STRATEGIC PLAN

STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE

October 29, 2009

Following is Quality of Life information taken from the various plans prepared for the City of Shelby over the years. I have provided the information in a slightly different format this time. The information is broken down in sections—Schools, Parks & Recreation, and Library. Information from the 1968 General Plan is in PURPLE, followed by information from the 1976 Existing Conditions Report in RED, and the 1976 Development Plan in GREEN. As you read these plans, please remember the year that the plan was developed. Some of the ideas from these plans may still be relevant today and it may be helpful to be familiar with past recommendations as we look at the Quality of Life topic for the City of Shelby Strategic Plan.

Quality of Life Information from the 1968 General Plan

General Information

Community Facilities

The Community Facilities Plan is concerned with City activities of a public and semi-public nature, involving land, utilities and buildings. This study will develop a proposed system of community facilities designed to provide a level and variety of public services and facilities appropriate to the anticipate size and composition of the population to be served. The facilities proposed will be based on accepted standards for t heir location and various space requirements and will include proposals for educational, recreational and public service facilities.

Schools

It is felt by many people that education is one of the major foundations of our country’s strength and prosperity today. Without a proper education, a person is limited in his ability to cope with the increasingly complex problems of our society. For this reason, if for none other, educational facilities must be adequate in size and equipment to meet the demands of an increasing populace. Shelby’s future growth will be reflected in its ability to meet the increasing demands being placed on its school system.

Shelby’s School System

The Shelby City School District encompasses an area of 62 square miles—the City itself, Sharon Township, Jackson Township, and one third of Plymouth Township plus small portions of Franklin and Bloominggrove Townships. This area has an estimated population in 1967 of 14,000 and an enrollment in public school of 3,372 students. There are four elementary schools, one junior high and one senior high school in the system. Table 13 reviews these schools in detail. The grade breakdown is 6:3:3 in the schools. Elementary schools contain grades one through six plus kindergarten. The junior high school has grades seven through nine; the senior high, grades ten through twelve.

Table 13

Existing Schools in Shelby City School District

School	Year Built	Site Area (Acres)	Additions	Teaching Stations	Recommended Capacity	Enrollment Fall 1967
ELEMENTARY
Auburn	1949	4.8	1952	14	392	441
Central	1952	5.1	1955 1957	25	728	626
Dowds	1958	9.6	--	15	420	409
Whitney	1954	5.6	--	13	364	386
JUNIOR HIGH Central	1924	2.7	1938 1952 1964	32	800	793
Playfields	--	10.6	--	--	--	--
Senior High	1965	43.3	--	38	800	717

Source: Shelby City School District, Office of Superintendent

The oldest building in the system is the junior high. It was constructed in 1924 and completely renewed in 1964. This facility is crowded in with Central Elementary on a usable site of less than 18.5 acres with a combined enrollment of over 1,400 students in the two schools. The two schools are separated from each other and from the play fields by branches of the Black Fork which run through ditches of from four to eight feet deep. Across the street from the school site is a major manufacturing facility which employs approximately 500 workers. This Central site is the least desirable of any in the whole system because of the inadequate size of the site which is cut into three pieces by the creek and because of the congestion which results from the two different traffic generators being across the street from one another.

The high school is the newest facility in the system, being only two years old. It is located on a site of nearly 45 acres northwest of the City proper.

The other three schools—Auburn, Whitney and Dowds—range in age from nine to eighteen years old and are situated on sites of from 4.8 to 10.6 acres. They are located to the northwest, northeast, and southeast corners of the City respectively. The only adequate site according to accepted standards is at Dowds which has 10.6 acres of land. The other two schools are three to four acres short of land according to their present enrollments.

In addition to the public school system in Shelby there is a parochial school with an enrollment of 325 to 350 students in grades one through eight.

The Pioneer Joint Vocation School is located on 43 acres of land in the industrial park on the north side of Shelby. This school will serve vocational pupils from a three-county area encompassing ten different school districts. Beginning operation in September 1968, the school will have a capacity of 800 – 900 students in the eleventh and twelfth grades. There will be instruction in 18 different courses of vocational study in addition to the various academic courses necessary to meet state requirements. This facility can be expected to take from 50 to 150 students from Shelby High School enrollment. Because of the large area in its district, Pioneer Vocational is under a separate setup from the various school districts which it covers. Its location in Shelby will enhance the City as an industrial center in the years to come.

Future School Enrollments

Future school needs in the planning area are dependent upon the population growth in the entire school district. Even though the school district is nearly twice as large as the planning area, any new schools or school changes which will occur within the next two decades will occur within the planning area. The reason for this is that the planning area is in the heart of the school district and is the only logical area for future school development serving the entire district.

The estimated population in the school district in 20 years will be about 21,000 people. This is a 50 percent increase from the 1967 population of about 14,000 people. In 1967 there were 24.1 public school pupils for every 100 residents of the school district. In addition there are 2.3 parochial school pupils for every 100 residents. In 1987 it has been assumed that the pupils per 100 residents ratio will be slightly less than today, 23.1 instead of 24.1 for public school pupils. This figure is broken down into 12.7 elementary students, 5.4 junior high students and 5.0 senior high students for every hundred residents of the school district as shown in Table 14.

Table 14

Public School Enrollment

Population	1967		1987*
	Public Pupils	Pupils per 100 residents	Pupils	Pupils per 100 residents
Elementary Grades 1 – 6	1,862	13.3	2,667	12.7
Junior High Grades 7 – 9	793	5.7	1,134	5.4
Senior High Grades 10 – 12	717	5.1	1,050	5.0
TOTAL	3,372	24.1	4,851	23.1

*Estimates by Dalton-Dalton Associates, Inc.

Source: Shelby City School District, Office of the Superintendent

These students who live within walking distance of the elementary schools, primarily residents of Shelby, walk to school. Students from the rest of the district are bused into the City. A similar situation is true for junior and senior high pupils.

The anticipated major growth areas in the school district are primarily to the south and southeast of the City itself, toward Mansfield and Ontario. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that any new elementary school within the district will reflect this trend and will be located south and southeast of Shelby.

School Standards

In planning the location of schools, there are three factors which should be considered: travel distance for children from home to school, the best school size for effective instruction and the area of play space needed on the site.

The following guide rules are suggested concerning travel distances:

Children of elementary school age should not be required to walk further than 3/4 miles, and those of junior high school age not further than 1-1/2 miles, to reach the school.
Children, particularly those of elementary school age, should not be required, unless it is unavoidable, to cross railroad lines at grade or to cross streets carrying heavy traffic.
Children should not be required to cross business or industrial districts to reach the school, unless the intermingling of residential and commercial development makes this unavoidable.
Other conditions being equal, school district boundary lines should be drawn equidistant between schools.

If the above rules with respect to travel are observed, the size of schools will be partly determined by the distribution and density of the present and prospective school population in districts of the desired size. From the standpoint of instructional efficiency, an elementary school district should have a sufficient child population to make up at least one classroom of each half-grade. For a school with a kindergarten and the first six grades, this would suggest minimum enrollment of about 350 to 400. If the school is smaller than this, cost per student will be too high.

In the case of junior and senior high schools, a somewhat larger enrollment is desirable in order to permit a sufficient range of course offerings without uneconomically small classes. An enrollment of from 500 to 1,500 students is satisfactory for a junior high school, an enrollment of at least 1,000 for a senior high school, although a size of about 2,000 is more effective for the latter where distances permit.

In the calculation of the number of rooms needed, the capacity of regular classrooms has been assumed to be 28, 25 and 22 respectively, for elementary, junior high school and senior high school grades.

The size of the school site should be determined from estimates of enrollment of the size of building needed, and of the play spaced needed per pupil. Play yard space should be available in connection with the elementary and junior high schools at the rate of at least 100 to 200 square feet per pupil.

Elementary Schools

There are four buildings in the school district being used is K-6 elementary schools, Auburn, Central, Dowds and Whitney. They are all located within the corporate limits of Shelby and serve the City students as walk to centers. Pupils from outlying areas are bused into these schools.

Auburn Elementary School should be enlarged to a maximum of 18 regular classrooms plus kindergarten facilities and the site expanded from the present 4.8 acres to 10.0 acres. This school will serve the existing and anticipated residential development west of the New York Central Railroad.

Central Elementary School is well located to serve the central and southern portions of Shelby. The pupil capacity has been increased with the moving of the Board of Education offices to another location. The eventual razing of the existing junior high school and covering over of the creek between the two sites will give more adequate space to carry on the educational program in the elementary school. The moving of the junior high and reduction in capacity of the elementary school will help alleviate the problems of traffic congestion which now abound in the area. Dowds Elementary School should stay the same basic size as it is today but will eventually serve a more local, walk to student body than it does now. These pupils will come as the City expands to the southeast toward Mansfield and the open land along St. Rt. 39 is developed.

Whitney Elementary School should eventually be enlarged to serve the east side of Shelby which will show modest growth in the next two decades. It is proposed as a 15-room plus kindergarten facility but could be developed as an 18-room building in the event of unanticipated residential development along Smiley and East Main. The site should be expanded to ten acres to conform to accepted standards.

Two new elementary schools are proposed, one south of the City in the vicinity of Weidner Road and St. Rt. 61, the other southeast of town in the vicinity of Taylortown Road and St. Rt. 39. The South School will serve walking pupils from the existing cluster of homes southwest of Mickey Road which is separated from the main portion of the City. It will also handle future residential development in this area as well as serve bused pupils from the southern half of Sharon Township. The Southeast School will serve the population in the lower two-thirds of Jackson Township plus the outskirts of the Shelby urban area.

Today there are a total of 67 rooms in the four elementary schools. By 1987 there will have to be 96 regular classrooms plus kindergarten rooms to serve the elementary school population in the Shelby City School District. The existing land, 26.1 acres at four schools, should be increased to about 60 acres at the six schools, 20 acres at the two new sites, 10 acres added to Auburn and Whitney and existing land at Central reworked to provide an adequate site of ten acres.

Junior High School

The actual size of the Junior High School site is only 2.7 acres. The playfields to the west across the Black Fork add another 10.6 acres bring the total site to 13.3 acres. This is completely inadequate according to various educational standards which range from 23 to 28 acres as a desirable size for a school with the present enrollment of the Junior High. This does not take into account the nearly 400 additional pupils which will be in school by 1987.

This building is 43 years old and will be nearly 65 years old at the end of the planning period. It was completely renewed in 1964 but cannot be anything but outmoded in 20 years for the future educational programs which will be in effect then.

For these reasons the Plan proposes the eventual abandonment of this building in favor of a new physical plant on the southeast side of the City. This new site actually is a more central location in the school district than the existing school. It will provide an adequate size for the outdoor activities of the future Junior High program. Also it will provide play space for the southeast side of the City similar to t hat provided in the northwest by the High School site. This recreation area will be needed to the southwest since the largest portion of the anticipated residential growth will be toward Mansfield along St. Rt. 39 away from the High School, not toward or around it.

