Rapids Park Department. Park Story. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Park Department, n.d. Grove, Jesse. "A User Survey of the Stone Valley Recreational Area and Development of Selected Facilities. " Unpublished Master's thesis, Pennsylvania State University, 1960. Hillsborough County Planning Commission. Temple Terrace Recreation Study. Tampa, Florida: Hillsborough County Planning Commission, 1965. - Humphrys, C. R. , ed. Anatomy of a Watershed. East Lansing: Depart- ment of Resource DeveIOpment, Michigan State University, 1964. Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Recreation in Lansing—A Survey. Bloomington: Indiana University, 1964. Lansing Parks and Recreation Department. A Guide to Parks and Recrea- tion, City of Lansing. Lansing, Michigan: City of Lansing, 1966. Lansing Tri-County Region Median Family Income by Census Tract, 1960 and 1965. Lansing: Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, 1965. Milstein, David N. Michigan's Outdoor Recreation and Tourism-Now and in 1980. East Lansing: Agricultural Experiment Station and COOpera- tive Extension Service, Michigan State University, 1966. National Recreation Association. Outdoor Recreation Space Standards. New York: National Recreation Association, 1965. National Recreation Association. Recreation and Park Yearbook—1961. New York: National Recreation Association, 1961. Oestrich, James. SCAP Bugqet. East Lansing: School-Community Ac- tivities Program, 1967. Oestrich, James. Memo to City Manager—School Supe_rintendent. Octo- ber 27, 1967. Reader's Digest. 1967 Almanac. Pleasantville, New York: Reader's Digest, 1967. Reid, Leslie M. Outdoor Recreation Preferences: A Nationwide Study of User Desires. Published Ph. D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 1963. 146 Sessoms, Douglas H. "New Basis for Recreation Planning. " Journal of the American Institute of Planners , January 1964, 26-33. Slonim, Morris James. Sampling. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960. Stankey, George Henry. "A Conceptual Paradigm for the Evaluation of Rec- reation Resources. " Unpublished Master's thesis, Oregon State Uni- versity, 1967. State Journal. Lansing, Michigan, July 30, 1968. Strong, Ann Louise. Open Space for Urban America. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1965. Tankel, Stanley 8. "Resort and Recreation Planning. " Planning 1959. Chicago: American Society of Planning Officials, 1959, 103-111. Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. Median Family Income by Census Tract. Lansing, Michigan: Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, n.d. U. 8. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. Outdoor Recreation Grants—In-Aid Manual. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1965. U. S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. Outdoor Recreation Trends. Wash- ington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1968. U. S. Department of Commerce. Local Climatolomal Data, 1967. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1968. U. S. Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. Outdoor Rec- reation for America. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1962. U. S. Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. Outdoor Rec- reation Trends. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1968. U. S. Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. Participation in Outdoor Recreation: Factors AffectinLDemand Among American Adults. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1962. U. S. Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. PrOSpective Demand for Outdoor Recreation. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1962. U. S. Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. The Quality of Outdoor Recreation: As Evidenced by User Satisfaction. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1962. "Voting Results. " Unpublished results of elections, on charts of City Clerk. East Lansing, Michigan, 1968. Williams, Wayne R. Recreation Places. New York: Reinhold Publishing Corporation, 1958. Whettstone, Jerry. User Fees. Wheeling, West Virginia: The American Institute of Park Executives, 1963. APPENDIX 410 Abbott 31mm 312129130112 337-1231 To whom it may concern: This letter will introduce to you Ronald Donahue, a graduate student in Resource DeveIOpment at Michigan State University. As part of the re— quirements for his Master's degree, Mr. Donahue is undertaking an ex- tensive study of recreation in the City of East Lansing. The East Lansing Planning Commission endorses this study and asks your COOperation in completing the enclosed questionnaire. The data you provide will help the City to provide a wide variety of recreation Opportunities for its citizens. Your reply will, of course, be kept in confidence. Thank you for your COOperation. Sincerely , James H. Denison, Chairman East Lansing Planning Commission JHD/nlg P. S. If you have any questions about the study, please contact the Planning Department in the City Hall. (Phone 337—1731 , extension 241) 148 Recreation Facilities Usage Survey 8 . 