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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-PRNR-2019-01-14 PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES PRESENT: Chair - Roth Commissioners - (8) Freyburger, George, Hoffman, Leventry, Moeller, Myers, Sanders-Jauquet, Shelley OTHERS PRESENT: Common Council Liaisons – Brock, Kerslick Financial Management Assistant - Swartz City Forester – Grace Deputy Youth Bureau Director – D’Alterio EXCUSED: None Agenda Review: Add Park sign update under old business. Statement from the Public: None Commission Response: N/A Welcome to new members: Hannah George and Mickie Sanders-Jauquet Old Business: Survey review and discussion - Monika provided a summary of the survey input from all members and reviewed the results. She also met with JoAnn Cornish to review the survey and get input from the Planning Dept. about their priorities for our commission work. She mentioned the following: Memorial Policy, Parks funding, natural areas/trails and Regional Parks Commission – however, the city did not get funding to conduct a Phase II Parks Study. Other topics on the list: Geese – State may be conducting a culling program. Deer – Town of Ithaca is moving ahead with their culling starting on West Hill. Biophilia group is stepping back to do more outreach before coming back with a resolution. The City Cemetery, given its large size, might be designated as a park to qualify for specific funding. As it stands now, the City Cemetery does not qualify for grants. The City Cemetery active friends group will present to the commission at a future meeting. Additions to the list: Environmental reviews and energy use (part of our assigned duties) and garden space. Drugs and homeless encampments might be something that Community Life Commission would address. High priority topics to address based on the survey are: Parks plan recommendations including funding and neighborhood input, deer management and natural areas. Following that: memorials, waterfront parks commission planning and waterfront development impacts. Athletic fields and playgrounds are medium priority and attention should be given to funding for regular maintenance. Date: January 14, 2019 Time: 6:00 PM Location: Common Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, City Hall Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission January 14, 2019 2 Discussion of presentations at Decembers meeting, commissions response & possible next steps 1. STAC request to become a working group – Some recommended that we keep them as a working group or sub group to keep them active. A suggestion was made to ask them to come up with a couple of items they want to work on in the coming year and set specific goals. STAC meets once every 2 months with Jeanne Grace 2. Ithaca Falls Memorial Bench Proposal – Cynthia Brock made a presentation to the Planning Committee on this. There was a suggestion that there should be some attempt to ask the community about what they want to see in the space. We should also have the Memorial Policy in place before we can make a recommendation to allow a bench/park to memorialize a person. Monika noted that it was unclear whether the group was looking for a memorial bench specifically or just a project in memory of their friend who lived there. Ellen will pull the old files on the most recent Memorial Policy discussion. We will discuss at the next meeting. One challenge will be that once a new space is developed, additional maintenance funds need to be allocated and there are no additional staff. 3. Athletic field study – The athletic field study group is proposing to create soccer fields, specifically, but they are presenting it as athletic fields for multi-purpose use. The engineering and planning department talked to them about the issues/problems involved with the areas of vacant land that they chose. There is some funding in the City budget for playing field improvements in 2019. 4. Deer Management - The Town of Ithaca is starting on West Hill with land owners (mostly farmers) who will get nuisance permits. A large area for a possible bait and shoot culling program is Six mile creek natural area, which is mostly in the town, but hunting is not permitted in the City or in the Natural Area, so first there would have to be some amendment to the law to permit a program there. Our role is to review, research and resolve to make recommendations. Do we form a working group? A suggestion was made by Jeanne, that we first have a small group meet to make recommendations to bring back at next month’s meeting. Jeanne, Tom, Hannah and Monika volunteered. Monika will call a meeting. 