Loading...
2006/02/27 Planning Commission Minutes ROHNERT PARK PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES February 27, 2006 The Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission met this date at 7:30 p.m. for a regular meeting at the Rohnert Park city offices, 6750 Commerce Boulevard, Rohnert Park. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. with Chair Hansen presiding. INTRODUCTION OF NEW COMMISSIONER AND OATH OF OFFICE—Recreation Services Manager introduced and welcomed new Commissioner, Fred Coleman. Mr. Coleman gave some of his personal background and stated he was looking forward to being a member of the Commission. Manager Miller administered the Oath of Office. ROLL CALL Present: (7) Commissioners Bird, Black, Butler, Coleman, Griffin, Hansen, and Stevens Absent: (0) None Also present for all or part of the meeting were Recreation Services Manager Guy Miller, and Senior Planner, Maureen Rich . APPROVAL OF MINUTES—Upon motion by Commissioner Griffin and second by Commissioner Black, the minutes for the meeting of January 23rd were unanimously approved as submitted. UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCE/PUBLIC COMMENT -None SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCE/PUBLIC COMMENT -None OLD BUSINESS Status of Playground Renovations—Recreation Services Manager Miller reported he had met with the city's Deputy Chief Building Official and Management Analyst regarding the playground renovations. Three of the four recommendations for playground renovations were approved by the City Council at their last meeting. One council member still had some concerns about the Ladybug Park renovations. Manager Miller reported he and Building Official Peter Bruck and Analyst Tacata had gone to look at the sites to see if there is a way that the renovations can be done using the U.S. Communities contract which would allow approval of the bid through Ross Recreation, • the contractor that prepared the designs. He reported that construction may still have to be put out to bid, and this has delayed the whole project. Manager Miller advised one City Council member would still like to see the playground at Ladybug Park moved and was concerned about the equity spent being equal to other areas of the city. She was comparing money being spent on two parks in the C Section. Manager Miller said he tried to stress that the Commission did not look at the renovations by section but looked at individual parks. The Council member wanted them to look at the entire park, and Manager Miller said this was not the charge, but the Commission may be looking at this in the future. The Council member also had concerns about the sand area and any sanitation problems that may occur. Manager Miller stated that sand has been a part of the park playgrounds for many years with no Page 1 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes February 27, 2006 problems. He spoke to a REMIF representative and was told they had no problems with using sand. Discussion followed. Manager Miller asked the Commission if they wished to look at the Ladybug Park design again. Commissioners Butler, Griffin, and Black stated they are satisfied with the design. Commissioner Bird stated he is happy with the Ladybug Park playground design and agreed with Commissioner Black that if equity is a problem, he would rather look at improving the mini parks in the L Section. Commissioner Black pointed out that the L Section does have a swimming pool which neither park in the C Section has. Commissioner Griffin confirmed with staff that moving the playground would make the project much more expensive, and Manager Miller agreed that was true and the whole park project would have to be redesigned. Chair Hansen said he would like to look at the park and feels it is important to find out if all aspects of the park are being used, which will be done during the Commission's park audits. Commissioner Griffin made a motion to approve the playground design of Ladybug Park as previously recommended. Commissioner Black seconded the motion. Commissioner Black pointed out that she thought all four park playground renovations had been approved by the City Council with the acknowledgement of some concerns. She said she isn't sure whether the Commission needed to come back to look at this park. Manager Miller said he heard a comment that the City Council would like the Commission to go back and revisit the design and the sand area. Commissioner Butler clarified that the problem with the sand area is sanitation. Manager Miller concurred but said most of the play area has been sand for many years, and it hasn't been a problem. There being no further discussion, the motion was unanimously approved. Park Audit—Chair Hansen said he has been thinking a lot about the audits and brought Commissioner Coleman up to date on what the Commission would like to do. The goal would be to visit every city park and audit all the features to see what works, what doesn't and what needs to be done. At this time they are looking at facilities and the physical state of what is at each park, not park programs. He reported he had talked to Rick Pedroncelli, who is the Senior Engineering Technician for the city, who is very familiar with the GIS System, a mapping system used by the city. Mr. Pedroncelli thought they could look at everything and it would be tied to the map. Chair Hansen suggested