HomeMy Public PortalAbout06-20-2017 Minutes PRB Regular MeetingPage 1 of 4
Minutes
Parks and Recreation Board
7 p.m. June 20, 2017
Town Barn, 101 E. Orange St.
Present: Chairman Todd Stabley, Vice Chairwoman Kate Albrecht, Ashley Campbell, Robb English,
Annie Jarabek, Rebecca Swartz, Chris Wehrman (Planning Board representative), and Kim
Woodell
Absent: Board of Commissioners representative Brian Lowen (ex officio), Noah Mace, and Nancy
Taylor
Staff: Public Space Manager Stephanie Trueblood
Item 1: Call meeting to order; confirm presence of a quorum.
Chairman Stabley called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Ms. Trueblood called the roll and confirmed the
presence of a quorum.
Item 2: Consideration of changes or adjustments to the agenda
There were no changes.
Item 3: Approval of minutes of May 16, 2017, meeting
Motion: Ms. Albrecht moved to approve the May minutes.
Second: Ms. Swartz seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Item 4: Update on survey of Riverwalk greenway users
Ms. Albrecht reported that she had conducted early morning surveys, talking with several runners and
walkers who regularly use the trail. She reported that 12 of those groups with which she had spoken were
Hillsborough residents. Two other groups had Hillsborough addresses but lived outside the town limits.
She said that those there for exercise tended to use Riverwalk two to five times a week. Most of those she
spoke with parked at the parking deck and used both the entrance by the farmers market pavilion and the
entrance near Weaver Street Market. She also spoke with some Riverwalk users who came from the
Forest Ridge neighborhood or from the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail parking lot.
Ms. Albrecht said users said positive things and wanted to talk about how much they love the quiet and
open space. Users said Riverwalk is not too busy but feels safe enough. Also, they said people are polite
and share the trail well.
There were a few comments requesting fewer puddles and more natural trail surfaces as the trail is
extended, Ms. Albrecht reported. Ms. Albrecht reviewed that Ms. Taylor had conducted 40 surveys. Ms.
Albrecht had conducted 17 surveys, talking to about 30 people. She suggested weekend mornings and
weekday lunchtime would be good times for other board members to conduct surveys along Riverwalk.
Ms. Trueblood suggested conducting surveys the evening of Last Fridays to hear from first-time or
infrequent users.
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Mr. Wehrman and Ms. Swartz offered to conduct weekend surveys.
Item 5: Fiscal Year 2018 budget update
Ms. Trueblood explained that she had changed the budget from having a line item for each park to having
categories for items like maintenance on buildings and maintenance on grounds, which includes mulch,
mowing, field maintenance, and general landscaping. In this way, she can create a contract for all the
playground mulch at once and does not have to attribute expenditures to each park.
Ms. Trueblood reviewed that the items the board hoped would be addressed in the new fiscal year and
that are in the approved budget include replacing the fence at Turnip Patch Park; replacing the water
fountains at Gold Park; replacing the large slide at Gold Park with a different piece of equipment like a
rope climber; exchanging the locations for the smaller slide and smaller climbing wall at Gold Park so that
the slide is not overly heated by direct sunlight; making parking lot improvements at Kings Highway Park;
and installing low fencing on Riverwalk where people are widening the trail by going around trees and
where she wants to dissuade people from going to the river where the ground is undercut from erosion.
Ms. Trueblood answered clarifying questions about the budget. She also explained that her construction
cost estimates for the parking lot at Kings Highway Park are two years old and construction costs have
likely risen. If she cannot get the lot built for what she estimated, this board will discuss what can be
done.
Item 6: Discuss FY18 work plan
Ms. Trueblood shared that the Orange County Arts Commission had put out the call for artists for the bee
hotel project. This project is also financially supported by the Town of Hillsborough and the Tourism
Development Authority, which also designated $500 to pay for workshop materials and a workshop
instructor for citizens to make their own simpler habitats for native pollinators. The bee hotel is intended
to be a showpiece highlighting the habitats of some of the diverse solitary native bee species found in
Hillsborough.
Ms. Trueblood suggested that the Parks and Recreation Board work plan include continuing to survey
users on Riverwalk and continuing to work on recreation incentives for developers. She reviewed that Mr.
Mace had offered to build the little library that was previously approved for Gold Park but not built.
Ms. Trueblood recommended that the board create master plans for Turnip Patch Park, Murray Street
Park, and Cates Creek Park. These master plans would include details of what is needed in the future,
including picnic tables and improvements to the streams that run through the parks.
Ms. Trueblood reviewed that this board has already created a master plan for Kings Highway Park. The
board expressed interest in creating a master plan for Exchange Club Park, which the town does not yet
own but is maintaining. Ms. Trueblood suggested waiting to develop that plan until it was clear that the
town would move forward with a lease or purchase of the park.
Item 7: Reports and updates — (Parks and Recreation-related reports)
• Board of Commissioners: Brian Lowen — He was absent.
• Planning Board: Chris Wehrman — He reported that the board had reviewed text amendments
and had recommended putting the recreational points on the July public hearing.
• Orange County Parks and Recreation Council: Annie Jarabek — She had no report.
• Intergovernmental Parks Work Group: Ms. Trueblood — The work group had not met. She has
been continuing to work on the geodatabase trail map.
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• Park steward reports:
1. Gold Park: Annie Jarabek — She had no report. Dog Park: Nancy Taylor — She was absent.
A guest speaker addressed the board. She said she recently moved to Hillsborough and loves
Gold Park. She is a dog owner who enjoys the dog park, and she is concerned that a third
flood has damaged the fence in the dog park. She is curious of the feasibility of building a
retaining wall. She asked whether there is money to do something like that now. Also, she
wanted to know how long it would take. Also, she said the mulch tears dog paws. Ms.
