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HomeMy Public PortalAboutP&RAC Minutes 1993 04/05PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES APRIL 5, 1993 I. ATTENDING: Tomi Grote Kathy Killen Malcolm Scott Dennis Coyle Bud Schmidt II. MASTER PLAN: The draft Master Plan was reviewed and after discussion, Killen moved to adopt the draft Master Plan as presented. Scott seconded and the motion carried unanimously. The Committee reviewed and requested that a list of interested persons and groups receive copies of the draft prior to the April 26 public meeting. III. PARK CONCESSIONS: ++++++++++++ The Committee discussed further contracting for concessions in the city parks. There was discussion about the proposal and concerns about the "park management" approach suggested. After discussion, Killen moved to recommend to the City Council that an RFP be prepared by the city staff and advertised for concessions in the parks for 1993. Scott seconded and the motion carried. IV. PARK MAINTENANCE: +++++++++++++ After discussion, Coyle moved to recommend to the City Council that the staff prepare and advertise a RFP for Park Maintenance services for 1993 and that the City Public Works Department also submit a bid on the proposal. Killen seconded and the motion carried. V. ADJOURNMENT: Without further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m. lly submitted, 04A2__ The City of McCall will provide a package of park and recreation amenities that contributes to the health and well-being of its citizens by inviting them to adopt an active lifestyle and which at the same time attracts visitors to the city. Mission Statement, McCall Parks and Recreation Department McCall Dept. of Parks and Recreation I""Dori Grote, chair- • Members: Dennis Coyle, Kathy Killen, Dean Marlens, Malcolm Scolt 1993-MASTER PLAN-1998 Open Letter 11' s Citizens FORUM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE FIVE- YEAR PLAN FOR THE CITY'S PARKS SET FOR MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1993 7 P.M. LOWER LEVEL MCCALL CITY HALL April, 1993 Page 2 On July 3, 1992, the City of McCall opened Legacy Park and in doing so, opened a new chapter for the city's parks and recreation programs. Legacy Park is a high -main- tenance design, which like Mill Park features large, grassy areas, gardens, restroom facilities, decks, docks and over- looks that need constant attention. As long as there was just Mill Park, there was no reason to change the way the city goes about park maintenance. When we cut the ribbon on Legacy Park, there was every reason to change it. It's clear with the last two parks that we've built that McCall's citizens prefer grass to gravel, flowers among the evergreen shrubs, wood fixtures over impervious steel. Any park we build in the future will no doubt follow this high -maintenance trend. Yet the city has no measurable standards for park mainte- nance. We must develop some. There's a considerable push to build a park on a riverfront site the city owns on the North Fork of the Payette River across from the McCall Smokejumper base. The land used to be a dump and a gravel pit. It's a fabulous piece of ground. The "pit" is a natural amphetheater where summer concerts and programs can be held. The flat areas are beg- ging to be graded and seeded for playfields. The river corri- dor is perfect for a rafting launch site. There is even enough land for the city to contract out or administer a campground, which would provide revenues to maintain the city's parks and help build new ones. The other big deal is to finish aquiring the railroad right of way so we can put a bike path/trail on it. All great ideas. But where will the money come to do them. The parks and recreation advisory committee has been chewing on that one for more than a year. In June, we plan to send to the city council a plan for park development for the next five years. We all know where our priorities are, but do we know what your priorities are? That's what we've scheduled an April 26th meeting to find out. Question: Should we sell existing park lands to finance new ones? One of the options the committee is considering to finance the development of the riverfront park site is selling all or part of Fairway Park not already earmarked for the bike path. The playfields will be relocated to the riverfront site where there's more room to develop regulation ballfields, which in turn will attract more softball tournaments, an economic benefit to the McCall community. On the other hand, the major direction of McCall's new growth is on that side of town. Will the people who move out there be sorry someday that we sold Fairway Park? Will you? 1993-MASTER PLAN-1998 Open Letter 11's Citizens Tomi Grote, chair ... 634-8542 Dennis Coyle, vice chair 634-2164 Kathy Killen 634-7348 Malcolm Scott 634-3284 Dean Martens 634-7101 Address letters to: Parks and Recreation Plan, P.O. Box 1065, McCall, Idaho 83638 or drop them off at City Hall on Park Street by May 15, 1993 April, 1993 Page 3 Question: How should we solve the inequity of current city park funding? Currently, the citizens who live or own businesses within the city limits pay for the city's park system. They are the people who are being taxed to pay for the bond that built Legacy Park. Yet a large number of the parks' users live outside the city limits, in areas like Rio Vista and Warren Wagon Road, not to mention the thousands of visitors who choke the beaches each summer. This narrow universe of taxpayers is not likely to pass another bond to develop the riverfront site. So if the public insists that we not sell park land to finance development of new park lands, how do we do it? These are the ideas we are talking about: 1. Encourage the city to continue its steps to annex contigu- ous areas to the city to broaden the tax burden over a larger cross section of local users. 