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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Park and Recreation Commission Meeting 12/05/2013AMES PARKS AND RECREATION Commission Workshop Minutes DATE: Thursday, December 05, 2013 COMMISSION PRESENT: Vikki Feilmeyer, Alisa Frandsen, Melissa Rowan, Julie Johnston, Leo Milleman, and Ed Moran Absent: Jason Schaben STAFF: Keith Abraham, Kellee Omlid, Joshua Thompson, Steve Schainker CALL TO ORDER: 4:04 PM PUBLIC FORUM Kathy Hanson – Edwards Neighborhood Association Kathy came to discuss what is going to happen to the school and grounds once Edwards closes. Neighborhood members met with the school district because they are interested in having the area be a neighborhood park. The neighbors understand that Parks and Recreation would accept this land if clean and green. This is a desirable area because it is west of campus, north of Lincoln Way, south of Emma McCarthy Lee and east of Dakota. The neighborhood association wants to get on the radar to get money budgeted for park development. The Association may also solicit donations to demolish the existing school and ask the School District to donate the entire parcel to the City. Keith Abraham informed the group that he had spoken with school district representatives and the estimate for demolishing the building is $300- 400,000.00. Melissa Rowan asked, “What will happen to it if it is not demolished, will it just sit there like the Middle School?” Hanson answered that the engineers who looked over the building said it is not worth saving and the developer who is building behind the former Litzel Lumber site is not interested. Keith Abraham stated the City would be interested in all or a portion of it. “There is an asphalt pad and two parking lots. If we were using it for youth sports, everyone would be parking on the street. We would have to inspect the parking lots and determine if one or both should stay. Playground equipment is good and it is our understanding that it would stay. DISCUSSION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Keith Abraham reviewed the matrix used by the Commission and staff to determine what projects become park of the capital improvement plan (CIP). Projects are based on whether they 1) Support City Council goals; 2) Promote an active lifestyle; 3) Number of potential users; 4) Diversity of the facility; 5) Potential for funding partnerships; 6) Potential for a friends group to emerge; 7) Potential for facility partnership with the School District or ISU; 8) Anticipated increase to the operational budget; and 9) Anticipated capital cost to develop. He also explained that the Capital Improvement plan is a five year plan but money is only appropriated for year one. Sometimes things move up, sometimes things move down, sometimes things disappear. Generally new things are not put in year one of the plan. Municipal Pool Maintenance On behalf of the Commission, Alisa Frandsen and Keith Abraham sent a letter to City Council regarding the Winakor bequest and pursuing a new indoor aquatic center. Council referred it to staff and it is planned for staff to report back at the December 17 meeting. Melissa Rowan asked, “Should some of us be there?” Steve Schainker stated that maybe a joint meeting with the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Council could be held before the meeting starts as the agenda not done yet. Another option would be to come in January, and talk to them about it then. Leo Milleman stated that we should start the education now and go to the City Council in January. Abraham will follow-up with a date and time. 14/15: TBD 15/16: TBD 16/17: TBD 17/18: TBD 18/19: TBD Facility Improvements 14/15: Energy Efficiency: Replace air conditioners and furnaces at Gateway office and Park Maintenance Homewood Golf Course: Install additional cart paths River Valley Park: Replace the irrigation system at the Softball Complex Bandshell: Weatherproof the domed roof 15/16: Auditorium: Replace carpet in the isles; install a new ceiling in the 2nd floor restroom, replace the sound shell Brookside Park: Renovate the restroom Community Center: Volleyball standards, curtain in the gym Inis Grove: Stair s ystem improvements North River Valley: Install irrigation on youth sport fields and remove baseball diamond (if we get donated the HS field in Brookside) 16/17: Bandshell: Replace stage lighting Inis Grove: Renovate the restroom adjacent Duff Avenue North River Valley: Install parking lot at youth sport fields 17/18: Community Center: Refinish wood gymnasium floor Inis Grove Park: Install irrigation on sport fields Carr Park: Remove bath house and construct new shelter. Milleman, “Are the Carr Pool bath house restrooms open or are they locked up?” Abraham stated that they are not open. Milleman would like to see us put a year round gathering