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Minutes 04-20-22 Public Input CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH RECREATION&PARKS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING PUBLIC INPUT 100 E. Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach hA)p April 20, 2022, 5:30 p.m. PRESENTERS: GUESTS: Kacy Young, Director of Recreation and Parks Emily O'Mahoney, Partner, 2GHO Gary Dunmyer, City Engineer George Gentile, Senior Partner, 2GHO Carla Blair, Recording Secretary, Prototype-Inc. OPENING AND INTRODUCTIONS Mr. Dunmyer introduced himself as the City Engineer and discussed the rules for the public to follow when speaking. The public has three minutes to speak, and comments must be related to the subject. Virtual attendees must raise their virtual hand. Live speakers will be heard first. Mr. Dunmyer introduced George Gentile and Emily O'Mahoney, with 2GHO, presenters. ECO PARK PRESENTATION George Gentile, Senior Partner with 2GHO, provided a brief background history, funding, Master Plan, schedule, and questions involved with the park. Many years back, funding was important for the City, so they did a Master Plan, Phase 1, as well as a Master Plan for the future. He discussed the schedule and reviewed presentation boards in the back of Chambers. Emily O'Mahoney, Partner with 2GHO, is a passionate landscape architect. She has worked on many County Parks with Mr. Gentile and sits on the Environmental Task Force for Jupiter. She introduced the team and provided background information on each, Jacob Reyes, Eco-Artist, Glenn Weiss, Boynton Beach Public Art Manager, and Rebecca Harvey, Boynton Beach Sustainability Coordinator. Kacy Young, Director of Recreation and Parks, stated they have been working hard with the development of Eco Park. His first take was working on the Recreational Trails Grant and hopefully the funding will assist in developing this park. Mr. Gentile and Ms. O'Mahoney provided a brief Power Point Presentation as follows: Ms. O'Mahoney reviewed the background history of Quantum Park, which is a DRI that was approved prior to the year 2000. They are going with findings from the January 27, 2022, Workshop. The theme of this park is comprised of three parcels; preservation of natural ecosystems with citizen access, which was the majority ruling of people who attended the Workshop. That means this is a much more passive park with a minimum disruption of the native Flora and Fauna; it should have education components, trail enhancements, and security. Some of the high elements of the Plan would be security, infrastructure, exotic species removal, enhanced ADA or an enhanced viewing area, Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Special Public Input Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida April 20, 2022 elevated boardwalk in the wetland, major integrated public art, observation tower, and a bike line between Miner Road and quantum Park. Medium findings were parking off Miner Road, restroom facilities, lake and canal access, non-motorized, educational amenities and signage, natural classrooms, native animal recovery facility, canoe and kayak lodge, and natural shade structures. Funding for Phase 1 is $400,000 from the Grant and a $400,000 match from the Quantum Overlay District, which will start development of the park. Mr. Gentile indicated a good portion of funding will be for exotic removal. There is a tremendous number of exotics in the west portion, and the City has taken the position to get the seed source and problem materials out of the area, so they do not impact the Preserve area in the eastern portion of the property. They will be working with the City as part of Phase 1. Ms. O'Mahoney reviewed the Master Plan for Phase 1 and indicated the priorities are to protect the Native Pine Preserve; restoration of the wetlands and uplands, which are not part of the Preserve, security, and inclusivity. As part of the $800,000, they think they can do the existing parking lot and add a split rail fence, which will protect the Preserve from vehicles entering. In addition, they will make sure the entire park is surrounded by a chain link fence that is secured at night, so this will be non-accessible at night. There will be an accessible route; one route through the Preserve area, coming back to the concrete walk that runs along the parking lot, and then a concrete or asphalt trail, which will go all the way to Miner Road and across the site. A mitigation littoral zone will be added on the northeast corner of Lake 8, which will go to an area with hardened grass that a car can be pulled onto. Phase 1 is going to allow access via vehicle, but it will not be a formal parking lot, and it will also be surrounded by a split rail fence. Mr. Gentile mentioned the FOP property and the cell tower are wrapped and there is an existing paved area. Ms. O'Mahoney stated two chickee huts will be along the trail. Mr. Gentile noted those huts will be in the restoration to the west. Ms. O'Mahoney mentioned tree canopy and stated it is undesirable; they will be starting fresh, and it will look like a restoration project. They