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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-07-1994 Park Commission Minutes , , MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1994 ATTENDANCE The Park Commission met on Monday, February 7, 1994, with the following members present: Richard N. Flint, Chair, Sherokee Ilse, Susan Wilson, Lili McMillan, and Robert Howells. Alex Vongries and James White were absent. John Gerhardson and Recorder Barbara Anderson represented City staff. Chair Flint called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. (#1) PUBLIC INPUT REGARDING OLD CRYSTAL BAY SITE Chair Flint announced that the Park Commission would hear public input regarding the Old Crystal Bay Site for park purposes at this meeting and would also hear input at their March 7, 1994 meeting from residents who were unable to be present. Tim Pattrin, 1360 Railroad Avenue, read a statement that Steve and Randi Carlson had lost their son, Lee, and as they had been involved in the community and working with the neighborhood to develop the park, the residents who knew the family requested that the park be dedicated in the memory of Lee Carlson. Mr. Pattrim stated that they had taken a survey asking area residents which uses they felt should be included in the park. The first choice was an ice rink, with 26 votes; playground equipment was second choice, with 21 votes. Third choice was a basketball hoop and play area which received 17 votes, tennis courts received 15 votes, a hockey rink and boards received 14 votes, volleyball received 8 votes, soccer play fields received 8 votes, a sheltered picnic area received 5 votes and a baseball backstop area received 4 votes. Judy Blue, 2160 Crystal Avenue, stated she was concerned about the safety issues regarding people who wanted to use the Art Center. She had noticed people who were late for meetings being held at the Art Center speeding down Crystal Avenue, and she asked that speed bumps or stop signs be implemented to address this issue. LaDean McWilliams, 1130 Willow Drive, stated her children were now grown, and she had grandchildren, but her children had utilized the Old Hill School playground. She inquired if any of that land would be available for park uses and Gerhardson responded that it was privately owned. Mrs. McWilliams inquired how much area was included in the three parcels being discussed, and Gerhardson responded that Parcel A contained approximately 3/4 of an acre, Parcel B was approximately a half acre, and the area of Parcel C was uncalculated. He showed an overhead illustrating what the park would look like with the road closed off. He stated that the Old Hill School was located farther to the west. 1 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1994 Rick Kiemen, 1212 Briar Street, inquired about the future for the old post office, and commented that if it was going to remain on that site, he would like to see the road looping around the building and going back out. LaDean McWilliams commented she had head there was going to be a drive-up window installed in the Post Office, and Lili McMillan stated she had heard there was going to be a collection box installed on the site. Gerhardson stated that some off-street parking would be provided but it has not yet been decided where it will be located because of the potential impact on the park. Discussion ensued regarding the amount of available space around the Post Office. Greg Peterson, 1355 Arbor Street, commented that it was a very tight area with little area available for expansion. Curt Quady, 1223 South Brown Road, stated he felt that a fence should be installed along Brown Road to keep the kids safe from the traffic on Brown Road. He commented that the believed the uses for the land would be dictated by the area available. He felt that this could be one of the best parks in Orono. Chair Flint inquired how many of the residents present were in favor of closing Prospect only, and 16 voted aye, 2 nays. He inquired how many supported closing Crystal only and there were 8 ayes, 6 nays. He inquired how many supported closing both and there were 11 ayes and 3 nays. Judy Christensen, 1251 Brown Road South, stated she wanted more land for the park, but hoped the City would look at the traffic in the area to avoid creating problems and also keep safety issues in focus. Mary Crear, 1980 Spates Avenue, inquired what the City was planning for the old City Council building on Parcel C. She also inquired if the Post Office could be moved into the old City Council building and use the existing building as a warming house. Gerhardson responded that the City was trying to determine the cost of renovation of the old Council Chambers building, because it required lead paint abatement, and also there was no electricity or plumbing service to the building. Cary Farley, 1250 Arbor Street, stated she did not want the building there and inquired if it could be moved to Nurenberg Gardens to see if they would like to use it. She did not want her tax dollars used to maintain it. Cindy Lamontagne, 1270 Arbor Lane, stated she agreed with Mrs. Farley, and would rather not have the building used as a warming house because of the lead paint. She felt it was wasting space. 