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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7A - Neighborhood and Pocket Park Acquisition project updateDO NOT REMOVE - PRAB File Material ~ MEMORANDUM Date: 7-24-2000 To: Parks and Recreation Advisory Boazd Members From: Chris Dropinski, Director Ken Ramsey, Parks Planning and Construcrion Superintendent Russ Driskill, Site Analyst Re: Neighborhood and Pocket Park Acquisition Project Update (Discussion and input) PURPOSE: Update the Board on the status of the neighborhood and pocket pazk acquisition project and request feedback from the Boazd regazding the proposed staff direction. BACKGROLJND: • The Parks and Recreation Master Plan Level of Service Standards form the basis for the decision to pursue the acquisition of additional park land. The standards are a ~„,,,r minimum service level, not the desired upper limit. The new park standards and other park and recreation needs provided the impetus for the 1995 ballot proposal to increase the sales tax by 0.25 % and authorize the sale of bonds to purchase additional park lands. A total of $9.4M for the acquisition of neighborhood and pocket parks was approved by the voters as part of this package. The emphasis in the information distributed to voters was on the need for more space for parks. The 1995 ballot issue that was approved by the citizens of Boulder approved the acquisition of "up to" 26 acres of neighborhood and pocket parks, and funds to develop and maintain them. That ballot issue language was modified in November 1998, through a vote of the people. The intent of the ballot adjustment was focused on lifting the limitation of "up to 350 acres" of mountain park land but as a result it also removed the limitation of 26 acres on the neighborhood and pocket parks. However, there was no identified need at the time to exceed the 26 acres of neighborhood and pocket parks. As a result of the 1995 ballot issue, $600,000, which will be adjusted for inflation, is available each year through the year 2009 for development of the new neighborhood r ~ and pocket parks. The cost of development will normally range between $150,000 and $300,000 per acre depending on the park size and design elements. Therefore, ~ between2 two to four acres can be developed each year resulting in completion of all new neighborhood and pocket park sites by the year 2009. In addition, the 1995 ballot issues provides $4,000 per acre for ongoing O&M cost for up to 26 acres of new park sites. The service standard requires the provision of a neighborhood park (five acres or more) within one-half- mile of residents and, where this is not possible, a smaller pocket park which will serve residents within one-quarter-mile. See Attachment A. Revised Park Service Map. PRAB approved, at the February 1997 meeting, the acquisition plan which included the 26 potential park sites recommended by staf£ These sites were chosen in an attempt to meet or improve the level of park service as stated in the Master Plan. These added park sites should provide a playground, open grass play areas, picnic tables and benches, and attractive landscaping which enhances and preserves the natural character of the site. They may also include neighborhood-scale play courts. PROJECT UPDATE: ~ In our search for sites to meet the service need, we have been fortunate to find sites already owned by and serving other purposes for the City. These sites have been detemuned to be able to serve a dual purpose. We also had early discussions with the Boulder Valley School District about park development on existing school sites which would involve the purchase of park easements. It may be necessary to revisit this issue to make sure there have been no changes. The third category would be any other sites that may be purchased. To date five sites have been acquired (1650 Alpine, Elmer's Two Mile, 22nd and Bluff, Elk's and five acres of the Valmont site). These five sites have cost a total of $1,364,434. Two sites were obtained at no cost as they were owned by other City departments. The five sites have added 17.41 acres of future urban parks. In addition, a joint-use agreement has been signed with the Boulder Valley School District for the Baseline Middle School site. The original plan for this site was to have a park and recreation easement. Aowever, through the design and development process it was decided that a joint-use agreement should be used. The School District will therefore control the site and make it available to the public outside of school hours. The improvements consist of two new tennis courts, one new basketball court and some landscaping. 2 ~r~ ...o ,,... `~. BUDGET The 1995 ballot provided $9.4 million for acquisition of neighborhood and pocket parks. Subsequently, $6 million was refunded to decrease debt service due to the fact that several park sites were to be acquired at no cost. Cunently $500,000 in the neighborhood and pocket park bond project is available to purchase new park sites. NEXT S1'EPS : Staff has evaluated and analyzed the 11 potential park sites remaining from the original list. Sites to be oursued: • Tree Farm/Foothills, located at Foothills Parkway and Baseline, owned by the City of Boulder, Transportation Department. This site is 137 acres, is located in an under served area and has strong neighborhood support for a community garden and pocket park at this location. No cost is expected. However, a site (approximately one acre) would need to be provided by the Parks and Recreation Department to the - Transportation Department for a tree nursery. A location at the southwest corner of the ,,,, Flatirons Golf Course is being considered. Halcyon School, located at 31st Street and Bucknell, owned by the Boulder Valley School District. This site is 0.7 acre, and is located in an under- served area. The estimated cost of a park easement would be $105,000. 