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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Park and Recreation Commission Meeting 09/15/2016AMES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES DATE: September 15, 2016 COMMISSION PRESENT: Julie Johnston, Sarah Litwiller, Allen Bierbaum, Vikki Feilmeyer, Melissa Rowan, Ed Moran ABSENT: Jason Schaben STAFF: Keith Abraham, Kellee Omlid, Joshua Thompson CALL TO ORDER: 4:02 PM APPROVAL OF MINUTES Feilmeyer asked to amend the August minutes at the end of the first page changing the sentence Feilmeyer feels it would be perfectly okay to use land owned by the Ames School District and asked Abraham if the focus group discussions had changed his mind about a recommendation. She would like it to read “Feilmeyer feels it would be perfectly okay to use land owned by the Ames School District with the consent of the School District and that there is no reason to believe that an agreement could not be made with the School District”. She feels it more accurately reflects her comments. Motion by Bierbaum and second by Feilmeyer to approve the August 18, 2016, meeting minutes as revised. No discussion. No opposition. Motion Approved PUBLIC FORUM No Public Forum PUBLIC INPUT a. Development of the 2017 to 2022 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Abraham gave brief comments regarding the Capital Improvement Plan including how it is funded and how it differs from the Operations Budget Elizabeth Bayard (2707 Duff Ave) Bayard asked the Commission to prioritize funding for a new park or open flat green space. She also thanked the commissioners for their hard work. Abraham listed the requests received by the Parks and Recreation Department through other means. Feilmeyer inquired where money for land acquisition would come from and if land acquisition is a CIP item. Abraham stated that there is a park development fund in which $100,000 is deposited into every year. He explained that the development of Ro osevelt Park came out of that fund. Generally it is used for something that is brand new. Replacing things generally comes out of operations. Feilmeyer inquired if the Miracle League Field is in the current CIP. Abraham stated that it is not. The Commission recommended the City Council put $50K in the CIP for this project. The Council was in support of this project but did not fund it at that time knowing they would need more information to make a decision. Abraham also explained land acquisition can be a bond referendum such as Ada Hayden Heritage Park. Feilmeyer asked if the current CIP has anything in it talking about expanding opportunities for disabled persons in our community. Abraham said that if it is a piece of equipment it could be in the CIP but if it is a program it is part of the operational budget. Abraham also informed the Commission that the department is l ooking at activities for active older adults and persons with disabilities. Jill Burt, Aquatics Coordinator has a degree in Therapeutic Recreation and will be looking to add these types of programs. Bierbaum asked if there had been any surveys or studies done in the community. Abraham said that a survey is being worked on that will not help this year but will be useful for future years. DIRECTOR’S REPORT a. Commission Action Form: All Inclusive Playground and Miracle League Field Abraham stated that he will not go into the CAF in great detail as it has been gone over in previous meetings. He explained that during the August meeting Commission asked Staff to look at both options in Inis Grove and the Ames Middle School. Abraham, Ebbers and Gerry Peters (Director of Facilities Planning & Management for the Ames School District) met regarding the flat space in question which would be a viable option for this project. The Middle School currently uses this flat space for practice and PE as well as holding this space for future expansion. The area the School District would be willing to have discussion about has a 10-12 foot elevation change, water detention areas and some protected area near the creek which Staff feels make it unsuitable for this project. Abraham explained that they did revisit Option C where the amenities are both in Inis Grove but not right next to each other. Abraham stated that based on comments from individuals with mobility issues Staff does not recommend this option. Bierbaum asked about the Inis Grove restroom project. Abraham stated that the renovations or replacements of the restrooms would not reduce the amount of restrooms. Rowan asked Abraham how confident he was that the drawing shown is where the field will be. Abraham stated the drawings were to scale. The dugouts would be on the outside of the drawing shown and there would be some paths, landscaping and some bleachers. Abraham went over Option A, which is the staff recommendation. Bierbaum asked about programs. Abraham informed Bierbaum that adult soccer, youth soccer and ultimate Frisbee have already been moved out. Abraham also stated that he has been observing sand volleyball and the players are parking in the parking lot. Abraham also wanted to speak about Inis Grove Park in general. He has been asked if these facilities (Miracle League Field and all inclusive