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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PARKS-1994 Minutes -Parks Commission Meeting -January 11, 1994 (by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish, Guy Gerard, Carol Reeves, Beth Mulholland, Lath Peck, Graham Kerslick, Linda Tsang, John Friedeborn, Beverly Baker, Nina Bassuk, John Schroeder, Margaret Hobbie The meeting was called to order at 4:40 PM. Mulholland reported that the Six Mile Creek Committee had recently upgraded its By-Laws, updated the 1984 report for the Six Mile Creek Gorge Wildflower Preserve titled People and Preservation, and changed its name to the Six Mile Creek Advisory Board. There were no other reports from Commissioners or Liaisons. The first topic for discussion was Southwest Park. Cornish reported that she had received a CAC response to the Southwest Area Land Use Study for distribution to the Parks Commission. There were no comments that directly affected the Parks Commission's concerns. Schroeder reported that the Planning Department was currently revising the report and that the CAC's comments were being taken into consideration. Schroeder went on to explain that the substitute land proposed by the Planning Department should be considered, at least in part, because the Cayuga Inlet Trail (CIT)will cut through this land to reach Buttermilk Falls State Park. Also. the Proposed WalMart site is encroaching upon this proposed park land and the CIT. If this land were park land, it would insure against further development and it would protect the natural stream corridor which is on the site as well as enhance the CIT by buffering it against development. Additionally, a portion of this proposed substitute park land is already city owned. Hobbie commented that she would like to see substitute lands chosen which are closer to the population center for the city. Bassuk reported that the parcel under consideration by the Planning Department was very wet and it may not be useable for much of anything. Peck asked for clarification on the substitute lands vs capital funding issue. Schroeder responded by saying that the best case scenario would be to propose some substitute park lands and some capital projects. It was agreed upon by the commission that the discussion would be continued at the next meeting so that ariel photos could be viewed and a list of proposed capital projects could be discussed. Schroeder reported that he had acquired a grant of$5,000.00 to study the "Tuning Fork" as part of the City's Master Plan. Peck expressed concern over the proposed park on the city owned land formally referred to as the Pogo Parcel. Schroeder reported that Mutual Housing was discussing putting the park inside a ring of houses. Commission members were unanimous in their objection to this plan, agreeing that this would not be welcoming to the public. It was also suggested that the location of the park be part of a larger, more coherent master plan for this area and that the entire Cascadilla Creek corridor be studied in conjunction with the location of the park. Schroeder suggested that the Parks Commission communicate these recommendations to the Planning Board for discussion at their January meeting. Cornish agreed to draft the recommendation and submit it to the DPW and the Planning Board. Stewart Park Tennis Courts - Cornish reported that the DPW had discussed the future of the three existing tennis courts at Stewart Park and that Reeves had recommended that the Parks Commission take it on as one of their items for discussion and make a formal recommendation. The courts are currently in a state of disrepair and are not useable. Bassuk stated that she objected to the location of the courts, that they are located in the corner of a large open lawn area and that they obstruct the panoramic view of the shore line. Members agreed that we should 1)find out the cost for repairing the existing courts, complete with new fencing, 2) The cost of removing the existing courts, and 3) The cost of new tennis courts in a different location (location not yet discussed). Cornish said she would try to have these figures for the next meeting. RR Crossing Gates at the entrance to Stewart Part - Cornish reported that she had spoken to Rick Farrell about the DOT's plans to install protective RR Crossing Gates at the entrance to the park.. Commission members were unanimous in their objections to this idea. Reeves said she would investigate this further and discuss it with the DPW. She will report back by the next meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 5:50 PM. Minutes - Parks Commission Meeting - February 8, 1994 (by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish, Beth Mulholland, Linda Tsang, Nina Bassuk, John Schroeder, Margaret Hobbie, David Fernandez The meeting was called to order at 4:40 PM. Cornish reported that she had attended the Common Council meeting on February 2 and that the proposed park on the Pogo Parcel had been discussed. A committee is being set up to study this area. Schroeder mentioned that this committee