are going to bring back some meadows and hard woods. The same with the wetland area; it has been overgrown. Once the area is restored, they will have to maintain it until it establishes some equilibrium, so it will have to be budgeted. The Nature Preserve has a lot of diversity and there are a lot of flowers. Mr. Reyes will be the Eco-Artist and he will help celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of the property, interpret the Pine Preserve Flora and Fauna, and expose the process of restoration and mitigation of landscape on the west side. Signage will be turned into an art form. Introduction of the park will be at the two ends, but overall, on the Master Plan, they want to do this throughout the Preserve area, to put in educational pieces people are looking at or what they can find. 2 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Special Public Input Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida April 20, 2022 Mr. Gentile advised there will be plant materials. Mr. Reyes will look at entryways where they are considering doing something in the walkways that are an icon to the park. Ms. O'Mahoney mentioned when concrete walks are poured something will be embedded that makes sense, whether it is vegetation or footprints from animals. Ms. O'Mahoney referenced the Overall Master Plan. Currently, there is a lot of trails, which might be left as sand trails, in which they will interpret along the way with the Eco- Art. Mr. Gentile stated they will all be secured, so no vehicles can get on the trails or interfere with nighttime activities in the area. Ms. O'Mahoney indicated they would like to see a trail system developed through the restoration area, adding more chickee huts, and the potential to do a canoe kayak lodge into the canal, so it would provide a functional paved parking lot with a restroom and a group pavilion. There is no way a dock can be placed in the canal to do a canoe kayak lodge. They are looking at possibly carving out a little, so they can slope a dock, so the work they do will not interrupt the flow of the canal. It would mean they would take a maintenance easement all around that area, but the maintenance has been identified for the bike trail. It has always been a City goal to move in that direction. Mr. Gentile advised the Lake Worth Inlet District is reviewing the Plan and they might be able to work with them, but they were not sure. This is a Master Plan, so it could change or be modified to the City's advantage. There are rules and regulations on their canals, which must be adhered to. Ms. O'Mahoney mentioned the boardwalk into the wetland, since it came up as one of the priorities during the Workshop. Mr. Gentile provided an overview of the schedule. They are looking at completion of the Phase 1 design by January 2023. Bidding and Procurement takes about four months, and their hope is to start the Phase 1 project in June 2023. They anticipate about nine months for completion, which includes the invasive plan removal. AUDIENCE Susan Oier, 140 SE 27th Way, attended the Charette online and noted the numbers are not accurate. She is against the kayaks because she thinks the area should be preserved and kept as native as possible. Her big issue is that they are grossly under the green space allotment; they are supposed to have 2.5 acres for every 1,000 people and they do not come anywhere close. She thinks something should be around the perimeter, but nothing should be allowed in the middle; it should be prohibited. No one should be allowed 3 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Special Public Input Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida April 20, 2022 in the interior, that area is for the animals and plants. She suggested getting rid of the exotics, putting in more natives, and add more trees. Mr. Gentile stated the kayak was brought up at the Workshop and they might not be able to do that because of restrictions on the canal. They will take her comments and work with staff as they go through everything. Evelyn Walker, 3101 North Evergreen, expressed concern regarding traffic coming from Congress Avenue going through Quantum to the park. If traffic comes through Gateway, it will not affect them as much. There is speeding and noise from large trucks because of the new building and people do not want anymore traffic coming through the area. As far as the kayaks, she thinks that will cause traffic. Ms. O'Mahoney indicated the kayaks would be accessed off Miner Road, not through the community. The intent was not a set aside for nature, they involved the human element, but it is very passive and minor. Ms. Walker mentioned an entrance on Quantum and questioned if there would be another entrance on Miner Road. She asked where the main entrance would be located and if there would be speed bumps to slow down traffic. Ms. O'Mahoney stated drivers can currently enter off Quantum Boulevard into a parking lot. The proposed entrance off Miner Road would be where the kayaks would be accessed, and the primary entrance would be with the existing parking lot. Mr. Gentile advised Miner Road would be a secondary