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Minutes 11-22-04MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD REGULAR MEETING HELD AT THE SENIOR CENTER, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2004, AT 6:30 P.M. Present Betty Pierce, Chair William Orlove, Vice Chair (arr.6:40 p.m.) Margaret Murphy Betty Thomas Pamela Winters John Spannuth, Alt. Wally Majors, Recreation & Parks Director John Wildner, Guest .]ody Rivers, Parks Superintendent Absent Lisa Peterfreund Tom Williams John McVey, Alternate I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m. Attendance Chair Pierce called the roll and declared that a quorum was present. Mr. Hajors stated that Iris. Peterfreund had experienced a death in the family and that this would certainly be an excused absence. Ms. ]ody Rivers announced that she was entering her third week as the new Parks Superintendent. The Board gave Ms. Rivers a warm welcome. III, Approval of Minutes of October 25, 2004 Chair Pierce stated that on page 5, sixth paragraph, Ocean Front Park should be replaced with ]ntracoastal Park. On page 8, Chair Pierce was said to be present from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and she was actually present from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Motion Vice Chair Orlove moved to approve the subject minutes as amended. The motion was duly seconded and passed unanimously. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 22, 2004 IV. Unfinished Business A. Recreation & Open Space Element of Comprehensive Plaster Plan Mr. Majors reported that on November 17, 2004, he and .lody Rivers had spent several hours at a community workshop attended by some members of the community, representatives of the City's Planning & Zoning Division, the 1-1'S Department, the Advisory Board on Children & Youth, the Senior Advisory Board, and various staff members. The meeting was moderated by David Barth of Glatting .]ackson Kercher Anglin Lopez Rinehart, inc. (Glatting .Jackson), the firm the City engaged to provide consulting services to develop a strategic plan and update the recreation and open space element of the City's Comprehensive Plan. David Barth, Principal, Glatting .lackson Kercher Anglin Lopez Rinehart, Inc., 222 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, Florida, reviewed the highlights of the November 17 meeting. One of the goals of the workshop was to brainstorm what lifestyles would be prevalent 20 years in the future based on existing demographics. This exercise was meant to provide a basis for determining the needs of the different quadrants of the community. The next phase would be to brainstorm how those needs could be met. Four groups were established at the workshop: SW Quadrant District T, NE Quadrant District II, SE Quadrant District iii, and NW Quadrant District iV. Each group was provided with a base map and an in-depth study of its area's current demographics (provided by Hanna Matras of the Planning & Zoning Division). At the end of the day, the various groups brainstormed proposed Facilities and improvements. Mr. Barth provided a four-page summary of what he heard from each District, summarized as follows: District I - SW Quadrant, identified a need to have opportunities for social interaction outside of private communities. District 2 - NE Quadrant, identified a need to enhance existing facilities. District 3 - SE Quadrant, identified a need to retrofit the community to provide adequate open space and facilities. 2 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 22, 2004 District 4 - NW Quadrant, identified a need to meet the needs of a growing suburban community. The exercise at the workshop definitely pointed up the fact that different neighborhoods had different needs. Each group determined what it wanted to see in its district and put their ideas directly on the base maps they were provided. The consultant will now take all the information gleaned at this workshop and start putting it into maps, which will create a vision for the system. Proposed Fac~lit~es/Improvements Develop Quantum Park as a Community Park. Boynton Village/Town Center project should generate some public open space, predominantly passive. Performing arts. Meadows/Nautica Sound site to be developed as a Neighborhood Park. Greenways, bike paths along roads, canals. 50-60 acre scrub site at High Ridge/Miner Roads to be acquired for preservation, passive recreation, potential Community Center. Combination of Quantum site, scrub site, storm water retention site provides opportunity for major Community Park. City-owned land behind Boynton Mall provides opportunities for scrub protection, trailhead for C-16 canal, Neighborhood Park. Mr. Majors responded that Ms. Elizabeth Jenkins from the Senior Advisory Board had also participated in this event. Ms. Jenkins had been part of the City for nearly 60 years. Also participating was Ms. Betty Thomas, representing the Recreation & Parks Board, and Ms. Thomas was able to contribute a great deal of historical perspective to the task. Some board comments were: Consider expected school enrollment 20 years from now. The Recreation & Parks Board should be actively involved with the School Board for purposes of planning. There should be separate security for school facilities where recreational facilities are provided - over and beyond that required for the schools themselves. