HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-11-06 - Minutes• • • PRAB REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 6, 1995 The meeting was called to order by Susan Driver at 5:30 pm in room 219 of the City Administration Building. Members Present: Driver, James, Knight, Mackey, Richard, Savage, Waite Members Absent: Stone Staff Present: Clark, Cox, Dugwyler Media Present: Rusty Garrett, Jennifer Pinkerton Guests Present: Patsy Brewer II. I MOTION:MACKEY/WAITE The minutes from the October 2, 1995 PRAB meeting were approved unanimously 7-0. II. PROPOSED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR NAMING PARKS Knight: We looked at criteria. There is a valid request to name a park Veteran's Park to recognize all veterans. We thought of the area north of Crossover by the United Way office and the proposed Babe Ruth fields. It is great to recognize veterans and veteran organizations might help us develop that park. Driver: Do you need motion? Mackey: Do you see putting a monument to have names added as recognition comes due? A motion will be made at the next meeting. LEWIS STREET LEASE Driver: Habitat for Humanity would like us to have the U of A change our lease on the Lewis street property to free up some land so they can buy it. Clark: It is south of Mt. Comfort. They want us to release our lease so they can pursue this wooded area 1 • • • IV. across from the soccer complex. The only thing it might help us with is parking. I don't see us putting parking across the street unless we had to. Right now it serves as a buffer zone between soccer fields and the residents. I don't have a recommendation now. It was part of the entire lease but I don't see us using the land. Richard: If we don't have a use for this I think this makes sense. Waite: We need to recommend to the City Council. MOTION:RICHARD/WAITE The PRAB recommends to the City Council to release the southeast portion of the Lewis Street lease from the University of Arkansas. The Parks Department has no plans to develop this piece of land. MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY 7-0 Patsy Brewer: I am the Director for Habitat for Humanity. Manny Hardaway found this property. It is very difficult to find flat property and this appeals to us. It would allow nine families to become homeowners that would not otherwise due to income. They have to work with us by building their own home and helping with another. It costs $42,000 to build with a market value of $62,000. We want to leave wooded buffer behind this. We would ask U of A to donate first. We have already talked to University. Savage: Isn't there a ditch on the North side? Is this where you will put access? Brewer: Yes Green Space Marvin Gardens Owner/Developer: Robert Westpahl/Jorgenson Location: South of Mission, West of Hwy 265 Park Dist: SE Units: -25 �,1-e—f cinrt ami Acreage: 10 acres Land Ded: .63 acres Money in Lieu $7,50-0 4qp 00- \14t1)400 2 Master Plan: Priority 1, neighborhood 4; existing acres -7; 1990 needs 22 to 45; 2010 needs 25 to 50 acres Clark: This is close to Park Place, lot of open land. MOTION•WAITE/KNIGHT The PRAB recommends to the Planning Commission to accept money in lieu, $7,500, for the green space requirement for Marvin Gardens. MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY 7-0 Bois d'Arc Phase I Owner/Developer: Richard Bundrick Location: S of Cleveland, E of Sang Park Dist: SW Units: 10 single family Money in Lieu: $3,000 Land Dedication: .25 acres Master Plan: Priority 1; neighborhood 10; 38 existing park acres; 1990 needs 54.5 to 109; 2010 needs 57 to 114. Jorgenson: This has been before you. This is only part of all of it. There are ten lots in phase I. The total will be 20 or 25 single family units There is a temporary cul-de-sac on east. MOTION:KNIGHT/WAITE The PRAB recommends to the Planning Commission to accept money, $3,000, in lieu of a land dedication on Bois d' Arc Phase I. MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY 7-0 V Mud Creek Discussion Laura Andres: I am the lawyer representing the property owners. We want to make everyone happy. The property owners had the right of first refusal. Jack Butt, Sweetser, and I have found a way. There is a detailed settlement agreement. The City will get $8,000 from the property owners to buy back a buffer zone. This • will leave a 25 foot strip on south side of creek for park. The Thompson/Sweetser will go to court with a • • January 1996 court date. Driver: Was right of first refusal if he sold the land? Andres: He said if he did anything with the land best as I recall. Driver: The letter from Butt says sell. Andres: I will mail you deposition. If don't accept settlement could go on for years. City will end up deciding if they want to condemn the property eventually and take the land. Who would take care of this property in the meantime. The value would probably go up. This is a win win situation. The city get the trail, money for the trail, and the neighbors are happy. Richard: According to this letter from Sweetser's lawyers, I think basically he wants to wait until the Thompson case is settled. Driver: Read the letter. It appears that the wishes of Mr. Sweetser are that the lawsuit be settled before we decide. Anders: Last I heard it was okay. I think there are lots of hard feelings. If we don't stop this now, everyone will have to keep paying lawyers. Richard: Every property owner has agreed? Anders: From lots 5 to 21. Mackey: Would this document signed by property owners be included with deed? Rose: Yes the deed has already been accepted. Mackey;; I think this is a good idea. Neighbor: We have come together as a neighborhood. We do not want to fight anymore. It would be all over with your vote. We would keep paying money for a lawyer though if we have too. Waite: This won't solve the Thompson case? Driver: Mr. Sweetser's lawyer asked no negotiation until Thompson case is over. Neighbor: You have the authority to end this now. Little: I think PRAB and City Council need more information. 1. total acreage on south side, 2. Amount of acreage owners are wishing to purchase 3. 4 What would be left for the city, is this enough land for a trail? Also address the credit. Driver: He denied the credit. Mackey: If the settlement were accepted, would there would be new deeds issued? Rose: Yes because you would be selling them land. Waite: You want to sell the park land? Richard: I never thought it was a good idea to accept this. I do agree on trails, but. Rose: I thought when Jack Butt presented this that Mr. Sweetser had decided he did not want to sell this. I don't think the City Council expected the PRAB to make votes on the merits of the lawsuit. They were interested in your advise if it would be a good idea park wise to extend their land into the park land. The purchase price is important and would this leave the city sufficient land for what is intended? Would it be a good thing from a Parks and Recreation point of view? Their emphasis was not for you to make a legal opinion. etc. Richard: Sweetser is also Mackey: We left this as no see us needing a trail this proposal, I said great, we get their yard back. Waite: If we go down to 25 feet, I am not sure this is the optimum place for a trail. donating $10,000. vote last year. I did not size. When I saw this new get a trail and the people MOTION:WAITE/KNIGHT The PRAB recommends to the City Council to take no action on the Mud Creek property until the pending lawsuit of adverse possession by Michael and Linda Thomson has been settled. MOTION APPROVED 4-2-1 Mackey no; Richard no; Waite yes; Driver yes; Knight yes; Savage abstain; James yes Neighbor: This is really getting out of hand. This was originally planned as a trail and now it is a lot more. This is childish and getting out of hand. Man: Who actually owns the land? Rose: The city is the record owner. 5 VI: McCann: Why are you putting this back to Sweetser? Driver: You know I have been a proponent of this trail. I have visited with other cites with trails. It is an asset to property value, I would not recommend tying the City's hand in this matter. I think that at the present moment we would not want to develop the trail aesthetically prohibiting to anyone. I think Sweetser has given a gift that will be rewarding in years to come. McCann: It will devalue the property without buffer zone. Driver. We have repeatedly voiced our concerns to help with a buffer zone. McCann: This was not donated for park land just to the city. Ed Hogan: Do what you want to do because that is what you want to do from the start. HMR TAX Driver: One week and one day until vote. What is the approval for expenditures? Waite: This can be used for promotion and development of parks and recreation areas. Money will be deposited into a special fund for parks and dispersed by the Mayor upon approval by the City Council. Driver: That answers the maintenance question that it can. There were about 4,000 voters in the last special election. I hope we can get a big turnout. VII. CIP Report Clark: Walker Park beginning to take shape. The lighting will come later. Our push was to get it going for this year. Lewis restrooms had $75,000 budgeted and came in at $125,000. The restrooms is what cost so much. I have a meeting with the architect and the bidders tomorrow. The Lake Fayetteville South pavilion is 40 x 60. We were trying to go with a laminated beam. We had $50,000 budgeted and it came in at $60,000. Both have to be handicap accessible. Driver: What response from City Hall did you get to have one engineer for our projects? Clark: Very positive. The RFQ's for engineers are out. They are working on the trail at Wilson and 6 • • • bridge being designed. OTHER BUSINESS: Knight: I talked with Sweetser on the property south of Zion. It is very valuable property and he wants to develop it. He said there is a creek and maybe give us some land someday. Driver: If you put the trail in at time of development then it would be okay. Meeting adjourned 6:40 pm. Minutes Approved: 7 • • Ll A 5CO77 5/ 0 2-slel v • (5oNybaggllyvhil i7Mes 7 0 Cdid l 2� C rR 2( re ctvad a VaaC c„ iN-\ ecpidt Z l l4 k Co v rs l. 02yCaentl NGV - ewpavic putmax, ecku4155/67u ozogoe.„,„, td,!, 3O0( Ck) uaLtneJur, ?G A607 bc. P