Loading...
2009-04 CSCRICHFIELD COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, April 9, 2009 Richfield City Hall (6700 Portland Ave) PRESENT CSC Members Greg Mangold, Sarah Till, Gary Ness, Joe Springer, Mike Christian, Gerry Charnitz, Reed Bornholdt, Michele Thompson, Rodney Schmidt, Arlan Nelson Staff Jim Topitzhofer, John Evans Planning Commission/CHAT II Rick Jabs Others Mike Cox, Michael Klass, Jodi Engles (Wold Architects) ABSENT CSC Members Council Liaison Fred Wroge Joint Meeting Call to Order Ness and City Hall Advisory Team (CHAT) Chair Jabs called the joint CHAT/Community Services Commission meeting to order at 6:36 pm. Action Items City Hall Reconstruction Jabs introduced Mike Cox, Michael Klass, and Jodi Engles from Wold Architects. Klass said that many configurations have been considered to keep the existing building operational while meeting the project objectives, minimize impact on the park while embracing it, and minimize costs. Jabs explained that, with budget constraints in mind, using the park as a staging/parking area would be necessary. Klass said that certain site decisions were dictated by the natural elevations of the grounds, like positioning Police and Fire on the south side to utilize elevations for enclosed parking. Klass said that assessing the parking needs, stalls will increase from 147 to 180, including 29 underground stalls. Klass said that several separated parking areas would serve the building best. To accommodate all necessary stalls, it became necessary to position one of the parking areas at the northwest area of Heredia Park, where the tennis courts lie. Thompson asked where the tennis courts will be rebuilt. Topitzhofer said that the group may decide that the courts will not be replaced. Jabs said that residents that border on the west side of the park have been present and vocal throughout the process and ended up supporting the parking area being positioned where the courts are. Jabs said that a prevailing opinion was that the ballfield and paths should be preserved. Jabs said that currently, the park does not have dedicated off-street parking. Ness said that Heredia is a neighborhood park and this process may be an opportunity to enhance the park. Charnitz asked how the proposed community rooms will interact with the park. Klass pointed out the meeting rooms proposed for the west side of the building, which will be visually open to the park and may open up to a plaza-type area. Schmidt asked if the CSC had decided to adopt an ordinance or policy that would require park land that is taken to be replaced by a two-to-one ratio. Topitzhofer said that the land will still be park land, despite being adjacent to City Hall. Christian asked why staff parking will increase; Jabs said that City Hall is adhering to an ordinance based on building square footage. Nelson asked how many full-time employees work for the City. Klass said that, although there are about 200 total, considering those who work at City Hall and shift changes, they based their figuring on 128 or fewer employees at City Hall at one time. Schmidt asked if two-level parking was considered for the north end of the grounds; Jabs said that the budget did not allow for two-level parking, with the exception of the under-building parking. Schmidt asked if parking would have to expand in the future; Jabs said that, if anything, space needs will not increase, but possibly even decrease with more people conducting business online. Ness asked if the parking lots could push eastward at all considering changes to Portland Avenue. Klass said that, even with such a change, the lot may only pick up eight or nine stalls. Nelson asked about water drainage and snow storage. Cox said that ponding will be used on the roofs and underground culverts will be used under the large northeast lot. He said that there are standards and requirements for creating more impervious surface; Jabs said that the issues have been covered. Charnitz asked if there is a budget to reconstruct the park. Jabs said that the cost is built in to the construction costs. Klass said that the park will be unenhanced, but trails and turf will be restored. Topitzhofer asked if the playground will need to be removed and replaced; Klass said that the playground will be temporarily removed and the budget allows for it to be replaced. Ness asked if the tennis courts could be replaced elsewhere; Topitzhofer said that their replacement will be up to the CSC, but not funded by the City Hall budget. He said that, as the Recreation Services Director, he supports this site plan and sees opportunities to enhance the park with signage by the lot, better location for the playground, etc. Charnitz said that he’s okay with the parking lot replacing the tennis court, but said that he doesn’t see access to the park from the east, and the site plan does not currently provide a walkway around the building from the east side of the grounds. Mangold moved to recommend approval of the city hall site plan, including the parking stalls replacing the tennis courts, as shown. Christian said that the design does create a significant loss of recreational space, which will be difficult to replace, but if the lot is necessary for the building, then that is a moot point. Schmidt asked if this sets a precedence that will allow others to take park land without replacing it. Topitzhofer said that, while it hurts to see the park space go, consideration should be given as to the greater community need and that if additional parking is required for City Hall, we should do the project