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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/14/2003 - Regular Minutes - Parks Board IIIIEIIIIIIIIIIIMltrgjg*p**Rorgp#9g114rj§gryip*r*,E1EEEEEEEBBIEE Tuesday, January 14, 2003, at 7:00 pm The EXIT Center 1600 Rock Pralile Road IENEIEIEIIIIIIEEEEomlrfiglgc$t#1EOrrglgIEIIEBIEEEEEEEIIIEEII Staff Present: Steve Beachy, Director of Parks and Recreation; Eric Ploeger, Assistant Director; Peter Vanecek, Senior Park Planner; David Gerling, Recreation Superintendent; Dana Albrecht, Recreation Supervisor; Jenny Hartsfield, Assistant Recreation Supervisor; Peter Lamont, Recreation Superintendent; Marci Rodgers, Senior Services Coordinator; Curtis Bingham, Parks Operations Superintendent. Board Members Present: John Nichols, Chair; Larry Farnsworth; Glen Davis; Jodi Warner; Don Allison; Bill Davis. Board Member Absent: Glenn Schroeder. Guest: George Mchean, College Station ISD Visitors: Jason Fikes, 1309 Danville Court, College Station, Texas Christina Livingston, 1203 Baywood Court, College Station, Texas Theresa Duncan, 1101 Luther Street West, #914, College Station, Texas Robert Crowley, 2319 Kendal Green, College Station, Texas 1. Call to order: The meeting was called to order by Chairman John Nichols at 7:00 p.m. 2. Pardon — possible action concerning requests for absences of members from meeting: Bill Davis made a motion to accept the absence of Glenn Schroeder as excused. Larry Farnsworth seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously. 3. Hear visitors: No visitors spoke during this item. 4. Public hearing and possible action concerning the Recreation, Park, and Open Space Master Plan: Eric Ploeger stated that a subcommittee of the Board was appointed that worked with staff to review revisions made to the Master Plan and offer suggestions. The original Master Plan was adopted by the City Council in July 1999, and the Department has been working on revisions from that plan. Eric discussed a list, included in the Board packets, which highlighted items that have been updated during the process (refer to Revised Recreation, Park, and Open Space Master Plan list). John Nichols asked if there were any comments from visitors. No comments were made. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Tuesday,January 14,2003 Page 1 of 8 Glen Davis made a motion to accept the Recreation, Park, and Open Space Master Plan. Don Allison seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously. Steve Beachy said that the plan would be taken to the Planning and Zoning Commission during a joint meeting with the Commission and the Board on March 6, 2003, and would then be presented to the City Council for approval. 5. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of the minutes from the regular meeting of December 10, 2002, and the Board Tour of the Crowley Tract on January 7, 2003: Bill D. made a motion to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of December 10, 2002, and those from the Board Tour of the Crowley Tract on January 7, 2003. Jodi Warner seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously. 6. Discussion, consideration, and possible action concerning a request from residents of the Alexandria Subdivision for a neighborhood playground: This item pertains to a petition signed by residents of the Alexandria neighborhood for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to consider a request to install city playground equipment at the edge of the greenway space on the north end of Alexandria Drive (refer to the minutes of September 10, 2002, Item #3, and December 10, 2002, Item #3). Eric P. pointed to a location map showing the greenway in question that is located in Park Zone 10. He said that there are some funds available in that zone that were previously intended for development of Shenendoah Park. He added, however, that there is a significant impediment for the children who live in the Alexandria subdivision: they have to cross Barron Road to get to that park. Eric said that there have been informal discussions with the College Station Independent School District concerning the development of a joint school/park project in that area, but nothing has been determined at this time. Eric stated that he had spoken to the City's Greenways Coordinator, Judy Downs, who indicated that the developer had originally intended to dedicate the greenway to the City, but never did. Ms. Downs had also indicated that the developer has offered to sell the greenway to the City, but she does not think that the City would be interested in purchasing it. He added that at this time, the City could not develop anything on the greenway because it does not own the property. Glen D. asked if, hypothetically, the City did own the property, would there be an interest in, and the space to build, a playground. Eric responded that if the City did own the property, there would be enough space to build a small playground, however, it has been policy to have at least five (5) acres for a neighborhood park to 1) reduce maintenance costs, and 2) avoid having small, closely spaced parks. Jason Fikes with the Alexandria Neighborhood Association stated that the Association had received a letter that day (January 14th) from the developer (Ed Froehling Builder, Inc.) stating the intention to donate the portion (approximately 11 acres) of the greenway in question to the City. Eric P. stated that if the Board wanted to pursue a playground in that area, there would need to be several public Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Tuesday,January 