HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/08/2004 - Regular Minutes - Parks Board (4) Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, June 8, 2004, 7:00 •pm.
The EXIT Teen Center
1520 Rock Prairie Road
College Station, Texas
Staff Present: Steve Beachy, Director of Parks and Recreation;
Peter Vanecek, Senior Parks Planner; Curtis Bingham, Parks Operations
Superintendent; Peter Lamont, Recreation Superintendents; Pamela Springfield,
Staff Assistant.
Board Members Present: John Nichols, Chairman; Glenn Schroeder; Don Allison;
Larry Farnsworth; Jodi Warner; Glen Davis; Gary Erwin, Alternate.
Board Members Absent: All members were present.
Guests: Billy Hart, President - College Station Soccer Club; Todd Callaway BCS
Soccer; Stephen Hollas - Aggieland Soccer Club; David Anderson, Board Member
- College Station Soccer Club; Jane Denoux - Aggieland Soccer Club; Charles
Edelmon, President - Woodland Hills Homeowner's Association; Frank Thurmond,
Woodland Hills, Ltd.; James Massey, Councilman Place 1; John Nielsen-Gammon
and Amy Stuart, Texas A&M University.
1. Call to order. John Nichols called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. Pardon N Possible action concerning requests for absences of
members. There had been no requests for absence submitted.
3. Hear Visitors. Hearing none this item was closed.
4. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of minutes from the
regular meeting of May 11, 2004. Jodi W. moved to approve the minutes
from the May meeting and Glen D. seconded. Hearing no opposition, the
motion carried unanimously.
5. Discussion, consideration, and possible action regarding soccer field
lights. Todd Callaway - BCSSL, Billy Hart - CSSC, and Stephen Hollas -
ASC presented the Board with a letter (attached) which clarifed their priority
needs and asked for help from the City in achieving their goal for more lighted
practice fields. The letter also explained that the three clubs were working on
a joint U.S. Soccer Federation grant to obtain funding in order to install lights
for the Central Park fields and for additional lit fields at Veterans Park and
Athletic Complex.
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Regular Meeting of June 8, 2004 Approved July 20, 2004
Discussion followed regarding the city's lighting specifications and associated
costs, field usage by the various leagues, balancing and prioritizing the needs
and requests for lit soccer fields with the need for neighborhood park
development, and funding issues.
Glenn S. made a motion that the Board recommend to Council that seven
soccer fields be lit, with the priority being three fields at Central Park and the
secondary priority being four fields at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex, for
a total of seven fields. Don A. seconded. Glenn amended the motion to add
that the Board was in support of any grant funding or donations of qualified
materials. The vote was called. All were in favor of the motion as stated and
hearing no opposition, the motion passed unanimously.
6. Presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding a
Neighborhood Park in Zone 9 (Woodland Hills). Charles Edelmon,
President of the Woodland Hills Homeowner's Association, and Frank
Thurmond of Woodland Hills, Ltd., were present to request moving the
development of this park along, as there was no other park in this subdivision
and residents had to cross Greens Prairie Road in order to get to Pebble Creek
Park. There were 111 lots in Woodland Hills, but it was likely that there would
not be any future residential development in the area to generate additional
Park Land Dedication funds. Approximately three acres of the 13.9 acres was
dedicated park land, with the remaining acreage being a greenway. A survey
of the homeowners in 2003 had indicated that their priorities were nature
trails, a picnic area, and a playground. The final cost to develop the park
would not be known until the design process was underway; however, scaling
back the amenities that might go into the park was a consideration due to the
low number of residents the park would serve.
After further discussion, Jodi moved that Woodland Hills Park be presented as
a park under consideration for development during the joint meeting with
Council, with the budget to be determined pending public input. Larry F.
seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried unanimously.
7. Discussion, consideration, and possible action regarding a joint
meeting with the City Council to discuss lights for soccer fields and
neighborhood parks. Discussion and recommendations having been made
in previous agenda items regarding some of the issues that would be
considered during the June 10th meeting with Council, the Board deliberated
on the priority of development and funding issues for four neighborhood parks
(Steeplechase, University Park, Woodland Hills, and Eastgate). There were
concerns about spending money to develop Eastgate Park which was not a
typical park, when there were specific needs in other areas.
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Glen D. made a motion to present to Council the development of four parks
with Steeplechase Park as priority #1, University Park as priority #2,
Woodland Hills Park as priority #3, and Eastgate Park as priority #4; and,
requesting the amount of $1.1 million subject to final cost estimates, deleting
the park land dedication funds as the supplements to the cost estimate. Gary
E. seconded the motion. After discussion about why University Park was the
second priority, the vote was called, voted on, and carried 6-1.
8. Discussion, consideration, and possible action regarding an Air Quality
Monitoring Station at Lick Creek Park. Dr. Amy Stuart and Dr. John
Nielsen-Gammon were in attendance to present a proposal for installation of a
state and federally-funded Environmental Research and Monitoring Station in
Lick Creek Park. Dr. Nielsen-Gammon gave a brief presentation to explain its
purpose, use, specifications, and site location (see attached). No monetary
support from the City of College Station would be required. This was being
done as part of a major state-wide air quality study being done in
collaboration with three universities. The contract with the city would be
reviewed again in 2006, so it was possible that the tower could become a
permanent fixture in the park.
It was recommended that coordination be done with some of the other
departments at TAMU to see if the study tied in with other research being
done in the park. Glenn S. made a motion to approve the installation of the
station at Lick Creek Park and Gary E. seconded. The motion was voted on
and carried unanimously.
9. Discussion, consideration, and possible action regarding lights for the
Road Runner Track in Jack & Dorothy Miller Park. Peter Vanecek
presented a proposed site plan for lighting the track with eleven lights, spread
out at 150' intervals around the track. The cost estimate for the lights,
engineering fees, and installation was approximately $50,000.
Glen D. made a motion that the lights be installed at the Jack & Dorothy Miller
Park track as soon as possible, and that it be done in coordination with school
being out for the summer. Don A. seconded the motion. The motion was
voted on, and carried unanimously.
10. Report, discussion, and possible action concerning the Capital
Improvement Program.
• FY 2005 Community Development Budget Recommendation ' Spray
Park: The development of a spray park in Tarrow Park, which had been
included in the W.A. Tarrow Park Master Plan but not in the recent bid
process, would be funded through Community Development Block Grant
money and included in their FY 2005 budget process. This would be a great
addition to the park that would go in between the gymnasium and the new
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pavilion. Jodi W. made a motion to approve the development of the spray
park and Glen D. seconded. All were in favor, and the motion passed
unanimously.
■ November 2003 Bond Election Projects fw Set meeting and confirm
membership of VPAC Subcommittee: John N., Glen D., and Larry F.
agreed to continue to serve on the subcommittee until new members were
appointed to the Board. Gary E. also agreed to serve.
11. Review, discussion, and possible action concerning Board and
Department Goals and Objectives, and City Council Strategic Plan.
Hearing none this item was closed.
12. Discussion of calendar, future meeting dates, and possible agenda
items.
■ Regular Meeting July 13, 2004: Due to the Citizen Advisory Board
Orientation meeting scheduled for July 13th, the next regular meeting of the
Parks Advisory Board was moved to Tuesday, July 20, 2004.
■ Possible July Agenda items:
- Discussion regarding status of girl's fastpitch softball tournaments
- Report on status of signage at the Arboretum
13. Adjourn. A motion was made to adjourn and seconded. Hearing no
opposition, the meeting adjourned at 10:05 p.m.
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Regular Meeting of June 8, 2004 Approved July 20, 2004