2. Create a recreation taxing district, (which takes the owner- ship of the city's parks away from the city government and puts it with the government of a new taxing district). 3. Resurrect the bed and booze sales tax but dedicate it specifically to parks. 4. Institute a general local option sales tax dedicated to parks. 5. Aggressively pursue grants, but grants require matches that the city must find a way to fund. For instance, we have received a grant to finish the city's bike path/trail network. But the city council has to sell the old golf course clubhouse to finance the match. That's disposing of existing park lands to finance development of new ones. If that's not what you want, it is already being done. Question: What do you think of the city's park mainte- nance program? Last summer, the parks committee took a tour of the city's major parks and listed the improvements we thought should be made. Before we send the master plan to the city council, we will weight these improvements so that we know what our committee's priorities are. You can influence our decisions by telling us what your priorities are. The first part of this plan is the philosophy that guides the committee's decisions. The second part is a sum- mary of all the options we are considering, site by site. Do we move the volleyball court in Legacy Park away from some businesses in the McCall Mall who complain about the noise or spend that money on other priorities? Should the city's recreation programs be expanded beyond team sports to, say, organized walking groups? Crafts? We hope to see you on Monday evening, April 26th. If you can't be there, write us a note or talk to a park board member. Our names and phone numbers appear at left. Design and production of this document donated to the City of McCall by The WLWJepnuk, McCall _:.. McCall Dept. of Parks and Recreation lanai Grote, chair • Members: Dennis Coyle, Kathy Killen, Dean Martens, Malcolm Scott 1993-MASTER PLAN-1998 SUMMARY OF MAJOR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS April, 1993 Page 4 The following are actions that are new to this version of the McCall Parks and Recreation Master Plan which the commit- tee considers to be the most visible recommendations. They are extracted here for the reader's convenience, but they shouldn't replace a thorough reading of the entire document. > Require an annual inspection of the city's parks by the parks and recreation advisory committee to determine the following • deficiencies in current sites (Objective I, strategy 5) • deficiencies of safety features (Objective IV, strategy 3) • deficiencies in general park maintenance to be noted in a staff drafted annual evaluations of park maintenace programs (Objective IV, strategy 1) > Require an annual, written evaluation of park maintenance programs from the city staff to be due to the committee in April of each year (Objective IV, strategy 1) > Develop an Adopt -a -Park and Adopt -a -Garden program to encourage more organizations and individuals to donate their carpentry or gardening skills under the city's supervi- sion. (Objective IV, strategy 2) > Appoint a subcommittee of citizen users of the recreation programs to evaluate the recreational program package annually and comment to the committe in June of each year. (Objective VII, strategy 2) > Appoint a subcommittee to recommend alternative and expanded funding sources for park and recreation devel- opment and maintenance (Objective X, strategy 1) > Establish a fee structure throughout the parks and recre- ation system that offers discounts to city residents and other significant contributors (Objective X, strategy 2) 1993-MASTER PLAN-1998 CONCERNING PARK DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE April, 1993 Page 5 OBJECTIVE I: Develop a variety of community park and recreation sites that guarantee a high quality of life consistent with the wishes of the citizens of the City of McCall. Strategies 1. Provide high quality public tennis courts, playfields and trail networks. 2. Expand offerings and facilities in existing park and recre- ation sites. Areas that need attention include expanded parking, equipment storage, signing, access, playground structures, indoor recreation opportunities and restrooms. 3. Prioritize the future development of public park sites. Parks should serve the broadest cross-section of citizen interests possible and serve the needs of significant segments of the population. 4. Commit to future construction that is of commercial stan- dard. Wherever aesthetic considerations are not an overrid- ing factor, park designs should favor low maintenance features and vandal resistant equipment. 5. Annually assess all current sites and determine the follow- ing: a. project costs and personnel required to upgrade these sites to a more functional level. Priority should be given to improving existing sites before develop- ing new ones. b. existing park/recreation services, facilities and operational procedures. Adjustments should be made based on changing needs of the community. 6. Encourage the adoption of ordinances that ensure ad- equate parks, open spaces and bikeways be provided in newly developed areas in the city of McCall to meet the recreational needs of increased populations. 