
DATE: Wednesday, June 4, 1997               TAG: 9706030457

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Public Life: A Special Weekly Report

SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  130 lines

THE PRICE OF CITY FUN CITIES JUGGLE NEEDS AND FEES IN PROVIDING RECREATION

With property taxes due tomorrow and real estate tax bills either paid or pending, most Hampton Roads citizens are likely wondering: What do I get in return.

Recreational opportunities are a form of municipal payback, a boost to a citizen's quality of life.

But the number of recreational opportunities in South Hampton Roads is dependent upon the city in which you live and how much you are asked to contribute through fees.

Virginia Beach, for instance, offers a bounty of recreation centers, 1,916 acres of parks and one of the lowest recreational costs per resident, thanks to users footing a large part of the bill.

Fees for recreation account for 43.2 percent of Virginia Beach's parks and recreation budget, the city's general fund contributes 22 percent, while dedicated referendum taxes contribute 33.5 percent.

And despite a recent rise in fees of 6.1 percent, there was nary a complaint during this last budget cycle.

Overall, Virginia Beach has held down the cost per resident for recreation to about $22, almost half the state per-capita average of $45, according to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Parks and recreation departments operate differently from city to city. Some are strictly in charge of recreation, others cover recreation as well as some city maintenance.

For this comparison, city budgets were reviewed and each department was contacted and asked to specify how much money was spent on recreational opportunities alone.

Chesapeake, which is beginning to push for more recreational opportunities, is spending more per resident than Virginia Beach as it attempts to also meet the daily demands of growth.

At the same time, the city has been relying on fees to cover a substantial portion of its programs - fees that are low compared to Virginia Beach and the rest of the region.

The number of Chesapeake park sites has grown from 32 in 1996 to an expected 39 in 1998. The number of fields and courts are predicted to grow from 141 to 161 over the next two years.

The number of recreation programs is expected to increase from 1,948 this year to 2,098 next year while the average cost per person enrolled is expected to drop from $49.72 to $48.27.

To fund many of the city's youth sports programs, the city has been using separate enterprise funds since 1976. The base registration fee for youth sports is about $12 while the annual fee for joining a community center is $5 for youths and $15 for adults, according to Sharon Kline, fiscal administrator for Chesapeake's parks and recreation.

By comparison, Virginia Beach charges $5 for a one-day adult pass to a recreation center. The Beach now charges $35 for a yearly adult pass and $15 for children.

Chesapeake will spend about $2 million this year to develop a full-service park south of fast-growing Deep Creek. Ballfield lighting is also a high priority in this year's approved capital budget, as well as the development of four neighborhood parks - Wingfield Point, Cedarwood, Oakbrooke and Oak Grove Meadows - acquired under the city's open space ordinance.

In Norfolk, the Department of Recreation, Parks and General Services has heard a call from citizens to do more. The city responded by beginning a study to develop ``a real plan, a real vision, as to where we want to be,'' said director Stanley Stein. ``It has been more than 20 years since anyone talked about where we're going with recreation. And our citizens are telling us very strongly . . . that we ought to be better utilizing our current facilities in Norfolk.''

There are currently 25 recreation centers in the city, some stand-alone, some attached or incorporated within schools. All of Norfolk's youth programs are offered free, and there are no fees for swimming pools.

In the upcoming process, city leaders will decide whether emphasis should be placed on large recreation centers or smaller community-based centers. Stein said the city recently received a 95 percent approval rating for the current facilities.

Suffolk has 1,398 acres in 26 parks, 11 ballfields, 24 tennis courts and one public swimming pool.

The city is planning a replacement for the Cypress Park swimming pool as well as new ballfield lighting. Capital spending for parks and recreation dropped this year as the city began discussing possible public-private partnerships to help provide future recreation in the city. Whether the city begins to charge more for recreational services, however, remains in the hands of the council, said Dinish Tiwari, director of parks, recreation and facility management.

The city currently requires developers to provide on-site parks and recreational facilities. The city is also in the midst of developing recreational opportunities on a former Navy transmitter site on 1,600 acres in northern Suffolk. Suffolk also is combining resources with the school district to open community/recreation centers. To date, three of these have been approved.

Finally, Portsmouth is spending most of its capital funding on revitalizing its downtown while still trying to meet the recreational needs of residents. In this year's capital budget for parks and recreation, the single largest item was $680,000 for the Children's Museum of Virginia.

The city plans to spend $230,000 over the next five years on city park improvements, $40,000 on the Churchland Park softball field, $100,000 on outdoor recreation field improvements, $103,000 on playground equipment and $20,000 on basketball court construction. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MORT FRYMAN, The Virginian-Pilot

Chesapeake's Northwest River Park is one of the city's premiere

recreation spots. City officials here are beginning to recognize the

importance of recreation and are making inroads at meeting the

citizens' demands.

Photo by BETH BERGMAN, The Virginian-Pilot

Norfolk city officials are about to begin a study of recreation

throughout the city with an emphasis on enhancing communities.

Photo by BETH BERGMAN, The Virginian-Pilot

Portsmouth city parks are slated to receive at least $230,000 in

capital improvements in the next five years.

Photo by JOHN SHEALLY II, The Virginian-Pilot

Suffolk city and school officials have joined forces and