entrance, which would have a small parking area and a pedestrian entrance into the area. Mr. Dunmyer indicated there will be two speed bumps. Ms. Walker commented there are currently speed bumps going into the parking lot, but she was talking about coming from Congress Avenue to Quantum Boulevard. She thinks something will be needed to slow down traffic. Ms. O'Mahoney reiterated it is a passive park and there is not a high utilization rate. Currenting, the parking lot is primarily used due to solving situations with the businesses. They do not anticipate the full parking lot being used for the park. Julie Mondello, 122 Lancaster Road, asked if any lights will be added along Miner Road, which she understands is currently dark. Ms. O'Mahoney stated the plan for the park is to be locked at night; that is why they are installing a chain link fence all around it, so there is no access. 4 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Special Public Input Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida April 20, 2022 Mr. Dunmyer stated earlier this year, FP&L completed a project at their request, so streetlights have been installed along Miner Road. Mike Fitzpatrick, 175 SW 2nd Street, clarified there is no vehicular traffic between Miner Road and Quantum, the only way to get to one or the other is by bike or walking. Ms. O"Mahoney replied that is correct. Mr. Fitzpatrick expressed concern with splitting the Nature Preserve, which he understands will be concrete. Ms. O'Mahoney stated that is to be determined. There will be concrete, but there is a crushed Cocina that is used by DEP and allowed on dunes, which is pervious and compactable enough that it allows accessibility and that is what they would prefer. Mr. Fitzpatrick commented he would prefer that, if it is concrete there is a four-inch lip and Gopher tortoises will scratch their shells. He questioned an estimate as to how much would have to be budgeted on a yearly basis to keep exotics from returning. Ms. O'Mahoney stated that was reviewed many years ago, but it needs to be updated. They are currently looking at clearing costs. Mr. Gentile indicated as costs are developed, that information will be provided to the City. Barbara Ready, 34001 Baez Bay, asked how concrete will be poured into the middle of the Preserve. Ms. O'Mahoney used the map to show how the concrete would be poured. Concrete is the least intrusive to the ecosystem. She did not know about tortoises going over them, but as far as how it is installed, it does not have as much impact. They want something softer through the middle of the Preserve area and done between Quantum and Miner Road. Ms. Ready understands the concrete sidewalk is beneficial for ADA. She saw something on the list about an animal recovery center and asked what that is supposed to be. Ms. O'Mahoney stated that was in the findings, but it is not part of the Master Plan. It was an idea thrown out during the Workshop. Ms. Ready questioned where the restrooms and parking are located on the map. Ms. O'Mahoney showed the entry off Miner Road into a parking lot, the restrooms, and the existing FOP Lodge and tower. She also showed where the chain link will go all the way around, which will happen in Phase 1, so the park is secure. 5 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Special Public Input Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida April 20, 2022 Lisa Handley, 175 SW 2nd Street, was present on behalf of the Sierra Club, as their Public Lands Issue Chair. She stated the DRI started in 1984. The Sierra Club as been involved with the Preserve at Quantum since 1988, and they are the reason there is an existing chain link fence. There is currently ongoing off-road vehicle traffic, and she hopes something could quickly be placed where the fence used to protect the southern edge of the Preserve; there are endangered species close to the trails. She asked if an updated Environmental Assessment was going to be conducted of what is currently in the Preserve before clearing. There are immature Gopher tortoise burrows in the area that are overrun with exotics. She noted there is a lot of invasive Alamanda especially in the southern end and in the area next to the lake. She commented that the Environmental Resource Management Plan has hard concrete trails because they agree it is the least intrusive; it does not affect the soil PH and it protects the environment of the sand scrub, which the Sierra Club is fine with. Ms. Mahoney asked if they have had any experience with other materials mentioned because it has mostly been used on dunes. Ms. Handley stated they would prefer the interior of the Preserve remain as sand trails. She stated there are areas people should not walk in certain areas, so they can recover from off-road vehicles. Those areas should be blocked with down trees, etc. Ms. Mahoney indicated that would be explored. Ms. Handley asked how people will get through the existing fence if a hard path is placed through the center of the Preserve. Mr. Gentile advised there would be a pedestrian gate only, which can be done two ways; it can be a monitored entrance gate, or