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Minutes 03-22-04MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD REGULAR MEETING HELD AT THE SENIOR CENTER, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ON MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2004 AT 6:30 P.M. Present: Elizabeth Pierce, Chairperson William Orlove, Vice Chair Lisa Peterfreund Bali Ramnarace Betty Thomas Tom Williams Pamela Winters, Alternate Wally Majors, Recreation & Parks Director John Wildner, Deputy Recreation & Parks Director Absent: Margaret Murphy Jack McVey, Alternate T. Call to Order Chair Pierce called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. Attendance Chair Pierce called the roll and declared that a quorum was present. Approval of Minutes of February 23, 2004 On page 4 of the minutes, Ms. Peterfreund asked that her remarks be revised to reflect that she supported charging a participation fee - she was not recommending it. In the same paragraph, "motoring" should be changed to "monitoring." On Page 7, the Board agreed that it had changed the start time to 6:30 p.m., but did not set an end time. Mr. Orlove asked that his comment in regard to the old high school be changed to delete "but the City felt it was unnecessary." On page 3, in the second to last paragraph, Mr. Majors asked to strike the word "dearth," substituting the phrase that "we would have to deal with parking." I~lotion Mr. Orlove moved to approve the minutes as amended. motion that carried unanimously. Ms. Winters seconded the Meeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 IV. Unfinished Business Ai Senior Center In response to Ms. Murphy's request for an update on the Senior Center and the Accreditation process, Mr. Steve Lulkin, Recreation Supervisor, gave a status report. Mr. Majors anticipated inviting the Beach staff to give the Board a similar update at a later date. Accreditation Mr. Lulkin stated that Ms. Betty Thomas was an active member of the Self Assessment Committee that had been working on this project for the last two and a half years. The self-assessment is something that has to be completed in order to apply for accreditation for the Senior Center. Staff was creating a brochure to include with the self-assessment package and Mr. Lulkin expected the Self-Assessment to be completed by this summer. Mr. Lulkin explained that senior centers throughout the country were applying for accreditation but right now, only five senior centers in Florida were accredited. He hoped that the Boynton Beach Senior Center would be among the top ten of the 200 senior centers in Florida to achieve this distinction. Mr. Lulkin reported that he had toured various senior centers in Florida and found that while most of them were at least 3X larger than the center in Boynton Beach, the Boynton Beach center was doing as much, if not more, than the centers visited. Ms. Thomas said the Committee had undertaken the Self Assessment with a sense of pride and commitment, realizing its importance. She praised the leadership and the Committee for sticking with it and getting it done. The Board and staff were very appreciative of the effort that had been put into this. Senior Center Activities Currently, the 1400 square feet in the rear of the senior center is still under construction, but Mr. Lulkin anticipated that the improvements would be completed soon. Mr. Lulkin spoke of the Senior Center's well-attended events such as: line dancing, wood carving, pool playing, bingo, movies, fashion shows, holiday shows, day trips, and much more. He commented that with 60-70 volunteers, they were able to offer a lot of free programs. Also, a podiatrist comes in every Wednesday and has sponsored Meeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 numerous events and helped greatly with advertising. Another gentleman does free financial planning for people. Mr. Lulkin concluded his remarks by saying that the Center had become a home for many people. The Center provides entertainment, recreation, and socialization for the area seniors and has made a positive difference in many lives. Ms. Peterfreund suggested that Mr. Lulkin contact the Boynton Beach Times and share the same stories with their reporter as he had shared with the Board. Mr. Lulkin said that Money magazine had written that Boynton Beach was one of the best places for seniors to retire. Mr. Frank Cerabino of the Palm Beach Post also came out to the center and wrote an article about it. When he found out they were doing the summer camp, his two children volunteered to be counselors. Comedy Central wanted to come down and do a piece on Camp Wrinkle Ranch, but staff decided not to pursue it. Everyone expressed admiration, gratitude, and appreciation for the Senior Center staff and supporters. I~lr. I~lajors brought up a point of order that the presentation by Mr. Lu/kin had actually been Item A under New Business. B. Bond Proiects Mr. Majors reported that the Commission had approved moving forward with engaging consultants on the schematic design phase of the Wilson Center project. This will allow them to go before the Commission with an actual cost for the project. The Commission also approved engaging a consultant for the Boat Club Park building restroom renovations. The participation fee endorsed by the Senior Center was approved. The Commission wants to get together to discuss the Senior Center further, along with some of the other projects, at a public workshop scheduled on April 19 at the Library at 6:30 p.m. The Clubhouse for Boat Club Park will be discussed including its location in the park. Some people want it put on the western portion of the facility where the overflow parking is now. Staff supports the original footprint because it makes sense as it relates to the Master Plan for the facility. He felt this allowed for an ample view of the water. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 Planning is in process to install a pedestrian path around the Hester Center football field area. Mr. Wildner said that the goal was to handle this in-house if possible. It was hoped that construction on Southeast Neighborhood Park could begin in May. Mr. Wildner commented that the bids were going out in May for construction and construction should be complete by December. C. Jaycee Park Mr. Wildner commented that FIND had recently accepted the City's offer of $3.4M for Jaycee Park. Mr. Wildner showed the Board the Plan that they had presented to FIND for the Park. The issue of raising $3.4M then came to the forefront and staff was working on finding ways to fund this. They had talked to Palm Beach County about funding this project. The County wants the southern part of the County to have boat ramps. The surrounding communities did not want boat ramps because they did not want the trailers and the parking that was associated with it. All of Boat Club Park is taken up with boat trailers. That would defeat the purpose of keeping green space here. Included in staff's proposal to the County were six docks to be available for boaters as a destination, fishing pier, playground, restrooms, and so forth. The County informally pledged $1M towards the purchase of the property. The Florida Forever Public Trust funds the acquisition of green space and it might be possible to get a matching grant if certain environmental preservation issues are met. There is also the potential to gain another match for $1.2M additional dollars. For the development of the property there is a program called the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP), where they could get up to $200K as long as certain recreation amenities were provided. The FIND contract calls for the City to complete the purchase of the property within 90 days. The Commission has given staff direction to pay FIND now using bond money, with the understanding that staff is pursuing all these grants to raise this money back to put it into other programs and projects. Mr. Hawkins stated that FIND would look at this as one of their exemplary projects regarding public access, mangroves, and boating. It was a win-win situation for FIND, the County, and the City. Ms. Peterfreund offered congratulations and thanks to staff for all their efforts to realize the purchase of Jaycee Park and the attendant funding. She recalled when it had almost been lost a few months previously and that staff had turned that around. 4 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 V. New Business A. Senior Center Accreditation (heard earlier out of order) B. Greenways/Bikeways (heard out of order) At the Board's request, staff invited the City Manager's office to speak with them about Greenways from the City's perspective. Mr. Majors introduced Wilfred Hawkins, the Assistant City Manager. Mr. Hawkins stated that Greenways was a project in which the City had a definite interest because it had spent money on a consultant to help come up with a Plan. He remarked that this Commission had some pressing priorities and that Greenways had to give way to them, but it was still up for consideration. During the first week of April, staff and the consultant will meet individually with the Commissioners to obtain their feedback and ascertain their positions regarding Greenways. Mr. Hawkins stated that were issues regarding land acquisition and whether certain properties should be taken off the tax rolls, and also which portions of the City would have the Greenways applications. Tn a City where growth is a major concern, careful thought would have to be given to planning Greenways. He noted the good news that a lot of the land in the Plan was on already-owned public rights-of-way. He was particularly optimistic about the land along the railroad in the southern part of the City. Mr. Hawkins made it clear that it was important for the Commission to be completely aware of all the ramifications before implementing the Greenways Plan because once begun, it was important that it be continued and completed. This would require a commitment from the City concerning financing, which could probably be obtained through grants and other sources. Ms. Peterfreund asked if the Consultant's report were completed. Mr. Wildner replied that it was in draft form awaiting the comments of the Commissioners. When those comments have been incorporated into the Plan, it could be brought back to the Board. Ms. Peterfreund commented that properties were disappearing and that plans should be made in advance so green space could be integrated into new developments. A discussion ensued about the problems with the green space on the old Motorola property. The 25 feet of green space granted by the developers was less than requested, scarcely large enough for a path, and was along a canal that is overseen by the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD). Mr. Wildner commented that LWDD had expressed trepidation about having people on that right-of-way. Mr. Hawkins said that this just pointed up the need for a good Greenways Plan. Also, he said that