Trueblood said the town put down almost $5,000 worth of double-shredded hardwood
mulch. Mr. Wehrman asked whether the guest was suggesting a retaining wall just for the dog
park.
Ms. Trueblood asked whether the board wanted to talk about the flooding at Gold Park now
and then return to park steward reports. The board answered affirmatively.
Ms. Trueblood reviewed the history of the Gold Park land. The river’s natural path runs
through the middle of Gold Park, she said. In the 1960s, a mineral mining company moved the
river’s path. In the first nine years of Gold Park, there were no floods. In the last year, there
have been three. When it floods, the mulch in the dog park is getting picked up and set down
on the fence. Ms. Trueblood is exploring replacing the mulch with sod, which has its own
problems. Dogs may tear it up, creating a muddy area. Trees moving through in a flood also
would still damage the fence. Fence repairs usually cost under $2,000, but replacing mulch
costs between $3000 and $5000. She acknowledged it’s a concern that it takes so long to get
the dog park reopened when the flooded mulch damages the fence. Regarding the retaining
wall question, floodwaters would damage most retaining walls. A chain link fence is good for
floodwater, except when mulch is pushing against it, Ms. Trueblood said. She is considering
replacing the mulch with sod this fall. There is not money in the budget for sod because the
budget was created last fall. She could bring a budget amendment to the Board of
Commissioners. She explained that each flood event has affected a different side of the fence
(east, north, and south).
The guest said sod, even if it gets muddy, would be better than mulch. There was discussion
that dogs will tear up sod or seeded grass. Ms. Trueblood said if the area is seeded with grass,
the dog park would be closed for several months to allow time for the grass to grow. If
Hillsborough has a wet fall, sod could be established in a month. Fans of the dog park sitting
in the audience advised Ms. Trueblood to call the mulch provider and say there were
complaints and damaged paws from the last batch of mulch.
Ms. Trueblood said she could request smaller mulch and see if another flooding event
happens. If flooding keeps happening, then it would be time to plant sod or grass or have a
muddy dog park. Mr. English suggested installing a hose to rinse off dogs. Ms. Trueblood
informed the board that two water spigots have already been placed in the dog park.
Ms. Trueblood said the flooding at Gold Park is another reason to continue to talk about
creating a dog park at Cates Creek Park.
2. Cates Creek Park: Robb English — Mr. English reported the park looks good and the pollinator
garden looks great. He asked if the gate is being shut at night. Ms. Trueblood answered it is
supposed to be closed 30 minutes after sunset. Ms. Trueblood asked board members to let
her know if they notice the gate open at night or early in the morning because it would cost a
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lot to repair the field if someone damaged it one night by driving on it. She will inform the
Police Department if the gate is being missed.
3. Turnip Patch Park: Annie Jarabek — She said it looked fine before the rain event.
4. Murray Street Park: Ashley Campbell — She said Ms. Trueblood covered it with a picture of
the flooding at this park. The mulch was swept away. Ms. Trueblood asked if there’s a
neighborhood listserv so that she can invite neighbors to give input to the master plan. Ms.
Campbell recommended using the NextDoor social media tool.
5. Kings Highway Park: Todd Stabley — He reported the park looked good despite the heavy
rains. Poison ivy is on both sides of the trail and encroaching on the trail. Mr. English
recommended goats. Staff informed the board that Public Works had sprayed the poison ivy
earlier this month but they would check back to see if it needed to be done again.
6. Hillsborough Heights Park: Kim Woodell — Ms. Woodell reported one post on the side fence’s
right is leaning.
7. Riverwalk: Todd Stabley — This was covered in the flood discussion.
• Staff updates:
Flood damage repairs — This was covered under the Gold Park discussion above.
Churton Street Access Improvements Project — Ms. Trueblood reported the project is going well.
Despite the rain, good progress has been made. The sidewalk ramps and the corner at Antonia’s
restaurant has been cut. Access to businesses is being maintained. Matthew’s Chocolate,
Antonia’s, and The Wooden Nickel would be most affected in the coming weeks. The project is
still on schedule.
Plantings — All plantings downtown and at Cates Creek Park are doing well with the rain, Ms.
Trueblood reported.
Park signage — Ms. Trueblood reported that stickers had been placed over the phone extensions
on all the park signs so that people would call the main number and use the directory. This
postpones the need to order new signs now that the Town Hall phone numbers have changed.
Ms. Trueblood said that on the last day of school at The Expedition School, cars were parked on
the grass and by the picnic shelters at Gold Park. There were pop-up tents, balloons, and dozens
of people walking around. Ms. Trueblood said she looked at the special event posting, and the
reservation was for a party of 10. Someone explained that The Expedition School was having a
last-day popsicle party. The party of 10 was in the shelter and was a separate event. Ms.
Trueblood asked someone from the school for the principal. It was explained that this was just an
event organized by parents. The parent representative said the parents had not reserved the
shelter because it was already reserved.
Ms. Trueblood said she and Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell then had a
meeting with The Expedition School principal to address this issue and other issues. Town staff
reinforced that Gold Park is not the school’s park and staff will continue to work with the school
to make sure the park is being used appropriately and is available for the public.
Item 8: Adjourn
Motion: Ms. Swartz moved to adjourn at 8:55 p.m.
Second: Ms. Woodell seconded.
Vote: Unanimous