A master plan for the Porter County Parks and Recreation Department taking shape now will guide the department for the next five years and will include recommendations for more trails for hiking and biking, among other measures.

One of the factors in the plan is a survey conducted over the summer that revealed what people liked and wanted to see more of from the department, as well as areas open for improvement, said Walter Lenckos, the department's superintendent.

The survey was done in conjunction with focus groups and public meetings to learn more about what people want to see in their county parks.

“The three areas we look at are what do people think of us now, what should we be doing, and what kind of investment should we be doing to make that happen,” Lenckos said.

The survey, which was presented to the park board during a Jan. 5 meeting, had some surprising results, including that the Winter Lights Festival, held at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, is the department's most popular event.

“The good news is people still think we're doing a good job,” he said, adding trails for hiking and biking, trail connectivity and protecting water resources were priorities for survey respondents, as they were during the last survey in 2012.

The survey also revealed that 69 percent of respondents were very supportive or somewhat supportive of creating a dedicated fund that would provide tax and fee revenues for park projects, at as much as $1.50 a month. Residents currently do not pay a tax for the parks; they are funded through the county's general fund and with a nonreverting fund from fee collection.

“People are willing to make investments. We just have to figure out what that investment would be,” Lenckos said.

Residents also were supportive of using some of the interest revenue from the 2007 sale of the county hospital to acquire parkland and maintain and develop park facilities.

That money is now in a foundation; the County Council is considering using some of the interest for capital improvements for the county.

Since the last survey, Lenckos said the department has added 46 acres to Brincka Cross Gardens, is getting ready to close on another 15 acres and has added 1.5 miles of hiking trails.

The department also has acquired 137 acres of open space for Hawk Ridge County Park on Old Chicago Road in Pine Township, as well as purchased land for Aukiki Park north of Kouts on Indiana 49.

The department also has worked to restore the pond and prairie at Sunset Hill and installed a natural playground.

A draft of the master plan has already been submitted to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for feedback, and Lenckos expects the final draft of the master plan to be presented to the park board in April.

“If we implement this plan correctly, in five years we will have added more trails and land that address connectivity, we will be serving underserved communities, and working with what we have to maintain it,” he said. “I see good things ahead.”

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.