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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PRNR-2018-06-11 PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES PRESENT: Chair Roth Commissioners (5) Berry, Hoffman, Leventry, Moeller, Shelley OTHERS PRESENT: Common Council Liaisons - Brock, Kerslick Financial Management Assistant - Swartz City Forester – Grace Deputy Youth Bureau Director – D’Alterio EXCUSED: Freyburger, Myers Statements from the Public: Ann Sullivan – Lives in walking distance of many City of Ithaca neighborhood parks. As a 30-year resident of Ithaca, parks make a difference to all neighborhoods. You see kids playing in huge numbers at Strawberry Fields. Don’t let the smaller neighborhood parks get lost in the shuffle. Please look at the usage and the importance of parks to the residents. She mentioned Bryant Park, Dryden Road Park, Maple Grove Park and Strawberry Fields Park. Sandra Greene – Lives in the Belle Sherman Neighborhood and has been in discussion with the City and Common Council since the plan has come forward for public discussion about the neighborhood parks. She is Vice President of the Belle Sherman/Bryant Park Neighborhood Association and wanted to voice concern that the City of Ithaca is not responding to them. They have not received any feedback or any communication in regards to their concerns. Please involve the Association to work together with the City for a solution. Commission Response: Per Monika Roth, our Commission is new and we still need to figure out our work plan and roles. We would like to support, where needed, to try to move the process along. Per Cynthia Brock, the master plan was put together as a framework, it is not a mandate. It included a variety of recommendations and options, any of which will require a thorough open process before being implemented. The Master Plan is instrumental, because we realize that our parks are a valuable resource that r equire more attention, more funding, more services and a clearer process for engaging neighborhoods and other organizations that want to help. Per Graham Kerslick, public comment is appreciated. Council is making changes and plans. The City has limited resources with limited staff. We need to think about how we are going to m aintain these parks. Review and Approval of Minutes: Tom Shelley moved the motion to approve the minutes, Michelle Courtney-Berry 2nd the motion and all raised hands in favor to approve. Date: June 11, 2018 Time: 6:00 PM Location: Common Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, City Hall Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission June 11, 2018 2 Environmental Reviews: Tom Shelley – We are tracking a couple of different projects, Emerson and City Harbor. Dan Hoffman – The City Harbor project, where the Johnson Boat Yard is now, includes a rough sketch that involves part of the golf course as a land exchange; converting park land into parking spaces for the golf course. Monika asked them to bring back more information to discuss at a future meeting. Presentations: Stewart Park Update – Friends of Stewart Park - Rick Manning Signage - Friends of Stewart Park have been working with Jeanne Grace to ge t new park signs. Temporary signs were put up, but they will be creating something more permanent. There were two examples of the signs, light lime green or a dark green background with white letters. Dark green is easier to read, the majority of the hands were raised in agreement. This commission can submit a memo to support this, to go to DPW for final approval. Carousel - Ribbon Cutting Saturday 6/30/18 at 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – all invited. Playground – Undergoing current site plan changes. The Community Build is 9/11/18- 9/16/18 to help build a new playground. Boathouse – Work is being done to restore the Cascadilla boat house, a historic building. Fixing windows, doors, trim and shingles are the priority for now. A new roof was put on the boathouse by the city. A building analysis of what needs to be done to the building was created by an architecture firm and which has been reviewed by DPW. Focus is on the protecting the exterior so that the building and interior is preserved. Wharton Studio Museum Planning & Design Study - Diana Riesman Studio Museum will showcase the history of film making and serve as visitor center for the park. Northeast corner of building could be rented meeting space that would provide some revenue. There will be an open gallery for exhibits and a veranda that can be used for music, theater, dance, to congregate and learn history of the silent movies. Currently the Ithaca Youth Bureau uses about 1,000 sf for storage in the building, and the plan proposes an addition to the Picnic (large) pavilion to accommodate YB storage needs. The next step is the Board of Public W orks. Ellen Leventry made a motion for the Commission to