they would do a pass thru gate that does not allow vehicles to go through, which is referred to as a restrictive gate. The gate could be a loop thru gate where people go in and out or they come out the other way, so there is no vehicle, and a vehicle cannot turn in it; it is a pedestrian connection. Ms. Mahoney commented most of that would be the split rail fence; the chain link fence is used on the total perimeter, and it would block out people. Ms. Handley noted the split rail would be to keep the off-road vehicles out. The Sierra Club has been working with the City on the Preserve at Galaxy Park and they are aware of the cost. She did not think the public was aware of how many hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars it will cost. Ernest Mignoli, 710 NE 7t" Street, Unit 407, Boynton Beach, mentioned high density urbanization, which is driven by municipal governments, and the belief that parks must be provided with stages, entertainment, trucks with drinks, etc., and then the area starts 6 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Special Public Input Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida April 20, 2022 loading up with traffic. He noticed at these meetings that no none is paying attention to the fact the more they start moving around natural habitats, take away green things, put in cement, start Master Plans, and then, suddenly, a Commissioner or Mayor says that was done years ago and they want to change it. He does not think this is ever going to stop, he believes Boynton Beach is finished and that they are going to end up like every other crowded, high density, high traffic, high smog, high pollution, place and that all natural things will die. He questioned where the animals are going to go; there is no room. ZOOM SPEAKERS Vice Mayor Angela Cruz indicated she was here to listen to the community input. Charles Kantor commented there is a serious change in the parking lot and questioned if there is overflow parking for NYU. The main entrance was supposed to be made in collaboration with the FOP on Miner Road where there is a parking lot with lights that are on all night. He mentioned a design with a cantilever truck over the breakwater on the canal. Mr. Dunmyer advised City staff is looking into the lights in the parking lot and they are going to install a timer on them. He noted the FOP building is not City owned or maintained. PUBLIC AUDIENCE Mike Fitzpatrick, 175 SW 2nd Street, stated that the entrance between the Nature Preserve and the walking entrance and how to block it off were previously mentioned. Two ways were noted, one of which was monitoring, and he questioned if there would be 24-hour cameras. Mr. Gentile indicated he was talking about a monitored gate where the gate is closed at night and is part of the closure of the entire park. The gate does not need to be closed because it will be secured all the way around and the outside gates will prevent people from going through. To ensure if any kind of vehicle were to breech the fencing, a walkaround is put in the fencing, so only one or two people can walk around the curve; the walkway would not allow a vehicle or bike to be brought through there. That will be a hard surface and some of the maintenance people will be coming through there to the cell tower. Mr. Fitzpatrick questioned if closed circuit TV is common for parks. Mr. Gentile stated they are used in some locations, and it is something to consider; it is a funding item. It reduces personnel and there are some good positive things to it. 7 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Special Public Input Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida April 20, 2022 Mr. Fitzpatrick commented that he goes to the Seacrest Scrub quite a bit and sees several young women walking with large dogs, which is scares everything else away. Mr. Gentile indicated that is a good point and it is being discussed. Lisa Handley, 175 SW 2nd Street, questioned if there were plans for an updated count for Gopher tortoises since so many were removed from the Preserve to build the parking lot. The tortoises in the City Park could be moved back into the Preserve, especially if areas were hydro-chopped to clear out a lot of the overgrown native. Ms. O'Mahoney mentioned tortoises were observed in the City Park area and they would have to be identified. Mr. Gentile advised it would have to be part of the bidding process and either the Contractor or whoever does the park construction of Phase 1 would have to provide evidence from an Environmental Consultant. Ms. Handley indicated the Sierra Club would like to request consideration be given to keeping the tortoises on site and not in Okeechobee. Ms. O'Mahoney agreed. Mr. Gentile thanked everyone for attending. They are going to discuss all comments with staff, and they are trying to get things done by the end of the year. The goal is to make the park useable for trails, to preserve the Eco portion of this site, and get rid of the exotics. Adjournment With no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:33 p.m. [Minutes transcribed by C. Guifarro, Prototype, Inc.] 8