Talk of ambitious capital projects may be tempered by the harsh economic climate, but Hanford isn't taking a back seat when it comes to planning for the future. City officials are ready to unveil their updated vision for Hanford's parks and recreation offerings for the next 10 years.

On Wednesday, a draft parks and recreation master plan -- under development for the last eight months -- will be presented for the first time to the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission, as the two bodies hold a joint meeting. The blueprint would outline projects and programs necessary to meet the town's growing and changing needs for quality of life, said Scott Yeager, Hanford recreation director.

"The consulting firm has been doing research for the last several months, completed a phone survey, made site visits at schools and had some public meetings getting input about the city's facilities and programs," Yeagar said. "The draft is a compilation of all the information, recommendations and action plans."

The city hired East Coast consultant firm Norris Design Inc. in February. The firm has since been doing research to figure out what kind of facilities are important to the community, where the best locations are for them, what programs people would like to see. The draft document is the culmination of the research, but it is not yet the end product.

Feedback from the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission will be integral to finalize the planning process, Yeager said.

"The purpose of the meeting is to present the result of the master plan, and it will be followed up by a question-and-answer period. Whatever feedback that comes from the council and commission will be incorporated into any modifications to the document."

The final draft is expected to be presented to the City Council for approval at the second meeting in November.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2429.

If you go

--City Council, Park and Recreation Commission joint meeting

--Wednesday, 6 p.m.

--City Council Chambers, Hanford Civic Auditorium, 400 N. Douty St.

(Oct. 26, 2009)