Management and development of County's system parks and trails are driven by the Parks, Trails and Natural Areas Master Plan. Every five years, the Kent County Parks Department carefully reviews and updates this plan, guided by public input and needs as well as emerging opportunities and priorities.
Part of the process also involves proposing future land acquisitions to expand existing parks but readers should bear in mind that these are only suggestions. Land purchases are only pursued if the land meets certain criteria, sellers express interest, the County Board of Commissioners approves, and sufficient funding is available.
Our current five-year plan, presented here, covers 2019 to 2023. This plan has been guided by public surveys and review and a desire to provide the best services and facilities possible to the citizens of Kent County. Due to size, the plan has been divided into Sections which may be downloaded by clicking on each Section heading. A few Sections are large and may take some time to download, depending on the speed of your internet connection. If you prefer to download the entire plan in one 74 MB document, you can use this link.
| Section 1 (5 MB, cover - page 32) |
| Cover |
| Table of Contents |
| Executive Summary |
| Community Description |
| Administrative Structure |
| Recreation Inventory |
| Introduction and Overview |
| Section 2 (13 MB, pages 33-59) |
| Parks and Greenspaces (12 Mile Conservation Area -to- Dutton Shadyside Park) |
| Section 3 (12 MB, pages 60-84) |
| Parks and Greenspaces (Dwight Lydell Park -to- Lowell Regional Greenspace) |
| Section 4 (12 MB, pages 85-111) |
| Parks and Greenspaces (Luton Park -to- Rogue River Park) |
| Section 5 (14 MB, pages 112-138) |
| Parks and Greenspaces (Ruehs Park -to- White Pine Park) |
| Section 6 (14 MB, pages 139-252) |
| Connector Trails and Extended Hiking Trail |
| Recreational Boating Facilities |
| Recreational Land and Trails Managed by Other Public Entities |
| Kent County Parks Dept. Recreation Programs |
| Planning and Public Input Process |
| Recreation Needs Assessment |
| Section 7 (8 MB, pages 253-308, back cover) |
| Special Initiatives |
| Goals and Objectives |
| Action Program |
| Appendix A: Consolidated Grant Inventory |
| Appendix B: Needs Assessment Survey |
| Appendix C: Notices of Public Comment Period |