7. Recognize that recreational services or sites often stimulate the local economy enough to help offset operating/adminis- tration costs. 8. Support the preservation of natural drainages, wildlife habitat and unique areas within the city when prudent and encourage developers to preserve natural areas rather than relandscaping them, especially in the case of side hills, property borders and irregular land parcels, which are easy to leave natural. This section continued next page OBJECTIVE IL Develop, maintain, improve and expand accesses and views to guarantee public access to Pay- ette Lake, Payette River's North Fork and natural assets within the City of McCall. Strategies 1. Improve existing facilities on Payette Lake to include: a. Better access from both land and water b. Adequate parking c. Safety for users d. Site amenities including restrooms, tables, benches, informational signs, landscaping. 2. Encourage the establishment of common rules with other governing agencies to foster a unified approach to waterway development. 3. Provide Payette Lake facilities with designated areas for boaters and swimmers to better balance use and safety. a. Ski docks b. Signing c. Fishing access areas d. Moorage/short term storage e. Public boat launch sites f. Buoyed swimming areas 4. Develop facilities for better use of Payette River's North Fork a. Pathways b. View Points c. Fishing access areas 5. Encourage float boating access to Payette River with a put -in near the outlet and take-out down river. Include informational signing with safety recommendations. 6. Evaluate the impacts of managing N.F. Payette River flows to allow recreational floaters to use the river for an extended season and when prudent, encourage such management. 7. Improve and protect existing park lands along N. F. Pay- ette Lake and N.F. Payette River and acquire additional public lands on all McCall's waterways by donation, trade, purchase, property or access rights. This section continued next page April, 1993 Page 6 April, 1993 Page 7 OBJECTIVE III. Encourage use of park and recreation facilities by providing a trail network which links McCall's park and recreation facilities. Strategies 1. A trail system should serve in getting from point-to-point, park -to -park, for transportation within the city, and for ingress to and egress from the city. The system should be a useful link between facilities: private, public and academic. It should link neighborhoods with the commercial core of the city. 2. The design of the trail system should incorporate the use conflict strategies in Objective IX. 3. Waterfront shoreline and views should be incorporated, wherever available, into the trail system. 4. Vest pocket parks and natural areas should be incorpo- rated along the trail system. 5. Develop minimum standard (Class 3) bikeways to link areas wherever construction of a 10 foot wide trail is not practical. OBJECTIVE IV: Provide safe, accessible, well maintained and efficiently administered park and recreation facili- ties. Strategies 1. Improve the monitoring of park maintenance by annually requiring the city staff to prepare a written evaluation of park maintenance programs. The plan should include a detail of tasks, standards, schedules and responsibilities to address deficiencies. The report will be submitted to the committee in April of each year so that the committee can consider the information in it's budget requests relative to park maintenance. 2. Develop an Adopt -a -Park and Adopt -a -Garden program to encourage more organizations and individuals to donate their carpentry or gardening skills under the city's supervi- sion. 3. Annually analyze the safety and access features of current park designs and make recommendations to city council on prudent improvements. Encourage prompt corrections to those deficiencies. 4. Comply with the provisions of the Americans with Dis- abilities Act and require that the provisions of the act be incorporated into any new park design. 5. Be reasonably assured that adequate future funding for maintenance will exist prior to expanding park and recre- ation sites. This section continued next page April, 1993 Page 8 6. Require that new facilities be visually appealing, but constructed for low -maintenance and of vandal resistant materials. 7. Require private and civic organizations to seek city gov- ernment input and assistance prior to petitioning the parks & recreation advisory committee to donate or build public recreation facilities. 8. Require that projects slated for donation: a. Be feasible and desirable to the city. b. Be completed in accordance with a pre -agreed time table. c. Be constructed of commercial/industrial grade materials. d. Be completely operable before acceptance by the city. 9. Establish a system to encourage and evaluate maintenance suggestions by city employees and citizens. OBJECTIVE V: Minimize use conflicts in the city's parks. Strategies 1. Design parks that a. segregate incompatible recreational uses. b. are sensitive to the existing uses of adjacent land. c. minimize conflicts in modes of transportation, such as bicycles and pedestrians 2. Where conflicting uses must occur together, minimize the impact of the conflict through education, signing, scheduling of time and site management. 3. Establish and enforce city ordinances that control conflict- ing uses of recreational sites and facilities. 