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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-02-21; Parks & Recreation Commission; MinutesMinutes of: PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Time of Meeting: 530 P.M. Date of Meeting: February 21,2002 Place of Meeting: City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER Chairman Pieratt called the Regular Meeting to order at 543 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Chairman Pieratt, Commissioners Schulberg, Cunningham, Pacheco, Hubbard, Absent: Commissioner Davidson and Comstock Staff Members Present: Ken Price, Recreation Director Keith Beverly, Senior Management Analyst John Cahill, Municipal Projects Manager Mark Steyaert, Park Development Coordinator Gail Watts, Recreation Supervisor 2 Sgt. Keith Blackburn, Police Department Jim Murray, Engineering Department . Frank Jimino, Engineering Department Liz Ketabian, Park Planner Scott Carroll, Management Analyst Jerry Rodriguez, Park Supervisor - ANNOUNCEMENTS None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Pacheco, the Minutes of the Regular Meeting held on January 28, 2001 were approved. AYES: Chairman Pieratt, Commissioners Schulberg, Pacheco, Cunningham, Hubbard, and Comstock NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioner Davidson PRESENTATIONS 7' None. Parks and Recreation Commission -2- February 21,2002 ' PUBLK: OPEN FORUM rc None. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Keith Beverly, Senior Management Analyst, pointed out that the date for the Carrillo Ranch Ground Breaking under Adjournment in the Agenda should be changed from February 28,2002 to February 27, 2002 at 11 :00 a.m. ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Schulberg, the Agenda for February 21, AYES: Chairman Pieratt, Commissioners Schulberg, Pacheco, Cunningham, NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioner Davidson 2002 was approved as corrected. Hubbard, and Comstock CONSENT CALENDAR 1. AB #202-1 COMMISSIONER'S REPORT To accept and file the Commissioner's Report for February 2002 2. AB #202-2 SUMMARY REPORT To accept, approve and file the Summary Report of the January 2002 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. I- 3. AB #202-3 RECEIPT OF DONATION To receive a donation of furniture for the Carrillo Ranch Park and recommend acceptance by the City Council. ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Pacheco, AB #202-1, AB #202-2, and AB #202-3 of the Consent Calendar for February 21, 2002 were approved. Hubbard, and Comstock AYES: Chairman' Pieratt, Commissioners Schulberg, Pacheco, Cunningham, NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioner Davidson DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS Scott Carroll, Management Analyst, gave the staff presentation on this item. He referred to'the incident of trees being cut down at the park by homeowners and stated that there was a monetary settlement made of $175,000. He explained that the City started replenishing the tree stock, removing Eucalyptus tree stumps, and installing new irrigation equipment for the five- gallon trees, leaving a remaining balance of $164,500. He mentioned that park users were 4. AB #202-4 LA COSTA CANYON PARK IMPROVEMENTS - surveyed and the results indicated the desire for tot lots, stairwell improvements, restroom Parks and Recreation Commission -3- February 21,2002 improvements, and ongang maintenance. Mr. Carrdl pointed out th& after these improvements were made, there would be a balance of $28,600 and explained how the money could be spent. cc Questions and discussion included the following issues: 0 Recommendation to add mature trees, trees with color, include a barbecue or picnic area at the upper portion of the park, and plant grass with a shade tree in the upper portion of the park Clarification of the kind of trees that were planted ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Schulberg, AB #202-4 to accept staffs proposal for expenditure of funds at La Costa Canyon Park and direct staff to submit project proposals to the City Council for approval. AYES: Chairman Pieratt, Commissioners Schulberg, Cunningham, Pacheco, Hubbard, and Comstock NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioner Davidson 5. AB #202-5 NAMING OF ZONE 19 COMMUNITY PARK John Cahill, Municipal. Projects Manager, explained that staff received names from the public for the Zone 19 Community Park. He stated that Aviara Community Park was the name most recommended (1 13) and explained why Aviara Community Park would be a good name for the park. He further stated that if the Commission concurred with the proposed name, that recommendation would be forwarded to City Council in accordance with Council Policy W8. - ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Schulberg, AB #202-5, to accept staffs recommendation to select Aviara Community Park as the name of Zone 19 Community Park. Hubbard, and Comstock AYES: Chairman Pieratt, Commissioners Schulberg, Cunningham, Pacheco, NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioner Davidson Chairman Pieratt called a recess at 555 p.m. The Parks and Recreation Commission re- convened at 6:OO p.m. 6. AB #202-6 LARWIN PARK MASTER PLAN APPROVAL Chairman Pieratt described the protocol to be followed for this agenda item. John Cahill began the staff presentation on this item. He described how the presehtation would proceed. He emphasized that changes were made to the Larwin Master Plan as a result of input given by the public at a recent public workshop at Calavera Hills Community Park. He added that Sergeant Keith Blackburn of the Carlsbad Police Department was also available to answer specific questions, Mark Steyaert'Park Development Coordinator, described the history of planning Larwin Park. the early 90s to make Larwin Park a passive park. - He explained that due to public input and previous Commission action, plans were changed in Parks and Recreation Commission -4- February 21,2002 Liz Ketabian, Park Planner, reviewed the proposed Master Plan and discussed changes made as a result of input from the public during the recent workshop. She described the site and design analysis in detailed and displayed a slide portraying biological restraints. She reviewed the development of the Master Plan and described ways for people to access the park. Ms. Ketabian talked about the parking proposal, as contained in the Commissioner's packets. She clarified what would be on the upper and lower levels of the park and summarized some of the items that the public requested at the public workshop, including the desire for hiking and walking trails, a preference for passive use of the park, concerns about inadequate parking, the group picnic shelter, increased traffic on Vancouver and Concord, and the opinion that the pedestrian bridge was not necessary. Ms. Ketabian explained that photos were taken at a few Carlsbad parks on a weekend to determine the number of cars parked. She described the findings made and outlined proposed revisions made to the Larwin Park Master Plan which included omitting the group shelter, omitting the pedestrian bridge, reducing the number of picnic tables from 7 to 5, increasing 'parking spaces at the lower site from IO to 14, and omitting one seating area. Chairman Pieratt opened the meeting for public comment: Silas Krueger, 2673 Vancouver Street, Carlsbad, explained that his house was located two lots over from the proposed parking lots. He mentioned that he was in favor of parks generally but that he believed a park should preserve the integrity of the neighborhood. He stated that he had a number of concerns, which he previously expressed in a letter to Ms. Ketabian. Mr. Krueger said he was concerned about traffic on a residential street which was not designed for heavy traffic. He indicated that he was not entirely satisfied with the study which consisted of going out on a weekend and taking photos. He added that he felt it would be better to have that kind of access and parking on Carlsbad Village Drive, and that he was concerned about the passive park and area across Vancouver where there was a ledge. He pointed out that there were drinking parties in the area and that locals policed the area and picked up debris. He added that he was concerned about how the area would be policed and monitored. c Mr. Krueger reiterated that he believed access and parking should be off Carlsbad Village Driver rather than changing a neighborhood street to carry traffic into a street that was not equipped to handle a lot of traffic. Jacqueline Behrhorst, 2696 Waterbury Way, Carlsbad, explained that she had three concerns. She mentioned that her first concern was with traffic and referred to traffic on to Carlsbad Village Drive from 1-5 and then on to Concord. She said that she felt it was incredible that a park would have all traffic funneled from the cul-de-sac area, and mentioned that parked cars would block the mailboxes on the street. Ms. Behrhorst also indicated that she noticed that 22 cars were parked in Dog Park in one afternoon. She said that large groups may come to the park for birthday parties and picnics, and that staff should not funnel traffic through their little area in Carlsbad. George Moldovan, 2679 Vancouver Street, Carlsbad, said that he was speaking against the took exception to the parking area and pointed out to where his home was on the map. He ," Larwin Park proposal but added that he was not against a public park. He mentioned that he Parks and Recreation Commission -5- February 21,2002 explatned that he had mcerns that the area wouM be art .attraction for youngsters and expressed concern about burglars and safety. He said that he felt his property would be devalued. Mr. Moldovan stated that the City of Carlsbad Parks Department was a poor neighbor because maintenance in the area was deplorable and that it took almost a year to get a wooden fence repaired. He said that he understood there was a shortage of money right now and explained that he was concerned about what would happen in the future. He added that a nice wooden bench was put in but vandals tore it out and wanted to know how they would prevent that in the future. He ended by saying that it would change people's lives in the neighborhood. Commissioner Pieratt asked Mr. Moldovan if the park was cleaned up, wouldn't it enhance the value of his home rather than deplete it. Mr. Moldovan replied that he thought the parking lot would create a serious hazard and that the area could still be used as a seating area or a picnic area. Paul Santy, 2693 Vancouver Street, Carlsbad, stated that he was a resident of Carlsbad for the last 18 years and that he enjoyed open space and the quality of life in Carlsbad. He added that he supported the concept of a passive park, but that as a homeowner, he was concerned about the impact to peace and quiet at the end of the day. He mentioned that he hoped people would use the park for its intended purposes. Mr. Santy explained that he visited two similar parks in Carlsbad (La Costa Canyon and Cadencia Park) and described the reactions of neighbors to the parks. He talked about the activities at