ordinances had to be adopted around Greenways concerning land use. The Plan would tell the Meeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 developers that this is where our Greenways will be and advise them that they had to take that into account if they wanted to develop near it. Hr. Hawkins noted that while there was some support for Greenways on the Commission, it was still important for interested parties such as this Board to help them understand the importance of the issue. Several Board members expressed willingness to do this, and recalled that they had asked staff to keep them informed about meetings where the topic was on the agenda. Former Board member Hike Fitzpatrick's involvement with and commitment to Greenways was also mentioned. Hr. Fitzpatrick sits on the Planning & Zoning Board and is quite vocal about this issue. Mr. Orlove and Ms. Thomas expressed the belief that it was important to start a Greenways project and that once begun, that public could be invited to see first-hand the value of it. Several Board members mentioned a desire to acquire land on the Winchester property for this purpose. They were definitely not in favor of losing more land as happened in the example given above (the 25 feet in the Renaissance Commons project.) Hr. Orlove thought it was disheartening to lose the $:~M that had been earmarked for Greenways in the Capital improvement Projects Plan recently. This money would have given the project a good start. Mr. Hawkins agreed with Mr. Orlove. He mentioned that the City was considering hiring a consultant to upgrade the Open Space element of the City's Comprehensive Plan and that this would involve a Greenways discussion also. A discussion ensued about the change in the City's former policy of obtaining land from developers in lieu of a fee. Hr. Hawkins explained that this was partly driven by the large amount of parkland in the City that was undeveloped, and partly by a desire to be more accommodating to the developers to encourage development. Hr. Wildner explained that now, the fee determines how much land can be acquired or given whereas before, the value of the land was what determined the fee. When looking at a relatively small piece of property that is being developed for multifamily homes, a fee that might be as much as $200K for a large development might only amount to one quarter of an acre of property because of the value of the property in that area. For most developers it was easier to pay the fee and not consider land. Under the current, fee-based system, you get a lot less land. However, he did not foresee going back to the old system because the value of the land now was even more than it was when the City changed the system. Chair Pierce commented that the developers on Federal Highway were not giving any land and that with the increased density, there was going to be a problem about where people could go for recreation. People do not want to send their children out to Congress Avenue from Federal Highway to play in a ball field. Hr. Hawkins stated that Meeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 the higher densities were a fact of life today and were market driven. Also, when someone owns property and wants to sell it, they have a right to do so. He believed that the green space issue would come back to the table along with the Comprehensive Plan update. Mr. Hawkins thought that the land being considered for Greenways along the railroads in the southern part of the City was one of the best hopes for Greenways and that success in this area would give some buffer and sense of open space in a high-density environment. Girl Scout Park was also discussed as an undeveloped treasure that called out for development as a park. Mr. Hawkins stated that staff often commented that this was a wonderful, accessible piece of property on the lake and in a great community. The small number of homeowners that live near it do not want it to be developed, but it is still a resource. Mr. Hawkins stated again that Greenways needed advocates. Chair Pierce said they were willing and able to do that. As a scientist and fan of nature, Ms. Peterfreund spoke of the need to have green areas through which wildlife could freely move and green areas around the high-density developments. The latter would help offset a "condo canyon" kind of environment. She felt that competition was keen among developers now and that it was time for the City to clearly state what it wanted in terms of green space, particularly on the last remaining large parcel of land in the City, currently owned by the Winchesters. She was in favor of promoting the need for ordinances that would help the City acquire this much-needed green space from the developers. She envisioned the City saying to developers, "In order to have the quality of life we want in this community, we need to have "this much" open space and "this much" area kept green around the development you are doing." This would increase the value of what people buy also because they would be able to stroll through their neighborhoods and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. Mr. Hawkins said it all made sense. He also commented that there was a landscaping ordinance that had to be followed when new developments were put in and that this was a necessity, particularly with the multi-family applications. Mr. Hawkins expressed his belief that it was a matter of putting a lot of puzzle pieces together in a way that everyone could walk away at least somewhat