the commissioners could take photos which could be linked to the city map and it would be a way to tie all the information together. He asked if anyone had any other ideas. Manager Miller reported he had posted an inquiry asking how other cities do park audits on the List Survey done through the California Parks and Recreation Society(CPRS)but didn't get any responses. He explained that the GIS System would be a way to layer all of the parks in the system. He stated he is concerned this may be too big a project since doing the audits will be a big enough project as it is. Chair Hansen said he hoped to get all the information so it could be mapped to the GIS System which will also help them be more familiar with the city parks. Commissioner Coleman asked if there would be a way for the community to be involved in the Page2 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes February 27, 2006 audits since their input would be helpful to the Commission. He suggested park neighbors could also complete an audit to help the Commission gather information. Manager Miller said he has wondered how much different areas of the parks are used, such as the tennis courts, and he thinks this is a great idea because people living near the parks would know how often they see people using these different areas. He pointed out that the commissioners will not be able to get usage data at the parks, and this would be a great way to get that information. Discussion followed on methods to notify the public that the Commission will be visiting city parks and that they would like residents' input. Commissioner Stevens mentioned he would like to have a schematic of the parks when doing the audit. Chair Hansen stated that Senior Engineering Technician. Pedroncelli told him a map would be available through the GIS System. Commissioner Black said she would like to start scheduling their park visits to get a quick overview, and then if greater detail is necessary, they will know. Commissioner Stevens mentioned that the problem with many of the city's parks is that they were never finished with all the features that were in the original designs, and some facilities may never be built. Chair Hansen suggested that usage of the parks may have changed from when the parks were first designed, and the components are no longer needed. Commissioner Stevens asked why the parks have not been finished, and Manager Miller said one reason could be funding and one is changing demographics. Discussion followed regarding the needs assessment for the city parks. Manager Miller said this is being assessed through the PROS Committee's survey. Commissioner Griffin asked about the web site for the GIS System, and Chair Hansen said he can e-mail the site which is being hosted by the City of Santa Rosa. Commissioner Black asked when they could get started. Manager Miller said he believes the most important tool for these audits is to look at each park to see what is working and what isn't. They need to have a comprehensive playground replacement program which will include a list of priorities. Commissioner Bird asked for the easiest way to notify people that the Commission is doing park audits so they can get their input. Manager Miller responded they can work with the Community Voice and do a press release to invite residents to join them. In addition, fliers can be posted at the parks. Commissioner Black suggested that everyone write down when they are available, and she would be happy to contact them to schedule their visits. The Commission agreed this was a good idea. Change in Agenda—Chair Hansen requested that the first item under New Business, SE Specific Plan Area Neighborhood Park,be moved ahead on the agenda. NEW BUSINESS SE Specific Plan Area Neighborhood Park—Ken Blackman, representing Redwood Equities, introduced Peter Wurtz of the Landscape Group, who would be discussing the plans for the SE Specific Plan Area Neighborhood Park. Mr. Wurtz referred to the plans, copy of which is attached to the original copy of these minutes, and reviewed the features they are recommending for the park. He explained that the playing field would be large enough for playing soccer or flag football but not Page 3 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes February 27, 2006 for organized league games. He pointed out that the area of the field that has been designed for a storm water retention pond. Commissioner Stevens asked questions about the size of the park and the trees around the basketball court. Mr. Wurtz stated the park will be surrounded by homes. He didn't think the trees around the basketball court would be a problem and clarified the court will be visible to the street. - Commissioner Black asked about benches around the playing field since it is important that parents be able to sit close to the field. She said she also had concerns about the trees around the basketball court and emphasized how important it is for this area to be visible since it could be a problem gathering area. She said she would like to see a dog park area since there isn't one in this area of the city. Commissioner Stevens asked what kind of trees are planned for the park since he has observed that the trees planted in Magnolia Park haven't grown much since they were planted many years ago. Mr. Wurtz replied it is important to pick good nursery stock and trees that will grow well in this area. He said they