HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Bill 1.A-Attch07 04/20/20041 CITY OF PETALUMA
RECREATION, MUSIC AND PARKS COMMISSION
MINUTES
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
REGULAR MEETING
Petaluma Community Center
320 North McDowell Blvd.
Conference Room No. 2
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
Commissioners Present:
Commissioners Absent:
Staff Present:
Chair*
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Wednesday, ,Vlarch 17, 2004
7.00 p.m.
Hagen, Nau, Moynihan, Tarr*
Kinsella, Ramirez
Carr, Anchordoguy, Stewart
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 18, 2004
Bryant Moynihan moved that the Commission approve the minutes as submitted, seconded by Karen
Nau, unanimously approved.
PUBLIC COMMENT
1) Bill Phillips — 824 Blossom Court - Asked about the status of the Mannion Park project.
Carr — Nothing is happening at this time. As soon. as he develops the professional services agreement,
Landscape Architect Steve Arago, will proceed with the park design. The public will be invited to
provide input about the proposed design.
PETITIONS AN-D, COMMUNICATIONS`: NONE
OLD BUSINESS
1) history of Maintenance Repairs along Adobe Creek — Verbal Report - Carr
Carr — A copy of Bruce Hagen's memo was sent to the City Attorney, City Manager, and the Citv
Council and he still has not heard back from the City Manager. Elaine Ramirez had also asked about
the history of the procedure that schools used to maintain Adobe Creek. Carr spoke to Pamela Tuft and
former City engineer, Tom Hargis and they both indicated that United Anglers from Casa Grande High
School had done the cleaning up of Adobe Creek without formalized approval and they had also
planted willow trees in the streambed of the creek, which created some problems.
1 2) Update — Aquatics — Information Item only - Carr
3 Carr — Referred to a letter e- mailed to aquatic parents with' erroneous information .about the City
•
4 Council's action in regards to the opening of the pool. In case the Commission members received
5 inquiries, Carr wanted them to be aware of the facts regarding City Counci'l's action. The City Council
6 had approved the opening of the pool on March 1. The schedule was Mon - Thurs. from 3 pm to 7 pm
7 and Sat. 11 am to 1 pm. The Council's motion was very clear, and the e -mail stated otherwise.
9 Carr indicated that he had worked out an arrangement so that the Masters can swim early mornings as
10 long as their coach was certified, so he could serve as a lifeguard. The swim teams could swim in the
11 late afternoons and on Saturdays. Carr thought that everything was worked out, 'and then he was
12 notified that the Masters simply wanted to wait until the homeless were out of the Swim Center. Staff
13 was also notified by the Twin Valley Aquatics Club that they were having some financial. problems
14 and they needed to hold off until April before they started using the pool. Carr commented that he
15 wanted to make the Commission aware of the basic facts.
16
17 NEW BUSINESS
18
19 1) General Plan 2025 - Alternatives Report— Discussion and Possible Action — Pamela Tuft
20
21 Director of General - Plan Administration Pamela Tuft introduced fellow staff member, Associate
22 Planner Scott Duiven and indicated that both are responsible for the preparation of the General Plan
23 2004 - 2025..
24 �.
25 Ms. Tuft gave a background history and. an overview of the General Plan. She`indicated.that in 2001,
26 there were eight Visioning Workshops meetings and tonight she will be discussing Visioning
27 Workshop # 6 which focused on the Land Use and the Built Environment. At that meeting, the citizens
28 were asked a number of questions related to the built environment, including recreational assets of the
29 community.
30
31 She distributed a packet to the Commission and reviewed the contents. The purpose, of the workshop
32 this evening is for the Commission to hear public comments on Parks and.Recreation priorities and
33 policies, which should be in the general plan, as well as input on the three alternatives as it relates to
34 Parks and Recreation amenities.
35
36 She asked the Commissioners to start the conversation with the question as to whether the proposed
37 parks illustrated on the graphics A, B, and. C of the alternatives report are sufficient to meet the needs
38 of the community to 2025 and.beyond. Those include: McNear Peninsula, "D" Street Extension at
39 Windsor (Davidon property); Johnson property (adjacent to Lynch Creek and Petaluma River); Paula
40 Lane, which is currently proposed for development; Gossage Avenue, if future Urban Growth
41 Expansion occurs; and the Cedar Grove park site (off of Lakeville, right on the west side of the river).
42
43 Ms. Tuft also asked the Commission to identify additional park sites that should be considered, and
44 provide their ideas regarding the Policy Topics Worksheet.