4. Establish and manage some sites that serve a sole purpose or use, when no other solution will work as well. OBJECTIVE VI: Develop a partnership with private, local, state & federal recreation providers in order to avoid duplication of services. Strategies 1. When invited, designate representatives of the park and recreation advisory committee to serve in organizations dedicated to recreational development in the greater McCall recreation area and report the activities of these organiza- tions regularly to the committee. 2. Encourage any organizations involved in recreational development in the greater McCall area to seek the input of the parks and recreation advisory committee and vice -versa. 1993-MASTER PLAN-1998 CONCERNING RECREATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE April, 1993 Page 9 OBJECTIVE VII: Promote, develop and implement year- round community recreation programs. Strategies 1. Develop a package of recreational programs that appeals to all age groups and levels of ability. 2. Continually stimulate interest in lifetime sports and recre- ational activities by appointing a subcommittee of citizen users of the recreation programs to evaluate the recreational program package annually and comment to the committee in June of each year on the following: a. Elimination of or improvements to existing pro- grams based on their popularity. b. Evaluate the volunteer coaching program and recommend improvements. c. Evaluate the appeal of the recreation program package relative to various age groups and levels of ability. d. Keep the recreation program package dynamic by analyzing changing recreational trends. Recommend new programs that the department can afford to sponsor (by eliminating the expense of a less popular program, by attracting new fees, etc.). OBJECTIVE VIII: Sponsor and administer recreation programs that use role models to encourage respon- sible behavior by youths. Strategies 1. Encourage funding to attract educated and experienced leaders. 2. Comply with the Drug -Free Workplace Act. 3. Support facilities and programs that offer youth controlled opportunities to gather and participate in programs that are healthful and encourage social, mental and skill develop- ment. 1993-MASTER PLAN-1998 CONCERNING FEES AND FUNDING April, 1993 Page 10 OBJECTIVE IX: Recognize that parks and recreation programs, facilities and services are valuable to the citzens of McCall and that profitability is only one consideration in evaluating those programs, facilities and services. Strategies 1. Fees charged for special services, supervision, set-up or privileges should be determined in consideration of the following: a. market value of service or privilege b. restrictions such requests place on the public's use of park facilities c. nature of the use: profit, non-profit, personal, etc. d. value of the use to the quality of life of the citizens of McCall 2. Fees for youth programs or educational sessions should be kept to a reasonable minimum. OBJECTIVE X: Recognize that there is a serious dispar- ity in who pays for parks and recreation services in McCall and who uses parks and recreation services in McCall. Attempt to find a way to balance the burden. Strategies: 1. Create a subcommittee chaired by a member of the park board to recommend alternative funding sources: conces- sions, grants, gifts, special elections, fund raising efforts, etc. This committee would also explore special taxing districts, annexation of properties to city limits, etc. to spread the funding burden of basic park infrastructure expenses over more of the population of the park system's users. 2. Establish a fee structure throughout the park and recre- ation system that eases this imbalance by offering discounts to city residents and to other significant contributors, etc. as approved by the advisory committee. 3. Examine land dedication ordinances or other techniques for site acquisition and development. W McCall Dept. of Parks and Recreation 7onti Grote, chair • Members: Dennis Coyle, Kathy Killen, Dean Martens, Malcolm Scott ` slto Fairway I Park 1 LAt E ' EDY LANE 1993-MASTER PLAN-1998 Actions Specific Park Sites MOST OPTIONS BEING CONSIDERED FOR COMPLETION BY 1998: Davis ' .--- Lick Cr. Rd. L Beach".`` i p„.3Y 1%01d Clubhouse N III T McCall Golf o Course April, 1993 Page 11 Parks being considered for major renovations or actions Fairway Park OPTION 1) Leave as is and continue with projects recom- mended by the '87 Master Plan: restrooms, shade trees, improved drinking fountain, landscaping barrier between park and Ameri Gas. OPTION 2) Keep land in park system, but encourage reloca- tion of playfields to the riverfront site through other funding. OPTION 3) Sell everything but lands necessary for bike path, relocate playfields to riverfront property. OPTION 4) Sell portion of site but preserve enough for one public playfield/tots' playground/additional tennis courts with bike path routed around it. Golf Course Clubhouse Site OPTION 1) Sell site as proposed by city council, use funds to match bike path grant awarded to city earlier this year, make progress on projects the board considers a priority (board will recommend priorities after public has had oppor- tunity to comment on this option) OPTION 2) Keep site and develop into a community center. Find another means to match bike path grant. OPTION 3) Keep as parking for Davis Beach, find other means to match bike path grant. Riverfront Site 1) Commission a park design to look at the following uses: a. playfields design for multi -use: baseball, softball, soccer b. "Noise" recreation area c. RV park d. open amphetheater e. large events such as crafts fairs, outdoor expositions, concerts, etc. f. soft winter recreation