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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 01/26/2005Call Meeting to Order: Jessica MacMillen called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. Agenda Review: No changes. Items of Note: None. Citizen Participation: None. Approval of Minutes: On a motion by Mary Carlson, seconded by Ann Hunt, the Board voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the December 8, 2004 meeting. W elcome/Introductions Jessica welcomed the new Board members, Cathy Kipp and Walt Peeples. Cathy and Walt spoke briefly about themselves and why they were interested in being on the Board. Each of the Board members then introduced themselves, and shared why they were initially interested in being on the Board. Spring Canyon Community Park Design Update Craig Foreman gave the Board an update on Spring Canyon Community Park. Currently the design team is working on the individual hub areas; making adjustments to Spring Creek; and reducing the 100-year flood plain. Using the current map of Spring Canyon Community Park, Craig showed the Board where they were making adjustments to the land along Spring Creek in order for it to run successfully through the west side of the park. He also reviewed the areas of the park that have been in the floodplain, and explained that they have now created a channel along the creek and pond, to contain the water. Craig added that the channel successfully condenses the flood plain, so currently, no structures within the park fall within the 100-year flood area. They felt this process was a success. Craig handed out design maps specific to each hub area; the playground, the ballfields, the shelters and the maintenance shop area. The maps reflect the components in each area; i.e., sidewalks, structures, swings, etc., and how they will fit functionally into each hub area. He reviewed each map with the Board and explained that each hub area has been designed with the Parks and Recreation Board Minutes January 26, 2005 Page 2 flood plain in mind. Craig added that this is the phase where they finalize the contours of the land in each specific area because once they start the earthwork, they don't want to have to go back and make adjustments because of the expense and the complications involved. In March, Craig will show the Board another view of the park that will reflect the land contours and water layout. He said they would then go through the Administrative Hearing for the park. Ann asked how much fill dirt they bring in to create the contours and how they calculate the amount of fill needed. Craig responded that storm water had 100,000 yards of fill they are pulling from the pond at Overland and Prospect and the pond on Taft Hill, so he will start with that fill first. They will reevaluate at that time to see how much remaining dirt will be needed. He then explained his calculations for determining the needed fill volume. Craig added that it is always better to have more fill dirt than less because it is easy to use an excess of 10-20 thousand yards of dirt. Mary commented that the earthmovers currently at the site are driving carelessly. Craig said he would pass the information on to storm water, and added that all of the safety fencing and fabric is in place, and that the earthmovers should be finished in another week or so. Mary also asked if he had heard anything from Streets about changing the intersection of Drake and Overland. Craig said it is in the development plans to work with Transportation on changing Overland Trail, south of Drake, from its current arterial status. Craig clarified that changing the status of this section south of Drake would affect the intersection at Drake. He will keep the Board updated. Jon asked what the result was of the discussion City Council had regarding the distance of the walking path from Spring Creek. Craig said they would be moving the trail approximately 30-40 feet from the creek, but still within the buffer zone. Marty explained that if you have a natural feature like a stream, there is a buffer zone that protects the feature from intrusion, but trails are allowed in the buffer zone. He added that David Roy (council member) wanted clarification of the ordinance so they showed him the code section, and he asked that the trail be moved to the edge of the buffer. Craig added that from a trail use perspective it would still be attractive and functional. Jessica asked if Craig has heard from SWAN. Craig said all of the information regarding the park is updated on the City's web site; and that they have not had any contact from SWAN regarding that information. Greg asked Craig to explain what an Administrative Hearing is. Craig explained that each park has to go through a Developmental Review process and part of that is the Administrative Hearing. A staff person will write a letter to the neighbors of the park informing them of a hearing. This hearing only addresses concerns related to compliance with the development code. The City will then provide information regarding those complaints to the Planning Director, who presides over the hearing, and he will make a final decision regarding the violation. Decisions can be appealed to City Council. Craig then highlighted the points of interest on each of the hub areas: Playground area — Area will include handicapped sidewalks and swings, a shelter, family restrooms, geography wall, misting water jets, ice skating area (open area that can be flooded to skate on during cold months), and sand area. Olander Elementary will let the City place a sidewalk and gate up to their property. Marty reviewed why the playground is called Shane's Parks and Recreation Board Minutes January 26, 2005 Page 3 Inspiration and that if the money is available, it will be a fully accessible playground so children with or without disabilities can play side by side. He added that All Children Together (ACT) did not get the GOCO grant that they hoped for, so they are trying to fund raise for the rest of the needed money. They will have another opportunity to apply for the GOCO grant this year. The playground will have an Indian theme to highlight the Arapaho Indian legend surrounding Horsetooth Rock. A plaque will be placed at the playground highlighting the legend. Mark recommended having more sand in the