was being reactivated in direct response to the memo sent to Council by Parks, concerning this issue. Mulholland reported that Circle Greenway had received a complaint concerning the condition of the steps at Ithaca Falls. Apparently they are in poor condition. This brought up the question of liability and responsibility for this area, since it is owned, in part, by Cornell but leased to the city. Mulholland agreed to look into this and report back to the commission. Bassuk reported that the Shade Tree Advisory Committee has been discussing the neglect of plant materials on the Commons. It has been 18 or 19 years since the planters were completed and some replenishment is needed. The plantings would be in keeping with the original plan done by Landscape Architect, Mary Adleman. Fernandez asked about tree planting in the parks. The City Cemetery is of particular concern since there have been no new plantings in years and the existing plant material is very old and in need of replacement. Bassuk responded by saying the majority of the planting is done for street trees and the parks planting schedule varies from year to year. It was also stated that more money is needed for maintenance of existing trees and funds are needed for watering. Stewart Park and Cass Park have their own budgets for planting. Southwest Park- Schroeder told the commission that a formal recommendation concerning Southwest Park would have to be made at the march meeting of the Parks Commission in order to be included in the Southwest Area Land Use Study Report. Schroeder brought in ariel photographs to clarify the land being recommended by the Planning Department. It was decided that members of the parks commission should physically take a look at the parcel under consideration. The date for this tour will be February 27 at 1:00 pm. We will meet in the parking lot in front of the Finger Lakes Gymnastics Academy on Elmira Road(the old Zikakis car dealership) and walk from there. A formal vote and recommendation will be done at the next meeting after we have seen the site. (This will be the only item on the agenda for the March Parks Commission meeting.) The possibility of combining some substitute park land with monies for capital projects was again discussed. Stewart Park- Cornish reported that Mulholland, Tsang and herself had met earlier in the week to discuss improvement plans for the park. Of these, one was the circle garden which had been planted to annuals last year. A redesign of this garden was shown, using lower maintenance plant materials. Also discussed briefly were the tennis courts. The discussion was cut short due to lack of time and will be discussed at a later date. The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 PM. • Minutes-Parks Commission Meeting- March 8, 1994 (by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish, Beth Mulholland, Linda Tsang,Nina• Bassuk, John Schroeder, Margaret Hobbie, David Fernandez, Graham Kerslick, Richard Fischer, Carol Reeves, John Frideborn, Lani Peck, Beverly Baker The meeting was called to order at 4:35 PM. The minutes were approved as submitted. Reports from Commissioners and Liaisons: John Schroeder reported that the appraisals were in for Inlet Island. The appraisals for the properties were lower than the value of the Inlet Island parcels. Additional parcels are being considered and appraised in addition to those originally considered. Nina Bassuk reported that the Cooperative Extension was sponsoring an"Adopt A Planter"for the planters on the Commons. The first meeting for all interested parties is March 17, 1994, 7:00 pm at the Cooperative Extension office. Bassuk went on to say that the planters, in their current state need to be replenished with fertilizer' and new plantings. Maintenance of the plantings has been an ongoing issue and needs to be determined. Beth Mulholland reported that the Six Mile Committee had submitted a plan to Therm but had not yet received a response. Southwest Park: Cornish reminded the commission that this was a continuation of the February meeting discussion. Due to inclement weather, the Parks Commission had not been able to meet on the site as planned. It was decided to discuss all options and come to some preliminary decisions which would be finalized when a site visit was possible, hopefully by the end of March. ,Schroeder informed the commission that the recommendation by the Planning Department to purchase the land west of the current Southwest Park had been made prior to the WalMart plans. He also stated that although the town had no interest in purchasing the parcels located in the town, that they would like to see the city purchase the land for park use. Graham Kerslick stated that he would like to see the creek protected but the land directly behind the proposed WalMart development was not desirable. Schroeder suggested that the Planning Board would most Rely put pressure on the WalMart developers to purchase the back portion and give it to the city to be used as a buffer. Fernandez suggested that the value of the current Southwest Park