This abandonment of the Central Junior High will have to occur toward the end of the planning period, but the land for the new school site should be obtained within 5 years while it is still vacant and available for a reasonable price.

Senior High School

The present high school is nearly brand new, having been completed in 1965. Situated on a 43-acre site in the northwest corner of the city, this facility contains 17 academic classrooms and 23 assorted teaching stations for such subject as home economics, the sciences, commercial courses, art vocational training, vocal and instrumental music, plus a theatre, a library, a gymnasium, and the student commons.

The 1967 enrollment of just over 700 students has been projected to 900 by 1987 and will require an additional four classrooms. This is an increase of less than 27 percent, smaller than 50 percent increases in the enrollment of the other schools. A portion of the Shelby senior high pupils will switch to Pioneer Vocational for the last two years of school, reducing the capacity which would otherwise be necessary in the high school.

Table 15 reviews proposed school facilities for the Shelby City School District.

Table 15

Proposed School Facilities for the Shelby City School District

	Site Acreage		Enrollment		Teaching Stations
	Existing	Needed*	Existing	Projected*	Existing	Needed*
ELEMENTARY
Auburn	4.8	10.0	441	504 + K	14	18 + K
Central	5.1	10.0	626	504 + K	28	18 + K
Dowds	10.6	10.6	409	420 + K	15	15 + K
Whitney	5.6	10.0	386	420 + K	13	15 + K
South	--	10.0	--	420 + K	--	15 + K
Southeast	--	10.0	--	420 + K	--	15 + K
JUNIOR HIGH
Existing	13.3	5.5 Acres to Central Elementary	793	--	32	--
New	--	30.0	--	1,150	--	46
Senior High	43.3	43.3	717	900	38	42

*Projections by Dalton-Dalton Associates, Inc

Source: Shelby City School District, Office of the Superintendent

City of Shelby Comprehensive Plan Report I—Existing Conditions

Prepared by Richland County Regional Planning Commission 1976

General Information

Land Use Categories

Public and Quasi-Public—all municipal buildings and facilities such as parks, schools, governmental offices, assembly halls plus publicly owned facilities, such as water and sewage treatment, are included under public facilities. Quasi-Public facilities are churches and privately owned utilities such as electric and gas companies.

Existing Land Use

Land Use Type	Acreage		Percent of Developed Land		Percent of All Land
	Total	Item	Total	Item	Total	Item
PUBLIC & QUASI-PUBLIC	299.8		18.0%		11.5%
Public Parks & Recreation		40.4		2.4%		1.6%
Schools		111.9		6.7%		4.2%
Governmental		39.9		2.4%		1.5%
Utilities		72.8		4.4%		2.8%
Other Recreation		0.8		0.04%		0.03%
Other		34.0		2.0%		1.3%

Public & Quasi-Public

Almost 300 acres are devoted to public and quasi-public facilities. Among the public facilities are Shelby’s seven schools, six parks, two baseball fields, the Municipal and City Court Buildings, the fire station, and reservoir. Quasi-Public facilities include gas, electric, and other utility companies, churches and private schools such as St. Mary’s, and privately owned recreation establishments such as Shelby’s Rhythm Bowl.

Shelby’s public and quasi-public land is compared to other nearby communities in the table below:

Community	Public & Quasi-Public % of developed area
Bellville	11.0%
Lexington	24.0%
Plymouth	11.3%
Average	15.4%
Shelby	18.0%

Community Facilities

Community Facilities are those services and facilities which accommodate the needs of city residents. These include facilities such as public and private schools, fire and police service, the municipal building, library, and other related institutions. In addition to these are the various publicly owned utility services of water supply, electric power, and sanitary sewerage. The community facilities provide for the safety, health, education, and well-being of local citizens. The availability and adequacy of these facilities not only reflect on the general character of Shelby but they also reflect on the desirability of the City as a place in which to live.

SCHOOLS

An educational system is an integral component of a desirable living environment. “Integral” because it performs two major functions. First, high quality schools provide sound education for the children of a community. And secondly, quality schools attract and encourage population growth in the community. Young and middle age couples tend to locate where they feel their children can receive quality education. For these two reasons every community should have its educational facilities reanalyzed and reevaluated periodically. This is what the Richland County Regional Planning Commission has done in the following study. Specific factors considered were related to the size, the location, and the condition of each school facility plus the ancillary service of bus transportation.

School District Characteristics

The Shelby School District includes the City of Shelby, Sharon Township, Jackson Township, the southern half of Plymouth Township, and small parts of Franklin and Bloominggrove Townships. This area consists of approximately 72 square miles.

Land use in the Shelby School District is predominantly agricultural and undeveloped. Residential development in Jackson, Plymouth, Franklin, and Bloominggrove Township is scattered, sparse locations. Only in Sharon Township is residential development concentrated in and around the City of Shelby. Industrial land use in the School District is also concentrated in the Shelby City. The City maintains a diverse industrial base from fabrication of steel tubing to the manufacture of business forms and systems. The City also has a major warehousing operation in its northern section.

The Shelby School System

The Shelby School System is comprised of five elementary schools—four public and one private, one junior high school, one senior high school, and one vocational school. All eight of these schools are located within the Shelby City limits. Auburn Elementary is located on Auburn Avenue, Central Elementary on High School Avenue, Dowds Elementary on Seneca Drive, Whitney Elementary on East Whitney Street, and Saint Mary’s School on West Street. The Shelby Junior High School is located on Park Avenue adjacent to Central Elementary. The Shelby Senior High School is on West Smiley Avenue and the Pioneer Joint Vocation School is on Ryan Road. Both of these last two schools are located in the northern section of the City. Together these school facilities occupy 111.9 acres or 6.7 percent of the City’s developed land.

Size

To determine if each school facility is adequate in size, four steps were followed. First, the past and present enrollment figures from the school years 1965-66 to 1974-75 were compiled. Second, the design capacity maximums for each school were compared with the school’s actual enrollment. Third, the ratio of students per classroom unit was ascertained. And fourth, the ratio of students per teacher was determined. From the school years 1965-66 to 1974-75, the number of enrolled students has risen from an estimated 3,3141 to an estimated 4,0442 an increase of 730 students or 22.0 percent. The largest increase in enrollment during this 10-year period occurred between the 1967-68 and 1968-69 school years when enrollment increased by an estimated 449 students or 12.3 percent. This high increase was the result of the Pioneer Joint Vocational School opening. Since the 1972-73 school year, enrollment in the Shelby School System has been decreasing. The following table shows the enrollment totals and trends of each school each year.

Saint Mary’s School enrollment figures were not available for school years 1965-66 and 1968-69. Therefore, the total Shelby school enrollment figure for these two school years was increased by an estimated average of 265 students.
Because the final total enrollment figure for school year 1974-75 at Pioneer Joint Vocation School is not available, an estimate was made based on the mid-year enrollment figure. Hence, the total Shelby school enrollment figure must be represented as an estimate.

School Enrollment

Each School Each Year

1965-1974

Year	Auburn Elementary	Central Elementary	Dowds Elementary	Whitney Elementary	St. Mary’s	Jr. High	Sr High	PJVS	Total School Enrollment
1965-66	366	483	363	349	N/A (265 est)	758	730	--	3,314 Est.
1966-67	440	590	404	395	298	779	726	--	3,632
1967-68	457	569	410	380	304	757	785	--	3,662
1968-69	477	614	441	416	n/a (265 est)	792	681	425 (87)	4,111 Est.
1969-70	475	627	415	379	236	774	652	734 (152)	4,292
1970-71	549	574	413	372	253	768	637	760 (192)	4,326
1971-72	561	554	394	357	251	486	915	814 (180)	4,332
1972-73	561	541	384	354	259	470	923	871 (167)	4,363
1973-74	510	489	347	322	265	516	878	882 (165)	4,209
1974-75	458	468	345	274	267	539	818	875 est. (185)	4,044

*The totals in parenthesis for Pioneer Joint Vocation School represent the number of students from the Shelby School District.

As the table indicates, total enrollment in the five elementaries decreased slightly from 1,826 in the 1965-66 school year to 1,812 in the 1`974-75 school year or 0.8 percent. During the first half of this 10-year period enrollment increased and then decreased with each successive year. However, by the last five years the elementaries began a steady decrease in enrollment from 2,161 students in the 1970-71 school year to 1,812 students in the 1974-75 school year. The Junior High School’s enrollment in the last 10 years has also been experiencing a decline from a total of 758 students in the 1965-66 school year to t total of 539 students at the present time, a drop of 28.9 percent. The Senior High School’s enrollment, in contrast, increased during the last decade from 730 students to 818 students or 12.1 percent. This apparent inconsistency in high school enrollment can be explained by the fact that the ninth grade was shifted from the Junior High into the Senior High after the 1970-71 school year. The combined enrollment of the Junior and Senior High’s actually experienced a decrease from 1,488 in the 1965-66 school year to 1,357 students in the 1974-75 school year. This is not to say that the number of Junior and Senior High School students decreased. Unlike the number of elementary students, the number of Junior and Senior High students actually increased from 1,488 students to 1,542 students, a 3.6 percent rise. Some of these Senior High students are enrolled in Pioneer Joint Vocation School, however, and cannot be counted as part of the Shelby Senior High School enrollment. In the seven years the Pioneer Joint Vocational School has been in operation, its enrollment has more than doubled. In its first year, the 1968-69 school year, the Pioneer Joint Vocational School’s enrollment was 425 students. Today it has an enrollment of 875, over a 105 percent increase.

Design Capacity

In the past, enrollment totals of Central Elementary, Dowds Elementary, Whitney Elementary, Saint Mary’s School, the Junior High School, and the Senior High School has not always compared favorably with their design capacities. Over-enrollment occurred in Central Elementary during the 1968-69 and 1969-70 school years. Dowds Elementary has only experienced over-crowdedness once in the 1968-69 school year. Whitney Elementary surpassed its design capacity five years out of the last 10 years from the 1966-67 school year to the 1970-71 school year. Saint Mary’s School was over-crowded in 1966 by 18 students and in 1967 by 24 students. The Junior High School has exceeded its enrollment capacity more times than any other Shelby School. In six out of the last 10 years beginning in the 1967-66 school year on through to the 1970-71 school year this school had enrolled more students than it was capable of supporting. The Senior High has experienced an over-crowded situation during the 1971-72 and 1972-73 school years. Auburn Elementary and Pioneer Joint Vocation School are therefore the only two Shelby schools that have never exceeded their design capacities.

