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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-16-2002 Approved PCSC Minutes 'CITY OF DUBLIN' ; PARKS AND COMMUNITYS SERVICES„COMMISSION MINUTES OF: DECEMBER 16,2002 The December 16, 2002 meeting of the Parks and Community Services Commission was called to order at 7:01p.m. at the Dublin Civic Center,Dublin, California,by Chairperson Cramer. Pledge of Allegiance Chairperson Cramer led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call Commissioners Present: Cramer, Chapman,Flores, Wong-Gillmore, Zajac and Young Oral Communications-None Approval of Minutes Cm. Wong-Gillmore referred to the minutes regarding item 8.3/Classic Affair at the Civic. She pointed out that Mother's Day is actually on Sunday,May 11 and not on Sunday,May 18 as she had thought. ONA MOTION BY CM. WONG-GILLMORE,SECONDED BY CM. ZAJAC THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER 18,2002 MINUTES AS PRESENTED. AYES—5/ABSTAIN—1 (CHAPMAN) Written Communications-None Public Hearing-None Unfinished Business 7.1 Dublin Ranch Area G Park Site Rosemary Alex, Parks and Facility Development Coordinator and Project Manager for the Area G proposed park site development, stated that this is the second meeting to have a public forum to review the designs for the Area G park site. Tonight three items related to the park site will be addressed; 1) review the concept plans to take the preferred concept plan to the City Council on January 7; 2)review options for Park Names with no action until the next scheduled Parks Commission meeting and 3) appoint Commission representative to the Art Selection Committee. Alex stated that the park is located in Eastern Dublin and is approximately 4.8 acres in size. At the meeting conducted on November 18, 2002, three design alternatives with various recreational elements were reviewed. The public was asked to vote on the layout and recreational elements they preferred. The three design alternatives were also placed at the Dublin Ranch sales office for two weeks and six completed questionnaires were submitted. As a result, Staff has come up with a preferred concept plan. Alex introduced Aditya Advani, Principal Designer and Jay Swaintek, Project Manager from Royston Hanamoto Alley and Abey., Advani stated that he attempted to develop three distinct alternatives to gauge what the public wanted in the design. City Staff requested that practice athletic fields,basketball court, 2-play areas (school age and toddler) and a restroom be included in this neighborhood park. He noted that a neighborhood park should provide contact with nature and permit socialization with neighbors. He reviewed the three alternatives that were presented at the first public meeting. Alternative A included a circular promenade for socialization, with all the recreational elements surrounding the promenade. Alternative B was a more structured design built around the park elements with a forested backdrop. Alternative C has a romantic strolling garden with playfields in the center of the park. All alternatives included a dog park, but at the first public meeting there ensued a debate regarding whether there was enough space for a dog park at this site. A typical dog park is a minimum of''A acre with one acre being preferred. Therefore the concept was changed to include a dog run. Based on the fact that the public was evenly divided between Alternative A & C, the direction was to marry the two designs. He then reviewed the preferred conceptual design with the Commission. MINUTES—DECEMBER 16,2002 Page 2 of 6 Cm. Chapman asked how many people saw the original designs and what direction was given regarding the fields. Advani replied that there was a split of 11-9 on the designs. The field is basically a practice field. Lowart added that the field was not intended to be a regulation field but rather to offer an open green space for practice. Cm. Wong-Gillmore asked if the developer had been contacted regarding the type of buyers they intend to target for their units. Alex stated that Staff has attempted to obtain statistical information from the developer and has had verbal conversations with the salespeople. Based on the size and square footage of the units,they do not anticipate large families. They are finding a lot of first-time homebuyers,young couples and empty nesters. Staff will pursue obtaining something in writing from the developers for the record. Michael Liam, Project Manager for the Cottages, stated that they are building the first 200 units. They are primarily targeting first-time homebuyers and renters. Alex stated that one of the items not discussed at the previous meeting was the location for public art and pointed out the potential areas in the park for public art. Lowart stated that the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation is the responsible party for art in the parks. However they want representation from the Parks and Community Services and Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission and plan to form a Neighborhood Selection Committee. The conceptual design will be forwarded to the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation identifying art opportunities that we see, but would not necessarily limit where the artwork can go. The Foundation in turn will come back to the Commission with their ideas and suggestions. Cm. Cramer stated that the agenda statement indicates that the Art Consultant would be giving a presentation this evening. Lowart stated that there would be no presentation tonight. Cm. Wong-Gillmore stated that