may be more than the value of the proposed substitute lands to the west. Bassuk thought that perhaps the Black Diamond Trail area should be protected but that the rest of the land may not be desirable. Lani Peck stated that the value of Southwest Park was to establish a fund for improving other city parks. Fernandez suggested that we put a cap on the purchase price of the proposed parcels of 15%and that the remainder of the proceeds from the sale of Southwest Park be put into a general fund for capital improvements. It was decided that the commission vote during a site visit on the following: That the land already owned by the city be designated as Park(SW4 and SW5)and that the privately owned parcels be acquired as substitute park land(SW1, SW6, SW7, and SW8). The meeting was adjourned at 5:50 pm. c?' Pick Minutes-Parks Commission Meeting- July 12, 1994(by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish,Beth Mulholland,Linda Tsang,Nina Bassuk, John Schroeder,David Fernandez,Graham Kerslick, Carol Reeves The meeting was called to order at 4:45 PM. No minutes were prepared for the June meeting. Reports from Commissioners and Liaisons: Cornish reported that the BPW requested the Parks Commission meet with members of the Youth Bureau Board to discuss the proposed location of the tennis courts. Carol Reeves reported that the Youth Bureau was opposed to the Parks Commission's recommendation to move the courts nearer to the Youth Bureau, citing security concerns and added expense as some of the primary reasons for the opposition. Cornish called for interested members to meet and discuss this issue at a date to be announced. Bassuk,Kerslick,Fernandez,Tsang and Cornish agreed to meet with the Youth Bureau. Reeves brought up the fact the the BPW has not been involved in the planning process for the Ithaca Falls. Cornish agreed that this was an oversite and that the board should defmately be involved. Cornish stated that she would inform Reeves of the meeting times and would forward the background information to her. Doria Higgins asked to speak concerning the Parks Commission's recommendation of March 1994 titled "Recommendations for Substitute Park Lands for Southwest Park". Higgings expressed her concern for the value of the proposed 28 acres saying the value was questionable. She suggested that we request that the parcel known as SW1 be purchased by Walmart instead of SW2 and SW3 and that this parcel be donated to the city to be used exclusively as park land. Higgins also questioned the legality of using the money for capital improvements,saying that the money has to be used to buy parkland of equal value. Cornish reported that the Southwest Area Landuse Study Committee had questioned the 15%limit recommended by Parks . Several members expressed concern saying that if there was not a limit, any hope of having money for capital improvements for existing parks would be lost. It was decided to up the limit to 50%and to make these changes in the recommendation. New Business: Reeves presented members with copies of the city code for several city committees and commissions. She stated that one of the biggest problems currently is mis-communications between Staff, Council,DPW, etc. The Parks Commission is hoping to clarify responsibilitiesfor all involved. Bassuk started by explaining the charge of the Shade Tree Advisory Council. She stated that they had very specific charges and when issues of trees and shrubs in parks comes up,than she reports to the Parks Commission. It was recommended that a steering committee be formed which could meet 4X per year to communicate activities. Schroeder suggested that the Commons plantings be under the auspicies of Shade Treee or the City Forester. It was discussed that all plantings on city owned land, including the Commons,be the responsibility of the Shade Tree Advisory Council. Mulholland brought up Circle Greenway suggesting it be a sub-committee of the Parks Commission or that it be part of a Natural Areas Committee along with Ithaca Falls, Six Mile and Negundo Woods. It was decided to continue this discussion at the August meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 pm. Minutes-Parks Commission Meeting- August y,1994(by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish,Beth Mulholland,Linda Tsang, John Schroeder,Margaret Hobbie,David Fernandez,Carol Reeves,John Wilson The meeting was called to order at 4:40 PM. Schroeder reported that all was proceeding well with Inlet Island. Six parcels have been identified (Ithaca Falls and five parcels in the Six Mile Creek Watershed) and all owners have been contacted. Final appraisals have been done for the land they are sure of and a surveyor has been hired. Schroeder went on to talk about a memo from Doria Higgins to the Parks Commission concerning the Festival Lands, Inlet Island and Southwest Park. Higgins claimed that monies acquired from the sale of aleinated park land could not be used for capital improvements. Schroeder has sponken to people at the state and federal level and they have said that this is in fact a