14,2003 Page 2 of 8 hearings involving the residents of the Alexandria Subdivision to determine what their playground needs were. Jodi W. said that the south end of the City is developing very rapidly, and asked about the possibility of placing temporary playground equipment at the property in question, and then moving it to another problem area south of town, if necessary, at a later time, thus recovering the cost. Steve said that it would be difficult to recover the cost. Although playground equipment could probably be relocated, half of the cost incurred would be placing surfacing down on the site. After some discussion, Mr. Fikes suggested scheduling a site tour of the greenway property with the Board. The Board requested staff to do the following: - Obtain a copy of the letter of intention from the developer, - Follow up with the developer; - Schedule a site tour of the property; - Provide a cost estimate of basic playground upgrades that have been done in that area; - Provide information showing how the developer dedicated the Alexandria Subdivision. The Department will come back to the Board with a report. This item was a report only, and no motion was made. 7. Discussion, consideration, and possible action concerning a park land dedication request for the Northgate Condominiums (Zone 1): Pete Vanecek pointed to a location map of the proposed development. He said that the proposed multi-family, eight dwelling-unit development is located at the corner of Cherry Street and College Main in the Northgate area. The total land dedication requirement would be .06 acres. The total cash dedication requirement would be $4,896. Staff is recommending acceptance of the fee in lieu of land. Bill D. made a motion to accept the fee in lieu of land for the Northgate Condominiums, Larry F. seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously. Glen D. asked if there had been any progress on acquiring three lots in the Northgate area for a potential park. Steve responded that the consultant the City hired to revise the Northgate Master Plan determined that those lots were not a suitable area for park land. So, the acquisition process is on hold. Steve does not know at this time if there is an alternative portion of land recommended in that zone. After some discussion, the Board was in consensus on requesting staff to obtain a report from the committee that is working on the Northgate Master Plan, and to carry forward to that Committee the motion that was made by the Board concerning Zone 1 during the September 10, 2002, meeting, which was: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Tuesday,January 14,2003 Page 3 of 8 Glenn S. made a motion recommending that the Department actively pursue the acquisition of park land in the Northgate area, as well as protect park land dedication funds from being spent on "marginal" amenities, such as are in the Northgate Promenade area. Bill Davis seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously® 8. Discussion, consideration, and possible action concerning a park land dedication request for the "Trails at Neelley Ranch" (Zone 10)® Eric P. stated that the park land dedication request came from developer Tony Jones. There is not a complete layout of the site available at this point, but Mr. Jones is proposing to dedicate the fee in lieu of land due to the close proximity to a park that is proposed in conjunction with the College Station Independent School District and Westfield Park. Staff is also recommending the acceptance of the fee. The proposed single- family, 400 to 410-unit development is located on the south side of Graham Road, east of Cypress Grove Middle School. The total land dedication requirement would be approximately 3.96 acres. The total cash dedication requirement would be approximately$222,400. Mr. Jones is proposing to develop the land in phases. Bill D. asked, if the land were to be developed in phases, and if the Board were to accept the fee in lieu of land, would they be committing themselves to the current fees. Steve stated that the fee is paid at the time the plat is filed, and would fall under the Park Land Dedication Ordinance and fee methodology current at that time. Bill D. made a motion to accept the fee in lieu of land. Larry F. seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously. 9. Discussion, consideration, and possible action concerning park facilities for the Crowley Tract: Steve stated that staff recommends acceptance of the proposed 5.48-acre dedication (located at the extension of Decautur and Oxburge Drive, west of Highway 6, north of Greens Prairie Road) as presented during the Board tour on January 7, 2003. There was some discussion concerning the access to the park. Eric P. stated that the proposed Spring Creek Townhome development would generate $41,464 from park development fees. The City has not received a formal request from the Developer (Wallace Phillips), but he has indicated that he would like to build the park himself, in which case he may be required to produce a letter of credit for the $41,464 to be applied to the development fee for the park. If this request is made, it will be brought back to the Board at a later time. After some discussion, Bill D. made a motion to accept the land for the Crowley Tract. Glen D. seconded the motion with the provision that 1) there be adequate access to the park, and 2) the land bank be located exactly from the access back. All were in favor, and the motion passed unanimously. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Tuesday,January 14,2003 Page 4 of 8 10. Presentation, discussion, and possible action concerning leisure program evaluations for Educational Programs: Steve introduced Dana Albrecht, Recreation Supervisor; Jenny Hartsfield, Assistant Recreation Supervisor; and Marci Rodgers, Senior Services Coordinator. Dana A. discussed the program evaluation for Xtra Education (refer to program evaluation form). She stated that Xtra Education is an joint venture with the College Station Independent School District, and is designed to be a leisure educational activities program that utilizes facilities from both entities, as well as facilities from other agencies. Dana gave a background of the program, and distributed a progressive summary report (refer to Xtra Education Progressive Summary — 1996-2002). She added that Xtra Education is an Enterprise Activity, which is charged with producing its own budgetary needs. She stated that approximately 50% of the program's participants are College Station residents, approximately 30% are Bryan residents, and approximately 20% are residents from surrounding areas. Bill D. asked how cost accessible the classes were to all residents. Dana responded that the classes are very inexpensive, compared to the market. She added that the idea behind the program is to offer classes as inexpensively as possible. Staff recommends increasing involvement of area business and organizations, and upgrading the quality of the printed brochure. This item was a report only, and no motion was made. 11. Presentation, discussion, and possible action concerning the Fiscal Year 2003 Parks Maintenance Standards Report: Parks Operations Superintendent Curtis Bingham referred to the Fiscal Year 2003 first quarter Parks Maintenance Standards Report, included in the Board Packets, and highlighted some of the significant changes that have occurred since Fiscal Year 2002: - Athletics Facilities — There was a decrease in standards met, from 86% in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2002, to 82% in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2003 because the facilities are not highly used during the first quarter of the year. - Playgrounds — There was an increase in standards met, from 75% in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2002, to 84% in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2003 because of 1) the playground replacement in Anderson Park, and 2) maintenance done to the playground surfaces and decks. - Basketball Courts — There was an increase in standards met, from 83% in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2002, to 90% in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2003 because of maintenance that was done to the courts. - Sand Volleyball Courts — There was a decrease in standards met, from 93% in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2002, to 87% in the first quarter of 2003 because 1) at the time the survey was conducted, some hard rains had just occurred, and 2) some of the courts had been vandalized. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Tuesday,January 14,2003 Page 5 of 8 - Ponds —There was an increase in standards met, from 60% in the fourth quarter of 2002, to 68% in the first quarter of 2003 because 1) some of the ponds had been cleaned, and 2) there had been some maintenance repairs to decks and fishing piers. Curtis noted the following: - He had compared the first quarter numbers in fiscal year 2003 to the fourth quarter numbers in 2002 because there had been changes to the standards in 2002, and the fourth quarter numbers give a more accurate comparison. - Some of the categories have very few standards, so if one standard changes, then it greatly affects that category's standards met. - The Department intends to bring all fall surfaces up to standards on the playgrounds, as well as resurface some of the tennis and basketball courts. This item was a report only, and no motion was made. 12. Discussion, consideration, and possible action concerning a College Station Independent School District report on growth trends and facility needs: Steve stated that he was not prepared to make a formal presentation on behalf of the School District. However, he has included copies of the material that was presented to the City Council by the District in the Board Packets. He added that the City would be presenting information to the School District as well. A key part of this information exchange is that the School District is in a position to review the information and determine needs for future facilities, which will have an impact on the Department and potential joint ventures. Steve said that there is the potential of doing a joint project for an indoor recreation center with the School District and the City. Steve introduced George Mchean, who is the Director of Operations for the School District. Mr. Mchean stated that the District would be kicking off their fiscal budget process in March, so in the meantime, they would not be able to commit to any projects at this time. John N. asked what the timeline would be for submitting an indoor grant application. Steve stated that the indoor grant process occurs annually in the summer. He added that a decision would need to be made very quickly in order to submit a grant application in 2003--although realistically, it may be 2004 before this could happen. This item was a report only, and no motion was made. 13. Report, discussion, and possible action concerning a school, park program in Houston, and the possible development of a similar program in College Station: Eric stated that he