playground) are a part of the Parks Master Plan and they are not. W ith regards to the deed itself, when Walter Grove sold this land to the city in 1949 the deed stated “Premises to be used solely and only for park purposes for the benefit of the general public in and around the community of Ames, Iowa.” Staff feels this proposed amenity f its with the deed and fits with the Parks and Recreation mission statement. There are several options for storm water detention which could include using the ravine, bioswales, or sub-surface detention such as a French drain. These options will be determined by the design firm. With regard to the parking, Abraham stated that the Miracle League participants will use the parking lot. There could be some volunteers who will park in the street in an effort to leave the parking lot open for the families. There will be no other recreation programs going on in the park at that time. Abraham stated the only programs we know for sure we would use this for are T ball and Blastball. Mainstream Living would like to use it in the afternoons. The ARC of Story County would like one evening per week. Child Serve would want to use this in the daytime. Abraham stated that he can’t give a definitive answer on how much the facility will be used. Moran asked how many parking spots were at the park. Thompson stated there are 100 (later corrected to 95) in one lot and approximately 40 in the other. Moran asked Abraham about how many parking spots were being used during the games he observed in Ankeny. Abraham informed Moran that about 60 cars were present when he was there to observe. Abraham stated that the 9:00 AM game had just started and there was also a flag football game and baseball practice going on as well. He said that the games were 2 innings and took about 40 minutes to play. After the game some went over to the playground and some left. With regards to noise, Abraham shared that at the game he observed in Ankeny there was PA system which announced each child. Abraham stated that the kids get excited to hear their names over the sound system. The PA was used just for the Miracle League, they did not play music, however the announcer did do a little bit of a play by play during the game as well as warning “Angels protect your fielders.” when an older or stronger person came u p to bat. The Steering Committee will have to be able to see what they can fundraise for as far as lighting or PA systems. Design is going to be key with all this. The engineers will have to help us with the technical aspects. Bierbaum asked if this would be a city owned and managed facility. The Steering Committee will fundraise the money for construction. It would be a city facility managed by Parks and Recreation. Feilmeyer asked Abraham to clarify for the audience the makeup of the Steering Co mmittee. Abraham read the names of the Steering Committee members and explained they are business owners, fundraisers, parents with children who have disabilities and others. He informed the Commission that the Parks and Recreation staff will not be doin g any fundraising. Feilmeyer asked Abraham who would pay for the upfront work on the design and engineering. Abraham informed her that the Steering Committee has not raised any funds. The Parks and Recreation Commission would make a recommendation to the City Council to donate funds upfront if they are planning on supporting this project with a donation. Those funds would pay for the engineering and the design drawings which the Steering Committee would use for fundraising purposes. Bierbaum asked who would approve the designs. The City Attorney and Purchasing Manager agree it should be a City project and the design, plans and specifications would be approved by the Council. Feilmeyer asked Abraham why this was before the Parks and Recreation Commission and what decision was needed from the Commission. Abraham explained that the commission members need to make the decision on whether or not you support the project and recommend where it should be located. Then it will go to the City Council who can support it and approve up front funding the way it is, approve funding but not approve the location, or not approve the location or funding. Bierbaum asked if the neighborhood will have any input on the design. Abraham stated that once the design work is started they will take into consideration the concerns of the neighborhood. Then once they have a couple of preliminary design options there can be an open house for feedback similar to the process used to develop Roosevelt Park. Feilmeyer asked what if any effort was made to raise funds to acquire land for this project. Abraham said that question would be for one of the Steering Committee members. Moran stated that there were 29 speakers cards and gave instructions to the speakers. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg (204 24th St) Spoke in opposition to this item. Make clear she is in favor of these types of amenities but she doesn’t like the location. She showed a power point presentation against this project. She does not think this location is best for her son because of his sensory disorder. This location will preclude use by her son and others with this disorder. Clyde Walter (132 Broadmoor Cr) Spoke in opposition to this item. Walter visited Ankeny and relayed his negative feelings regarding the Miracle Field located there as he continued the power point presentation opposing this project started by the previous speaker. Warren Franke (2219 Broadmoor Ave) Spoke in opposition to this item. Franke continued the power point presentation started by the previous speakers with slides showing his views of what this would look like. He feels like it should be at the Middle School so that the school could use the facilities during the day for PE. Larry Ebbers (220 24th St) Spoke in opposition to this item. Ebbers continued the power point used by the previous three speakers. He alleges that Inis Grove has been the only site considered since February. His opinion is the School Board would make a decision regarding the Middle School site not the Facilities Committee. Ebbers listed the other properties Staff has explored for these amenities and asked the Commission for those properties to be reconsidered. His major objection is to the Miracle League Ball Park. He feels it will change the park and there will no longer be an opportunity for “lots of groups to come”. Feilmeyer told Ebbers she did not think it was fair to say Inis Grove has been the only location considered since February. She stated that Staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission have bent over backwards to exhaust all of these options. Larry stated that this was his perception based on notes he has in his possession from a Kiwanis meeting. Bierbaum informed Ebbers that the Kiwanis did not get that information from the Parks and Recreation Commission. He also stated that Ebbers has been at these meetings where Keith has been directed to try and get rid of rivers in Ames and things like that. Ebbers agreed. Bierbaum stated that the Commission is not the Kiwanis and they have been making Staff do a lot of work. Ebbers insisted that “it’s perception”. Feilmeyer feels this goes really to the heart of what the Commission does. There are two incredibly important competing issues. That preservation of park space is an incredibly important consideration and the second, which is also an incredibly important consideration, is a group that is underserved in our community. This is what makes their job as a Commission very, very difficult. Feilmeyer asked Ebbers if he would agree that of all the existing parks that Inis Grove was the best location. He stated that as staff has designed it, it is the only loca tion and an easy solution but he questions if it is the right solution. Bierbaum said he had questions for Abraham relating to issues Ebbers brought up regarding the design options, the nonprofit, the transparency, and who is responsible for the park. Abraham stated that a letter was sent out to 186 residents and an email was sent out to around 12,000 persons in our Parks and Recreation database. He stated that 25 people showed up for that input session. . Feilmeyer asked what is currently being done in that open space area. Abraham stated the space was used for open activities. Parks and Recreation is not programming anything in that space. Bierbaum asked about the shelter usage. Abraham stated that shelters have been added to the system with the development of park space. Abraham stated that 59% percent of the shelters reserved at Inis Grove are not in conflict with programs such as sand volleyball or the proposed Miracle League games. When programs would be held and use the east parking lot, 25% of the reservations are at Walnut and Red Oak shelters and use the west parking lot. About 16% were at Shagbark Shelter that may or may not be a conflict when they are held at the same time. Amy Stevenson (1319 16th St) Spoke in opposition to this item. She stated as a homeschooler the parks are a large part of her family’s regular routine as well as mental and physical well being. Stevenson feels Inis Grove is not the best location for this opportunity. Just because there is open space it does not mean that it doesn’t have a purpose. She understands this process can feel like a battle between the greater good and the neighborhood’s biased desires. She lived on 24th St. and observed the park and saw many people use the green space for many activities. They are not against a park of this type, just not at Inis Grove. Tom Russell (1206 Michigan) Spoke in support of this item. He explained that he has adult children with disabilities. He truly believes that Inis Grove is the best place for the Miracle Field and Accessible Playground. He stressed that it is a visible community park in the middle of Ames and this underserved community of children and adults with disabilities “who live in our community need to be seen in our community”. He feels there will be plenty of room left for other activities. He feels Keith Abraham has done a lot of research and put together a great presentation and put the misinformation that has been disseminated out to rest. He had no idea there would be detailed slide shows and this much organized opposition. Rachael Beckwith (1508 Kellogg Ave) Spoke in support of this item. She states that she is lucky to have no disabilities herself or in her family. She