area, so the kids have more sand area that they can actually run through. He also recommended mixing the adult swings and the children swings so parents can swing with their children. Craig said they would take those recommendations into consideration. Mary asked if Olander Elementary is helping with the trail that leads to the school. Craig explained that the school will be building the trail section that is on school property, and the school will be putting in the gate giving classes access the park. He added that what the school was asking for fits the needs of the park, so they will not be asking them for money. There was a brief discussion about the maintenance expenses of an ice skating area, and whether we would be setting up an expectation for it when we might not be able to afford the maintenance of it each year. Ballfield area — Craig reviewed the layout of the structures in this area; ballfields, roller hockey, tennis courts, restrooms, and shelters. He explained that ballfields usually dominate the area they are built in, but that they are planning on highlighting the picnic areas instead, so users will feel that it is not only a ballfield area, but a nice area in which to spend time. Ann asked if the tennis courts were like the ones at Fossil Creek; Craig confirmed they were. Mark asked how they resolved the outfield fencing. Craig said that they would have fencing, but that they are still discussing fencing options. They are considering a black vinyl coated fence to give the area a more subdued look. Jessica asked if there would be a backboard available at the tennis courts, and fencing to separates the courts. Craig confirmed the tennis courts would have both. Jessica asked about the elevation of the ballfields. Craig said they would be lower, in a canyon type area, so they would blend in better with the rest of the park. Shelter/Basketball area — Area will include a parking lot, lighted basketball courts, the main shelter, sand volleyball, horseshoe pits, and a water feature. Craig explained that this area has a nice view of the park, so they are planning a nice transition from the shelter area out to the soccer area, with lots of native grasses and green areas. Jessica asked if they would be using tall grasses. Craig said they would because they want to create an area that attracts wildlife, and at the same time provide an area for kids to play in. Jessica wondered if the area would have handicapped access ramps. Craig confirmed it would. Greg asked about a water feature. Craig said the creek itself would be the water feature. He added that in wet years, they would put water in the creek. Jessica asked about the final opening date. Craig said it is slated for 2007 at this time. Maintenance building — Craig reviewed the placement of the maintenance building, the architecture of the building, and the retaining wall that will be built to separate the area from Pineridge Natural area. Craig said the building design would look like an old workstation or quarry building. Dean asked if there was good access for the fire department and emergency vehicles to get in. Craig confirmed that there was ample access, but that they would be meeting with the fire department to review the plans with them. Parks and Recreation Board Minutes January 26, 2005 Page 4 Update on Possible Budget Reductions if Grocery Tax is Repealed Marty presented the Board with handouts showing four different scenarios of budget cuts that the Budget Finance Committee had requested. Their request was in preparation for the potential repeal of the Sales and Use Tax on food that will be voted on in April. Marty reviewed the background of the repeal for the new Board members, and explained how it will affect the City's general fund by $6 million dollars. The Budget Finance Committee is made up of three members of City Council. They will take a recommendation to the entire Council on February 1st. Council will then take a position on the repeal at the same meeting. Marty explained that any of the scenarios presented would be devastating, as the General Fund budget has already been cut by over $6 million dollars over the past three years because of the general economy. He added that Council has been directing the money that is coming in toward police and fire, so to add another $6 million dollars on top of these previous cuts will have quite an impact. Marty then reviewed several items in the four scenarios, and explained how he came up with the $2 million reduction in CLRS. He had asked each manager in CLRS that receives general fund money to come up with a percentage of the $2 million according to the percentage they receive from the general fund. This broke down to about $700,000 from Park Maintenance, $464,000 from Recreation, a similar amount from the Library, and approximately $150,000 from Cultural Services (Lincoln Center and Museum). In order to hit the target in Recreation Marty chose the YAC to close because the City does not own the facility, and the rental payment is $285,000 a year. He said he could meet the entire target for Recreation by closing the YAC, eliminating the one position associated with the YAC, and eliminate the other frozen positions in Recreation. Another option was closing the Mulberry Pool and laying off 4 staff members. Jessica asked how we could close the YAC after just building the new gym and Mary said she felt the YAC was untouchable. Marty responded that with these types of cuts, nothing is untouchable. Mary asked if the public could still use Gateway Mountain Park if it is closed. Marty responded that the park would not be accessible if it closes. Mark asked if we would be able to break the lease on the YAC. Marty said there is a provision in the contract. Marty reminded everyone that these scenarios were an exercise at this time unless the public approves the repeal in April. Jessica stated that she feels citizens need to know about the potential of what could happen if the repeal goes through. Mark asked which part of the four scenarios was alarmist and how much of it was real. Marty responded that none of it was alarmist. He said that he appreciated what Mark was asking, but he wanted Mark to understand how hard it has been to cut this kind of money out of each of the departments. Marty went on to explain how much actual work it