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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-04-2019 PRC MinutesCity of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Planning Commission Minutes PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Wednesday, September 4, 2019 5:30 p.m. REGULAR MEETING Parks and Recreation Conference Room 1341 Nipomo Street San Luis Obispo, CA CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Rodney Thurman ROLL CALL: Vice Chair Rodney Thurman, Commissioners Kari Applegate, Keri Schwab, Robert Spector, Adam Stowe, and Andrew Webber ABSENT: NONE PUBLIC COMMENT: At this time, people may address the Committee about items not on the agenda. Persons wishing to speak should come forward and state their name and address. Comments are limited to three minutes per person. Items raised at this time are generally referred to staff and, if action by the Committee is necessary, may be scheduled for a future meeting. Public Comment: Lynn Fuller (SLO Resident): The bridges at Meadow Park need replacement and concerned about trees in Meadow Park that need to be removed due to disease. Craig Kinkade (SLO Resident): The parking lots at Laguna Lake Park need to be addressed as well as the continuous parking by RVs throughout the day and night. Dodie Williams (SLO Resident): Concerned about the transient encampments that occur at and around the Meadow Park Building. Would like to see other problem areas within the park addressed including ADA upgrades to the park, access to the building and additional tree removal due to disease and decay. Willing to provide a tour of the park to any PRC members. Introduction: New Parks and Recreation Director – Greg Avakian (Stanwyck – 5 minutes) Parks and Recreation Committee Minutes for September 4, 2019 2 | Page CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES 1.Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Committee of August 7, 2019. ACTION: APPROVAL OF THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION FOR AUGUST 7, 2019. CARRIED 6:0:0:0 to approve the corrected minutes of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Body for the regular meeting of 08/07/19 as motioned by Webber and second by Stowe. AYES: APPLEGATE, STOWE, THURMAN, WEBBER, SCHWAB AND SPECTOR NOES: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE ABSENT: NONE CONSENT ITEMS NONE BUSINESS ITEMS 2.Parks and Recreation Master Plan and General Plan Element Update (Stanwyck/Scott – 1 hour) Recommendation: 1.Receive a presentation and public comment, and review, discuss, and confirm park and facility improvement tiers as presented in Attachment 1 (Park-by-Park Assessment, WRT 2019). 2.Receive a presentation and public comment, and review, discuss, and provide input on Park-by-Park Assessment project list (Attachment 1, Park-by-Park Assessment, WRT 2019) with a focus on Tier 3 Visionary Park Improvements. WRT Consultant John Gibbs provided an overview of the draft park-by-park assessment including site-specific recommendations for existing and planned parks and facilities. Each facility and park were designated one of the following improvement tiers: Tier 1: Critical Improvements – Maintenance: Maintaining existing resources Tier 2: Strategic Park Improvements – Improve of Existing Parks/Facilities: Improving existing resources Tier 3: “Visionary” Park Improvements – New Opportunities: Developing New Amenities Parks and Recreation Committee Minutes for September 4, 2019 3 | Page Based on the assessments completed by WRT consultants, fourteen (14) parks were designated Tier 1, nine (9) parks were designated Tier 2, and seventeen (17) parks were designated Tier 3. Through the presentation, the consultant focused on Tier 3 park locations providing issues, public input and project recommendations for per Tier 3 parks. Input provided during the presentation and based on community feedback and PRC recommendations will be used to refine the list as priorities will be identified for the update to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and Element Plan. Public Comment Tim Townley: Need additional field space and turf fields for summer uses including soccer. Would like to see recommendations within the plan for the transient issues addressed throughout the City parks. John McKenzie: Would like to see improvements for dog parks at Laguna Lake Park and asking for the methodology as to why Islay and Laguna Hills Parks were chosen as potential locations for dog parks. Would like to see dog parks included in larger scale park locations including Meadow, Santa Rosa, Emerson and Sinsheimer Parks. Connie Church: Would like to thank the PRC for the dedicated Pickleball courts at French Park. Wants to see additional dedicated pickleball courts at French Park including repurposing the current tennis court for pickleball. Tim Meertens: Supportive of the community outreach for the Master plan process. Would like to see the lights on the Sinsheimer Tennis Courts removed from the project list recommendations and lights incorporated in new tennis court locations at park developments. Does not support the renovation of the Ludwick Community Center but supports building a new recreational facility. Jean Hyduchak: Would like to see additional dedicated courts incorporated into French Park in order to hold Pickleball tournaments – needs a minimum of eight courts. Gary Havas: Supports the idea of two pump track locations and better bike access to Laguna Lake Park Lea Brooks: Supports the pump track options but not near the railroad safety trail and design of pump track