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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 02/25/2004PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD Minutes Of Regular Meeting February 25, 2004 215 North Mason Community Room 5:30 p.m. W Council Liaison: Bill Bertschy Staff Liaison: Marty Heffernan224-6064�� President: Jessica MacMillan Phone: 495-1270(work) 407-8896 (home) Call Meeting to Order: President Jessica MacMillan called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Agenda Review: No changes to the printed Agenda Citizen Participation: None Approval of Minutes: On a motion by Lance Freeman, seconded by Dean Hoag, the Board voted unanimously (7-0) to approve the minutes of the January 28, 2004 meeting. 3-Wall Outdoor Handball Courts A group of local handball players made a presentation to the Board. Representing the group, Dennis Madden and Ken Kerchenfaut gave a background on their interest in handball. Dennis said that he is the handball director for Fort Collins Club and Northern Colorado. Ken said their interest is to promote this life-long sport for youth. Ken then introduced Terry Net, who said handball has been a big part of his life. He explained that "Yes 2 Kids" (Y2K) is a proposal for 3-wall handball courts in Fort Collins. The group would like to partner with Parks and Recreation in this endeavor. He made a power point presentation to the Board as follows: He gave a history of handball and said that it originated in Ireland. In the United States, the sport propagated in YMCA's and Fire Departments, followed by development of private health clubs, which limited access of youth to courts and exposure to the sport —few youth are now interested in the sport. It can be played on 1-3-or 4 walls. He showed slides of what a 3-wall handball court would look like in Fort Collins at Southwest Community Park and/or Northside Aztlan Community Center. Goals • To convince the City to develop a 3-wall handball facility in Fort Collins • Provide youth access to a sport that is inexpensive • Provides an alternative outdoor sport for all of the Fort Collins Community • Promotes physical fitness and sportsmanship Parks and Recreation Board Minutes February 25, 2004 Page 2 • Identify sites for 3-wall handball courts at Southwest Community Park or Northside Aztlan Community Center • Would like to partner with national Y2K campaign • USHA Y2K development program that provides instructional programs to kids and provide free equipment to play (balls gloves and eye guards) • Fort Collins Handball Association is willing to provide free lessons to kids and organize local tournaments for youth Facilities • They would like to see four courts at each sites (Northside Aztlan Community Center and Southwest Community Park) • Estimated construction cost for 4 courts would be $100,000 to $150,000 based on estimates they have received from local contractors Advantaees to the Community • This provides an alternative outdoor activity that is popular national sport for all youth • Provides a site to host tournaments with potential to increase revenue to Fort Collins • State tournaments attract 80 players • National Tournament could attract 400 players plus families for 7days to Fort Collins • Boulder has 4 courts and Colorado Springs has 4. The Club's Passion • Involve youth in the oldest sport played with a ball • Provide interaction between youth and community leaders • Provides a sport that can lead to a lifetime of physical and mental fitness Mary Carlson asked if the 4-wall handball courts at Rolland Moore are still existing. Marty said they are in good shape, however they are 4-wall. Terry said that there isn't much space to retro fit these courts. They would like to have more visible courts. That is why they would prefer the courts at Northside or Southwest or both. This facility would take 80 x 80 feet of space. Greg Miller asked how many kids in Fort Collins play handball? Terry said minimal. It would be a new sport introduced to the youth. There's plenty of indoor facilities at health clubs, however many youth can't afford to belong to health clubs. Del Price said we are usually responding to demands from the kids. He asked why are you so interested in getting youth involved? Terry said that he has been a member of the Club since it opened and never sees kids playing handball and you have to be a member to play. Ken said that he went to Northside and put up a sign up list for kids asking if they were interested and there are many kids at Northside who would be interested. Jessica asked if the courts at Rolland Moore are highly used. Dennis said that they are used in the summer. Lance asked what chances are for matching funds? The group said there is a possibility and the Y2K provides grants to help promote this for youth. Nationally they gave $31,000 last year. J Parks and Recreation Board Minutes February 25, 2004 Page 3 Craig added that at Rolland Moore we didn't have a top on the courts originally and the neighbors asked that we put tops on because the noise was so loud. Jessica MacMillan feels that Northside is a good location. Lance said the proposal has some merit but will they be used? The national trend is down with racquetball and handball. Inner Cities might be a good place to put them. Lance thinks we need to do a lot of research to see if the youth really want it. There are only 70 adults in the community that play handball. Mary said that the trend went from handball to racquetball and then paddleball and she doesn't know if you build will they come? Dean Hoag said we could think about building a set of courts at Northside and see if it flies