takes to maintain the parks system and the recreation programs, and how hard it was to sit down and tell employees whose position would be cut that they would not have jobs if this goes through. He added that this kind of money can not be made up by closing off drinking fountains, and he was not willing to make Parks shoulder the entire cut, as Parks has already shouldered a large portion of the $1.6 million already cut from CLRS. Marty felt strongly that each area needed to contribute toward the cuts. Marty also said that closing the restrooms in neighborhood parks and decreasing the maintenance on trails are the kinds of things that need to be done to make the cuts. Marty also mentioned that closing the YAC was not alarmist because there was a big inflator coming up in a few years. Marty finished by stating that they were not making these cuts for the wrong reasons. Jessica stated that it did not matter where they take the cuts, as we are going to lose a lot of services that will impact the community any way you look at it. She added that you can not nickel and dime this Parks and Recreation Board Minutes January 26, 2005 Page 5 kind of money out of a budget ... it has to come out in chunks. Marty added that when we are up against police and fire, we lose. Jessica asked Marty to reiterate what the Board can and cannot do in response to these projections. Marty thought this was a good question because of the severe penalties if one of them were to violate the Campaign Finance Act. He explained that as Board members they cannot use City resources or their position as a Board member to influence people to vote for or against it. The principal behind that policy is that they can not use taxpayer resources to influence someone on how to vote. He added that the Board can, on their own time, do what they want with their own resources. Jessica asked if they could use the information in a letter to the editor, and Marty responded that they could because the information is public, as long as they wrote it as a citizen and not as a Board member. The Board discussed whether they could make a recommendation to Council, and they determined it was an option. Jessica suggested making a motion to send a recommendation to Council. Marty said he would verify that it is legal for them to make a recommendation, and will then report back to the Board. (NOTE: Marty checked with the legal staff and determined the Board may make recommendations to Council on issues related to the repeal question.) He did add that a new council would actually be making the cuts if it got to that point. Marty added that it would probably be in the paper quite a bit, and factual information would be on the City's web page. Jessica suggested again making a motion to draft a letter to City Council stating the Board's position in opposition to the proposed tax repeal. This resulted in further discussion about the Board's response. Jessica recommended going forward with the motion after Marty determines if it is legal, Mary seconded the motion and all Board members agreed. Review and Approval of 2004 Annual Report The Board had received the report in their monthly packet, so Jessica asked if everyone had a chance to review it; all Board members affirmed that they did. Greg moved to approve the 2004 Annual Report and Mark seconded the motion. All Board members were in favor. Project Updates Craig Foreman presented the project updates Fossil Creek Trail will cross 287 at the stoplight just south of Harmony Road. Because it will go under the state highway, CDOT will be involved. Craig is hoping this project will go out to bid this summer. On the west side, the Mason Corridor trail will come down and tie into the Fossil Creek trail at the underpass. The Power trail from Horsetooth to Harmony will run almost to Harmony Road, but there is a ditch in the last %4 mile, so a connection will be made into Golden Meadow Park. Craig said they are working with Transportation to bring some sidewalks into the area to meet the trail. They cannot currently cross Harmony because it is also a state highway, so they will be working with CDOT on that piece as well. They will also eventually work through the issue with the ditch for that last'/4 mile to Harmony. Craig said they are hoping to get this project out to bid in February; the trail section should go in next summer, and the sidewalk connection in the fall. Parks and Recreation Board Minutes January 26, 2005 Page 6 Poudre River trail is bid out and the contractors are ready to take out the asphalt trail sections from Shields Street to Taft Hill Road, and from Link n' Green to Mulberry Street. They will be replacing the asphalt with concrete. They will begin the work as soon as the weather is nice. It will likely be completed before May. Craig said the Poudre River replacement work came from Natural Resources money so it will help move the project up in the schedule. Spring Creek Trail at Prospect and Timberline. Engineering and Stormwater will be doing some improvements on Timberline Road and Prospect Road, so there will be some improvements on the trail involved in that project. A new underpass will be put in, some sections of asphalt trail will be replaced with concrete, and it may improve the trail access to the underpass. This project will be started in the spring and may go through the winter. Northside Cleanup Project. Work continues on the Poudre River behind the Northside Aztlan Center. They are currently four days behind schedule. They are planning to be out of river by April 1st and out of site by April 15th. Oak Street Plaza will have an open house for the downtown business people in late February. