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for providing indoor facilities. One potential option is to partner with Cabarrus County Schools in devel- opment of joint use facilities. Swimming Pools and Spraygrounds In the past, NRPA and NCDENR provided a stan- dard for pool development of one pool for every 20,000 people. This standard was based on the con- cept of multi neighborhood or community pools. Today, with the high cost of operation and construc- tion of swimming pools, very few agencies develop neighborhood /community pools to that old standard. Instead agencies typically provide more centralized facilities where one pool may serve a greater popula- tion or consider development of a sprayground as an alternative. Currently there are few public pools in the county (Camp T.N. Spencer Park and John F. McInnis Aquatic Center in Concord), but based on input received during the pubic participation, there is demand for addressing aquatic facilities. The devel- opment and operation of a swimming pool is expen- sive and should be carefully considered. Camp T.N. Spencer Swimming Pool Spraygrounds are growing in popularity across the country. In addition to offering a water -based play experience, the play structures, sprays, etc. afford children of all ages a total play environment and are much more economical to operate than a standard swimming pool. A properly designed, large water park sprayground can serve as a regional draw, EX -6 provide revenue to the Department, and provide a beneficial economic impact to the surrounding areas. The department should consider developing a spray - ground in one of its existing or future parks. IMPROVING /EXPANDING EXISTING PARKS An important component of this comprehensive planning effort was an assessment of the existing facilities currently serving county residents. Section One: Inventory describes improvements needed at each park. An order of magnitude cost estimate for the proposed improvements identifies over $19 mil- lion dollars in potential improvements /renovations. Improvements to the following parks should be a priority for future development: • Frank Liske Park • Camp T.N. Spencer Park • W.W. Flowe Park • Rob Wallace Park OPERATIONAL NEEDS The expansion of park facilities described in this doc- ument will greatly improve the park and recreation offerings in the county, but will come with a cost; captial and operational. Expanding parks and adding facilities will increase operational and maintenance costs 20 -30 %. The County should consider the opera- tional cost of any capital improvement. Section Five: Action Plan Implementation provides some general guidelines on anticipated staff needs, as well as pro- gram and maintenance costs. JOINT USE OPPORTUNITIES The public is best served when government agencies work together. There are a number of public agen- cies operating in the county that have facilities and programs that potentially serve the public's need for parks and recreation. The County should continue to explore ways to work with other agencies to provide services and attain common goals. The following agencies have missions that may be in F -1 Attachment number 2 \n Page 117