2 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1994 Barb Peterson, 1261 Arbor Street, inquired if traffic counts had been done on the streets in the area to determine the traffic volumes on them, because that might be a significant factor in determining which streets they might want to close. Discussion ensued regarding the problems involved with removing the lead paint and maintenance of the existing building. It was felt that the roads should be closed for safety reasons because it was not reasonable to have streets running through a park. Concern was expressed regarding the traffic flow in the area if the roads are dead-ended. Greg Peterson noted that Briar Avenue is a heavily traveled road and traffic will be increased if the roadways are closed. He felt that it would be a hazard to the children who live in the area if the traffic levels are increased. Dan Crear, 1980 Spates Avenue, stated he felt perhaps a professional firm should be consulted to determine if this was a good location for a park. He suggested that perhaps this was not the best location, and possibly the land could be sold and some land behind Old Hill School could be purchased and turned into a park instead. He was not sure this was the best location for a park because of the high traffic levels in the area. Chair Flint inquired if the residents present wanted to have a neighborhood park in this vicinity and the consensus was that they did. Diane Jentilucci, 1295 Briar Street stated she was opposed to anything which would bring increased traffic, noise or people from outside the neighborhood into the area. She felt that the money spent to remove the buildings should somehow be recouped. She did not feel there was any reason to keep the old City Council building, but if they decided to do that, perhaps it could be moved onto Parcel A next to the Post Office to consolidate the buildings together. She stated she felt safe living on Briar Street, but was opposed to anything that would draw people in from outside the area. Discussion ensued regarding the land adjacent to the Art Center and the possibility of locating a neighborhood park on another site within the area bounded by South Brown Road, Highway 51, French Creek and Willow. Sixteen residents were in favor of considering this option and one resident was opposed. Curt Quady stated he felt that since the City already owned the land being discussed it did not make sense for them to spend more money purchasing additional land for park purposes. Discussion ensued regarding the possibility of purchasing additional land utilizing funds from the sale of Parcels A, B and C. Letters from Judith A. Hutchins, Postmaster, Crystal Bay Post Office, and Terry D. Morse, a resident at 2080 Spates Avenue were entered into the record. Lili McMillan noted that Maybell Kohls, 1224 Briar Street, had called her expressing concerns about overdeveloping the park space at Crystal Bay. Mrs. Kohls did not support spending excessive amounts of taxpayers money on the construction of 3 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1994 new facilities or their maintenance. She was also concerned about the safety of children playing close to Brown Road. Chair Flint noted that the area was insufficient to allow for construction of items such as a baseball field, with it's accompanying lights and noise factors, and he did not believe the residents needed to be concerned about that type of use being implemented on the site. He closed the public meeting at 8:10 p.m. (#2) APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JANUARY 6, 1994 MEETING Ilse and McMillan noted several changes on pages 3, 4 and 6 of the Minutes. Howells moved, Wilson seconded, to approve the January 6, 1994 Park Commission Minutes as amended. Ayes 5, nays 0. (#3) PARK COMMISSION AGENDA FOR 1994 McMillan stated she would like to see the Golf Course budget submitted in March. She noted that the turf and ball field repair at Hackberry Park should be done before t-ball starts. She inquired about the lines on the basketball court, and Gerhardson responded that the free throw line was done but not the 3-point line, which would be added in May. Wilson stated she would like to have a report on the youth programs, including the cross country skiing. McMillan suggested perhaps the club house at the Golf Course could be opened on Saturdays during the winter to allow people skiing and sledding access. She felt that if beverages or food were sold it would cover the costs of opening it and she felt it would provide a place for parents to gather while their children were playing. She noted that it would also provide access to the telephone, which was not available when the club house was closed. Discussion ensued regarding the Friends of the Parks, and McMillan noted that it must be determined by August meeting and be presented at the October meeting. Tours of selected parks were discussed, and the Commission felt that French Creek Park, Crystal Bay area and OBA should be included. French Creek Park was discussed and Wilson reported on the work which was done and would be completed this spring. It was noted that the Park Improvement Committee had not been functioning, and the Commission placed the reorganization of this committee on the March agenda. Summit Beach was discussed, and it was decided to advertise the availability of the canoe rack in both March and April to get a better response. It was not known whether a newsletter would be mailed out to residents, but Gerhardson noted that it could be advertised in the local paper. 4 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1994 The Park Plan proposal by Shardlow will be scheduled for the March agenda. Gerhardson stated that Mr. Shardlow had met with City Administrator Moorse and himself and was prepared to make a presentation to the Park Commission at their March meeting. Ilse discussed the Adopt-A-Park program, and felt that a brochure should be designed and a press release sent out regarding this program. The Bike-Hike trails in the Tandem Corporation development were discussed. Gerhardson stated that staff intended to discuss this with Mr. Putnam to determine how much the developer was willing to do regarding building along the Dickey property. He stated this item would be scheduled for City Council review in April, and will hopefully be constructed by June. Discussion ensued regarding obtaining funds to purchase land for community play fields. Flint commented that there should be an overall Park Plan in place to aid the decision making process. (#5) REPORTS ON SKATING RINK MONITORING (LILI MCMILLAN) McMillan