8 - Future Board Items and ToursPARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
~ rUTURE BOARD ITEMS
(prepared February 13, 2002)
~k ~F # :k *
Deoartment of Parks and Recreation 2002 Maior Goals
^ Determme Department's Environmental Focus
^ Conhnue Valmont Crty Park Process
^ Complete Department Transihon Analysis
• Complete NBRC renovation and first phase of Iris Center remodel
^ Update Department Master Plan
March 18, 2002 (East Boulder Communitv Center)
Needs assessmenUsuivey update
Valmont City Park updale
Update on City Council's, City Manager's and DepartmenYs goals -
Capital Improvement Projects (C1P)
47~h/Jay/Kalmia development
Recycling update
2001 Work Pian update
Auril 22. 2002
Needs assessmendsurvey update
• Valmont City Park update
Capital Improvement Pro~ects (CIP)
City of Boulder Wellness Program
TOUR5 and SPECIAL MEETINGS:
Apri12, 2002 - Jomt meetmg of Boulder Arts Commission and PRAB to view presentations of
sesru-finalists for NBRC artwork - Boulder Creek Meering Room m the Main Library
2002 PRAB Meetina Dates
May 27, 2002 (to be rescheduled)
June 24, 2002
July 22, 2002
August 26, 2002
September 23, 2002
October 28, 2002
November 25, 2002
December 23, 2002 (to be rescheduled)
MASTER PLAN ISSUES
To be a running list of issues that arise durmg the year which the Board would like to consider
durmg the Master Plan Update
• ~ Park Naming Policy (includmg re-nammg)
* Gift Acceptance Policy (Check L~st)
* Long-Range Strategic Plan for Park Acquisihons
1. Pazk Defimtion Review
2. Park Level Service Standards Review
3 New Development and Development Excise Fees
4. Neighborhood and Pocket Park Acquisrtion Goal
Future Golf Course
Refine Mtssion Statement
Scheduled Use of Neighborhood Parks
.
•
•
CITY OF BOULDER
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
• MEETING DATE: February 28, 2002
(Agenda Item Preparation Date: February 6, 2002)
AGENDA TITLE: Valmont City Park - Current Issues Schematic and Planning
REQUESTING DEPARTMENT:
Jan Geden, CPRP, Director of Parks and Recreation
Sarah DeSouza, Assistant to the Director
Teresa Grills, Manager of Valmont City Park Management and
Planning Assistance Team (M-PAT)
II FISCAL IMPACT: Unknown at this time p
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this item is to identify the process for addressmg current planning issues for
Valmont City Park and to provide the Board with a requested schemat~c d~agram of those issues
• BACKGROUND:
The Ci[y of Boulder, through the Parks and Recreation Department, is interested m developmg
Valmont City Park for the cihzens of Boulder. Concept and Site Review plans far the park have
been approved. Currently the park is envisioned to be a nux of active mdoor and outdoor
recreahonal facilities, along with passive recreahon and wildhfe habitat features The park is to
be pnmarily created through partnerships with non-profit, governmental, and busmess
orgamzations. The plannmg for this park started with the passage of a Bond Issue m 1995 that
allowed the Parks and Recreation Department to purchase the land for active recreational uses for
Boulder Cit~zens The plannmg has contmued with ongoing city staff, PRAB, cihzen, and
potenhal partner mput. During the last six years, many ideas, goals, and issues have been
identified that now need to be addressed m a cohesive manner m order for the development of the
park to move forward
ANALYSIS:
The creation of Valmont Crty Park as a large urban park with a vanety of acave and passive
components requires the mtegration of many complex elements and issues Attached is a
Schematic Diagram that outlmes the current issues as they are known. Each of these ~ssues aze
complex withm themselves, and the funding, timmg, roles of staff, consultants, Boud members,
and citizen demand need to be further ~dentified, clanfied, and agreed upon before the pro~ect can
move on to the next steps for mfrastructure design, partner approvals, and funding allocaUon
~
AGENDA TTEM # VII-C. PAGE 1
The Management and Planning Assistance Team (M-PAT), working with staff, techmcal team
members, and under the direct supervision of Jan Geden, Director, has been created to oversee •
the management of the development of the park. Attachment B, shows the organizahonal
structure of the M-PAT and the type of expertise that is available as contracted ad~unct staff and
consultants.