9 . 10. How many persons in your household are in the following age groups? ‘Ej under 5 yrs ”[3 15-19 years °[:] 45—64 years '[::3 S - 9 years ‘[::] 20-24 years "E:] 65 and over c[::] 10-14 years 'E:] 25-44 years How long have you lived in East Lansing? years and months Do you own or rent your living accommodations? What does the head of the household do for a living? Circle the level of formal education last completed. ‘(husband) grade high schl bus/trade schl college advanced degree 8(wife) grade high schl bus/trade schl college advanced degree Does your family spend long periods of time away from East Lansing in the summer (more than two weeks)? yes no In the age group columns below which apply to your household, rank the following facilities in order of their frequency of use by filling in the number "1" to repre- sent most frequent use and working toward "6" for the least frequently used. ("0" to indicate non-use.) FREQUENCY OF USAGE BY AGE GROUPS Und 5 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 20-24 45-64 65-up East Lansing Lansing Mich State University Private (clubs, commercial) State Parks YOMOCOA. What park in East Lansing do you use most often? What attracts you to this park? (check all appropriate categories) ‘[::j picknicking CE:] rest/scenery ‘C:j childrens' play area ' warm weather °C:] winter Sports 'E:] other sports (SpecifyT If East Lansing facilities are not used, why not? ACZ] too far away ° lack of time inadequate facilities '[::] heavy traffic ' c| I crowded ' no interest get recreation elsewhere 000 [H10 not attractive other (specifyl 149 11. What park or recreational facilities, improvements or programs would you most like to see in East Lansing? 12. In your experience, what city has an ideal park system? 13. If you feel improvements are needed in East Lansing, how should they be financed? ‘[::] Private donation °[::] City Council appropriation (pay-as-you-go) °E:j Bond issue ‘[:] School Board appropriation (pay-as-you-go) CE:] Other (specify) 14. What recreational equipment does your family own? ‘[::3 Yard play equip. °[::] Snowmobile °[::] Skis, ice skates, sleds °[::] Yard picnic equip. ‘1 I Swimming pool "[:] Cottage c[::] Boat '1 I Camping equip. '1 I Other ( 'f speCi y) 15. What was the approximate total family income in 1967 (total of all income by all members of the family? ‘Ej Under 5 3,000 °[:] 5 8,000-$ 9,999 “[3 $25,000 -over ”:1 $ 3,000—s 5,999 '11:] $10,000-$14,999 cf: 5 6,000-$ 7,999 ‘["'l $15,000-524,999 16. How many cars in your family? 17. Check all activities in which your family members participate: a ue ames an s r s n r s r s: S n , s a nq, e c. Oc a ac v es: ances r es us c: voca ns rumen a a er s r s: sw mm n v n n : canoe motor sa n r s an era ts: a nt n ceram cs rama: a s mus ca 5 Dane n : a et ta a ure out n s: n n c n un n or s n ew n S)or 5 ac v t es on n rc e orse ac r n nn 5 ,DVOZIPlh—zo‘moh.) 18. If you have elementary school age children, how far will you allow them to travel unattended for recreation? blocks 19. How many children attend camp for more than one week? PLEASE ENCLOSE COMPLETED SURVEY IN SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND MAIL TODAY - Thank you! (SURVEY OF EAST LANSINC - SPRING 1968) 150 RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPT. — MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Recently you received a questionnaire in the mail on Recreation Facilities Usage in East Lansing. In order for this study to be effective, a high rate of return is needed. If you have returned the questionnaire, we take this Opportunity to thank you for your COOperation. If you have not returned the questionnaire, please do so at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions regarding the survey or need additional forms , please contact: Mr. Ronald Donahue Survey Analyst Resource Development Department Michigan State University Follow—up Card MICHIGAN STATE UNIV. LIBRARIES 31293101189144