The DeKalb Park District announced that it is inviting the community to share thoughts as it seeks to develop a comprehensive master plan.

The planning document, upon its completion, is meant to guide the work of park district officials over five years, according to a news release.

“Opportunities exist to enrich the Park District‘s amenities and improve the quality of life for residents, visitors, and future generations,” the district said in the release. “Please help by letting us know how we are doing and what you would like to see in the future.”

The district has enlisted the teams at Hitchcock Design Group, Larson & Darby, Recreation Results, and aQity Research to prepare an updated comprehensive master plan, laying out recommendations to help guide future planning, according to the release.

The planning process is intended to provide a prioritized implementation strategy, including chronological objectives, that the district can achieve over five years.

The district’s end goal is simple: to provide some consensus on preferred strategies and a roadmap for implementation to help steer improvements to the park district’s amenities and resources, according to the release.

As part of this process, the district intends to host a community focus group to get a sense of where the public sees the agency’s direction going in the future, according to the release. In addition, a survey will go out in the mail to a select group of random households, followed by an online survey on the district’s website set for release in November, which will be open to all.

On Sept. 25, the district invites the public to attend a community focus group, encouraging people to provide feedback about the district’s current offerings and what they would like to see in the future, according to the release. The meeting, which will start at 6 p.m. at the Hopkins Community Center in DeKalb, will consist of a brainstorming session and a workshop to identify priorities. After which, participants are welcome to ask questions and provide additional written feedback.

Upon its completion in 2026, a copy of the updated comprehensive master plan is expected to be available for viewing on the district’s website at dekalbparkdistrict.com.