would love for everyone in our community to be able to use that park. She feels only good would come of placing it there. She states she uses the park multiple times per week and she would love to see people using and enjoying this space. Zahia Wineinger (1514 Kellogg) Letter in Support of this item read by Rachael Beckwith. Wineinger writes that she has heard concerns about this proposed development. She can empathize with those concerns however; she feels it is pertinent that the City moves forward with these facilities. She has seen the proposed layout and she does not think it will impact noise and traffic in negative ways. She feels disabled members of our community deserve to enjoy outdoor activities without the burden of traveling out of town. Her letter states that when we exclude people from activities we are telling them that they don’t matter and it impacts them negatively for their entire lives. The joy this all inclusive park and miracle field would bring to the children and adults is important to the community as a whole. Please consider the positive impact to our community. Mary Christie (2825 Clayton Dr.) Spoke in support of this item. Chrisite stated she is a member of the Steering Committee and the Focus Group. She is also a parent of a child with special needs. She states that everyone agrees this is a good idea and the question for the Commission is where. City staff and the Steering Committee have done their due diligence as outlined in the Commission Action Form. Staff has shown that they are willing to continue to work with the neighbors as the project is designed and she trusts that they will do so. Kathy Schnable (3629 Wooodland) Spoke in support of this item. Schnable is a parent of a child with special needs and wanted to speak about the feeling of exclusion families can have when there is a special needs child. That a group like the Steering Committee, wants to include all children in the parks facilities means a lot to her. She takes issue with the fact that all the sites in town have not yet been explored. She attended the May meeting with her special needs son intending to speak in favor of this item. She did not speak as the meeting ran long because Keith Abraham took the time to go through every single potential location and give the pros and cons of each. She wanted to mention another advantage of Inis Grove Park. It is a beautiful park where people like to go for picnics with their families. She pointed out that if you are a family with a person with special needs and you are invited to go on a picnic, often there might be nothing for your child to do. She asked the Commission to consider if they would want to always have to take their child to the Ames Middle School or would you want to take you child where they could socialize with other families. She has studied the Parks Master Plan and she feels Inis Grove Park would be very well suited for these facilities. Bill Hass (2313 Broadmoor) Spoke in opposition to this item. Haas states he appreciates efforts to serve people with special needs in our community but what bothers him is that the procedure being followed shows ignorance of why Inis Grove Park exists. He states that the land was donated to be used as a park. He claims to know the original land owner’s definition of a park did not include any programming and only included green space. Parks were places to be visited and may only have a few picnic facilities. He does not understand why we have to choose a site and hire a design team. He states what is really needed here is to include the “disadvantaged” and what could be accomplished if done well. Drew Kamp (304 Main St) Spoke in support of this item representing the Ames Chamber. Thanked Director Abraham for all his work on the project and making sure the Steering Committee is diligently looking at all the options. He informed the Commission that this project is a community project in a community park and will have far reaching benefits to community, residents and visitors alike. While he respects the concern of the Inis Grove neighbors, he feels this project is well suited for and clearly meets the intended use of Inis Grove Park as shown by the City of Ames Master Parks Plan. He also quoted the parks plan as follows: As the city of Ames progresses into the 21st century, it will be challenged to provide residents with responsive, equitable and quality services. The Park Master Plan must be adaptable so that it can respond to ever changing needs and opportunities that w ill face the city for years to come. He feels the Miracle League Field and inclusive playground is a practical and logical use of the space. He feels it will have a positive impact on the neighborhood and the community as a whole. He stated that according to the Ames City Engineer there are approximately 1.4 accidents per year around 24th and Duff Ave area which he feels is pretty safe. This location is on CyRide which is extremely important. He wants to remind the Commission what is truly important, serving a critical population that is too often pushed into the shadows and underserved. It will not only serve people of all ages with physical and developmental disabilities, it will serve parents who have been