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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 06/28/2017Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 22, 2017 Page 1 of 6 BE A GOOD STEWARD: Protect & Respect your Parks, Trails & Recreation Facilities Call Meeting to Order: Scott Sinn called the meeting to order at 5:34 PM Agenda Review & Items of Note: BAC Report added to the agenda Citizen Participation: None Approval of Minutes: Ragan Adams made the motion to approve the Parks & Recreation Board Minutes of May 24, 2017. Seconded by Jessica MacMillan Passed 7:0 Meeting Summary  Staff presented with an update on the 2017 Fossil Creek Natural Areas Management Plan. New overarching goals have been developed for all sites aimed at conservation, access, recreation, education, volunteer opportunities & exploring community agriculture. Input was solicited from the public on future management and proposed plans.  Staff did an assessment which involved other City departments for safety recommendations at Northside Aztlan Community Center. The recommendation is that only the front door nearest to the front desk will be unlocked for public access. All other doors are available to exit, but not for entrance. The target date is July 24th, after outreach and education. PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES Regular Meeting Wednesday, June 28, 2017 5:30 PM Board Chair: Scott Sinn – 2017 scott.sinn@ymail.com Council Liaison: Ken Summers - ksummers@fcgov.com Staff Liaisons: Mike Calhoon, 970-416-2079 – mcalhoon@fcgov.com Kurt Friesen, 970-221-6618 – kfriesen@fcgov.com Bob Adams, 970-221-6354 – badams@fcgov.com Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 22, 2017 Page 2 of 6 Full Minutes AGENDA ITEMS: 2017 Fossil Creek Natural Areas Management Plan Update - Karen Manci  Developed new overarching Goals for all sites for conservation, access, recreation, education, volunteer opportunities & exploring community agriculture. Solicited input from the public on future management. o Cathy Fromme Prairie – 1,122 acres, 1993-2017 - Proposing a new trail connection wrapping around the landfill to Coyote Ridge. Working through a list of pros & cons and providing the public an opportunity to comment. Public comments have been in favor of the trail. o Hazaleus – 186 acres, 1999 - Asked for public comment on buck & rail fencing used around natural areas. Citizen feedback supported removal to save money, 60-70% of those that provided feedback. o Colina Mariposa – 192, 1998-2000 - Parking proposed near Colina Mariposa for connection to Long View trail for both Hazaleus & Mariposa Natural Areas. No concerns from the public about the future parking lot 91-98% in support. o Redtail Grove – 51 acres, 1996 – 2010 - Proposing Natural Experience zoned area for off-trail education use geared toward children. Public comments provided suggestions toward bike recreation & child recreation, as well as fossil interpretation. o Two Creeks – 30 acres, 1999 - Proposing Natural Experience encouraged due to the suburban population in the area. Public comments were only 40-50% in support of rezoning this area to Natural Experience (off-trail use allowed) out of fear that it would encourage youth to leave the trail in Resource Protection areas. o Prairie Dog Meadow, 84 acres, 1994-2003 - Proposing a walkway along Skyway Drive. Public asked if they would support keeping a small prairie dog colony on the land, despite it not being the best environment for them. 75-80% supported. o Pelican Marsh – 156 acres, 2002 - Public asked for ideas as to what they would like to see for education & volunteer opportunities at Pelican Marsh. Most comments wanted wildlife watching, bird watching, more interpretive signs & plant education. o Fossil Creek Wetlands – 229 acres, 1995 - Proposed parking, footbridge & spur trail to the archeological site. Proposed parking would be off Trilby to prevent impact to the rest of the natural area. Public asked if they would support organized trips (not the general public) to the archeological site. 60-70% supported the organized tour only to protect the site. o Fossil Creek Reservoir – 1,438 acres, 1998-2017 - Proposed a trail connection to Sandpiper Trail to Carpenter Road trail. Larimer County is supportive. Will have to be gated so no dogs or bikes can use the Sandpiper Trail. o Eagle View – 90 acres, 2002 - Proposed trail & parking lot through Natural Experience with off-trail use allowed. With a closed area buffering to Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area. Public 87-89% supported proposed zoning. Enhance for pollinators & Colorado Front Trang Trail o Flores el Sol – 152 acres, 2016 - Proposed site for parking lot, picnic shelter & future community agriculture (with another trail for access once planned.) o Public supported the proposed community agriculture and pollinator enhancement. o Soaring Vista – 113 acres, 2015 – Looking into options for community agriculture & enhancement for pollinators. Trail proposed, with maintenance building already on-site and neighborhood access, & a parking lot. 95-96% of the public comments supported the plans for this site. Discussion Board – Was the idea of allowing community agriculture in Natural Areas proposed before? Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 22, 2017 Page 3 of 6 Staff – Yes, it was in the Master Plan and the recent ballot language. It is allowed and is of high interest. Board – Is this the only land you’ve bought for this use? These two areas? Staff – Yes. These are the only two that we specifically purchased for community agriculture so far. Board – Do you think you’re going to have lots? Staff – We’re not sure yet. We’ll have to develop partnerships and make plans. Board – Has Poudre Community Co-op been involved? Who is in charge? Staff – Not to me directly. Daylen Figgs. He currently handles the grazing on our properties & has a lot of knowledge of agriculture. We’d like to make it a community endeavor. Board – What’s the meaning of “Flores del Sol”? Staff – It’s Spanish for “Flowers of the Sun.” Not sunflower. There is another word for that. Board – How do you prioritize those parcels of land & recent purchases? They seem oddly positioned. Staff – They’re both in the corridor from Fort Collins to Loveland to help try and keep that community separator. Both properties came up for sale around the same time, and we had been looking for a site specifically for community agriculture. We have been targeting properties close to Fort Collins, more local. We have some great Regional Natural Areas, but we would like to concentrate on local. Board – Do you have other properties targeted for purchase? Staff – Yes, we do have an interest in some properties. We’re looking a lot more to the North & North East since we don’t have as many properties there and it’s being developed. Some areas just don’t have too much available. Board – Good! I would like to encourage you to do that. We need to protect what we can before it’s acquired for development and especially to add a buffer for North Fort Collins & South Wellington. Staff – We have worked some conservation easements in those areas, but no purchases. Board – So you have surveys planned for those new sites? Staff – Yes. We’d love to compare the differences to after our conservation efforts. Board – How deep is the Fossil Creek Reservoir? Does it have a large fish population? Who may know? Staff – I’m not sure. It’s probably pretty deep. And I would imagine there are a lot of fish based on the bird populations around the area. I can look that up for you and see what I find out! STAFF UPDATES: Parks  Forestry is still busy from cleanup from the storm. 4-5th worst in the last 20 years. A lot of free mulch will be available in the future  Rolland Moore Park sand volleyball opened.  Edora Concession under construction. Completion in October Discussion Board – Do we know when the mulch will be available? Staff – It’s being ground at the streets sight. It should be done in the next 4-5 days. There will be a news release when it’s available. It’s a Lemay & Vine. Access if off Lemay. Recreation  Northside Aztlan Community Center Security - Northside did a security audit, similar to the Senior Center’s (see memo.) We’ve had several issues at Northside in recent months. The recommendation is that only the front door nearest to the front desk will be unlocked for public access. All other doors are available to exit, but not for entrance. It may not be the most convenient, but it is for the safety of staff and patrons. The walking distance itself isn’t impacted, but the distance walked in the weather is the only impact. The target date is July 24th, after Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 22, 2017 Page 4 of 6 outreach and education. Our incident reports have skyrocketed due to transient populations & drug use on the premises. Ragan Adams made a motion to support the Safety Security & Risk Management Plan at Northside Aztlan Community Center. Bruce Henderson seconded, Passed 7:0  Reduced Fee Revamp Plan – Staff would like to come in to present proposed changes and survey results with Reduced Fee Program participants in July.  Club Tico Renovations - New restrooms, catering kitchen, storage & deck renovations are completed. Storage is already full.  City Park Train - We were approached by the Lions Club to contribute an additional $100,000 to the $350,000 we have for the City Park Train project. There will be a float in the Independence Day Parade with the old train to encourage donations toward the project.  Independence Day Parade starts at 10 AM  EPIC Pool Renovations – EPIC Therapy Pool renovations will begin in the next month or so. We will also be doing the tile replacement on the pool deck & the locker rooms. There will also be ADA improvements made to the facility. Discussion Board – Have there been incidents lately down that hall way at Northside? Staff – Yes, there have been incidents. Board – How much have the rental rates changed at Club Tico following the reservations? Staff – Fees have not increased. We had some staff negotiating rental prices, but we are trying to make it consistent across all recreation going forward. We have created a new non-profit rate. We’re also working to work with and educate groups that had gotten inconsistent pricing in the past. Board – Are you refurbishing the old train or getting a new train? Staff – Due to a recommendation by a trained specialist, it would cost more money to repair the existing train than to buy a new one. This is the same gentleman that worked on the Tiny Town & Loveland train. Board – Have you noticed the construction going on at the CSU Track & Field facility? There will be a 6-foot fence installed around the track after the improvements are completed (October) due to transient incidents. Park Planning  GOCO Inspire Grant - The City is preparing to submit a proposal for the second phase of a GOCO grant to connect kids with nature, as part of the GOCO “Inspire” initiative. The City has been coordinating with PSD towards the potential donation of a large parcel of property from PSD to the City, located adjacent to Lincoln Middle School. As envisioned by citizen participants, the park site will include naturalistic features such as a bike course, a new trail, and other features, many present on the site today. If awarded, Park Planning would provide a portion or all of the matching funds as required by the grant.  