HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-06-01 - MinutesFAYETTEVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD Minutes for June 1, 2009 Opening: The regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was called to order by Chairman Wade Colwell at 5:35 p.m. on June 1, 2009 in room 326 of the City Administration Building at 113 West Mountain in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Present: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members Colwell, Biendara, Waite, P. Jones, Mauritson, and Meinecke were present. Hatfield and Meldrum were absent. Staff members Edmonston, Humphry, C. Jones, Jumper, Gipson, Thomas and the audience were present. 1. Approval of May 4, 2009 PRAB Meeting Minutes PRA Motion: Mauritson motioned to accept the minutes as written, and Meinecke seconded it. Motion passed 6-0-0 by voice vote. 2. Botanical Garden Monthly Report: Walt Eilers Walt passed out the report and discussed what it takes to operate the Botanical Gardens. He said the first Sunday Fanners Market drew in as many people as the Thursday's Farmers Market. There are approximately 5,000 different species of plants in the gardens. Every plant is labeled. No pesticides are used. A bat house was put up last month, and the bats have started to arrive. This will help keep the insect population down. 3. Park Land Dedication: Alison Jumper, Park Planner Development Name: Engineer: Owner: Location: Park Quadrant Units: Total Acres: Land Dedication Requirement: Money in Lieu Requirement Campus Crest Jorgensen and Associates Campus Crest Development South of MLK Blvd, east of Government (old sale barn property) SW 192 Multi -family units 10.75 3.26 acres $130,560 *Final fees to be determined at Planning Commission approval* Existing Parks: World Peace Wetland Prairie, Park land and trail at Hill Place, Walker Park, Frisco trail and Gregg Ave. natural area Developer's Request: Dedicate approximately 0.395 acres of trail corridor for the extension of Frisco Staff Recommendation: Estimated Annual Maintenance: Justification: trail and remaining fees in lieu (approximately $114,760) Dedicate approximately 0.395 acres of trail corridor for the extension of Frisco trail and remaining fees in lieu (approximately $114,760) $731 Frisco Trail is shown in this area on the FATT plan, otherwise the existing parks in the area will serve the needs of the development's residents. PRAB Motion: Per Jumper's request, this item was pulled until next month. 4. Park Land Dedication: Alison Jumper, Park Planner Development Name: Engineer: Owner: Location: Park Quadrant Units: Total Acres: Land Dedication Requirement: Money in Lieu Requirement Park Hill Jorgensen and Associates West of I-540, south of Persimmon (part of the Mountain Ranch Development) SW 13 Single Family 0.192 $7,680 ** Fees for 5 single family lots have already been paid with the final plat of Mountain Ranch Phase I. *Final fees to be determined at Planning Commission approval* Existing Parks: Developer's Request: Staff Recommendation: Estimated Annual Maintenance Justification: Dale Clark Park, Shiloh trail Money in lieu Money in lieu N/A . The existing park and trail in the area will meet the recreational needs of this development. PRAB Motion: Mauritson motioned to accept the Staff recommendation of money in lieu, and Biendara seconded it. Motion passed 6-0-0 by voice vote. ld 5. Recreational Summer Programs Report: Chase Gipson, Recreation Superintendent Gipson passed around the program activity list, along with the summer camp information. This is the fourth year for summer camps. This year they will start June 15, 2009. More people have registered for swimming lessons than at this time last year. For the Dive -In Movies, there is a 25 foot blow up screen. An offer of hire was made to Brad Dutton for the Recreation Program Softball Manager. He accepted, and will start full time June 15, 2009. 6. Regional Park Update: Connie Edmonston, Parks & Recreation Director We are working on the deed, and should receive it soon. The survey is being finalized. Colwell said that whatever happens, we still get the land 7. Other Business: A group of citizens came to PRAB to discuss their concerns with the City tennis courts. Nancy Ward talked about the letter to the editor she sent to the NWA Times. She says that the long time residents of Fayetteville need access to the tennis courts more often. The City needs to think smaller and more local access for tennis. There should be more courts so people don't have a long wait period. Maybe the courts can be centralized. Every park with level ground should have a court. She would like to see a plan for new courts. Colwell asked what a new tennis court would cost. Edmonston said that it cost $550,000 to renovate six tennis and one basketball court Ward said that the courts are playable at Walker. Edmonston said there are only four courts at the high school. Parks has always worked hand in hand with the school system. Parks will put the tennis courts in community parks, not neighborhood parks. A guest citizen asked why. Edmonston said because it was cost prohibitive. Biendara said that contractors should look at installing courts in new developments. Mauritson