YORBA LINDA : Pool Tops Wish List in Recreation Survey

If the city could build just one more recreational facility, the top choice among residents would be a public swimming pool, according to a recent survey.

The survey, conducted by the Fairfax Research Group in February, was commissioned by the city to determine residents’ opinions of the city’s existing parks and recreational facilities. The 400 families who participated in the survey were also questioned about future facilities they would like to see built.

A majority of respondents, 61%, said the city has a sufficient number of parks and recreational facilities. But about the same number of people said they would be willing to support borrowing or user fees to build new parks and facilities.

After a swimming pool, which 19% of the respondents picked as the one facility they would like to see built, a public golf course, group picnic areas and a gymnasium received the most support.

The survey was commissioned by the City Council as part of an update of the general plan. The results will also be used to evaluate the city’s capital improvements program, a list of major building projects that are either under way or planned for the next seven years.

Other survey results indicate more support for greenbelts and open space than developed parks. Most residents surveyed said the existing parks and facilities are clean, well maintained, safe and have nice physical facilities.

The most popular park among respondents was Yorba Regional Park, a county park that is actually in Anaheim. The city park used most frequently is Jessamyn West Park, followed by Travis Ranch Park and Hurless Barton Park.

The division of the city’s parks between the east and west sides of town was another questionnaire topic, but the results yielded no consensus on the equity of distribution.

Nearly 40% of the respondents said parks and facilities are evenly distributed east and west of Fairmont Boulevard. Another 37% were about evenly split in saying there are more parks and facilities on one side or the other.