satisfied. Mr. Ramnarace thought that the Planning & Zoning Board had the power to tell developers that they should give the City a certain amount of land. Mr. Hawkins said that this was why a Plan was necessary. With a plan there could be ordinances in the Meeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 Land Development Regulations and Zoning Codes that the Planning & Zoning Board could use, along with the Comprehensive Plan, in their deliberations regarding developments. Asking developers to do certain things has to be done through regulations and ordinances. Ms. Winters spoke of a development called Windward Homes in Boca Raton where the developer was made to develop up a large mangrove area for the City. Mr. Hawkins stated that Boynton Beach was going through a feeling out period regarding where it wanted to be on this issue. Mr. Orlove inquired when the full Greenways Plan would be presented to the City Commission and the response from Mr. Hawkins was that it would probably take place in May. Chair Pierce commented that Mr. Bressner had recently told a developer that it was great that he wanted to give the City some land, but he wanted to know who would be in charge of maintaining it. The maintenance and development of land given by developers was something that Chair Pierce believed would be good to have in any new ordinance on this topic. :If the City wanted a bridge over a canal, for example, she envisioned the developer being directed to build it. Mr. Hawkins thought that this was creative thinking. He could definitely envision asking a developer to not only donate the land but also develop it to the City's liking in accordance with the Greenways Plan. Mr. Majors said that they would be going to the Commission at its next meeting to get permission to negotiate a contract with the consultant, who will update the open space element of the Comprehensive Plan. Once that is done, they will be able to ratify the contract and the Board will be part of that process. That is a landmark project that should assist in future open space projects, although it might not happen fast enough for the Winchester property. Mr. Majors said that if they wanted to make some "green" room for themselves in the city, the Comp Plan update was one way of doing so. Ordinances and the Comp Plan were part of the leverage that would help this idea to move forward. The Board expressed its appreciation for the opportunity to hear the City's views and for Mr. Hawkins sharing of the Board's concerns about Greenways. V. New Business (cont'd.) C. Old High School 8 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 Since the last Board meeting, Mr. Orlove got an update from Mr. Bressner on the project. Tenting was done with termite and flea control and now it was a matter of cleaning up the pigeon droppings and working with a person familiar with general inspections that will give the okay to be in the building without gas masks as in the past. The project is moving along. Mr. Orlove, as a member of this Board and the CRA Task Force, felt that the project was currently in limbo. He thought that a long-range plan was needed to include what could be done with the building and who would use it. Mr. Hawkins believed that this would have to be a community decision, at least in part. Mr. Orlove expressed a desire to stay informed about this issue and for the Recreation & Park Board to be one of the participants in the decision of what to do with the building. Mr. Hawkins stated that how the City moved from here included more than just the building but encompassed the entire area. The Development Department had come up with a Town Square concept and some options included the old school and some did not. The City as well as the CRA wants to move cautiously on this because the use of it may dictate what goes on around it or vice versa. He felt that it was time for a circular discussion looking at the broader picture and at the building itself. The City was trying to figure out how to make that happen. Mr. Orlove asked whose court it was in, and Mr. Hawkins responded that the City and the CRA, who were technically separated but legally the same, had to look at it in partnership. Both entities have to be in sync. It will have to be entered upon as a joint project. He stated that this type of project was very seldom funded from a single source. He did not now if the CRA could handle the whole thing financially but multi- funding requires everyone to be at the table. Ms. Thomas noted that plans had been drawn up years ago for a new civic center, and asked Mr. Wildner for status. Mr. Wildner commented that the plans were drawn up when City Hall was renovated and show a Civic Center that was bigger than the Hester Center, which was meant to be an auxiliary building. There had not been much interest in these plans because the land on which the Civic Center sits is under consideration for the Town Square concept. D. Monthly Report This was included in the agenda packets but there was no discussion of it. E. items for City Manager's Attention Already covered via Mr. Hawkins' participation and discussion. VI, Next Meeting: April 26, 2004, 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center 9 IVleeting Minutes Recreation & Park Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 22, 2004 VII. Adjournment Since there was no further business before the Board, the meeting was duly adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Collins Recording Secretary (032804) 10