HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-05-01 - Minutes•
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PRAB
REGULAR MEETING
MAY 1, 1995
Members Present: Driver, James, Knight, Mackey, Stone, Waite,
Members Absent: Richard, Savage
Staff Present: Clark, Dugwyler
Guests Present: Hal Brown, Cyrus Young
Media Present: Rusty Garrett, Ron Wood
BUSINESS:
I. MOTION:JAMES/WAITE
The minutes from the April 3, 1995 meeting were approved
unanimously 7-0.
II. LAKE FAYETTEVILLE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY CENTER
Driver: Cyrus Young has asked that this resolution be
changed to an ordinance. This resolution states that
this property be preserved in its natural state to be
used by the school districts as an environmental study
center.
Young: The original resolution that was passed was vague
especially on the location. This really jumped out at
me. It says the eastern portion of the Lake property.
This might also include the land on the east of 265 where
United Way building is going to be located. I just
wanted to nail down the location and by passing the
ordinance it would strengthen the resolve of the property
for the citizens of Fayetteville.
Driver: Are you saying the property east of 265 be
included in this ordinance?
Young: No. The property shown in exhibit A will be the
legal description of the study center. I have discussed
this with Jerry Rose. We decided we need a survey and
have actual legal description not general description.
Mackey: Does your exhibit delete the 40 acre tract of
land on the east of Highway 265?
Young: Right now this is Fayetteville's property but it
will be the United Way building.
Mackey: We have also approved the area to become a Babe
Ruth baseball complex. This portion is deleted from the
study center description?
Young: Yes.
Mackey: In the event that the school system decides to
abandon this as a study center, would the improvements
revert back to the city?
Young: That is a good question. Hal Brown or Jerry Rose
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would need to answer that. This is for the people of
Fayetteville. It is a joint venture.
Mackey: I would like it to state in the ordinance about
reverting back to the city if the school wanted it some
day for something other than a study center.
Young: So you are saying the if the school wants to use
the property for another use, then it should stay a study
center and revert to the city?
Mackey: I want it to be used for the citizens of
Fayetteville.
Young: The whereas in the resolution state that this is
to be used by everyone not just the school children.
Although they do not have a lot of legal ground right
now. There are a lot of others that enjoy the study
center right now.
Mackey: I want to commend Hal Brown on the super job he
does out there.
James: This ordinance won't affect the trail, will it?
Clark: No.
James: This original resolution was in 1973 and stated
for 50 years. Will this push it another 50 years from
1995?
Young: That is what I am proposing.
Waite: This won't swing around to south side does it?
Clark: No.
Young: This is referred to this board for a
recommendation.
MOTION:KNIGHT/JAMES
The PRAB recommends to the City Council to adopt the Lake
Fayetteville resolution as an ordinance.
MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY 7-0.
III. PARKS TRUST FUND
Waite: I made a proposal to the Trust Fund for funds to
enable us to advertise for the HMR tax. They voted us
authorization to spend up to $10,000. We did say we
would attempt to hold it down to about $5,000 and only
use the rest if we need it for the final stages of the
campaign. We do have the funds to conduct a reasonable
campaign.
James: Will some of the be used to hire someone to help
us?
Driver: That is what it is basically for.
Waite: They will donate a substantial amount of that.
A huge amount spent will be principally television ads in
the last few weeks. They will work at cost or below for
us.
Driver: I am meeting with a subcommittee of the Chamber
of Commerce who has asked to discuss what this proposal
is all about. I hope we get our charts and graphs ready
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for presentation. We need to schedule a time to go
before the City Council to get their recommendation to
place this on the ballot.
Clark: Should we start the process to get this on the
City Council?
Driver: Maybe the second meeting of June would be good.
IV. DAVIS PARK PLAYGROUND
Dugwyler: I am seeking approval to spend green space
money for this. We do not have enough in the CIP. We
will need approximately $11,000 from the green space
account. This will be a tot lot for ages 2-5. The one
at Wilson and small one at Gulley Park are tot lots.
This is the age that use playgrounds the most. All of
our other playgrounds are designed for ages 5-12. I feel
it is important to have a tot lot at this park. There
are two items that add considerable cost to this.
Instead of a wood border, I would like to try a sidewalk
around it that you can ride tricycles on. Instead of
using pea gravel or sand, I would like to use cypress
mulch. It will pack down and it accessible. It does not
rot like other woods. It is very attractive. The
project cost is complete.
Driver: What is the approximate life on this?
Dugwyler: This is a new company. They have a playground
in Mountain Home that has been there four years. They
are 100 percent pleased. At the Baptist Church here they
are pleased with theirs. The one we took out at Wilson
has been there a little over ten years. The standards
change so fast. The wear and tear is not as fast as
having to change due to standards.