possibility. The ideal situation would be for some substitute park land to be purchased and for some of the money to be used for much needed capital projects in the parks. Cornish brought the Parks Commssion up to date on Ithaca Falls. Nancy Osiman of Cornell Plantations, along with other interested parties at Cornell, will meet to determine guidelines which they will hold the city to, should Cornell decide to transfer Ithaca Falls and surrounding lands to the city. The list will be reviewed by appropriate city committees and a compromise list will be presented. Cornish will keep the Parks Commission updated on this issue. Cornish reported that she, Linda Tsang, David Fernandez and Beverly Baker met with members of the Youth Bureau Board to discuss the location of the tennis courts. Cornish stated, that after seeing how the proposed location for the tennis courts would have a tremendous impact on the lake shore view from the Youth Bureau, that the Parks Commission's recommendation should be reconsidered. Fernandez suggested that the recommendation be rewritten to repair the courts in their current location. Tsang suggested we should consider whether to move towards a Master Plan for the park or maintain the park as is. We will vote on this at the September meeting providing we have a quorum to do so. Reeves reported that the City Forester position previously held by John Frideborn was now vacant. She went on to explain that when someone resigns or retires from a position, the position is not filled again unless it gets approval from the Vacancy Review Board. Currently the DPW has lost 12 employees and is likely to lose more. Adam Carmen is the temporary supervisor and could possibly be the acting City Forester. Mulholland suggested that the Parks Commission review the qualifications for this position and possibly make recommendations for changes, so that this position better suites the needs of the city. Reeves went on to say that the City Forester, the Shade Tree Advisory Council and the Parks Commission must report to the BPW for approval on all projects. Reeves feels this is not always being done and it is a matter of concern. The discussion on city committees and commissions was postponed until the September meeting due to lack of time. The meeting was adjourned at 6:05. Minutes -Parks Commission Meeting - September 13, 1994 (by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish, Nina Bassuk, Beth Mulholland, Richard Fischer, David Fernandez, Lath Peck, Rick Ferrel The meeting was called to order at 4:45 p.m. Cornish reported that there was no word from Nancy Ostmund of the Cornell Plantations regarding the management plan for Ithaca Falls. Rick Ferrel reported that the DPW was installing grades for new sidewalks at Wood Street Park. There is $5,000.00 available from the grant for planting. John Schroeder reported that a tree planting schedule was underway for the City Cemetery to take place over the course of several years. Money will come from City and private contributions. The question was raised about who was responsible for the upkeep of the Mousoleum and tombstones since many tombstones have fallen over and the Mousoleum are in need of repair. Nina Bassuk reported on the Commons plantings saying that the planters on Cayuga Street looked great due to recent work done by Shade Tree and Cooperative Extension. The planters on the Commons need to be redone due to there age and maturity and decline of existing plant materials. One of the biggest problems is who will water the plants. Some store owners have taken some of the responsibility. Care for the planters on the Commons needs to increase. \A watering schedule as well as plant replacement and soil replacement need to be done. Cornish reported that there needed to be a decision on the tennis courts at Stewart Park. Members resolved to look at other sites within Stewart Park before making a decision. Bassuk brought up the vacant City Forester position saying it was too much for one person to handle considering they also had the responsibilities of the Parks and Grounds Supervisor. The standard day to day maintenance projects detract from the job of forester. Nina calculated that less than 40%of the forester's time was spent on issues dealing with city forestry. Nina said she will look into the job description and report back to the Parks Commission. Meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m. Minutes-Parks Commission Meeting - October 11, 1994 (by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish, Nina Bassuk, Linda Tsang, John Schroeder, Lath Peck The meeting was called to order at 4:35 p.m. Linda Tsang reported for David Fernandez concerning the location of the Stewart Park Tennis Courts. The Trowbridge Plan had located only two courts. Fernandez looked at possible alternative sites, one being between the Chamber of Commerce building and the Youth Bureau Building. There appears to be room for only one court in this location. There does not appear to be any other location within the park to locate four courts. Nina suggested that we keep