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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-13-2005 Approved HCAC Minutes CITY OFDUBLIN., HERITAGE AND CULTURAL-ARTS COMMISSION MINUTES OF QCTOBER 13,.2005. The October 13, 2005 meeting of the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m.at the Dublin Civic Center,Dublin, California,by Chair Vonheeder-Leopold. Pledge of Allegiance Chair Vonheeder-Leopold led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call Commissioners Present: Acuff,Fasulkey,Lussie,White,Mack,Muetterties, and Vonheeder-Leopold Oral Communications-None Approval of Minutes ON A MOTION BY CM. ACUFF, SECONDED BY CM. WHITE AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION APPROVED THE REGULAR MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2005 AS PRESENTED. ABSTAINED: CM. FASULKEY,HALKET AND VONHEEDER-LEOPOLD. ON A MOTION BY CM. MACK, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WHITE AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION APPROVED THE JOINT MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2005 AS PRESENTED. ABSTAINED: CM. WHITE • Written Communications-None Public Hearing-None Unfinished Business-None - New Business 8.1 Presentation of the Final Report for the Recreation and Civic Facilities Assessment for the Camp Parks Project Area Parks and Community Services Director Diane Lowart stated that this evening she will be presenting the report that the City Council commissioned for a unique public space at Camp Parks. The City Council received this report at their last meeting and did not take any action. Instead,the Council requested the report be presented to the Senior Center Advisory Committee, the Youth Advisory Committee, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission and the Parks and Community Services Commission,to get input before the City Council makes any definitive decisions. The U.S. Army is pursuing development of 187 acres of land at Camp Parks along Dublin Boulevard between Arnold Road and Iron Horse Parkway. The City has the opportunity to obtain land for a centrally located park to serve as a focal point for community events and festivities,provide a link between the western and eastern portions of Dublin, to provide a grand entry into the project site, and to provide a unique space for a range of programming opportunities. In order to assist the City in determining the exact form, size, function, and amenities of this public space, the City contracted with Moore Iacofano Goltsman,Inc.to do some research and present a plan to the City. Lowart presented the Recreational and Civic Facilities Assessment report entitled "Uniquely Dublin — A Vision for a Community Place" prepared by Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc. Utilizing power point, Lowart briefly summarized the report which included the Community Profile, Site Context, Creating a Community Place, Developing a Placemaking Strategy for Dublin, Facility Recommendations (Core Elements, Theme Elements, Arts and Culture, Food and Games), and a Summary of Recommendations (Design and Construction Cost Estimates and Facility Revenues and Park Acreage). Lowart stated that the City of Dublin has a unique opportunity at this time to work with Camp Parks in their initial planning stages to be able to tell them that the City would like to have a central community gathering space as part of their project. It could be a new place for the center of town and an exceptional and distinctive new gathering place, or a MINUTES—OCTOBER 13, 2005 PAGE TWO place where youth, families, and visitors have attractions and opportunities to create, experience,learn and share together. The theme concepts presented could stand alone or be mixed and matched. The City Council is asking that the Commission consider if they think the idea of a grand community gathering space in the Camp Parks Areas is something they should pursue. If so, does the Commission like the idea of having it developed around a theme? Do any of the themes appeal to the Commission? Are there elements in the different themes that the Commission would like to move around? Commission Input Cm. Halket stated that she is very impressed with the report. A farmers market is something that has been missing from our community, and would be a very important gathering place. She suggested a food theme with the incorporation of cultural arts. She felt that the games and par three golf course are a bit too much and that the space could be used for something else. She really likes the idea of having a community garden. A food theme supplemented with arts and culture in conjunction with the amphitheater would be her choice. Cm. Fasulkey concurred with Cm. Halket with the exception that there are a few things that she would not want to see. She would not want to see a botanical garden kind of look. She does however like the idea of a community garden with workshops. An outside garden area could be used for community teas and by local non-profit groups. There are a lot of novice horticulturists out there and lot of people who love working in the garden and who like to belong to societies. She likes the game theme minus the carnival rides. Board games would be great, as they tend to spark the imagination. Food and games are her choice,but she would like to see a lot of integrated cafes and restaurants. Cm. Mack stated that she likes the art and cultural theme with food and games. If we allow the themes to evolve and change seasonally,it would create a nice package. Cm. Acuff asked, are we thinking about physically transferring the center of Dublin to Camp Parks? Has the City checked with the downtown people, and is this going to be able to be integrated with the whole concept of a whole community? Lowart stated that she's not certain that she can answer those questions. We hope to use the Camp Parks development as a way to bridge the eastern portion of the city to the western portion of the city. Acuff stated that the City of Dublin has tried for years to get hold of a chunk of land in the downtown area that could be made into plazas, walking gardens, etc. Since we can't get that, perhaps the idea is to switch our focus to the land at Camp Parks. This is a great idea; however we would need to add step-on trolleys to get there from the rest of the city. The parking would be insane and it would lose its walking ability. She likes the idea of a children's museum, a farmers market, amphitheatre, demo garden, and walking/seating areas with appropriate sculptures. The walkways and seating areas with cafes is really very high on her priority list. She believes that the apai taient complex that is being built across the street is planning to have cafes as part of their development. We will therefore need to think about how that can be integrated into what we plan to do. Cm. Fasulkey asked, isn't there an amphitheatre planned for Emerald Glen Park? Lowart stated that in the master plan for Emerald Glen Park there is an amphitheatre, but it would not be of the same scale as we are looking at here. Depending on what happens with the next phase at Emerald Glen with the new buildings, it may encroach into the area designated for the amphitheatre. Cm. White stated that she really likes the food theme, as well as the garden. A garden would be very beneficial to the children and youth to learn about different plants. An outdoor kitchen is a great idea for cooking classes for men and women. For meeting places, she would like to see a garden where weddings could be held. She likes the art and cultural theme with games and-the children's museum. She's not opposed to having a small lake, but if not a lake, at least some type of water feature would be nice. Cm. Halket stated, it could be similar to what they have at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek, small man-made lakes within the park,but very beautiful,with ducks and geese. MINUTES—OCTOBER 13,2005 PAGE THREE Cm. Lussie stated that she was not keen about the farmers market we had in the past, as the vegetables looked like they were leftovers from other farmers markets. The Pleasanton Farmers Market is a good example of quality fruits and vegetables. She likes the idea of a botanical garden, however individual gardens are going to be very hard to maintain, unless you have very dedicated clubs. She suggested a partnership with local nurseries and garden stores. Whether or not we build an amphi-theatre like the one in the report, she loves the idea. She favors an art and cultural theme with some of the other themes mixed in. She is not too thrilled with having games. However, she really likes the idea of a children's museum which could incorporate art and culture. If there are going to be cafes and concessions, she hopes they won't be just hot dogs or unhealthy foods. She definitely did not like the idea of an amusement park. She likes the idea of having a multi use building that could be used by professional artists and dramatists. Don't think a neighborhood garden would work unless it was connected with the School District as part of a classroom curriculum. Cm. Vonheeder-Leopold stated that she would be very concerned about the parking. Something this large is going to require people to drive to get to it. She is also concerned that we may potentially be spreading ourselves a little thin. She would like to see Emerald Glen Park, Fallon Sports Park and the Historic Park done before the Camp Parks project. She asked if the Army can give property like they did for the sports grounds, in perpetuity, as long as it is used for recreation, or would we have to purchase the property. Cm. Vonheeder-Leopold stated that she would like to see a mixture of things; a farmers market, and garden, with native plants and demonstrations, outdoor games and a lot of art work. Art work could also be dispersed in the gardens. Not thrilled about carnival rides,but a small merry-go-round would be nice in the right place. Cm.Acuff thought it would be nice to have an"historical"botanical garden. Pleasanton grew hops, for which Hopyard is named. At one time, a lot of downtown Dublin was in roses. It would be great to have some of the historical food crops displayed and demonstrate how fruit trees are grafted. Lowart stated that the City Council had gone through a visioning process for Camp Parks. The Army is now going out to find a master developer to come up with a final development proposal for consideration by the City Council. It was originally anticipated that they would be moving forward by now with an RFP for a master developer, but it has been delayed till the spring. This is not something that is going to happen overnight. The Council had a design process. The people involved in the process identified a preferred option. The Council has since taken the preferred option, massaged it a bit and come up with the idea for a community gathering space/park. The planning staff will be giving final direction to the Army as to what we would like to see. The Army will then go out and get a master developer to come up with the final development plan. Cm.Lussie asked if the developer will be from the Army or out-sourced? Lowart replied that she believed that it would be a development company independent of the military. Cm.Fasulkey asked is the revenue generated from this development going,back to the City? Lowart replied,yes. Cm. Lussie asked,what happens to Dublin Boulevard when we build all this? Lowart stated that it is her understanding that the City Council has policies in place that will not allow intersections to get beyond a certain capacity. When any development comes in, a thorough traffic analysis is done to make sure that the traffic generated will not make the key intersections grid locked. Cm. Acuff asked if it would be possible to have a pedestrian bridge over Dublin Boulevard to the open space. Lowart stated that we are not at that point in the planning right now,but it is a possibility. Lowart asked the Commission for their preferences on the themes to take back to the City Council. It seems that only one or two Commissioners like the idea of a cultural arts facility. MINUTES—OCTOBER 13, 2005 PAGE FOUR Cm. Acuff stated it is her understanding that the Commission is in favor of a farmers market, garden, walking and gathering places, children's museum with games, and