Driver: What is location?
Dugwyler: If you look when pull up to park, this is to
the left.
Driver: Did Sid get out to Davis?
Clark: He will take surveying equipment out, but he
thinks it would feed the pond. He will report within
next few days as to undercutting the sewer line.
Waite: We need to get this park usable for people soon.
Driver: Do we have the funding for the sand volleyball
court?
Dugwyler: We have applied for an LWCF grant. Dale will
be going down May 24 for the presentation. We did not
score very high because we have already received two
grants recently. We will know the first part of June.
This grant includes basketball courts and playground.
Stone: Last time I was there it was a marshland.
Driver: That is the problem we talked about. Sid
Norbash is going to see if it is possible to redivert
instead of bringing in fill.
Dugwyler: This price is just an estimate. We still have
to get bids.
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MOTION:WAITE/KNIGHT
The PRAB recommends to approve green space expenditures
from the northwest park district up to $11,000 for a tot
playground at Davis Park.
MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY 7-0
V NATIONAL TRAILS DAY
Dugwyler: National Trails Day is June 3, 1995. I have
written a sample news release for the details we have
firmed up right now. Ken Easton, State Trails
Coordinator will be here. The Mayor will not be
available but he has recommended Stephen Miller. The
Botanical Garden Society will lead guided walks. The
first is at 10:00 am until about 11:30 and the second is
at 1:00 pm. One will be about the trees and the other
about plants. The dedication will be around 11:30. I am
working on speakers.
Driver: It might be a good time for Tim Ernst to speak.
Dugwyler: He will be out of town. The National Forest
Service might have someone there. I have a call in to
Tim Hutchinson. We will probably have the southern part
of the trail done by then.
Clark: Wade is walking and tagging the trail.
Waite: We need to talk to Wade and organize a feature
race there.
James: Dale got a letter from Little Rock stating
regulations for the bridges and these have been forwarded
to the City engineer.
Mackey: I remember a few years ago a large fraternity
got on the Wilson bridge and it collapsed. Will this
bridge be designed for overloads?
Clark: That was an old bridge.
Driver• One of the members of the botanical garden
society and successfully removed some of the blue paint.
I think the group that did the painting might help remove
it.
Clark: We have been discussing this and we will work on
it.
Waite: I think a run could be really nice out there.
We could also talk to John McDonald.
James: I talked to Wade and he thought it was a really
good idea. We could invite cross country or have an
individual run.
Driver: I think the activities for trails day would be
better than listening to speakers. Five or ten minutes
should be enough.
James: The speaker at Lake
was a good time.
Dugwyler: I am working on
has any ideas?
Driver: I took my class
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Wilson was 15 minutes and it
music activities. If anyone
there last week and it was
great. We hiked and enjoyed the sunshine. This trail
will be a great asset to our community.
VI. GREEN SPACE
LAFAYETTE-GREGG APARTMENTS
Owner/Developer: Bob Kelly
Location: Corner of Lafayette and Gregg Street
Park Dist: SW
Units: 18 multi family
Acres: .64
Land dedication: .36 acres
Money in lieu: $4,320
Master Plan: No priority; neighborhood 10; 38 existing
acres; 1990 needs 54.5 to 109 acres; 2010 needs 56 to 114
acres.
DISCUSSION:
Driver: I know our staff recommendation is money in lieu
of land. I have some questions on this site related to
our trail network. This is because of the possibility of
trying to link Gregg Street all the way through. It will
be good with our joint meeting so we will have the
foresight to take green space along this trail in the
first place instead of coming back later.
Knight: Is there a master trail plan?
Driver: There is a proposed master plan that has not
passed committee. It is available for your viewing.
Knight: Does it come close to this property?
Driver: Yes, but it has not been adopted. The whole
trails effort needs coordination. The current
coordinator is in the planning office and has many other
things to do. The question is what commitment do we have
to develop the trails network and we need to put planning
efforts in this.
Knight: As this stands with no more information,it looks
like we would accept money.
Driver: We have had one piece of property where we
accepted money and it on the master plan. We might need
to reconsider that.
Mackey: The intersection at Gregg and Lafayette is very
dangerous. I am for money in lieu because I don't see a
way for parking spaces and a trail.
Knight: Dale, the staff recommendation is money. What
do you think?
Clark: This is close to Wilson Park. It is less than
one acre and the green space requirement would be almost
half of that. The easy solution is money in lieu but if
we are making a trail network it might be different. But
I worry about using green space for trails. If this is
our responsibility we might never recover this land if we
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don't do it now. I don't feel a lot of responsibility
for the trails right now because it has never been given
to me.
James: Where is the existing 38 acres of parks now?
Clark: Wilson Park and school playgrounds.
Stone: Gregg needs to go on through there to get to the
University.
