8.  RECREATION PLAN

Adopted by the Mountain Lakes Planning Board, December 16, 2010

The Recreation Plan Element covers the comprehensive system of public recreational facilities and assets in Mountain Lakes.  The purpose of this element is to help guide and coordinate Borough policies relating to these facilities and assets.

RECREATION OVERVIEW/BACKGROUND

Mountain Lakes has a long tradition and a strong commitment to active recreation.  A wide variety of recreational activities, organized and informal, is supported by the Borough, directly and indirectly.  This is in part the result of the community's commitment to public education.  The Borough's public schools are among the best in the state and part of this excellence is reflected in the athletic programs and facilities provided by the local schools.  This, however, is only part of the explanation for Mountain Lakes' close association with recreation.

The original development of Mountain Lakes as a planned community in the early part of the 20th century emphasized the recreational values associated with its physical features and park-like setting.  The lakes in particular have, from the community's beginnings, been major recreational assets attracting a population with an orientation towards active outdoor recreation.  The large areas of open space support a wide range of recreation, formal and informal.

This plan's continued commitment to active recreation follows a long tradition in Mountain Lakes.  The main focus of this plan, however, is to recognize and accommodate some important recreational trends that are reshaping recreational needs in the Borough.  Following are some of the major changes and trends relating to recreation in the Borough leading up to this point which form the basis of this plan.

• There is an increased use of recreational facilities which is the result of two important trends:
  1. The increased participation by all ages.  Children are becoming involved in organized active recreational sports at an earlier age than in the past, in many cases as early as 3 or 4 years old.
  2. Equal numbers of girls are becoming actively involved in many sports.  There is an increase in nontraditional sports as well as year round activity in a single sport.  There is also increase in the number of children who participate in more than one sport within a season.
• There is more emphasis on regional recreational opportunities and organizations that is also having an impact on increased use of local facilities.
• The need for additional recreational facilities is felt at all times, especially after school and on weekends when the competition for facilities is most acute.
• The increased, and often continuous, use of active recreational facilities has resulted in the deterioration of many of those facilities, especially playing fields.
• There are few undeveloped areas left in the Borough that are suitable for the expansion of recreational facilities without unreasonable expense.  This fact requires that better and more efficient management of existing facilities must be an important part of satisfying the increased demand.  The town has built two additional fields in Halsey A.  Frederick Park in 2003 and in 2007 placed artificial turf on the existing, football field now known as Wilkins Field.
• Parents have become more actively involved with their children's recreation.  This has had two important results:
  1. More emphasis on a controlled recreational atmosphere.
  2. More emphasis on organized sports.
• There has been vocal public pressure on the Recreation Commission to expand and improve opportunities and facilities in the Borough for a variety of specific active sports, especially competitive sports.  The major sources of this pressure are the parents of children.
• If the Borough is to maintain an overall balanced recreational program, emphasis on passive recreational activities and activities that respond to the needs of various ages will also need to be increased.
• The main emphasis has traditionally been on recreation for children in Mountain Lakes.  This emphasis should be continued while not neglecting recreational opportunities for adults, families and the general community.

RECREATION OBJECTIVES

The following are the major recreation-related objectives that should be pursued by Borough officials and should be reflected in Borough policies.

1. Continue the Borough's strong commitment to providing a diversity of recreational opportunities to all its citizens and especially its children.
2. Expand recreational opportunities to all segments of the Borough population where reasonably possible within the scope of limited resources.
3. Improve recreational opportunities in the Borough through better management and more efficient utilization of existing facilities while taking advantage of the limited circumstances that will permit an expansion of recreational facilities.
4. Expand and support programs that support community spirit and the appreciation of our natural resources and park like surroundings.
5. To maintain partnerships with neighboring communities for recreational facilities and programs.

RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES IN MOUNTAIN LAKES

An important strength of the Borough's recreation system is in its diversity.  A wide variety of recreational opportunities exists in Mountain Lakes, many of which are directly or indirectly publicly supported.  The importance of continuing this important strength is often overlooked from the point of view of a particular sport or recreational interest.  The diversity of recreational interests and constituents in the Borough's population requires a reasonable balancing of recreational resources among a wide variety of activities and interests.

The Borough Recreation Commission and staff have been able to support a wide variety of recreational activities, including a summer structured recreation program for young children.  The responsiveness of the Commission and staff to the desires of various groups and interests is a major asset that brings challenges.  The major assets are the great number of citizens and the wide variety of interests served.  The major challenges are the need to make compromises among various interests for limited resources and the stress that is put upon those resources.

Existing Lake-oriented Facilities

The following lake-oriented facilities are currently available to residents:

All of the above are active recreation areas.  Additional passive recreation areas should be added to the list: Briarcliff Park, the Bird Sanctuary, Memorial Park and areas of Richard M.  Wilcox Park beyond Birchwood Beach.

Existing Public Active Recreational Facilities

Active recreation facilities, other than the lake-oriented ones, include a number of ball and play fields, some of which are shared with the schools.

Existing Private and Quasi-public Active Recreational Facilities

Among the private and quasi-public facilities for active recreation in the Borough are:

RECREATION PROPOSALS

The following are the major proposals related to the future of public recreation in Mountain Lakes.

Lakes

The Borough's lakes represent the cornerstone of recreational opportunities in Mountain Lakes.  The wide variety of recreational opportunities afforded by them has had a fundamental effect on shaping the character of the community and its population.  One result is a population unusually dedicated to active recreation.

As outlined in the Conservation Plan Element, the lakes are experiencing the natural process of eutrophication.  As a high priority, Borough policies and programs under the leadership of the Borough Council should continue to support the lakes and the recreational benefits.

Maintain Commitment to Recreational Diversity

Recreation in Mountain Lakes has long been characterized by a high degree of community participation.  The Borough, the Board of Education and the Recreation Commission should continue to be sensitive to the changing desires of the community, within the context of maintaining the Borough's traditional commitment to a diversity of recreational opportunity.  In particular, more emphasis is needed in programs provided to all ages and to non-athletic recreational activities.

Scheduling and Efficient Use of Existing Facilities

The Borough has recreation facilities and programs of which the community is justly proud.  There are increasing demands on these facilities and programs and the opportunities for major expansions to existing facilities is very limited for fiscal and practical reasons.  Priorities should be set by the Borough and the Board of Education for the use of the facilities that:

• Foster the Borough's overall recreation goals of maintaining diversity of recreational opportunities. 
• Establish an equitable balance between competing recreation demands. 
• Provide for the long term "health" and upkeep of recreational facilities

Management and Maintenance of Playing Fields

The Borough, in collaboration with the Board of Education, should create a plan to assess the condition and use of all the recreational fields, and create a management plan to maintain and utilize those facilities.  This plan should be updated on a regular basis.