Cyclocross Pilot Project - Park Planning and Parks are considering a pilot project for a Cyclecross course at a neighborhood park, as requested by local Cyclocross advocates. Several existing parks will be under consideration for the pilot, including Rossborough Park.  Poudre River Downtown Project - A key donor has recently withdrawn their funding for the project. The City is planning to approach the donor with new information regarding the benefits the project will bring, and request them to reconsider funding the project. At the same time, the team is working with the Contractor to develop a cost estimate and establish project priorities.  Twin Silo Park - Progress has been made on construction of the play barn, shade structures, and “back porch” deck. “Glow stones,” which capture sunlight by day and glow at night, have been installed in the sidewalks by the Creek Play area. Concrete flatwork will be finished in the next couple of weeks. There has been a delay in Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 22, 2017 Page 5 of 6 seeding and the manufacturing of the playground equipment, which will likely delay the grand opening by several weeks, still planned to take place this fall.  Avery Park - Construction of the restroom remodel has begun, and shelter construction is nearing completion. Irrigation improvements are expected to be completed soon. Once the irrigation is complete, sod and plantings will be installed. A celebration is being planned to take place August 3, 4-6 pm to recognize all the work completed for the Avery Park neighborhood, including park improvements.  Crescent Park (formerly Maple Hill Park) - Photos of the Crescent Park groundbreaking can be found on the Park Planning and Development webpage at http://www.fcgov.com/parkplanning/maple-hill.php/. Construction of Crescent Park is anticipated to begin early July, and be completed this fall.  Fossil Creek Trail – Shields to College - Property negotiations with Fossil Creek Drive landowners continue while the trail alignment undergoes redesign to incorporate landowner concerns. Floodplain modeling activities continue and are now contingent on the final bridge design. The construction schedule remains on target for a fall 2017 start and a spring/summer 2018 completion.  Front Range Trail - Construction of the Front Range Trail has begun, and the trail is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2017. This is a joint project with the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County and the City of Loveland. Discussion Board – Would the city or a separate contractor help to take care of the Cyclocross courses? BAC – That’s some of the consideration for the project. We did not discuss ongoing maintenance but discussed impacts. These are just plans for a pilot program. Board – Will it be as large as the site in Boulder? Staff – No, must smaller scale. This is more of a training area than a course. Board – Who backed out of the Poudre River project? Staff – Blue Ocean. They pulled their $750,000 contribution. They seemed to think it was more of an event venue or competition venue, even though we had not presented it that way. They kayak group had reached out to them initially and connected us with them. They may not have understood what the project was about. We’re going back to present to them to see if we may be able to convince them. Board – What is the projected completion date for the Front Range Trail? Staff – Fall of this year is the projected completion date. Board – Why did we change the name of Maple Hill Park to Crescent Park? Staff – We’ve made it a policy not to name parks after neighborhoods, so they don’t take “ownership” of the park. The neighborhood park serves more than A neighborhood. Board – Was there a closure of the pickleball courts at City Park? Staff – Yes, due to noise complaints from neighbors and measured the decibel levels that exceeded the levels allowed by city ordinance. Two courts were closed. It was a pilot program. We are going to try some sound blankets on the fencing to try and limit the sound. Board – When are the pickleball courts available? Staff – The courts are open during park hours. They can be used until 11 PM a night. Board – Was it due to the robberies that Avery Park was selected for a revamp? Staff – It wasn’t the reason, but it did draw more attention and effort toward the projects. Schedule of Articles  Winter due September 8th, Published in October o Possible topics: Twin Silo opening, Club Tico renovations, Recreation Trail, Historical Memorials, Swimming indoor/outdoor, sustainability, volunteerism, gardens, community gathering places, etc o Dawn will write with Jason’s help on Club Tico. BAC Report  Today was the 30th year of Bike to Work Day Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 22, 2017 Page 6 of 6  3rd year of Open Streets on June 4th Another in September  The committee is researching previous policy decisions and discussions for the electric-assist bicycle white paper to give to Council for policy purposes & discussion. Bullet Points  Natural Areas Management Plan Update  Safety plan at NACC Adjournment: 7:37 PM Respectfully submitted, Coleen Elliott Board Attendance Board Members: Ragan Adams, Rob Cagen, Bruce Henderson, Jessica MacMillan, Scott Sinn, Kelly Smith, Dawn Theis Staff: Tim Buchanan, Bob Adams, Karen Manci, Jason Chaddock, Coleen Elliott Guest: