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. PROPOSED PARK SYSTEM <br /> PARK SERVICE AREAS <br /> Park Service Areas are proposed in the Plan as a useful method of planning for the <br /> acquisitions of neighborhood parks in the urban area of the city. Neighborhood parks and <br /> consequently park service areas were not identified in the rural areas of Elk River. It was <br /> felt that typical neighborhood park amenities could be accommodated on larger rural lots. <br /> Indeed, most individual rural lots themselves are larger that the typical neighborhood <br /> park. The Park Service Areas are particularly valuable in implementing a neighborhood <br /> park system where geographic distance from residents to park facilities is an important <br /> consideration. <br /> Neighborhood parks, ranging in size from 2 to 4 acres, are an important component of <br /> Elk River's park system. They provide for the recreational needs of the people within <br /> walking or biking distance of their homes. In order to serve the entire urban area of the <br /> city sufficiently, the park service area boundaries must be defined and mapped. The <br /> criteria for differentiating boundaries are physical barriers, geographic distance and <br /> estimated population distribution. Physical boundaries include highways, rivers and <br /> lakes. The geographic distance is ideally a radius of one mile or smaller to be within a <br /> comfortable range of any given Neighborhood Park. <br /> It is anticipated that land for future neighborhood parks will be dedicated as property is <br /> subdivided. An attempt was made to identify the location of these future neighborhood <br /> where land could be dedicated by more than one property owner. However, the <br /> suitability of land for neighborhood parks will still need to be considered on a case by <br /> case basis. <br /> Where existing parks and recreational lands serve neighborhood park needs within a park <br /> service area, the addition of a neighborhood park is not planned. The park service areas <br /> will need to be adjusted, if the urban areas of the city is expanded and as new collector <br /> roads are identified. <br /> The following map shows the Park Service Areas in Elk River and the possible location <br /> of future neighborhood parks. <br /> • <br /> 91 <br />