HomeMy Public PortalAboutP&RAC Minutes 1994 05/09PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MINUTES
MAY 9,1994
I. ROLL CALL AND CALL TO ORDER
Chair Grote called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Committee members Ware, Killen, and VanKomen
answered the roil call. Chair declared a quorum present. Also attending were Kathy Rake, Laurie Braun, Ray McKellar,
Molly Eldredge, Nancy Umbach, Rick Fereday, Larry Shake, Mary Naylor and David McBride, and Director Baker.
II. MEETING MINUTES - APRIL 25,1994
Killen moved to accept the March 25,1994 minutes as written, seconded by Ware and the motion carried.
III. PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT IN MILL PARK - RAKE, BRAUN, McKELLAR, ELDREDGE, SHAKE,
NAYLOR,& UMBACH.
Chair gave a background description and told the committee and audience that whether to put a playground into
Mill Park is not at issue. The city made the commitment of Mill Park to the fundraisers before fundraising began. To
reopen the topic after the money has been raised is an act of bad faith. Chair asked committee and audience to restrict
their remarks to where the playground will be located in Mill Park.
The following summarizes the discussion:
Larry Shake -representing Osprey Courts (which owns Brundage Condominiums) and Reed Gillespie
Shake informed committee that the people he represents are strongly against placing playground equipment in Mill Park
and will consider taking legal action to block the project on the grounds that his constituents were not involved enough a
year ago when original approval was granted.
Chair reviewed the intensive efforts the committee has used to involve the public in particular Mr. Gillespie
and Mr. Shake's superior, Judd DeBoer—in this decision. She noted:
• A review of the committee's minutes will show that a representative of Osprey Courts/Brundage Mountain
Company attended the meeting in which the committee discussed and voted to recommend the Mill Park
location to the council.
• The committee's records show the receipt of three letters to the council from Mr. DeBoer objecting to the
playground. The first was dated May 27, 1992 when the matter was first being discussed. The city council
approved the Mill Park location on October 28,1993. A letter to the council from Mr. DeBoer, again
objecting to the project was in the council's correspondence for that meeting. His letter was dated October
14. A third letter from Mr. DeBoer to the council was dated April 27,1994, just after the council's decision
to send the matter back to the Park and Recreation Advisory Committee.
• The construction of a playground in Mill Park is in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which was
scrutinized in a public hearing. Chair said she personally solicited the opinion of Mr. DeBoer and made sure
he received a copy of the plan prior to its adoption.
Chair informed Mr. Shake that she couldn't fathom how a process could be more public than that. Member
Killen also quoted the easement agreement signed by Mr. Gillespie in 1986 granting access through his property into
Mill Park:
It is understood and agreed by and between the parties hereto that the City has applied to the United States Bureau of
Outdoor Recreation for a grant with which to construct a park and playground on the premises on the North..."
Chair informed Mr. Shake that in view of the facts of the matter, she found it difficult to see any grounds for
legal action and again called for discussion on relocating the project to another park be closed.
Chair asked the committee and the audience to discuss the pros and cons of each site under consideration. Chair
posted a map of Mill Park and numbered each of the four sites (attached).
SITE NUMBER ONE is located near the entrance to Mill Park
SITE NUMBER TWO is located in front of the re,strooms on top of the knoll
SITE NUMBER THREE is the original site to the East of the walk way and just South of the restrooms
SITE NUMBER FOUR is Doug Manchester's land which will revert back to city ownership in 1996 if he
does not build a convention center, or will revert immediately upon the sale of an adjoining lot in the
subdivision.
" S i t e O n e w a s r e j e c t e d u n a n i m o u s l y b y t h e c o m m i t t e e b e c a u s e m e m b e r s f e l t s t r o n g l y t h a t a p l a y g r o u n d s h o u l d n o t b e
t h e f i r s t t h i n g v i s i t o r s s e e w h e n t h e y e n t e r t h e p a r k .
" S i t e T w o w a s r e j e c t e d u n a n i m o u s l y b y t h e c o m m i t t e e b e c a u s e o f t h e e x t e n s i v e e x c a v a t i o n t h a t w o u l d b e r e q u i r e d t o
l e v e l t h e k n o l l .
" S i t e F o u r w a s r e j e c t e d u n a n i m o u s l y b y t h e c o m m i t t e e b e c a u s e a l t h o u g h i t w a s s o m e m e m b e r s '