Jasper County Parks and Recreation, Master Plan

Jasper County, South Carolina, has seen steady population growth, rising nearly 2% in recent years. Its existing parks and recreation facilities faced increasing pressure from a growing community. Many buildings, pavilions, and maintenance structures were aging, outdated, or insufficient to meet current and future demand. Jasper County needed a master plan with a clear strategy to guide improvements and ensure equitable access to recreation for all residents.

A Data-Informed, Community-Driven Master Plan

To plan for long-term recreation investment, Jasper County partnered with Bolton & Menk and McMillan Pazdan Smith to develop a comprehensive parks and recreation master plan.

The goal was to assess current conditions, identify service gaps, benchmark against national standards, and create a phased plan for future capital improvements that reflected both data and community priorities.

Assessing Conditions, Engaging Stakeholders, and Prioritizing Investment

Our team used MPS Launchpad, our interactive on-demand software, to evaluate and capture the physical condition, safety, and suitability of each park and facility. We documented the deficiencies and provided targeted maintenance recommendations.

Next, the team assessed national and regional recreation trends, along with NRPA data. This informed a Level of Service analysis that compared Jasper County’s offerings to similar communities, highlighting both strengths and gaps.

Our findings and recommendations were shared with community members and stakeholders during public meetings. The community also gave feedback about their needs and priorities to help shape a final plan.

Jasper County parks and recreation master plan is a clear, actionable plan that prioritizes capital investments over time. It guides future spending on renovations, new construction, and program development.

For another example of how planning helped a community respond the growth, click here to read about “Planning Public Facilities that Keep Up with Growth: Lessons from Hardeeville, SC.”