Key Findings - Analysis of Existing Conditions
Park Land and Recreational Facilities

Warwick region residents are fortunate to have a diversity of park land and recreational facilities available to them. Equally as diverse is the list of owners of these properties.

All of the community's regional park land is located in Elizabeth Township, within easy driving distance of Warwick region residents. Lititz Borough provides a public outdoor swimming pool for the region, while the Lititz Community Center provides an indoor swimming pool. A large number of privately-owned athletic fields exist and are open for public use. They are scattered throughout the region and are primarily stand alone facilities. The area's private schools allow public use of their facilities, as does the public School District. The municipalities and the School District have been actively involved in acquiring and developing park land and trails, particularly Warwick Township, which has taken a lead role.

*Park Categories

Warwick region parks have been classified into six (6) categories for analysis. Listed below are the categories and a brief definition.

* Neighborhood parks are generally areas of 10 acres or less that are developed for both active and passive recreation activities. They are geared specifically for those living within a half-mile service radius.

* Community parks are larger in size than a neighborhood park, usually containing between 20 and 50 acres. Their focus is to meet active and passive recreation needs as well as preserving unique landscapes and open spaces. The service area for community parks is a three-mile radius.

* School parks include public school sites with facilities that could serve as a neighborhood or community park.

* Greenways/trails are linear park areas that focus on passive recreation and the natural environment. These areas frequently form connections throughout the community.

* Private parks/recreational facilities are those owned by for-profit enterprises and those owned by non-profits which are exclusively available to members.

* Regional parks are large areas, usually over 200 acres in size, used for outdoor recreation. They serve several municipalities and include county parks, game lands, and wildlife management areas.

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The Following table reports the total parks and recreation acreage, by category, within each municipality and the entire region.

Warwick Region Park Land Acreage by Category

*Distribution and Ownership of Park Land

The Warwick region has 4,345.4 acres of park land and recreation areas, distributed as follows:

* The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania owns 2,628 acres (60%)
* The Warwick School District owns 124.2 acres (3%)
* The three municipalities own 113.3 acres (2%)
* Lancaster County owns 238 acres (6%)
* The Boy Scouts of America owns 984 acres (23%)
* Private schools, churches, and other groups own 257.9 acres (6%)

*Park Land Acreage Standard

The following table compares the existing Warwick Region neighborhood, school and community park land with the park land standard established by the Lancaster County Planning Commission.  The comparison is made within each municipality and also for the entire region.

The Lancaster County Planning Commission recommends municipalities should have a minimum of 10 acres of community and neighborhood parks for every 1,000 residents, and five acres of regional park land for every 1,000 residents.  The Warwick region feels that this standard meets their needs for park land and has accepted its use.

The analysis reveals an existing deficiency of park land in Elizabeth Township (37 acres).  Warwick Township exceeds the park land standard be 6.6 acres.  Lititz Borough exceeds the standard by 2.6 acres largely because of School District facilities.  The population figures are from the 2000 census.

*Recreational Facilities

The Warwick region also has a diversity of recreation facilities.  The following list shows the indoor and outdoor facilities that exist on the 4,345.4 acres of park land and recreation areas within the region.  The miles of hiking trails in the regional parks are not included.  Also not included are amenities such as restrooms, concession stands, and parking areas.