Amount Each School

Exceeded Its Design Capacity

Year	Auburn Elementary D.C. 600	Central Elementary D.C. 600	Dowds Elementary D.C. 420	Whitney Elementary D.C. 360	St. Mary’s D.C. 280	Jr. High D.C. 750	Sr. High D.C. 900	PJVS D.C. 1,200
1965-66	--	--	--	--	--	+8	--
1966-67	--	--	--	+35	+18	+29	--
1967-68	--	--	--	+20	+24	+7	--
1968-69	--	+14	+21	+56	--	+42	--
1969-70	--	+27	--	+19	--	+24	--	--
1970-71	--	--	--	+12	--	+18	--	--
1971-72	--	--	--	--	--	--	+15	--
1972-73	--	--	--	--	--	--	+23	--
1973-74	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
1974-75	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--

The 1970-72 school year was the last year that any of the elementary schools experienced an over-crowded condition. Since that year, elementary enrollment has been steadily decreasing bringing the number of students in line with each school’s design capacity. After the 1970-71 school year a successful attempt was made to alleviate the overcrowded situation at the Junior High School. The ninth grade was transferred into the Senior High School. This action served to bring the Junior High School’s enrollment total into conformity with its design capacity. For the first two years after the ninth grade transfer, the Senior High was overcrowded. Since the 1972-73 school year, however, the Senior High like the other Shelby schools has compared favorably with its design capacity.

Percent of Capacity By School

School	Current Enrollment	Design Capacity	% of Capacity	Remaining Available Student Spaces
Auburn	458	600	76.3%	142
Central	468	600	78.0%	132
Dowds	345	420	82.2%	75
Whitney	274	360	76.1%	86
St. Mary’s	267	280	95.4%	13
Jr. High	539	750	71.9%	211
Sr. High	818	900	90.9%	82
Pioneer	875 est.	1,200	72.9%	325

As the above table indicates, Auburn Elementary has a design capacity of 600 students. With a current enrollment figure of 458, this elementary is operating at a 76.3 percent capacity level. Central Elementary has a 1974-75 enrollment total of 468 students. Its design capacity is 600, therefore, Central is capable of accommodating up to 132 more students. Dowds Elementary has 345 enrolled students. At its maximum it was designed to support an additional 75 students. Whitney Elementary is currently operating at 76.1 percent of its design capacity. This is the lowest operating level of all the elementaries. St. Mary’s School, in contrast, is operating at the highest level of all the elementaries, 95.4 percent. This school, with a 267 student enrollment, is capable of supporting only 13 additional students. The Shelby Junior High has the capacity to serve 750 students per year. At the present time, 539 students are enrolled leaving room for over 200 more students. With the exception of Pioneer Joint Vocational School, the Junior High is operating at the lowest capacity of all the Shelby schools. The Senior High School is also operating at an acceptable level. Its facilities were designed to accommodate 900 students. It now has 818 enrolled students, 90.9 percent capacity. Pioneer Joint Vocational School has not yet approached its capacity of 1,200 students. With a 72.9 percent current operating level, Pioneer should be able to support a considerable enrollment increase in the future.

Classroom Capacity

In addition to comparing enrollment with design capacity maximums, capacity is also determined by comparing the existing student-classroom ratio with the accepted standard of 30 students per classroom. Only two of the Shelby schools have classrooms that were designed to accommodate more than this standard. St. Mary’s classrooms were designed for 35 students and Auburn Elementary’s classrooms were designed for 32. All the other Shelby schools have even a more favorable student-classroom ratio than the standard demands. Whitney Elementary and the Senior High School have classrooms that will support up to 26 students. Dowds Elementary and the Junior High School have classroom capacities of 25 students. Central Elementary has a student-classroom ratio of 24 students to one classroom. The Pioneer Joint Vocational School has the lowest student-classroom ratio. Its design capacity of 1,200 students and its 31 classrooms and 26 vocational laboratories comprise a ratio of 21 students to one classroom.

Throughout the United States the typical class size of elementary schools and junior highs is 30 to 32 students per classroom. Senior high classroom sizes are somewhat larger averaging 30 to 35 students. Table 32 shows the student-classroom ratio of each Shelby School in relation to its design ratio and in relation to the accepted standard ratio. This table also shows how the Shelby student-classroom ratios compare with the typical ratios found in most schools.

Table 32

Students Per Classroom

School	Enrollment 1974-75	Number of Classrooms	Students Per Classroom 1974-75	Designed Student Classroom Ratio	Standard Ratio	Typical Classroom Ratio*
Auburn	458	19	24.1	31.6	30	30-32
Central	468	25	18.7	24.0	30	30-32
Dowds	345	17	20.3	24.7	30	30-32
Whitney	274	14	19.6	25.7	30	30-32
St. Mary’s	267	8	33.4	35.0	30	30-32
Jr. High	539	30	18.0	25.0	30	30-32
Sr. High	818	35	23.4	25.7	30	30-35
Pioneer	875 est.	31 + 26	15.4	21.1	30	30-35
TOTAL	4,044	205
Average			21.6	26.6	30

*These figures are based on a full cross-section of the population, Planning Design Criteria, Joseph DeChiara, Lee Koppleman.

All of the Shelby schools’ present student-classroom ratios are within their respective design ratios. Auburn Elementary has the most favorable present student-classroom ratio. The disparity between its present ratio and its design ratio is greater than any other Shelby school. Each of its classrooms has an average of 24.1 students while their design can accommodate up to 35 students.

All the Shelby Public Schools have 1974-75 student-classroom ratios that compare favorably with the standard ratio of 30 to 1. Pioneer Joint Vocational School has the largest disparity. Its present student-classroom ratio is 15.4. The standard is 30. Undoubtedly, this secondary school has the capacity to support significant growth in the future. The other Shelby schools vary considerably from the standard also: Auburn by 5.9, Central by 11.3, Dowds by 9.7, Whitney by 10.4, the Junior High by 12.0, and the Senior High by 6.6. However, because the design ratios of these schools are less than the standard, meeting the standard ratio would result in an overcrowded situation. Auburn is the exception. Its design ratio of 31.6 is greater than the standard. St. Mary’s School is the only Shelby school whose present student-classroom ratio exceeds the desirable standard ratio.

The typical student-classroom ratio for elementary and junior high schools in the United States averages out to a 31 to 1 ratio. The Senior High Schools in the United States average out to a 33 to 1 ratio. Every Shelby school except St. Mary’s School has less students in each of its classrooms than the typical United States classroom.

Faculty

The State of Ohio has set a maximum standard for the number of students per teacher. The standard student-teacher ratio in elementary schools is 30 to 1. In junior and senior high schools, the ratio decreases to 27 to 1. The following table presents a comparison of Shelby’s student-teacher ratio to the standard ratio.

Table 33

Students Per Teacher

School	Enrollment	Teachers	Students Per Teacher	State Standard (Maximum)
Auburn	458	22	20.8	30 to 1
Central	468	27	17.3	30 to 1
Dowds	345	17	20.3	30 to 1
Whitney	274	16	17.1	30 to 1
St. Mary’s	267	9	29.7	30 to 1
Jr. High	539	27	20.0	27 to 1
Sr. High	818	51	16.0	27 to 1
Pioneer	875 est.	59	14.8	27 to 1

The number of faculty members in every Shelby school compares favorably with the recommended standards. Of the secondary schools, Pioneer Joint Vocational has the most favorable ratio when compared to its standard. Pioneer has one teacher for every 14.8 students, more than 12 students less than the standard. Whitney Elementary with a 17 to 1 ratio has the most favorable ratio of the primary schools. Although St. Mary’s School does not exceed the standard, it comes closer than any other Shelby school to reaching this maximum ratio.

School Location

The location of a school is an important consideration in a school analysis. A good location can help insure the safety of the student, it can provide a conducive environment for study, and it also can facilitate the transportation of the students. In analyzing the present locations of the school facilities in Shelby, the following accepted planning standards were applied.

	Neighborhood School	District School
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
General Location	School should be near the center of a residential area, and near or adjacent to other community facilities.	School should be centrally located and accessible by bus.
Design Feature	School should be accessible by footpath from dwelling units without crossing any streets. If a street must be crossed, it should be a minor street.	Bus should have to cross only a limited number of highways or railroads.
Service Radius	1/4 mile—desirable 1/2 mile—maximum
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
General Location	School should be located near concentration of dwelling units or near center of residential area.	School should be located within the community and easily accessible by bus and pedestrian.
Design Feature	School should be away from major arterial streets; pedestrian walkways should be provided.	School should be away from major arterial streets.
Service radius	1/2 mile—desirable 3/4 mile—maximum
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
General Location	School should be centrally located for easy access. Proximity to other community facilities is advantageous.	School should be centrally located within the community and easily accessible by bus and pedestrian.
Design Feature	School should be located adjacent to a park area if possible. School should be adequately screened from noise or objectionable land uses.	School should be adequately screened from noise or objectionable land uses.
Service Radius	3/4 mile—desirable 1 mile—maximum

Location standards, design features, and service radii differ. One set of standards applies to schools which serve only their surrounding residential neighborhoods. The other set applies to those schools which serve students in outlying areas by means of bus transportation. To distinguish between these two types of schools, the first shall be designated “neighborhood school” and the second “district school”. The only Shelby school which functions solely as a neighborhood school is Whitney Elementary. Auburn Elementary, Central Elementary, and Dowds Elementary, the Junior High School and the Senior High School all serve as both neighborhood and district schools. Hence, both sets of standards had to be applied to them. St. Mary’s School is the only Shelby School which functions strictly as a district school and therefore is subject to district school standards only. Pioneer Joint Vocational School is a unique secondary school and does not fit into either classification.

Elementary Schools

Auburn Elementary meets both sets of standards. It is located in a residential area in the western section of the City. The location standard suggests that elementary schools should be near other community facilities. Although this is a very desirable arrangement, it is not a necessary condition. Auburn itself is not located adjacent to another related community facility. The design feature for neighborhood schools states footpaths or walkways should be available for the safety of walking students. Auburn Elementary has one walkway that stretches from Raymond Avenue to the school site. Although sidewalks are also available, still Auburn’s students need other walkways. The design feature also states that, ideally, walking students would not have to cross any streets but if a street must be crossed, it should be of a minor nature. In actuality, most school locations are such that some streets must be crossed by students walking to and from school. Still every effort should be made to both locate new schools and draw existing school districts in such a way that students cross as few streets as possible. Auburn students have to cross some streets. Walkers living between West Main Street, Sharon Street, and Smiley Avenue cross only minor residential streets. Those students living beyond these streets, however, must cross major streets, either Smiley Avenue, State Street, or Sharon Street. Safety patrol boys are stationed at various points where student crossing is necessary. Railroad right-of-ways pose another hazard for walking students. The Auburn School District boundary places only a few residential units on the opposite side of the New York Central tracks. Since these units are located next to the Whitney Avenue Bridge, there is no need for any student to cross a railroad right-of-way while walking to Auburn School.

Auburn also meets the second general location standard and design feature. It is located in the central area of the Shelby School District and it is also easily accessible by bus. The principal collector, West Main Street, and the minor collectors, Smiley Avenue and Sharon Street, make bus as well as car transportation to and from school expeditious. The design feature for district schools is a more difficult standard to meet. The Shelby School District encompasses such a large nonurban area that it is inevitable that some highways and railroads must be crossed by the school buses. The school bus system makes a determined effort, however, to map and remap bus routes in such a way as to avoid these hazard areas as much as possible.

