Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/26/2017 PRC MinutesCITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION DIAMOND BAR CITY HALL - THE WINDMILL ROOM 21810 COPLEY DRIVE, DIAMOND BAR, CA 91765 JANUARY 26, 2017 CALL TO ORDER: Chair/Grundy called the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in.the City Hall Windmill Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Liang led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Present: Commissioners Lew Herndon, Kim Hsieh, Benny Liang, Vice Chair Manisha Sulakhe and Chair Dave Grundy Staff Present: Ryan McLean, Assistant City Manager; Anthony Jordan, Parks and Maintenance Superintendent; Christy Murphey, Recreation Superintendent; Cloris Vargas, Recreation Specialist; Crystal Knox, Recreation Supervisor; Monique Saliu, Recreation Coordinator; and Robin Crawford, Administrative Assistant. MATTERS FROM THE AUDIENCE: None CALENDAR OF EVENTS: As presented by ACM/McLean. 1. CONSENT CALENDAR: 1.1 Approval of Minutes for the September 22, 2016 Regular Meeting — C/Hsieh pointed out a statement at the top of Page 2 which she said was mistakenly attributed to her. ACM/McLean said that paragraph 2 on Page 2 would be taken out of the minutes. C/Herndon moved, C/Liang seconded, to approve the Minutes of the September 22, 2016 Regular Meeting as corrected. Without objection, the motion was so ordered. 1.2 Approval of Minutes for November 17, 2016 Regular Meeting C/Herndon moved, C/Hsieh seconded, to approve the minutes of the November 17, 2016 Regular Meeting as presented. Without objection, the motion was so ordered. JANUARY 26, 2017 PAGE 2 P&R COMMISSION 2. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: 2.1 RECREATION PROGRAM UPDATE — RS/Murphey 2.1.1 Power Point Presentation — Diamond Bar Center — RS/Knox and RC/Saliu. C/Herndon said he understood the Diamond Bar Center. was booked ahead for two years and RC/Saliu responded "on Saturdays." Weekday bookings are increasing but they are very last-minute bookings. Staff is planning to reach out to different markets and will be setting up the room for corporate events, birthday parties, and baby showers to expand the market on how the 360 tour is displayed. Fridays and Sundays book but not as consistently as Saturdays. Staff often receives calls from companies asking whether corporate events are held so staff is going to set up one of the smaller rooms for meetings which will hopefully help expand the market. CS/Knox explained that the current website is not the most user friendly and it does not contain updated photos. The Google link can be linked directly to the website and additional photos will be added to provide a 3-dimensional feel of standing inside the room. This feature should also help filter out a lot of walk-ins and front desk questions. ACM/McLean said this is along the same lines of what is being done elsewhere in the City. Diamond Bar has used the same platform for its website for 13 or 14 years. Council recently approved a contract for a new website provider which will be completed in about six months. This citywide website will also include the City's facilities with more information, photos and regularly update information including items like this 360 tour. In addition to the marketing piece, the expectation is that everybody uses their cellphone and computer to look at venues, restaurants, etc. and this will help show off the City's Diamond Bar Center facility and be a good boost for the City's programs. C/Herndon said he was thrilled to learn that staff is doing everything possible to utilize the tremendous investment the City has in the Diamond Bar Center facility. 2.2 MAINTENANCE REPORT — PMS/Jordan 2.2.1 Power Point Presentation — Storm Related Park Issues — PMS/Jordan. C/Hsieh asked if Diamond Bar had previously experienced similar JANUARY 26, 2017 PAGE 3 P&R storm damage and PMS/Jordan responded "yes." 2005 was the last time the City had a significant issue. The creek flows year `round but when weather events begin to occur, the volume increases and the water is moving very quickly. C/Hsieh said if there were patterns perhaps the City could do some preventive work in the Sycamore Canyon Creek and playground area by using something more solid than chips in the playground. PMS/Jordan said that woodchips and other types of loose fill suffer the same damage. Possibly, a pour -in-place rubber could be used. However, the problem with that type of ground cover for a playground of that size would be cost -prohibitive and it is still not 100 percent infallible. The poured -in-place rubber is a permeable surface and an excess flow would bring the sand and debris down on it and it would get inside of the rubber which would affect the impact attenuation. Staff cannot prevent the outcome but could put up some measures to possibly protect the playground with sandbagging, a temporary measure. Perhaps at some point in the future some kind of splash wall could be built if funding became available. However, there are certain constraints and such a