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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 2/5/2002 * PLEASE NOTE:: Since the Glendale City Council does not take formal action at the Workshops, Workshop minutes are not approved by the City Council. MINUTES CITY OF GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP February 5, 2002 2:30 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs, Vice Mayor Thomas R. Eggleston, and Councilmembers Joyce V. Clark, Steven E. Frate, David M. Goulet, H. Phillip Lieberman, and Manuel D. Martinez ALSO PRESENT: Ed Beasley, City Manager; Terry Zerkle, Assistant City Manager; Rick Flaaen, City Attorney; and Pamela Oliveira, City Clerk 1. PARKS AND RECREATION PROPOSED MASTER PLAN CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Ms. Pam Kavanaugh, Deputy City Manager; and Mr. Warren Smith, Director of Parks and Recreation. On September 18, 2001, staff and the consultant team of Design Workshop, Leon Younger, and Pro's and ETC Institute presented the draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan for City Council review. Staff was directed to bring the plan back to Workshop prior to final adoption. The following are the changes made to the Master Plan in response to Council direction received at the September 181" Workshop. • Page 13 — "Community Needs". This section has been changed to reflect the current guidelines for museums, libraries, and golf courses. The draft master plan erroneously reflected a three-mile radius for libraries and golf courses. The current plan does not identify a standard for libraries, museums, or golf courses; however the new plan recommends, on page 8, "Level of Service," one golf course/75,000 population to be developed by the private sector at the site of the City's landfill area, and is consistent with the Landfill Master Plan. The levels of service for cultural facilities and libraries are established in the facilities element of the general plan, and are consistent with the guidelines of other benchmarked cities. • Page 4 -- "Level of Service". This section has been changed to address the concern which was expressed regarding the classification size of the proposed parks guidelines. The draft master plan reflected the Neighborhood parks classification of a minimum of 5 acres to 10 acres, and 1 community parks classification of a minimum of 10 acres to 50 acres. Under this scenario, a park of 10 acres could be included in the neighborhood and community park classification. The change reflects a clear distinction between neighborhood parks, 5-10 acres; and community parks, over 10 acres but less than 50 acres; regional parks, 50-200 acres; conservation parks, 50+ acres; and linear parks varies. • Page 9 — "Level of Service". This section has been changed to reflect 20 baseball fields required by 2005, rather than as shown in the draft master plan of 4-5 (4-plex complex). The City Council reviewed the draft Master Plan at its September 18, 2001 meeting and directed staff to bring it to a workshop prior to submittal for formal adoption. The Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to forward the proposed master plan to the City Council for review and adoption at the February 12, 2001, meeting. The consultant discussed the proposed master plan at the June 8, 2000, June 22, 2000, December 11, 2000, January 8, 2001, and the February 12, 2001, Parks and Recreation Commission meetings. The consultant discussed the proposed master plan at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting held on June 8, 2000. The City Council reviewed the results of the Inventory and Analysis Phase at the January 4, 2000 workshop session. The consultant discussed the results of the visioning process at the September 29, 1999 and December 13, 1999 Parks and Recreation Commission meetings. The consultant reviewed the key findings of the public involvement process at the September 13, 1999 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting. The master plan process and the citizen survey instrument were reviewed with the City Council at the July 6, 1999 workshop session. The City Council awarded the contract with Design Workshop, Inc. at the April 13, 1999 Council meeting to develop the ten-year Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The master plan public participation process included one-on-one interviews with elected officials and the Executive Management Team; 14 focus groups of more than 130 stakeholders; a random sample survey of 909 Glendale households; four public forums which were attended by 67 citizens, along with an additional 38 surveys from a neighborhood association. Approximately 55 citizens attended an open house on March 7, 2000, to present the plan to the citizens of Glendale. The total cost to implement the plan over a ten-year period is $143 million. Funding sources of approximately $162 million, have been identified through a mixture of general obligation bonds, development impact fees, grants, and partnerships. The plan may be impacted by the current state of the economy and potential tax revenue losses which may cause some of the projects to be pushed back. The recommendation was to review the changes to the Parks and Recreation Proposed Master Plan and provide staff with direction. In response to Councilmember Lieberman's question, Mr. Smith explained that the plan assumes the golf course will be developed by a private entity and not by the City. Councilmember Clark asked about the additional land required for community parks. Mr. Smith explained that the City wanted the community parks expanded because it felt they were too close in size to the neighborhood parks. Councilmember Clark stated that there are not enough facilities in Zone 3. She asked what could be done to rectify that situation. Mr. Smith stated that the plan calls for five park renovations per year, over the next five to ten years. He said the plan also requires that the City develop a systematic process to analyze each park to determine what improvements should be made. He stated that they will identify an area's greatest needs through public meetings. He pointed out that it is difficult to develop lighted ball fields in established neighborhoods. Councilmember