45
46 Following discussion, Ms. Tuft reported that two public workshops on the full report': have been
47 scheduled at the Petaluma Community Center on March 24 and April 10 and invited the .
48 Commissioners to participate.
49
2
Mad Tarr opened the floor for public comment.
4 1) Ira Bennett — A local developer, commended Pamela Tuft for the work well done in the
5 development of the general plan.
6
7 2) Bryant Moynihan — Indicated that there is a great demand for parks, playing fields, and other
8 service areas which have high maintenance cost, and there are no maintenance funds available. So,
9 recently there are new neighborhood parks being proposed and staff is considering funding vehicles to
10 maintain them. The Southgate project was presented to the Commission and they recommended having
1.1 the developer establish an annuityto pay for the maintenance of the park. Traditions and Rockridge
12 Subdivision are being proposed and there needs to be a funding vehicle to maintain the parks. He urged
13 the Commission to recommend that this suggestion be included in the General Plan as a policy or
14 program.
15
16 3) David Keller — "I" Street - Former City Councilmember — Thanked Pamela Tuft for putting the
17 General Plan together. He presented concerns about the lack of playing fields on the west side of town
18 and the fact that General Plan does nothing to remedy the situation.
19
20 He questions the ability of the City to provide playing fields that are accessible to children and adults
21 without having to get in a car and driving through the Washington Street corridor to get there. He
22 indicated that there is an incredible opportunity, which is in this proposal for the general plan as an
23 expansion in Northwest Petaluma (about 400 acres) within the UGB, outside the City limits, West of
Petaluma Blvd., North. Staff has an opportunity to propose a policy to the City Council to obtain
capital money for substantial purchases of parkland, through an annexation. Being nnexed to the City
y
26 is a privilege, not a right, and if somebody wants to come into the City of Petaluma, they have to pay
27 the price.
28
29 There are a number of development projects coming up, such as -the Johnson property, Rockridge
30 extension, Paula Lane, Jessie Lane, and Magnolia and all those parcels are in Northwest Petaluma and
31 they have no services or parkland available. The land he is proposing is located in the flood plain
32 along the Petaluma River. This is a repetitive flooding land and. is great for ball parks and for Parks and
33 Recreation. There is enough acreage there to develop ten ball fields and parking. He believes that this
34 is a golden opportunity and needs to be in the General Plan.
35
36 3) Steve Arago — 1.140 Daniel Drive— Former Parks and Recreation Commissioner - In regards to the
37 Kenilworth site, the Recreation Commission developed a recreation master plan for that property,
38 which identified a number of different elements such as the ball fields, the gym, the multi- purpose
39 room, the skate park, the swim center, etc. as recreational resources. The reason for developing the
40 plan, was that there was some discussion at that time about the school district surplusing that property
41 and selling it off. The Commission felt that they were not doing their job if they did not identify those
42 recreational resources that were very important to the community. He volunteered to provide copies of
43 the master plan to Pamela Tuft and the Commission.
44
4 4) Kevin McDonald (Petaluma Youth Soccer) — 311 Howard Street — 'Gave favorable comments
about the general plan.. Regarding, soccer, there are not enough fields for the increasing amount of
players. Currently, there are 2;800 children in the program and 500 of them are active year round. Out
48 of the 2,800 kids, 40 percent live on the west side of the freeway and at 5 o'clock, they all cross the
49 Washington Street corridor. There are not enough fields on the west side, yet large developments are
I occurring and the proposed fields are modest in size. The youngest kids can play on the - smaller parks
2 but the older kids need a full -size field. Another problem is that the soccer.league is being successful
3 and kids are staying in the program longer. The soccer league would like City to consider •
4 partnership. ideas in order to find solutions.
5
6 5) Bryant Moynihan — Suggested considering a share arrangement for field use at the fairgrounds,
7 before the; City starts acquiring land at fair market value and building new proj.ects� that require
8 maintenance.
9
10 6) Dean Aaland — 2245 Petaluma Blvd. North — Agrees that there is a lack of parks on the Northwest
11 area of Petaluma. To develop in Petaluma is a privilege and developers should be paying for future
12 park projects,.
