HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-08-27 - MinutesPRAB Members Present:
Staff Present:
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BUSINESS:
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PUBLIC MEETING
WALKER PARK EXPANSION
AUGUST 27, 1992
7:00 pm
Alexander, Anderson, Jenkins, McConnell
Clark, Braswell, Cox,"Edmonston
See attached
Morning News-M.B. Lohr, NWA Times -Rusty
Garrett, Grapevine- , Claudine Stark-
KIX104, Channel 29/40, Channel 5
Parks and Recreation Director, Dale Clark, called the meeting
to order and introduced PRAB, Parks staff, Media, and individuals
running for a City position. He also gave definitions for a
regional park, a community park, and a neighborhood dark. Steve
Alexander welcomed all guests and asked that everyonebe_brief.
Ila Campbell - I am here on behalf of the Friends of Youth
Recreation, which represents over 2,000 of our
youth in the City of Fayetteville which are
actively involved in the•sports program. The goal
of this group is to provide an organization that
helps finance and meet the needs of the
Fayetteville Youth both now and in the future. It
is our understanding that there is more than
adequate area to facilitate the needed sports
fields and parking, and still have extensive area
for nature. There are over 56 Bambino Baseball
teams playing on 6 fields. There are over 750
children in the soccer program playing on six
fields. There is absolutely no room for growth.
We have pushed our existing facilities to the
limit. The Fayetteville Soccer Association and the
Bambino Baseball League have written proposals
stating how their needs can be met. Tonight, I and
others wish to make a statement in favor of our
children. We ask you to put their needs at the top
of your priority list, and that we all work
together for their benefit. There is certainly
enough talk about the needs of today's children. I'
challenge everyone here tonight to unite behind our
children and to work together for a goal that will
clearly benefit everyone. Thank you
Kathryn Laurain-I am a representative for the Friends of Walker
Woods. I am not against youth recreation, but we
should be able to accommodate that without
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sacrificing the natural state of the woods. There
should be some other options such as practicing on
Wednesday nights or land in the City that has
already been cleared. Industrial Park is clear and
flat land. How much will it cost to complete each
project?
Steve Alexander -I cannot answer that question right now. We are
just here to gather input. That question will have
to be directed to the Parks Division at a later
date.
Laurain- How many moret fields are needed to accommodate the
children?
Campbell- We would like to keep fields together, and it would
help in maintenance costs. Bambino needs two
fields now, and eventually six fields. Soccer will
need two additional fields for future growth.
Including the parking lot, this should take 15 to
17 acres which would leave over half the land to be
developed for nature area.
Laurain- Do you think lengthening the season of scheduling
different would help?
Dennis- Kelly- President of Bambino Baseball League
We have already lengthen the season and are playing
until 10:00 pm. Saturdays we play from 8:00 am
until 10:00 or 11:00 pm. Sundays and Wednesdays
are not used because of church. These two days are
used as rainout games.
Laurain- We are not against youth, but we think preserving
trees would be as big an asset.
Joe Alexander- Has anyone asked what the kids want? I enjoyed
ball in the street, in the vacant lot, at the
school, and on the organized Little League field.
When I look back, I realize the places I most
enjoyed were the lot, the street, and the school.
The diamond was too organized. As a kid, I liked
things kind of rough and wild. I have a small farm
close to Fayetteville and a lot of friends bring
their kids out°there. What I have noticed is that
the first things the kids like to do when they get
there is run down to the creek where there are
trees and wild animals. Kids often like things
that are not too perfect, not well organized. They
like things wild. I think it would be a good idea
to ask the kids and see what they would like, maybe
a survey. The current City Government is- not
financially or environmentally responsible so they
should not make any decisions on this issue. That
is why we voted for a new government.
Larry Tabor- President of the Soccer Association
We are registering soccer players now. Last year
we had 769 kids. We have the most successful
program in the state. We have 850 kids signed up
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this year. We have filled all 70 of our teams. We
get 15 to 20 calls a day and we are turning kids
away. This should show what the children want.
There are 36 teams practicing at churches and other
parks because there is not enough room on soccer
fields. We also have to schedule some teams on
half of a field to practice. Thirty-two acres is a
lot of land. As Ila said, what we want is less
than half of the acreage there. If we can meet
these long tern needs of the kids and still leave
half for nature and trails. We could leave a
buffer on the residential side. This is a perfect
opportunity for compryomise. It seems like every
issue that comes up in town anymore is so decis_ive.
We live in a fine community. If you look at some
surrounding facilities, Fayetteville does not
compare. It may be more economical if we had flat,
cleared property. It seems the fields should stay
together. Please give priority to our youth.
Ted Laurain- I played sports all of my life. I \live in the
Walker neighborhood and this seems like an
invasion. When you add the new land to the old
land, it will be like taking over. It is nice
hearing kids from a distance, but not that close.
I would like to see both happen, but I just wanted
you to know how the neighborhood felt.
Jack Butt- I grew up in City Park. There is lot of nature in
parks now. This track would be a nuisance if left
wild. Bad things happen in wild areas. In City
Parks, these things happen now in bushy parts. The
neighbors need to be considered in the planning of
the park. Organized structured activities can be
combined with nature. I am concerned about over
nature zealous activity. Rough unmowed areas
create a nuisance - a hot bed of crime. Preserve
the finest trees. Letting the park grow up becomes
a dangerous options. This needs to be a managed,
manicured park: Hate to waste the land.
Barbara Pritchard- Mother of four with all participating in soccer
and baseball. Youth should come first. The core
of commitment to community needs to be with the
youth programs. Advantage to have all kids games
in one spot. Kids fondest memories are soccer,
baseball and watching old films. My kids would say
"give us what we need for a quality youth sports."