Clark noted that Zone 3 has the fewest number of softball, basketball, and soccer fields. Mr. Smith stated that one of the action strategies will address that issue. He confirmed for Councilmember Clark that the strategy looks at land acquisition, where possible, and renovating older parks. Councilmember Goulet explained that Zone 3 is the oldest portion of the City and it is difficult to retrofit newer facilities into the available space. Councilmember Frate noted that some neighborhoods in Zone 3 do not want lighted ball fields. He stressed the importance of communication between the neighborhoods and the City as to what amenities the residents would like to see developed. Councilmember Martinez agreed that many neighborhoods do not want lighted ball fields. He noted that the Foothills Phase II dedication was scheduled for later this month. Councilmember Lieberman pointed out that the zones do not accurately depict the City's current population. He asked if the zones were tied to redistricting. Mr. Smith explained that the zones were identified strictly to assist in staff's effort to analyze the park system. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the population figures represent the population as of when the survey was conducted. Mr. Smith stated that the survey was based on the 1995 census data. He added the fact that the information will be updated once the new demographic data is available. Mayor Scruggs stated that the oldest part of the City was developed with a sparse approach to City amenities. She reiterated the difficulty that the City faces when trying to retrofit those amenities into established neighborhoods. 3 Councilmember Clark stated that the zones, while being arbitrary, point out the gaps and inequities that exist in various parts of the City. She explained that her reason for bringing the issue up was to ensure that strategies have been identified to deal with those inadequacies. Vice Mayor Eggleston pointed out that the plan is a plan for the future and should not only focus on retrofitting and rebuilding older neighborhoods. Mr. Smith stated that the next step in the process will be to bring the plan forward to Council for adoption. Mayor Scruggs directed Mr. Smith to bring this item forward at the next Council meeting. 2. WEST AREA REGIONAL FACILITY MASTER PLAN CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Ms. Pam Kavanaugh, Deputy City Manager; and Mr. Warren Smith, Director of Parks and Recreation. OTHER PRESENTER: Mr. Jeff Kratzke, Vice President of Olsson Associates. The City Council awarded a contract to Olsson Associates to develop a site master plan for the 88-acre regional park and municipal facilities complex at 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road. Staff and the consultants presented the site master plan for review and comment at today's workshop. An Advisory Committee, that included representatives from the Parks and Recreation Police, Fire, Library, and Engineering Departments have been working with the consultant to develop the site plan. A series of three public meetings were conducted as part of the citizen participation process to gather input for development of the master plan. The 88-acre site is the future home of the public safety complex, branch library, and recreation center, and aquatic center. Other planned recreation amenities include lighted sports fields, an urban fishing lake, and large picnic areas. This item was discussed with the Library Board and the Parks and Recreation Commission in September of 2001 and both Commissions voted unanimously to recommend the Master Plan to the City Council for adoption. The City Council approved the contract for design services with Olsson Associates at the regular meeting held on November 27, 2000. The Council approved the purchase of the 88-acre site for the amount of $3,091,000 at the regular meeting held on November 24, 1998. 4 Public meetings were conducted on May 3 and May 18, 2001 to gather input for project development. The third public meeting was conducted on July 18, 2001 to present the draft plan reflecting the information gathered at the public meetings held in May of 2001. Funding for improvements is in the Fiscal Year 2002-2011 Capital Improvement Plan to include $6 million for the public safety complex in Fiscal Year 2001-2002; $1.75 million for the aquatic facility in Fiscal Year 2002-2003; $7 million for the branch library in Fiscal Year 2004-2005; and $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2001-2002, $1.2 million in Fiscal Year 2002-2003 and $2 million in Fiscal Year 2004-2005 for recreational amenities. The recommendation was to review the conceptual site master plan and provide staff with direction. Mr. Kratzke stated that the plan went through an extensive public participation process. He noted that there was a tremendous amount of public involvement. He stated that over 100 people at the third public meeting were in favor of the preliminary master plan. He said a survey was also distributed in an attempt to have people identify specific priorities. He pointed out that a number of technical support studies, including studies on traffic and lighting, were conducted. He toured the master plan, pointing out the key elements and relationships. He stated that the public safety building, the Library and the multi-generational facility are the three primary elements of the plan. He noted that the public safety building is moving into design. He explained that it was located on the northwest corner because of ingress and egress issues. He said the residential parcel will remain in place and has been incorporated into the master plan. He stated that the water storage facility on the far southeastern corner of the project will also remain. Mr. Kratzke stated that the park will have two primary ingress/egress points, as well as an urban fishing lake whose primary purpose is to irrigate the park, large group ramadas, basketball courts, baseball fields, and parking areas. He said the facility will also have a dog park, a skate park, multi-use fields, and a maintenance facility. He explained that the passive areas of the park are intended to provide a buffer to residential areas. He reviewed several conceptual renditions of the park's design and layout, as well as four alternative design themes. He stated that the lighting studies indicated the perimeter of the site had very low light levels, never exceeding .1 foot candles. He said the traffic impact analysis found that traffic lights would not be necessary initially. He recommended, however, that traffic be monitored to see if lights are warranted at a future date. Councilmember Lieberman asked how many parking spots would be near the ramadas. Mr. Kratzke stated that there are approximately 1 ,000 spaces for the site, with approximately 250 spaces near the ramadas. Councilmember Lieberman asked if grills would be provided near the ramadas. Mr. Kratzke responded in the affirmative. 