and then go from there. Marty said it is a difficult sport and we don't have a funding source. Lance said colleges are replacing theirs with spinning bikes, climbing walls, or a Yoga studio. Ann Hunt suggested they start it at one of the clubs in town and see if it promotes an interest. Capital Improvement Program Recommendation Last month Marty distributed copies of capital project sheets for Parks and Recreation unfunded or partially funded projects. He asked the Board last month to prioritize their top projects and they would be discussed this evening. The Board has been asked by City Manager John Fischbach for their priority list. Ann asked if it is more appropriate to fund the ones that are unfunded or partially funded. Ann said that ultimately the public will vote on the projects that are appealing to them. Marty explained that the list was generated from all the projects we would like funded for the next 10 years. These recommendations will go to the City Manager and City Council. Marty further explained that it is likely that there will be only one '/4 cent sales tax for all City Capital needs because one 1/4 cent is going to open space and one to street maintenance. One 1/4 cent generates about $5.5 million a year. Lance asked if it would be more advantageous to go for one big one or several small ones. Marty said that if the Council doesn't support an additional '/4 cent sales tax that our chances of funding a large project are slim. Dean asked about the partnering with some of these regional projects. Marty said that unless we have a partnership in place, we can't ask voters for money. Lance suggested listing the one -quarter cent projects and then a list for the additional one -quarter cent. The Board asked what projects were priorities to the Parks and Recreation staff? Marty responded that the Parks and Recreation Lead Team agreed on the following as their top priorities: 1. Implementing the City Park Management Plan 2. Second phase of Gateway Park 3. Recreation Center at Fossil Creek Community Park 4. Develop an irrigation pond at Lee Martinez Park. Del said that City Park should be preserved as the first park in the community and it is the park in the center of the City and it should be held to a high standard. Lance added that the improvements made last year have been tremendous and the traffic in the core area of the park needs to be removed. The Board unanimously agreed that City Park is their number one choice. Parks and Recreation Board Minutes February 25, 2004 Page 4 Greg said we need to maintain the community parks in the City. Community park improvement plan was one suggestion and the Board members agreed with that. Jessica asked what percentage of the '/4 cent would come back to Parks and Recreation. Marty said last time we received approximately 25 percent of the funding. Lance feels that Gateway should be a separate park and not considered in the community park improvements. He said it's hard to justify spending money on a mountain park when we have the in -city parks to consider. The Board talked about the maintenance facility needs for Parks. Marty explained that the maintenance facilities are included in the impact fees for the new community parks, but not for the existing parks. There was much discussion on the expansion of the maintenance facility and if it should be added to the community park improvements. Marty asked if we package the community parks as the Board's top priority is it for the first %4 cent tax? The Board said yes. Del said he would like to see City Park stay as the top priority. After much discussion, the Board unanimously agreed that Community Park Improvements was their top project for a one 1/4 cent package. Gateway Mountain Park improvements would go in the second '/4 cent sales tax or 4th on the first'/4 cent sales tax. Lance said we should discuss Eastside Neighborhood Park, adjacent to Albertson's and US West on Riverside and Lemay. The cost of the project is $600,000 for additional land acquisition. However, we don't have a willing seller at this time. The Board decided against this as a recommendation. Greg said he recommends focusing on neighborhood park improvement projects. He would support that for $864,000. The Board voted unanimously to support this and to include enhancements to Old Fort Collins Heritage Park adjacent to Northside Aztlan Community Center. First priority is community park improvements, followed by neighborhood park improvements including ADA accessibility improvements, including upgrading the restrooms. Lance asked about partnerships with Streets to improve the entrances to the City. Marty explained that Streets maintains the roads and we maintain the streetscapes. Greg agreed with Lance saying that the impact of entryway beautification package would be important. Marty said that making the entries alike could identify entries to the City from the north, south and east. Del suggested improvements to the entry way at the north side of the city. All the other entries don't have much merit with him. Lance agreed with Del. Jessica asked between the Senior Center and the Fossil Creek Community Park Recreation Center which one would be the top priority? The Board spoke of the Recreation Center as a need for the community. Marty said that our deficit is in recreation center facilities. Mary said that she has a problem with all the new development and amenities going to the southeast side of town and not maintaining the needs of the north end and central Fort Collins. She said the senior center expansion would be a priority for her. Lance said we have such a deficit of recreation centers in Fort Collins