said that the University only has courts scheduled to use from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. a couple of times a week, and the rest of the time the courts are open. It's hard to satisfy everyone. The immediate situation is a misunderstanding of who has access to the courts. The guest citizen said that there are six courts at Wilson. Parks and Recreation lets the University of Arkansas subsidize the courts. The U of A won't let anyone play on their courts, but Parks lets the U of A take up playing time on Parks tennis courts. Gipson said there have been a lot of complaints in the past on this issue. The U of A agreed to move some of their tennis time to Walker. The guest citizen wanted to know why people that wanted to play tennis had to ask the U of A if they could use a public court. Why is Parks allowing the U of A to use the courts? Fayetteville citizens support the U of A through taxes. The U of A then uses public property, rather than building their own and taking care of itself. Maybe Parks shouldn't renew the U of A contract. Also, don't hold hands with Fayetteville High School so they will make their own courts. Mauritson said that some of the Fayetteville Schools have public parks. Edmonston said that the school system is talking about more tennis courts with the new school. Ward said that she understood that the school plan doesn't include tennis courts. Colwell said that Parks has a caring relationship with the school system. The guest citizen said that it's not a green concept to put in courts where they won't be utilized. Public courts are public courts, but the courts are being used by other entities that should have their own courts. Colwell said that PRAB needs to get comments from the high school. Edmonston said that the Regional Park may get help from outside people such as the Fayetteville Tennis Association (FTA) for tennis courts. Ward wanted to know who the FTA was. The guest citizen asked if they could get information about this group. Gipson said that everyone is aware of the issue of not having enough tennis courts. Parks and Recreation is trying to address the issue. Also, a group of twenty-five or more can fill out a special event form to reserve courts. The guest citizen said that he got the rules and regulations last year, but he lost them. He remembered the rules saying that that you can reserve something, but other people can use it also. Edmonston said that he was talking about pavilion reservations. 0 The guest citizen asked about tournaments. Mauritson said that if you have a contract, then the group can limit who plays. The guest citizen said that the U of A has had a contract for months. Edmonston said that Parks is talking to the U of A about the tennis situation. The guest citizen said that he waits and waits for a tennis court, and then can't get one because a group comes in that has reserved the courts. Mauritson told the group that they had a good start by coming and presenting their problem to PRAB. There are not enough tennis courts, but the budget that Parks has is limited now. The guest citizen wanted to know how many people are needed to change a situation. Mauritson said there was no fixed number. The guest citizen asked if they formed a group called the Senior Public Tennis Group, and wanted to reserve a court, could they? Gipson said that there needed to be at least twenty-five members that are part of that specific activity, and they have to reserve it for at least six weeks in no more than two hour blocks. The guest citizen said that in Florida the courts were reserved for three days a week for senior doubles. Would that be possible here? Colwell asked how many in the group were retired, and most of them were. He suggested that they put together some schedules and submit. The guest citizen thanked PRAB for listening. Humphrey said that the Wilson pool had some maintenance done on it. An antisuction device was installed, as well as a different pool drain. Colwell asked when the pool would open. Gipson replied it would open on Saturday, June 6, 2009. Edmonston said the budget would be more challenging this year. We have to spend less in 2010 than in 2009. Aubrey Shepherd, another guest at the meeting, asked if anything had come back from Pinnacle Prairie. C. Jones said that the wetland determination was being made. She will contact Deb again. Shepherd wanted to know that since it was for a natural park, why it mattered. Edmonston said we needed to know what type of land the park had. Shepherd said it was never anything but a field. It has never been plowed. There are lots of native plants. The neighborhood is excited about the wetland. He said that it is a beautiful site. People need to visit the site about once a week to see the changes. Mauritson said to continue to be patient. Also, to the citizens of Fayetteville, we do have access to Southpass. Shepherd said that that too much red dirt has been hauled in, and rich black dirt has been taken out in places. Prairies are natural rain gardens, unless you mess up the soil. Waite asked how often the U of A contracts the tennis courts Gipson said it happens every semester. Meeting adjourned at 6:48 p.m. Minutes taken by Melanie Thomas