Residents Invited to Help Shape the Future of Erie’s Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces During 30-Day Public Comment Period
The City of Erie Bureau of Planning & Zoning released the draft Erie Outside: Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan, and is inviting residents to review and provide feedback during a 30-day public comment period.
Erie Outside serves as both a practical roadmap for near‑term action and a long‑term vision for what Erie’s park system can become through sustained investment and partnership. This 20-year plan will guide improvements to Erie’s parks, recreation, open spaces, and public spaces, including programs, operations, maintenance, and long-term investment priorities.
“From the very beginning, this plan has been shaped by the people who use and care about Erie’s parks,” said Jackie Spry, Bureau Chief of Planning & Zoning. “Through a wide range of public engagement opportunities, residents shared their ideas, priorities, and experiences throughout this process.
“Now we encourage the community to review the draft plan and help ensure the final document truly reflects Erie’s vision for the future – one that will benefit our community for generations.”
Over the past year, thousands of residents contributed ideas through surveys, pop‑up events, stakeholder meetings, neighborhood workshops, and online engagement. Together, this helped shape a vision for a more connected, welcoming, resilient, and accessible park system that preserves Erie’s natural environment, cultural diversity, history, and neighborhoods, while creating safe and inspiring places to play, explore, and belong.
The draft Erie Outside plan outlines:
· System‑wide vision, goals, and strategies
· Recommended projects
· Priority projects and a framework to guide future decision‑making
· Implementation guidance, including roles, partnerships, and potential funding sources
The public is invited to review the draft plan and share their feedback through an online survey at ErieOutside.com. The public comment period will remain open for 30 days and will close on July 21, 2026.
Following the review period, community feedback will be incorporated into the final plan, which will be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for approval and adoption in late summer 2026.
