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Home My WebLink About07-08-1996 Parks and Recreation Agenda~~ AGENDA • TIME: PLACE: TYPE: I. II. III. IV. V. SARATOGA PARRS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING Monday, July 8, 1996 - 7:30 P.M. Adult Day Care Center 19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, California Regular Meeting ORGANIZATION A) Roll Call B) Minutes (Meeting of June 3, 1996) C) Posting of Agenda Pursuant of Government Code 54954.2 the agenda for this meeting was posted on the City Hall Kiosk on July 1, 1996. OLD BUSINESS Review the report from the Community Recreation and Park Task Force. NEW BUSINESS (None) WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS (None) COMMISSION AND STAFF REPORTS A) Commissioner's Reports B) Previous Month Council Meeting Report C) Recreation Department Status Report-Joan Pisani D) Park Maintenance Division Update-Bob Rizzo In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Parks Superintendent, Bob Rizzo, at (408) 867-3438. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. • • M L M O R A N D II M TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Secretary, Parks and Recreation Commission SUBJECT: Meeting of Monday, July 8, 1996 **************************************************************** II. OLD BUSINESS A) Review the report from the Community Recreation and Park Task Force • The Task Force. will review with the Commission the recently completed report. The report addresses the recommended priority list and specific locations for future park and recreational facilities; which was developed from the information gathered from the various focus groups at the workshop. The workshop participants and the public will be invited to this meeting. The Commission is requested to approve the report and submit the report to City Council for final approval. • TO: Parks and Recreation Commission July 8, 1996 • FROM: Community Task Force Parks and Recreation Development Fund SUBJECT: Recommendation on Fund Usage BACKGROUND: In March, 1996, the Saratoga City Council requested that a Community Task Force be developed in order to recommend what needs should be addressed by the Parks and Recreation Development Fund. The task force was comprised of two Parks and Recreation Commissioners, Jenny Crotty (Chair), and Kay Whitney; one Council Member, Gillian Moran; two community members, Jack Mallory and Fran Franklin and one alternative member who served as secretary, Monique Drumm. In addition, Rich Hughes was contracted by the City of Saratoga as a consultant. On June 8, 1996, approximately 70 members from the community attended a workshop to help determine and prioritize the needs of the City. Based on the results of that meeting, the Task Force makes the following recommendations. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Community Center Expansion - $400,000 for the initial phase This expansion is based on a concept that there is a need to have a community hub which • would meet the needs of all the community and would include a variety of facilities. a. Create a master plan for a Community Center Hub $100,000 to hire anarchitect/consultant to consider * Anew or expanded Community Center and its location * Possible relocation of the corporation yard * Possibility of including an indoor sports center * Joint use/joint development of gym with Redwood School * Possibility of partnering with private organizations to develop joint use agreement for facility use for Seniors * "Just-for-Teens" facility * Method for funding the development or operation of this new facility (tax bond issue). b. Phase I of Community Center renovation as outlined in the Master Plan ($300,000). 2. The Community emphasized a strong interest in meeting the needs of youth. This included a concern about teen programs, development of new fields and upgrade of existing field usage at school sites. Although the workshop did not discuss location for these recommendations, the task force looked at existing resources and is making the following recommendation: • Playing fields for youth sports: 3 new and 4 renovated - $1,000,000 • a. b. Joint use playing fields at school sites - $700,000 (There are 6 fields for possible renovation listed alphabetically) * Argonaut School * Blue Hills School * Foothill School * Marshall Lane School * Saratoga School 1 renovated field -multi-use 1 new, 1 renovated - " 2 renovated fields -softball 1 or more field -multi-use 1 renovated field -multi-use Sports fields at City pazks - $300,000 This would expand the number of fields currently available * Azule Park * Kevin Moran Pazk 1 - 2 new fields -multi-use 1 new field -soccer c. Teen programs and needs were strongly emphasized by the Workshop. The City should continue to make the Warner Hutton House available for teen programs and find a way to fund low cost activities for teens. r: 3. Improvements to existing pazks - $400,000 Because of possible development of sports fields at Blue Hills and Azule, special