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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-06-02 wksession Work Session Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan June 2, 2007 Board Members present: Chairman Eric Owens,John Raab, Boyce Byers, Carroll Scott, Randy Jones and alternates John Elder(#1)and Sonja Adams(#2). Board Members absent: Stacey Hollinger and alternate Everett Hartzler(#3). Staff members present: Director of Parks and Community Services Ray McDonald, Parks Superintendent Terry Boaz, Recreation Superintendent Randy Smith and Administrative Secretary Linda Lux. Visitor: Hershel R. Lindly with DFL Group, LLC The meeting started at 9:05 a.m. in the Pre-Council Room at City Hall. Ray introduced Hershel Lindly to the Board Members and said this would be an informal process today to discuss updating our Master Plan. He said Mr. Lindly retired from SRA (Schrickel, Rollins &Associates) and has worked on our Master Plan previously(for Bob Eden Park and also the Parks at Texas Star—Phase I). His partner Elaine Dill is retired from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department(TPWD) and she handled all grants before she retired. Page 7—Add Carroll Scott in place of Everett Hartzler on the list of Board Members (just under Boyce Byers) Documents will have more impact if Financial Report is replaced with Economic Report. Today's meeting is to discuss and list our needs assessments that will serve as our planning tool for the next ten(10)years. This would include: senior-needs and/or a new facility, aquatics-needs and/or facilities for the citizens. When this plan does go before council it will list our top ten(10)needs for the city and this will help Ray with obtaining funds for the necessary projects over the life of the new Master Plan. Once our needs have been established from this document then we will review our goals that we want to accomplish over the next few years. The importance of the Master Plan is to obtain the necessary funding from the council for the designated project(s). Hershel stated the Master Plan should be updated every two (2) years. The Board Members need to be bold enough to express their needs to the city and council for this plan. Work Session—Master Plan Page 2 June 2, 2007 Some of the issues we already know are: • The need to connect our trails from each park system throughout the city as well as connecting the trails to our bordering neighbors • The need for more parking at the Parks at Texas Star • The need for three(3)new pools (at a cost of over $1 million each to replace)or to replace Wilshire and South Euless with new water parks • The need to expand Midway Recreation Center • The need for a new senior center and/or expansion of the current facility Board Members asked Ray to communicate the department's needs and they will go out to the community and citizens as"Ambassadors" for the parks department. What about money from the gas drilling in Euless? Ray said we hope some of the money will be set aside for use in our city parks. Ray stressed the necessity of having multi-use pathways instead of just sidewalks. These multi-use pathways need to be wide enough for the various users (bicycles, walkers, joggers, moms pushing strollers and even the handicap citizens). The TPWD (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department)has lots of money for trail grants. These grants pay 80/20 and there is usually always money that is unused each year. We need to recognize the importance of the trails in order to connect the city from the northern edge to the southern areas at the Parks at Texas Star. We foresee connecting all the trails so that in the near future a citizen can walk or bike from Bob Eden Park and go south down a trail along Industrial Blvd.,then connect to another trail along Euless Blvd. in order to get to Softball World or the Parks at Texas Star. There would also be a trail connection from The Preserve at McCormick Park going south along Fuller Wiser and then crossing over Airport Freeway to connect to Heritage Park. Hershel added that we need to recognize the importance of all these trails (NS/EW) - through our city whether now or in the near future because it is harder to add an item to the Parks Master Plan once it is adopted than to remove any items. NEEDS/PRIORITIES (1) Swimming Pools Board Members discussed the issue of the thirty+(30) year old pools and rated them in the following order: Work Session—Master Plan Page 3 June 2, 2007 • Suggested replacing Wilshire pool with a splash pad • Replacing South Euless pool with more water features at Splash Island • Discussed keeping one (1)pool concept at Midway Park and adding some water park features—this would be the last pool to be replaced and/or renovated. Ray said he will be giving a Pool Audit Report to the council on June 26th and invited all the Board Members to attend and to show their support for this item. (2) Senior Center Ray mentioned a study was recently completed on the Simmons Senior Center and listed some options from the study: • Keep Simmons on the existing property and expand • Move the seniors to Ruth Millican Center and expand the facility • Move the seniors to the Parks at Texas Star property • Move to Midway Park and build a facility • Move to the existing Soto Grande property and build a new facility • Consider purchasing the Lively property (3) Dog Park Ray mentioned the dog park will be built this year and they are proposing to put the dog park on the north side of the Villages of Bear Creek amphitheater and run from the existing apartments to the west side of Bear Creek Parkway. Hershel and Ray said at the next Work Session we will need to discuss the expansion of Midway Recreation Center as well as setting some goals. Hershel mentioned we would need to have at least ten(10)goals for the Master Plan. The Work Session adjourned at 2:05 p.m.