had done some research on the possibility of school park projects similar to projects which have been done in the City of Houston, through a School Park Program called SPARK. This is a cooperative effort between the neighborhoods, the schools, the school district, and the private sector, to help Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Tuesday,January 14,2003 Page 6 of 8 schools in areas most in need of park development. The parks are located on school property and maintained by the school district. Eric distributed information he had obtained from a website (refer to SPARK, School Park Program handout). He added that he had spoken to a representative of the City of Houston to find out how the program is funded. He found out that typically a school that wants such a development has to show a commitment and be willing to help plan and fund the project. Each school, with the help from community groups, raises $5,000 or more. The school district also provides a grant of $5,000. Schools located in low-income neighborhoods are entitled to federal Community Development Block Grants. Eric said that from what he could tell, this program is an effective way to obtain Community Development Block Grant money for these types of projects. Eric stated that the Community Development Block Grant funds in College Station are approved by the City Council, so there would not be a need to go through many organizations to obtain those funds. John N. stated that he had requested discussion of this item as a way for the Board to think about dealing more routinely with future Parent/Teacher Organizations and neighborhood inquiries for playground development. Steve stated that the intent of the discussion was to put together basic criteria that may give structure for future funding requests (similar to recent joint projects with the College Station Independent School District, the Rock Prairie PTO, and the South Knoll PTO to rubberize surfacing on the jogging tracks at Jack and Dorothy Miller Park and South Knoll Elementary School). After some discussion, the Board was in consensus on having staff develop a policy statement that would establish guidelines and criteria for future funding requests. Jodi W. and John N. volunteered to serve on a subcommittee of the Board if requested. This item will be placed on a future agenda for discussion. This item was a report only, and no motion was made. 14. Report, discussion, and possible action concerning the future Capital Improvement Program: Steve said that a list of selected members to serve on the citizens committee was included in the Board packets. He added that this committee would be meeting on Tuesday evenings, but that no schedule has been distributed at this time. Steve said that the City Manager asked the Public Works Director to include some money in the initial CIP projections for an indoor recreation center in the event that the School District could take part in the project. This item was a report only, and no motion was made. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Tuesday,January 14,2003 Page 7 of 8 15. Report, discussion, and possible action concerning the current Capital Improvement Program: Eric P. stated that a list of the capital bond and park land dedication projects was included in the Board packets. He added that most of the capital bond projects are under construction or in design. The Department has also begun to work on the park land dedication projects, and some of those are under construction and in design. Glen D. asked if 1) the Department was on track with completion of those bond projects, where an expected completion date had been posted, and 2) if there were any of those projects on the list that the Department would not complete by the first quarter (March 2003). Eric stated that the Bee Creek Light Pole Replacement Project's completion date would need to be moved back. Glen D. had some concerns with the scheduling of the project. Steve explained that the scheduling would be determined by several factors, such as coordination with user groups. Glen D. asked when the Department would start working on the park land dedication projects that were listed on hold. Eric responded that the Department would start working on those projects in January and February, and that they were being implemented in accordance to direction from the Board (refer to minutes from September 10, 2002, Item #9). After some discussion, Glen D. asked if the Department could come up with a projected timeline for the implementation of the park land dedication projects. Eric stated that he could incorporate dates into the list, but that they would be very conservative estimates. This item was a report only, and no motion was made. 16. Review, discussion, and possible action concerning Board and Departmental Goals and Objectives, and City Council Strategies: This is a standing report item, and there was no discussion. 17. Discussion of next meeting dates and possible agendas: - Regular Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting — Tuesday, February 11, 2003, at 7:00 p.m., at the EXIT Teen Center. - Joint Meeting with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Planning and Zoning Commission concerning revisions to the Recreation, Park, and Open Space Master Plan —Thursday, March 6, 2003, at 5:30 p.m., at City Hall. 18. Adjourn: Jodi W. made a motion to adjourn. Bill D. seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the meeting adjourned at 9:49 p.m. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Tuesday,January 14,2003 Page 8 of 8