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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 11-07-2007 ~(2J¿A~ ST. LUCIE COUNTY RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING ) 4 f 6<l November 7, 2007 ~ Roger Poitras Building, Conference Room 3 '/-( D 2300 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL ~ Chair, Brad Keen noted that a quorum was present and called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Roll Call: Members Present: Brad Keen, Gabriele Klaesen, Eric Martin, Albie Scoggins, Chester Woulard (late) Members Absent: Rick Gosser (excused) Staff Present: Debra Brisson, Linda Barton It was noted for the record that Vice Chair, Kurt Holden, resigned as a member of the Board in September 2007. Adoption of Minutes: Brad asked for a motion to approve the mïnutes of the September 12, 2007 meeting. Albie made a motion to approve the minutes, Erik secopded, all in favor, motion carried. New Business: EAR (Evaluation and Ar:mraisal Report) - Sf. Lucie County Comprehensive Plan - Parks & Recreation: Brad said he had been notified by Debra that the County's Comp Plan was bein~ reviewed and that a meeting for input for advisory boards had been scheduled for November 131 at 6:00 p.m. Debra said this would be an opportune time for the RAB to be involved in discussions of future planning. Brad explained that the County bases levels of service requirements for recreation on acreage. He said the County has had an aggressive program to acquire environmentally sensitive lands and that ESL acreage is also being used to satisfy the recreation requirements of the plan. Brad said this skews the picture because the plan does not differentiate between passive and active recreation acreage and he thinks they should be separated. He added that he applauds the County's efforts to set aside environmentally sensitive lands and hopes that it will continue but would like to see more active recreational programs developed as well. Brad asked Debra her opinion on the best way to modify the plan to help the P&R Department. Debra read a memo that she sent to the director of Growth Management (see attached). She outlined 4 areas that she thought needed work: 1) the need for additional active recreational areas to meet the needs of an expanding multi-cultural population, the aging of baby boomers, the increasing wellness movement and environmental and economic trends, and providing proper levels of service; 2) the original definitions for neighborhood, community and regional parks and passive and active recreation are poor and do not reflect what exists today; 3) concern about city/county functions and the need for acknowledging that the County provides municipal recreational facilities and programs for the residents of Fort Pierce; and 4) the 2002 Glatting Jackson Community Parks Master Plan should be reflected in the up' ~1J\Vl!ê:1 Comprehensive Plan that was adopted in 1990. -. . - JAN 0 4 2008 CO. ADMIN. OFFICE The memo that was sent out says the purpose of the EAR is to look back over the last 7 years, evaluate how well the Comp Plan is serving SLC, and provide an opportunity to discuss current major issues. Debra said she was under the impression that Growth Management sent this memo to each RAB member with the meeting notice. Debra concurred with the major issue as outlined by Brad including that the County doesn't have a defined level of service for active recreation. Linda said the County is buying even more environmental lands which would increase the discrepancy and Brad said we would then get further behind in active recreation lands. Debra said it was important to understand that this is only the beginning of the process, that the first step is to identify the issues, which will be followed by meetings for additional discussions, and then public meetings will take place to transmit any changes. She said the Comp Plan is an important document for future planning because it indicates where the County is headed and what we will be doing. Brad asked about the position of County administration and elected officials on existing level of service issues in regard to the Comprehensive Plan. Debra responded that she has confined her role is to serve as an advocate for her profession in assessing the needs of P&R in SLC, through working with the RAB and staff, and conveying her assessments and findings to the policy makers. Debra asked RAB members if they would like to consider any or all of the issues she has identified as a measure to start with. She pointed out that the 2002 Glatting Jackson Master Plan calls for annual updates but none have been completed. Debra said that she is working with Glatting Jackson to get a proposal to update the 2002 plan. There was additional discussion about requirements for ESL land and the existing park lands level of services of 10 acres per 1000 residents. Brad said the level of service should be based on specific need/element, not acreage. He said future development demands that the County provide more facilities. A discussion followed about the role of developers in providing green space. Debbie said a lot has been accomplished - Lawnwood stadium renovation, track & field renovations, new soccer fields, new playground, the future skate park and gymnasium; Lakewood Park Regional Park; Ilous Ellis pool and covered basketball courts; Elks Park renovation; Dreamland Park plan; Pepper Park restroom, tennis and basketball court resurfacing; and the new splash pad addition to Ravenswood pool. The County will need to be able to continue to build regional parks in SLC to meet a growing and diverse population. Debra reminded everyone that the EAR meeting for Advisory Boards was scheduled for 11/13 and that the Board might want to have representation at the meeting to discuss concerns about levels of service and providing for active recreational land as well as passive land. Brad said he would plan to be at the meeting but may arrive late due to a conflicting obligation. Albie said he would attend as well. Brad asked the Board for their comments and positions they