Public Presentation of Comprehensive Master Plan

Hendricks County Parks & Recreation (HCP&R) invites the public to attend a presentation of their 2026-30 Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) on March 18 at 7 p.m. in Meeting Rooms 4 & 5 of the Hendricks County Government Center in Danville.

The CMP covers demographic and geographic information about Hendricks County and its amenities, but more importantly, HCP&R gathers public input about their parks and services and goals for the next five years. The Hendricks County Park Board takes that public input into consideration when creating a list of priorities through 2030.

The results of the public input and the Park Board’s priorities will be revealed at the March 18 meeting. Additionally, there will be a Q&A session for anyone who has questions or wants to provide last-minute input.

After the public presentation, HCP&R will send its CMP to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources no later than April 15. Upon state approval of the CMP, HCP&R will become eligible to apply for federal and state grants through 2030.

The department has received two such grants in recent years. In 2021, it was awarded $500,000 through the Land & Water Conservation Fund grant for improvements to W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park, including modern restrooms.

In 2025, HCP&R received a second Land & Water Conservation Fund grant in the amount of $994,000 for the expansion of the Vandalia Trail west of Clayton. That project is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2027.

A public survey is available through March 6 for those interested in providing feedback to HCP&R prior to the public presentation. All responses are anonymous.

HCP&R operates McCloud Nature Park outside of North Salem, W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park in Avon, and the western portion of the Vandalia Trail that runs through Amo and Coatesville.