Funding for a new comprehensive master plan for Henry County’s parks and recreational facilities was approved January 16 by the Board of Commissioners to the tune of $265,000.

“This allows us to have vision on where we’re going and to prioritize projects, to [better] identify our needs,” said Jonathon Penn, who heads the county’s parks and recreation department. 

Once completed, the plan will include a community research and analysis report, an inventory of current parks and facilities, a gap analysis relative to national standards, and the identification of staffing and funding needs. It will also make Henry County eligible for a Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) certification, a national distinction held by just 13 municipalities in Georgia and a new avenue for possible federal funding opportunities.

Perez Planning + Design LLC was selected to build the master plan and has been given a 290-day timeline to complete their work.  

According to county officials, this would be the first such comprehensive plan drafted since 1974. County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews stated that the new document was critical so that the HCPRD could evolve from a squeaky wheel model to one with a centralized vision. 

“It’s haphazard what we’re doing,” she said. “We cannot continue to just run from one park project to another park project without a plan.” 

The board voted unanimously to approve the expenditure. District III Commissioner Dee Anglyn justified his vote by stating that any immediate costs incurred paying for the master plan would be recouped in future savings.  

“A plan is extremely valuable…not [just] in dollars spent but in money we can save by not spending in the wrong areas,” said Anglyn.