HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 01/22/1996MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA JANUARY 22, 1996
The Ames City Council met in special session at 5:30 p.m., January 22, 1996, in the City Council
Chambers, in the City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Larry R. Curtis presiding and
the following Council Members present: Campbell, Hoffman, Parks, Quirmbach, Tedesco, and Wirth.
Present from the Parks and Recreation Commission were Annette Jensen, Mary Scott, Jim Bolinger,
David Ferree, Bill Shrum, and Dennis Jones. Commission Member Daryle Vegge was absent.
WORKSESSION ON PARKLAND DEDICATION CONCEPT: Parks and Recreation Director
Nancy Carroll explained how the Parks and Recreation Commission and City Staff have been
reviewing the Park Master Plan in tandem with the Land Use Policy Plan update. She said in an effort
to take a proactive stance to sustain a quality park system that meets the needs of the projected
additional population, the Council had authorized Staff to investigate the option of a mandatory park
dedication/cash-in-lieu ordinance. She reviewed the document entitled "Sustaining A Quality Park
System; A Presentation to the City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission."
Mayor Curtis left the meeting at 6:20 p.m., and Coun. Parks assumed the role of Mayor Pro Tem.
The Council and Commission Members asked questions of Staff and discussed the concept. There
was discussion that it was proper to complete the Park Master Plan as a needs analysis, and that the
funding mechanism for providing the needed parks could be a secondary debate.
Nan Geske, 2205 Timberland, said the southern part of Ames that is targeted as a priority area for
growth has no parkland at the present time. She asked that if development occurs in the area, it be
responsible development which includes parks. She said all people deserve to have accessible
parkland, and said residents in her neighborhood do not have any at this time.
Sherry Dragula, 2121 Burnett, said the LUPP consultant had recommended the existing percentage
of parks and open space be maintained in new areas in the future. She said if the City was planning
to maintain that current level, they would have to have some mechanism in place to provide parkland.
She said the LUPP consultant also recommended at least one regional park of 50-100 acres be
included in the Plan.
Marilyn Vaughn, 2320 Timberland, asked if there was a timetable for the Park Master Plan's
completion. She said she was concerned about a "wait until tomorrow" strategy. She said she feared
development would happen quickly, and there would no longer be land available for parks. She asked
what other mechanisms the City could rely on to provide parkland.
Cindy Hildebrand, RR 2, said her concern was that Ames have parks, not how they are obtained. She
said the dedication process was traditional in some parts of the country. She said if the City didn't
adopt a mandatory dedication ordinance, she hoped it would come up with something comparable.
She said the actual shortfall of developed acres was 65 acres, and if additional woodland/open space
plus a possible regional park was included, the shortfall may be 100 acres or more. She said if land
prices go up, the City would need a substantial amount of money to buy the necessary amount of land.
Motion by Campbell, Second by Hoffman, to ask the Parks and Recreation Commission to proceed
with the Park Master Plan in conjunction with the Land Use Policy Plan, putting any funding
mechanism for parkland on hold at this time.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
COMMENTS: Coun. Quirmbach thanked Staff and the Commission for the work they have put into
this report.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.
Sandra L. Ryan, City Clerk Larry R. Curtis, Mayor