Central Elementary also functions as both a neighborhood school and a district school. Its students come from both the nearby residential neighborhoods and from the outlying sections of the Shelby School District. Both standards therefore had to be applied.

Central Elementary is located on the edge of a residential area. To the north and east of the school are commercial, service, and industrial establishments. Although this is not a recommended school location, these establishments do not exert a disruptive influence on school sessions. Central’s location is advantageous from the aspect that it is situated adjacent to another related community facility, the Junior High School. In close accordance with the design feature for neighborhood schools, Central’s walking students must cross at the maximum only one major street, South Gamble. To make this and other street crossings safer for the students, Central Elementary utilizes a student safety patrol. Railroad right-of-ways are not a problem in the eastern section of the Central School District. The district boundary was drawn along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to eliminate hazardous student crossing. In the western section, however, students living west of the New York Central must cross this railroad on their way to and from school. Fortunately, the Ohio Steel Tube Company stretches the length of the railroad tracks within the Central School District forcing students to cross at Main Street where pedestrian crossing gates are available.

Central Elementary, like Auburn, is also located in the central section of the Shelby School District. The principal collectors, South Gamble Street and Main Street, provide convenient approach and departure avenues for the transportation of students by bus and by car.

Dowds Elementary meets both the neighborhood school standards and the district school standards. Its location in the southeast section of Shelby is convenient for the residential areas around Mickey Road, Mansfield Avenue, and future residential areas that are expected to develop in the southern section. Dowds has two design problems. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Mansfield Avenue create hazardous crossings for walking students. Only walkers living west of Mansfield Avenue and east of the railroad avoid crossing these major transportation lines. To help make student crossings safer there are two traffic lights; one at the Glenwood Drive/Mansfield Avenue intersection and one at the Morningside Drive/Mansfield Avenue intersection. The student safety patrol also works to minimize any danger by guiding student crossings at hazardous points.

Dowds Elementary is centrally located within the Shelby School District. Its location off Mansfield Avenue, a minor arterial, makes it easily accessible for the school bus transportation system.

Whitney Elementary, in the eastern section of the City, is the only Shelby school that serves only its surrounding residential areas. Hence, only neighborhood school standards can be applied to this elementary.

Whitney Elementary meets the general location standard. It is located in the center of the Whitney School District on the edge of a residential neighborhood. Many of the students who walk to Whitney cross only minor residential streets. However, some students must cross major streets such as East Main Street, a principal collector, and Broadway Street and Smiley Avenue, minor collectors. Like all of the Shelby elementaries, Whitney has tried to alleviate the danger at these crossings by stationing safety patrol boys. To further alleviate student-traffic problems, footpaths or walkways should be laid along the routes students usually walk to and from school. Shelby’s railroads do not pose a serious problem for Whitney Elementary. The Whitney School District boundary is west of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and it crosses the New York Central Railroad. Although this area behind these tracks is predominantly commercial and industrial in character, there are some residential units along North Gamble Street and Whitney Avenue. Some elementary students therefore must cross railroad tracks on their way to and from Whitney Elementary.

Saint Mary’s School meets the district school standards. Its location on West Street near downtown Shelby is in the central section of the Shelby School District. St. Mary’s is safely situated off major arterial streets, but it is still readily accessible from the principal collector, West Main Street, and the minor collectors, Sharon Street and smiley Avenue. This accessibility facilitates the transportation of students to and from school. Bus transportation for St. Mary’s students is furnished by the public school bus transportation system. As was states previously, the bus system’s policy and practice is to make every effort to map bus routes in such a way as to avoid any crossings of dangerous highways or railroads.

Service Radius

The function of the service radius standard is to set a reasonable walking distance between the school and the home. The Shelby School System offers bus transportation to all students—elementary, junior high, senior high, public and private—who live one mile or more from their respective schools. The only exception pertains to Whitney Elementary School. Because students living outside the Shelby City limits are not sent to Whitney, no bus service is provided to the school. According to the standard, the maximum walking distance for elementary students should be 1/2 mile. Bus transportation should, therefore, be provided to those students living 1/2 mile or more from school including those students who live 1/2 mile or more from Whitney. If the school bus service was extended into this 1/2 mile area, the design problems of the elementary schools would be significantly reduced. With bus transportation available to more students, fewer students would find it necessary to walk across dangerous streets and railroads on their way to and from school.

Junior High

The Shelby Junior High functions as both a neighborhood and a district school. It is located adjacent to Central Elementary on the edge of a residential concentration in the City’s south central section.

The Junior High is located away from major arterial streets. These thoroughfares attract noise and heavy traffic which are highly undesirable near educational centers.

South Gamble Street and Main Street, principal collectors, stretch to the west and north of the school. These two major transportation routes are more than capable of supporting the heavy demands of school bus and car transportation.

The maximum service radius standard for junior high schools is 3/4 mile. The rule governing bus transportation in Shelby states all students living one mile or more from school are eligible to ride the bus. This 1/4 mile discrepancy can be considered acceptable. Still, it would be much more desirable and beneficial for the students of Shelby schools if both the accepted elementary and junior high service standards were achieved.

Senior High

The Senior High School serves the city of Shelby a d the entire Shelby School District. It is located in the northwest residential section of the City and in the central section of the Shelby School District. This location is away from objectionable land uses and noise. It provides a highly conducive environment for educational activity.

The design feature suggests the desirability of a school-park complex. This land use design should be seriously considered in future secondary school planning. The existing Senior High School, however, actually functions as a 32-acre quasi-park. As will be discussed in the accessory facilities section, the Senior High has extensive physical educational facilities including tennis courts, basketball courts, archery, golf, track, softball, football, and baseball.

State Street, Shelby Avenue, Smiley Avenue, and Kuhn Road are all minor collectors which together encircle the Senior High School. These transportation avenues provide access to the school from every direction in the Shelby School District.

The maximum service radius of one mile for senior high students and Shelby’s bus transporting practices are consistent.

Pioneer Joint Vocational School

Pioneer Joint Vocational School is a multi-district school serving Buckeye Central, Crestline, Crestview, Lexington, Lucas, Northmor, Ontario, Plymouth, Shelby, and Willard School Districts. Because of this large service area, centrality and accessibility are of primary importance. Pioneer’s location in north Shelby fulfills both of these requirements. This location is a central point within these ten districts, and it is also an area where major rural transportation routes converge.

Bus transportation to and from Pioneer Joint Vocational School is the responsibility of the student’s parent senior high school.

Condition

The condition of a school is dependent on three criteria. First, how does the site size of a school compare with the accepted site standard? Second, does the school have essential accessory facilities inside and outside the school building? And third, what is the age of the school structure and its most recent addition?

Site Size

Table 35 shows the total site size in acres of each Shelby school facility. Site size is defined as the area utilized by the school building, its services, and off-street parking.

Table 35

Site Size

School	Site Size
Auburn	4.8 Acres
Central	3.6 Acres
Dowds	9.6 Acres
Whitney	5.6 Acres
St. Mary’s	1.3 Acres
Jr. High	13.8 Acres
Sr. High	40.0 Acres
Pioneer	33.2 Acres

Standards for total school site size vary according to the number of students enrolled. The American Public Health Association has set the following standard area specifications for school sites:

Table 36

School Site Size Standards

Type of School	Minimum Site Size	Desirable Acreage
Elementary	5 acres	5A. + 1A/100 Students
Junior High School	10 acres	10A + 1A/100 Students
Senior High	20 acres	20A + 1A/100 Students

These standards are compared to each Shelby School’s 1974-75 enrollment and to each school’s actual site size in the following table.

Table 37

Site Size Comparison – Actual VS Desirable

	Enrollment	Desirable Acreage	Actual No. of Acres	Surplus	Deficit
Auburn	458	9.6	4.8		4.8 A
Central	468	9.7	3.6		6.1 A
Dowds	345	8.4	9.6	1.2 A
Whitney	274	7.7	5.6		2.1 A
St. Mary’s	267	7.7	1.3		6.4 A
Jr. High	539	15.4	13.8		1.6 A
Sr. High	818	28.2	40.0	11.8 A
Pioneer	875 est.	28.8	33.2	4.4 A
Total	--	115.5	111.9	--	3.6 A

All the Shelby elementary schools except Dowds have less than a desirable site size. In the discussion on design capacity and classroom capacity, Auburn Elementary was found to be the most capable elementary of absorbing any enrollment increase. According to this site size analysis, however, Auburn, even at the present time, has too many students for its site size. Central Elementary’s site size is the most deficient of the public elementary schools. Central is presently operating at 78 percent capacity and is 6.1 acres smaller than its desirable size. At full capacity, Central would need a most 7.5 acres more. Dowds Elementary has a very favorable site size. With an enrollment of 345 students, Dowds’ desirable acreage is 8.4, about one acre less than its present size of 9.6 acres. Even at maximum enrollment, this site size would be adequate. Whitney Elementary has a present site size of 5.6 acres for its 274 students. Its site size should be expanded to approximately 9 acres. St. Mary’s School has a present site size of 1.3 acres. To meet the desirable site size standard, St. Mary’s would have to increase its size six times to 7.7 acres.

At the present time, the Shelby Junior High School comes fairly close to meeting its desirable site size. It is composed of 13.8 acres while the desirable size is 1.6 acres larger. However, the Junior High is only operating at 71.9 percent of its capacity. Should the Junior High reach 100 percent capacity as it has in the past, it would need almost four more acres to be adequate in size.

Both the Shelby Senior High School and the Pioneer Joint Vocational School have more than favorable site sizes. The Senior High School at its maximum capacity of 900 students requires only 29 acres of site. Its grounds at the present time compose 40 acres. This 11 acres surplus will provide the Senior High with additional land for expansion to meet the enrollment needs of the future. Pioneer Joint Vocational School has 4.4 acres more than its enrollment necessitates. Even at its maximum capacity of 1,200 students, Pioneer’s recommended site size would be 32 acres, one acre less than its present site size.

Accessory Facilities

The condition of a school is determined to a large extent by the accessory facilities inside and outside the school. Inside facilities include library, cafeteria, gymnasium, and auditorium. The library facility is of primary importance. The State Board of Education specifically requires a library in junior and senior high schools and a learning area in elementary schools.

Table 38

Facilities Provided in Each School

School	Library	Cafeteria	Gymnasium	Auditorium
Auburn	X	X	X	--
Central	X	X	X	--
Dowds	X	X	X	--
Whitney	X	X	X	--
St. Mary’s	X	X	X	X
Jr. High	X	X	X	X
Sr. High	X	X	X	X
Pioneer	X	X	--	--

As the above chart indicates, every Shelby school provides library facilities for its students. Dowds Elementary and Whitney Elementary have combined library and music rooms. Every Shelby school also has a cafeteria room for its students. Auburn Elementary, Dowds Elementary, Whitney Elementary, and St. Mary’s School utilize this facility as a gymnasium room also. Central Elementary, the Junior High School, and the Senior High School have separate facilities for their cafeteria and athletic functions. Pioneer Joint Vocational School is the only Shelby school t hat does not provide its students with a gymnasium. None of the Shelby public elementaries have auditoriums. Only St. Mary’s School has a multi-purpose facility which functions as an auditorium as well as a cafeteria and gymnasium. Because of various student activities, it is more important for the secondary schools to provide auditorium facilities than the primary schools. Both the Shelby Junior High and Senior High Schools have auditoriums for their students.