and wherever there is land in a community park, we should build a recreation center. He said presently the kids are playing basketball at CSU for lack of recreation facilities. Dean said that he likes the idea that we have a Senior Center and it should remain a Senior Center and any other recreation center be constructed elsewhere, i.e. Fossil Creek Community Park. Consensus was to build a recreation center at Fossil Creek Community Park. Parks and Recreation Board Minutes February 25, 2004 Page 5 This is the 3'd priority on the first one -quarter cent and the first priority on the second '/4 cent sales tax. The Board then discussed the sports complex and decided it would be a good regional project but more planning and discussion with neighboring communities is needed. Also northeast community park could be a good place for a sports complex when that is constructed. Marty then recapped the Board's priority as such for the first 1/4 cent sales tax. 1. Community Park Improvements 2. Neighborhood Park Improvements 3. Recreation Center at Fossil Creek 4. Gateway Mountain Park Second Phase If Council decides to ask the voters for a new 1/4 cent sales tax then the priorities would be as follows: 1. Recreation Center at Fossil Creek 2. Community Park Improvements 3. Neighborhood Park Improvements 4. Gateway Mountain Park — Second Phase Northside Aztlan Community Center Marty explained that the reports from the EPA don't look favorable for an early resolution to the ground contamination. There's more extensive contamination than had been anticipated. The contamination has seeped through the bedrock and into the riverbed. They drilled down 20 feet and still found contamination and they are now exploring the contamination downstream. EPA said that their recommendation is to continue testing and drilling. We really don't know at this point where this will go. Del asked if the contamination goes as far west as Lee Martinez Park? Marty replied that the contamination does not go as far west as Lee Martinez. Dean asked what is our timeframe? Marty said we will know more mid -summer. Dean said is there any point in looking at alternative sites. Marty said we did discuss Lee Martinez Park and because there isn't as much room we would have to stack the facility. There are some design constraints, however, it may be feasible. New Belgium Brewery owns land east of the brewery to Lemay Avenue. He asked if the Board would be interested in that site? Del said there is an advantage of having it downtown. Del said the best alternative location is Lee Martinez Park. Marty said that he, Craig, and Jean Helburg will take a look at Lee Martinez Park. Rolland Moore Manaeement Plan Referring to Exhibit D, Craig explained the management plan. He said that Rolland Moore was built for programmed sports. Staff has prioritized the renovation of the park as follows: 1. Section C —develop a passive area and make it more attractive. 2. Ballfields—lights upgraded. Parks and Recreation Board Minutes February 25, 2004 Page 6 3. Basketball courts -originally these were joint parking and basketball courts. These courts have a lot of activity. We would add lights and carve in a few more courts. 4. Spring Creek Improvements —not much of an amenity as it stands now. We would plant more vegetation and improve the creek through the park by widening it and making it more accessible to wildlife. 5. Sidewalks —improve sidewalks to core area and back to the tennis courts. 6. Spring Creek Trail —funded with Lottery money we would continue our plan of conversion to concrete and improve the trail by adding another section through the park. 7. Improve Section F for more passive recreation 8. Construct an East Parking Lot of 20-30 more spaces 9. Work on improvements to the sand volleyball courts 10. Improve horseshoe courts 11. Restroom—addition possibly by basketball courts. Craig asked the Board if there's any additions or comments to this plan? Ann questioned the sports zone. Does the basketball rank higher because of the need? Craig said yes. Del asked if the basketball courts get heavy use during the summer? Craig said yes. Election of Officers Marty said that annually in March we elect Board officers. To date we have had two recommendations. Jessica MacMillan for President and Greg Miller for Vice -President. With no further nominations, the Board unanimously (7-0) elected Jessica MacMillan for President and Greg Miller for Vice President. Project Updates Craig showed slides of Poudre Trail construction west of Taft Hill. He explained that the bridges will be set in late March. The project is $800,000 and Natural Resources is contributing $300,000, and GOCO funding. This will be approximately 400 feet of bridge. Other Business • Lance said that he is the chair of the Trails sub -committee that will meet the 3rd Tuesday of the month. • Lance asked about the Paragon Point Trail and where we stand with that. Craig said that we have been authorized to continue with the trail staying where it is. 0 Jackie said that the March meeting will be held at City Park Nine Golf Course. . Parks and Recreation Board Minutes February 25, 2004 Page 7 Adjournment: On a motion by Greg Miller, seconded by Lance Freeman, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 9:00 p.m. Respectful--su6k� tsmi ed, ( ackie Rael Executive Administrative Assistant Meetine Attendance Board Members: Mary Carlson, Lance Freeman, Dean Hoag, Ann Hunt, Jessica MacMillan, Greg Miller, and Del Price Staff: Craig Foreman, Marty Heffernan, and Jackie Rael Guests: Pam David, Ken Kerchenfaut, Ken Patterson, Dennis Madden, Joe Temple, Sherrie Temple, and Byron Winn