PC minutes 09/28/05

ITEM NO 20:            COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT – CHAPTER 9 – PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACES (PGP)

 

CPA-2005-02:  Hold public hearing on Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) to Horizon 2020, Chapter 9 – Parks, Recreation, and Open Space.  This chapter was considered at the May 25th Planning Commission meeting and referred to the Parks and Recreation Committee for further review.

 

STAFF PRESENTATION

Mr. Patterson introduced the item, the proposed amendment to Chapter 9 (Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces) of the Comprehensive Plan.  He referenced a letter from Bonnie Johnson, chair of the committee that drafted the proposed amendment, who could not be present tonight.  Ms. Johnson’s letter summarized revisions made to the chapter per Planning Commission direction earlier in the year.  Her letter also addressed revisions that were considered but not included in the current draft.

 

PUBLIC HEARING

Betty Lichtwardt spoke on behalf of the League of Women Voters, saying the League had four remaining areas of concern with the newest draft chapter:

  1. The chapter should be revised to allow the creation of new mini-parks (“pocket-parks”);
  2. When neighborhood parks are associated with schools (as most are) they should be but are not always centrally located within the neighborhood for easy walkability;
  3. The term “natural area” is used in a general sense throughout the documents and does not correspond to the existing background studies in HORIZON 2020.  It would be better to refer to non-historical unaltered areas as “environmentally sensitive lands” and/or “environmental features;” and
  4. Question the appropriate use of natural areas as a means of transition.  Suggest that in Policy 5.2, the term “environmentally sensitive areas” should be used to describe streams and floodplains, which naturally lend themselves to the separation of land uses.

 

Staff read a letter in the record from Carey Maynard Moody, a Barker Neighborhood resident who could not be present at tonight’s meeting.  Ms. Moody’s letter said she appreciated the forward thinking evidenced in the revised chapter.  However, she asked the Commission to consider looking at green lands as future “savings accounts” against global warming and to use greenbelts for more than separating uses.

 

Ms. Moody’s letter also asked if the proposed chapter had been checked for consistency with the work of Eco2.

 

COMMISSION DISCUSSION

Staff was asked to speak to the issue of mini-parks.  Mr. DeVictor said these kinds of parks had been established in areas where the City was not able to obtain enough land to provide a neighborhood park.  However, mini-parks were less economical to maintain and surveys indicated these kinds of parks were seen by the community as less important than neighborhood parks.  It was noted that the chapter, as proposed, did not preclude mini-parks.

 

There was discussion about adding language proposed in Ms. Johnson’s letter about encouraging developers to provide mini-parks as part of development and under the maintenance of the Homeowner’s Association.  It was suggested that this language provided more flexibility.

 

Staff responded to questioning that Eco2 had been consulted about the chapter revisions and had provided no additional input.

 

The Commission was not able to locate references to “natural areas” as referenced by the League of Women Voters and it was suggested this term had already been eliminated from a previous draft.

 

ACTION TAKEN

Motioned by Eichhorn, seconded by Ermeling to approve the Chapter 9 – Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces, as presented with the addition of language pertaining to mini-parks as indicated by Bonnie Johnson (in memo dated 09-09-05) and forward it to the City Commission and the Board of County Commissioners with a recommendation for approval.

 

Motion carried unanimously, 10-0, with Student Commissioner Wright voting in favor.