Outside facilities are also essential elements of every school. They serve the duo-function of providing a place for students to recreate during school and after, and in addition, they often function as a park for nearby neighborhoods. To analyze the outside facilities available at the schools in Shelby, the following accepted planning standards were used:

Elementary Schools—Playground completely equipped for a wide-range of game activities. Playground should be completely screened from street.

Junior High Schools—Playfield completely equipped for a wide-range of game activities.

Senior High Schools—Playfield completely equipped for a wide-range of game activities.

All four public elementaries meet the above planning standards. Auburn Elementary has five acres of playground located behind the school. One acre of the playground is paved and used for basketball. A jungle gym, swing-set, horizontal ladder, merry-go-round, and two baseball diamonds are also available for the students. Playground screening is unnecessary at Auburn because the playground is located to the rear of the school sufficiently separated from vehicular traffic.

Central Elementary’s three-acre playground is also located to the rear of the school. The small tarred and chipped portion of the playground has basketball hoops, swings, a jungle gym, and a merry-go-round, and four square. Central needs a larger playground area for its young students and newer play equipment. A fence screens the playground from the banks of the Black Fork Creek.

Dowds Elementary has almost eight acres of paved and unpaved playground area for its students. Swings, slides, horizontal bars, basketball hoops, tetherball, four square, a jungle gym, and a baseball diamond are all available for the students’ recreation and physical fitness. Because these facilities are located behind the school building, a protective screening is not necessary.

Whitney Elementary has approximately five acres of paved and unpaved playground area. The paved playground has two basketball hoops and it is used for basketball games and practice. Other equipment includes swings, tetherballs, jungle gyms, a merry-go-round, witches hat, and horizontal bar. In addition on the unpaved section, there are three baseball diamonds available. Because Whitney Elementary is situated off East Whitney Avenue, the playground area is a safe distance away from the heavily travelled thoroughfare. Protective screening is therefore not necessary.

St. Mary’s School does not meet the recommended outside facilities standards. The playground is not equipped for a wide-range of activities. The only outside facility available on the 0.9 acre playground is basketball hoops. This school is in need of both more game equipment and a larger play area for its students. In addition, both ends of the playground area are exposed to streets. Fortunately, Raymond Avenue and Auburn Street are not heavily travelled routes.

The Shelby Junior High has 11 acres of athletic fields that are equipped for various game activities. Part of this 11 acres is occupied by the Varsity Stadium. There are also track facilities as well as a large open area for football, soccer, and perhaps volleyball. The baseball diamond located south of the Stadium is in need of some restoration. The Junior High Also has one acres of paved area. This surface could be used for basketball if the school would provide hoops.

The Shelby Senior High School has extensive outdoor facilities on its 32 acres of athletic fields. Available for the students are tennis and basketball courts, archery, and golf areas and softball areas. In addition, there is a football practice area, all weather track field, a baseball diamond, and a field laboratory. All of these facilities are in good condition and readily accessible.

It is not necessary for Pioneer Joint Vocational School to provide athletic facilities for its students. Each student has access to the outdoor facilities available at his parent senior high school.

Age of School Structure

The following table presents figures on the age and most recent addition of school structures in Shelby.

Table 39

Year of Construction

Most Recent Addition

School	Age of Original Structure	Most Recent Addition
Auburn	1948	1969
Central	1951	1957
Dowds	1958	--
Whitney	1955	--
St. Mary’s	1969	--
Jr. High	1924	1969
Sr. High	1965	--
Pioneer	1968	1972

All the elementaries, the Senior High School and Pioneer Joint Vocational School are relatively new structures having been built within the last 30 years. Moreover, both Auburn and Central Elementaries and Pioneer Joint Vocational School have undergone additions.

City of Shelby Comprehensive Plan Report II—Development Plan

Prepared by Richland County Regional Planning Commission 1976

SCHOOLS

Fifteen-Year School Plan

The Shelby School System must be able to provide the school facilities that will be needed in the future by its increasing student enrollment. The only way to ensure that these needs will be met is by formulating and adopting a comprehensive 15 year course of action. In the following pages, two programs, the Recommended Plan and the Alternative Plan have been prepared and discussed. School administrators should consider adopting one of these plans, modifying it if necessary, and initiating its implementation as soon as possible.

Recommended Plan

Various improvements should be administered to the existing elementary facilities as soon as possible.

The existing Junior High School should be razed y 1985.

The site of Central Elementary should be expanded to absorb the present Junior High School site. This action would give Central Elementary the potential to expand to meet increased student enrollment after 1990.

A modern Junior High School with a 1,000 student design capacity should be constructed so as to form a Junior-Senior High School Complex by 1990.

Alternative Plan

Various improvements should be administered to the existing elementary facilities as soon as possible.

Plans should be made by 1990 to purchase a new site and construct a new elementary school to meet increases in student enrollment after 1990.

The Senior High School should be expanded to a 1,200 student design capacity by 1990.

Elementary Schools

The low and high student enrollment projections indicate that the increase in elementary students will not be significant enough to require the construction of a new elementary in the next 15 years. Energies should therefore be concentrated on bringing the present elementaries up to standard condition. The deficiency in most need of attention is the elementaries’ lack of sufficient site acreage. Each school should have a site size that is capable of supporting its maximum design capacity. The following table indicates the acreage needs of each Shelby elementary.

Table 14

Site Inadequacies

School	Present Site Size	Standard Site Size	Needed Acreage
Auburn	4.8 acres	11 acres	6.2 acres
Central	3.6 acres	11 acres	7.4 acres
Dowds	9.6 acres	9.2 acres	--
Whitney	5.6 acres	8.6 acres	3.0 acres
St. Mary’s	1.3 acres	7.8 acres	6.5 acres

Auburn Elementary is not encircled by development and can therefore purchase its needed 6.2 acres along is northern and western boundary. Central Elementary is more restricted. It can acquire 7.4 acres only by assuming the Junior High School site. Dowds Elementary is the only Shelby elementary that is not deficient in size and therefore, needs no site expansion. Whitney Elementary, like Auburn, is able to purchase additional acreage from the surrounding area to the school’s north, south, or east. St. Mary’s School has no room for expanding its site. If abutting property becomes available in the future, it should be purchased and converted into recreational use. All of these site additions should be acquired as soon as possible. Immediacy is important for three reasons: first, the elementary students of these schools require more space for their recreational needs now; second, the cost of land shows every sign of continuing to rise in the future; and third, if adjacent land is not purchased now, it may become developed. The schools would then be bound to their present site sizes.

In addition to site deficiencies,, there are two schools which have other inadequacies that should be remedied. Auburn Elementary has a very limited access for school bus and car transportation. Vehicles are forced to either turn around on Auburn Street or drive through the hospital property. An awkward traffic pattern such as this tends to encourage accidents and delays. To improve this situation, Close Street should be extended along the east side of Auburn School. This street would then connect Plum Avenue with Auburn Street resulting in a more safe and efficient traffic pattern. Another area in need of attention is at Dowds Elementary. This new southeast school has a problem with poor drainage. Necessary measures should be taken to rectify this situation as soon as possible.

Lastly, it is recommended that elementary school districts be established outside the Shelby corporation limits. At the present time, students living in rural areas are bused to any elementary school with available student space. Bus routing would be more efficient if rural areas were designated as specific elementary school districts.

By the year 1990, school administrators should once again turn their attention to planning the expansion of the School System’s elementary facilities. The low and high projections indicate that the existing facilities will be operation at 88.5% capacity to 90.6% capacity. This is still an acceptable operating level. After 1990, however, the increase in elementary student enrollment will continue and will eventually push the existing elementary facilities to their 100% capacity level. Plans should be adopted now to meet these anticipate post-1990 enrollment needs. The Recommended Plan suggests that the present Junior High School be razed and Central Elementary expanded. The Alternative Plan suggests a new elementary site should be purchased and a new school constructed. Both are feasible courses of action, however, the first plan is recommended for a number of reasons.

One, the present elementary schools are situated in dispersed locations. Almost the entire City is within one of the existing school’s service radii. A new school would, therefore, not serve any locational advantage. Two, all of the existing elementaries are relatively new in age and contain all essential accessory facilities. A new elementary school would not serve to fill any condition inadequacy. Three, the expansion of an existing elementary facility would be less costly to the School System than the construction of a totally new facility. Four, the present Junior High School, the oldest facility in the Shelby School System, will be almost 70 years old by 1990. Even at the present time, this facility is lacking the modern equipment and facilities necessary to meet the educative needs of Junior High students. After 1990 it will be even more inadequate. Five, with the razement of the Junior High School, Central Elementary would ac quire the potential to ne come the largest Shelby elementary school. This would be advantageous to the elementary school system because of Central’s location in the center of the school district. Six, the razement would solve the severe site size problem at Central Elementary. As was discussed previously, Central has the most deficient site of all the Shelby schools. With the present Junior High site converted into elementary grounds, Central’s site would increase from 3.6 acres to 17.4 acres. Seven, Central’s expanded site would provide the expansion potential for up to 600 more student spaces or 20 more classrooms. As elementary student enrollment increases in the future, Central could be expanded to meet the need at the time the need arose. For these seven reasons, the Recommended Plan would provide the Shelby School System with an efficient approach for meeting elementary facility needs far into the future.

School officials may decide the Alternative Plan would best meet the needs of the School System. In this case, a school location should be selected by 1990. Several possible sites to consider include the corner of State Street and Gamble Street and the south side of Mickey Road. This first location in the northeast corner of the State Street and Gamble Street intersection would be provided good access by both thoroughfares. An elementary school here would serve the young students living in the northern section of the City. The second site for an elementary school is east of Gamble Street and south of Mickey Road. This location would also have easy accessibility by way of two thoroughfares. A school located here in the south section of the City would primarily serve the students living in the new development west of Gamble Street.

