After years of discussion, Sammamish has approved a long-term Parks, Recreation and Operations plan.

On Monday, the City Council unanimously voted to give the go-ahead to the detailed plan that acts as a rough draft for Sammamish’s park development goals through 2018.

“I think while we’re thanking the staff and the commission, we should also be thanking the citizens for their input on the PRO plan over the last several years,” councilman Don Gerend said.

The PRO plan provides an updated inventory of changes over the last six years, looks to the public to project future needs and prioritizes upcoming projects through a Capital Improvement Plan that must be adopted by the City Council. The CIP looks at the approximate $1.5 million a year the city receives a year to spend on parks — money it obtains from real estate excise taxes and fees from developers.

Sammamish, which started PRO plan discussions in 2010, was working under a plan adopted in 2004. The new plan means the city complies with the Growth Management Act and is eligible for state grants. PRO plans must be updated every six years for cities to maintain that status.

Parks commissioners applauded the approval of the plan Monday, noting they support the council’s desire to maintain urban forests, keep the much-talked about community aquatics center in the forefront, investigate the feasibility of a field house and focus on trail connectivity.

“Our parks system is one of the reasons this community is attractive as it is to people on the outside coming in,” Mayor Tom Odell said. “It’s also one of the reasons our property values are as high as they are.”

More information on the PRO plan can be found on the city’s website.