unable to play with their child at a playground or grandparents limited mobility to play with their grandchildren. He asked the Parks and Recreation Commission approve Alternative #1. Feilmeyer asked Kamp if there had been an effort by the Steering Committee for land acquisition. Kamp said he was not on the committee at the beginning stages and could not speak to that. Feilmeyer asked Kamp if he agreed that Attachment D, Option A is the best option. Kamp agreed that the Steering Committee feels that is the optimal and most practical option. Bierbaum asked Abraham if choosing the location first is consistent with how the city would do a development like this. Abraham used the example of Furman Aquatic Center, stating several locations were looked at and once the location was chosen the design work started happening. Rowan asked if the CyRide stop had been a part of the discussion. Kamp stated that work would be done by the traffic engineer. Dana Barnard. (1502 Duff Ave). Spoke in support of this item Barnard is also a member of the Steering Committee. She would like to speak to the Commission on the benefits of placing this facility in Inis Grove Park. She stated she is a long time physical therapist in the community and her expertise is working with peopl e of all ages with disabilities. She explained that if placed in Inis Grove, this facility would be close to the hospital which is important as this population often has problems with seizures and increased falls. It would also be out of the flood plain cutting down on mold and mildew which effects this population more than the average population. A p erson with disabilities is 25 percent more inactive than their peers because of barriers they face, lack of transportation, lack of funds and lack of accessible facilities. Locating this facility in a central location will give people of all ages better opportunities for wellness. There is access through CyRide and they won’t have to pay to use this facility. In terms of Inis Grove, it is a premier park with beautiful green space which, in her opinion, is all the more reason to locate this facility there. We need the opportunity for those people with disabilities (including her daughter) to enjoy the facility and the rest of the park. Jennifer Ellis (301 S Sheldon Ave) Spoke in support of this item representing the Friendship Ark. Ellis states that the Commission has the chance to advocate for individuals with disabilities. She explains that for years these individuals have been told you can’t work live or play here and have been shown that they are not valuable members of their communities. The Miracle Field and all inclusive play ground is an opportunity to have something the rest of us take for granted, the opportunity to recreate, socialize and belong. As far as safety is concerned she states that for many years youth soccer was held in Inis Grove and she agrees traffic increased for a few hours while the youth in Ames had the opportunity to participate in an athletic event. It is her opinion that the participants and those involved were safe, pointing out that the average traffic accident rate is only 1.4 per year in that location. She asked the Commission not to allow a few in opposition to influence their opportunity to do what is right Russ Wilson (2820 Thompson Dr) Spoke in opposition to this item. Wilson lives near Camp Camaria (sic). Being a block away from the park means he can hear the noise from the camp and the shelters. Is concerned about the project having a PA system and he does not think it is right. He also feels as though losing any green space results in kids having nowhere to play pickup games. Moran asked Abraham if the facility would be open for people to use for pic kup games. Abraham replied that the intention is for the facility to be open to everyone. Kristin Pates (2914 Somerset Dr) Spoke in support of this item. Pates states that she supports the project and the Inis Grove Park Location. She feels that the location has been fully vetted and trusts the process that has been used. She stated that she was intimately involved in the development of Roosevelt Park and was satisfied in the process in every way. Susan Teas (2003 Polk Dr) Spoke in support of this item. Teas informed the Commission that her children had been involved in a variety of activities in Inis Grove including soccer, flag football, baseball and graduation parties. It continues to be a beautiful park in a beautiful location. The difference she sees now compared to when her children were young is that the park is empty. There are no soccer or baseball field s. The green space is beautiful but it does not invite people to come in and play. She applauds the extensive study that has been done and completely agrees that the only appropriate placement is in the open space west of the tennis courts in Inis Grove Park. She wanted to point out that an inclusive playground is not a place for persons with disabilities but one that includes all ages and abilities who can enjoy playing together safely in a beautiful park in the midst of our city. It does not exclude anyone. Denny Howell (2309 Kellogg St) Spoke in opposition to this item. Howell has safety concerns. He feels that he didn’t know