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) will be holding the opening. The design has been modified a bit from what the Board previously saw; it will not be so abstract or comical. Craig will be bringing it back to the Board once they have the update finished. Buckingham Park — The restroom at this park is very old and not ADA accessible so they will be working on replacing it throughout this summer and fall. They will be using Lifecycle and Parks Planning money. Rossborough Park - They are beginning to work on the restroom design. Cathy asked if they would be building a restroom at Golden Meadows Park. Craig said that it will eventually be built, and hopefully with money from the 2006/2007 budget. Mark asked if all the restrooms have changing tables in them. Craig said all new bathrooms have them, and they are retrofitting the old restrooms if they can get it in without interfering with 5' wheelchair radius. Jessica asked about the status of the Paragon Point trail. Craig said it is at Council right now, and Council will be deciding when they want to discuss it. Mark asked Craig if Park Planning ever clarified the signs on the Poudre Trail where it goes over Lemay by Riverside. Craig said he would look at it, and make a plan to take care of it. Cathy asked if she could get a map of the proposed projects. Craig said he would make one up. Marty mentioned that he toured the Northside work site yesterday, and thought it was amazing. There is a 27-foot trench in the bottom of the river that is 3-4' wide that goes down into the bedrock. He said the project was going along well, and that they were hoping to be out in early April. The City is in the process of putting together a proposal to hire an architect or an architect building team to begin the design of the new recreation center. He said they would be meeting with the Northside staff and the Recreation staff to talk about the public outreach process. They currently have $10 million dollars to replace the Northside Center from the past Capital Campaign for Building Community Choices. He added he was concerned about getting enough Parks and Recreation Board Minutes January 26, 2005 Page 7 money to operate it, but they have to build it because the voters approved it. He added that the City is discussing using a design/build contractor, so if they can get a good team the architect and the builder will work together from the beginning. They have found that there are fewer problems to correct when the architect and builder work together from the start. Marty is putting in a caveat that if they do not get a good team; they will go back to a design, bid, build format. Selection of Officers Process Marty let the Board know that they will be going through the process again to select a Chair and Vice Chair. Jessica is the Chair, and Greg is the Vice Chair for 2004. He reminded everyone that there is always room for a new process, and that there does not always need to be new people each year. Marty asked the Board to contact him in the next month and let him know if they would like to be considered for either position, or if they would like to nominate someone else on the Board for a position. Marty will then bring those nominations to the next meeting. He added that they could also nominate someone at the next meeting as well, and that the Board would then take a vote at that meeting. No Board members mentioned that they would like to change the process at this time. Marty gave out his phone number for anyone interested in the positions. Selection of Trails Subcommittee Representative Marty explained that Lance and Dean have been the Board's representatives on the Trail subcommittee, but since Lance is no longer on the Board they will need to find a new representative. Craig added that the committee is important because we have so many trails that go through Natural Areas. The meetings are held the third Tuesday each month at noon. Jon said that he has been going to the meetings so he would like to continue as the representative. Marty stated that they did not need a formal nomination, and all Board members agreed that Jon would be the new representative. Board Input on Development Proposals Marty said he wanted to talk to the Board regarding a decision City Council just made regarding Development Proposals. It was passed on the second reading at Council's last meeting and is in effect now. He explained that the Natural Resources Advisory Board and the Air Quality Board had an interest in being more involved in the Development Review process. In the past, only the Planning and Zoning Board was involved. Their desire was to develop a way for the Boards to have a more formal avenue in order to be involved in the review process of proposals associated with their specific areas. It was highly contested, and the building community was against any further complication of the process. Staff recommendation was to not change anything. In the end, City Council decided to let all City Boards be involved if they were interested. However, each Board has a limited jurisdiction and those limits are laid out clearly in the City Code, so they can not weigh in on issues that are outside their specific areas. Jessica stated that the Development Review process continues to get more and more bogged down and she feels it becomes a discouragement for businesses wanting to come to Fort Collins. It gives businesses another reason to go further south to Loveland. Mark asked how the Development process worked. Marty explained the process. Marty also said that Council was concerned about reviewing proposals on staff time because the City is short on resources, so they said that staff Parks and Recreation Board Minutes January 26, 2005 Page 8 liaisons and staff time does not have to be devoted to informing Boards about what is happening with developmental proposals. The City is going to try to develop an electronic mail system so when new proposals come in they can send out a list of proposals to the Board Chairs or Board members. If they sent them to the Chairs, Jessica would then have the responsibility to send them on to the other Board members. He added that the Board could decide how they want to do it, but to remember that the idea is for it to have minimal impact on staff time. Ann suggested forming a sub committee to keep an eye out for them. Marty mentioned that Craig reviews all of the proposals regularly, so he could let the Board know if any come up of interest. There were no further comments. Other business None Board Member and Staff Comments None Correspondence None Adjournment: The Board unanimously agreed to adjourn at 7:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kelly Moore Administrative Support Supervisor Board Attendance Board Members: Mary Carlson, Dean Hoag, Ann Hunt, Cathy Kipp, Mark Lueker, Jessica MacMillan, Gregg Miller, Walt Peeples, Jon Sinclair Staff: Kathleen Benedict, Craig Foreman, Marty Heffernan, Kelly Moore Guests: None