PC Meeting 05/25/05
ITEM NO 13: COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT – CHAPTER 9 – PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACES (PGP)
Hold public hearing on Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) to Horizon 2020, Chapter 9 – Parks, Recreation, and Open Space.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Mr. Patterson explained the Parks & Recreation ad hoc committee had been working to create the draft chapter presented tonight. This draft has been posted on the Planning Department website for public review and was presented tonight with a Staff Recommendation for approval.
Mr. Patterson referenced the accompanying documents, including a list of recommended revisions to the chapter and a set of proposed Implementation Strategies to achieve the goals identified in the chapter.
It was explained that several maps had been prepared to accompany the chapter but were inadvertently left out of the Commission’s information packets. These maps and the text before the Commission tonight would be added from the Parks & Recreation Master Plan. The combined documents would then return to the Commission to consider amending into the Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 9.
Fred DeVictor, Director of Parks & Recreation Department, had high praise for the cooperative process used to develop this draft of the Parks & Recreation chapter. He responded to questioning that the park planner mentioned in the proposed chapter would ideally be a designer as well and would facilitate things that currently had to be outsourced to consultants.
PUBLIC HEARING
Bonnie Johnson, Chair of the Parks & Recreation ad hoc committee, said she had been surprised to find that there were maps in the existing Parks & Recreation Master Plan, but these maps were not being used for land use decisions. She said the maps showed future trails, greenways and priority areas where the City was looking for park property. Ms. Johnson anticipated these maps would be of great assistance for planning pedestrian connections and other elements of new subdivisions.
Ms. Johnson said the text could be considered tonight, but the maps were an important part of the chapter and the committee recommended ultimately using the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, amended to include the text presented tonight and the maps described, for land use decisions.
Ms. Johnson responded to questioning that the committee intended for the chapter to make clear the relationship between historic areas and recreational spaces. Burress noted that historic preservation was mentioned in several places, but there were no policies addressing this issue specifically. It was suggested that policies related to historic preservation could be added to Goal 2 (Maintaining and Enhancing Existing Park Areas).
There was discussion about the importance of corridors for transportation, boundaries and wildlife preservation. Ms. Johnson explained the core concept of the plan was to connect the four cornerstone natural areas of the City. It was noted where the multiple roles of corridors was mentioned in the chapter. It was mentioned that Goal 4 covered this topic comprehensively.
It was established that the memo regarding implementation strategies was meant to help when it was time to incorporate the goals of this chapter into the Implementation Strategies chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. It was understood that these strategies were not proposed as part of the chapter being considered tonight.
Mr. Johnson said she had not yet had a chance to review the comments from the League of Women Voters.
Betty Lichtwardt spoke on behalf of the League of Women Voters, reading written testimony into the record and providing Staff with a hard copy (See project file). Ms. Lichtwardt asked the Commission to take special notice of the map in the Comprehensive Plan background studies entitled Combined Natural and Environmental Features.
Ms. Lichtwardt responded to questioning that “almost all” of the League’s concerns were addressed in the specific text notations outlined in the League’s previous communication.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
Eichhorn commented on the League’s concern that natural areas be maintained in their existing state, pointing out that many natural areas had only minimal vegetation, so maintenance would be simple and inexpensive.
Ermeling said the committee had done a good job, but she thought it unfortunate that mini-parks were being deemphasized. She understood the costs associated with acquiring and maintaining these small areas, but felt they would become increasingly important as development trends moved toward higher density and smaller lots. Ermeling said several landscapers had expressed concern to her that small park areas were being minimized. Mr. DeVictor responded that the standard for neighborhood parks has increased from 1 acre to 5 acres and the Parks Department was focusing on acquiring larger parcels and providing better connectivity between these larger park areas.
Burress revisited the issue of macro-connectivity, saying the chapter outlined connections to the four major recreational areas identified, but did not show how one could reach these areas using any recreational trail or path in the City. Ms. Johnson said planning in that detail was beyond the scope of the committee. They had discussed these issues, but this level of planning would require a large-scale visioning process with significant input from the City and the community.
There was discussion about levels of service. It was noted that this concept is defined in detail in the section on park standards (p.9-4) and is also covered in the Parks & Recreation Master Plan. Staff recommended amending the proposed text into the Master Plan and incorporating by reference the entire (amended) Master Plan as the Parks & Recreation chapter of HORIZON 2020 as had been done with other City Comprehensive Plans. Ms. Finger further recommended that adoption of the Master Plan/chapter be done by reference.
It was established that the maps were delayed because they were being put into a digital format.
The Commission discussed referring the chapter back to the ad hoc committee for further revisions based on tonight’s discussion. They outlined the information the committee was to review for possible incorporation into the document:
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Lawson to refer the Parks, Recreation & Open Space chapter back to the Parks & Recreation ad hoc committee for review and possible modification of the document based on the information outlined previously.
DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION
It was verified that the motion was not meant as a mandate to include any of the concepts the committee was asked to review. The committee was asked to use their own judgment regarding the merits of each suggestion and make revisions only as they saw fit.
ACTION TAKEN
Motion on the floor was to return the chapter to the Parks & Recreation ad hoc committee for review and revision as described. Burress seconded.
Motion carried unanimously, 9-0.