right. Ness said that the CSC can still discuss replacing amenities as part of the capital improvement process. Charnitz said that the park restoration money should be dedicated in the city hall budget, rather than waiting to see what money is left. Topitzhofer said that some redesign and restoration of the park has been offered as part of Wold’s services. Schmidt said that taxpayers will have to pay for the replacement of the tennis courts, the building, the basketball courts, etc. City Manager Steve Devich said that park amenities have never been paid by taxpayers; they’ve always been funded by liquor store revenue. Charnitz asked if there are funds in the city hall construction budget for the replacement of the tennis courts, which may be used elsewhere for other amenities. He said that the CSC should define how much money would be required to restore the park. Christian said that the budget only seems to provide for the restoration of green space, since the replacement of the tennis courts alone would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Jabs said that replacing amenities lost by the project would mean revisiting the entire project budget, so it will have to be funded other ways. Ness asked if the motion should be amended to reflect the fact that the CSC has concerns about the replacement of lost amenities. Mangold said that he would amend his motion to recommend approval of the city hall plan as presented, while expressing the concern about lost park amenities and the intention to subsequently honor a commitment to replace them in the future. Mangold also said that the motion recognizes that the loss of park land is to the city, which should not establish a precedent of losing park land to a non-city entity. Seconded by Thompson. Approved, nine ayes, one nay (Schmidt). Regular Meeting Call to Order Ness called the regular meeting to order at 7:54 pm. CSC Member Update Hoover resigned. Arlan Nelson was introduced. Approval of Minutes Schmidt moved, seconded by Charnitz to approve the March 3 minutes. Approved, ayes all. Staff Reports Recreation Services Topitzhofer reported: Over 20 of the bronze plaques in benches at Wood Lake Nature Center were stolen this past week. He said that staff has alerted local news, as well as the BCA, who have the scrap yards on alert. Staff is applying for a grant from tobacco money to expand the Farmers Market and some other program ideas. Some price structuring has been revamped to prepare for people spending less money (i.e. a daily camp at Wood Lake rather than a weekly camp). Ness asked about a punch pass for the pool. Discussion Items Park Ordinances Topitzhofer asked the group for their reaction to Section 840, the park ordinances. Schmidt said that the idea of a park curfew is ridiculous because he often walks some park trails after midnight. Jabs said that curfews provide for private security where many of the neighborhood parks back up to people’s back yards. Topitzhofer and Nelson said that it provides the police with authority to monitor after-hours activity in the parks. Charnitz asked if there have been problems related to the park curfew. Topitzhofer said that, while there have been some vandalism incidents, the curfew does not exist because the police reported any specific problems. Topitzhofer said that one potential ordinance to add relates to the 4th of July Committee and would prohibit solicitors/vendors in the parks and along the parade route unless approved by the 4th Committee and staff; this method could permit vendors at other events. Charnitz suggested that vendors in parks just be pending approval of the Recreation Services Director year-round. Christian asked how this could be regulated along the parade route, since some vendors will be on private property. Schmidt asked about the Farmers Market; Topitzhofer said that the market and other City events have vendors that are contracted with the City already. Topitzhofer said that the City’s policy to prohibit tobacco in the vicinity of organized youth park events could now be made official as an ordinance. He mentioned other potential new ordinances: prohibiting of feeding wild animals, prohibiting driving and parking motorized vehicles in parks, and moving the dog-related ordinances and bodies of water ordinances to the parks section. Jabs, Christian, Nelson and Thompson said that some events may require some motorized vehicles in the parks and the ordinance may require some flexibility. Topitzhofer asked if the group was interested in staff pursuing adding these ordinances; the group agreed by consensus to pursue the addition of these ordinances. Ness mentioned some effort to encourage recycling in the parks; Topitzhofer said that the City will be adding recycling service in any parks where there are concessions, which may not be an ordinance, but is a Department goal. Schmidt said that the ordinance should provide for non-motorized boats and ice houses. Topitzhofer said that it would require the approval of the DNR. Committee Reports Transportation Commission: Ness provided the report. FOWL: Bornholdt provided the report; FOWL Dinner on Friday, May 1, MN Valley Country Club. Honoring All Veterans Memorial, Inc: Schmidt provided the report. Lincoln Planning Team: Jabs provided the report. Arts Commission: Thompson was appointed as the liaison. Adjournment Schmidt moved, seconded by Christian, to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:48 pm. Next Meeting Tuesday, May 19, 2009 Donaldson Park April 9, 2009 DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CSC.