Junior High School

According to the low and high enrollment projections, the existing Junior High School facility will be capable of accommodating the enrollments of the 7th and 8th grades for the next 15 years. By 1990, this school’s operating level will be 76.1% capacity to 78.0% capacity, a comfortable level. Given this information, the Alternative Plan does not call for any change to occur. The Recommended Plan, however, maintains that the Junior High School should be razed and a new modern Junior-Senior High Complex should be constructed. There are five specific advantages to this latter plan. First, the construction of a modern Junior High School would remedy the present deficiency of modern facilities and equipment available to Shelby Junior High students. Secondly, a new Junior High facility would be built on a site capable of supporting the school’s maximum design capacity plus acreage for future expansion. The present Junior High School site is deficient in size. Thirdly, the construction of a new Junior High School would result in the expansion of Central Elementary’s site ensuring ample room for future elementary facilities. Fourthly, a new Junior High School would accommodate grades 7th, 8th, and 9th thereby making any expansion of the Senior High School unnecessary during the planning period. Fifth and lastly, the construction of a new Junior High School would form a Junior-Senior High School Complex. This type of school center is in itself an advantage because it is both economical and efficient. School facilities, equipment, and materials are shared rather than duplicated in two separate facilities. One large library, cafeteria, gymnasium, and auditorium serve the needs of all the 7th through 12th grade students. Outdoor recreational facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, football fields, and baseball diamonds are also shared by both schools—all at a substantial saving for the School System.

If the Recommended Plan is adopted, the selection of a Junior High School site should be decided upon as soon as possible. The most desirable location is on the northern edge of the Senior High School. A school constructed here could have access to both the collectors State Street and Smiley Avenue. Another potential location is southwest of the Senior High School on the south side of Smiley Avenue between the Senior High and Auburn Elementary. This is however, one problem with this latter site. Students travelling back and forth between the two high schools would have to cross Smiley Avenue.

A new Junior High School should be constructed to provide approximately 1,000 student spaces or 33 classrooms. To support this design capacity, the site of the new Junior High must consist of at least 20 acres. An additional five acres should be purchased to provide for the possible expansion of facilities at some time in the future. The acquisition of this 25 acre site should occur and construction begin as soon as possible. The Junior High School must be completed by 1990 if an overcrowded condition is to be avoided at the Senior High School.

Senior High School

According to the low and high enrollment projections, the present Senior High facility will have sufficient space to support the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades for only ten more years. By 1990, this school will be operating at a 99.2% capacity to a 101.7% capacity level. If school administrators adopt the Recommended Plan, there will not be any need for action. The newly constructed Junior High School will be accommodating the 9th grade by 1990. The Senior High School with only the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades will be operating at a level approximately ranging from 70 to 80% capacity.

If the Shelby School System should decide to pursue the Alternative Plan and expand the Senior High School, it should be undertaken and completed by 1990. A total of 300 additional student spaces or 10 new classrooms should be constructed. The Senior High’s new 1,200 student design capacity would reduce the school’s anticipated 1990 operating level to a manageable 74.4 to 76.3% capacity.

Both the Recommended Plan and the Alternative Plan are designed to meet all elementary, junior high, and senior high school enrollment needs for the next 15 years. The Recommended Plan however, is more comprehensive and long range than the alternative Plan. If adopted, the needs of the Shelby School System will be met for many years beyond the planning period.

Pioneer Joint Vocational School

Pioneer Joint Vocational School is unlike any other school in Shelby. Its student body is drawn from ten different school districts. The population projections for eight of these participating districts—Buckeye Central, Crestline, Crestview, Lucas, Northmor, Ontario, Plymouth, and Willard are not available. Because of this lack of information, student enrollment projections for Pioneer Joint Vocational School could not be prepared. Instead, other indicators had to be an analyzed to determine if the facilities at Pioneer would be adequate to serve its student enrollment for the next 15 years. In the School Study of the “Existing Conditions Report” these factors were discussed in detail. It was found that in Pioneer’s seven years of operation, its student enrollment has never yet approached its capacity of 1,200 students. In fact, its current 72.9% capacity level is the second lowest of all the Shelby schools. The second factor considered was classroom capacity. Pioneer’s present student-classroom ratio is 15.4 to 1—the lowest ratio found in any of the Shelby schools. In the analysis of student-teacher ratios, Pioneer was once again found to have the lowest ratio. The fourth indicator was the comparison of actual site size versus recommended site size. Pioneer’s site not only met the recommended site size but surpassed it with an 11.3 acre surplus. Lastly, the structural age of Pioneer was considered and found to be only seven years old, a factor which effectively eliminates any possible obsolescence problem at Pioneer for many years. These facts compiled with the anticipated population trends that were discussed previously indicate that this secondary school undoubtedly has the facilities capable of supporting future enrollment growth through the planning period.

Quality of Life Information from the 1968 General Plan

Recreation

Recreation, whether active or passive, is recognized as essential to the health and well-being of persons of every age. In addition, the presence of good recreation facilities in a community will help to encourage its continued growth and development, because people will have more and more leisure time and the desire to spend this time at various recreational activities. A community which can offer a wide variety of recreation areas will be more desirable as a place to settle than one without them. Therefore, recreation areas are an important part of the physical structure of any community. The provision of adequate recreational facilities is a vital consideration in the community plan and an important community responsibility.

A satisfactory recreation system must measure up to accepted standards in three respects: first, there must be sufficient land area set aside for recreation; second, the recreation areas must be properly distributed throughout the city; and third, there must be a variety of facilities to meet different recreational needs. There must be provision for both active and passive recreation as well as provision for all age groups.

Varieties of Recreation Types

Many types of recreation facilities are necessary to meet the needs of a modern community. In general terms, these facilities may be grouped under three headings:

Active play areas, both indoors and outdoors
Parks and passive recreation areas
Special facilities such as golf courses, hiking trails, view points, etc.

Active play areas include a wide range of facilities, from the play lot—a small area intended exclusively for preschool children—to the playfield—an extensive and complete athletic center with facilities for field and court games for all age groups. The indoor recreation center, located at a park or playfield, provides specialized facilities for hobby and craftwork, social meetings, dancing, dramatics, etc. It is a facility which plays an especially important role in providing for recreation needs of the aged.

Parks are designed primarily for quiet recreation and as a visual and emotional relief from the congestion of urban surroundings. Characterized by trees, lawns and flowers, the park may vary from a small triangular plot at a street intersection to a major regional reservation. Larger parks may include picnic areas, and in some case s, special recreation facilities such as a golf course, a lake, a swimming pool, etc.

Special recreational facilities tend to provide the city with a wider range of recreational facilities, thereby serving a greater number of the city’s inhabitants. A small lake may provide boating and fishing, a golf course could provide golfing in t he summer and sledding and skiing in the winter, depending upon the topography of the course.

Existing Recreation Facilities

There are three municipal park sin Shelby with a total of 29.7 acres of land. The largest, on the southeast side of town, is Seltzer Park with a site of 21.2 acres. Veterans Memorial Park on the west side of town has 5.6 acres of land; North Broadway Playground has 2.9 acres. According to accepted recreation standards there should be 96.5 acres of land devoted to recreation in the City in 1967. Even the addition of all public school recreation lands, 30.6 acres brings the total to only about 60 acres, still one-third less than the required amount.

A municipal swimming pool is provided at Seltzer Park. Tennis courts are located at Seltzer and Veterans Parks, children’s play facilities at Veterans Park and North Broadway Playground, various baseball diamonds at North Broadway and several semi-public facilities on the south side of town, and picnic facilities at Seltzer.

In addition to the public and semi-public recreation facilities in the planning area there are a swimming pool and an eighteen-hole golf course at the Shelby Country Club located just east of the planning area on 160 acres of land.

Within a short driving distance of Shelby, 15 to 30 miles, there are a number of man-made lakes in the Muskingum Conservancy District which are available for fishing, boating, swimming and camping. They are outside the planning area, but nevertheless are an asset to Shelby as a residential community.

Recreational Standards

Recreational standards are used as general guidelines for recreational needs in a community. However, in many cases, recreational requirements for a particular community can vary from the standard based on available land and topographical conditions. In the final analysis, each community must determine to what extent it wants to meet recreational needs and the amount of money it is willing to spend, taking into consideration the requirements for other city services.

Proposed Recreation Areas

The greatest need in Shelby today is for neighborhood and community parks. For playgrounds the population base used is the school district population since this is larger than the planning area and all these children make use of the school playgrounds. This is also the base used for playfields for the same reason. The base used for the neighborhood and community parks is the population of Shelby itself plus that of the built-up areas immediately adjacent to it in Sharon and Jackson Townships. These are as are part of Shelby even though they may not be within the corporate limits of the community.

Applying the standards to the school district population gives a total of 17.5 acres needed for playgrounds and playfields each in 1967. Based on the urban area population land requirements total 10.6 acres for neighborhood parks and 68.9 acres for community parks. The total land needed in 1967 is 114.5 acres, the total available is 60.3 acres, only about 50 percent of the land needed today. The lands needed in 20 years have been estimated at 26.2 acres each for playgrounds and playfields, 16 acres for neighborhood parks and 104 acres for community parks, a total of 172.4 acres as seen in Table 16.

Table 16

Existing and Proposed Recreation Facilities

For the Shelby Planning Area

	Population Base	Existing Acres 1967	Total Acres Needed 1987	Additional Acres Needed	Total Acres Proposed 1987
Playgrounds	School District	17.0	26.2	9.2	33.5
Playfields	School District	16.5	26.2	9.7	31.5
Neighborhood Parks	Shelby Urban Area	5.6	16.0	10.4	32.4
Community Parks	Shelby Urban Area	21.2	104.0	82.8	122.8
TOTALS		60.3	172.4	112.1	220.2

Source: Dalton-Dalton Associates Inc estimates

Proposed playgrounds are located at each of the six elementary schools and playfields at the high school and proposed junior high school. Neighborhood parks are proposed in conjunction with Auburn, Central and Whitney Schools and retained at Veteran’s Park. Parks are not proposed at Dowds School because of the location adjacent to the railroad industrial area to the west or at either the south or southeast schools because the character of these new neighborhoods is seen as relatively rural compared to Shelby proper.

Seltzer Park is retained as a community park, mainly because the swimming pool is located here. It is really too cut up with roads and too strung out to qualify as a proper community park. A 100-acre municipal park is proposed south of the City west of St. Rt. 61. This facility could be extensively developed for picnicking, play areas for all ages and types of games, boating, fishing, and swimming. It could be developed in conjunction with Sharon Township whose land requirements for re creation in 20 years has been estimated by the Richland County Regional Planning Commission at 46 acres.

A 300-acre regional park has been proposed on the northeast corner of the planning area on Black Fork Creek by the Richland County Regional Planning Commission in lieu of a large park for the City. However, Shelby needs some sort of good-sized recreation facility of its own in addition to access to regional parks which should be above and beyond the acreage called for in playfields, neighborhood parks, etc.

A 125-acre recreation and flood control reservoir has been proposed south of Shelby on Black Fork Creek. This will link up with the Municipal Park for recreational use in various water-oriented activities. Residential developments would be stimulated around this facility because of the desirability of lakeside lots.

