During its March 2023 meeting, the SROA Board of Directors accepted the Parks & Recreation Facilities Master Plan.

The primary goal of the Parks & Recreation Facilities Master Plan was to evaluate current and future park/recreation needs for the demographically-evolving Sunriver community.  The plan includes an analysis and evaluation of existing facilities, projected park/recreation needs assessment, timelines for implementation (including life expectancy of existing and proposed facilities) and fiscal considerations for development, operation and maintenance. 

The planning process was governed by the following guiding principles:

• Inclusion and Equity: Provide multi-generational opportunities; consider the geographic diversity and dispersal of park and recreation facilities throughout the community; respond to the evolution of park and recreation facility needs and priorities.
• Quality over Quantity: Balance between the quality of parks and recreation facilities with the overall quantity of facilities.
• Resiliency and Sustainability: Cost reasonableness; operation and maintenance costs; use durable and low-maintenance materials; balance of natural and developed facilities and the integration of the two; create high-quality design reminiscent of Sunriver design requirements; and consider best practices management for all facilities.
• Safety: Provide a safe, secure and welcoming park and recreation facility experience.

As a residential and resort community, Sunriver blends the needs of year-round permanent residents (approximately 20%) with those of second home owners (approximately 40%) and rental property owners (approximately 40%).  These demographics create distinct “busy” and “slow” seasons within the community, with a summer time population that can approach 20,000. The difference between permanent resident park/recreation needs and those of visitors can be distinct.  Although separate and not owned or managed by SROA, the attractiveness of the additional amenities provided by the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory and Sunriver Resort (especially the Resort), have a dramatic influence on the use of all amenities owned and managed by SROA.

The resulting plan is intended as a guide for SROA to help prioritize the development of recreational improvements over the next five to 10 years. As a living document, the plan is not set in stone and will be updated over time as trends evolve.

“The plan is a menu of proposed ideas – not a recipe that has to be followed exactly,” said James Lewis, SROA General Manager. “I see this document as a complement to the Infrastructure & Amenities Master Plan.”

Any project implementation will occur on an annual basis through the budgeting process, with rationale provided to the board as to why, how and when certain projects are being proposed – based on the direction of the master plan.

The task force included owners, various stakeholders and SROA staff under the guidance of MIG (a parks planner/consulting firm from Portland). The primary goal of the task force was to develop a park and recreation facilities master plan to evaluate current and future park/recreational needs and find gaps related to trends and demographics. The task force conducted owner/visitor surveys and reviewed pertinent existing SROA documents such as the Infrastructure & Amenities Master Plan (IAMP) and Comprehensive Owner Surveys.