01-03-2002 Parks Commission Minutes

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MINUTES Parks & Recreatimz Commission January 3, 2002 • Landscapir:g -- A resident stated that some trees on the north side of the park were dead. Sanders stated that the trees will be removed if dead. Residents were also concerned about the density along Jackson Street stating that they would like to have children visible from the street. Sanders stated that there will be trees planted along Jackson, but they will not be dense. • Loitering after Dusk -One resident asked if lighting was planned for the park. Sanders stated that lighting is not planned since it encourages use of the park at night. The park closes at dusk. Another resident asked if the Sheriff will patrol the park. Sanders stated that all parks are patrolled, but if residents notice a problem, they should call the Sheriff immediately. Several residents were concerned about after hours drinking and loitering by residents of the apartments. They said they have experienced nothing but trouble from the apartments and felt the park will encourage the apartment residents to migrate from their property into the park One resident suggested eliminating the walkway entrance to the apartments. The Director stated that the entrance must remain as a fairness issue to the residents of the apartments since the park is public and there are young children who live at the apartments who need a place to play. Also, residents of the apartments may cut through yards to reach the park if there is not a bituminous entrance. The Director commented that fornialization of the park should actually cut down on drinking and loitering since there is more activity in the area. • Unsupervised Children -One resident asked how far the play area was from the townhomes. Sanders stated that it is approximately 50 feet from the play area to the nearest townhome. The resident asked if the play area could be moved to the north away from the townhomes. The resident was concerned about unsupervised children coming from the apartments. Another resident suggested posting a "supervision required" sign. • Pond - A resident asked about the depth of the pond. The Director stated that the pond will be a maximum of 3.5' deep in the center. The edges of the pond will be much shallower and someone would have to walk several feet out into the pond before the depth dropped to 3.5'. • Basketball Court -Several residents were against the basketball court due to the noise and the possibility of use by residents of the apartments. They felt a court was not necessary because the apartment complex already has one for their residents. The Director stated that a court would also serve the residents on the west side of the park. One resident stated that the residents on the west side already have basketball hoops in their driveways so a court is not needed at the park. Another resident said that he did not favor elimination of the court from the park since the older kids need activities and it is not safe for kids to play basketball in their driveways. One resident suggested muffling the sound with some kind of barrier. • Gazebo -Several residents indicated that they were not in favor of the gazebo due to the after hours loitering issue stated above. It was suggested that additional benches be added instead with a flower garden for beautification. Due to all of the uncertainties involved, Sackett Glaser suggested that we explore developing the park in stages to see what problems, if any, occur. The residents present seemed to favor this approach. She thanked the residents for their input and stated that they will be contacted Page 2 of 4