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PARAB Minutes 01/17/2018 - DRAFTMINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD North Collier Regional Park Naples, Florida January 17, 2018 LET IT BE REMEMBERED, the Collier County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 2:00 P.M. at North Collier Regional Park, Naples, FL, with the following members present: CHAIRMAN: Mr. Edward "Ski" Olesky VICE-CHAIRMAN: Mr. Phil Brougham Mr. John Fuchs, Advisory Board Member Ms. Mary Bills, Advisory Board Member Ms. Rebecca Gibson-Laemel, Advisory Board Member ALSO PRESENT: Ms. Donna Fiala, Collier County Commissioner, District 1 Mr. Barry Williams, Division Director, Parks and Recreation Ms. Jeanine McPherson, Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation Miguel Rojas, Jr., Administrative Assistant, Parks and Recreation Mr. Dane Atkinson, Project Manager, Facilities Management Margaret Bishop, Principle Project Manager, Facilities Capital Construction Ms. Olema Edwards, Regional Manager, Parks and Recreation Ms. Felicia Kirby, Associate Project Manager, Facilities Capital Construction Mr. Jim Morton, Senior Project Manager Ms. Ann Sancho, Volunteer Coordinator Ms. Ilonka Washburn, Operations Manager, Parks and Recreation Page 1 I. Call to Order Mr. Brougham called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m. II. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. III. Approval of the Agenda Mr. Fuchs entered a motion to approve the January 17, 2018 meeting agenda as presented. Ms. Bills seconded the motion. Chairman Olesky was not present for the vote. All members present were in favor. The motion was carried. IV. Approval of the Minutes Ms. Bills entered a motion to approve the December 20, 2017 meeting minutes. The motion was seconded by Ms. Gibson-Laemel. Chairman Olesky was not present for the vote. All members present were in favor. The motion was carried. V. Capital Projects Update - Ms. Margaret Bishop +Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park - 30% design plans have been approved and the project continues to move forward. +East Naples Community Park - The engineering estimate for construction of 10 additional pickleball courts was over $250K, necessitating presentation to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) on January 22, 2018 for an additional funding request. Despite delays in completion of design, the project is anticipated to be completed prior to the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship scheduled to begin on April 21, 2018. Question: Has the overall redesign of East Naples Community Park been completed? Answer: A draft of a concept plan has been completed; however, immediate efforts are being placed on readiness for the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship in April 2018. Mr. Brougham summarized the Advisory Board’s request for a complete redesign of East Naples Community Park to meet both the needs of pickleball enthusiasts, as well as of the local community. Commissioner Fiala stated the importance of addressing the needs of all members of the community, noting the limited places where children may con gregate to safely play. Mr. Brougham also noted plans for redesign of Eagle Lakes Community Park, in addition to the new aquatic center presently under construction. Per Ms. Bishop, a work order has been generated for a local engineering firm to conduct a traffic study to address anticipated increased traffic and parking needs related to the new aquatic center, which will in turn direct possible design options for expansion in other areas of the park. Mr. Brougham expressed the necessity for continued assessment of community needs in conjunction with the limitations of wetlands and available parking which must be considered during the master planning process for existing and future parks. Page 2 VI. New Business a. Eagle Lakes Community Park Update Mr. Williams introduced Mr. Jim Morton, Senior Project Manager working on the Eagle Lakes Aquatic Center project. Mr. Morton will be taking the Advisory Board members on a tour of the aquatic center immediately following the meeting and provided an update as to current status of the project, as well as highlighted some of the features planned. Four different pools will be installed, including a unique lap pool which spans 25 yards in one direction and 25 meters in the opposite direction in order to accommodate both English and European metric competition, a large family pool which starts at 0 elevation and progresses to 4.5 feet deep, and will include multiple water features, a kiddie wading pool that starts at 0 elevation, reaching a depth of 9 inches and surrounded by a chain link fence for safety, as well as two water slides; one enclosed slide and one open slide. Four structures are planned; the main entrance building, which will house the locker rooms and showers, as well as a vending room. The second structure is the lifeguard building, which will contain large windows overlooking the deck. The third structure will house all of the maintenance equipment, with the fourth building being a large shade structure. 