write a memo in support of the Wharton Studio Museum project, Thomas Shelley 2nd, and all hands were raised in favor. Parks & Open Space Plan – Megan Wilson, Senior Planner Amendment of the plan was approved at the Common Council Meeting on June 6, 2018 to eliminate language referring to alienation of specific parks. There are 22 parks (300 plus acres) in the City of Ithaca. The largest park is Stewart Park (178 acres) and the smallest park is Van Horn Park (.06 acres), followed by Dryden Road Park (.08 acres). Different parks with different demands. Within the 22 parks there are 8 playgrounds, 4 pavilions, 13 youth baseball fields, 7 multi-purpose fields, 3 basketball courts, 8 tennis courts, a swimming pool, ice skating rink and skate park. The City of Ithaca spends $29 per capita on the parks for funding, the national average is $77 per capita. The low end is $46, median is $54 and upper is $111 per capita. Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission June 11, 2018 3 Key recommendations: 1. Park specific improvements (per 7.4 per capital improvement plan) 2. Create a Waterfront Park Commission for management and funding of Cass Park, Stewart Park and the Cayuga W aterfront Trail 3. Formalize volunteer involvement and partnership policies 4. Establish a per capita or per acre funding goal 5. Incorporate new dedicated funding sources 6. Conduct site master planning for the waterfront parks 7. Enhance and promote an adopt-a-park program 8. Create a policy for underutilized facilities and park land Possible tasks for PRNR commission: 1. Recommend the installation of park signage 2. Review and recommend improvements to the adopt a park program 3. Support phase II of the parks master plan-waterfront park district master plan 4. Prepare a policy for park donations and memorials Michelle Courtney-Berry thanked the residents in attendance and noted their concerns related to the potential loss of green space(s) in their neighborhoods, particularly since some residents may have selected their residential location based on the fact that green space existed there. She then summarized staff concerns about historic underfunding of the parks department, as other emergencies and critical infrastructure repairs often take priority. She commented that this region benefits from marketing our natural beauty and natural resources as part of our marketing outreach to visitors and residents, yet the parks department is often without the resources (staffing, financing, etc.) to meet increasing public demands. City staff reported that all of our parks require more attention and maintenance from basic upkeep to more expensive investments. None of our parks were reported to be in optimal shape. Old Business: Work Plan Priorities: Monika updated the work plan sheet that was handed out. Parks Plan - We need to look at user fees and other possibilities to raise money for the parks. We should prioritize by importance and vote to support those items. Capital project deadline has passed, but the support from commissions help staff with funding requests. For 2019 capital projects, Jeanne Grace requested funds for city cemetery. As you enter from University Ave, one vault is collapsed and three are in danger of failing also. Jeanne put in a request to stabilize those three, as well as for work on the Cascadilla boathouse. Jim D’Alterio put in a request for the rink enclosure, tennis court resurfacing (Stewart Park) and $50,000 field improvement at Union Field #6 and #7. Bill Goodman, Supervisor of the Town of Ithaca, is interested in working with the City for deer management in Six Mile Creek Watershed area. Need to set up a meeting to understand the town’s timeline. Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission June 11, 2018 4 Waterfront plans – we need to get up to date on what is happening – implications for open space/recreation access. There is an active committee that meets 4th Friday at 9 am in the Council Chamber. The Community Garden is concerned about Cayuga Medical Center development plans that may force the garden to move. There is no city space large enough to accommodate the garden in the vicinity of Northside. It may be an issue that two commissions should weigh in on - Community Life and this commission. Vacancy for Commission Member – no progress to date. If anyone has any potential candidates, they would have to submit an application at the City Clerk’s office. Monika Roth asked Michelle Courtney-Berry to serve as vice chair and she accepted. Next Meeting: The next meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2018. Agenda Items for July 9, 2018: - Work plan - Diversity Orientation approximately an hour - There is one vacancy open for a commission member. Adjournment: On a motion by Dan Hoffman, Michelle Courtney-Berry 2nd, the meeting was adjourned at 8:05 PM. Respectfully submitted by, Debbie Swartz Financial Management Assistant