HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/09/2001 - Regular Minutes - Parks Board CITY OF COLLEGE STATION
PA S AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOA
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, October 9, 2001
Parks and Recreation Conference Room
1000 Krenek Tap Road
College Station, Texas 77840
7:00 pm.
Staff Present: Steve Beachy, Director of Parks and Recreation; Eric Ploeger, Assistant Director;
Pete Vanecek, Senior Park Planner; David Wood, Park Planner; Jane Kee, City Planner; Jessica
Jirnmerson, Staff Planner; Judy Downs, Greenways Coordinator; Kris Lehde, Staff Assistant.
Board Members Present: John Nichols, Chairman; Larry Farnsworth; Glen Davis; Don Allison;
Glenn Schroeder; Laura Wood(Alternate).
Board Members Absent: Bill Davis; Jon Turton.
Guests:
Randy French, Developer
Wallace Phillips,Developer
David Scott, President of the Brazos Greenways Council
Visitors:
Debbie Hammon, P.O. Box 5206, Bryan,Texas 77805
Kourtney Rogers, 2910 Normand, College Station,Texas 77845
Aaron Melsohls, 1105 Hawk Tree Drive, College Station,Texas 77845
Kari Klafkin,4924 Spearman Drive, College Station,Texas 77845
Elizabeth Caldbrese, 117 Holleman Drive, College Station,Texas 77840
Buty Bows, 117 Holleman Drive, College Station,Texas 77840
Jaimie Hachett, Southwest Parkway, College Station,Texas 77840
Justin Smith, 401 Anderson#12 N., College Station,Texas 77840
Jennifer Bishop, 1800 Holleman, #608, College Station, Texas 77840
Christy Moug, 401 University Oaks, #1305, College Station,Texas 77840
Ashley Griffin, 1315 Mullins Loop North, College Station, Texas 77845
Rachel Lyons, 950 Colgate,#167, College Station, Texas 77840
L Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m.
2. Hear visitors: No visitors spoke at this time.
3. Pardon — Consider requests for absences of members from meeting: Larry
Farnsworth made a motion to accept the absences of Bill Davis and Jon Turton as
excused. Glen Davis seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed
unanimously.
® Approval of minutes from the regular meeting of September 11, 2001, and the joint
meeting of September 20, 2001: Don Allison made a motion to approve the minutes
from the regular meeting of September 11, 2001. Larry Farnsworth seconded the motion.
All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously.
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, October 9,2001
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Don A. made a motion to approve the minutes from the joint meeting of September 20,
2001. Larry F. seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed
unanimously.
5. Presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding the Castlegate Park site
plan: Steve Beachy said that the current Parkland Dedication Ordinance has a provision
in it, under Item #10b, that gives the developer an option to construct a neighborhood
park in lieu of paying the development fee. Wallace Phillips, with the development of
the Castlegate Subdivision is taking this option.
Steve said that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board have already approved the
dedication for the park. The action during the meeting would be to approve the site plan
that will release Mr. Phillips to begin construction of the park.
Eric Ploeger said that a draft of the site plan was brought to the Board during the July 10,
2001, meeting as an informational item with the intention that it would be brought back
to the Board as a proposed site plan. He added that with the proposed site plan, Mr.
Phillips is more than satisfying the amount that he would have been required to pay for
the dedication fee.
David Wood discussed the essential elements proposed for the park:
- Tennis courts;
- Basketball court;
- Playground unit with rubber surfacing;
- Shelter with stone columns to match the entryway theme;
- Expanded walk with handicap ramps;
- Shade trellis;
- Drip irrigation system;
- Benches; and
- Sculpture.
Steve stated that the park site incorporates intergenerational features and has maximum
visibility and accessibility. Part of the dedication will also include the two (2) detention
ponds that are at the entranceway to the subdivision.
Mr. Phillips said that there would be lit sidewalks that would go through the park and in
front of the tennis courts, and that there would also be a handicap drinking fountain.
There will be no off-street parking. He said that the park would be a showcase for the
City of College Station, as well as the Castlegate Subdivision, and that the intent is for
the park to be more of a community-type park for the subdivision. Mr. Phillips pointed
out on a map the property that would become a future City park as well.
Steve said that Parks and Recreation Department staff recommends approval of the site
plan. John Nichols asked if the signage of the park would be recognizable and
comparable with the standard style that is currently being used in other City parks. Steve
said that the signage would be more consistent with the theme of the subdivision than
with what would typically be put in a neighborhood park. John asked if there would be
signage that would identify the park as part of the City park system. Mr. Phillips stated
that he is proud that Castlegate Park is a City park, and would not have a problem
incorporating the City's logo into the park signage.
John asked about the maintenance of the park. Steve said that due to the fact that the
park is in a fairly remote area, the City has opted to include the park in the landscaping
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Regular Meeting
Tuesday, October 9,2001
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maintenance contract that the City has. He added that the cost of maintenance of the park
may be a little higher than for a typical neighborhood park, due to the cost of electricity
to light the tennis courts, and the cost to resurface the courts every six (6) to seven (7)
years. He added that funds have been approved in the fiscal year budget to include the
contract maintenance for the park.
