HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/13/2011 Work SessionCity of Springfield
Work Session Meeting
MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011
The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth
Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, June 13, 2011 at 5:30 p.m., with Mayor Lundberg presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors Pishioneri, VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Ralston, and
Woodrow. Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi, Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City
Attorney Joe Leahy, City Recorder Amy Sowa, and members of the staff.
Mayor Lundberg said the items scheduled would be switched for tonight's meeting.
1. Downtown. Circulation Study Update.
Senior Management Analyst Courtney Griesel presented the staff report on this item. City staff had
been working to progress the adopted 2010 Springfield Downtown District Urban Design Plan by
moving forward with the Plan recommendation to convert both Main and South A Street from one-
way to two-way traffic operations. Prior to implementing the plan recommendation; staff intended to
analyze the feasibility and cost of a two-way traffic pattern. In early 2011 staff began the process to
scope the Downtown Circulation analysis work with the transportation engineering and planning firm
Kittelson & Associate, Inc. It was staff's intent to update Council on the status and intent to work
with Kittelson & Associates and to confirm Council's direction for staff to begin formal analysis work
on the Downtown Circulation study as recommended by the Downtown Revitalization Plan.
As currently outlined and recommended, the total not to exceed amount to perform the feasibility
analysis of a South A and Main Street conversion (Project) was $137,000. As outlined in the Kittelson
& Associates Memorandum (Attachment 2 of the agenda packet) and the Project Timeline
(Attachment 3 of the agenda packet),. analysis would include public engagement, stakeholder
interviews, policy review, alternative development and analysis, alternative recommendation, and a
phasing plan. Bringing the public into the process early and throughout the process was planned for
the best outcome. Staff anticipated the work to take place over a 3 to 6 month time frame. The goal
was to provide Council with reports throughout the process.
The Project was funded with up to $120,000 in Springfield Economic Development Agency
Downtown urban renewal funds and up to $17,000 in City Transportation Reimbursement Systems
Development Charge funds. Ms. Griesel (City Manager's Office), Kristi Krueger (Engineering and
Transportation), and Mark Metzger (Development Services) would lead this project.
Ms. Griesel said the timeline for the project was included in the agenda packet on page 20 of
Attachment 1. The timeline showed staff moving into work for the project in the first year following
adoption. Staff planned to initiate a relationship with the consultant to do the analysis in the next 30
days. The scope of the analysis was to look at a number of alternatives and then narrow that down to a
set of preferred alternatives to bring to Council before moving on to next steps. She discussed the
public involvement during this project.
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Council Work Session Minutes
June 13, 2011
Page 2
Councilor Ralston said he was glad they were looking at other options besides just two-way. He noted
one alternative that showed a large roundabout. He asked if cost estimates would be included with the
analysis. Yes. He felt a roundabout could disrupt a lot of businesses in the downtown.
Ms. Griesel said that was part of the feasibility question that would be considered during the analysis.
Mayor Lundberg thanked Ms. Griesel and said Council was good with them moving forward on this
project.
2. Willamalane Park and Recreation Comprehensive Plan Update: Draft Community Needs
Assessment.
City Planner Molly Markarian introduced Rebecca Gershow, Park Planner from Willamalane who
presented the recently completed draft Community Needs Assessment report. This report identified the
community's needs for parks, recreation, and open spaces.
Active involvement of the City was critical in ensuring the adoption of the Park and Recreation
Comprehensive Plan as a community-wide vision for parks, recreation and open spaces, and as a
refinement of the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan. In 2004, the Park and
Recreation Comprehensive Plan was first adopted by Willamalane's Board of Directors and then
forwarded to the City Council and the Lane County Board of Commissioners for joint adoption. The
same process was proposed for this update.
Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 8, "Recreation Needs," required communities to evaluate areas and
facilities for recreation and develop plans to address the projected demand for them. Willamalane's
Park and Recreation Comprehensive Plan provided a framework for decision-making over a 20-year
planning period regarding acquisition, development, and management of Springfield's park,
recreation, and open space system. Its adoption as a refinement plan of the Metro Plan met Statewide
Planning Goal 8.
The Needs Assessment included input from over 2,000 participants, as well as a technical analysis of
parks and facilities, programs, and finances. The findings of the report would provide the foundation
for strategies and actions developed for the Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan).
The Willamalane Board of Directors had already reviewed and provided input on the Draft
Community Needs Assessment, and the Springfield Planning Commission reviewed it on June 7th.
Lane County Planning Commission, Lane County Board of Commissioners, and Springfield School
Board would review the draft assessment later in June. Willamalane staff would provide the City
Council another update, and request input on the Draft Plan in the fall. Joint adoption was targeted for
early 2012.
Ms. Gershow introduced Willamalane Planning and Development Manager Greg Hyde and
Willamalane Superintendent Bob Keefer who were in the audience and available to address questions
or to provide additional information.