them in their present location but make a recommendation that black fencing be used instead of the standard chain link fence. Cornish reported that final recommendations were in from the Southwest Area Landuse Study Committee. Schroeder reported that after all the discussion on the location and configuration of the Northside Park, Mutual Housing came back with plans for the park which were the same as those that caused so much controversy before the committee met. Schroeder said that he and Joe Daley were going to meet with Jack Jensen of Mutual Housing to recommend the plan which the committee finally agreed upon. From here tit would go back to the Planning Committee. Mulholland brought up the idea of forming a Natural Areas Committee which would be a sister committee to the Parks Commission. Included on this committee would be: Six Mile Creek, Fuertes Bird Sanctuary, Ithaca Falls and Negundo Woods among others. This brought up the overlap in committee responsibilities and the importance of finishing the "laundry list" of committee responsibilities for distribution among city committees, commissions, boards...etc. Bassuk reported that the Parks and Ground Supervisor position was non-funded at the present time but that the City Forester position was funded. In reality both positions have been merged and the forester position has taken on both jobs. Nina said that every tree in the City should be seen at least once every five years and that there should be a pruning schedule That the forester position should be vegetation management not moving voting booths and fixing roofs. Bassuk drafted up position descriptions and said she and Bassuk would meet with the Mayor immediately and that Cornish would appeal to the BPW at the next meeting to consider this when hiring a new City Forester. Meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m. Minutes-Parks Commission Meeting -November 8, 1994 (by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish, Nina Bassuk, Lath Peck, Carol Reeves, Graham Kerslick The meeting was called to order at 4:35 p.m. Cornish reported that she had received a call from Guy Gerard concerning hunting at Hogs Hole and the commission's stand on this issue. At that point, Cornish copied all pertinent information to the BPW including the Parks Commission's recommendations from as far back as December of 1992 which recommended that hunting be banned from the Hog's Hole area. Reeves reported that the BPW has approved the proposed road at the Mutual Housing Complex on First Street. Cornish reported that she and Nina Basic met with Mayor Nichols concerning the City Forester's position and that he was in agreement that the position should not be a maintenance position but one that concentrates on the City's vegetative needs. Cornish said she spoke to the Board of Public Works and that the Bill Gray had not given a very promising commitment. Mr. Gray said that the DPI had lost twelve people and that every person is used where they are needed since there are so few workers to do so much work. He sympathized and said the Parks Commission was doing just what they should be doing by appealing for a true forester but the reality was that they needed maintenance as well as forestry . Bassuk thought perhaps Shade Tree could contract out some of the work so they would not have to rely on the city crews. Other suggestions were grant moneys, Citizen Pruners, neighborhood groups and so on. Bassuk reported that she, Beth, Linda and Monika Crispen met with the Commons Advisory Council to talk about the commons planters. This responsibility falls under the City Forester. Bassuk also reported that Shade Tree had planted 62 trees on S. Titus Ave. and Baker Park. The trees for Wood Street Park would be planted in the spring along with trees in the City Cemetery, the Tuning Fork and along the Old Elmira Road. The Route 96 improvements will see the removal of several trees west of Meadow Street, all of the trees on Fulton Street will be removed, several will be transplanted in other locations and new trees will be planted on Meadow. Reeves reported that talks were underway concerning the City Golf Course. At the present time, the golf pro, Mr. Torrent, owns the golf carts, the pro shop and the concession stand and he keeps the profits from all these operations. There will be a bidding process for these activities before the 1995 season begins. The golf course could take care of itself financially as does Cass Park where it is a break even situation. roc a-f Reeves brought up the topic of suicide bathers on bridges and in gorge areas around Ithaca. Several members felt that the Parks Commission could make a recommendation on design issues but was not comfortable making a recommendation about the bathers themselves. Reeves will keep the commission posted on this issue. Reeves also reported that the City was considering removing the trash barrels in the West End and perhaps removing them from all the parks due to illegal dumping of household trash in these barrels. The City has saved some money from the removal of trash