reported that she had been monitoring Hackberry and noted that she had seen children skating on the rink once, but the cold weather had not been conducive to outdoor activities. She felt the rink needed to be flooded more often as the ice was rather thin. Ilse stated that initially the Bederwood rink ice appeared to be good, but she had not walked it subsequently. The ice was plowed, but the tires on the equipment left ruts and snow on the ice which needed to be swept off. She stated there were about six kids that skate there, but the cold weather may be a factor in this low usage. She stated she had not seen any benches or tables placed in the proximity of any of the rinks, but the Park Commission had requested that this be done. Gerhardson reported that Orono has used Long Lake's equipment to sweep the rinks before they are flooded and this seems to work well. However, there have been problems with the timing, and getting the rinks cleaned off before they are flooded. He discussed the problems with getting rinks plowed, given the City's staff and equipment limitations and policies regarding plowing priorities. He noted that other cities have a full-time park specialist on staff which helps a great deal with the upkeep. Discussion ensued regarding the possibility of requesting a parks person added to the staff, and the possibility of utilizing persons serving community service time to do some park maintenance work. 5 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1994 McMillan felt that a recommendation should be forwarded to the City Council to close all but two of the rinks because she would prefer to see two rinks well maintained than four poorly-maintained rinks. She thought if the number of rinks was reduced, the quality might be improved. Gerhardson noted that the timing of the maintenance was very important and outdoor rink maintenance was very labor intensive. Discussion ensued regarding which rinks to close, how many to close or whether they should all be closed until adequate staff and funds were available to maintain them. The operating budget was discussed regarding funding for park maintenance costs. The Commission felt that the City Administrator should be invited to attend their next meeting to explain how the budget was structured and address concerns regarding costs and maintenance. Flint moved, Howells seconded, that a memo should be drafted inviting City Administrator Ron Moorse to attend the March Park Commission meeting to address the concerns of the Park Commission and provide solutions regarding park maintenance. Ayes 5, nays 0. (#6) PLANNING FOR FRENCH CREEK PRESERVE (SUSAN WILSON) Wilson reviewed the list that she and Gerhardson had developed last fall regarding things which needed to be done prior to the opening of French Creek this spring. She noted that the path all the way around the pond may have to be postponed, as there is some filling that needs to be done. They plan to grade in part of it, and go from there. She stated there was a natural parking area and signs will be put up. They plan to plant about six trees along the fence to screen the parking from the sewer plant. She stated that the park will be open in the spring of 1994. Signs for the preserve were discussed, and Wilson noted they have tried to be sensitive to the homeowner, since the access abuts his driveway. The $300 donation from Dayton employees was discussed, and it was noted that Orono will need to send representatives from the City to accept the check. (#7) PLANNING FOR CANOE STORAGE AT SUMMIT BEACH Gerhardson reported that advertisements for canoe storage availability will be published in the local paper in March and April in order to give maximum exposure to the availability of this facility. (#8) UPDATE ON OBA FIELD AT SCHOOL PROPERTY Ilse stated that at this point no agreement or schedule has been reached. The City Attorney sent a proposed agreement proposal to the school but there has been no response from the school. She contacted the school and was informed that they intend to have the agreement back to City staff this week. She noted 6 � MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1994 that a contract also was needed between OBA and the City. Gerhardson stated that the proposed concession stand will need a variance because of height if it is not reduced in size. Discussion ensued regarding whether a public hearing needed to be held if the structure met ordinance requirements. (#9) OTHER BUSINESS Chair Flint inquired about the Orono Hockey Association and whether they intended to consider utilizing area behind the Middle School. Chair Flint noted that the City Council had reappointed Park Commissioners Flint, Wilson and Ilse at their January lOth meeting. Chair Flint inquired where the tax forfeit property mentioned in the December 13th Council minutes was located and Gerhardson responded that the Saga Hill property was part of it and the City had accepted it as park land. However, the original owner has now filed papers to pay the taxes and have the property reinstated as his. It is uncertain what the outcome will be, and staff will keep the Park Commission informed on this matter. Easement acquisition for the bridge replacement on Old Crystal Bay Road was discussed. Gerhardson noted that the easements were purchased for their appraised value, and the construction will be done in June or July. The sidewalk will be at least six feet in width on both sides of the bridge. He noted that the City Council would be discussing this item at their meeting on MSA projects to be held on February 15th at 8:00 a.m. The possibility of obtaining additional CDBG funds for the Park Plan was briefly discussed. ADJOURNMENT It was moved by Howells, seconded by Wilson, to adjourn the meeting of the Park Commission at 10:10 p.m. Ayes 6, nays 0. � , � �� � /j. ��, /� ./ /� ///, � � - ./vL�-t_.-�i✓:.r / ( / " �".l. . :-�..,. Richard N. Flint, Chair 7