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 22, 2004 Coastal communities have a hard time acquiring older properties for development/redevelopment. Many of them have hundred year leases. Tn the case of condo owners, it is difficult to get the consent of every owner. Continue with Greenways/Bikeways and really connect them. "Making it better" means different things for different communities. In one, it might mean building a community center. In another it might mean renovating an existing site. Everyone acknowledged that the City was close to buildout. There were, however, many undeveloped sites and lots of opportunities to meet some needs, including the scrub site and the Quantum Park site, which were joined by a retention pond. Recreational opportunities should be provided for teens and children even in developments that are primarily for older people. Older people frequently have grandchildren with them and they need a place to go and things to do. Comm/ss/oner Bob En$1er jo/ned the rneet/ng at 7:00 p.m. Splash pools have less costly maintenance than regulation size pools and can provide a lot of entertainment value. A water park at Intracoastal Park was mentioned as being desirable to the coastal residents. There was a need for more varied programming at aquatic facilities in the City. In regard to the recent Needs Assessment, a desire for more pools was just eleventh, just under the Top Ten. It was not mentioned as a program need. It was thought that people were not aware of what aquatic programming could provide. Mr. Spannuth spoke at length on this topic. Once the enhancements are made to the Wilson Center, it is possible that a City project could provide a vehicle for enhanced aquatic programming. There are several pools in other towns that border the City of Boynton Beach. The vision was to have an aquatic facility at Wilson Center at which everyone could be comfortable. A multi-cultural challenge was faced and met at the Hester Center, and it was thought that the same thing could happen at the Wilson Center. When Glatting .lackson finishes the Parks System Map, it will be shared with the City Commission at a .]anuary 31, 2005 workshop in the Library Program Room 4 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 22, 2004 at 6:30 p.m. The Board members were invited to take part in this meeting. The Board requested an opportunity to preview the map. The Board thanked Mr. Barth for his presentation. B. Sen/or Center Mr. Majors reported that a bid should be awarded by the end of December to finish the 3,800 sq. ft. project. This will have meeting rooms, bigger bathrooms, and some program areas. The kitchen will be expanded and have new equipment. Ms. Murphy asked for information about the filming she saw taking place at the Senior Center. Mr. Majors reported that the Palm Beach Film Commission, a clearinghouse for any film in the County, contacted the City regarding a film to be shot at the Senior Center, the Woman's Club, and the Art Center. The title of the film will be The Boynton Beach Bereavement Club. It is a story about people dealing with bereavement issues starring Dyan Cannon, Joe Bologna, and Sally Kellerman. C. Congress Avenue Cornrnun/ty Park- Bound/ess P/ayground Vice Chair Orlove reported that he had attended a meeting with Commissioner Ensler and some of the homeowner associations in Commissioner Ensler's district. The Boundless Playground was on the agenda. Most people were in favor of having the Park but there were various opinions about the size it should be. Some did not want fishing or something into which children could fall. Four of the associations represented were from District I and the majority of them were against a social hall or building at the Park. When Vice Chair Orlove spoke with them individually, however, they seemed to understand that a playground for children with special needs would have to have a bathroom. Chair Orlove felt that they did not want to see the building used as someone's clubhouse or a teen center. The Boundless Committee had not scheduled another meeting to date. Vice Chair Orlove continued, saying that the next step was the formal survey, which should help in the determinations of where the equipment should be placed. Chair Pierce commented that the County hoped to see swings that could be attached to wheelchairs at this Park that could be enjoyed by all generations. She believed that this should be a priority. Also, arrangements should be made for Seeing Eye dogs. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Bovnton Beach, Florida November 22, 2004 Mr. Majors stated that the Boundless Playground representatives required that the design be done through the charrette process. The Board can play a role by echoing some of the ideas it has brought forward in the Comprehensive Plan process, especially the need for intergenerational opportunities. Mr. Majors stated that the Board was lucky to have Ms. Barbara Meacham, a certified landscape architect, because she could produce a really good conceptual design. Ms. Meacham was very involved with designing parks and playgrounds. The design would still be conceptual but it would be to scale, prepared by a professional, and provide a good point of reference for the Board to continue its work on this project. Mr. Majors and Ms. Meacham will be working on revenue streams and funding also. V. New Business A. Old Schoolhouse Vice Chair Orlove referred