would be looking around the neighborhood to see what is doing well and what kind of trees are in the area. Manager Milled asked if the trees will be planted as shown on the plan. Mr. Wurtz said they will be working with the city staff and Public Works since they will be the ones maintaining the trees in the future. He explained the placement of the trees can be changed. Commissioner Black asked about installing more trash receptacles near the picnic area and asked about restrooms. Mr. Wurtz said there aren't any restrooms planned for the park but mentioned there would be commercial businesses in the area that may have restrooms that the public can use. Commissioner Black said when she sees a group picnic area, it concerns her that there aren't any restrooms. Manager Miller pointed out this is more of a neighborhood park similar to Rainbow Park which doesn't have restrooms. Commissioner Griffin asked if the park meets the city's guidelines for park acres required by the General Plan. Mr. Blackman responded it is a little above the requirement, and Senior Planner Rich agreed. Chair Hansen asked about handicapped access and Mr. Wurtz said there will be ramps. Chair Hansen said it is important to have enough benches in the park. He asked about the storm water retention area and why the park was chosen for that. Mr. Blackman said similar designs have been used in both Santa Rosa and Windsor, and this is the right spot for this area. He understands that water would only be standing for a short time. Chair Hansen asked about designating the retention area as parkland and whether it should be given full credit when it's also a retention area. Mr. Blackman stated this would only be a retention area a few times a year. It would not be for a very long period of time, and there wouldn't be standing water. He said that the park may not be usable during those times either because it would be saturated. Mr. Wurtz explained the 2% slope is standard for any playing field and that anything more than that would be too steep. He showed how the retention area will help drain other areas of the park so they will be more useable. The -� Commission discussed the concrete drain planned for the retention area and asked if there is any was to eliminate it. Mr. Wurtz said they could use catch drains using gravel. He stated they would Page 4 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes February 27, 2006 review this with an engineer to see if this will work and explained how this type of system works. Mr. Blackman said they would be happy to explore this possibility. Mr. Wurtz pointed out that the concrete area would look like a sidewalk. Commissioner Black asked if the area could be camouflaged. Mr. Wurtz clarified that the area should be referred to as a detention pond, not a retention pond. The Commission agreed that they would like to see other designs for this area. Mr. Blackman said they will be happy to meet with the engineer and come back next month with the redesigned area. OLD BUSINESS - Continued Recreation Department Sponsorship Program—Commissioner Black asked if everyone had a chance to review the plan she passed out at last month's meeting and if there were any comments. Commissioner Coleman asked if Commissioner Black could give a brief recap of the program, which she did. Commissioner Bird said he thinks it is a great idea but thinks it is important to figure out what they are going to do with the signs and their visibility in the parks. Commissioner Black referred to the packet and the types of signs available, including one similar to the one across from the library. She suggested the signs could be placed near the parking lots in the parks. She stated in addition to sponsor's signs, ads could be included in the Recreation Department's activity guides. She stated if they were able to get a big sponsor, time on the lighted freeway sign could be included. Commissioner Butler said he would like to see a standardization of the signs that would be used. Manager Miller pointed out many of the signs in the parks need to be replaced so they could use the new signs to beautify the parks. Commissioner Coleman said he likes being able to include businesses and make them a part of the city. Commissioner Butler asked if there are any types of sponsorships they don't want to use. Following discussion, Chair Hansen suggested forming a committee to come up with some guidelines. Commissioners Bird and Coleman volunteered to help Commissioner Black on a committee. Report on Internet Registration Program—Manager Miller reported that the department's full launch will be available on-line the week of March 13th and registration will begin for those activities on April 3. He explained this will be the first time we will be doing advance sign-ups for swim lessons for the entire summer, which is a major change. Community Garden Update—Manager Miller reported that after the Commission had agreed to limit the garden members to Rohnert Park residents,he got a legal opinion from the city's attorney. She made a decision that due to the agreement the city had signed with the school district,registration could not be limited to Rohnert Park residents. As a result,both residents and non-residents may sign up for a garden plot, and staff will make a decision in the future whether to pursue the matter with the school district. He advised he had read a notice in the newspaper that the