24 smaller shade structures are planned to be placed around the pool area. Roofing is presently being installed on all of these structures. Question: Is May 2018 still the anticipated completion date for the aquatic center? Answer: Ms. Bishop stated a 21 day contractual delay had been granted to the contractor due to some structural damage sustained, as well as weeks of loss of electricity following Hurricane Irma. Mr. Morton commended DEC Contracting, the contractor for the aquatic center, for their excellent communication, and commitment to quality and on-time completion of the project. b. Clam Pass Beach Boardwalk Grant – Ms. Felicia Kirby Ms. Kirby addressed the Advisory Board for approval of an out of cycle grant request to the Tourist Development Council for $140K in additional funding for construction of an 8 foot privacy wall between Clam Pass Park and the neighboring Seagate residential community. The scope of the initial project has changed, necessitating the need for the out of cycle grant request. The privacy wall is being constructed as a good faith gesture to the neighboring residential community. Question: Is there a possibility that the 8 foot wall would not be approved by the City of Naples? Answer: The wall will be built on land governed by Pelican Bay Covenants, and is County property. Page 3 Mr. Brougham entered a motion to approve the out of cycle funding request to the Tourist Development Council in the amount of $140,000 to be used towards the construction of an 8 foot privacy wall between Clam Pass Park and the Seagate residential community. Ms. Bills seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion was approved. Question: May a request be made of the Naples Grande Beach Resort to assist with funding of this project? Answer: Mr. Williams noted that the hotel has documented their already substantial contribution, namely in offering a tram service, as well as TDC revenue generated by the State bed tax. c. Rural Lands West Community Park Mr. Pat Utter, Vice President with Collier Enterprises gave a presentation on plans for a new community in eastern Collier County known as Rural Lands West, with plans to work closely with the Parks Division to construct a 46 acre community park in the future. The property is located approximately 5 miles east of Ave Maria, with entitlement requests of 10,000 residential units and roughly 2 million square feet of commercial usage. This parcel is located within a Rural Lands Stewardship area, which encompasses a 200,000 acre zoning district. This is also a transfer of development rights area, with 3 acres set aside for preservation per 1 acre of developed land; in this case, approximately 12,500 acres. The land to be developed is largely farm land, with these farms expected to be located more easterly. This project includes the creation of a watershed corridor and panther preservation area. The community park is planned to be available for Collier resident use, with funding assistance anticipated from impact fees. The park will be located approximately 4 miles away from the Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park and is intended to be built as a smaller complementary park. Question: Is this planned to be a gated community? Answer: There may be gated enclaves within the community; however the entire community will not be gated. Question: Are there golf courses planned for this community? Answer: Up to two golf courses are planned over the life of the project, dependent upon developer interest. Question: Do the lakes depicted on the design presently exist or are they planned to be manmade? Answer: The property is presently active agricultural farm land, with no existing water features. All ponds and lakes on the property will be manmade. A public pathway is planned around the lake, which will offer a 3 mile multiuse trail. A pier and water access is also planned to accommodate fishing, kayaking, sailboats, etc. Page 4 Question: Will there be bike trails in this community? Answer: The trail around the lake is planned as a 10-12 feet wide multiuse trail to accommodate walkers and bikers. Homes are anticipated to range between $200K and $450K; similar to price points at Ave Maria. Market analysis has suggested that 73% of homeowners will be 55+, with plans to skew activities towards that age group, including an emphasis on pickleball courts. Question: Is a community center planned for this community? Answer: Builders incorporate clubhouses within each community, which affords meeting space in those areas; however, as the park will be open to the public, it is possible a community center may be included, dependent upon funding. There was a concern that individuals from surrounding areas may not be willing to