Driver: That low water bridge is dangerous to even walk
across because of the traffic speeding by.
Stone: It is dangerous for Wilson Park because of the
speed that people go.
Driver: I am sure this will be widened and a
thoroughfare. My question is will there be a bike lane
along it?
Knight: I feel very little responsibility right now on
trails as a PRAB member until someone tells us we should
be developing trails here or here.
Driver: I would rather wait to make this recommendation
until after the joint trail meeting.
Waite: When we talk about bike lanes along the street,
it is not like the trail at Mud Creek. It is really an
expansion of the roadway. If you put a trail along the
street, it is not park land.
Driver: I agree, but if everyone passes it out of their
hands and allows this developer to put 18 multi family
units there, then the land may have to be condemned later
and the City would have to buy it.
Waite: I still see this as jointly the Street Department
and Trails Committee. If they come to us with a concrete
proposal that to increase the easement is to exercise the
green space ordinance, we can listen to that.
Stone: Many people bike to the University now. It is
very hazardous up Wilson Street and crossing that low
water bridge.
Waite: I agree there needs to be a bike lane, but who
will take care of it?
Drivers That is the reason for the May llth meeting.
The PRAB needs to work with the City's needs. We are an
arm of the City Council just as the Trails Committee is.
We need to have our questions answered as to whose
responsibility it is.
Waite: I think we should table this if there is time.
Knight: I think we should go ahead and recommend money
in lieu.
Mackey: I hate to hold up a developer.
MOTION:WAITE/STONE
The PRAB recommends
until next meeting
meeting of the PRAB,
Planning Commission.
to table Lafayette -Gregg Apartments
after the results from the joint
City Council, Trails Committee, and
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MOTION TIES 3-3, DOES NOT PASS
MOTION:MACKEY/KNIGHT
The PRAB recommends to accept money, $4,320, in lieu of
a land dedication for the green space requirement for
Lafayette -Gregg Apartments.
MOTION TIES 3-3, DOES NOT PASS
*Lafayette -Gregg Apartments will pass on to Planning
Commission with no recommendation.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Clark: I will try to cover the Rick Guyton item. He
lives on Highway 16 East just east of the White River
bridge towards Elkins. He has about ten to twelve acres
that backs up to Lake Sequoyah. There are a lot of houses
being built along the lake property line. This is not
the first time I have visited with Mr. Guyton. For years
people have used our property to run their cattle on and
have got out and damaged Mr. Guyton's trees and yard.
Mr. Guyton feels that the man that is responsible for the
cattle does not have a lease to use city property. He
wants us to research and update all agreements around the
lake. When the property was purchased many years ago,
some people had life right uses to this property. Some
people reserved the right to pass this to their children
for agricultural purposes. However, many of the leases
said everything terminated when the original owner sold
the property or was deceased. I see that we can request
the land agents to research these. Sturman said he had
these files at one time. If people are using this that
no longer have leases, we will need them to cease use.
We may need to better identify the boundaries. Rick is
concerned that there are a lot of guns being fired at
night which means poaching may be a possibility. We
might work with State Parks or Forestry Commission to
encourage habitat here and have it classified as a game
preserve and protect it this way. It is not int he
City's best interest to have anyone using this property
without a legal agreement.
Knight: It sounds like Rick Guyton has a very valid
argument. The first step is through research
Mackey: I researched at the courthouse in 1984. There
were 18 to 22 agreements. They permitted the owners we
were taking land from to graze or pasture as long as he
lived. The agreement ceased if the property was sold or
the owner was deceased. Herb Lewis still had an active
agreement at that time. These agreements should be in a
file in the Purchasing agent's office.
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Driver: How long does this research take?
Mackey: If the files are no longer there, it could take
two days to research with the acquisition map at the
courthouse.
Driver: Who does the jurisdiction of poaching fall
under?
Clark: Any police work on city property is under
Fayetteville police. any game problems would fall
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. They would check as
called.
Mackey: I feel the City should pay to have these
boundaries defined. If people are hunting on City
property, that is a violation.
Knight: Step one would be to find out who can and cannot
use the property.
Clark: We will research this and send a letter to people
who may be in violation. I think there are only two or
three families left. I do think it is important to
determine the boundaries.
Mackey: I would recommend that all licensees be
identified, both valid and invalid. Also, I think we
need to define boundaries as time and budget will permit.
Driver: Let us invite Mr. Guyton to the next
meeting. He might be the person to spearhead
the volunteer movement out there.
Knight: I am supposed to look for land in the northwest
and southeast. I have talked to several realtors and we
have not come up with anything. If anyone has any ideas,
let me know.
Driver: What about off of Hamestring in the northeast in
the flood plain?
Knight: All I have is what is listed. We may have to
dig.
The meeting adjourned.
Minutes Approved: