Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/05/2012 CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 Minutes of the January 5, 2012 Apple Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. PRESENT: Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Acting Chair Lee Strom; Committee Members, Cindy Hart, Brenton Schulz, Patrick Sullivan, and Katherine Wright; Parks and Recreation Director Randy Johnson; Valleywood Manager Jim Zinck; Park Maintenance Superintendent Tom Adamini; Department Assistant Dorene Perkins Monn; Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist; Building Official Greg Brady; and 8 members of the public. ABSENT: Russ DeFauw and Darrell Retka ITEM 1. Committee Acting Chair Lee Strom called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ITEM 2. Approval of Agenda MOTION: by Cindy Hart, seconded by Patrick Sullivan to approve the agenda with the additions of Item 5.C. – Kelley Park, Item 6.B. – EVAA Annual Board Meeting, and 6.C. – Apple Valley Patch.com article featuring Kate Wright. VOTE: Yes – 5, No – 0 ITEM 3. Audience – 10 Minutes Total Time Limit – For Items Not on the Agenda No one spoke. ITEM 4. Approval of the Minutes for November 2011. MOTION: by Patrick Sullivan, seconded by Brent Schulz to approve the November 3, 2011 meeting minutes as presented. VOTE: Yes – 5, No – 0 ITEM 5.A.1. Agenda Items – Cobblestone Lake - DNR Fishing Pier Director Johnson reported another informational letter regarding the fishing pier and repairs to the existing pier was sent to all property owners within 350 ft. of Cobblestone Lake Park as a follow-up to the October 3, 2012 letter and November 3, 2012 Parks and Recreation Advisory - 1 of 9 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 Committee Meeting. It’s being proposed that the City proceed with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) application for the neighborhood fishing pier to be located in the southwest corner of the lake. Staff believes there will be sufficient parking with 225 parking stalls currently located around the lake and with the addition of approximately 60 parking stalls as the south and west end are developed. Public Comments: Rachel Haas, 15700 Cobblesone Lake Parkway – Questioned why only people living within 350 ft. of the park were notified? This affects the entire development, believes the additional parking spaces are intrusive, and not part of what was planned for this development. Would like to get some background. Would like to know who owns the property currently and then if there is a sales transaction on where the parking spaces will be, where’s the money coming from? Would like to understand the funding sources for all of this, because this is a very small lake. Calling it a lake is a leap of faith. The south corner of the lake has been dry during the summer and not sure that’s the appropriate place to locate a fishing pier. Would like to understand what kind of work was done, who paid attention, why there, and do they understand the dynamics of the lake? Adding 50 to 60 additional parking spaces on the existing 225 is a 25% increase, you probably have more parking spaces than single family or townhome units by the time you get done with that. Who determines there is a need for such a thing? Concerned that it wasn’t vetted with the entire community. In response to Ms. Haas’ questions, Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist stated the 350 ft. notification radius is a statutory requirement for providing public notice. Director Johnson noted an announcement was posted on the Cobblestone Homeowners’ Association website through Jacob Fick of Traditions Development, who was in attendance at rd the November 3 meeting. Also, a public notice was placed in the newspaper. The additional green space shown on Traditions Development’s concept plan map dated 2007 indicates additional parking lots on the south side and west end of the lake. This is also the park plan the City has been using since the start of developing the area several years ago. Currently owned by Traditions Development, the green space will be dedicated to the City of Apple Valley when the development occurs. Right now the City owns the trail around and down to the lake. Acting Chair Strom clarified, park dedication is when there is a development, a portion of the land has to be dedicated for parks or cash in lieu of it paid to the City to place in the park funds. The DNR determined the location of the pier on the lake. It will be a floating dock that moves up and down with the level of the lake. They understand the lake and its dynamics better than anyone. The DNR approached the City to build the fishing pier as a way to encourage fishing in the neighborhood, as a good wholesome activity families and youth can be involved in. It will be a nice addition for that particular type of recreation. - 2 of 9 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 Cost of the fishing dock will be a cost share between the City and the DNR. The City’s portion of the cost is estimated at about $2,000 and the Apple Valley Rotary Club has offered a sponsorship to cover it. Cost of the parking spaces will be part of the park development and Traditions Development and the City will work jointly to cover those costs as determined in an agreement that goes back to 2000. The agreement covers land all around the lake and the land to the west as part of a previous bond referendum. Ms. Haas requested to be on record as opposed to the project; doesn’t think the expense is necessary, and doesn’t see the demand for it. She is opposed to it bringing in additional parking spaces that allow people from the outside to come in, to what was sold to her as, a residential development. Acting Chair Strom noted the sixty parking spaces talked about have been in the plan way before the fishing pier. The fishing pier doesn’t require the sixty parking spaces. This is a community park that will be used more extensively as it grows. As a Committee, there have been more comments heard about the lack of parking in the area than too much. Diana Spurgeon, 15770 Cobblestone Lake Parkway – Not for or against the pier. Concerned about the depth of the lake in the proposed location and about the aesthetics of the parking lot. Questioned if what’s depicted on the (2007 concept plan) map will be all there is for total parks in the neighborhood. She reported there are sometimes forty to fifty children and their parents at the park on the east side of the lake during the summer. As the area develops and they get more residents, she believes they will need more park area with playground equipment. Concerned about bringing in too many people from the outside. Understands this is a community park, not just a neighborhood park, but noted the other existing pier and bringing in too many people for the size of the lake and park. Park Maintenance Superintendent Adamini assured the intention is to make the west entrance as aesthetically attractive as the east end of the park with trees and shrubbery. The west end will also have a restroom facility and public gazebo. A play structure will probably be located in the southern portion of the area. The small parking lot on the west end will allow the park to be more accessible for people from other parts of the City to enjoy the park. Dirk Marshall, 15637 Cobblestone Lake Parkway – Questioned the process of park dedication and when the dedicated property becomes available. Director Johnson explained that the green spaces are dedicated as the developer plats the property; as each area develops the City picks up the additional park space. Community Development Director Nordquist said the land at Cobblestone has been platted, easements established, and land dedicated in accordance to the map presented (Traditions Development’s 2007 Concept Plan map). The underlining platting for the area has occurred, however, individual lots have not been created. The design of Cobblestone Lake has always been, as you move east to west, the density of the housing increases. It’s a design that includes commercial property and mixed usage higher density housing. The City waits to see those proposals submitted before defining the final line of the park land. - 3 of 9 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 The amount of acreage/square footage, amenities of the park, size of the lake, west end amenities shown on the 2007 concept map are all consistent with something that was established back in 2001, 2, or 3 and Traditions Development has asked the City to create a plat that shows the area that is public and the area that is considered an outlot for future development. All of the park dedication has occurred and there aren’t additional parks or trails planned beyond what is generally seen on the exhibit shown. Committee Comments – Cindy Hart reported she bikes or walks the park three times a week and never sees people fishing in this specifically recommended area. She sometimes sees families fishing on the opposite side of the lake so she’s not sure this (specific location) is the best spot for a fishing pier, but deferred to the DNR as the expert. Ms Haas questioned the quality of fish in the lake based on the water quality. Community Development Director Nordquist clarified and commented in terms of the storm water management for the Target store, they have an underground storage facility because all development has to manage a portion of their storm water on site. Cobblestone Lake is a regional storm water management facility that includes all the residents around Cobblestone Lake, but it also includes storm water management for areas north of the lake yet to be built, and this explains the pattern of low water levels. Acting Chair Strom suggested the Committee make a recommendation based on the input received at the November meeting and tonight. MOTION: by Patrick Sullivan, seconded by Brent Schultz, to move forward with a recommendation to City Council locating a fishing pier in the southwest area of Cobblestone Lake as designated by the Department of Natural Resources. DISCUSSION: Park Maintenance Superintendent Adamini commented the DNR representative felt strongly about this location. It will cost close to nothing and will be another opportunity for kids’ wholesome activity. The placement was determined through discussion between Staff and DNR representatives and the decision to leave the populated area of the park somewhat passive for the long term residents that have been there. Acting Chair Strom commented, from his observations, the Committee has had many discussions about Cobblestone Lake over the last ten years and how all the pieces come together. There is a lot of density on the east end and an existing pier on the north side. As we fit all the pieces together, it’s an opportunity to provide recreation for families. VOTE: Yes – 4, No – 1 (Hart) - 4 of 9 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 ITEM 5.A.2. Agenda Items – Cobblestone Lake – Existing Pier Repair Director Johnson reported this item was discussed in detail at the last meeting and Staff was asked to bring it back as a discussion point for this meeting. The Building Official has inspected the pier and determined the roof area is not holding up properly and needs to be removed. Director Johnson believes the pier was built to be a draw for selling homes, not for the long run. Staff will remove the roof and shore up the decking to extend the lifespan of the pier. Public Comment – Diana Spurgeon stated her understanding is there are no plans to replace it and wonders why. Acting Chair Strom responded the entire structure needs all kinds of help. It was built to last ten years. The City thinks they can get more time out of it by making some of the corrections to it. It’s something we have to do per the building official’s recommendation and safety. The issues of cost prohibitive replacement at this time were discussed. Alan Kohls, 15634 Early Bird Circle – The pier is bad and it needs repair. We need the dock there, even though it was a focal point in the beginning, we need it there because it’s in a good spot on the lake, it’s accessible, and there are a lot of people there fishing. It will be a good balance with the DNR fishing pier. The DNR is a good agency with the fishing and the environment. Lynn Hanson, 15642 Egret Place – Questioned why haven’t some of the maintenance items been addressed way back to 2005 when they were being written up. He believes a lot of things could have been saved if they had been done. A “ten to fifteen year dock” is new information. He questioned a new dock and the City doing the maintenance on it when he believes there has been no maintenance on the existing dock. He asked for a plan of repairs that have been done over the years. Director Johnson responded that the main issue is the supporting piers and their movement during the freeze/thaw cycle. Routine maintenance and inspections have been done every year since the City has owned it. Park Maintenance Superintendent reported the crews have repaired trip hazards, repaired the rails after vandalism, painted the gazebo, etc. He explained the connection of the cross pieces and rim braces and his belief that the real issue is the weight of the roof structure. He believes the actual dock will last a while. Building Official Brady outlined his reasoning behind ordering the repairs explaining it was built without proper engineering. With the removal of the roof and repairs to pull things together, staff thinks they can keep the deck for a number of years. Committee member Sullivan stated that safety is a key issue. As long as it’s considered safe, keep the structure. When it’s not safe, then it has to go. - 5 of 9 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 ITEM 5.B. Agenda Items - Valleywood Year-End Summary and 2012 Fee Proposal Golf Course Manager Jim Zinck presented a summary of the 2011 operations and fee proposal for next year. The golf course opened April 7, 2011 with bad weather conditions. Spring can be critical to a golf course’s success. Over $100,000 behind in revenue at the end of May, staff is still encouraged by the 2011 season, with over 31,000 rounds of golf. 2011 is the fourth year in a row over a $1 million in revenue. Full year-end financial assessments are not yet available, but staff anticipates a positive cash flow report. Some equipment purchases were put off to manage operations. Purchasing decisions are based on operations for the year. There was a spike in repair costs for the existing clubhouse building. Staff is excited about moving to a new building next season. A small maintenance crew was kept on through November to build cart paths, access areas, and basic work in preparation for next spring to get people/customers around the construction site so there was a little increase in operations expenses. Numbers were down, but overall, staff is encouraged as to where the course finished the year. Food and beverages continue to be a good profit area. It was down in overall revenue, but the course is generating a good positive cash flow, and anticipating real opportunities in the new facility. A comprehensive patron card system was introduced last year and over 190 were sold. A lot of the initial customer service issues in 2012 will be related to the construction going on and staff is looking into how they deliver food and beverage out onto the course even more effectively than in the past. Brent Schulz requested a more standardized, business-type, reporting format by profit center; cart rental, green fees, practice range, food and beverage with tracking over a three or four year period to compare. Manger Zinck said tonight’s report covers a few key numbers and policy things, but he can provide a more comprehensive report at the March meeting. Manager Zinck presented the 2012 fee proposal, noting the key competitors and comparables in the area. There were 96 season pass holders in 2011. Staff is proposing one minor fee change from the 2011 rates, under the resident patron card to create a more consistent pricing structure. No other fee changes are being recommended. As in the past, staff requested the continuation of their authority to offer special promotions. MOTION: by Cindy Hart, seconded by Katherine Wright to recommend City Council approval of the 2012 Valleywood Fee Schedule as presented. VOTE: Yes – 5, No – 0 ITEM 