project would have to be run by the Department of Fish & Game because the creek is a blue line stream that flows year 'round. C/Hsieh asked how long repairs would take and PMS/Jordan said that the remediation would require input by geotechnical engineers and soils engineers to begin to put together some numbers in terms of designing a fix. C/Herndon said that this is the first experience with the mesa and some redesign may be required. PMS/Jordan said the mesa held up very well. Staff walked the area today and the mixed paved/decomposed granite with paraffin wax binder held up well. Some of it washed off down to the native soil but there was no significant damage. The sediment and soil that were lost was next to the stairs that go up the mesa trail. Water flowed all the way down the mesa trail and got into the "canyon" area next to the stairs which exposed boulders that were not previously exposed and the soil that covered the boulders ended up in the bench drain. The trail was well designed and held up well. The amount of water that the City experienced was phenomenal. C/Herndon asked if the stairs that were undermined belonged to the City or another agency and PMS/Jordan said those stairs are within an easement owned by LA County Flood Control District. PWD/Liu will be reaching out to the Flood Control District to see if they are willing to be forthcoming with a fair -share contribution toward remediation. Chair/Grundy asked if there was significant damage in other parks and PMS/Jordan said no, that most of what he showed the Commission was about the worst of what the City experienced. At the back of Ronald Reagan Park a pretty good sized Eucalyptus JANUARY 26, 2017 PAGE 4 P&R COMMISSION tree was lost and the fallen tree will be there for a while. The park is so saturated he does not want to put tree trimmers and their equipment out there and create ruts. At Peterson Park at the center of field #2, the softball field that is closer to the Skatepark and slope, a good sized oak tree fell. It was blocking the sidewalk so he had Brightview Landscape clear the walkway. That tree will stay where it is until the soil dries. Playgrounds were flooded at Maple Hill and Reagan Parks. There was debris at other places. Throughout the City there were a number of trees that fell, most on private property and one that fell and blocked Grand Avenue to which the City responded. Close to Ronald Reagan Park a large tree fell in District #41. Chair/Grundy saw that fields were closed for a few days and wondered if once fields are used again there was any chance they would be chewed up. PMS/Jordan said he asked RS/McKitrick to notify the user groups that.the fields would be closed through Thursday and the fields will be re-evaluated tomorrow to see if they can be opened. He was at Sycamore today and it is still saturated like it rained yesterday. He doubts that the fields will be open over this weekend. ACM/McLean said that with respect to the storms, the state has declared a State of Emergency in Los Angeles and other counties to prepare for any funding that may come in the form of relief funds as a result of the storm. The City has a special project account and will include everything in that accounting in that fund so that if there is an opportunity to apply for emergency relief funds it will do so to cover some of the damage repairs. ACM/McLean spoke about the cancellation of the Winter Snowfest due to the storms and the City's desire to protect its property and access to the facility for the user groups. 2.3 CIP PROJECTS—ACM/McLean 2.3.1 Diamond Canyon Park — The Grand Opening was held on December V, 2016. This is a very unique park and different from anything else in the City's group of parks. The demonstration garden is a very nice feature. There are two playgrounds for different ages and a workout circuit. 2.3.2 Stardust Park ADA Improvements — This project has been completed with unique play equipment, new landscaping, ADA enhancements and drainage improvements. 2.3.3 Peterson Park Playground Equipment — The equipment is now open to the public. 2.3.4 Larkstone Park — This project is underway along with the adjacent housing project. This park is a split level on the slope on the way JANUARY 26, 2017 PAGE 5 P&R COMMISSION up Larkstone Drive toward South Pointe Elementary School. There will be two green areas with walking paths that connect the two levels, play equipment, landscaping features, etc. The grading permits have been issued and with some rain delay it is contemplated to be open later this year. 2.3.5 Pantera Park/Steep Canyon Trail — This rough grading is underway. Construction has been delayed with the storms. The ground is very wet which has slowed the project. However, it is expected to be done in April. 