5. Park signage update – Ellen passed around sign examples using a combination of Icons and wording. The majority of the group likes the icon idea. Ellen will ask Iron Design to come up with samples for future meetings. Environmental review subcommittee report - Tom Shelley, Dan Hoffman, Scott Freyburger 1. Falls Park Apartments (near Ithaca Falls). This proposal is to build a 4-story apartment building with 74 units, on the former Ithaca Gun site adjacent to the City's Ithaca Falls Natural Area. In about 2007, the City and the property owner (now known as Travis Hyde Properties) entered into an agreement that was intended to facilitate redevelopment of the site and to enhance public access to the natural area. With the agreement, the City's intention was to enable the public to walk to the Island (once the contamination is remediated) using an existing bridge that served Ithaca Gun and enjoy this vista. The agreement also said the developer would provide (on its property) at least two handicapped parking spaces for those wanting to use the public walkway/overlook, who needed them. Another feature of the agreement committed the developer to trying its best to save the old Ithaca Gun smokestack, an iconic landmark that's the only remaining remnant of the old factory. At the meeting last week, Dan was disappointed to learn that the bridge to the Island has been demolished (supposedly as part of the contamination clean-up) thus limiting potential public access. Also, the developer now says it wants to demolish the smokestack, calling it "an attractive nuisance" (that some people have tried to climb) and saying there may be contamination below its base. Also, the developer now says it's impractical Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission January 14, 2019 3 to provide two handicapped parking spaces (or maybe even one) given the constraints of geography and the proposed design of the apartment building. 2. Infill Development, at 815-17 N. Aurora Street. This proposed project (to demolish a two- family house and replace it with a pair of two-family houses, on a single lot) is another example of a growing local trend, where owner/developers seek to add new rental buildings to what have historically been single-building lots, with back yards, in residential neighborhoods. Opposition to this trend, among South Hill residents, led to what is effectively a moratorium on such development, in that area. There have been similar reactions (as well as some support) in other neighborhoods, including Northside and now Fall Creek. It would be too late to affect this project, but there is some discussion about the merit of extending this "moratorium" to other neighborhoods, to give time to study the impacts of such development (on "neighborhood character," etc.) or to impose some additional mitigating requirements on it. Per Cynthia Brock, this proposal was not approved by the Planning Committee. Without a moratorium or a change in zoning we will continue to see this type of action. Once there are multiple buildings on a parcel, it becomes a landlord situation, not an individual single family home. Developers are buying single family houses for big dollars and redeveloping the property with multiple structures. Other projects discussed by the Project Review Committee this month seemed to be smaller ones, with little if any connection to PRNRC concerns. Dan will work on a proposal for next month to make recommendations or comments. New Business: 2019 Budget for Parks and Rec Facilities Jim D’Alterio – The budget for Cass Park becomes part of the Youth Bureau budget. The new budget will sustain what is currently going on and will work within the budget guidelines from the Mayor. Jim submitted a request that was funded for improvements of the softball fields at Union Field. This includes a drag machine for the fields to put a clay/sand mix into the soil to improve the fields. He also submitted a capital project to recondition the surface of the tennis courts, which was approved. This also includes an overlay of Pickle Ball courts on the tennis courts. The Youth Bureau also submitted a CFA Grant with NYS for the Rink enclosure, unfortunately we did not receive this grant. Friends of the Youth Bureau will continue fundraising. Jeanne Grace – Parks and Forestry budget becomes part of the Streets and Facilities budget. The budget will sustain the current activity. The seasonal staffing budget is getting tighter due to the living wage, which results in hiring fewer people. The department received Capital Project funding for $75,000 towards the City Cemetery for vault repairs. There was also a CFA grant awarded for the Cascadilla Boat House with a Capital Project matching grant. A new pick-up truck is included in the budget. There is an increase in the tree budget. Looking towards 2020, Jeanne would like to add more money in the contract line, to provide funding to contract with the CCE Beautification Program to add a staff person who would maintain public gardening spaces, such as the Waterfront trail and others that currently have no assigned maintenance. Will also need to increase property maintenance and utility budget lines to maintain friends of Stewart Park new playground. Monika asked for a wish list from Jim and Jeanne of what is needed for 2020, so we can vote in support of additional funding (by April or May). Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission January 14, 2019 4 Minutes – Review and approve 12/10/18 Dan Hoffman requested some minor changes. Tom made a motion to approve with the changes and Dan Hoffman second, abstain Mickie Sanders-Jauquet and Hannah George, all others were in favor. Next meeting February 11, 2019 Monika would like to see a Vice Chair appointed – Thomas Shelley and Dan Hoffman volunteered to run meetings in Monika’s absence. Ellen nominated Dan to be vice chair. Tom offered to be an alternate to Dan. We will vote at the next meeting. Adjournment: On a motion the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM. Respectfully submitted by, Debbie Swartz Financial Management Assistant Memo to PRNR Commission Jan. 7, 2019 From: Monika Roth, Chair RE: Our Work Thus Far – Our Role: Review, Research, Resolve, Recommend! Greetings Commissioners and Happy New Year! I look forward to launching a productive New Year! Given our open ended task list, I think we have a solid understanding of issues that could be addressed by our commission. To date we have reviewed the following: -City policies on Diversity and Equity; Process for providing input on development projects (Environmental reviews); City Parks and Open Space plan. Items that have been brought to the commission: -change in CEQR form used by City to be in compliance with new state SEQR form – done! -Parks plan concerns about neighborhood park status and upgrades needed -Stewart Park Playground and Wharton Studio plans -Concerns about play equipment status/safety and drug issues in parks -North side of Ithaca Falls – access improvements and memorial bench -Athletic field improvements -Biophilia designation -Deer management options -Shade tree committee ongoing work Work in progress: -Park signage -Environmental reviews (ongoing) Items to be further reviewed and researched: -process for engaging volunteers (Adopt a park or other ways) -memorials -ways to raise money and increase funding for parks -regional waterfront parks commission (longer term) -natural areas – needs/plan (Planning Dept) -trail connecters (longer term) -waterfront access -geese Possible working groups: (defined as addressing a specific issue on a limited time basis) Natural areas Deer management Shade tree SURVEY SUMMARY – 1/14/19 Issue High priority Medium Low priority Comments Parks Plan recommendations 11 1 Central to our work; specific projects/recommendations included in list below Funding for parks 10 2 Annual input Natural areas review/planning 11 1 Need a natural area manager- funding! Environmental Review of City Projects 9 Part of our ongoing role Deer management plan 9 1 1 Work with Cornell & Town Geese management 2 5 3 State may be working on this Neighborhood parks input from residents 7 3 1 Getting input is identified as a key role of commissions Memorials & donations policy 5 3 3 Review/complete in 2019 Volunteer engagement policy/Adopt a Park 3 4 3 Review/complete in 2019 Play structures in parks - improvement 9 2 inventory/assessment be needed & timeline for replacement Drugs and unsavory activities in parks 4 1 7 Could be assessed in neighborhood outreach; assign to Community Life Garden Space 3 Community Life also involved Athletic field expansion/improvements 3 3 5 Longer term effort – need funding for field improvements Regional waterfront parks commission 6 3 2 Longer term effort – no state grant awarded; could we advocate? Waterfront development 5 4 2 Something to keep an eye on Trail connectors throughout city 3 6 2 Past study – review; get maps of parks & nat areas Biophilia designation 1 4 6 Group feels they need to do more outreach; no hurry Cemetery preservation 1 8 1 Specific role/need? Large parklike open space SW Park Homeless camp 1 part of Natural areas review Energy issues/reducing GHG emission 1 Part of enviro review How do we best organize our commission work to make progress on the above topics? Parks plan to drive our work Advocate for funding increases Designate 2-3 people to take a lead on topics Establish 4-5 working groups (sub-committees) where commissioners serve on at least 2 Leave each meeting with action items; May need to meet in between meetings Chunk projects into smaller bits Designate Advisors (we can have 10) Set goals of what to accomplish for year, deadlines, actions, outcomes YOUR thoughts on working groups: Should we appoint the Shade Tree Advisory committee as a PRNR working group? 4 Yes / 3 No (provide updates; if there are specific tasks/projects to complete in the year?) Should we appoint a Deer Management working group? 6 Yes / 1 No (appoint a liaison to Town) Should we appoint a Natural Areas working group? 5 Yes / 2 No (what specific task?)