the desilting basin, including the fact that the area was constantly filled with trash, police were called from time to time, and that there was a lack of vegetation management. He pointed out that he provided photos to staff at the public workshop. Mr. Santy added that he would like to see the plan include clean up of the vegetation and the defiltering area. He also stated that he did not think Vancouver Street should be the access to the park. /- He concluded by stating that he had observed the Parks and Recreation Department and City Council over the past 10 years and that he trusted the Parks Department would make a reasonable decision on this park too. Helen Codispoti, 2714 Via Plato, Carlsbad, explained that she lived in the Tanglewood development and was happy with the proposed change to eliminate the footbridge. She said that she was concerned about a fire hazard from the barbecue pits and explained why. She added that she would like to see the park used for walking trails. Ernestine Ryan, 2518 Via Naranja, Carlsbad, indicated that she was concerned about the right of way for SDG&E. She wanted to know if the City made a deal with SDG&E for access. Mary-Anne Monck, 2813 Via Topacio, Carlsbad, pointed out where her unit was on the map and expressed concern about use of the SDG&E easement. She explained that the SDG&E easement, which was supposed to be used for a walking trail, was currently used by cars, trail bikers, and police pursuits, She said that she was concerned about the gully and explained why, and also expressed concern about high rates of speed and the inability to go back up the for dirt bikes when more people were made aware of the facilities. ," hill. Ms. Monck added she thought there would be an increase of bicycles and digging of holes , Parks and Recreation Commission -6- February 21,2002 IrC She also expressed concern about fire hazard in the area and suggested there be a fire hydrant on that property. She said it would be extremely difficult if a fire resulted from the barbecue pits or lighted cigarettes being flicked on to the sage, and indicated that the closest fire hydrant was the one behind her garage. Ms. Monck’s explained that her last concern was regarding the green area, particularly the problem with dog feces in Dog Park and the impact on the California sage area. Thomas David, 2534 Via Astuto, Carlsbad, said that he had concerns that were not yet mitigated. He indicated that Tanglewood was made up of 486 town homes situated on private vias. He said that he was a member of the Board of Directors of the homeowner’s association and that one of their concerns was that a public park in this area would expose more people to the Tanglewood community, one where there may not be adequate parking. He referred to specific areas on the map and explained that the homeowners were responsible for maintaining the private vias and providing for security. Mr. David pointed out that others have discovered the fact that it was a great place to party on Friday and Saturday nights and that he was concerned that exposure of access to the park would expose the fact that there was a lot of additional parking for access to Dog Park. Mr. David also said that he could understand why homeowners were uncomfortable with having a parking lot outside of their homes. Commissioner Schulberg asked how many children were in the development, and if Mr. David was concerned about preserving private property along the easement, could a fence be put up. the exact number. He stated that they have a number of split rail fences but there was one area where they would not be able to mitigate the open area. He added that they have private security to patrol the area on a regular basis. He said that a fence would be a good idea if it were high enough, but as there were coyotes and animals in the area, he would not want to block off free areas of wildlife. - . Mr. David responded that there were a lot of children in the development but he did not have Commissioner Cunningham asked if there was a way to design a fence that would satisfy two or three of the key items so that approximately 100 elementary children from their development would have access to the park. Commissioner Cunningham suggested possibly having a key mechanism for residents only. Mr. David clarified that in the letter from the Board of Directors to staff, the Board of Directors were not speaking on behalf of 486 people but were simply expressing their concerns as board of directors representing interest of the 486 residents on issues such as insurance liability of private vias. Regarding the fence, he indicated that if a fence was put in to allow people from his community access to the park that it could work if others would not have access at the fence to the Park. He clarified that he was not opposed to the park. John Cortus, 2999 Via De Paz, Carlsbad, mentioned that he had three concerns, two of which were already addressed. He said that he was concerned about the fire hazard. He pointed out that he went to the lower area to see what kind of fire hydrants were there and was surprised to liability issue and his concern that the homeowners had experienced a tremendous increase in r find that there were not any in the plan. Mr. Cortus expressed concern about the insurance Parks and Recreation Commission -7- February 21,2002 premiums. He added that it was possible they would not be able to afford liability insurance in the future. He explained that he was also concerned about what the City has done to, keep this park clean and free of u'ndesirable people. He said that he