Sec A Sec B Sec C Sec D Sec E Sec F App A App B App C App D

Elk Rapids Community Recreation Plan (Draft)

1.       Need for a Youth Survey

The 2005 Elk Rapids Master Plan Opinion Survey yielded a wealth of information on respondents' attitudes and thoughts on recreational facilities for Elk Rapids. However, it became apparent to the Parks & Recreation Commission that this data may not be completely representative of all residents of Elk Rapids.

Analysis of the demographics of the respondents of the Opinion Survey indicated that two-thirds of the respondents were aged 55 or higher, with over 37% of the respondents aged 65 and above. In contrast, the 2000 Census showed that two-thirds of the residents of the Village of Elk Rapids were aged 54 or under. See Figure AppC1 below.



To obtain the views of younger populations, the Parks & Recreation Commission executed a Youth Survey. In this survey, a questionnaire (see Section 6 of this Appendix) was distributed to the families of elementary school children in the two Elk Rapids Area Elementary Schools, namely Lakeland (Elk Rapids) and Mill Creek (Williamsburg). Parents were encouraged to work together with their children in filling out this questionnaire. Of the 360 questionnaires distributed, 96 were returned for a somewhat disappointing response rate of 26.7%.

The survey consisted of four questions. The first queried respondents on the frequency of area park usage by their families. The second asked them which parks they used more often. The third question asked respondents to choose from a list of activities in which they participate at the parks. The final question asked respondents to list additional programs, facilities, equipment, activities they would like to see offered at the area parks. Results are summarized below.

2.       Area Park Usage Frequency

Q1.  As weather permits, how often would you say that your family or children use area parks?
		(% of total respondents)
		Overall	Lakeland	Mill Creek
Daily		26%	29%	18%
Weekly		52%	53%	51%
Monthly		16%	15%	20%
Not Much		5%	3%	9%
Never		1%	0%	2%

This question revealed that nearly 80% of families use the area parks at least once a week, while over a quarter of the families use the parks daily. Clearly the area parks play a major role in the life of young families in the Elk Rapids School District.

3.       Which Parks Are Used Most Frequently?

Q2.   If used on a regular basis, which park(s) do you most often visit?
		(% of respondents claiming use)
		Overall	Lakeland	Mill Creek
Veterans Memorial Park		87%	94%	73%
The Power Dam Beach		49%	55%	36%
Milton Township Park		30%	41%	7%
Whitewater Township Park		26%	11%	56%
Lakeland School		23%	32%	2%
Torch Lake Township Park		21%	27%	7%
Mill Creek School		18%	4%	49%
County Day Park		18%	19%	16%
Palmer/Shah/Wilcox Nat'l Area		7%	8%	4%
Rotary Park		4%	4%	2%

Overall, the Veterans Memorial Park was the overwhelming favorite (87%) of the respondents. This was followed by the Power Dam Beach (49%), formed behind the Elk Rapids Harbor breakwater to the north of Elk River and the Power Dam. The popularity of these two parks can readily be corroborated by visual observation during the warm season.

The elementary school playgrounds and the township parks of Whitewater, Milton, and Torch Lake Townships each scored between 21% and 30% overall, underscoring the importance of these playgrounds and parks to local residents with young families. The lesser known but beautiful County Day Park (Elk Rapids) was claimed as a destination by 18% of the respondents.

These were trailed by the lesser-known and used parks at the Rotary Club Park and the Palmer/Shah/Wilcox Natural Area.

4.       Activities in the Parks

Water activities and use of playground equipment were the park activities cited by an overwhelming majority of respondents (91% and 82%, respectively). Picnicking and sunbathing were the next most popular activities. Sports activities using the facilities available at the parks (tennis, basketball, and others) comprise the bulk of the rest of the responses.

Q3.    What is your favorite activity when visiting area parks?
		(% of respondents claiming use)
		Overall	Lakeland	Mill Creek
Simming/water activities		91%	94%	84%
Using playground equipment		82%	81%	82%
Picnics		65%	68%	58%
Sunbathing		52%	57%	42%
Basketball		28%	33%	18%
Tennis		23%	25%	20%
Other  (playing catch, biking, etc.)		38%	33%	49%

These activities emphasize the importance of the area's lakes and water resources in the recreational activities of young families in the elementary schools.

5.       Write-in Park Facility Requests

The final question requested respondents to list amenities and facilities that they would like to see at the parks they frequent. Keep in mind that these requests extend not only to parks within the Village of Elk Rapids, but also to County and Township Parks cited by respondents as frequently patronized by their families.

Q4.   What facilities, equipment, activities, or programs would you like to see more of offered at local parks?
Requested Item	No. of Requests	Frequency
Bathrooms	45	33%
Playground Equipment	24	18%
Bike/walk/jogging Trails	7	5%
More Volleyball Courts	6	4%
Swimming Lessons	6	4%
Water Fountains	5	4%
More Maintenance	5	4%
Pavilion/picnic Tables	5	4%
Tennis Courts	5	4%
Organized Activities for Kids	5	4%
More Basketball Hoops	4	3%
More Benches	3	2%
Skateboard Park	3	2%
Dog Runs	3	2%
Local Cleanup Campaigns	2	1%
Fitness Park	1	1%
Security Guards	1	1%
Golf	1	1%
Archery	1	1%
More Sand Control	1	1%
Shuffleboard	1	1%

The largest vote getter (33%) for this write-in question was bathrooms. Indeed, the quality of bathrooms at the two most popular parks cited (Veterans Park and the Power Dam Beach) has been a subject of controversy in the past, continuing through the present.

Playground equipment for children was the next (18%), followed by a large variety of equipment and activities requested.

6.       Survey Form

The survey form distributed to the two elementary schools is reproduced here.