5.C. Agenda Items – Kelley Park Community Development Director Nordquist provided an update regarding development planning around Kelley Park. IMH Financial Corporation, financial holding company and now - 6 of 9 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 owner of the property, has provided concept plans for City and Committee review, discussion, and feedback. Hartford is no longer part of the project. Apple Valley received a 2011 grant from the international organization of AIA-SDAT to host eight national experts/specialists in transportation, housing, and transit oriented development, land use, sustainability, and surface water management. They encouraged the City to consider the opportunity for villages and mixed use districts that are connected to transit. One of the things that came from the community involvement and feedback with the AIA-SDAT was that there are opportunities and a marketplace for millennials (20-30 year olds). It was recommended that in the area near Kelley Park, a village could be created to provide additional suburban-intensive types of uses, such as multi-use housing and mixed use development. Kelley Park already has its brand/identity, but it was recommended that it include a private interface and a way to connect all of the principles like connecting the walk, bike, and high performance landscape. The original plan for Kelley Park was for approximately five acres. Staff is proposing parcels labeled A, B, and C on the map would bring the park to the five acres, and the parcels labeled E, F, and G be held as remainder parcels perhaps for economic development, housing, or commercial uses yet to be determined. The developer’s schematic site plan was displayed to provide some of the development concepts for review. Questions for discussion included; if there is an opportunity, should the park be expended, and are there park use ideas from the Committee. Committee response was favorable for the park expansion in the east/west direction. Committee member Schulz’s preliminary thought is the schematic plan of the park looks like it’s being attempted to place a lot in a small area. He thinks what would be nice in the park is more open green space with just trees and shrubs and a pathway through it. The skating rink is a great idea, but in practice, the fire pit impractical. He recommended shielding the industrial area on the north with mixed use development. Committee member Sullivan likes the schematic plan because it leaves one end open, so it stays City. He likes the idea of a theater. He noted it looks like there will be more parking available also. Committee member Hart mentioned that it’s all preliminary. She would like to see it expanded, since it’s one of the City’s most used parks. She asked if an indoor play area similar to a smaller Edinborough would be considered. Acting Chair Strom noted that when it was first being discussed as a park in the development, it was proposed as multiple small pieces. At that time, it was clear the Parks Committee was adamant it had to be at least five acres, but settled on three with a few grassy knolls. He believes it’s clear that Kelley Park should be expanded. The opportunity has been and will be that it is a very unique park. It’s important that we keep it as a unique park. He stated there is a lot of fun stuff on the plan, but it’s also important to consider the cost to operate. The Committee needs to - 7 of 9 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 be aware of where are the dollars coming from to maintain it, the cost factor, and dreaming vs. reality. Director Nordquist added the owner/developer has indicated the park improvements will include their financial contribution. Staff is attempting to balance that information with the amenities the developer believes are important. The next steps indicate an appraisal is underway, land costs will be considered when negotiating the parcel acquisition, master plan modification would need to occur, and construction on a housing unit could start during the summer of 2012. Director Johnson noted the Park Department is concerned about maintenance and staffing. As the area develops, the Parks and Recreation Department will work with the Community Development Department on future plans. The Committee looks forward to continued discussions on this park that the Committee, and the City as well, is proud of. ITEM 6.A. Other – Next Meeting Date – March 1, 2012 Next Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2012. ITEM 6.B. Other – EVAA Annual Board Meeting – January 16, 2012 An invitation was received for the Eastview Athletic Association’s Annual Board Meeting scheduled for Monday, January 16, 2012 at the Apple Valley Community Center. The Parks and Recreation Department has a good working relationship with the Association. ITEM 6.C. Other – Apple Valley Patch.com article featuring Kate Wright. Copies of an article of the on-line news Apple Valley Patch, featuring Committee member Kate Wright, were distributed to the Committee. ITEM 7. Adjourn There being no further business, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting was adjourned. - 8 of 9 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 5, 2012 MOTION: by Patrick Sullivan, seconded by Cindy Hart to adjourn the meeting at 9:03 p.m. VOTE: Yes – 5, No – 0 Respectfully Submitted, Dorene Perkins Monn, Dept. Assistant Approved by the Apple Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee on - 9 of 9 -