would like him to take on their behalf. Albie suggested that ESL be separated from active acreage and that the Master Plan be updated to 2007 levels with needs projected 5, 10 or even 20 years out. He added that the active acreage level of services has to be incorporated into the County Comp Plan. Albie said that even with the recent improvements and expansions funded by the Park Referendum Capital Improvements, facilities are stretched to capacity. P&R will suffer from a funding standpoint if compliance is met through ESL acreage. Erik stated that he is an advocate for ESL but recognizes the need for active recreation land. He endorsed incorporating the Glatting Jackson plan into the Comp Plan to help achieve that goal. Debra said she would make 2 copies of the Master Plan available to RAB members. Erik encouraged P&R to pay attention to greenways and trails and eco-tourism and to make passive recreation an integral part of the department, to appeal to the diversity of the community. Debra pointed out that ESL and P&R have collaborated successfully on the Lakewood Park Regional Park and Weldon B. Lewis Park projects. She noted that meetings have been taking place with P&R, ESL & Mosquito Control to provide a total package, using mutual marketing, etc. Brad said that for the record he is a staunch proponent of the ESL program. It has been a wonderful program, acquiring several thousand acres of land in SLC to preserve for future generations to enjoy and he would like this program to continue for the benefit of the citizens of the county. Brad reviewed his understanding of the board's consensus that while in no way do they wish to diminish or lessen the importance of the ESL program and would continue to support its directives, they would like to see the level of service acreage separated between ESL lands and active recreation acreage for the revised Comp Plan. Erik said he did not think it was appropriate to use acreage to calculate level of service for the active recreational lands and suggested using elements/facilities as listed in the GJ plan. He also agreed that land should be purchased now for future active recreation areas. Gabriele said we should not have to go to neighboring counties to find amenities that improve quality of life. Brad said we have substantial active recreational needs so we need to separate the acreage component, purchase more active recreational lands, and acknowledge that we need to build additional facilities. Old Business Youth Sports Provider Policy Update - on 10/16/07 the BOCC approved Youth Travel Teams to use our facilities for practices. There will be no fee for the fields, but here will be a charge for lights and toumament play. Teams must meet the 90/1O-rule. USSSA is now playing at Elks Park. The field dimensions are working but that may change in the spring. Capital Improvements Update: The bids for the skate park will be opened on Tuesday. The land has been cleared. The Special Needs Shelter is on schedule and a lot of recreational programming is being planned for it. There will be a lot of multi-use opportunities that it would be conducive to. Debra said it is massive and she has some concerns about staffing. Ravenswood Pool Splash Pad - Still waiting for a permit from PSL and the contractor is ready to begin. Fairgrounds office, and concession/restroom buildings are moving forward. Ilous Ellis Basketball Cover is on schedule to be completed in February. Lakewood Park Regional Park - Finishing punch list items. The County is ready to move forward with bleachers & locker rooms for South County Regional Stadium as soon as litigation is settled with City ofPSL. The new maintenance building at Lawnwood should be ready within 30 days and we will be looking at additional restrooms for baseball and soccer. 3 Albie asked Brad to add to his presentation at the hearing on November 13th that funding is made available for the next phase of the master plan. Mr. W oulard asked about the gymnasium surface in the special needs building. Debra described the pulastic flooring that will be used. He asked if the gymnasium would be available to the high schools. Debra said that the high schools have gymnasiums and the primary focus of our facility will be recreational programming, i.e., summer camps, sports camps, etc. and community programs. The next meeting will take place on January 16th. Albie made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Eric, all in favor, motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Submitted by, '" ~Jy~t¡þ, ~ ~ara Heck 4 Parks & Recreation Department 2300 Virginia Avenue Ft. Pierce, FL 34982 MEMORANDUM DATE: October 19, 2007 TO: Mark Saterlee, Director of Growth Management FROM: Debbie Brisson, Director RE: Parks & Recreation EAR Issues Due to the rapid growth experienced in S1. Lucie County over the past decade and the changing demographics and increased cultural diversity, it is the appropriate time for a comprehensive review of the data and analysis and levels of service standards identified in St. Lucie County's comprehensive plan. Below are items for consideration D Levels of Service - The current LOS standard based on general park acreage per 1,000 population is generally recognized as deficient in today's recreation and open space environment. SLC needs to look at new standards ( including open green space "passive", active and facilities) which allow for the community to arrive at its own unique blueprint taking into consideration SLC's changing multi-cultural population, the aging of baby boomers, the increasing wellness movement, and environmental and economic trends. D Definitions: Review and revise definitions of neighborhood, community and regional parks and passive and active recreation. D County and municipal functions: SLC currently provides traditional municipal recreational facilities and programming for the residents of Fort Pierce. D Utilize Glatting Jackson Community Parks System Master Plan, March 2002 Please advise if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to working with you and your staff during this process.