Parks Master Plan

This year-long collection and analysis of data has resulted in a well-thought-out, all-encompassing Parks Master Plan. Public Meetings were held during the spring, summer and fall of 2015, and the City greatly appreciates the assistance of those who helped and participated in the process.

Parks Master Plan (PDF)

Message from the Director
Over the past five years, it has been my pleasure to serve as the Director of the Wentzville Parks and Recreation Department. During this time, input from park users has helped us make changes and improvements to our park and recreation system. The last Parks and Recreation Master Plan was completed in 2004 and as everyone is aware a lot of things have changed in Wentzville since 2004. As an example, Wentzville’s population in at the end of 2003 was 14,294 and as of May 2016, the population is approximately 37,753, making Wentzville the fastest growing community in Missouri.  To keep pace with this incredible growth and provide direction for the future of our Parks and Recreation Department, a process was started in early 2015 to update the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This document is a planning tool that will guide improvements for developing the parks, recreation facilities and open spaces in this community for the next 10-12 years.

To help facilitate this process, the Parks and Recreation Department hired PROS Consulting to assist with the project. They are a national firm specializing in assisting parks and recreation agencies to assess their parks system’s existing conditions and the City’s demographic and recreational trends. As part of the process, PROS assisted staff with conducting public outreach and collecting feedback about what is working well or what could be improved regarding park amenities, maintenance and programming. From community input, a very high-level view of the current condition of our parks/facilities was developed, actions items were identified and rough costs for implementation of the plan were assessed. The City will be able to use the Parks and Recreation Master Plan to prioritize future park improvements, allocate funding and solicit additional funding opportunities as opportunities present themselves.

Recently, the City of Wentzville Board of Aldermen adopted six strategic priorities to help guide our community into the future. One of those was to expand parks and trails and update the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Obviously, this document completes one of the essential tasks, but the Parks and Recreation Master Plan is also a good representation of many of the other priorities, such as that of a customer-focused government. This plan would not be possible without the invaluable input of our partners and park users. After months of gathering data through public and focus group meetings, surveys and research, we believe the plan truly captures the expectations, community values and priorities of Wentzville’s citizens, and translates those into action items.

This Master Plan also fulfills other strategic priorities: investing in infrastructure and efficient management of the City’s growth. One of the major themes conveyed to us through the information gathering phase of this project was, “It is essential to identify funding resources and opportunities to ensure that we are able to keep up with the increasing demands of a growing community.” This plan accomplishes its goal of forecasting these opportunities and prioritizing projects according to the desires and needs of the community.

In 2016, it is fitting that we have this Master Plan update to guide us as we are about to celebrate the opening of our newest park in the park system. We have received the final draft of the Wentzville Parks and Recreation Master Plan and we are looking for any last feedback that you would like to provide before we close the door on this planning process. That being said, I would like to personally thank every Wentzville resident who took part in the initial steps of the planning process and helped us shape the future of Wentzville’s park system. We appreciate the support and dedication shown by the City’s Board of Aldermen, Parks and Recreation Board, and our citizens who utilize the parks, recreation facilities and programs, trails and green spaces on a daily basis. With your continued support and with guidance from this plan, Wentzville Parks and Recreation is poised to continue providing high-quality facilities and services to ensure a high quality of life for all of Wentzville.

Mike Lueck, Director
Wentzville Parks and Recreation Department