needs to be cautiously completed. Would like to see a dog park at Mitchell Park. For Laguna Lake Golf Course, incorporating a multi-use path through the course to connect the neighborhood. Inquiring as to why the Bob Jones bike trail was not included in the assessment and wants the trail to be safe and appealing as possible. Artimiza Shine: Would like to make sure that the “un-homed” population in SLO are addressed properly and considered within the process. Factor how we can address the un- homed community needs when considering park improvements. Parks and Recreation Committee Minutes for September 4, 2019 4 | Page Steve Davis: Missing piece of the assessment is the development of new facilities and amenities with a need to focus on what land acquisition. Address how the City can look at the future need and capture those locations. Looking at the bigger 20-year picture in addition to the park improvements. Mary Vandenberg: The assessment needs to look at the big vision as related to the City and to the SLO Senior Center. Address the additional parking needs for Senior Center members. More focus on Center related improvements with increased offerings of non- active opportunities for older populations. Make sure that the stakeholders are considered with any planning and priorities. Sarah Flickinger: Need to consider the overall need of the community as it grows. Parks should feature community gathering spaces within the city and neighborhood locations. South Higuera corridor needs a new park location with potential for passive recreation. Need additional ADA accessibility within the current park system including passive quiet spaces adjacent to active park spaces. Gathering spaces could create opportunities for multiple generation interconnection. Supportive of the need for fields for non-permitted uses including pick-up games and bike racks near facilities. Plan should provide additional flat roller-skating area for users as roller rink is impacted. Jeff Whitener: The assessment is missing of quantification of what we have versus what we need. Wants focus on the California park standards and where the City stands on meeting the needs. Important to have a comprehensive list which is not currently provided. Kelly Heffernan: Wants more focus on dog parks within the City included in the assessment with more locations highlighted. Commissioner Comment Commissioner Stowe: Make sure Tier 1 and 2 park assessments are addressed. Tier 3 recommendations fall short of expectations and only meet current needs of parks. Vice Chair Thurman: SLO Swim Center and Sinsheimer Park should be listed as a tier 2 given the recommendations. Commissioner Applegate: How are priorities being identified within the park tiers? Commissioner Spector: Consider all Sinsheimer facilities as one – not separate. Broader themes health, safety and security was not addressed over park locations. There needs to be a plan to provide safety for the community when attending parks and programs. Trees need to be addressed due to the declining quantity. Neighborhood needs and standards should be addressed including dog parks within walking distance. Can Mitchel and Emerson parks become active where neighborhoods take ownership of park location? Need more land and facilities address and creative ways to use existing facilities – i.e. parking lot rooftops. Regarding Senior Center – need to offer services for older population. Create and provide standards for all park classifications and programming. Parks and Recreation Committee Minutes for September 4, 2019 5 | Page Commissioner Webber: How are the overlapping needs for other Advisory Bodies within the City be addressed through this process? Vice Chair Thurman: Not proposing new land for development to meet the needs of growing community. Provide a list of areas for potential acquisition. Commissioner Applegate: Laguna Lake Park – how are projects identified including what can fit within the park system. How is this being determined? Commissioner Spector: The big vision for the future (20 years) of Parks and Recreation is missing – nothing aspirational has been provided. Commissioner Stowe: Current parks systems need to be maintained at high level and addressed within list. By consensus, PRC requested staff to return with a list of potential Master Plan and Element Plan update visionary and aspirational projects. Following discussion and agreement on that “list” potentially over multiple meetings, review of priorities for ongoing maintenance and deferred maintenance will occur for the inclusion in the Master Plan. 3.North Broad Street Neighborhood Park (Kloepper – 30 minutes) Recommendation: 1.Review and discuss proposed layout for North Broad Street Neighborhood Park 2. Provide direction to staff on the preferred draft layout option in order to proceed with final layout preparation. Staff Kloepper provided a presentation on two proposed layouts for the North Broad Street Neighborhood Park at the corner of Lincoln and Broad, with the design by the consultant group Cannon. The two layouts included project components provided through community feedback at two public workshops held over the summer 2019. Prior to the PRC presentation, staff held a third community workshop receiving feedback on the two concept layouts to provided during the presentation. The layouts focused on versatile features for all park users and will include frontage improvements and safety features such as a barrier fence between the road and front of the park. Community garden plots are incorporated in the design of the park given the history of