13
14 7) Karen Nau — She is grateful that Gatti Park is being developed to play sports and the new Junior
15 High on the east.side of town.
16 .
17 Carr — Informed the Commission that the Youth Commission is developing a youth master plan that is
18 being circulated among community non -profit organizations with the purpose of obtaining their input
19 and will be finalized next week. Pamela Tuft has been working on including the youth element of the
20 park master plan ,in the General Plan.
21
22 Pamela Tuft - Would like to hear comments about other locations where proposed parks are to be
23 identified.
24
25 Bruce Hagen — Suggestions:
26 • Acquisition. of property along the river- Suggested, pursuing the area West of Highway 10.1,
27 (alongside of the river on the flood plain) and designating it as an active recreational area.
28 • Davidon Property (Kelly Creek) between Helen Putnam Park and "D" Street — There is' a great
29 opportunity to develop some. athletic fields on about 6 acres of flat land. This is a great opportunity
30 for active recreation next to passive.
31 • Lafferty Park _ Would like to have it designated as a State Park
32 • Identification of difference between public and private facilities.
33 • Pathways — Suggested exploiting waterways as passive areas.
34 a Tot Lots /Community Garden locations — Recommended that staff consider locations for having
35 small tot lots or a combination tot lot /community garden.
36 v Rim Trail around the City
37
38 Bryant Moynihan — Suggested:
39 • Focusing on developing neighborhood parks because of the funding sources being available for new
40 park areas
41 e Using a portion of the Johnson property for playing fields.
42 ® Developing a linear bike /pedestrian path that links the south end of the Lynch Creek Trail to Corona
43 Road and Industrial Avenue.
44 • Involving the community as much as possible on park development - Would like to see this as a goal.
45 e Upgrading and Intensification of use of existing parks. •
46 ® Creating some potential zoning overlay -. Believes that the Kenilworth site and the fairgrounds
47 should have a park component to it, no matter what the end project is. Would like, to see Carter field
48 preserved and upgraded. Some type of vehicle needs to be provided which identifies Carter field as
r.�
I a park and have shared use.
�. Karen Nan Agrees working with the general plan - Spoke in favor of an across town connector and
4 having the developers incur the cost of building new parks for recreational use as part of their
5 development.
6
7 Marja Tarr — In response to the question on the worksheet - Does the Commission agree that the
8 current policy of providing a park- within a half a mile from residents living within a residential area is
9 still needed? She agrees; however, one of her concerns is that there is a need to have larger areas for
10 youth athletics. She suggested using:
11 o Casa Grande corner lot, which is in need of repair - She believes that the City might be able to use
12 the field again if staff works in conjunction with the school district and the soccer league.
13 ® The new Kenilworth Site — Would like to see expansion of the athletic fields.
14 e The existing Kenilworth site and Fairgrounds — Spoke in favor of preserving the fields on the
15 Kenilworth site and negotiating with the group that is buying the property to see if the City can keep
16 some of that land, including the Carter field area. Regarding the fairgrounds, she would like to see
17 in the future, that the City takes part of the fairground area and.uses it for recreational purposes.
18 e The Flood Plain Area --Spoke in favor of pursuing the area for athletic field development.
19 ® The Rim Trail — Spoke in favor of developing a bike /pedestrian trail around town.
20
21 Pamela Tuft - Asked the Commission to fill out the workbook included in their packets, titled Goals,
22 Objectives and Policies Evaluation Responses and return it to her in the next two, weeks. The purpose
23 of the workbook is to provide all the input to the City Council with some suggestions so that the
0 1 Council .can identify a preferred plan. She suggested coming back at the April meeting and discussing
specific policies ideas.
26
27 Marja Tarr - Asked staff to place this item on the April agenda.
28
29 Carr — In order to assist the Commission, he will provide them with the latest park master plan, which
30 contains input received from the community.
31
32 2) Boys and Girls Club Pool Renovation Status — Verbal Report - Carr
33
34 Carr — Had a meeting with the Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Jennifer Weiss and one of her
35 board members. Carr asked that they present a formal proposal to the City about their expectations
36 regarding pool renovation, so that staff can discuss different possibilities. Recreation Supervisor Don
37 Phoenix wilthave a.pool contractor Rob Burkett, who was in charge of re- plastering the Swim Center,
38 to inspect the Boys acid Girls Club pool and provide staff with a status report of what is needed.