barrels in Stewart Park. Carol will keep us informed on this issue as well. No vote was made on the tennis courts at Stewart Park due to the lack of a quorum. A recommendation was tabled until the next meeting. Meeting was adjourned at 5:50 p.m. Minutes -Parks Commission Meeting- 13, 1994 (by JoAnn Cornish) Present: JoAnn Cornish, Nina Bassuk, Linda Tsang, Margaret Hobbie, Graham Kerslick, David Fernandez, Beth Muholland, Carol Reeves, Rick Ferrel The meeting was called to order at 4:35 p.m. Cornish opened the meeting by asking for a vote on the Stewart Park Tennis Court issue stating that the matter had not been resolved because there had not been a quorum in several months. Cornish asked for discussion and vote to: reconstruct the tennis courts in their current location, to suggest that the paving be green to lessen the visual impact an so that the paving would blend with the surrounding grass, and that the fence be painted with a matte black paint to lessen the visual impact of the fence. Cornish called for a vote: Six for, zero against, none abstaining. Nina reported that the City Forester position was being advertised until January 1, 1995 at which point they would begin interviews. Currently, Adam Carmen is working out of title and Chris Reynolds, a Cornell student is pruning. Nina reported, along with Linda that plans had been drawn up for the commons planters. These include annuals, perennials, grasses and woodies. The Tuning Fork needs new lights and signs before planting can begin there and the traffic island at the base of Aurora Street would see some new woods and perennials. Watering is still an unresolved issue. Cornish read a proposal, drafted by Beth, which was to incorporate Circle Greenery into the Parks Commission. After a brief discussion about the cost of printing the Walk Ethic Brochure (Beth said that Circle Greenway had $1,500.00 annually to cover the cost of printing and that there are +1- 5,000 brochures printed annually.) and the fact that John Ulburg, who would be assuming Beth's Parks Commission and Circle Greenway responsibilities, would do the graphic updates on the brochure, it was voted on unanimously that Circle Greenway would become a part of the Parks Commission. Rick Ferrel would arrange for the budget to be adjusted so that money for printing would be available. JoAnn reported that the issue of signage in the parks had not been resolved in 1994 and that the money appropriated for this would be lost. Rick said he would encumber funds so that we would not lose them. Linda Tsang suggested we ask the Planning Department to handle the signage issue as apart of a city wide signage plan. Ferrel reported that in January and February, Conway Park would be flooded for ice skating. Nina reported that the park on Dryden Road was getting some new plants as a result of $750.00 in grant money and student volunteer efforts. Linda reported it was time to design Northside Park. The city was applying for a CDBG grant, the deadline being Feb. 21st at which time a design had to be completed as part of the grant application.. Cornish said she would set up a meeting with Northside residents to take place in two weeks on January 5. The Sciencenter was suggested as a possible location for the meeting. Cornish said she would set something up and inform the commission. Cornish gave a year end report, giving the following as some of the accomplishments of the Parks Commission in 1994: Represented on the Southwest Area Landuse Study Committee, the Northside Study Committee and the Ithaca Falls Study Committee, made recommendations on Northside Park location and configuration, Cass Park Pool opening date, on location of Stewart Park Tennis Courts, on the City Forester position, on incorporating Circle Greenway into the Parks Commission, engaged in discussions on the formation of a Natural Areas Committee, on the clarification of duties and responsibilities of various committees and commissions in the City, on parking issues in Stewart Park, on trash issues in Stewart and other City Parks, on signage in City Parks, on Conway Park improvements, the Railroad Crossing Gate in Stewart Park, on Substitute Land for Southwest Park among other topics. Cornish went on to say that although our accomplishments seem like many, they have been mostly reactive. In 1995, the Parks Commission, now that we are established, should become proactive as well. Other suggestions for the coming year were: To elect a Vice Chair to help assume some of the responsibilities and to rotate the taking of the minutes, to continue and update the parks inventory, to visit each of the parks and to come up with a work plan for each, to continue with signage issues and public awareness , possibly have a logo contest city wide, continue the public awareness concerning dog waste in the parks, complete the fact sheet for committee responsibilities and to investigate possible grant money sources, to continue talks concerning a Natural Areas Committee and Substitute Parkland including Ithaca Falls. The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m.