considerations should be given to those areas. a. Azule Pazk (undeveloped) * Trees, picnic. tables, BBQ * playground area, paths * Landscaped, off-street parking area b. Kevin Moran Pazk * Trees and benches * Picnic benches, BBQ * Playground equipment for older children * Community gazden or gazden plots * Landscaped off-Street pazking azea (to support both Kevin Moran and Azule users) c. Gazdiner Park * New Playground equipment d. Hakone Gazden * Replace hand rails if existing are unsafe :7 • 4. Reserve Fund - $200,000 a. Use to complete projects 1 through 3 above (if under-funded) b. Create a long term plan for developing and funding pazks, recreation azeas, trails and open space. * Park and open space acquisition , e.g. Mountain Winery, school sites, etc. * Trail improvements. • • ~ORANDIIM TO: PARRS AND RECREATION CO1-II~SI88ION FROM: CITY MANAGB$ ~~~,~ /('~ SUBJECT: PARK PLANNING PARA ETgRg FROM CITY COIINCIL I am transmitting to you the twelve general parameters discussed and agreed upon by the Council at its meeting on January 23rd for your review on February 5th and for discussion with the Council on February 27th. 1. Improvements to the park and recreation facilities system of the City should allow the system to meet the needs of the overall community and, to the extend possible, provide improvements which make facilities convenient for as many different types of users as possible. 2. Planning for improvements should assume that there is a greater need for more active use facilities. - • 3. When considering the need for rov facilities should be considered inclludin ements, all city Center, the Warner Hutton House, and Hakone Gardens to theuextent that improvements for the latter help assure the successful operation of the Gardens by the Hakone Foundation. 4. Recreation facilities and parks needs should be addressed within the current inventory of land devoted to or potentially available for such use, i.e., city parks, city owned buildings, and public schools. 5. Use and improvement of school facilities should be a vital part of the overall planning effort and should be done with maximum involvement from the schools themselves. Specific proposals to consider should include: a. Redevelopment of the Saratoga School field area for better sports and/or community use in exchange for the school allowing improved parking on the site which could be used by the business community. b. Redevelop the Foothill School field area with Foothill Park into an integrated facility. c. Improve and develop facilities for community use at • Saratoga High School. d. Develop new practice sports fields at all public school sites using the following guidelines: 1. One soccer field and baseball field at each school. • 2. City would build or renovate as needed. 3. Fields would be available to City/Leagues during non-school hours. 4. Joint use agreements to be executed before City starts work. 5. City would maintain 'fields built or renovated, schools would maintain playground areas. 6. Schools would have to agree to help financially with maintenance of new or renovated facilities. 7. Congress Springs Park would be reserved primarily for league play not practice. 6. In making recommendations for improvements, how they would be financed should not be a constraint on the recommendations, however, recommendations should include not only the estimated cost of the improvement but the cost of maintaining the improvement as well. If certain improvements would reduce current costs that information should also be included. 7. The design of proposed improvements should be developed with neighborhood input. 8. Proposals for improvements should be based upon a demonstrated • community need over the long term and prioritized based upon degree of immediate need, ease.~of implementation, and/or cost. Avoid making proposals for improvements which may be merely a current fad. 9. In proposing improvements at parks the following criteria should be considered: a. the improvement should add beauty to the area. b. improvements should emphasize use by the school . age population through high school but also provide improvements which would encourage use by older users as well. c. proposed improvements should be limited to those which would allow daylight hours use of parks only. d. proposals for intensive use improvements should include major buffers placed between the use and neighboring residences. e. the parking needs of users who don't walk to parks should be anticipated. 10. Improvements to trails which will improve stability and reduce the need for long term maintenance should also be considered in recommendations for improvements. • 11. Attention should be paid to improving access to Wildwood Park from the downtown area and to improvements, either on site or off • site, which would encourage the community to make better use of the park. 12. A proposal should be made as to how to develop either a park or a school site as a location where major community events can be held. CC:City Council • L~