cafes/restaurants. The only reason she was not in favor of a cultural arts facility at Camp Parks, is because she thought that it would duplicate the facility planned for the Historic Park. Cm. Lussie stated that she was in favor of having a facility at the Historic Park, but that was before she saw this report. If this type of facility was at Camp Parks, she felt it would get a lot more use than at the Historic Park. Cm. Vonheeder-Leopold stated that she would hate to see the city construct things outdoors, because of the wind. The wind factor needs to really be taken into consideration, because it can get so bad that it will make any outdoor use very uncomfortable. Cm.Fasulkey felt that there are ways to get around the wind, such a berms and trees. Cm. Mack asked, which of the two projects, the Historic Park or Camp Parks, would we have a better chance of getting done sooner. Lowart replied,the Historic Park. Lowart stated that she believes she has enough input from the Commission to pass onto the City Council. 8.2 Summer 2005 Quarterly Report Heritage and Cultural Arts Supervisor John Hartnett reported that one of the primary goals of the Heritage and Cultural Arts Division is to develop quality programs that strengthen community image, provide recreational experiences, encourage healthy lifestyles and preserve the City's heritage. This is accomplished each season by providing cultural programs in the areas of music, theatre, dance, and visual arts. Tonight, staff is presenting a summary of programs . conducted this past summer and also showing a comparison to classes held in summer 2004. Cultural arts classes are taught by contract instructors. Most classes are taught in eight-week sessions but some are more or less than eight weeks and others are offered as one-time workshops. As a point of reference,this past spring, all dance classes that were previously administered by the Parks and Community Services Division were transferred to the Heritage and Cultural Arts Division, which was the more appropriate program area. Dance classes offered in 2004 have been included in the 2004 to 2005 registration comparison to demonstrate the actual growth of arts classes over the past two summers. This summer, a total of 287 participants registered for cultural arts classes, which was an increase of 105% over 2004. We added more classes including two theatre camps, more diverse program offerings, and re-positioned cultural arts classes in the Dublin Guide for better marketing and exposure. The cancellation rate for classes was also 10% lower then 2004 and the average registration increased by approximately 3 participants per class. For the Commission's information, we've provided highlights of some of the newer, more popular programs, including the Jazzmasters Workshop, summer theatre camps,the Shakespeare Playground,the Cartoon Workshop, and Kindermusik classes. Cm. Fasulkey asked,what is All for Dance Performing Arts Camp? Hartnett stated that it is a summer dance camp which runs three weeks and culminates in a 40 minute performance at the last class. The camp is held at Dublin Elementary in their multi-purpose room because we do not have a facility available all day, five days per week, for one program. Currently the summer art programs compete for space with sports programs and the other recreational classes. For the second year this program has had to be scheduled at the schools. Cm. Fasulkey stated that it is interesting that there were more non-residents than residents enrolled in this program. Hartnett stated that it is a repeat program and many children came back this summer. Cm. Lussie stated that this is a good indicator of the success of a program. She asked if non-residents pay more. Hartnett stated that they pay an additional 15%more. • Cm.Acuff stated that despite the closure of Shannon Center,the programs still continue to be offered. That is great. MINUTES—OCTOBER 13, 2005 PAGE FIVE Hartnett stated that it is a real challenge because he is trying to expand the programs. The shortage of facilities makes it a little difficult. We have one portable at Emerald Glen, the Community Room at the Library most of the time, the Regional Room on a limited basis, a small classroom at the Heritage Center and now have a couple of rooms at the Senior Center that can be used Monday-Thursday after 4:00pm. Cm.Lussie stated that you indicated some programs moving into the fall. Do we have year-round programs? Hartnett stated that some of the programs go year-round. Typically, each season he reviews the programs to see which ones are meeting enrollment goals. A program will continue to be offered as long as it maintains interest. If there is a program that is not drawing enrollment, it may be dropped and something new offered. His goal each season is to add anywhere from 5-10 new classes, if appropriate, and is currently focusing on visual art classes for children and adults, as well as music classes. Cm. Fasulkey asked, will you bring back some of the cancelled classes, like Beginning Group Piano?Hartnett stated that there were 8 enrolled for this class, but the instructor pulled out in the last week. However, this fall we are offering Group Piano which is being offered by Chords and Notes. Cm. Vonheeder-Leopold asked, what is the current status of the Shannon Center? Hartnett stated that we are currently in the design phase and probably will finish by the end of next year. Then it will take approximately two years to build. Therefore,we are about three years away. Cm. Acuff asked if there has been any thought about offering a film or video class. Hartnett stated that it is a good suggestion. He is not sure if the City has offered film or video classes in the past. Other Business 9. 1 Brief INFORMATIONAL ONLY Reports from Heritage and Cultural Arts Commissioners and/or Staff Hartnett circulated post cards advertising the Heritage Winter Concert Series. He stated that post cards are available at the Civic Center,Library Annex, and the new Senior Center. Adjournment Being no further business,the meeting was adjourned at 8:13p.m. Respectfully submitted, 1 Char J.Young Administrative Techn cian / U APPROVED: 2 e` 9 kte_de,t Ch. •erson