was concerned with the maintenance of the area that now had broken down fences and broken down tables. He referred to the vote on the trails by the City Council and Mayor Lewis' concern about maintenance of the trails. Barrie Elliott, 266 Vancouver Street, Carlsbad, said that his house was right up against the park. He indicated that he was for the park 100% if it was done properly. He mentioned that he had three boys, and was a coach for two of the youth organizations in Carlsbad. He stated that if he had to plan the park, he would take the walking trail and turn it into an access road with a parking lot, seal off access on Vancouver Street, and possibly sell that lot to a developer. He said that he felt that the light at Concord was one of the most dangerous intersections in Carlsbad and described a few of his personal experiences with that intersection. He added that he did not want people accessing the park on Concord. Mr. Elliott also said that he was in passive parks all the time and felt there would be 70-80 cars coming down Carlsbad Village Drive. He expressed concern about sending a lot of traffic down that intersection and down a no outlet cul-de-sac neighborhood. Chairman Pieratt closed the public comments. F Questions r e e e e e e e and discussions included the following issues: Clarification of what was included in the Master Plan phase of park development Explanation of reasons why Carlsbad Village Drive was not selected for access Potential agreement with SDG&E which would be part of the next step of the park development process Safety figures for access on Concord Possibility of including signal referencing at Concord Isolated incidents of vandalism at Carlsbad parks Clarification that the water desilting basin was owned by Standard Pacific Company and was not a City facility, and how public safety could be enforced by Code Average daily trips allowed on Vancouver was more than what was currently taking place Fire safety standards and whether they were applicable to parks Police pursuits in the area and vehicles of the Off Road Law Enforcement Division Hazardous conditions could be created by catalytic converters and motor and vehicles Chairman Pieratt thanked the audience for their participation and comments. Commissioner Schulberg made a motion to approve the staff report and agenda item. He retracted his motion and made a new motion to approve AB #202-6, the Larwin Park Master Plan, with the following points to be considered by staff in the Master Plan process: r- Adding an exercise course Creating keyed access for residents of the development if a fence is installed between Tanglewood and the development r Parks and Recreation Commission -8- February 21 , 2002 The possibility of creating art assessment district if a road off Cartsbad Vitlage Drive were to provide access to the lower park area Eliminating barbecue pits to address the fire issue Reviewing the inclusion of a signal warning ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Schulberg, AB #202-6, to approve the Larwin Park Master Plan with the following points to be considered by staff in the Master Plan process: Adding an exercise course installed between Tanglewood and the development The possibility of creating an assessment district if a road off Carlsbad Village Drive were to provide access to the lower park area Reviewing the inclusion of a signal warning Eliminating barbecue pits to address the fire issue , Creating keyed access for residents of the development if a fence is AYES: Chairman, Pieratt, Commissioners Schulberg, Cunningham, Pacheco, NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioner Davidson Hubbard, and Comstock (Commissioner Schulberg left the meeting at 7:40 p.m.) 7. AB #202-7 CARRILLO RANCH PHASE II DEVELOPMENT UPDATE r- Mark Steyaert gave the staff presentation on this item. He explained that a contractor was selected and that construction would begin March 4th. He added that the ground breaking ceremony was scheduled for February 27,2002. ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Comstock, AB #202-7, to accept and file the AYES: Chairman Pieratt, Commissioners Cunningham, Pacheco, Hubbard, and NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioners Schulberg and Davidson staff report. Comstock 8. AB #202-8 CITYWIDE TRAILS PROGRAM - FINANCING UPDATE Liz Ketabian gave the staff presentation on this item. She mentioned that a public workshop would be held at the Faraday Center on February 28, 2002. ACTION: On motion by Commissioner Comstock, AB #202-8, to accept and file the AYES: Chairman Pieratt, Commissioners Cunningham, Pacheco, Hubbard, and NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioners Schulberg and Davidson staff report. Comstock Parks and Recreation Commission -9- February 21,2002 c COMMllTEE /COUNCIL REPORTS 1. Mark Steyaert updated the Commission on the Carrillo Ground Breaking. 2. Liz Ketabian updated the Commission on the Trails Open House. AGENDA ITEMS FOR FUTURE COMMISSION MEETING 1. Coastal Rail Trail 2. Recreation Department Fees/Fee Survey ADJOURNMENT ACTION: On motion by Commissioner HubbaM to adjourn the Regular Meeting at 7:45 p.m. to the Ground Breaking Ceremonies at Carrillo Ranch and to the Faraday Center (Room 173) for a Trails Open House on February 27, 2002 beginning at 11:OO a.m. and February 28, 2002 at 6:OO p.m. respectively. Comstock AYES: Chairman Pieratt, Commissioners Cunningham, Pacheco, Hubbard, and NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Commissioners Schulberg and Davidson r Respectfully submitted, Ruth Stark, Minutes Clerk 3 P .