City of Shelby Comprehensive Plan Report I—Existing Conditions

Prepared by Richland County Regional Planning Commission 1976

Land Use Categories

Existing Land Use

Land Use Type	Acreage		Percent of Developed Land		Percent of All Land
	Total	Item	Total	Item	Total	Item
PUBLIC & QUASI-PUBLIC	299.8		18.0%		11.5%
Public Parks & Recreation		40.4		2.4%		1.6%
Schools		111.9		6.7%		4.2%
Governmental		39.9		2.4%		1.5%
Utilities		72.8		4.4%		2.8%
Other Recreation		0.8		0.04%		0.03%
Other		34.0		2.0%		1.3%

Public & Quasi-Public

Shelby’s public and quasi-public land is compared to other nearby communities in the table below:

Community	Public & Quasi-Public % of developed area
Bellville	11.0%
Lexington	24.0%
Plymouth	11.3%
Average	15.4%
Shelby	18.0%

Community Facilities

PARKS & RECREATION

The opportunity for healthful recreation is essential to the members of every community. Not only should recreation facilities be provided in the modern community, but they must also be accessible to the population in order for their full value to be realized. It is apparent that public agencies should be responsible for furnishing such facilities and for providing the opportunity for persons of all ages to participate in programs and activities which make constructive use of their increasing leisure time. Many communities, in recognition of the need for recreation facilities have provided or planned public parks, playfield, and recreational buildings for their citizens.

This section of the Community Facilities Study will identify and evaluate the existing park and recreational facilities in the City of Shelby. A comparison will be made with established park and recreation standards, as well as location principles, to determine the adequacy of the existing facilities in terms of meeting the needs of Shelby’s future population.

Park and Recreation Standards

Playground—The playground is an area equipped specifically for constructive play for children ranging in age from five to fourteen years. The ideal location for a playground is close to the center of the residential neighborhood it services, and usually it is most desirable to locate it adjacent to an elementary school so that maximum use may be made of the combined facilities. Park and recreation standards recommend between 1.25 and 1.5 acres of playground for every 1,000 people in the city. Ideal site size for a playground is two to four acres serving a radius of 1/2 to 3/4 mile.

Neighborhood Park—The neighborhood park is an area conducive to passive recreations within easy walking distance of the nearby residential areas. This park features benches, walks, shade areas, and sometimes picnic tables. The neighborhood park can be developed as part of a playground or playfield, and is also desirable in non-residential areas as a place of rest for the shopper or worker. The ideal size for a neighborhood park is five to ten acres, again serving an area of 1/2 to 3/4 mile radius. Neighborhood park standards suggest two acres per thousand population.

Playfield—The playfield serves both young people and adults, providing a wider variety of facilities than the playground or neighborhood park. It often includes a separate playground for the use of younger children, and makes possible activities that require a larger amount of space than is available at the above two types of facilities. Frequently, a portion of the playfield is developed as an athletic field for organized sports such as football and baseball. Consequently, playfields are often found adjacent to schools. Since the playfield serves many purposes, it may be the active recreation center for several neighborhoods.

The playfield serves an area from 1 to 1.5 miles in radius. Communities should provide about 1.5 acres of playfield per thousand people with between 10 and 15 acres for each area.

Community Park—A community park is a facility which combines the passive recreation of a neighborhood park with the active recreation of a playfield. The community park may contain such facilities as tennis courts, picnic tables, a band shell, an outdoor swimming pool, and a parking area. In addition, the community park is often characterized by large landscaped areas. Community parks range in size from 40 to 100 acres with about 3.5 acres per thousand population , and serve an area with a radius of two miles.

Regional Park—A regional park is a large tract of land usually in its natural set ting serving an area up to 10 miles in radius. This type of park often includes a stream or small lake and provides such activities as camping, horseback riding, fishing, boating, golf, and nature areas. Site sizes for regional parks may be up to 500 to 1,000 acres with varying minimums.

Table 40

Park & Recreation Standards

Type of Area	Acres per 1,000 Pop.	Size of Site		Radius of Area Served	Site Facilities
		Ideal	Minimum
Playgrounds	1.25 – 1.5	4 acres	2 acres	0.5 miles	Apparatus areas; open playfields, court games
Neighborhood Parks	2.0	10 acres	5 acres	0.5 miles	Benches; picnic; play area
Playfields	1.5	15 acres	10 acres	1.5 miles	Court & fie ld games; parking and family areas
Community Parks	3.5	100 acres	40 acres	2.0 miles	Game areas; pool; picnic; trails
Regional Parks	15.0	500 to 1,000 acres	Varies	10.0 miles	Natural areas; camping

Source: Planning Design Criteria, De Chiara and Koppelman

Existing Facilities

The City of Shelby currently has about 81 acres of land devoted to park and recreation activities. Of this acreage, slightly over 40 acres comprise the City’s park system, while approximately 41 acres are useable recreation land adjacent to the City’s public schools. This total of 81 acres amounts to about 8 acres per 1,000 people with an estimated 1975 population of 10,500. Accepted park standards recommend 10 acres per 1,000 people, so this is only slightly below the ideal. However, with a forecasted population of 12,750 by 1990, the City would have to provide an additional 46 acres by that date.

The City park system is comprised of five parks, the Central School Park, and two ball field areas. Seltzer Park is the largest park in the City, located between Glenwood and Parkwood Drives in the southeastern portion of Shelby. Covering 21.2 acres, this park features picnicking, play equipment, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. According to park standards, Seltzer is a community-type park rather than a neighborhood park due to the facilities provided, although it is below community park standards in its acreage.

Veterans Park is the City’s second largest park, located on the west side of Shelby off West Park Drive. This park provides tennis courts, a baseball diamond, play equipment, and a picnic area on its 5.6 acres. Because of its size, Veterans Park would be considered a neighborhood park.

McBride Park is a small playfield covering 2.9 acres located off North Broadway below Flint Street. It features a ball diamond and playground equipment. A similar playfield is Waterworks Park, three-acres in size, on North Gamble Street. It also contains a ball field. Another small neighborhood park is located along South Street next to the New York Central tracks. This park includes a small playground and is 0.82 acres in size.

In addition to these five City parks, Shelby has a small downtown park located next to the fire station on 0.79 acres of land, containing a bandstand, benches, and some historical monuments. Other park areas include 3.4 acres on Vernon Road and 4.2 acres south of Earl Avenue along the New York Central tracks. Both of these have ball diamonds and are considered playfields.

The schools in Shelby provide an additional 41 acres of useable recreation land. The Senior High School on Smiley Avenue has about 23.5 acres that can be used for recreation. This includes six tennis courts, basketball courts, a ball diamond, a practice field and track, and a large open field.

The Junior High School has approximately 3.75 acres of playfields behind the school, while the four elementary schools contribute 12.5 acres of playfields. Also, at the elementary schools is a combined total of 1.5 acres of playgrounds.

The above acreage figures may not be compared with the park and recreation standards to determine what types of parks, if any, are needed in Shelby. Since Seltzer Park is the only community park, there are 21.2 total acres of community park in the City. Standards suggest 3.5 acres per 1,000 people, so with a 990 population of 12,750 the City should provide about 44.6 acres by that date. This would require an additional 23 acres of community park land.

Neighborhood parks would include Veterans Park, the City Square, and the South Street Park. These total 7.2 acres, while the standard of 1.5 acres per 1,000 people calls for 19 acres by 1990. Therefore, Shelby should provide 12 more acres by the target date.

With only 1.5 acres of school playground and a total of 1 acre of playground at the various parks, the city provides only 2.5 acres. This is far below the minimum standard of 1.25 acres per thousand population. Meeting the standard would require an extra 14.6 acres of playground by 1990. It is recommended that the City consider installing playground equipment at existing ball fields and at any future neighborhood parks, rather than building separate playground facilities to meet this need.

Since a large amount of acreage is available for playfields at the public schools, the city is already far above the recommended standard in this category. School playfields plus the ball diamonds in Shelby show a total of nearly 52 ac res, or more than 4 acres per 1,000 people by 1990. This compares favorably to the standard of 1.5 acres per 1,000 people.

From the above comparisons, it is readily apparent that Shelby’s park and recreation needs lie primarily in neighborhood parks and playgrounds. These types of parks not only provide nearby recreation opportunities for residents of a neighborhood, but if well planned and well maintained, add to the attractiveness and property values of the area.

A neighborhood type park is already planned for a six-acre area at the end of Long Street. Pak similar in size to this one should be considered in the vacant areas of the City to serve residential developments, especially in the northeastern and extreme southern parts. Also, the City should consider a second community park of about 20 acres in size.

City of Shelby Comprehensive Plan Report II—Development Plan

Prepared by Richland County Regional Planning Commission 1976

PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES

The objective of this section of the Community Facilities Plan is to determine the type, amount and location of recreational facilities that will be required to satisfy the needs of all age groups in the community by 1990. The purpose of the Park and Recreation Plan is to present guidelines for a well-balanced physical plan for recreation facilities throughout Shelby. The City’s Planning Commission and Council can implement this Plan through decisions on subdivisions, zoning, and acquisition of available recreation land.

The City of Shelby in 1990 will need about 46 additional acres of park and recreation land to meet the standard of ten acres per thousand population. Existing recreation acreage is 81 acres; therefore, a minimum of 127 acres should be devoted to recreational land use by 1990.

Community Parks

Based on site size and location standards presented in the first part of this Plan entitled “Existing Conditions Study”, the City of Shelby currently has only one community park, Seltzer Park, which covers 21.2 acres. The recommended standard calls for 3.5 acres of community park land per thousand people, which means the City should have approximately 44.6 acres allocated to community parks by 1990. This would require an additional 23.4 acres by that date to meet the standard.

There are several possible locations for a second community park. One area is the land south of Tucker Avenue on the west side of the Blackfork. Such a park could extend as far south as Mickey Road and would cover approximately 30 acres. This park could include both active and passive recreation. The area immediately north of Mickey Road would be suitable for playfields, while the remainder of the land could be left in its natural state and contain hiking trails and picnic facilities.

A second possible location for a community park is north of State Street along the Blackfork. This area consists of about 20 acres which should be used as a passive recreation park. This location is less desirable than the southern one because it is somewhat remote from the bulk of Shelby’s population. Furthermore, there is not as large an area which can be utilized for park purposes.

A third location for a community park would be in the western part of the city. The new six-acre neighborhood park could be expanded to 20 or 30 acres with playfields, picnic facilities, court games and playground facilities. This location for a community park would serve residential development in the western part of Shelby as Seltzer Park serves the eastern portion of the City.

Of these three possible locations for a second community park, the southern one is preferable to the other two, due to its size, natural features, and location relative to the residential development in the southern part of Shelby. It is recommended that this site be considered as alternatives should the first option not be feasible.

Neighborhood Parks

The Existing Conditions Report stated that Shelby has about 7.2 acres of neighborhood park land. This includes Veterans Park, the City Square and South Street Park. The standards for neighborhood parks suggest 1.5 acres per thousand population, or 19 acres by 1990. Therefore, the City should provide 12 more neighborhood park acres by that year.