As Boy Scouts, my kids like nature. This could be
the best of both worlds. We need to trust the
professional landscape architects of what they put
together for the design of the park. -
Zina Starr- Also lives on South College and has four sons who
play. My sons like having the woods across the
street. Understand the need of baseball fields.
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We need to recognize sports and nature. They don't
want to run on asphalt trails thru the trees but
thru the real nature and snakes. We need to set
aside wild spaces in the middle of the City.
Bob McAnarney- The City seems to have a majority of the citizen's
interest in hand. It is time we support the City.
We can't compete with other city's facilities.
They generate lot of revenues because they get
tournaments and this money helps pay for the
facilities. This would improve the property value
of neighbors.
Robert Royce- No doubt we need fields. Is this the appropriate
place. Relief lines will have to be removed by the
City. This creates costs. One mile from Walker
Park is land owned by the •City in Industrial Park
that is flat and has been sitting there for years.
We can spend our money on facilities instead of
removing so many trees and the relief land. Cities
must preserve areas like this and have a better
quality of life. Like Chicago with a woodland
surrounding it. Most of the oak trees re 100 to..
150 years old. This is a neighborhood with low
income and senior citizens that needs are not be
represented tonight. Lots of senior citizens .in
this neighborhood want the peace. All of the
sport activities going on here, we have a traffic
problem, pollution, and are taking over the
neighborhood. I am for protecting the trees and
don't want to spend as much money as it will take
in a another location. I believe we need the sport
facilities. We will regret cutting the trees some
day.
Wayne Stout- There are trees way over 100 years old on this
property. I helped collect money to blacktop
College Avenue. I live on College and llth Street.
= I don't want to live across from ballfields going
on late at night. Should clear the underbrush.
Dave Kerwin- Supports the Children's sports, but also for older
folks. Excellent for exercise stations and a
fitness trail. Leave natural with the underbrush
cleared out. If we build on part of it, the land
will attract more nice people, maybe not so many
homeless. It needs to be a quiet park.
Don Elliot- Need to compare use of nature to youth sports.
When you compare the two, a lot more people would
be served with the sport fields. Look at the
highest use and best use. This is the best place
to put the ballparks. Over thirty years ago the
first ballfields were built here and this has -been
the use.
Coralie Koonce- Having a grove of trees is different than having
just a few. Amphibians are disappearing all over
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the world (frogs, salamanders). This is an
ecosystem.
Dennis Kelly- President of youth baseball ages 6 to 12. Most
kids have brother and sisters, with some from
single parents. If we start splitting •locations
most can't play. Parents can't drop young kids off
at different places without parental supervision.
Baseball is great for kids to have the opportunity
to learn. We can give more kids a chance if we
have the room. For some, kids, this is all they
have.
Carol Conger- Sense mutual respect at this meeting. Dispute
started when thought the city already had plans for
the land. I'm glad there will be two more meetings
so we don't act in haste. What if we didn't own
this land. Look at other options such as
Industrial Park, other land on 15th street for 1/2
the price. People in the north have Gulley Park
obtained as natural and people in the.,south want to
preserve nature. We want the same\options the
north people had on Gulley Park. Please everyone
come back to the other meetings. I've learned from
all the speakers.
Nese Nemec- My kid and myself play softball. Wilson is the
only softball field within a neighborhood. Most
kids don't bother the neighbors.' This meeting is a
true spirit of compromise. Concerns of putting
fields in a neighborhood. I view a buffer area.
Consider the neighbors.
Zina Starr- Do soccer and baseball fields have to be in the
same place? Maybe move all the soccer to one park
and make -another all baseball.
Jean McClellan- Compromise solution is the best. Why can't we
form a planning committee form all groups to find
use of this property.
Frank Conners- Don't wan to see people that live there suffer.
Have never heard of anyone asking for nature parks,
only after other plans has been made. Find out
where nature people want to preserve before the
land is purchased with a commitment. I have kids
that went to different areas to play ball and it is
a real headache. Why can't nature parks be thought
of before. This land has already been paid for.
Mike Oglesby- I think the park can be used for both.
Barbara Moorman- Remember the Town Creek situation, we got the
Arts Center parking lot. In a compromise, everyone
has to give something up. Leverett Woods was
another place that none listened. We need to watch
compromise. The City just bought that land.' We
didn't ask for a nature park because it wasn't a
threat. Across 6th street there is 38 acres for
$60,000 that is flat and it belongs to the Walkers.
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why didn't the City consider that land? Please
consider a survey on how many fields, number of
kids, days played a year, hours played a day. Why
a parking lot?
Dan Coody- Would like to research all of the options from
tonight. Thanks for having good attitudes.
Steve Alexander- This has been a real pleasure. We forget how
important everyone's opinion is. Keep the positive
attitude.
Dale Clark- Received a letter today from the Sang Center
requesting a building for senior citizens. A
special thank you to the school system. It is
important to be in the neighborhood. The next
Public Meeting is tentatively set for September 28.
Kathryn Laurain- Is this an appropriate time to get the committee
to have something for the next meeting.
Jean McClellan- If the house stays, it would be good for the
senior citizen's food program.
Dale Clark- We are looking at this and for a summer daycare
program. Right now the Park Maintenance staff are
there to prevent vandalism.
Barbara Moorman- This is the old Archibald Yell Estate. The house
was torn down in the 70's. He and two wives were
buried there, but now they have been moved. Five
slave graves are still there. Don't overlook the
historical significance.
Don't forget traffic problems. The parking lot
should come out on 15th Street.
Greg Anderson- There is a logical process. By next meeting, there
will be a concept plan..
Meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.