place in that location. Abraham stated that the consultants said that it would be over $400,000 to renovate. To remove and build new would be the same price. The plan is to take it down and make it a shelter like the others in the parks system. Gateway Hills Park: Install erosion control at Carroll Marty Disc Golf Course 18/19: Administrative Office: Exterior building improvements/repairs Homewood Golf Course: Replace the current clubhouse with a new building. It would be 1,000 to 1,200 square feet and cost $300,000 to build. Milleman would like to see this be a year round community gathering space. Abraham stated that the vision for this would be indoor restrooms, some offices and then an open space with tables etc. River Valley: Renovate softball diamond The infields were last done approximately 1985 Brookside Park: Remove wading pool and construct a spray pad out of the flood plain. Currently we have to staff this pool. A splash pool would not need to be staffed. Playground/Park Equipment Improvements 14/15: Duff Avenue, Greenbriar and Miller Elementary School (play structures) 15/16: Daley (play structures) 16/17: Teagarden, Hutchison (play structure) 17/18: Inis Grove (play structure) 18/19: Christopher Gartner (play structure) Abraham stated that the department tries to replace playgrounds every 20 years. Abraham wanted to know what the commission members thought about a playground at Greenbriar. The apartments that are being built there now are more like the Grove. (Student Housing) Ed Moran said “I am assuming that there are a lot of kids in that area?” Melissa Rowan stated “Over 100.” Moran: “It’s so close to the road there. Where would you put it?” Is it really an attractive site to put one on?” Abraham, “On the North side of the parking lot so there would be a buffer.” Joshua Thompson showed the members a piece of equipment that was about a $20,000. Plus benches and other items would be used there. . Ada Hayden Heritage Park 14/15: Resurface south trail loop, install a parking lot in northwest corner 15/16: Resurface north trail loop 16/17: Nothing 17/18: Establish prairie on the north portion of the park Abraham informed the group that the city was looking at paving Grant road. If we would do a parking lot off of Grant road as an alternate to the road project there could be a cost savings. Melissa Rowan asked “Is there any kind of bike lane planned on the road project?” Schainker “No” Abraham also informed the group that there is the potential to purchase 35 acres as an extension of Ada Hayden. “However, the land really would not be a good park extension.” Steve Schainker stated “I don’t think we are going to be interested in it.” City / School District Gymnasium Partnership: Gymnasiums Purchase Industrial Grade Basketball / Volleyball Standards 14/15: Meeker & Mitchell 15/16: Fellows & Sawyer Abraham informed the group that we are moving this forward. ISU has made modifications to the volleyball standards that they have and now they love them. “We don’t have the fee per student worked out the School District yet. The gyms can be closed off from the rest of the building so we would not need a custodian to be there. We could have two adult volleyball matches going on at the same time. We could have programs at some of the other schools or open up the Community Center for other programs. We don’t have the numbers from the district yet so we don’t know.” Furman Aquatic Center 14/15: Paint the basins 15/16: Nothing 16/17: Nothing 17/18: Install speed slides. Would you lose the prime real estate for sunbathers if you installed the speed slides or the “toilet bowl”. Is this the best thing to do? We will have to have more conversation and research. After 5th season, is typical for painting the basins. Ames/ISU Ice Arena 14/15: Replace rubber floor in hallway and locker rooms, replace lighting above ice and in the building to increase efficiency 15/16: Install surge protection 16/17: Replace the dasher board system Brookside Park 18/19: Replace light fixtures (park lighting) Tennis Court Improvements 14/15: Resurface courts at Inis Grove 15/16: Nothing 16/17: Resurface courts at McCarthy Lee We are changing how we repair the cracks and hope to have the repairs last several more years, Roosevelt Park 14/15: Develop the neighborhood park Inis Grove 15/16: Construct a restroom north of the tennis courts Moore Memorial 16/17: Install a pedestrian bridge across Squaw Creek to connect to 40 acre parcel on west side and to ISU property (previously the YMCA grounds) May be pushed back a little bit as we go. (350K) for the bridge. How do you connect the paths all the way up. Would have to be joint with ISU as well. COMMISSION INPUT / PRIORITIZATION NEEDED POTENTIAL PROJECT IDEAS Ada Hayden Heritage Park: Trail access from the north. Commission Recommendation: Is there a way to get into the