Open Space and Recreation Plans

Heyer, Gruel & Associates has prepared numerous municipal Open Space and Recreation Plans. The purpose of the Open Space and Recreation Plans is to guide the future development of the community's open space and recreation system, as well as qualify communities for State and County grant programs.  In addition, it serves as an integral component of the municipality's Master Plan and is intended to be used in conjunction with the Land Use Plan Element, Community Facilities Plan and other elements. 

The Plans include several components:

• Goals and Objectives that reflect the community's policies in open space preservation, recreation, acquisition and maintenance of parks and open space.

• An inventory of protected or preserved land and the existing recreation land that includes a detailed analysis of the State, County and municipal open space and park facilities. 

•  A needs analysis calculating the projected need for recreation and open space is prepared using the New Jersey Balanced Land Use Standards, the New Jersey Green Acres Population Method and the National Recreation and Park Standards. These methods compare the existing recreation facilities and acreage to the community's current and projected population.

•  An inventory of the open lands and resource assessment describing the method for potential open space preservation utilized by the municipality and recommendations that serve as the guidelines for implementing the goals and objectives.

 The Plans are prepared through extensive public outreach that includes public meetings and coordination from the Recreation and Planning Departments. The ultimate result is a comprehensive planning document for the park and recreation areas of the municipality.

Learn more about some of the specific projects we have worked on:
(click on the following links)

- Hudson County Open Space and Recreation Plan
- Watchung Open Space and Recreation Plan
- Norwood Open Space Vision Plan