travel to the park, however it was pointed out that this is a 25 year plan, with significant growth anticipated over the next 30 years. The park will be completed in phases, allowing for adjustments to be made dependent upon current trends, with some flexibility to address needs deficits identified at the nearby regional park. A trailer is presently onsite and small group outreach meetings are planned to keep the public informed as to plans for the Rural Lands West project. d. Ivy Fest 2018 Alcohol Permissions Mr. Peter Vale addressed the Advisory Board to request permission to serve alcohol during the upcoming Ivy Fest 2018 at Sugden Regional Park on Sunday, March 25, 2018 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Ivy Fest is an annual gathering of local alumni of the eight Ivy League universities, with this year’s event hosted by Harvard alumni. Beer will be provided by Naples Beach Brewery and is the only type of alcohol which will be available for sale. Approximately 250 attendees are expected. Mr. Williams added that Parks Staff will ensure that all security requirements for the event are met. Mr. Brougham entered a motion to approve the request to allow the sale of alcohol during Ivy Fest on March 25, 2018 between the hours of 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Ms. Bills seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion was carried. e. Volunteer Impact Report Ms. Ilonka Washburn and Ms. Ann Sancho provided an overview of the volunteer program summary which is compiled on a yearly basis. Almost 27,000 total volunteer hours were logged at a savings to the County of $643,288.27. Volunteer recognition is scheduled for March 24, 2018, which is an opportunity to thank those outstanding individuals who volunteer their time and share their talents. Outstanding volunteers are nominated by Parks staff. It was noted that individuals seeking to volunteer 10 or more hours must clear an online background check and be fully vetted. Mr. Williams thanked Advisory Board members for their own volunteer time, including Chairman Olesky, who was recognized for his work as Santa Claus each holiday season. Page 5 VII. Adopt A Park Paddlecraft Park (Mr. Brougham) – Concern was expressed at the presence of debilitated vessels anchored at the park and it was questioned as to when they would be removed. Mr. Williams stated that following Hurricane Irma, Florida Fish & Wildlife is seeking permission to store these vessels at this location in order to keep the waterways clear. This issue will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners for their consideration. A further recommendation was made by Mr. Brougham to power wash or repaint the park benches at this location. Mr. Dane Atkinson stated that specialized project management crews are attending to maintenance issues at various park locations, with Golden Gate Community Center presently being refurbished. Mr. Williams noted that the Paddlecraft Park will be added to the maintenance team project list. Question: How are park locations prioritized on the project management list? Answer: Locations are prioritized by Parks Staff. Mr. Brougham requested a copy of the priority list be shared with Advisory Board members at the next meeting. VIII. Directors Highlights Mr. Williams introduced Ms. Olema Edwards to the Advisory Board, who reported that Mr. Eric Garcia, Athletic Supervisor, has been recognized by the County as Supervisor of the Year. IX. Public/Board Comments +Mr. Brougham inquired as to the current status of the master planning process, inclusive of focus group feedback, etc. Ms. McPherson stated that the process remains in the data collection stage, attempting to elicit as much community feedback as possible. An extension to the master planning deadline has been given until June 1 in order to allow for adequate data analysis. Community focus groups are presently underway and public surveys are also available to be completed online at the Parks website and Facebook page, as well as at IPad kiosks at participating parks. Commissioner Fiala expressed concern that some demographics are less likely to respond to surveys or participate in focus groups. Ms. McPherson stated that the survey is also offered in Spanish and that Staff would be encouraged to solicit the opinions of park goers. Ms. Gibson-Laemel suggested that volunteers could also assist in this effort as well. +Ms. McPherson reported that the Immokalee Community Center was being opened to the public as a warming shelter overnight due to the extremely low temperatures anticipated. Page 6 X. Adjournment There being no further business for the good of the County, the meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 3:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board _______________________________ Edward “Ski” Olesky, Chairman These minutes approved by the Board/Committee on __________ as presented, or as amended __________. Page 7