The city’s waterfront spots are the favorite of the more than 200 residents who responded to a city survey.

The results were unveiled Thursday night at an open house at St. Hubert Catholic Church put on by the Langley Parks & Open Space Committee.

The committee sent out 800 inquiries in its survey, and 202 were returned.

Topping the list of favorite parks and open spaces are Cascade Walkway, Boy and Dog Park, Seawall Park and the Langley Marina and its Phil Simon Park.

Least favorite are Cedars Tract 100, Generation Park, the fields at Langley Middle School and the Langley-Woodmen Cemetery.

As for outdoor interests, those surveyed prefer walking trails and beaches, scenic overlooks and interpretive signs.

They least prefer large multi-use parks, P-patch gardens, playgrounds, indoor activity areas and beach swimming.

About 20 people attended the open house, taking a self-guided tour through stations set up to explain various issues pertaining to the city’s parks and open space development.

City officials and committee members were on hand to answer questions.

The parks and open space committee has been working for nearly a year to come up with proposals to update those components of the city’s evolving comprehensive plan.

The city hopes to incorporate the committee’s work into the comp plan by the end of this year. Current committee members are Leah Green, Cary Peterson, Nancy Rowan and Dave Schmidt.

The city’s goal is to preserve 25 percent of its land as parks and open space. Half of that is already in place in the form of critical areas — steep slopes, wetlands and wildlife habitats.

To reach its 25-percent goal, city officials say they need to set aside about 51 additional acres of open space within the city limits, and about 130 acres within its urban growth area.

Officials envision a system of “green blobs and belts” of open space ringing the city. The green belts, made as wide as possible, would connect larger parks and open areas. On a map it would resemble a beaded necklace.

Officials are exploring ways to acquire property, including funds raised through grants, impact fees, a property-tax levy, land trades and donations.

For example, they already have nearly 11 acres of privately-owned dedicated open space created through the formation of subdivisions.

Conservation easements and working with other public agencies and organizations might also be a way to accumulate open space.

“We wanted this to be interactive to, let people form their own connections,” city planner Fred Evander said of the open house. “People hear other people presenting all the time. We wanted to switch it up.”

“We live in an interesting place,” he added. “We hope to develop a parks and open-space plan that reflects that.”

Langley resident Mark Wahl was impressed by the presentation.

“It’s nice to see that people have done their homework,” he said. “They’ve clearly thought it through.”

Wahl said he would probably hear about it if the planning were going awry, “and I’m not getting those signals.”

“It’s a plan,” said longtime resident Joyce Fossek, who owns nearby farmland that’s considered one of Langley’s more popular vistas.

But she said that generally speaking, the desire for open space must be balanced with the needs of a growing population.

“The world’s a finite place,” she continued. “As long as people keep making more people, we’re going to have to find more space for them.”

The Langley Parks & Open Space Committee meets the second Monday of each month from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at city hall on Second Street.