M-PAT goals are to help create an innovative and high-quality park that is in lme with:
• The Needs and Demands of Boulder Citizens
• The Approved Concept and Site Review Plans
• The Identified Des~re for Wildlife Comdors and Habitat
• The Bond Issue language that ~dentified the fundmg for this land as designated to meet
"the need for a location which is appropriate for the placement of achve recreational
facilities"
• The four ~dentified City Counc~l Goals
• The Approved Partnership Policy for Valmont City Park
• Viable projects for those chosen partners -
• City Ordinance, Charter, and other City departmental guidehnes, includmg the pohcies
for Planrung, Transportation, Public Works, and I,egal Departments
• Best Prachces and Innovation m the Parks and Recreation and related techmcal
mdustries, nationwide
• The available Financial and Human Resources as well as Constramts of the Department
PUBLIC COMMENT AND PROCESS: •
This item is being heazd at this public meetmg as advertised in the Da~ly Camera.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
1) By the next PRAB meeting, we recommend that Boazd members review the attached Current
Issues Schematic and idenhfy any other currently known issues or concerns. Please provide your
mput to Teresa Grills by phone (303-429-8369) or email (tgrills@greenplayllc . com)
by Mazch 4th.
2) M-PAT and staff aze creahng a workplan for themselves, Techmcal Team members, and
PRAB for the next year. This workplan will mclude identifying fundmg allocahon needs and
availability, ongomg needs from Techmcal Team members, and a creation of a plan for the park
that addresses all of the identified issues Concunently, potenhal partners aze conhnumg m their
tasks m order to ready their formal proposals for the Approval Process.
Staff recommends that PRAB members discuss attending a Study Session, including a
charrette on the issues and workplan, on Saturday, April 6~h, 2002.
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Current Issues Schematic
B. Organizational Structure of M-PAT
~
AGENDA ITEM # VII-C, PAGE 2
Attachment A
Partners:
Project review,
approvals and
oversight
Wddlife Corridors,
Prairie Dogs, and
other
Environmental
Resources
Valmont City Park - Current Issues Schematic
Site Review
Plans -
Approvals and
Constraints
~~~~
P~F
M-~!~IT' arrd
Stafr
Projecting
Needs,
Funding, and
Timing
Alternative Funding:
Grants, Donor
Capital Campaign,
and /or Sponsorships
Moving Exisi.ing
Park Structures:
Parks Maintenance
and Storage Bidgs.
Li~fcasE~ui.tii~e ^
~ ~s,
D~9~ a~c1
~~,,
;.~ ~ ~ ;, ~,, '~,'
Public
Refations
~ ~ AGENDA IT~ VI-C PAGE 3
Attachment B
~ City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department
Organizational Structure of the
Valmont City Park - Management and Planning Assistance Team (M-PAT)
City of Buulder Citizens
~
City Council
PRAB -
Jan Geden, Director of Parks and Recieation
I
Saruh DeSouza, Asst [o the Director
•
P&R Superintendents of
Other Divisions:
^ Recreation
• Parks Planning
^ Parks Mamtenance
^ Environmental Resources
^ Adttunistration
And other staff
Potential Public, Non-Profit, and ~
Private Pairtners
•
VCP Management and Planning Assistance Team (M-
PAT)
(Contract ad~unct Division Staff specifically for VCP
development oveiyight, working directly with P&R
Directoi, Supermtendents and other Staffl.
Manager Teresa Grills, GreenPlay, LLC, with Jill
I{iantz, Assistlnt
^ Partnership ConsultanC Diana Smith, Royce Arbour,
Inc
Techmcal Consultants, The TSR Group (spatial
mformation and plannmg firm), Shapms Associates
(Landscape Architects), McLaughlm Watei
Engmeeis (engmeers), BRW (engmeers), Barker
Rmker Seacat, AichitecYS)
additional legal, parkmg, and other consultants
and/or admin statf as required, sponsorship sales,
grant writing, donor program, etc
AG~NDA ITEM # VI-C, PAGE 4
~ WEEKLY INFORMATION PACKET
To Mayor Will Toor and Members of City Council
From. Ron Secrist, City Manager
Christine Andersen, Deputy City Manager for Environmental Services
Tracy Winfree, Pubhc Works Director For Transportation
Michael Sweeney, Traffic Operahons and Planumg Coordinator
Marm Ratzel, Transportahon Planner
Date. February 14, 2002
Sub~ect• Information Item: Electnc-assisted bicycle ordmance
PURPOSE:
This memorandtun presents a status on amendmg the Boulder Revised Code to permit the use of
electnc-assisted, pedal-powered bicycles (herein referred to as "electno-assisted bicycles") on off-
street bicycle facilrties.
