HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-03-05 - Minutes�Itn�H'•M1'
FAYETTEVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION
ADVISORY BOARD
Minutes for March 5, 2012
Opening:
The regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was
called to order by Steve Meldrum at 5:33 p.m. in Room 111 at the City
Administration Building at 113 West Mountain Street in Fayetteville,
Arkansas.
Present:
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members Mason, Meldrum, Waite,
Watson, and Paul were present. Thompson arrived later. McKnight and
Hodges were absent. Staff members Edmonston, Humphry, Jumper,
Gipson and Thomas were in attendance.
AGENDA:
1. Approval of February 6, 2012 PRAB Meeting Minutes:
Meldrum said he had a typo correction, but would address it to
Thomas at the end of the meeting. The correction has been made.
PRAB Motion: Watson motioned to accept the minutes, and Waite
seconded it. Motion passed 6-0-0 by voice vote.
2. Park Land Dedication: Alison Jumper, Park Planning
Superintendent
Development Name: Project Cleveland
Engineer: McClelland Consulting
Owner:
Location:
Park Quadrant:
Units:
Total Acres:
Land Dedication Requirement:
Money in Lieu Requirement:
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Engineers, Inc.
Specialized Real Estate Group
Northwest corner of Cleveland
Street and Hall Avenue
SW
222 Multi -family
2.65 acres
3.774 acres
$150,960
Existing Parks: Lewis Soccer Complex, Wilson
Park, Hotz Park, Scull Creek
Trail
Developer's Request: Money in lieu
Staff Recommendation: Money in lieu
Calculation: 222 multi -family units proposed X $680/per unit = $150,960
Credit for 4 existing single family units X $960/per unit -$ 3,840
Credit for 60 existing multi -family units X $680/per unit -$40,800
Developer's Comments:
Justification:
Annual Maintenance Cost:
_ $106,320 (balance)
Lewis Soccer Complex, Wilson
Park, Hotz Park, Scull Creek
Trail are within one mile of
the proposed development.
The size of the proposed
development site is less than
the park land dedication
requirement.
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Jumper said the development name is Project Cleveland. It's on the
northwest corner of Cleveland Street and Hall Avenue. It's in the
southwest quadrant, and will have 222 multi -family units. The
developer's request is money in lieu, as is the staff recommendation.
They will receive credit for existing units on site.
Meldrum asked if this was the site of the off campus smoking facility.
Seth Mims, a representative from Specialized Real Estate Group, said
yes.
PRAB Motion: Waite motioned to accept the staff recommendation
of money in lieu, and Mason seconded it. Motion passed 6-0-0 by
voice vote.
3. Botanical Garden Society of the Ozarks Report: Phillip
Watson, PRAB Representative
Watson said that he went to orientation yesterday. Due to the warm
weather, the Botanical Gardens are approximately two months ahead
of schedule with their plantings. New members are coming in.
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4. Ultimate Frisbee Report: Phillip Watson
Watson is the president of the Disc Association. In 2011, there were
250 members, and each member paid $20. Watson said the $5,000
went to the City. They have two tournaments a year- the Harvest
Moon, and the Dan Gabor tournament. The Harvest Moon
tournament is their big fundraiser. They also have a winter and a
summer league. They give money to traveling teams, which include
high school, open teams, women's teams, co-ed teams, and Grand
Master teams. They have an endowment for a permanent
scholarship, as well as a disc program for kids.
5. Park Land Dedication Ordinance Update Presentation: Alison
Jumper, Park Planning Superintendent
Jumper said this year the parkland dedication ordinance is due to be
updated. It comes before the board every two years. It was first
updated in 2006. The formula has remained the same. She said what
needs to be considered is the current service level, the current cost
per acre, and the current service area for neighborhood parks. The
person per unit has changed from 2010. The numbers Parks uses
come from the NWA Regional Planning Commission. Their data is
updated every ten years. Jumper had a slide from the PowerPoint that
showed the comparison between the current formula and what is
proposed.
Meldrum asked if it would have a negative impact on Parks ability to
provide parks by changing the structure from single family to multi-
family if what is being seen is mostly multi -family.
Edmonston said that couldn't be helped. She said it's an impact fee,
and that's how many people are living in single or multi -family
housing.
Meldrum said that it would be the persons per unit, not the actual
cost structure.
Edmonston said yes. She said there has to be some type of standard
to go by.
Mason said the numbers may include college kids.
Edmonston replied that the dorms and student housing numbers
aren't used.
Mason said that sometimes student housing isn't easily identified.
c
Meldrum commented that if the data is averaged over a year, they are
making their estimate.
Edmonston said that she's not sure how the estimate is made. She
added that the data and numbers are solid and many people use
them.
Jumper said all the parcels between June 15, 2010 and December 31,
2010 were looked at. The high and low were taken out, and the
average stayed about the same. Only three parcels were added.
Jumper added that Parks just wanted to provide the data to the
board, and put it on the table.
Meldrum asked how it would change if the parcels in the planning
area were taken out.
Jumper said it wouldn't change.
Meldrum said that he feels that the way Parks has been doing the
park land dedications is fine.
Edmonston said this was how it was done in 2006, with five acres or
larger. She added that no decision needed to be made until the board
was comfortable with it.
Jumper commented that the parcels under five acres are pulled out.
Thompson said it needs to stay the same for two or three years so that
the developers would know how to plan.
Meldrum commented that he thought the methodology is fine. He said
he wanted to see what was going on outside the city limits. He added
that PRAB needs to be flexible with it.
Edmonston said once PRAB approves this, it will go to the Planning
Commission and then to Council.
Paul wanted to know why an open space policy wasn't being pursued.
He said Austin, Portland, and other big cities are doing it. He said the
City of Austin has talked about a fee per unit basis. He added that to
be comparable to other cities, Fayetteville needs to be more
progressive in the formula.
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Meldrum commented that if someone bulldozed twenty units and put
in two, there would be no impact on the City. He added that probably
no one would do that, but it was an example.
Edmonston said that in 2009, the City hired someone to evaluate
impact fees.
Paul said that he thought the City should look at open space impact
fees.
Edmonston commented that whether the development was spread
out, or in tall apartment buildings, it's the same number of people to
impact the parks.
Meldrum said that Fayetteville's acre per person is very high. He
wants to make sure that parks are being provided for people.
Jumper said the current service level is much higher than the
national level.
Humphry said that Fayetteville's service level is becoming increasingly
more difficult to maintain.
Meldrum said he is receiving more comments about connectivity for
the parks. He asked if that was true of other members.
Several members said yes.
Riley commented that the trail at his apartment complex doesn't
connect. If it did, he said he'd use it more.
Gipson added that more people are reluctant to allow their children to
go to the park by themselves.
Meldrum asked if this would help Regional Park.
Jumper said the parks are still quadrant driven.
Meldrum wanted to know when a decision needed to be made.
Edmonston replied that it would be made when PRAB was
comfortable with it.
Aubrey Shepherd, a guest, said natural parks have rich, dark earth
that is good for community gardens. Natural parks don't take the
same level of maintenance as areas with playgrounds.
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Thompson commented that the flexibility to use natural areas won't
change.
Meldrum asked if the members wanted to take a month to think
about it.
Waite said he was comfortable with it.
PRAB Motion: Waite motioned to approve the staff recommendation
of using the National Recreation and Parks Association standard
formula for park dedication. Mason seconded the motion. Motion
passed 6-0-0 by voice vote.
6. Other Business:
Edmonston commented that the HMR went up in January.
Meldrum read the upcoming events.
7. Adjournment:
Meeting was adjourned at 6:28.
Minutes taken by Melanie Thomas.
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