knowing the makeup of the residents, are two play areas really needed for this park? Lowart stated that there are plans for affordable housing units within the project that may draw families. In addition there are also plans for high density and multi-family housing that we have not seen proposals for at this time. She cautioned the Commission not to compromise the play areas too much as this park will not only draw from the people who live at Area G but also from the other areas as well. Cm. Flores stated that she was surprised how well the park elements were incorporated into the conceptual park design presented tonight. Fabulous job. Cm. Zajac concurred. Alex stated that there are two action items that need to occur tonight; 1) approve conceptual design or provide alternate recommendation and 2) appoint a Commission representative to the Art Selection Committee. She also indicated that at the last City Council meeting, Staff was given the direction to seek additional input on the park name. Although no action on this item will be taken tonight, Staff would like to offer the Commission and the public the opportunity to provide ideas for the park names. Cm. Chapman stated that it would be helpful to the Commission to have a list of all the parks that we do have and what the history was behind naming each one. Lowart stated that Staff would provide this information at the next meeting. Alex stated that out of the six questionnaires received from the Dublin Ranch sales office, three had park name suggestions. In addition, the Dublin Ranch Sales office has requested to include an article in their newsletter requesting names for the park. This newsletter will go out to all prospective homebuyers that were invited to the meeting tonight. Cm. Cramer asked if she had the names with her. Alex replied,no. MINUTES—DECEMBER 16, 2002 Page 3 of 6 Cm. Wong-Gillmore inquired as to the names of the streets and developments around the park. Alex replied, the street names are Finnian, Maguire and Keegan and the development names are The Cottages, The Terraces, The Courtyards and The Villas. Cm. Chapman asked if there was any reason why the layout of the fields could not be turned around. Swaintek stated that he could check the standards to see the correct orientation of the ball field, however he believes that home plate would be to the southwest. ON A MOTION BY CM. CHAPMAN, SECONDED BY CM. WONG-GILLMORE AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE THE COMMISSION APPROVED THE CONCEPTUAL PARK DESIGN FOR THE DUBLIN RANCH AREA G PARK SITE AS PRESENTED. Alex requested that the Commission appoint a representative to the Art Selection Committee. Cm. Flores volunteered to be the Commission's representative and Cm. Wong-Gillmore volunteered as an alternate. New Business 8.1 Summer 2002 Quarterly Program Report Parks and Community Services Manager Paul McCreary briefly summarized the Summer 2002 Quarterly Report. Senior Center Participation in senior activities increased 23% this year. Events included a Summer Luncheon, the Senior.Center Annual Rummage Sale, a Red White & Blue Luncheon, and a Polynesian Luncheon. Trips offered included the Jelly Belly Factory,Berkeley,the U.S.S. Hornet, Chabot Space Center and Raring Camp Railroad. Leisure Classes A total of 573 participated in 64 classes during the summer. Playground Programs Fun in the Sun This half-day camp for children entering lst-5th grades was held for eight-weeks at Mape, Kolb, Emerald Glen and Shannon. Total registration was 190. Average daily attendance increased 14%. Camp Shannon This camp was for children entering 1st-6th grades and was conducted Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm. Extended care was available from 7-9am and 5-6pm each day. A total of 256 children participated, a 6% decrease from last year. Preschool Program Tenderfoot Day Camp During the summer the Preschool Instructor conducted a Tenderfoot Day Camp for children 3-5 years of age. A total of 106 children participated,which was an 11% decrease from last year. Teen Programs Roaming Activities for Teens This afternoon camp was for teens entering 6-9th grades and was held for eight weeks during the summer. Eighty- three (83) teens participated, which was a decrease of 14 participants from last year. One session was cancelled due to lack of enrollment. Junior Leader Program Twenty-five (25) Dublin teens ages 13-16 participated this summer. They assisted with the City's summer camp programs. Each Leader volunteered between 8-20 hours per week, with a total of 2,000 volunteer hours. MINUTES—DECEMBER 16,2002 Page 4 of 6 Youth Advisory Committee and Teen Events The Youth Advisory Committee played a key role in planning a "Teen Extreme Pool Party", which was attended by 26 teens. Adult Sports Programs Leagues A total of 16 teams registered for the basketball league,which was an increase of 8 teams from last year. A total of 22 teams registered for softball. Open Gym Basketball Basketball open gym was held for 8 weeks and averaged 12 players each night. Volleyball open gym was held for 9 weeks and averaged 14 players each night. Volleyball Tournament The 2nd Annual Emerald Glen Open Doubles Tournament was held at Emerald Glen Park August 10-11, 2002. Forty-six(46)registered for this Northern California Volleyball Association (NCVA) sanctioned event. Youth Sports Program Sports Camps The Pee Wee and Peanut Sport Camps provided instruction in basketball, soccer and tee ball. A total of 150 children participated in the camps,which was 15% decrease from last year. Contracted Youth Sports Programs