FITNESS AND FUN IN THE 4MRVOPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES

ARLINGTON SPORTS COMMISSION

FITNESS AND FUN IN THE 4MRV

▪ Arlington is an active community with diverse recreational interests.

▪ Meeting the recreational needs of a growing and changing community requires thoughtful and creative use of new and existing spaces.

▪ The 4MRV is a vital part of the recreational landscape, now and in the future.

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MANY RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Arlington provides a impressive range of recreational facilities and services, including parks, fitness centers, swimming pools, sports fields, bike trails, camps and classes.

89 miles of bike trails. 7 fitness rooms/15 centers. community centers

44 outdoor basketball courts.

85 tennis courts and 5 half tennis courts.

3 indoor high school pools, 1 outdoor regional pool.

43 rectangular, 35 diamond and 19 combo fields.

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GROWING POPULATION AND SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS

▪ Overall population has increased to 220,000 in 2016 and is projected to reach 283,000 by 2040.

▪ Slightly more than half the population (52%) is under 35 years old.

▪ Three age groups have increased since 2000.

▪ Under 5 (from 5.5 to 6.2%)

▪ 25-34 (from 25.2 to 27.1%)

▪ 45-64 (from 21.3 to 22.1%)

Under 56%

5-1912%

20-247%

25-3427%

35-4417%

45-6422%

65-848%

85 and over1%

*

*

Arlington Population by Age, Jan. 2016

Source: Profile 2016, Department of Community, Planning, Housing and Development/Planning Division

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* Age groups with proportional growth since 2000.

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PUBLIC SPACES PLANNING PROCESS (POPS)

Survey respondents indicated a need for a wide range of sports and recreation related facilities.

Top sports and recreational facilities needs (ranked by % of respondents)

Q. Do you or a member of your household have a need for….?

Paved, multi-use trails 87% Playgrounds 41%

Hiking trails 74% Gymnasiums 38%

Swimming pool 63% Tennis courts 36%

Exercise/fitness equipment 59% Rectangular fields 35%

Note: Facilities that do not have a direct and clear connection to sports are not included in the above. These include natural areas & wildlife habitat (76%), park shelters and picnic areas (50%), nature centers (48%), community centers (46%), and parks and plazas along metro and Columbia Pike corridors (47%).

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PUBLIC SPACES PLANNING PROCESS (POPS)People aged 25-34 were the single largest age-based demographic in planning areas near the 4MRV (26% based on 2010 Census data for Columbia Pike and Nauck). The next two largest groups were people aged 35-44 and 45-54 (27-30% combined).

Sports and recreation needs for respondents ages 35-54 were consistently higher than the average for all POPS survey respondents.

Q. Do you or a member of your household have a need for….?

Outdoor facilities Indoor facilities

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Survey average 35% 20% 26% 41% 36% 28% 11% 63% 38% 25%

Ages 35U 40% -- 31% -- 40% 31% 17% 65% 43% 30%

Ages 35-44 58% 34% 57% 71% 44% 36% -- 81% 51% 45%

Ages 45-54 52% 28% -- -- 44% 42% 18% 72% 49% 40%

Age-based needs for selected program and activities where need was HIGHER than survey average

“- -” means % mirrored or was lower than survey average

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PUBLIC SPACES PLANNING PROCESS (POPS)

Sports and recreation also figure prominently in these respondents’ needs for programs and activities.

Q. Do you or a member of your household have a need for….?

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Survey average 33% 7% 11% 24% 57%

Ages 35U 44% -- 14% 31% 70%

Ages 35-44 55% 18% 20% 39% 65%

Ages 45-54 44% -- 15% 30% --

Age-based needs for selected program and activities where need was HIGHER than survey average

“- -” means % mirrored or was lower than survey average

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INADEQUATE CAPACITY AND HEAVY USAGE

▪ Demand for recreational services and facilities consistentlyexceeds supply.

▪ Survey and other information shows that

▪ current capacity is not enough to meet growing demand;

▪ facilities suffer from overuse;

▪ maintenance resources are stretched thin;

▪ facilities cannot be taken off-line without causing significant disruptions; and

▪ the system cannot easily accommodate new interests.

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MORE ON CAPACITY ISSUES

▪ Youth sports registrations have expanded (45% increase between 2010-2015 in all types of DPR and league-run sports).

▪ Classes are oversubscribed, children are turned away from some programs (an average of 789 children are waitlisted per session for gymnastics and aquatics classes).

▪ Arlington has fewer gyms, practice fields, skate parks, and park-based restrooms than comparable locations nationwide.

▪ Lighting more fields would expand capacity by adding nighttime hours, but neighborhoods have pushed back against lights.

▪ Squeezing more teams and participants into existing spaces means shorter practice and game times, less time to learn the sport.

▪ Grass and synthetic turf fields are used 2-3 times more intensively than recommended and don’t last as long as they should.

▪ Limited maintenance means some facilities are in below average condition.

▪ Closing fields for maintenance or renovation further strains capacity.

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PUBLIC SPACES PLANNING PROCESS (POPS)

Top Unmet or Partly Met Needs (ranked by % of respondents)

Outdoor Indoor Programs & Activities

Volleyball courts Indoor sports Special programs and inclusion support for people w/disabilities

Other courts (not defined) Indoor facilities (metro corridors & Columbia Pike)

Sport drop-in (unprogrammed) play

Rentable space Exercise & fitness equipment Aquatic & gymnastics teams

Community gardens Swimming pools Early childhood programs

Bike park Gyms Wifi access

Skate park Community & nature centers Gardening

In addition to identifying citizens’ interest in parks, trails, and other amenities, the POPS survey also identified a range of unmet or partly met needs.

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OPTIONS FOR ADDRESSING CAPACITY

▪ Multi-use fields

▪ Indoor sports facilities

▪ Vertical capacity

▪ Public/private partnerships

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MULTI-USE FIELDS

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INDOOR SPORTS FACILITIES

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INDOOR SPORTS FACILITIES PROVIDE CAPACITY FOR:

▪ Turf fields for indoor soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, football, baseball, softball

▪ Exercise equipment

▪ Health and fitness classes for all ages

▪ Basketball courts

▪ Volleyball courts

▪ Gymnastics

▪ Batting cages

▪ County offices

▪ Public meeting space

▪ Classroom space

▪ Camps and child care

▪ Wifi access

▪ Special events

▪ Rentable space

▪ Food and beverage service

▪ Indoor tennis

▪ Pickleball

▪ Handball, racquet ball

▪ Climbing walls

▪ Activities for the disabled

▪ Yoga

▪ Fencing

▪ Parkour

▪ Tournaments

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VERTICAL CAPACITY

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PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

Public/private partnerships, such as joint investment and ownership, sponsorship or naming rights, can bring better facilities to communities at a lower cost to taxpayers.

Lynch Family Skate Park in Boston – $5 million 40,000 sq. ft. facility for skateboarders, BMX riders, inline skaters and spectators. Partly funded by the Lynch Foundation, Vans, and the Tony Hawk Foundation.

GWU baseball field (Barcroft #6) – University invested $3 million to improve the field, add press box, install turf field, and other amenities. Arlington leagues and high schools use the field 75% of the time. The county and GWU share maintenance costs 75/25.

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