Glen D. made a motion to approve the site plan for Castlegate Park. Don A. seconded the
motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously.
6. Presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding parkland dedication
requirements for the Westfield addition: Steve stated that this item involves a tract of
land for which a dedication was approved in January 1998 (under the old Parkland
Dedication Ordinance) where land was dedicated in excess of the requirements needed
for the phases of the subdivision being developed. At that time, the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board had moved to recommend that the Board accept the proposed dedication,
with a stipulation that future development must occur within a ten year timeframe for the
credit to be valid on future dedication requirements. The initial dedication had 219
dwelling units, which equated to a dedication requirement of 1.65 acres for Phases I
through IV of the development. The dedication that was made on the plat was actually
4.299 acres,which was in excess of the requirement. The intent was that as future phases
came up,the dedication would be met up to that point.
Steve said that since the time the original dedication occurred, the property has changed
ownership. The question now is, does the dedication credit follow future tracts, or does it
follow the owner? Steve presented a map of the property, which is located in the
southern portion of the City in Park Zone 10.
Jane Kee added that the original developer was John Szabuniewicz. Mr. French picked
up the third and fourth phases of the development from Mr. Szabuniewicz, and also an
additional tract of adjacent land to the south. The decision at present is whether or not
the excess dedication credit will be applied to the adjacent tract of land to the south.
Mr. French said that when he purchased the land, he obtained a written document that
states that Mr. Szabuniewicz dedicated all of his credits to Mr. French.
After some discussion, Glen D. made a motion to approve the 4.299 acres as the parkland
dedication for both tracts of land (the original Westfield Subdivision, Phases I through
IV, and the tract of land adjacent and to the south). In addition, for verification, Mr.
French will provide the written documentation that he received when he purchased the •
property from Mr. Szabuniewicz, indicating acknowledgement of the transfer of any
parkland credits to Mr. French. Any excess parkland credit from Westfield, Phases I
through IV, will be applied to the remainder of Westfield at the original rate of one acre
per 133 dwelling units and to the new development to the south at the current rate of one
acre per 101 dwelling units. The current development fee will apply only to new
development to the south (the tract south of the future east/west feeder road). Don A.
seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously.
Larry F. made a motion requesting that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board review
Mr. French's plat for connectivity between the existing park and the tract adjacent to the
south before it is presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Glen D. seconded
the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously.
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Regular Meeting
Tuesday, October 9,2001
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7. Presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding potential parkland donation
in the Pebble Creek Subdivision: Steve said that this item does not pertain to a
dedication requirement, and that there was no action required of the Board at the meeting.
The developer of the Pebble Creek Subdivision has indicated a desire to donate some
land to the City for the use as a neighborhood park. He added that the Pebble Creek
Subdivision has no additional dedication requirements because of the initial land trade
deal that took place when the Subdivision and the College Station Business Park were
created.
Steve showed a map of the proposed parkland donation, which is in the southern
boundary of the Subdivision, and is approximately 4.4 acres. The property will have
frontage on one of the future streets and has connections to cul-de-sacs. He added that
the property is heavily wooded, and the intent of the developer is to keep it that way, with
the possibility of building a small play unit on it. Eric and Steve have visited the site
with the developer, and suggested scheduling a site tour with the Board as well. Steve
added that the City does not have an obligation to accept the parkland donation, but he
does feel that the park would help service access to some of the new neighborhoods.
Steve added that by accepting the park, the City would incur future operation and
maintenance costs for the park. The Board was in consensus on having a site tour of the
property in the future.
This was an informational item only, and no motion was made.
8. Presentation and discussion of the College Station Greenways Program: Steve said
that this is an item that the Board had requested. He introduced Judy Downs, the City's
Greenways Coordinator.
Judy passed out several handouts: an educational brochure about the College Station
Greenways Program, the Proposed Greenways Education Program, and a printed
PowerPoint presentation of the Project Status of the College Station Greenways Master
Plan (see attachments). She added that the City has hired a Transportation Planner and a
Transportation Engineer to help with the Greenways Program. She pointed to a GIS map
that showed the City's Greenways, and explained several projects that were currently
underway. Judy said that one of the purposes of having greenways is to connect people
through natural trail systems, and asked the Board to consider keeping greenways and
parkland dedication separate. She added that there are several grants available that can
assist with the acquisition of greenways.
Judy introduced David Scott, the President of the Brazos Greenways Council. Mr. Scott
stated that he hopes that College Station Parks and Recreation and the greenways fully
integrate, because he feels that the greenways will become good recreation amenities for
the community. He pointed to several studies that encouraged recreational trail activities
(i.e. bicycling, walking, running,jogging, and in-line skating activities). He added that
these types of trail activities supercede activities such as baseball or softball.
Laura Wood asked how the Greenways Master Plan would fit into parkland dedication.
Judy responded that she tries to attend all of the predevelopment meetings to ensure that
the Greenways Master Plan is being followed. Steve added that staff is also in the
process of creating a review checklist for parkland dedication that would incorporate
greenways into it to ensure that the proposed dedication is supportive of the Master Plan.