5 Councilmember Goulet voiced his support of the plan. He stated that he was impressed to see the inclusion of a significant water feature at the entry. He asked if residents in the neighborhood would have neighborhood access to the park. Mr. Kratzke stated that most of the residents indicated they did not want direct access. Councilmember Goulet inquired as to what the fence would be made of. Mr. Kratzke said the fence would probably be constructed of masonry. Councilmember Goulet asked if they anticipated complaints from area residents about the in-line hockey facility. Mr. Kratzke stated that, while residents probably are concerned about the hockey facility, no one from the neighborhood attended the meetings or commented on the issue. He confirmed that the facility will be lighted. Councilmember Goulet asked what would be done to prevent graffiti on the walls. Mr. Kratzke stated that they would take all reasonable precautions to avoid creating obvious opportunities for graffiti, but had not yet developed a specific strategy. Councilmember Goulet inquired as to how deep the lake be would be. Mr. Kratzke explained that the lake would be between nine and 10 feet at its deepest point. Councilmember Martinez asked how Discovery Park would tie into this facility. Mr. Kratzke said area residents had indicated a connection between the two parks was not desirable. Councilmember Martinez asked if they could reduce the size of the dog park in the event additional parking spaces were needed. Mr. Kratzke stated that this particular zone has some flexibility and could provide additional opportunities for parking. Councilmember Frate voiced his support of the project. He inquired as to how the project would be phased. Mr. Smith explained that the public safety facility would be done first, with $2.7 million in other recreational amenities brought online in the first five years. He stated that funding for the library would be available in Fiscal Year 2004/05. He noted that it will cost approximately $100,000 per acre to develop the park. Councilmember Frate thanked members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission for their efforts. Councilmember Clark thanked Mr. Smith, City staff, and the consultants. She stated that she was very impressed with the plan and the citizen outreach that had occurred. She also thanked the citizens for their participation. She stated that there has been a lot of pent up demand for the park. She thanked the Council for making the commitment to acquire the land and seeing the park become a reality. She expressed her opinion that constructing the library soon would make people in the area feel secure that the park is actually coming. She said the Council will have to make a number of decisions as to where the funds are spent first. Vice Mayor Eggleston stressed the importance of having ample parking. He asked what the catalyst was for the urban lake. He noted that it did not receive a lot of citizen support. Mr. Kratzke explained that the primary purpose of the lake is to store Salt River Project (SRP) water for irrigation. Vice Mayor Eggleston expressed his concern that the lake would be allowed to get too low. Mr. Kratzke stated that the water requirement study determined the amount of water needed at various times throughout 6 the year. He assured Vice Mayor Eggleston that they would arrange to have an adequate water supply during SRP's maintenance shutdown period in January. Vice Mayor Eggleston asked if the lake would have a circulating system. Mr. Kratzke responded in the affirmative. He stated that aeration is key to the health of the water. Mayor Scruggs asked if little league use of the fields was taken into consideration when calculating the number of parking spaces needed. Mr. Kratzke explained that they used standards and ratios pertaining to each of the different facilities. Mayor Scruggs stressed the importance of integrating public transportation and asked how it would factor into the facility. Mr. Kratzke agreed on the need to integrate public transportation with the site. He stated that they clearly have enough room to provide convenient stops. Mayor Scruggs asked if the interior roads would also have stops. Mr. Kratzke stated that ample room is also available on the interior roads. Mayor Scruggs said the aquatic feature would be attractive to swim teams who want year- round facilities. Councilmember Martinez suggested that one of the soccer fields could be eliminated to make room for additional parking if necessary. Councilmember Goulet asked if people would be prohibited from parking on the interior streets. Mr. Kratzke responded in the affirmative. Councilmember Goulet asked if the public safety building's architectural theme had been selected and, if so, would the other buildings' architectural style match. Mr. Smith said the theme for the public safety building had not as yet been selected. Councilmember Lieberman expressed his opinion that the facility's parking would be adequate. He noted that it is almost double that of Sahuaro Ranch Park. He asked if any consideration had been given to a pedestrian overpass, connecting this park to the Linear Park. Mr. Smith stated that Bethany Home Road's realignment eliminates the need for a bridge. Councilmember Lieberman noted that the City had a difficult time filling the lake at Bonsai! Park. He explained that The water continued to percolate into the ground. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m. 7