2.3.6 Longview South Improvements/Longview Park North Swine Set — The bid package is underway and should be out to bid soon. Once responses are received, staff will make its recommendation to the City Council for an award of contract. Longview Park South is a project that will be very similar to Stardust Park. It includes new play equipment, ADA Accessibility improvements, landscaping enhancements, new benches, trash cans, tables, etc. Chair/Grundy asked PMS/Jordan if he could include photos of the equipment at Stardust and Peterson Parks in his next presentation. PMS/Jordan responded that it was his intent to do that for his PowerPoint presentation this evening but felt that reporting the storm activity was more important for tonight's presentation. He will do so for his February presentation. C/Herndon said the initial Larkstone Park design was brought to the Commission about three years ago and wondered if it would be appropriate for staff to provide a review of the design to the Commission. ACM/McLean said that staff will bring back a copy of the approved plans and designs for a future meeting. 2.4 LIST OF PENDING COMMISSION REQUESTS — ACM/McLean 2.4.1 Request for trail descriptions to be placed at the base of each trail - interpretive panels are in the fabrication process and will be delivered to City Hall for installation in early February. If all goes according to schedule, staff will be able to provide the Commission with photos at the next meeting. 2.4.2 Request for breakdown of number of events at the Diamond Bar Center — staff is working on an analysis of all events held at the Diamond Bar Center (rentals, free use, senior clubs, contract classes, etc) during the past fiscal year for which data is available. 2.4.3 Request for review of the military banner program — This item will be brought to the Commission in February for discussion. JANUARY 26, 2017 PAGE 6 P&R COMMISSION 3. OLD BUSINESS: None 4. NEW BUSINES: None 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS: C/Hsieh thanked staff for their hard work. The wood chips at the dog park got moved. PMS/Jordan said that not much of it was moved because of the weather, but in the large dog park, because of the incline, it migrates downward and staff put a fence within the fence with a smaller gauge opening to restrain some of the chips. C/Hsieh said she was concerned about the small dog area and that some of the mud ran off onto the sidewalk. She thanked staff for responding to her requests. C/Liang said he appreciated the report on the 360 program. He visited the Diamond Bar Center this morning. The Center looks good and he is proud to use the facility. He attended the December 31 Diamond Canyon Park opening and said it was gorgeous and he encouraged his colleagues to visit the park. He had a great experience walking the park that day and trying out all of the exercise equipment was a great experience as well. C/Herndon reiterated his "attaboys" on the Diamond Bar Center. Staff does a great job and the presentations are very helpful. He too attended the Diamond Canyon Park Grand Opening which he thought was a very nice presentation. Subsequently, he and his wife took three of their great grandkids to the park and they had an excellent time playing on the equipment and hiking on the trails. It is a very nice addition to the City. VC/Sulakhe thanked the Diamond Bar Center staff for doing such a good job. She is looking forward to the Bridal Show. She thought it would be a big event this year as the word is spreading. Sycamore Canyon is one of her favorite parks and the location and geography draw the water. It is very natural. She had a friend visit from Columbus who could not believe the City had such a nice little park in its community. She followed the extensive Facebook postings during the storm. Many areas suffered greater destruction than Diamond Bar and Diamond Bar will come out of it stronger. Hopefully, the relief fund will come through to help. Happy New Year to everyone. Chair/Grundy echoed his colleagues' comments with respect to the reports and information provided by staff during the meeting. He enjoys hearing the updates and viewing the PowerPoint presentations. He has always admired the Diamond Bar Center. He believes it presents well and staff does a great job maintaining it. It still looks as beautiful as the day it opened and he is happy to hear that the website and social media is being updated. Great job on the Diamond Canyon Park. He remembers walking the site before it was developed and where the lower playground is situated was basically an empty lot with empty beer bottles and to see what it is today is remarkable. He was not too sure about the garden area when the concept design was presented but it really did turn out very well JANUARY 26, 2017 PAGE 7 P&R COMMISSION and when it develops and matures with plant growth it will look even better. He really enjoyed how the park turned out. Hopefully, the rain has cut into the drought some if not ending it. ADJOURNMENT: C/Herndon moved, C/Hsieh seconded to adjourn the meeting. With no one objecting and no further business before the Parks and Recreation Commission, Chair/Grundy adjourned the meeting at 8:22 p.m. The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 26 day of January 12017. Respectfully RYAN MQLEAN, SECRETARY