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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/11/2006 - Regular Minutes - Parks Board (3) 43- '.4144 PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES CITY OF COLLEGE STATION REGULAR MEETING fu 7:00 PM Tuesday, April 11, 2006 The EXIT Teen Center 1520 Rock Prairie Road • College Station, Texas Staff Present: Steve Beachy, Director; Eric Ploeger, Assistant Director; David Gerling, Special Facilities Superintendent; Lance Jackson, Lincoln Center Supervisor; Pamela Springfield, Staff Assistant Members Present: Jodi Warner, Chair; Jeannie McCandless; Harry Green; John Crompton; Gary Thomas; Kathleen Ireland; Carol Blaschke Members Absent: Glenn Schroeder; Gary Erwin Visitors: Kendall Hodges, Parks Department Intern; Kristianna Ford-Hamilton, Chair, Lincoln Center Advisory Committee; Steve Arden N Brazosland Realty; Bill Barton N D.R. Horton Homes 1. Call to order. Jodi W. called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. 2. Possible action and pardon concerning requests for absences of members. Requests for absence had been submitted by Gary Erwin and Glenn Schroeder. John C. moved to approve the requests submitted. Jeannie M. seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried unanimously. 3. Hear visitors. Hearing none this item was closed. 4. Consideration, possible action, and discussion of minutes from the regular meeting of March 21, 2006. Kathleen I. moved approval of the meeting minutes as presented. John C. seconded the motion. The vote was called and the minutes were unanimously approved. 5. Revisit, possible action, and discussion regarding a potential park land dedication Carter Creek Crossing (formerly the Foitik tract) in Park Zone 4. A conceptual development plan had gone before the Board on September 21, 2005 and the board had accepted a three acre dedication of utility right-of-way/easement. The property is located between the Raintree and Emerald Forest Subdivisions and is directly across from Central Park on the east side of Highway 6 at the corner of North Forest Parkway. There is a drainage/greenway, which at the time, the developer had indicated might become a homeowner's association park. A new plan was being presented Page 1 of 5 which calls for a different dedication including the original three acres that were accepted, bringing the total to 7.34 acres including the greenway and drainage. This will not only give more acreage but very good street access as well. In studying the floodplain there were areas where amenities could be installed such as a playground, etc. Staff was recommending acceptance of the land. The developer may be interested in the option of developing this park themselves. The Board could accept the property and the developer could put in the amenities, in lieu of the development fee. There would be no detention pond area in the park because it is so close to Carter Creek drainage basin. D.R. Horton would be interested in putting in picnic tables, a gazebo or two, and playground equipment. The Board would review and approve the design. This would be a phased development of 142 lots for regular homes. John C. moved approval as presented and Kathleen I seconded. The vote was called. All were in favor motion and the motion carried unanimously. Steve suggested that, with the Board's approval, item 10 be shifted up to become item 5a. The Board consented. 5.a. Presentation, possible action, and discussion regarding status of Lincoln Center Advisory Committee ,.► David Gerling. At the April meeting the Board had asked that the Lincoln Center Advisory Committee Chair and the Center Supervisor come before the Board to discuss the status of their Advisory Committee. The Board had not wanted to take action on the matter of dissolving the committee without knowing where the two stood. The idea of having a "Friends of Lincoln Center" group if the committee was dissolved had also been discussed. Lance stated that he and Ms. Thomason had discussed the issues, as well as the possibility of becoming a part of the Lincoln Former Students' Association, but wanted to see what direction the Board wanted to take. He added that over the years the Center had had some success working through the advisory committee. Kristianna T. stated that as the chair she felt responsible that the committee had stopped meeting the way they should. The committee was useful when they met and she did not want to see it dissolved, because she felt that they were a voice for the community. She asked for the opportunity to reorganize and get back on a regular schedule for meeting. Kristianna was reassured that the concern, from the Board's perspective, had been that the committee was not meeting due to the lack of a quorum and were, therefore, unable to provide feedback. The suggestion to create a "Friends" group was the Board's way of hoping to streamline the process so that feedback could be provided. The committee had two members that would be moving out of the community. It was suggested that the number of committee members may need changing in order to meet quorum needs. Goals would also need to be set. Kristianna stated that she would like to have a workshop and have someone help them facilitate their goals. John C. stated that he would arrange for someone to facilitate that. Jodi stated that the board valued the committee's input and asked that they meet within the month to see what they would like to do. The board wanted to help them achieve their goals and would wait for a report back from the committee. No action was required. 6. Community Index Report, possible action, discussion N Kendall Hodges, Parks Department Intern. Kendall said she had been working for the last few months to put together a list of all the programs there were available in the public and private sector in the Bryan College Station area (attached). When the Program and Facility Needs Assessment had been conducted, it provided input as to what citizens wanted to see offered. This index report showed that. In doing the research she found that there were holes in activities offered for the preschool and seniors age groups. The index lists the primary service providers. One of her recommendations was to offer a few more programs to the preschool age group along line of arts and crafts (not sports), as well as additional programs specific to the senior age group. Gary T. asked if such things as chess clubs and ham radio operating clubs were beyond the scope of what she was looking for. She stated that no, they were not - she had just been unable to find anything like that. Jodi also suggested several organizations that offered classes for preschool aged children. Kendall said she appreciated the suggestions. Steve B. stated that he would like to take this to the next level and put the information into a database with names and phone numbers that front line people could refer to when calls were received. The department had never had such a comprehensive list. Putting the information on the city's website or on back page of the Parks calendar would also be helpful. The benefit of having the index would also allow the department to find a ready source of instructors for classes. It was a requirement of the NRPA accreditation process that the department have this index. Jodi told Kendall she had done a great job. John C. moved to accept the Community Index Report. Kathleen seconded the motion and the vote was called. All in were in favor and motion carried unanimously. 