park from the north side? Make it a future project. Brookside Park: Tennis court lighting Commission Recommendation: Not a high priority we have other lighted tennis courts in the system. The School District is interested in developing the 24th street site and getting rid of HS courts which are owned by us. The current agreement goes through 2023. We have no desire in moving those courts. Campustown Court: Provide more green space. Commission Recommendation: This is a very small area. We have already done renovations to that to make it more inviting. We don’t plan on doing any more to this area. Children’s Memorial Park: Develop a memorial area within the park system Commission Recommendation: We should utilize Moore Memorial around the pond area. Tree plantings and benches through donations. Community Gardens: Additional space within the park system. Commission Recommendation: Look at current areas within the park system where we have water and parking in place. Adding some gardens to the north at Kurtz, Hutichson, Christofferson, or Carr Park. Have water and parking in all those areas. Crawford and Edwards: Subject to the School District “gifting clean and green acreage to the City”, transition these parcels into neighborhood parks. Commission Recommendation: Accept this property and develop it in the future. Furman Aquatic Center: Increase parking by approximately 45 spots. Commission Recommendation: Not a high Priority North Growth Area: Neighborhood park in potential area to be annexed. New growth and annex area, work with developers to set some space aside for a park? Commission Recommendation: As these areas are developing, work with developers to have a neighborhood park. Sunset Ridge: There is a Grassy Area with nothing there. Maybe an acre. Maybe a playground there? Would we have to buy the land to do it? Commission Recommendation: Explore this further. Could we work with the owner to develop a neighborhood park? The area is covered by Daley but children would have to cross Lincoln Way. Space off of South 5th Street (west of Boys & Girls Club): Purchase land for a neighborhood park. There is no parking, flood plain. Commission Recommendation: Not interested in park development here. Tom Evans Plaza: Improvements requested by Main Street Cultural District. Could we alter the look, change paths, etc. Stage area etc. Melissa Rowan asked is the Pyle project was still on hold? Keith stated that the permit request has been pulled and not refiled. Commission Recommendation: Let them raise some money to do that. We added green space and now they don’t want it. Any renovation of this area would still have to address drainage along the buildings. Steve Schainker stated that the good news was that we have exciting projects. However, we can’t finance it all. Local option sales tax projections are $400,000 under our budgeted amount. This hurts our property taxes and one time capital improvements. He does not like to put things in the plan that are not financeable. You will have to decide what you want to do. The new items requested 14/15 are as follows: The cart paths at Homewood Greenbriar and Miller playgrounds Meeker and Mitchell gyms. Maintenance at Ada Hayden trail loop and parking lot ($200,000) Irrigation for River Valley. All six softball fields. ($90,000) Ames ISU Ice Arena floor replacement and lighting ($215,000) Melissa Rowan, “ Is it normal for communities to invest in the school playgrounds and gym space? Do other communities do it?” Abraham, “Yes. Coralville Iowa City are two cities that have done so.” Steve Schainker said “It is not going to break us by helping them.” Of the new things Leo Milleman is in favor of the schools and playgrounds etc. Melissa Rowan asked if there are things that have already been pushed back for budget reasons. Joshua Thompson said that things have been moved around because the monies were out of proportion. Nothing has been pushed back. The Community Gardens and a Memorial are exciting projects. Trail Access from the North – Not in next year. (put it in the 5 year) Keith Abraham, “Any other comments? This will go to council on January 28th. “ Steve Schainker, “What are we doing with Furman Aquatic Center Staffing? The Commission is recommending that we stay open and try to keep as many amenities open as possible. Steve Schainker: We need to look at what are we going to do and educate the public on our plans. Leo Milleman would like to see the department develop some kind of community building or gathering space. . Tack it on some other space - to the indoor pool or the golf course”. Alisa stated that the Commission Members need to go to the joint meeting with talking points ready. Pictures. Etc. What are the potential opportunities out there? ADJOURNMENT The workshop meeting concluded at 6:18 PM. Next Meeting: Thursday, December 19 at 4:00 PM