Bend should have great parks and great park facilities. And for the most part, it does. But there are neighborhoods in town that feel like they need more. There are also people, of course, who question how much they pay to fund the district.

The Bend Park & Recreation District’s board is scheduled to discuss what level of service it should be providing at its meeting Dec. 17. So if you want to influence that discussion, now is your chance.

The district has specific, broad goals related for parks and trails. Those goals and the district’s level of service are as follows:

Neighborhood and community parks

Goal: 7.85 acres of parks per 1,000 residents

Current level: 7.89 acres per 1,000

Regional parks (parks like Shevlin Park)

Goal: 10 acres per 1,000 residents

Current level: 12.6 acres per 1,000

Trails

Goal: 1 mile of trail per 1,000 residents

Current level: 0.77 miles per 1,000

The district’s plan also includes “a second level of service target of ½ mile walking distance to a neighborhood or community park for most district residents.” And as part of that goal, it doesn’t want people to have to cross busy roads during that ½ mile, if there is no safe way to cross. We can’t summarize where the district is in that process. You have to look at a map. Go to the website link here and turn to page 10 of the document.

Even though the district is doing well on some broad goals, there are neighborhoods that are not as well served as the district would like. The district is challenged as well, in the same way as the city and the school district in keeping up with growth. Another consideration is what sticking to those goals means for the cost of building facilities and running them.

You can tell the board what you think at board@bendparksandrec.org or show up at the meeting and speak during public comment. The public comment begins near the beginning of the regular meeting at 7 p.m. The actual board discussion of goals will be during the work session at 5:30 p.m.