anything about this. He states even though there were e-mails sent out, people may not have opened them. He wants to put this facility at the Middle School and does not understand why we are not putting playgrounds that all kids can use throughout Ames. Abraham informed Howell that there are ADA requirements for playgrounds and most of the playgrounds have surfacing that is ADA compliant. Unfortunately many of the playgrounds are 20 year life structures. Some have ground components and some have transfer stations. None of the playgrounds in our system can do what this is going to do. Howell has concerns about the liability of the insurance for the City of Ames. He asked what this would do to the City’s liability insurance if a child runs out. He alleges he does not want to delay the project but he wants more to be done on the Middle School site. He asked Staff to add to the Capital Improvements Plan to put in one park, maybe even Inis Grove, a playground for the “handicapped kids” but put this main facility at the Middle School. Bierbaum inquired on the liability aspect and if it would be different from any other park. Abraham pointed out that there are many parks on corners including Roosevelt and Duff Avenue parks. Judy Parks (1809 Woodhaven Cr) Spoke in support of this item. Parks informed the Commission that her younger brother is profoundly disabled with the developmental age of approximately two. At the time he was born society had fewer options and opportunities in terms of residential, educational and recreational support. Her parents had two options, keep her brother at home or surrender his custody to the state (which would remove him from the community in which they lived) and institutionalized. She stated that his needs and the time spent to meet his needs were so great that the other five children in her family would be neglected, so her parents had to choose to surrender his custody. Her brother grew up very far from the family. She states that the system has changed in a very positive manner with the realization of society that people with mental and physical disabilities should be in the community where their family and support system lives. Her brother now lives in Ames in a Friendship Arc home where he gets to be a part of the community. She states that she is in support of this location. It has the suitable topography and infrastructure as well as shelters and shade. In her opinion the central feature is that it is not marginalized or isolated. She does not like that we are a community that provides better recreational opportunities for our dogs than our people with disabilities and their families. Parks continued that if someone’s lack of support is because they have no experience interacting with or even seeing people with disabilities because we so marginalize them, remember those with disabilities are able to experience joy just like the non disabled. She closed, “I’m here as an advocate for those who have disabilities and who need this facilitiy to be able to enjoy the same recreational opportunities as the non disabled, with the non disabled. I would like to invite you to take a step towards achieving that”. Mary Ann Russell (3314 Polaris Dr) Spoke in support of this item. Russell states that she visited the Miracle League in Anken y today with her program. She feels this park would help people with disabilities and the people who don’t. She would like the park to be at Inis Grove Park because it is more accessible for people who are in wheelchairs. People with disabilities should not be hidden. We are part of the Community too. She states that the schools are not a good idea because PE will be using it during the school year and we don’t know what hour’s people can use the park if it is at a school. She is fighting for people who have disabilities and she is a person with disabilities and she is a part of this community. Moran asked Abraham about other facilities that are on school property. Keith explained the agreements regarding Municipal Pool agreement where the Parks and Recreation department gets 2.5 hours of lap swim during the day and use of the pool again at 5:30 PM. With regard to the tennis courts, the school can use them during the day; however 2 courts are to remain open for public use. Lauren Wernau (205 Dotson Dr) Spoke in support of this item.. Wernau is in favor of placing the facility at Inis Grove Park. Families can use the park and explore the rest Ames has to offer. Just like people in Ames travel to Ankeny, o thers will come here and use the park. She explained that it is easy to navigate to this park and is easily accessible to people who don’t know Ames. She feels we should want to invite others to our community and share our community with them. She feels the central location celebrates our community with disabilities by not hiding them. She feels the Middle School puts them off to the side and isolates them into their own park. She also states that as an educator she knows that middle school aged students are not very nice. While they are out at PE and there are children playing on that park, there will be words said to those children and something as simple as one word can change their whole day. At Inis Grove it will only