If you want to know what the public wants, then ask the public.

That was the motive behind Cranberry’s open meeting last week to discuss its Recreation and Open Spaces plan with the community

The plan is being funded in part through a $125,000 joint grant the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded to the township and to Butler County.

Township manager Jerry Andree said Cranberry would receive a little more than half of the total grant money for the plan, which will take a look at the future of the Cranberry’s parks, recreation facilities and programming.

Supervisor Vice-Chairman Mike Manipole said about 50 people eager to share their vision for the township’s recreational resources attended last week’s meeting.

“They had a great deal of enthusiasm toward making this program effective and making it something that stands alone,” he said.

One of the most popular topics was the completion of Cranberry’s trails and pathways, Manipole said.

In the fall, the township mailed a postcard to all residents encouraging them to participate in an online survey about Cranberry's parks and recreation programs. John Trant, Cranberry’s chief strategic planning officer, shared the results of the survey with officials at Thursday’s board of supervisors meeting.

Trant said 96 percent of the respondents said public recreation is somewhat or very important to their household. About 87 percent of the respondents said they currently utilize Cranberry’s parks or recreational facilities. About half of the respondents said they currently use the township municipal center’s gym and other recreational programs.

On the flip side, the survey showed adults and teens as being underserved by the park facilities. Completing the missing links in the township’s current bike and pedestrian network also should be a top priority, the survey showed.

Here are some other findings from the survey.

• Trails and the water park are used most often
• Implementing missing links with the bike and pedestrian network should be a top priority.
• Upgrading the existing parks would best meet the recreational needs of households.
• Adults and teens are underserved by the park facilities.
• Community Park, North Boundary Park and Graham Park are used often and equally.
• Sports programs and summer recreation programs are the most popular programming offerings

We want to know what you think. What parks and recreational activities would you like to see in Cranberry? Answer our Patch Poll or leave your suggestions in the comment section.