to an article on this topic in The Palm Beach Post the previous Monday. A viability study was being done for the City Commission, who would ultimately make a decision about the Old Schoolhouse. The area where the schoolhouse is placed is under consideration for redevelopment. There were ideas about having a civic center and ideas about putting in new structures that would make it more like the town square that had been envisioned. Mr. Orlove thought it would be important for the Board to collectively or individually attend the meeting at which the City Commission would consider the viability study. He believed that the Old Schoolhouse could be a hub of municipal and recreational activities and house a new civic center as well. Commissioner Ensler addressed this issue, saying that the Commission was supportive of having a town square and a civic center of which they could be proud. It was possible that the Old Schoolhouse could be used for the civic center, but no one had come forward with a plan and programming suggestions for the use of the space. ]~n order to commit its money, the City would want to see a plan that made sense. The plan should be one that helped to fulfill the recreational, social, and civic needs of citizens of all ages. Some ideas that had been discussed were to use the back part of the Old Schoolhouse to house the Art Center and provide additional storage for the Children's Schoolhouse Museum. This would create a need to decide what to do with the current Art Center building. 6 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 22, 2004 There were three studies going on: 1) the Civic Center, 2) the Old Schoolhouse, and 3) Recreation & Parks, but the study results had not been integrated. Commissioner Ensler thought that the Recreation & Parks Board was in the best position to come forward with a viable plan for the use of the Old Schoolhouse. Chair Pierce suggested that the people who planned the programming for the Senior Center would be ideal people to help plan what could go into the Civic Center. She thought that drawings already existed of the Old Schoolhouse. Commissioner Ensler commented that the drawings depicted building plans - not program plans, and that it was the program plans and the uses of the building that were needed in order to make a decision about the Old Schoolhouse. Vice Chair Orlove expressed the opinion that a Civic Center should be a large type of building where large-scale events could take place: a) a senior dance, b) an aerobics class, and things of that nature. The building should have space where the community could assemble in large groups for various programs. With the interest shown by the Board, Mr. Majors said he would put this item on the agenda for its next meeting. A meeting with Mr. Bressner prior to the viability study in .lanuary was recommended. The ideas of the Parks & Recreation Board for a Civic Center could be presented informally in the discussion. Based on the guidance received during this meeting, the Board could move forward. Mr. Majors stated that continuing the dialogue was the important thing and that the project was a long-term one. Chair Pierce referenced some conceptual drawings pertaining to the Town Square and the Old Schoolhouse that had been presented during a workshop recently, and asked if the Board could obtain a copy of them. Mr. ~ajors will try to bring them to the Board's next meeting. Commissioner Ensler stressed that what to do with the Old High School was a planning issue, and the decisions made about it would affect the surrounding projects for several years. Many of the projects might not come to fruition for several years, but once a plan was in place, the other projects could proceed from that. B. ~lonthly Report Ms. Winters asked to have a discussion of the beach on the next agenda. Mr. Majors commented that the replacement of the boardwalk at the beach was included in the monthly report, but that he would include it on the agenda. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Bovnton Beach, Florida November 22, 2004 Coastal Cleanup Chair Pierce commended the fraternity house team from Florida Atlantic University who had done such an outstanding job with the recent Clean Up effort, filling an entire dumpster with debris from Boat Club Park. She hoped to enlist their aid in next year's effort as well. Bathrooms at Boat Club Park The bathrooms at Boat Club Park were mentioned as an area in need of attention. Mr. Majors agreed, saying that this should be included in the Capital Tmprovement Project plans. C. Items for the City Manager's Attention A delegation from the Board will meet with Mr. Bressner to informally discuss the Town Square project. Land at Winchester Project Mr. Wildner broached the subject of the Winchester property development and a possible request from the Board to reserve some land for recreational/park use. This item will be discussed at a subsequent meeting. Chair Pierce recalled hearing at the City Commission that 15-18 acres would be a reasonable amount of land to request for this purpose. V:[. Next Meeting The December 27, 2004 meeting was cancelled. The next meeting will be on January 24, 2004 at 6:30 p.m. in the Senior Center. VII. Adjournment There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was duly adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Transcribed by: Susan Collins Recording Secretary (120304)