use 25 percent of the green space leaving 75 percent which is plenty of room. As for those who are concerned about noise pollution she states that she lives next to Hilton and she understands what noise pollution sounds like. The Miracle league is not going to be a bunch of drunken, raging baseball fans. It is a loving and caring environment and the noise that is created will humble you. Lisa Heddens (2401 Westwind Dr) Spoke in support of this item. She informed the Commission the death rate of persons with disabilities is heightened when they feel loneliness and the lack of friendship. These people need to feel included in a community. She spoke regarding the evolution of the disability movement. Where once people with disabilities were housed out of mind and went to special schools; now they go to school in their neighborhood and all they want to do is participate in their neighborhood playground. She understands the park neighbors have an issue with the location. She reminded us that the persons with disabilities are not asking for anything more, just a level playing field. She has a son with intellectual and physical disabilities. She informed the Commission that having a playground that has the infrastructure and the flat space is an important issue. Mary Jane Brotherson (1206 Michigan Ave) Spoke in support of this item. Brotherson explained she is a retired professor whose research, teaching and advocacy have been in this field for over 40 years. Her point is that yes, this is a premiere park in Ames and yes, it has beautiful green space and trees and it’s centrally located and accessible. She feels that this is what the community of individuals with disabilities and their families and friends deserve because they have been marginalized and invisible for so much of our history. She feels it is forward thinking and has so much vision to say that we are going to give this the best location we have we are going to give this and make this an opportunity for this population in Ames. What she would like to speak about safety. She admits that there are a lot of safety concerns with this population. Just like any, these children do face a lot of safety concerns. In her opinion, this does not preclude Inis Grove Park. There would be safety concerns in any other park. She wanted to conclude with the fact that she has two young adults with disabilities. It is her hope that they and their friends can use this park that they feel so valued and included because you have given them a space in the premiere park and can be out there enjoying it with all the other people in Ames. Amber Corrieri (2012 E 13th St) Representing Main Stream Living spoke in support of this item. Corrieri informed the Commission that she was a member of the Exploratory Committee that began conducting research on sites and then became a member of the Steering Committee. She asked to address some issues that have been brought up regarding traffic and CyRide access. The City will be reaching out to the bicycling community and the neighborhood regarding bike lanes, pedestrian crossings and other traffic calming measures as part of the transportation plan. She also wanted to speak to land acquisition. She stated the Exploratory Committee did look at land acquisition for th is project; however land is very difficult to find in Ames. The biggest reason Inis Grove rose to the top was because it is visible with a central location which supports what it means to be inclusive. She also wanted to comment on the Des Moines Miracle League Park. In her opinion it is not a good place for a Miracle Field. It is in an industrial area and not near public services and other amenities. She states it is locked with no allowable use when it is not being used by the Miracle League. In her opinion, that is a poor example of what it means to create an inclusive facility. She states that it has been difficult to read some of the comments in the media and social media this week as well as some of the things being said at this meeting. She feels what we will gain will far outweigh the loss of some green space or the noise when you open your windows on a Saturday morning and hear the sounds of a child that has previously sat on the sidelines have the opportunity to proudly sport their jersey and play baseball just like their brothers and sisters and class mates. She would like to say to the neighborhood that she knows change is difficult but this is the opportunity to embrace something that is so special. Shelly Jaspering (823 Duff) She has previously spoken to the Commission regarding this location. She agrees being close to the hospital is a big benefit for this location. Jaspering asked about the size of the new playground. Abraham informed her that the new playground is maybe a third of an acre. Ebbers informed the Commission that he had with him a petition in opposition to this project. Abraham informed him that his petition should be delivered to City Clerk. Bierbaum stated that he loves this park and yes, he does feel that this would change the character of the park but he does not think it is a bad thing. He agrees with Abraham that this could be a destination playground for kids in Ames. It is unfortunate that we have looked at