the community garden location. The Neighborhood park concept layouts did not include a restroom or on-site parking. Commissioner Comment Commissioner Applegate: How many garden plots are currently at the community garden? (18) and how many are proposed (10-15)? Parks and Recreation Committee Minutes for September 4, 2019 6 | Page Vice Chair Thurman: What are the City standards for plot bed (4’x8’). Would like to see raised cement planters within the park and ADA accessible. Offer some separation between play of the park and community garden areas. Shared succulent garden may not be the best use of the area. Of the two, prefer the design of A. Commissioner Spector: Is one layout option more passive than active? (B layout more active). Prefer option B layout due to safety fencing feature and intergenerational activities and the spacing between playground features and plots. Commissioner Applegate: Prefer B layout and incorporate additional garden plots within layout with fencing. Commissioner Stowe: Prefer A. Compost next to shade structure may be an issue regarding potential of smell. Commissioner Webber: Prefer A but would like to see an updated concept without the herb labyrinth. Commissioner Schwab: Prefer B due to fencing. Concerns about the use of labyrinth and if it would be become an unused area. Public Comment Gary Havas: Proposing vertical gardening along fence lines. By consensus, PRC requested staff to return with a modified design and provide final layout. Include walking path with more defined spacing between garden plots and play areas. Removing herb labyrinth and incorporate additional passive recreation area. Remove shared succulent feature and include additional amenities or garden plots. Incorporate a native planting bed of SLO specific plants with identification signage. SUBCOMMITTEE LIAISON REPORTS & COMMUNICATIONS 4.Subcommittee Liaison Reports (Vice Chair Thurman – 15 minutes) a.Adult and Senior Programming: Commissioner Spector: Air conditioning units will be installed in Fall 2019. Senior Center held many activities over the summer and partnered with Cuesta for specialty classes. Current programming numbers are strong. Apples and Honey Festival will take place on September 22. Senior Center board finalized policies regarding trips. b.Active Transportation Committee: Commissioner Webber: Working on ATC master plan. Crossover opportunities with master plans. c.City Facilities (Damon Garcia, Golf, Pool & Joint Use Facilities): Commissioner Applegate: Parks and Recreation Committee Minutes for September 4, 2019 7 | Page Aquatics -The therapy pool is under construction till early October. Aqua aerobics classes will all take place in the large pool during normal business hours. -The 40th Anniversary Birthday Splash event on August 9 attracted over 500 attendees to the pool. -Building Maintenance installed new LED lights during the maintenance period that will provide additional visibility at night. Facilities -Annual Fall maintenance will begin September 16 with the closure of Sinsheimer stadium, then a weekly closure of other city fields. Maintenance will continue through first week of February. Golf -Staff continues to address leaks on the course -Night Golf begins this month on September 26 and will continue through December, weather permitting -New netting is being installed on high impacted holes along the course. Adult Sports -Summer softball league has ended. Total of 64 teams were registered -Fall Softball is currently underway Youth Sports -Junior Giants had a total of 192 registered kids over T-ball and Minors divisions. 25 members of the community volunteered to coach, mentor and umpire the games. Community Services -The annual September Scramble will take place Saturday, September 28 at the Laguna Lake Golf Course. Course will feature over 13 obstacles over a .75-mile path throughout the course. d.Jack House Committee: Commissioner Schwab: Jack House met in August and discussed bylaws and will look toward restoration projects for the house. e.Tree Committee: Commissioner Thurman: New supplemental City position has been approved to assist with tree maintenance. There are additional vacancies to be filled. EcoSLO working on a grant project due Spring 2020 with 120 trees in total. f.Youth Sports Association: Commissioner Stowe: No Report. 5.Directors’ Report (Stanwyck - 5 minutes) 1.Youth Services school sites are full and there are vacancies within the division. 2.Johnson Ranch parking area was recently completed over the summer. 3.Pickleball courts are now open at French Park – staff will conduct additional study of unused times. 4.A safety audit was completed of Mitchell Park with trimming taking place on August 28. 5.“See something, Say Something” signage has been added to populated park locations to assist in addressing illegal behaviors. 6.Communication ADJOURNMENT at 8:15 pm 8 | Page Parks and Recreation Committee Minutes for September 4, 2019 To the Public Workshop of the Parks and Recreation Committee as approved by the PRC to Wednesday, October 2, 2019, at 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California. The City of San Luis Obispo wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible to the public. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting should direct such request to the Parks and Recreation Department at (805) 781-7300 at least 48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805) 781-7107. Meeting audio recordings can be found at the following web address: http://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/1/fol/61014/Row1.aspx