Ms. Gershow presented a power point presentation on the Community Needs Assessment. The Comp
Plan was last adopted in 2004, and provided a framework for decision making for parks, recreation
and open space. Involvement of all stakeholders was critical to the plan. She discussed the areas staff
had been working on over the last 6 month for this plan. The first thing staff considered was
population forecast, which was based on the forecast the City received for their residential land study.
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Council Work Session Minutes
June 13, 2011
Page 3
There were about 783 acres of parkland and facilities, 37 parks, and seven community centers. Map
1 of the power point showed the recreation planning area. She discussed some of the public
involvement activities.
Ms. Gershow reviewed the community survey findings.
Councilor Ralston asked how camping was relevant for Willamalane parks.
Ms. Gershow said that wasn't something they provided in their parks, but was something they wanted
to hear about from the citizens.
Councilor Ralston said it would be nice if one of the parks could be set up for camping.
Ms. Gershow said it was something they could consider for their summer camp programs. She further
reviewed the survey results and noted that indoor activities rated high on the survey.
Mr. Keefer noted that at the time the survey was taken, Willamalane had not yet taken ownership of
the Regional Sports Center.
Ms. Gershow said the survey asked what people wanted to see in existing parks, and river front access
was the highest rated. Programs for teens was another area that rated high in the survey. Willamalane
staff met with the high schools to talk about how that could be addressed.
Ms. Gershow discussed neighborhood parks and the current standard of 2 acres of parkland per
thousand population. Based on that standard, by 2030 they would need an additional 67 additional
acres of neighborhood parks. Another factor included geographic features.
Councilor Ralston asked if the land included in development sites was included in what Willamalane
needed or if it was in addition.
Ms. Gershow said it was irrespective of that figure
Mr. Keefer said it could be met if it was part of the development agreement with Willamalane, such as
in MountainGate.
Councilor VanGordon asked if 2 acres per thousand was a national standard.
Ms. Gershow said they had used comparables with other communities in the state and 1.7 to 1.8 per
thousand was. about average for neighborhood parks. The National Recreation and Parks Association
had historic guidelines and had used 2 acres per thousand as their guideline in the past. The trend was
F looking at geographic distribution rather than just acreage. Willamalane was looking at areas that were
being served by neighborhood parks. Some elementary schools often acted as neighborhood parks.
Ms. Gershow discussed community parks. The proposed standard for community parks was 2 acres
per thousand residents. This meant that by 2030, 102 acres of additional community park land or
community park-like land would be needed. She explained community park-like land. Those parks
served the entire community.
Councilor Woodrow asked about the standard related to the size of the specialty community parks.
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Council Work Session Minutes
June 13, 2011
Page 4
Ms. Gershow said the average size for a community park was 15-20 acres. Two of the current
community parks were undersized. There were a lot of factors that went into determining the size of a
park. The standard was one way to determine how many parks should be located in neighborhoods.
She spoke regarding other parkland (bike paths, specialty parks, etc.) which had a standard of 10 acres
per thousand residents. Natural resource areas were included in this category. She discussed some of
those natural resource areas. Citizens had consistently said they would like more paths to walk, ride
their bike and walk their dog. Growth had been made in that area since the last plan was updated. She
referred to a map showing the existing and planned paths and bikeways. Willamalane had worked with
City staff on a variety of pieces of the plan, including the paths. The plan also included indoor
facilities. She discussed those currently in place.
Ms. Gershow said the overall proposed standard was 14 acres of parkland per thousand residents,
which was the same as in 2002. They were projecting the need for an additional 364 acres of parkland
over the next 20 years. Through this plan, they would determine development of that acreage.
Community members had stressed the need for partnerships with other agencies when moving forward
with planning for things such as land donations, grants, etc.
Ms. Gershow said there was another section of the plan that described the recreation services analysis.
That section described community needs for service improvements and identified areas for program
expansion. In this analysis, they had looked at public involvement findings, demographics, cost
recovery and current level of service compared to past level of service. Willamalane's operations and
management were also considered in this plan.
Ms. Gershow said this plan had been presented to the City Planning Commission and would be going
to the Lane County Planning Commission and Springfield School Board. Their goal was to come back
with a draft plan for Council review in the Fall and a Joint Refinement Plan application for the City
and the County in the Winter for adoption of the plan.
Mr. Keefer said this was as much Willamalane's plan as it was the community's plan. Many things
they were hearing from our citizens were not new to Willamalane. Having more trails and being closer
to nature was a national trend, and Springfield had an abundance of natural resources available.
Willamalane was trying to do what the public wanted them to do and this plan was well put together
by Ms. Gershow to point them in the right direction.
Councilor Wylie asked what type of activities the teens wanted.
Ms. Gershow said they wanted active sports such as sports fields, volleyball, basketball, etc. They
were planning on putting sand volleyball at Lively Park, as well as a full sized basket ball court.
Councilor Wylie spoke regarding an in-city camping experience. She asked if a park could be closed
for a group, such as Scouts, to put up tents and camp out on a permit basis. That would help meet that
need for kids in our community. She commended them on the plan.