Contracted camps and classes offered during the summer included East Bay Roller Hockey, Kidz Love Soccer, Major League Soccer and the Skyhawks Sports Academy. A total of 218 children registered, which was an increase of 45% over last year. Special Events Summer Concert Series Five (5) outdoor concerts were conducted at the Civic Center last summer with an overall average of 320 people per concert. Classic Affair at the Civic The City sponsored the second Classic Affair at the Civic in June. Approximately 50 people attended the event. Water Carnival The 12th Annual Water Carnival was held in July at the Dublin Swim Center. Over 500 people attended the event. Aquatic Programs Recreational Swimming A total of 23,418 people attended Recreational Swimming, which was an increase of over 5,500 admissions this year. A total of 528 people reserved the group picnic area during recreational swim,which was an increase of 24% from last year. Learn-to-Swim Lessons This program offered group and individual instruction for infants, preschoolers, youth, teens and adults. Over 2,000 people participated in the program,which was an 18% increase. Junior Aquatic Water Safety(J.A.W.S.) Twenty(20) local teens participated in the J.A.W.S. Program. The volunteers assisted with swim lesson instruction and provided over 500 volunteer hours. MINUTES—DECEMBER 16, 2002 Page 5 of 6 Fitness Programs Fitness programs included adult lap swimming and water aerobics. A total of 801 people participated in the programs,which was a 2% increase from last year. Dublin Green Gator Swim Team This program focuses on improving stroke technique, building endurance and teamwork, and encouraging a fun experience to boost swimmer self-esteem. A total of 132 youth participated on the team. Private Pool Rentals The pool is available for private rentals when it is not open for City programs or recreational swimming. There were 18 private rentals last season; the largest number of rentals the City has ever had in a single season. Cm. Chapman asked where the second pool was going. McCreary replied that it was planned for Emerald Glen Park. It will be a combination Recreation Center and Aquatic Facility. Based on the current CIP completion is scheduled for 2007. Cm. Chapman stated that if the use of the pool keeps increasing between now and 2007, how does Staff plan to accommodate programs? McCreary stated that with the current Learn to Swim program there is actually space to accommodate more participants, it is just a matter of finding qualified staff. For recreational swimming there is not much space for expansion. Cm. Chapman asked if Staff needs to come up with new programs or make the programs we already have able to accommodate more people. McCreary stated that Staff has implemented a Customer Service Satisfaction Survey Program this year to try to ascertain what the customers think about the programs. Staff anticipates reviewing the surveys and trying to implement any changes requested. The program is now depai tinent wide and includes all leisure and contracted classes and programs. Cm. Zajac asked if Staff has considered having a Masters Swim Program. McCreary stated that you need a year round facility to accommodate this type of program,which the City does not have. Other Business Brief INFORMATIONAL ONLY Reports from Parks & Community Services Commissioners and/or Staff Cm. Flores stated that she has enjoyed serving on the Parks and Community Services Commission. Cm. Young reported that she attended the last Y.A.C. meeting at which they discussed upcoming events. Some suggestions included a multi-cultural event and a battle of Bay Area sports. The Y.A.C. sub-committee is scheduled to meet sometime this week. Cm. Chapman stated that we have come a long way over the last eight years that he has been on the Commission. Cm. Cramer thanked Staff for all their help over the years. It has been an absolute pleasure. Lowart,reported that the terms of office for Cm. Wong-Gillmore, Chapman and Cramer would expire this month. The Mayor had hoped to make recommendations at the December 17 Council meeting,however due to the number of applications received, it has been deferred until January 7. Staff will let those Commissioners that have reapplied, know the status of their applications prior to the next scheduled Commission meeting. Lowart thanked Cms. Wong-Gillmore, Cramer and Chapman for their services to the Commission and stated that it had been a pleasure working with them. A recognition ceremony for outgoing Commissioners has been suggested for February 2003,however the details have not been worked out. Staff Reports • The Tree Lighting was held on Thursday, December 5 at the Civic Center. Over 250 people were in attendance. MINUTES—DECEMBER 16, 2002 Page 6 of 6 4 Breakfast With Santa was held on Saturday, December 14 at the Shannon Community Center. Approximately 350 attended this event. 4 The Jamboree for Youth Basketball is scheduled for this Saturday, December 21 at the Stager Gym. There are over 500 participating in the league, four more teams than last year. The Wells Middle School Gym is also be used to accommodate this program. 4 On December 17 the Council will be considering an E-Commerce project the City is undertaking. If approved, in the near future,people will be able to pay with Visa and MasterCard for classes and programs. Beginning in May 2003,Internet registration available may be available. Adjournment Being no further business,the meeting was adjourned at 8:13p.m. Respectfully submitted, Char J. Young Administrative Tec ician I APPROVED: hairperso