7. Review, possible action, and discussion regarding draft of Neighborhood Park Improvement Standards for Park Development in Lieu of Fee r.► Eric Ploeger. In December the Park Land Dedication Ordinance had been updated and part of that update allows developers to provide for the development of parks. A list of items (referenced to as a manual in the ordinance) had been included in the members' packets that would be provided to developers. Legal felt that it was best if the list was not part of the ordinance so that the board could change the manual when necessary without getting Council approval every time. Staff had not been able to find where the manual had previously been brought to the board for approval. It had been updated and will provide developers with information on site plan development, park furnishings, construction documents, project acceptance procedures, warranty requirements, and a list of the products that department likes to use. Kathleen I. moved acceptance of the Neighborhood Park Improvement Standards Manual. Jeannie M. seconded. The vote was called. All were in favor and the motion to approve the manual was unanimous. The date approved would be added and whenever there is an update, the manual will be brought back before the board. 8. Report, possible action, and discussion regarding List of Potential Parkland Dedication Fund Projects ,.► Eric Ploeger. Staff had reviewed the available money in each park zone fund and Ric and Steve had gone through and come up with some suggestions of dedication projects that could be done. The resulting list had been included in the members' board packets. Ric explained that not every suggestion spends every dollar in every fund, but it commits the funds. As more developments are built, more money will go into the funds and there will be more projects that can be done. Ric briefly went through the list, which included a site plan for each park listed. Funding was discretionary and subject to change. Ric said that the list would be turned in the following week with the Capital Improvement Projects budget and would become a part of that budget. Jodi thanked Ric for the update. 9. Consideration, possible action, and discussion regarding the potential of hosting a Texas State Park forum ,.► Steve Beachv. Steve asked John C. to give an update. John C. said that the City would probably not need to do anything at this point. There was now enough momentum for state parks going around the state, that something positive would take place in the State Legislature for state parks, whose funds had been cut drastically. The grants program which the city has taken advantage of in the past was one of the items that had been cut. The new bill would bring that grant money back. This was an informational item and no action was required. 10. This item was moved up, to become item 5a. 11. Recommendation, possible action, and discussion from the Naming Subcommittee on the naming request submitted by College Station Little League in March N Kathleen Ireland/Carol Blaschke. Kathleen I. gave an update on the subcommittee's recommendation to accept the Little League organization's request to name field #3 at the Southwood Valley Little League fields after city employee Gary Marske, who would be retiring soon. John C. moved acceptance of the subcommittee's recommendation and Harry G. seconded. The vote was called. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. 12. Review, possible action, and discussion concerning Board and Departmental Goals and Objectives, and City Council Strategic Plan. Updated lists had been included in the members' packets. • Steve stated that the new City Manager was asking all city department heads to go on a retreat and there would be more information on the city's strategic plan after that retreat. • The department had turned in its' five year strategic plan. 13. Report, possible action, and discussion concerning the Capital Improvement Program: Updated information had been included in members' packets. • Park Land Dedication Project List and proposed projects • Current Capital Improvement Project List • Veterans Park & Athletic Complex — This project was making great headway. The contractor's intent was to plant grass on all six fields by June 1st. They were working seven days a week and proceeding at a very significant rate. • The resident's who had attended the Edelweiss Gartens public hearing had expressed a desire to rank the amenities that will go into that park. Some ballots had already been returned and staff was hoping to get more. The turnout at the public hearing had been good. Ric stated that he was noticing more and more that parks were becoming more important to residents. Kathleen suggested that she thought the intent of the residents who had attended the public hearing was for all of the people in the subdivision to receive the ballot so that those who did not attend could participate in the ranking. Ric said that this could be done. 14. Discussion of calendar, future meeting dates, and possible agenda items: • April 22, 2006 '' "Trails Go!" Dedication Ceremony for Wolf Pen Creek Upper Trails at 10:00 a.m, Earth Day at the amphitheater that same day and that night Trout Fishing in America. Will be an all day long event. • April 28, 2006 — Noon Arbor Day Celebration at Jack and Dorothy Miller Park basketball pavilion • May 9, 2006 — Next Regular Meeting • Second Edelweiss Gartens Public Hearing date — to be announced • Future agenda item requests — One of the members asked that staff bring something to a future meeting regarding the 65 acres that were attached to Lick Creek Park to see how that ties into Lick Creek Park. 15. Adjourn. Kathleen I. moved to adjourn. Jeannie M. seconded the motion. All were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 8:52 p.m.