Parks and Recreation Facilities
Shadow Creek Ranch Requests for more Parks and Recreational Facilities
Many Shadow Creek Ranch residents have contacted the Boards of Brazoria County Municipal Utility District No. 26 and Brazoria-Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 1 (collectively, the “Boards”) about the lack of public parks and recreation facilities in and near Shadow Creek Ranch, and have asked the Boards why the City has delayed the construction of its proposed regional park in Shadow Creek Ranch. The timing of construction of this park located off Shadow Creek Parkway is entirely up to the City. The Boards urge concerned residents to speak during the public comments agenda item at City Council meetings or contact the City. City Council meetings are the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m. Agendas are posted on the City of Pearland’s website.
The lack of accessible public parks and recreational facilities is becoming a major talking point in our community. The Shadow Creek Ranch and west Pearland area is very diverse with many families with children ages 0-19 years. According to the 2010 census, Shadow Creek Ranch and west Pearland youth represent 33.2% of the Pearland population. The median age within our area is 31.93 years. The U.S. Census has projected a population increase of 15,834 (2.5 percent) to 2017. With the continued and future growth in our area, many citizens are complaining about the lack of public parks and recreational facilities in our community. Parks and recreational facilities are more vital for our families now, particularly with our children being of the ages where education, along with physical activity and health, are important each day.
Importance of Physical Activity and Access to Parks and Recreational Facilities
Regular physical activity is associated with enhanced health and reduced risk for all-cause mortality, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Physical activity for children and adolescents helps to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints; prevent or delay the development of high blood pressure; and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. People who are inactive are twice as likely to experience symptoms of depression than active people. Depression can lead to suicide, the ninth-leading cause of death in America. Physical activity relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves mood by providing opportunities for social interaction and relief from daily stress. Physical activity helps children develop character, pride, self-esteem, teamwork, leadership, concentration, dedication, fair play, mutual respect, social skills, and healthier bodies. Physically fit children perform better academically. Having access to parks and recreation facilities/programs provides alternatives to gangs, drugs, violence, crime, and teen sex. A national survey of more than 14,000 teenagers found that those who took part in team sports were less likely to have unhealthy eating habits, smoke, engage in premarital sex, use drugs, or carry weapons.
What’s Important to You?
We believe public parks and recreation facilties/programs are the foundation of our community, contributing to the social, physical and mental health, safety and security, economic and environmental fabric of the community: essential building blocks for healthy families and citizens. These are important values to the citizens of our community and are necessary to make Shadow Creek Ranch a livable community and to maintain strong property values. Our competitive master plan communities, like Sienna Plantation, are leaving Shadow Creek Ranch in the dust in terms of public parks and recreational facilities within their subdivision. We encourage you to go to the Sienna Plantation website to see what is available in that community. Our citizens want to help ensure Shadow Creek Ranch and west Pearland remain a beautiful, healthy, safe, and caring place to raise our children and enjoy life. Having nearby parks and recreation facilities will aid in preserving our environment, nurturing our children, providing activities, services and events for our citizens regardless of age, access needs, ability to pay, and connecting and celebrating our community.
Let your voice be heard; contact Pearland City Council – Today, especially one of our own, newly-elected Councilman Derrick Reed, who lives in Shadow Creek Ranch.