Celebrating 38 Years of Parks and Recreation
JULY IS PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH
July was named Parks and Recreation month in 1985, which is suiting for many reasons. July is a peak summer month, which means, for many people, July is for spending time at parks, on greenways, and in community spaces.
Nate Halubka has been part of McGill’s Land Planning and Recreation team for almost two years. Prior to working at McGill, he was a Grant and Project Manager for the state of North Carolina. He spent three years overseeing every Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, Connect North Carolina Bond, and Land and Water Conservation Fund in the state. He is committed to helping shape communities for the better, and he has continued this work at McGill.
BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH PARKS AND RECREATION
As a Project Consultant on the Land Planning and Recreation team, Nate likes helping people envision the future of their community. In many ways, parks and recreation spaces are the backbone of American culture. In various community types across the country—City, suburban, or rural—there are parks, trails, and green spaces that allow people to come together. Working in Land Planning and Recreation, Nate recognizes that he, and the team, are doing the important work of creating places for people to do life together.
CREATING NEW PLACES WITH COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLANS
One way our Land Planning and Recreation team helps create new places is through the master plan process. Throughout the past month, our team has worked with a variety of communities to create unique, tailor-made plans that define a path toward their future. One of those communities is the Town of Harrisburg, North Carolina. Harrisburg is a vastly growing town with just under 24,000 residents. Our team is currently finishing up their comprehensive master plan, which outlines experiences with community engagement meetings, funding opportunities, and implementation plans, among other things.
The Fourth of July is a great holiday for communities to use their parks and recreation facilities, and this year, the Town of Harrisburg was able to use their facilities to host over 35,000 people in a two-day period. This is more people than the Town saw last year, and they are optimistic that with the changes from the master plan, they will draw even more people to Harrisburg in future years.
Our Land Planning and Recreation team is helping the Town of Harrisburg understand and plan for the growth they’re seeing. The Town wants to continue growing, and we are honored to be the team that is helping to shape what the community will look like for years to come. Every community has its own challenges and opportunities, and we are thankful to have a role in helping set each one on their path forward.
CONTACT US
Reach out to Mike Norris, PLA to see how we can help shape your community through parks and recreation. You can reach him by email at mike.norris@mcgillassociates.com.