Councilor Ralston said he had been involved in Babe Ruth baseball for many years. Four baseball
fields had been lost over the last few years and there was a serious need for usable fields. He noted the
complex out at Barger that was heavily used. He felt there should be space for fields for Babe Ruth
and other teams. He encouraged Willamalane to look at that and partner with the schools. He talked
with a City Councilor in Cottage Grove who told him that Willamalane wanted to take over a building
in Cottage Grove.
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Council Work Session Minutes
June 13, 2011
Page 5
Mr. Keefer said Creswell asked Willamalane if they wanted to be a contract recreation
provider/manager of a facility as they tried to develop a recreation program. They had been talking for
three years.
Councilor Ralston said he helped found the Boys and Girls Club in Eugene many years ago, but he
wasn't sure it would work in Springfield. A Teen Center inside a building was something that could be
good for the kids. They needed a place to go to get positive reinforcement and socialize.
Mr. Keefer said in September Club Two 50 would be open at the Sports Center for teens. The club
would include video gaming and access to a gym from about 3:00-6:00pm including the Willamalane
Center. Access would be free and in the middle of town near a bus stop. They would like to grow that
program at that Center. The Memorial Building was currently leased to the school for alternative
schooling. The teen dances were still held at that site.
Councilor Moore said there was an article about state parks and funding from lottery funds. She
thought she saw something about funds for more than just state parks.
Ms. Gershow said they received significant grant funding from the state parks for park development
and acquisition.
Mr. Keefer said the soccer fields at the Sports Center and enhancements at Lively had both come from
those grants. It was all for capital, not operations.
Councilor Moore said it was a positive article. She appreciated Willamalane.
Councilor Pishioneri referred to the population forecast and asked where they got those figures.
Ms. Gershow said the number they were using was the combined population of those living within city
limits, plus those living between the city limits and the UGB.
Councilor Pishioneri noted that the basketball court had added a lot to the Jesse Maine Park. He would
also like to see irrigation at that park to help maintain the grass. He spoke regarding Ruff Park which
was outside the UGB, but had access through neighborhoods. He wondered if that would affect their
numbers regarding acres per thousand.
Ms. Gershow said they looked at neighborhood parks and some other parks that served a
neighborhood. Some parks were more in a rural area and not serving the neighborhoods as much. All
of that was taken into consideration in this study.
Councilor Woodrow liked the camping idea and noted her experience of helping with city kids
attending an overnight campout at the park in Philadelphia. There were some areas that weren't
developed on the edge of Springfield that could be utilized in that way.
Councilor Ralston said Dorris Ranch or Clearwater Park could be some options.
Mr. Keefer said they no longer had outdoor school through the schools. It could be a programming or
facilities piece for the parks. He said they might want to think about a family camp where someone
could reserve an area for a family or group to stay. They would need to look at where that would best
fit. He also noted that they were working with Babe Ruth to get a place in Springfield.
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Council Work Session Minutes
June 13, 2011
Page 6
Councilor Ralston said he would like to talk to Mr. Keefer about it further regarding the different age
groups.
Councilor VanGordon said he liked the fact that Willamalane was setting the bar for our community
and looking at new creative ideas.
Mayor Lundberg said we were very fortunate to have Willamalane in our City. Because they were a
separate district, they were able to do more. She thanked them for taking on the theater, Camp Putt,
and other activities. She was interested in how to define our neighborhoods to retain our small town
feel. There were anchors in each neighborhood that included parks, schools, stores and churches. She
would like to look at what it would take to get those neighborhood parks. She spoke regarding the Guy
Lee School which had baseball fields and the park all together. There were a lot of opportunities for
our children to learn about nature and our resources at locations such as that. She would like to look at
what we had and how we used our rivers. Walking paths around each park would be a start. Mileage
markers were helpful along those trails. All of that kept people active in their neighborhoods. There
were many opportunities to work with the schools to best utilize the areas. Other things to think about
included things for parents to do while young kids were playing at the park, such as chess tables. She
loved the camping idea. Providing recreational opportunities nearby assisted with lowering vehicles
travelling distances. As they planned, she wanted them to make sure the schools and parks were
connected with walking or biking paths. She agreed that teens liked to just hang out and the Sports
Center at 32nd Street was a great place for them to do that.
Mr. Towery announced that Mr. Keefer had their first grandchild last week, a baby boy.
Ms. Gershow said a master plan process was underway for Clearwater Park. An open house was
scheduled for Thursday, June 19 from 6:30-8:00pm at Willamalane Center. All were invited and
encouraged to provide input.
Councilor Woodrow said she had heard from many people that the first phase at Clearwater was great
Mayor Lundberg suggested inviting Mr. Clearwater personally.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:43 p.m.
Minutes Recorder - Amy Sowa
Christine L. Lundberg
Mayor
Attest:
Amy Sow
City Reco er