all these options and there was only one option, but it is not a bad option. Rowan keeps coming back to inclusivity. Children should all be able to play together no matter what their abilities. She understands the concerns and she feels it is really hard make this decision. Johnston thanked Jaspering for her comments at a previous meeting. Johnston said she had a light bulb moment at Jaspering’s comment regarding wanting to be in the same place. Johnston said in her head she was thinking Lloyd Kurtz would be a perfect place as it would all fit and it would be all by itself. Jaspering’s comments changed the way she thinks about the whole project. Litwiller thanked everyone for their comments. As she was listening these are the things that came up for her. This is a progressive community and we want to continue to move forward and provide programs and provide facilities that meet the needs of people of all ages and all mobility’s and all walks of life. This is an opportunity to bring families together and it’s a humbling aspect as well. It is a tough decision and we should not procrastinate any more. Moran thanked everyone who has been working on this and all the residents on whatever side you are on. He agrees it is a hard decision. Moran wants the neighborhood to know that he had reservations on Inis Grove when he first heard it. He has looked at all the options and saying that Inis Grove was the only thing looked at is a completely false statement in his opinion. We have looked at many different places. He does not think it destroys all the green space but it will be modified and changed. Moran fees that the m ajor resistance he sees is that there is uncertainty in the concept. We can blend this into the current aesthetics in the park. He feels that the Commission has done the right thing in slowing this process down. Feilmeyer agrees with everyone else. She states that there are two incredibly important competing interests, an underserved population and the neighborhood. Feilmeyer does have incredible concerns as land is at a premium in Ames. She feels the City must protect what we have and any elimination of green space is a really, really big deal. She states she would not support a lighted ball field being put in Inis Grove but she could support this ball field in Inis Grove. She does not support lighting this field and has concerns about the storm water management. She feels like she can be supportive of this because of the type of park it is and the population that we are proposing to serve. There’s something about the process where we have parts of the community who are really mad about this and questioning the motivations of either group. She fully respects the neighbors concerns and glad they want to protect the community’s park and want to protect the green space. But she is also glad there is a group out there that wants to make sure that our citizens who are not able bodied have recreational opportunities. Feilmeyer does not feel that there was the due diligence that there needed to be regarding land acquisition. Bierbaum asked Abraham if the design could come back to the Commission to make sure the neighborhoods concerns are addressed before it would go to the Council for final approval. Abraham said the neighborhood will be invited to participate during the design process through open houses and meetings. Abraham stated that Staff could bring the final design once this process has been completed back to the Commission before it goes to the Council for approval. Moved by Bierbaum, second by Rowan to approve Option 1 with the addition that Staff would bring those designs back to the Parks and Recreation Commission for discussion and feedback. No Discussion. No Opposition. Motion Passes. b. FLC Skateshop Request to Waive 10% Abraham went through the FLC Skateshop request to waive the 10% fee. He reminded the Commission that there were concerns about waiving fees for a for profit enterprise. They would still like to sell in the park during the ribbon cutting and dedication event and place the 10% fee into the scholarship fund earmarked for clinics or other scholarships. Motion by Bierbaum, second by Johnston to allow FLC Skateshop to sell items during the event and that the 10% fee from this event would go into the Parks and Recreation Scholarship Fund with no stipulations. No Discussion. No Opposition. Motion Passes c. Healthy Life Center Update There has not been a meeting since the last meeting. d. Ribbon Cutting Events Abraham shared information regarding upcoming ribbon cutting events. e. Project Update No update was given. f. Correspondence Abraham sent 37 pages of correspondence to the Commission members earlier. MONTHLY REPORT There were no questions for staff. COMMISSION MEMBER COMMENTS Feilmeyer wants to make sure we are always on the lookout for acquiring additional park land. She would also want like make sure things in the CIP are accessible to our disabled population. Bierbaum asked about updating the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. In our budget is an ADA assessment of all of our parks and facilities. ADJOURNMENT Moved by Bierbaum to adjourn. The meeting concluded at 7:47 PM Next Meeting: - Thursday October 20, 2016 at 4:00 PM