39
40 Once Mr. Burkett gives the Boys and Girls Club staff some advice about what needs to be done, they
41 will_be in a position to present to the Commission something in writing, which will be passed on to the
42 City Council.
43
44 3) Lomas Petaluma Project Review — Discussion and Possible Action - Carr
Carr — The property encompasses approximately 44 acres situated on the east and west sides of South
Petaluma Boulevard and has been used as a quarry since the early 1900's. The project proposes the
48 construction of 186 single- family homes, 80 condominiums (both proposed on the west side of the
I Boulevard) and 64 live /work units (proposed on the east side of the boulevard, adjacent to the
2 Petaluma River). A network of parks and recreational amenities are proposed, including a River
3 Overlook park and recreational pier (improvement of existing pier structure). i
4
5 Carr indicated that four of the parks proposed will be maintained, by a Masters Homeowners
6 Association, and be available to the public. A fifth park, containing a swimming pool is available to
7 subdivision residents only. The project also includes a segment of the river walk per the City's River
8 Access and Enhancement Plan. Carr indicated that Landscape Architect Steve; Arago and. Tom Gabriel
9 from Thomas Development are involved in the project. He asked the Commission for comments.
10
11 Steve Arago gave an overview of the project.
12
13 Bryant Moynihan Spoke in favor of the plan and the neighborhood pool. He would like to make
14 sure that there is a funding vehicle available to properly maintain the parks He presented concerns
15 regarding future availability of the facilities to the general public.
16
17 Tom'Gabriel (Thomas Development)— At the time of -map recordation, the developers recorded a
18 public access easement in perpetuity over the park. This is shown in the CC &R's ofthe development
19 and is disclosed to every home buyer.
20
21 Marja Tarr — Suggested more public access areas from different locations, and, developing ,a variety
22 of activities to reflect different age groups.
23
24 Bruce Hagen — Suggested'adding a bike /pedestrian trail and presenting it. to the Bicycle Advisory
25 Committee for input:
26
27 Karen Nau — Suggested placing public art on the Cal Trans easement.
28
29 Following discussion, Commissioners thanked Steve Arago and Tom Gabriel for their presentation.
30
31 COMMISSIONERS REPORTS —
32
33 1) Bruce Hagen -
34 a. Wickersham— Asked about the path paving status.
35 Carr — The City Council has passed two State required resolutions. When Carr receives the signed
36 resolutions from the City Clerk'.s office, he will send funding requests to the State. When staff receives
37 the funds, work can start.
38
39 2) Karen Nau -
40 a. Museum —Staff has been having evening meetings opened to the public with the purpose of
41 educating residents about historic buildings and the downtown projects.
42 b. The park lawns need to be mowed.
43 Ed Anchordoguy — All the lawns have been mowed once. Staff will continue mowing the lawns once
44 the ground dries out.
45 c. , Shollenberger — Received compliments from visitors about the maintenance of the restroom
46 facilities. There are damaged areas around the perimeter of the parking lot, due to large vehicles that ®.
47 go there when is wet and muddy.
48
49 3) Bryant Moynihan -
0
I .a.. Westridge Park — Thanked staff for picking up the tree tubes from the creek.
* 4) Maria Tarr -
4a. Lucchesi Field — Thanked Ed Anchordoguy and his crew for all the work done at the field for the
5 Soccer State Cup Tournament. Everything looked very attractive, and the soccer league received a
6 number of compliments from participants.
7 b. Lucchesi Tennis Courts.— Asked about the court'resurfacing status.
8 Carr — Once staff receives State bond money, the project can start, probably in the fall.
9
10 DIRECTOR'S REPORTS — Jim Carr, Director of Parks and Recreation
11
12 1) Senior Center — The building permit will be issued soon. Carr will be sending the project to bid in
13 the next couple of weeks. On March 16, somebody drove into the side of the building causing damage
14 to the facility.
15
16 2) Gatti Park — Plans are being finalized - Staff received 95% of the submittals and will be going to
17 bid in the near future.
18
19 3) Marina Dredging— Will be going to bid in the next few weeks.
20
21 4) Walnut Park — The Rotary Club of Petaluma will be replacing the playground and doing general
22 painting by next fall.
23
ADJOURNMENT
26 Bruce Hagen moved that the meeting be adjourned at 10:15 p.m.
27
28
29
•
7