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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/24/2003 PRC MinutesCITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSI N HEARING BOARD ROOM OF S.C.A.Q.M.D./THE GOVERN MEN CENTE 21865 E. Copley Drive APRIL 24, 2003 CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Hull called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the SCAQ D/Gove nment Center Building Auditorium, 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, Califo nia 917E5. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Chairman Hull led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Present: Chairman Hull, and Commissioners Lui and L�ons Vice Chairman Grundy and Commissione Torres were excused. Staff: Bob Rose, Director of Community Services; KiCrews, enior Management Analyst; Sara West, Recreation uperviso , and Marisa Somenzi, Administrative Assistant. MATTERS FROM THE AUDIENCE: Anna Le and Puma, 24417 Nan Court, asked the Commissioners to consider constructing a fenced in dog park area in the City She presented a petition to the Commission indicating a number of residents in favor of the park. She suggested potential sites such as the pocket park on Longview at Leyland (Silver Tip Mini -Park) where there would be enough room to accommodate both dogs an kids play areas. Also, a small area in Pantera Park could be fenced off and o le doggi bag dispenser could be included in the fenced area. Chair/Hull asked if Ms. Le's neighbors would have a problem with increased traffic, and dogs coming from other areas into their neighborhood. Ms. Le respondec that she only visited residences in her immediate area and that she did not ask that question of people who signed the petition. She said they were just happy to have someplace or their dog to go. Chair/Hull explained that the park would have to be open to the entire pommun4y. C/Lyons asked Ms. Le if the Huntington Beach facility was monitored. Ms. Le respo ided that volunteers monitor the park on weekends only and direct people to use the d ggie bags. The Huntington Beach facility is not fenced off. There is a post beyoiid which Jogs must be on a leash. She said her request was for a gated area so that theogs could not wander off unsupervised. APRIL 24, 2003 PAGE 2 P&R COMMISSION CSD/Rose stated that the greenbelt on Summitridge Drive is "Summitridge Mini -Park" and the park where Longview and Summitridge come together is "Silvertip Park." Both are Lighting and Landscape Maintenance District #39 Mini -Parks. CALENDAR OF EVENTS: As presented in the agenda. 1. CONSENT CALENDAR 1.1 Approval of March 27, 2003 regular meeting minutes. C/Lyons moved, C/Lui seconded, to approve the minutes of the March 27, 2003 regular meeting as presented. Without objection, the motion was so ordered with VC/Grundy and C/Torres being absent. 2. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 2.1 Recreation Program Report — by RS/West. 2.2 Youth Basketball Financial Report — CSD/Rose. 2.3 Diamond Bar Community Foundation Report by Board Member Hull. Chair/Hull stated that as previously reported by RS/West, the Diamond Bar Community Foundation voted to support a "Concert in the Park" on June 25. Approval of the $1,500 donation will be considered by the City Council at its May 6 meeting. 2.4 Youth Master Plan — Report by SMA/Crews SMA/Crews reported that the City Council voted to keep this item in the City's budget. In fact, the Council allocated an additional $37,000 to complete the program. Staff will present the contract including a $5,000 contingency to the Council for consideration at its May 6 meeting. When the contract is approved and the City enters into an agreement with the consultant, she will be invited to attend a Commission meeting. Chair/Hull asked if the Commission would be invited to form an ad hoc committee to participate in the process. SMA/Crews felt it would be critical for the Parks and Recreation Commission to be involved in the process. 2.5 14" City Birthday Party Report — Committee Members Lui and Lyons C/Lui reported that the committee met this morning and determined that all plans were in place for this weekend's birthday party. He looked forward to an excellent event. C/Lyons said that everyone is very prepared. The meeting went well and it APRIL 24, 2003 PAGE 3 P&R COMMISSION should be a super event. CSD/Rose said there would be 144 booths that included carniva rides, games, businesses, information, food, crafts, etc. 2.6 Parks Report — CSD/Rose introduced Bill Arman, Vice President, Val] yCrest Landscape (maintenance company for Pantera and Peterson Parks) CSD/Rose explained that Pantera and Peterson Parks are transitionir g from TruGreen to Valley Crest at this time. He felt that Commiss oners wuld be very impressed with the transformation of Pantera Park. Bili Arman, Regional Manager felt it was appropriate that Valley Crest began maintenance of the aforementioned parks on April 1. He expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to work with the City. Diamoiid Bar has well - used parks. His presentation included slides of opportunities and how Valley Crest dealt with various situations. He stated that Valley Crest's prix ity on any project is to consider the safety, security and welfare of people. The slide presentation included before and after pictures. The fi st week Valley Crest took possession of the parks, about 2800 pounds of 161618 fe ilizer was applied to both parks to give the Bermuda grass a jump tart. Within the next two weeks another fertilizer application will take place to brig the Bermuda grass out of its dormancy. There were a significant number of weeds (plants out of place) in the turf area at Pantera Park that were eradicated as shown by the picture taken on April 24. The trees a e the parks greatest asset and need to be properly managed. In the next 30 to 60 days a number of items will be addressed in accordance witi the presentation. In order to have a successful landscape in Sout iern Calil ornia, the next step would be to monitor the irrigation systems. There are 3 few opportunities for improvement. Peterson' Park proba ly has more opportunities for improvement to the landscape system. Mr. Arman stated that his firm is aware that timing on irrigation systems is vert sensitiv . He is a soccer dad and does not like playing on wet fields. The h brid Berinuda grass will allow for fast fields. Tun` is dominant in the parks and aftentic n will be given to good horticultural management (aeration, fertilization and irrigation). Valley Crest will be taking a close look at the City's tree management program. There were 86 trees in Peterson Park More thn 40 of the trees had little potential and half were dead. Chair/Hull asked Mr. Arman if he would accompany Commiss oners on their park walkthroughs. Mr. Arman said he would be honored to do so and asked who would be representing the Commission. Chair/Hull explained that Commissioners rotate park visits. The Commissioners were concerned because in the past they received indirect responses or lack of response. Chair/Hull explained that when he pointed out a problem wit the irrigation system at Peterson Park, the contractor lied to him about the cause. Mr. Arman said that the immediate challenge at Peterso Park aEne sts between the two baseball fields. There is a patch of lawn that i on a poup spray head as well as, a rotary head system — both on the sa a valve. APRIL 24, 2003 PAGE 4 P&R COMMISSION will over water that lawn in less than three minutes. The other one requires 30 minutes. He asked for comments and questions. C/Lyons said the Commissioners are looking forward to a lot of improvement. There is a lot of park usage and the City needs for them to be in tip-top condition. One area of concern is the glut of water at both parks, Peterson being the worse. Mr. Arman repeated that water. management is a big concern to the Commission. C/Lyons recommended that staff consult with Valley Crest about the condition of the trees in'Sycamore Park before further planning occurs. C/Lui asked what Mr. Arman recommended for the tree problem at Peterson Park. Mr. Arman responded that the useless trees should be removed. They take up space and resources. Valley Crest has placed a red dot on every tree that is recommended for removal, none of which are protected trees. He also recommended that indigenous trees replace the Eucalyptus trees on the slope at Pantera Park. Chair/Hull asked if the trees slated for removal would be replaced. Mr. Arman said that in most cases yes — in some cases it would not be necessary. Chair/Hull asked if the replacement trees would include shade trees. Mr. Arman replied yes. For best results, the youngest tree the City could be tolerated visually is best for vigor and adaptability. However, if the plan were to match the current trees, it would be best to go with a 24 or 36 -inch box. The best replacement is a 15 -gallon fast growth tree. Mr. Arman said he looked forward to a long-lasting positive relationship with the City of Diamond Bar. Chair/Hull said that the City was looking forward to Valley Crest upgrading the City's parks into better facilities. Mr. Arman stated that actions speak louder than words and he looked forward to showing the Commission results. CSD/Rose reported that the City has new parks specifications that will be used to go out to bid. The City hopes to conclude its contract with TruGreen in the next 60-90 days. CSD/Rose proposed increased budget allocations for park maintenance for the next fiscal year. Responses from TruGreen have fallen off significantly and the City is withholding payment for specific items that have not been completed. APRIL 24, 2003 PAGE 5 P&R COMMISSION CILui said the parks are the City's treasures and everything possible should be done to protect them. 2.7 C.I.P Program Report — by CSD/Rose a. Community/Senior Center— CSD/Rose reported that the steel beams for the building are being constructed at this time. The st -eet signals are being restructured to create a left -tum pocket into the park driveway and a left -tum pocket to accommodate vehicles exiting "The Coun ry Estates" onto Grand Avenue. Construction of the center is on schedule for a M rch 1, 2004 opening. b. Sycamore Canyon Park ADA Retrofit — CSD/Rose stated that staff is awaiting structural calculations for the picnic shelter. Staff was hoping to get the structure completed before summer but it does not sem likely at this point. Phase III plans are being drawn up by the contractor C. Starshine Park ADA Retrofit — The neighborhood meeting to discuss proposed park improvements will be held at the park on Tuesday, Ma 13 at 6:30 p.m. _ d. Pantera Park Picnic Shelters — Previously discussed. e. Trail Development at Sycamore Canyon Park — CSD/ Rose explained that the Diamond Bar Community Foundation has allocated $25,000 as a matching fund to a grant applicant for the trail developmerit of Sycamore Canyon Park. Currently, the City has $118,000 toward the project. 3. OLD BUSINESS: None 4. NEW BUSINESS: 4.1 Subcommittee Appointments. a. User Group Subcommittee b. City Birthday Subcommittee C/Lyons moved, CILui seconded, to continue this matter to th May 22, 2003 meeting. Without objection, the motion was so ordered with C/Grund and C/Torres being absent. 4.2 Coca-Cola Soda Machine Agreement Extension — CSD Reported the following agreement renewal provision: a. Two-year agreement (instead of one-year) b. $1.25 per unit (instead of $1.00) C. Increase of City's commission to 40% from 35% d. Placement of sports drink vending machine at PaulGrow rk if approved by Walnut Valley Unified School District. . APRIL 24, 2003 PAGE 6 P&R COMMISSION C/Lui felt that the service was an accommodation to the residents and the price of the units should not be increased from $1.00 to $1.25. Chair/Hull asked if Coca-Cola intended to place machines back in cages. If the price increases to $1.25 the machines must maintain adequate change. He liked the increase in commission but felt it was onerous for the residents as well as an increased maintenance burden. CILui moved, C/Lyons seconded, to approve a counter-offer to the agreement extension as follows; Two-year agreement, maintain $1.00 per unit price, increase the City's commission to 40%, and placement of a sports drink vendor at Paul C. Grow Park if approved by Walnut Valley Unified School District. Without objection, the motion was so ordered with VC/Grundy and C/Torres being absent. 6. ANNOUNCEMENTS: C/Lui asked if the Commission should discuss the possibility of establishing a dog park in the City. CSD/Rose explained that there are certain concerns associated with a dog park such as, increased traffic and parking in residential neighborhoods, dog barking, etc. This type of new use in a park requires a Conditional Use Permit process with the Planning Commission and City Council. The Commission could request staff to take action on the request. C/Lui said that the SARS disease is rampant in China. Thousands are sick and many have died. There are a few cases in the United States and many cases in Canada. Diamond Age has many members who travel to the Orient. Anyone returning from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong should stay at home before they venture out to conduct activities. The recreation staff should be careful to counsel people who have any kind of fever to stay home. SARS can spread rapidly. In addition, staff should make an extra effort to keep public facilities clean and safe for residents during this crisis. , C/Lyons attended the recent D.B. soccer tournament. She saw that the fields at Pantera School and Pantera Park were in good condition. She spoke with several people who were pleased with the appearance of the fields. Parents were very pleased with the refereeing. Chair/Hull joined staff members and TruGreen last week for park visits at Ronald Reagan and Starshine. He was very pleased with the way the parks looked. Chair/Hull reported that he met with Mayor Herrera and Mayor Pro Tem Huff on April 10. They spent two hours going over the joint meeting agenda. M/Herrera and MPT/Huff were concerned with the number of items and Chair/Hull told them that a majority of the items were informational type items. There was an in depth discussion about Site D. Ten years ago when he talked with the school district about Site D the price tag was about 5 million dollars. It is now around 30 million. If that were the case, it would put Site D out of reach of the City for use as a recreational site. There was some mention of Sandstone as a possible site. 1 1 k APRIL 24, 2003 PAGE 7 P&R COMMIS ION CSD/Rose explained that Sandstone is the same area as Larkstone an undeveloped canyon filled with oak trees south of the middle school access road off of Brea Canyon Road. Sandstone is a pristine area that would likdIly be res rved for nature hikes and similar type activities. There is land immediately adjacent t the canyon that could support recreational facilities. Chair/Hull said that the City of Industry has a lot of available property Howeve , the City of Industry does not do anything unless it can benefit. The Council is aw re of the need for a recreational facility but it would not appear that Sile D would be available to the City for such a use at that price. The Council continties to wok on joint use agreements with the school district. They also discussed pr grammi g for Heritage Park after the Community/Senior Center opens. M/Herrera and MP /Huff were curious to know how the new rules and regulations were working for theCity's tennis courts because they had not had any feedback. Chair/Hull assured therl that "no news is good news." CSD/Rose confirmed that the City has.not received a telephone callr garding nnis court use for instruction since December 2001. Chair/Hull said MlHerrera and MPT/Huff were excited to learn that there w re no reported problems with the tennis court instruction rules and felt the balance of the Council would want to know this information. MlHerrera and MPT/Htiff said that the Council looked forward to the joint meeting. The Council wanted all C ornmissi ners present for the meeting and sought a continuance. CSD/Rose asked the Commission to remain aware of potential Ianacquisitin as a result of the possible closure of the Lanterman facility. Chair/Hull said they discussed Lanterman but thought that CalPoly �as attempting to acquire the site. CSD/Rose responded that there are a lot of possibilities for the site CalPoly could meet their needs and other undeveloped lands adjacent to the Little League property could remain available. Lanterman is located in the City f Pomona and a joint use arrangement is possible. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before th Commission, Chairman Hull adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m. Respegtfil oubmitted, A