The new West Side Neighborhood Park accounts for six of those 12 acres, meaning only six more acres need be provided. Ideal site size for a neighborhood park is 10 acres and a minimum of five acres should be allowed for any one park. Consequently, Shelby could build one more neighborhood park between 6 and 10 acres in size, or provide two five-acre parks to meet the recommended standards.

The neighborhood most in need of a park is the one south of Smiley, north of Main Street, and east of Broadway. The only recreational facility available to this neighborhood is Whitney Elementary School. A possible location for a neighborhood park is the vacant land to the northwest of the school. Facilities in a park here could include playfields, picnic tables, benches, and perhaps a shelter. Vacant land at this site within the City limits amounts to 4.4 acres, but up to 4.6 more acres adjacent to the school site could be annexed for such a park.

Another neighborhood needing this type of park is located north of Smiley Avenue and east of Broadway. Vacant land between Second and Third Streets could be utilized for such a park, amounting to approximately six acres. A third possible location for a neighborhood park is the neighborhood north of Smiley Avenue and just west of Gamble Street. Vacant land in the middle of this block amounts to about 2.4 acres.

Neighborhood parks in at least two of these locations will bring Shelby’s neighborhood park acreage above the recommended standard. In addition, this plan would provide neighborhood parks in most of Shelby’s neighborhoods.

Playfields and Playgrounds

In the Existing Conditions Report, it was pointed out that Shelby has approximately 52 acres of playfields, or more than 4 acres per 1,000 people by 1990. This exceeds the recommended 1.5 acres per thousand population for playfields. However, Shelby’s 1.5 acres of playgrounds fall far short of the desired 1.25 acres per 1,000. An additional 14 to 15 acres would be needed by 1990 to meet the standard.

This much playground acreage may be unattainable by 1990, so it is recommended that the City provide playground equipment at any new neighborhood or community parks, and that the schools be encouraged to expand playgrounds wherever possible. This plan would not reach the goal of 14 acres, but would at least reduce the deficit.

The plan for parks and recreation recommended above would increase Shelby’s present park acreage by a minimum of 37 acres, from 81 acres to 119 acres. Opting for the larger community park in the southern part of Shelby would provide an additional 10 acres bringing the total to 129 acres. The standard of 10 acres of park and recreation land per thousand populations calls for 127.5 acres by 1990, so the second total of 129 acres compares most favorably with this standard.

It is further recommended that the City of Shelby utilize grants which are made available through the Ohio Department of Natural resources by the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. Such grants may provide up to 50% of the costs of land acquisition and development for park facilities.

In consideration of its long-range needs, the City of Shelby should also concern itself with recreational activities and facilities for the teen-age residents. This is an important segment of the population in planning for Shelby’s future. Adequate recreational facilities for this age group can help contribute to the growth process of the younger population as well as attracting families with school-age children to the City.

The proposed new YMCA building in the vicinity of the High School is an important step towards this goal. Such a facility will be easily accessible to the High School students, and recreation programs should be designed to meet the needs of these students.

The City might also consider a second facility geared entirely toward the junior high school pupil. This age group has very limited recreational opportunities outside of those connected with the school or church. Since the YMCA will be remote from the present Junior High School, it is recommended that the City provide an indoor recreation center in the proximity of the downtown area. This location not only is convenient to the Junior High School, but also would be centrally located to Shelby’s population.

Recreational opportunities also should be increased for the senior citizens of Shelby. This group of people is less mobile than others in the community, and therefore has more limited access to recreational facilities and parks. The present YMCA serves as a meeting place for the Golden Age Group in Shelby. However, this building has little potential for future use. A new facility in the downtown area could be devoted entirely to serving senior citizens, while the new YMCA could serve senior citizens in the northern part of the City. An alternative to this plan would be to develop programs in cooperation with the Shelby School System to use their buildings.

Table 15

Park & Recreation Improvement Projects

Type of Facility	Location	Acreage	Action Recommended
Shelby Community Park	South of Tucker Avenue to Mickey Rd	30 acres	Acquire land by 1985; develop by 1990
West Side Neighborhood Park	North end of Long Street	6 acres	Complete development already started
Neighborhood Park	South of East Smiley at the end of Clark Avenue and Sixth St.	4.4 acres	Acquire land by 1978; begin construction 1980
Neighborhood Park	North of East Smiley between Second and Third Streets	6 acres	Acquire land by 1980; begin construction 1981
Neighborhood Park	North of West Smiley; west of Gamble St.	2.4 acres	Acquire land by 1985; begin construction 1987
Playgrounds	At existing schools and new parks	--	Expand existing playgrounds and construct new ones at neighborhood parks.

Aid for Parks and Open Space

Grants are available from the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for the development of park facilities. Investigation should be made of utilizing this source for the development of the Shelby Park System.

Quality of Life Information from the 1968 General Plan

Library

Marvin Memorial Library is the third oldest building in the City of Shelby. It is located on the northwest corner of Gamble and Whitney adjacent to the Central Business District. It has about 29,500 volumes—an increase of 5,000 in two y ears and an estimated annual circulation in 1967 of 74,430 volumes. The taxing district of the Library is the Shelby City School District. This is also the area served by the facility. There is no school delivery of books as all the schools are within the service area of the Library. The original portion of the building is in need of repair and the facilities are crowded both in the building and on the site which has parking space for fewer than a dozen cars.

Standards

The American Library Association has explained that small, independent libraries can never provide adequate library service, because the tax base and the population served are too limited. They recommend that units be planned to serve 100,000 in population, realizing that the tax base will then be more realistic for the provision of good service. They also set the need for the support of such a system at $3.00 per capita ($300,000 annually for support of a good library serving 100,000 people). They note that one well-selected book should be purchased each year for every five persons in the community served.

Some additional standards are as follows:

Service radius—1 to 2 miles
Population needed to support the facility—15,000 to 20,000
Minimum book stock requirements—20,000 volumes
Land requirements—one acre including grounds
Location—near urban center and major traffic artery

Proposals

The library’s central location is very good to serve the community. The majority of the future growth area falls within the two-mile service area as does all of the existing urban development. The location on Gamble near Main Street adjacent to the urban center is good. One physical lack of the library is land. The Plan proposes the acquisition of land adjacent to the library site, enlarging the grounds to at least one acre. Eventually the original portion of the building should be torn down, assuming it is obsolete, and replaced by a new building for the juvenile and reference divisions. More off-street parking should be provided on the expanded site. As new elementary schools are built further away from the City center, beyond walking distance from the Library, a bookmobile system may have to be initiated in order to serve these children.

City of Shelby Comprehensive Plan Report I—Existing Conditions

Prepared by Richland County Regional Planning Commission 1976

Land Use Categories

Existing Land Use

Land Use Type	Acreage		Percent of Developed Land		Percent of All Land
	Total	Item	Total	Item	Total	Item
PUBLIC & QUASI-PUBLIC	299.8		18.0%		11.5%
Public Parks & Recreation		40.4		2.4%		1.6%
Schools		111.9		6.7%		4.2%
Governmental		39.9		2.4%		1.5%
Utilities		72.8		4.4%		2.8%
Other Recreation		0.8		0.04%		0.03%
Other		34.0		2.0%		1.3%

Public & Quasi-Public

Shelby’s public and quasi-public land is compared to other nearby communities in the table below:

Community	Public & Quasi-Public % of developed area
Bellville	11.0%
Lexington	24.0%
Plymouth	11.3%
Average	15.4%
Shelby	18.0%

Community Facilities

LIBRARY

The Shelby Public Library is the Marvin Memorial Library located at 29 West Whitney on the northwest corner of North Gamble and West Whitney. It is comprised of an old two-story frame house and a new brick wing added on in 1963. The older portion of the building is in fair to poor condition.

The useable floor area of the library is approximately 7,232 square feet. There is seating room for 80 people in an area of about 6,500 square feet. In 1974, the library had 47,710 volumes available, with a circulation of 91,229. Of this total, adult circulation was 55,965 and juvenile circulation was 35,264. The number of volumes increased by 3,389 over the 1972 count of 45,321. Circulation, however, was down 4,033 from the 1972 total of 95,262.

Parking available for the library includes five spaces on the street and six spaces on the library property. Of these six spaces, the staff usually requires at least four.

Funding for the library is through intangible taxes. A small memorial fund is available for books in the fields of business and technology. Also, the library shares in a federal grant to the Central Ohio Interlibrary Network, a library network involving eight counties.

Current plans for the library by the board are for replacement of the old frame building, but the land area available will limit the size of the new building. Short and long-range needs of the library are varied. According to library personnel, the existing building is crowded and needs more space. Additional land would be desirable, especially with the parking problem. In addition, should the Ohio State Legislature abolish the intangible tax, a new basis for library support would have to be provided.

Libraries are vital to the educational and cultural growth of any community. Consequently, the location and size of a library should meet certain standards based on the population and physical characteristics of the city. Five locational factors are important in library planning. The small city’s library should:

Be easily accessible
Preferably be on a main thoroughfare
Be located in a sub-shopping area
Be conducive to parking (although this is not so important as to justify an otherwise undesirable location
Allow a minimum of 20 years expansion of service to accommodate future community growth.

The Shelby Library is easily accessible due to its centralized location. Standards suggest a service radius of between one and two miles. It is within one mile of most areas of the City. The library is also on a main thoroughfare and just outside the central business district. Marvin Memorial Library is not conducive to parking, however, since most of the off-street spaces are taken by the staff. Expansion of the library is also difficult as mentioned previously.

Library standards also suggest 2.5 volumes per capita in cities of 10,000 to 35,000 people. Shelby’s 48,710 volumes certainly exceed the standard at the present time. Even with a 1990 population of 12,750 the standard would be easily complied with. Accepted square footage for library space is 1/2 square foot per capita, meaning Shelby needs 6,375 square feet of space by 1990. The present square footage of 7,232 meets the standard.

In addition to facility standards, it is suggested that libraries provide one off-street parking space for each 500 feet of floor area. This would require 14 off-street spaces, or an additional eight spaces.

Since the location and size of the library meet recommended standards, it is suggested the older building be replaced with one better utilizing available space, and that if possible, additional off-street parking be provided.

City of Shelby Comprehensive Plan Report II—Development Plan

Prepared by Richland County Regional Planning Commission 1976

LIBRARY

Marvin Memorial Library, located at 29 West Whitney is comprised of an old two-story frame house and a new brick wing added in 1963. The older portion of this building is in fair to poor condition. Current plans are for replacing this older part with a new structure. However, land area available will limit the size of the new building.

The Shelby Library is easily accessible due to its central location in the City. It is also within one mile of most parts of Shelby and standards call for a service radius of 1 to 2 miles. The Library is on a main thoroughfare which makes this site a most desirable location.

According to library size standards, the Library’s current square footage is adequate. However, the building’s condition is not suitable for library use into the 1990’s. A new library should be built on the current site to replace the older portion of this building.

In addition, more off-street parking must be provided for the facility. Only two non-staff spaces are available for users of the library. The purchase of one adjacent property, or a construction plan different from the present facility, could provide needed additional space.