City of Henderson blazes a new trail.

Two decades ago, advocates of park and trail systems relied on trust and tradition to promote the expansion of such community amenities. But in the years that followed, reiterating that park and trail development was "the right thing to do" became buried under bureaucratic buzzwords like financial accountability and economic impact.

As a result, park and trail systems across the nation became unnecessary casualties in a war to curb government spending. Even in Nevada, a state that prides itself on having vast areas of undeveloped land, Reno's "Parks and Trail 2000" program was dismissed by voters as un essential. The downside -- as many urban areas like Reno now realize -- is that parks and recreation prove crucial in an economic downturn.

"As cities in the Southwest grew up, they allowed development to close the doors on park and trail systems," said Bill Rowe, park planner for the city of Henderson. "In Henderson, we're extremely fortunate to learn from decisions made by other municipals that once experienced our level of accelerated growth."

Citing U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne's (R-ID) confrontation with the Department of Transportation, when the senator asked why the DOT would decimate the recreational trails program with a proposed 53 percent decrease in spending even though it is the only user-pay program in its category, Rowe said there is evidence that the nation is having a change of heart about parks and recreation. However, he added, communities that have not allocated for this purpose will be forced to pay premium prices for land they could have purchased cheaply years ago.

"The value of parks and recreation is more apparent than ever because residents feel stifled by shrinking home sites. They don't want these feelings compounded by a community-wide sense of claustrophobia," said Rowe. "Residents are more willing than ever to vote in favor of proposed parks and recreation expansions."

City of Henderson voters recently passed a $54.6 million bond to assist the city's parks and recreation department in developing more parks, trails, and recreation facilities. City planners are confident their efforts to keep the community's assets ahead of the development will pay off as long as the community continues to support the department.

According to Rowe, one instrumental cooperative effort between the city and commercial developers was to set land aside for future park and trail development. While some developers were skeptical of giving up their land for this purpose, others embraced the principle. Soon, several developers were stepping forward to volunteer their support.

"Progressive, award-winning communities like Green Valley Ranch and Seven Hills are not possible without the professionalism and support of the city of Henderson and its parks and recreation department," said Dave Olsen, senior vice-president of marketing at American Nevada Corporation, a leading developer in southern Nevada. "Our vision paralleled the city of Henderson in that we wanted to build a community infrastructure that ensures success even after the community matures."

Olsen claims that research supports that park-oriented communities have added value during economic prosperity and hold their value by as much as 10 percent more during an economic downturn. In either scenario, homeowners in these communities receive more financial security on their home investment. Even trails, which are often an overlooked area of parks and recreation development, play an increasingly important role in Henderson.

"We have developed approximately 22 miles of bike paths along city streets, about 10 miles of off-street bike and hike trails, and designated two equestrian areas," Rowe said. "But this only scratches the surface when compared to the 160 miles of trails that will be available within the next five to 10 years."

Since the city of Henderson has seized an early opportunity to develop park and recreation facilities as the community grows, residents will eventually have access to a trail system that links parks, schools, and recreation facilities. In addition, as surrounding municipalities follow suit, plans are being made to link Henderson to county trails, national recreation areas, and other municipal trails.

Adding trails to a fast growing parks-and-recreation-oriented community does not mean assigning fiscal responsibility to the residents. Funding is provided by three major components: the recently approved bond, federal money acquired for this specific purpose, and developer contributions.

In addition, Henderson is incorporating its existing flood-control systems and detention basins to realize more value from land with such designations. But beyond the economic advantages of the trail system that includes bike lanes along low-traffic streets and freeway lanes, Rowe said the social benefits are endless.

"Originally, neighbors were afraid that a trail system may have as many negative impacts to their neighborhood as positive impacts," said Rowe. "The general mindset was that more accessibility meant more loitering and vandalism."

However, Rowe said, such fears are easily dispelled once a trail is completed and put to use by residents. Trail use produces an atmosphere of community pride and awareness: two key ingredients that less-desirable elements avoid.

Rowe also notes that trail systems will help foster social interaction between neighbors. Architect and commercial contractor Alex Cordero agrees, saying residents are much more likely to witness neighbors -- wave, smile, and talk to each other -- while they are taking a walk or a bike ride.

"Sociability between neighbors is reappearing in cities like Henderson because they have a developing park and trail system," said Cordero. "It's a very welcome trend after so many years of people practicing neighborhood isolation."

Besides his professional role as an architect and contractor in the community, Cordero has a personal view of the benefits. When he's not working with clients, he bikes with one of his three sons on the city's existing trails.

Soon, Henderson residents will see trail-system additions in all five park and recreation department service areas. And with the shared uses of many designated trails, the city is confident some aspect of the system will appeal to every resident, regardless of recreational preferences.