BACKGROUND:
In July 1999, the Transportatron Advisory Board (TA13) ongmally considered a recommendahon
• proposed by staff to proceed with an ordmance revision that would allow the use of electric-assisted
bicycles on both on-street and off-street bicycle facilihes in the city of Boulder The TAB held public
hearings and discussed the proposed ordinance at its meetings convened m July, August and September
1999 Duruig the TAB pubhc heanngs, there were several speakers who supported allowing electnc-
assisted bicycles on both off- and on-street facihtres. However, some citizens and TAB members razsed
concerns over the various users on the mult~-use paths and possible safety issues ansing from allowing
the electnc-assisted bicycles on the paths. At the September 1999 mee6ng, the Boazd voted (5-0) to
recommend allowing the use of electnc-assisted bicycles on the on-street facilihes (bilce lanes) and to
review m one year the use of electric-assisted bicycles on mulri-use paths.
This summer, the Transportahon Advisory Board (TAB) requested staff review and recommendahon of
the exisUng ordinance adopted m 1999. To date, staff has presented mformahon about the electnc-
assisted bicycles and participated m a pubhc hearing process hosted by two of the three affected
Advisory Boards appomted by City Council These aze the Transportarion Advisory Board and Parks
and Recreahon Boazd. The Open Space Board of Trustees has not yet taken up the issue
On Monday October 8, 2001, the Transportahon Advisory Boazd approved a motion 4-1 m favor of
the recommendation to amend the code and suggested that, should City Council approve a code
amendment, the ordmance should be revisited m one-year to assess its vnpacts and address adverse
unpacts, as necessary.
On Monday, January 29, 2002, the Parks and Recreahon Advisory Board voted unanunously agamst
recommendmg a change m the code, with the excepUon that a strategy to accommodate persons with
disabihties should be recognized. Pnmarily, the Board felt that current congestion on the paths was
not conducrve to addmg another use Some Board members raised the issue of whether to consider
prohibitmg electric-assisted bicycles from only those path segments that are more congested
• However, additional discussion resolved that there is a need to review exishng data and collect
supplemental data to assess the feasib~hty / desu~ability of considering an amendment to allow
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electnc-assisted bicycles to operate on any of the paths. Data requested includes path use, crash / ~
conflict experience, and variations in surface treatment types and path widths
Though yet to schedule the topic on its meehng agenda, the Open Space Board of Trustees as well as
Open Space staff have expressed concern for the impact that the proposed ordinance amendment, as
approved by TAB, would impose on trails under the jurisdiction of Open 5pace. Issues raised to date
mclude ordwance language, applicabihty, enforcement and vehicle class~fica6on as well as whether to
consider prolubihng electric-assisted bicycles from operatrng on so8 surface paths.
PUBLIC INPUT
Transportarion staff has received written correspondence from over 40 citizens. Letters m support are
almost matched by those in opposition to amendmg the code. Sunilarly, public testimonies given at
pubhc hearings have exhibited conflicting opuuons among the pubhc, with more crtizens teshfymg m
opposition to the code amendment. Those m opposihon expressed that electnc-assisted bicycles
would adversely impact the quahty of life on Boulder's mulri-use tra~ls and mcrease conflicts and
congeshon along the system. Those in support indicated the need to encourage alternahve modes of
transportauon and mcrease accessibihty for all including the less able-bodied populahon -
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
In response to the Parks and RecreaUon Board's concerns, staff recommends that the ord'uiance
revision be placed on hold until issues related to congeshon and existing conflicts on the paths are
addressed. Staff proposes to launch an educarional outreach campaign to encourage responsible trail
usage on paths that already receive heavy pedestrian and bicycle traffic. "Courtesy is Contagious" is a
potenhal tag Ime for the theme of the campaign Staff also will work with the commuruty, Boulder
Police Department and City Attorney's Office as necessary to develop addidonal strategies to improve •
safety on the paths
Additionally, staff seeks to convene mterdepartmental meetings to discuss the scope and schedule of
planned and proposed projects in support of bicycle and pedestnan modes. It is proposed that staff
representatives &om city of Boulder TrausportaUon, Parks and Recreafion, and Mountain Parks and
Open Space and county of Boulder Transportahon and Open Space be invited to panc~ipate It is
anticipated that the meetmgs would be convened quarterly. The pnmary ob~ecuves are to unprove
communicahon and coordmauon of pro~ects, and to pnont~ze the plaumug and development of
interdepartmental and regional facility unprovements and supplemental programs in support of
bicycle and pedeshian modes
Staff plans to inihate the educahonal outreach campaign unless concerns aze raised by Council. The
aun is to launch the campaign m June as a component of Bike Month and Wallc and Bilce Week. Staff
anticipates that the time frame for reconsidenng an ordmance for electric-assist bicycles would be one
year to 18 months. Please duect any comments or queshons to Marm Ratzel by e-mail at
ratzelm@,ci boulder co us or by telephone at 441-4138.
CC• Open Space Board of Trustees
Parks and Recreahon Advisory Board
Transportation Advisory Board
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