28th and Valmont, located south of Valmont between Folsom and 28th Streets, owned by the City of Boulder for flood control. This site is approximately one acre, and is located in an under served area. No cost is expected. Mesa Memorial Baptist Church, located at the northwest comer of Yale and Table Mesa. This site is 1.73 acres and is owned by the church. It is located in an area where there are no sizeable urban parks nearby.Ifthere was not strong neighborhood support, staff would not pursue this site due to the new mmderpass at Broadway and Table Mesa which removes this under-served area. There has been consistent neighborhood support since 1996 for a pocket park at this location. This site was under contract for $700,000 in January 1999, and a recommendation to City Council to purchase the site was approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board at the February 22, 1999, meeting. The Contract expired due to a problem the church had r~^ ~ with clear title. A recent letter from the church informs staff that the problem has been resolved and that they would be willing to sell the site at this time for the original price. ~ See Attachment B, maps for sites to be pursued. The total estimated cost for acquisition of the four sites is $8QS,OOQ of which additional funding of $305,000 would have to be found from other funding sources. Additional park site acquisition funds have been identified in the Capital Improvement Program beginning in 2004. This could provide the needed funding source. Remainina sites not to be oursued at this time: Due to concerns regarding ongoing maintenance costs for new parks, and the long-term sustainability of the park system, staff does not recommend the above listed sites be pursued. Perhaps at some future date they may be reconsidered if circumstances should change. In addition, a number of mitigating factors may exist near these sites and other under served areas. Sites such as Open Space natural lands, Mountain Parks and open turf and playgrounds at schools provide some park amenities. Some of the sites not to be pursued are already developed and used by the public and are expected to remain in that capacity. • Goss Grove, (three sites, each 70' x 80') located on Grove between 18th and 20th ~ Street, owned by the City of Boulder, Transportation Department. • 27th and Elm, located at the northwest comer of 27th and Elm Streets. This site is 03 of an acre in size, owned by the City of Boulder, Transportation Department. • Moorhead and Ingram, located on the west side of Moorhead near Ingram Ct. The site size has not been detemvned because it would need to be split off of a site owned by the Housing Authoriry. • Mesa Elementary, located on Lehigh Street on the northwest portion of the school property. The site would be 0.45 acre and could be acquired as a park easement. • Sale Lake, located southeast of 28th Street and Palo Parkway on the east side of Paseo Del Prado. The site is 0.3 acre and would be a donation from Manor Care. • Williams Village, located near Pinon Drive. The site is owned by the University of Colorado and the size has not been deternuned. No cost is expected. • King Avenue near 22nd Street, the site is owned by NIST and the size has not been determined. No cost is expected. ~ ..r r-- ~ Comoletion of the nei¢hborhood and oocket uark 1995 ballot issue oroiect When efforts to acquire the four recommended sites listed above are finished the neighborhood and pocket park 1995 ballot issue project would be considered complete. In the event there would be future interest in acquiring any of the remaining sites, or a new site, that consideration would have to involve different funding. SUMMARY: Staff is proposing that the four sites mentioned above be pursued as the final effort in the 1995 ballot neighborhood and pocket park acquisition project and that the other listed sites be dropped from further consideration at this time. Staff is seeking Board input on the proposed direction. ATTACHMENTS: A. Revised Park Service Map B. Maps For Sites To Be Pursued ~ ~ ~...- ~ ~ ~ ` ~. r: `l a ~ ~~,~~ ATTACHMENT B 00 ~ ~~ , ~~ ~~ ;~> ~ Baseline Rd ~ ~ ~.~" `•_"_~. ~..~ : ~I ~ ~~~4 .... -__' ._.._~.--=.p~'C~ ~..1Ale'~t .~ '~_~ -.a~ ~ ~ ~ ~ TREE NIIRSERY SITE ~ _i- _. ... .•wMY'*:~"'^'4_~-:.la.. ~ y_', ~~ _ _ ~ ~'~}I_ ~~ ~~~.. S~'y.~.YY~1i:+t~.T. _a ..~ ~~"~~+w~~~~~.r~ ~ ..v . ~ `~f~~ • Y ~J~-~ [ ~ ~,,,.;. , - °"r North : y ~,,_.._.-- - ~~ _~-_:~~ ~ ~~ -•6y 1 ~,'.. . '~~ }, .. ~~ ~ ~\ ~~ ~~ F W N rn ~ M ~ T ~~ t ~w. ~~ ~.~~ a,. X~ ~ `' ,~ ,~ F ~ ~Halcyon School~: ~_ f, ~ t &c BUCIi1~iELL SITE ~ „_ ,~,~ `~ ATTACHMENT B F - - ' ~~ ~'• ~~ . Y f ! • ~ ~ • ~ .~, ' f } r ,+ ±' e E - .. _. ~• i..s~ .. ~~.l~' ~ L _ 4 ~ a ~ r ; f~ ~~; z ,+~ ~4 ~ •+~ ~ i F ~ ~ ~ r ~ "+''~ y ~~ ~- I . 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