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Regular Meeting
Tuesday, October 9,2001
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John N. asked who was responsible for maintaining the greenways in College Station.
Steve replied that both the Public Works and the Parks and Recreation Departments
would be responsible for the maintenance. John invited Judy to come back to the Board
with future updates. Glen D. suggested having greenways reports on a semi-annual basis
(i.e. fall and spring).
This was an informational item only, and no motion was made.
9. Discussion, consideration, and possible action regarding possible revisions to the
Parkland Dedication Ordinance: Steve said that this item has been discussed by the
Board during the last several meetings. The Parkland Dedication Ordinance was last
revised in January 1999, with the strong recommendation that it be revised every three
(3) years. Revisions to the ordinance will be presented to the City Council in February
2002. He added that the ordinance would be forwarded to the Legal Department after the
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board had given their input. The ordinance would then
be taken to the Planning and Zoning Commission for their approval in November 2001.
Steve referred to the handouts that included the proposed changes to the Parkland
Dedication Ordinance, as well as the proposed Parkland Dedication Fee Methodology for
2001 Review (a) and (b), and a comparison table (see attachments). He pointed out the
proposed changes to the ordinance, and asked Jane to comment on the methodology.
Jane said that Methodology (a) is based on the assumption that one acre costs $15,000 to
purchase, and that Methodology (b) is based on the assumption that one acre costs
$20,000 to purchase. She referred to the handout that showed a comparison for single
and multi-family dwelling units at the current dedication, the proposed dedication if the
land cost were left at$15,000, and the proposed dedication if the land cost were increased
to $20,000. The question was asked how the $15,000 for the average land value was
originally determined. Jane responded that the figure was determined through staff
research, as well as from input from a focus group meeting with local developers in 1998.
Steve said that the intent at the meeting was to get the Board's feedback and possible
approval of the wording of the ordinance so that it can be taken to the Legal staff, and
then to the Planning and Zoning Commission. There was a consensus of the Board to
have staff explore the possibility of having variable zone rates incorporated into the
methodology during the next three(3) year review cycle of the ordinance.
Glen D. made a motion to approve the proposed revisions to the Parkland Dedication
Ordinance as presented by Staff, as well as the proposed Methodology (b), based on the
$20,000 average land value in the City, and the $300,000 as a reasonable cost for
neighborhood park development. Larry F. seconded the motion. All were in favor, and
the motion passed unanimously.
Jane added that support from the Board is welcome when the ordinance revisions are
presented to the City Council for their approval in February.
10. Discussion, consideration, and possible action concerning the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board's Fiscal Year 2002 Goals and Objectives: Glen D. made a motion to
approve the Board's Fiscal Year 2002 Goals and Objectives that were included in the
Board packets. Don A. seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed
unanimously.
11. Discussion, consideration, and possible appointment of members to the Conference
Center Advisory Board: Glen D. made a motion to table this agenda item to the
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, October 9,2001
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November 13, 2001, meeting in order to give staff more time to recruit new members to
serve on the committee. Don A. seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion
passed unanimously.
12. Report, discussion, and possible action concerning the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board's recommendations to the City Council (Reference: Memorandum
dated May 2001): This item is related to a request that was made by one of the Board
members for an update of the Board's recommendations that were presented to the City
Council during the joint meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the
Council on May 10, 2001 (refer to memo titled "Response to Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board's Recommendations to Council,"dated September 11, 2001).
Steve went over the memo with the Board. This was an informational item only, and no
motion was made.
13. Discussion, consideration, and possible action concerning City Council Vision
Statements: This is a standing item, and there were no updates to report during the
meeting.
14. Consent items:
Capital Improvement Project Report:
- Eric reported that there is money budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2002 budget to concrete
the surface of the jogging tract at Jack and Dorothy Miller Park. Staff have met with
the College Station Independent School District and the Parent Teacher's
Organization to discuss the possibility of coming up with an interlocal agreement to
pay for rubber surfacing to be put over the concrete. If approved, the intention is to
complete the work during the Christmas break.
- Eric reported that bids were opened for Phase I construction of Veterans Park and
Athletic Complex on October 3, 2001. There were five (5) bidders, and the low bid
was Acklam Construction. He added that the total cost for all of the alternates to the
project totaled just under $3 million dollars. There was approximately $2.7 million
available for construction, so at this time, the City would not be able to pay for the
entire project. He added that the only alternate that the City would be able to fund
was the landscaping alternate. The additional two (2) soccer fields and parking
would not be funded at this time (there would only be four (4) soccer fields, instead
of six (6)). The cost for this alternate was estimated at $300,000, which is
significantly above what the engineering firm estimated that it would be.
Next meeting date and agenda: The next regular meeting of the Board will be held on
Tuesday, November 13, 2001, at 7:00 p.m. at the Central Park Conference Room.
John N. added that he would be out of town on business and would not be able to
attend the meeting.
15. Adjourn: The meeting adjourned at 9:52 p.m.
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Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
Regular Meeting
Tuesday,October 9,2001
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