current garden site is being sold by the district so the policy may change anyway. Commissioner Griffin asked about charging different fees for non-residents, and Manager Miller said they do pay a higher fee. Commissioner Black asked if there is anything that the Commission can do to help alleviate any problems at the garden. Page 5 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes February 27, 2006 Manager Miller said staff is working to make sure all expenses, including Public Works, are correctly charged to the garden. NEW BUSINESS - Continued Field Use Fee Proposal—Manager Miller said he met with the Youth Sports Committee to discuss the fees charged to sports groups using city fields. He referred to the proposed athletic field use fees (a copy of the proposal is attached to the original copy of these minutes). He reported he had given a rough draft of the proposal to the leagues at the field use meeting in January, and they had no problem with the new fees. The fees are quite a bit higher for commercial users, and he pointed out that Rohnert Park is in a unique position because most cities in the area don't have enough lighted fields to be able to rent them. He asked if there were any questions and mentioned he would like to make the fees effective July 1. Commissioner Black said she believes it is fair to have teams pay their light costs. She said she has observed that many teams arrive earlier than game times to prepare the field and asked how does staff deal with that. Manager Miller said we don't, and the intention is to recover as much of the utility costs as possible. Commissioner Griffin made a motion to approve the proposed athletic field use fees. Commissioner Butler seconded the motion which was unanimously approved. Chair Hansen asked if Manager Miller would like any of the commissioners to attend the City Council meeting when the fees will be presented. Manager Miller agreed that would be helpful. STAFF REPORTS Department Highlights for January—Commissioner Stevens asked if staff will be addressing rugby teams' use of city fields since they can be very hard on the turf. Manager Miller said use is going on now whether the city approves it or not. He reported he had met with the groups at the annual field use meeting and asked for their help. He decided it would be more desirable to give them an area that isn't a designated sports field so they can practice and not tear up the fields. He explained three grassy areas have been designated for practices: one at Magnolia Park, one at Golis Park and the area adjacent to the Sports & Fitness Center. These areas can be renovated once they dry out, and the city fields will be in good shape for games. He reported that Rancho Cotate Lacrosse has used the grass next to the Sports Center several times, and Public Works staff hasn't seen any damage from rugby use on city fields. He stated that rugby games will be scheduled on specific fields. Commissioner Stevens asked if the city would consider assessing a damage fee as the programs grow? Manager Miller pointed out this is a good reason why the city needs an all weather field, and that staff is trying to work with these groups as much as possible. COMMISSION COMMITTEE REPORTS Park Master Plan (PROS) Committee—Commissioner Black recommended that every commissioner take time to complete the PROS survey that is available online on the city's website, www.rpcity.org. Chair Hansen reported they have received 360 responses to the survey so far and that the survey will be continuing for a couple of months. Commissioner Black stated she had created an e-mail and sent it to everyone she knows in Rohnert Park with a link to the website Page 6 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes February 27, 2006 encouraging them to complete the survey. Manager Miller reported that there will also be a Spanish version of the survey available on-line and hard copies are available at the Community Center. MATTERS FROM/FOR COMMISSIONERS Honeybee Park- Commissioner Griffin reported that at Honeybee Park there is caution tape on the playground, and he isn't sure what it refers to. Manager Miller agreed to follow up with Public Works. Manager Miller reported there is a housing grant that will be used for the four parks already being renovated for handicapped access areas, and there will be some money left over that can be used at another park. Community Award- Commissioner Black said last Saturday she was very honored to have Commissioners Stevens, Griffin and Manager Miller attend the CPRS Community Awards Banquet when she received a Community Volunteer Award. She thanked everyone for nominating her. Manager Miller thanked her for all her hard work and being instrumental in getting the three dog parks established. He stated he would like to be able to open more areas in city parks, and he was glad that we were able to thank her for all her hard work. Grammy Award—Commissioner Butler reported that Dr. Lynne Morrow did not win a Grammy Award but we are lucky to have her in the community and on the staff of Sonoma State University. Commissioner Coleman—Commissioner Coleman said he is looking forward to being on the Commission and working with the other commissioners. ADJOURNMENT - There being no further business before the Commission,the meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Chair Hanse uy r Recreation Services Manager C2k/ Secretary i Page 7