such as sledding, etc. g. sport access to river: fishing, rafting, etc. 2) Design to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act. 3) Insist on competent, professional planning. A develop- ment of this type along the river will bring down heavy environmental concerns, not the least of which is the heavy use of fertilizer on the softball fields and the presence of wetlands on and near the site. 4) Comply with mitigation requirements on Phase I of Legacy Park by placing required fencing of wetlands. Tbis section continued next page Bike Paths 1. Complete aquisition of Hoyle property and railroad right of way behind City Hall (Kalman) 2. Develop or have in progress all four sections currently planned: a. Miles Standish to Legacy Park c. Legacy via downtown to Park Street down Forest Street to Shore Lodge b. City to Deinhard to Riverfront Park d. Down Highway 55 to Warren Wagon Road 3. Bike path design to emphasize: a. Minimizing use conflicts (see Objective IX under goals and strategies) b. Incorporating views of waterfront and natural amenities c. Vest pocket parks and natural areas d. At least minimum standard (Class 3) bikeways. e. Safety and interpretive signage 4. Emphasize extention of bike path into neighborhood areas and into other areas of interest expressed by the com- munity. Art Roberts Park OPTION 1) Redesign landscaping to divide slope into tiers, each devoted to a different user: a. street level. Landscape into a sitting area something like commu- nity park with hardy perennials, benches and low maintenance walkways to give shoppers, downtown area employees, senior citizens and the handicapped a lakeview place in the middle of town to take a break or eat a snack. b. mid level: grade flat, re -seed lawn and put in picnic tables. c. lower level: grade or dig back sea wall, improve beach or move volleyball court in Legacy Park to this location. OPTION 2) Leave as is, except for the following mainte- nance and improvements a. Replace 2 sections of dock, west of park b. Remove (replace) existing restroom facility c. Repair drinking fountain d. Clean lake bottom. e. Assess and if necessary, make improvements necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. f. Install dock bumpers and storm drain (from '87 master plan). g. Replace ill-conceived sprinkler system. This section continued next page April, 1993 Page 12 Mill Park Boat Ram April, 1993 Page 13 Parks being considered for general improvements and maintenance Davis Beach 1) Construct restroom facility. 2) Install swimming buoys. 3) Build retaining walls around the exposed roots of trees for improved safety and aesthetics. 4) Relocate some mismatched picnic tables from Legacy Park to Davis Beach 5) Assess and if necessary, make improvements necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 6) Relocate docks to one side to better protect swim area 7) Define parking area, pave and mark. Mill Park 1) Replace sprinkler system (from '87 master plan) 2) Install children's playground equipment at a location that offers the least conflict with other park users and adjacent property owners. 3) Re -plant high -maintenance garden areas that have fallen into disrepair with less demanding ground covers and vegetation. 4) Assess and if necessary, make improvements necessary to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act. 5) Expand parking. 6) Improve access at Hemlock Street 7) Relocate restrooms to park entrance and combine with an information kiosk. Community Park 1) Eliminate the need for city crews to mow this tiny little site by replacing grass with low growing perennial ground cover. 2) Coordinate maintenance with the volunteer efforts of Payette Lakes Progressive Club Tennis Courts, Neighborhood Parks 1) Assess sites and evaluate value to park system. Attach recommendations as addendums to master plan. Tbis section continued next page Rotary Park 1) Relocate some of the mismatched picnic tables from Legacy Park to grassy area. 2) Remove large rocks from water's edge. 3) Build retaining walls around the exposed roots of trees for improved safety and aesthetics. (already in '92-'93 budget) 4) Enclose back of garbage area 5) Improve steepness of steps 6) Clean lake bottom 7) Assess and if necessary, make improvements necessary to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act. 8) Safer surface for playground (already in '92-'93 budget) 9) Coordinate maintenance and improvements with the volun- teer efforts of the McCall Rotary Club Legacy Park 1) Volleyball Court Options a. relocate volleyball court to Art Roberts Park and replace with grass and picnic tables. b. relocate volleyball court to southeast end of park c. leave volleyball court where it is d. leave volleyball court where it is but close at 5:00 p.m. to elimi- nate noise during evening hours e. leave volleyball court where it is and build screening wall between court and adjacent businesses 2) Install swim buoys. 3) Construct an observation deck over the concrete pylons on the southeast shore. 4) Construct pole fence along rim walkway to discourage traffic on bank. 5) Purchase 6 matching picnic tables and relocate mismatched existing tables to Rotary Park and Davis Beach. 6) Install bike racks. (already in '92-'93 budget) 7) Install drinking fountain 8) Clean lake bottom 9) Improve appearance of pumphouse with shade awnings and benches. 10) Assess and if necessary, make improvements necessary to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act. 11) Complete Phase I with sidewalk around eastern perimeter April, 1993 Page 14