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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_PAREB_09.13.2007Minutes of the Meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board City of Georgetown, Texas Thursday, September 13, 2007 The Parks and Recreation Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Thursday , September 13, 2007. Members Present: Bob Mathis, Kay Cobb, Kent Buikema, Mark Ramsey, Mike Simpson, William Mateja Members Absent: Barbara Owens Staff Present: Randy Morrow, Kimberly Garrett, Jill Kellum, Mark Miller Minutes Regular Meeting 1. Call to order The meeting was called to order by Mark Ramsey at 7:00pm. 2. Roll call 3. Presentation on proposed private improvements to Rivery Park by Ledgestone Group Marlene McMichael, the project coordinator for the Summit at Rivery Park, was introduced. She presented the park aspects of the development for this project. The Summit property is 31.94 acres which is adjacent to Rivery Park. Rivery Park is 35 acres. The developer's proposal is to develop a tax financing district which will finance the improvements to Rivery Park. Marlene McMichael explained that Ledgestone Group consists of four people and Dan Clark is the lead on this project. The proposed plan is to build a hotel, conference center, office tower, condominiums, and restaurants. Marlene McMichael stated they are wanting to do significant upgrades to Rivery Park to make the park an event center for the City of Georgetown and to make the property above the park, the Summit, a cooperate event center. Intrafocus, a marketing group in Georgetown, will be doing the branding and logo. CF Jordan is the contractor who has done many high rises and theme parks. FT Woods Construction is doing the site prep. Marlene McMichael stated they will be filing documentation next week for the PUD application as well as the 1'11- district financing. She stated that the total improvement package they are proposing is $180 — $200 million. Philip Wanke with BWM group presented a conceptual plan for the improvements at Rivery Park. The development site is approximately 32 acres and 35 acres of parkland in Rivery Park. The buildings will be situated on the property to give views of the park, river and vista. Mateja asked about the traffic issues along Williams Drive and if they were concerned about the traffic. Marlene McMichael stated that the accessibility is good from IH 35, Rivery Boulevard, Wolf Ranch Boulevard, and Williams Drive. Philip Wanke explained some of the proposed improvements and additions to the park area such as: pond enhancements, adding trails and an amphitheater, more restrooms, expanding the playground, adding a splash pad, using the historical homestead as a place of interest, improving the disc golf course, and adding additional parking under IH35 for events. These improvements and additions will cost a little over $4 million. They plan on using the tax increment financing to construct this proposed plan. Tim Bargainer with BWM group showed a conceptual park plan. He showed added parking and increasing the retention pond and adding a splash pad and enlarging the playground. That would include expanded restrooms and increasing the pavilion with a space for temporary vending or concessions for events. They would like to see multiple benches on the existing berm to allow seating along the retention pond. They showed a small orchard to be along the area of the historical home and a quilt garden. They also showed possible nature trails behind the homestead and an amphitheater and bird watching area. He stated that the connection would be accessible from Rivery Park to and from the convention center. They would like to add native vegetation and take out the non native plants. They are proposing for the pond to add vertical fountains or floating fountains as well as cleaning up the water and do some enhanced planting and clean up some of the overgrown plants. Phillip Wanke stated that an agreement with the owners of the development be made for the maintenance costs for the Rivery Park. Marlene McMichael stated that she guessed there would be a shared agreement between the hotel and the City of Georgetown. She stated the idea is to make this project into a destination site. The type of hotel they are looking for is a full service hotel. The economic benefit analysis on an annual basis is at $280 million for the community and over $15 million in direct revenue from utility uses or tax revenue to city, county, and state. Marlene McMichael stated they hired a consultant outside the area to perform the hotel feasibility study. Mateja asked about the food service for this area. Marlene McMichael stated that there will not be drive thru restaurants but they are looking at high end restaurants and would like them to be Texas based. Cobb asked what areas of the development would be done first. Marlene McMichael stated that all the site work and the park improvements would be done first, so that the park is in place and not disturbed once construction starts. The building will be built east to west but if there is a joint venture then the construction would almost be consecutive. The horizontal construction would be done first and then vertical construction. Mathis asked about the time line for this project. Marlene McMichael stated they will submit the documents next week and hope to get approval by the end of the year, and break ground the first quarter of 2008. 4. Discussion and possible action on the College Street Bridge in San Gabriel Park Mark Jones, Gerald Pohlmeyer, and Jan Shull with the Texas Department of Transportation introduced themselves. Jan Shull explained that she has been working on a plan of what the bridge replacement program will pay for. TXDOT's Off System Bridge Replacement Program will allow for payment of the bridge structure plus 25% of the structure cost for the approaches. Currently the preliminary estimate is at $4 million for the structure only. The preliminary estimate is $1 million for the approaches. The program will allow for some aesthetics consideration and usually is no more than 5% of the project cost with division approval. Due to the structures location in San Gabriel Park, this office has asked for its division to allow for additional costs estimated at $200,000. The program will fund the T-411 rail or the church rail and will fund the scenic overlook at mid -span. Ramsey asked that if another rail was chosen, would it be paid for by the program. Pohlmeyer stated that the church rail was liked by the board when they presented it before and if another rail was chosen it would have to meet the crash test requirements. Ramsey asked if there are different types of church rails, Jones stated that it comes in 2 heights. Jan Shull stated it covers illumination cost up to 150 % of the cost of standard luminaries, which is the decorative lamppost. Pohlmeyer stated that TXDOT only installs luminaries that let off minimal light pollution. The program will fund the decorative form liner approved by the City. Morrow asked if it was a stamped concrete. Pohlmeyer stated it is a liner that comes in different styles such as limestone, brick, or rock appearance. The off -system bridge replacement program will fund the T-411 rail, the scenic overlooks at midspan, illumination costs us to 150% of the cost of a standard luminaries, decorative form liner, and wet pond if required for water quality. City will be responsible for landscape costs, raising College Street, pedestrian facilities located outside of the bridge structure which includes the sidewalk, pedestrian switchbacks, and any pedestrian railing. There are two12 foot lanes, 6 foot shoulders, and the 5 foot sidewalks on either side of the bridge. Morrow asked if TCEQ would require the wet pond. Pohlmeyer stated that TCEQ might require it and if so they wanted to put it in the project. Pohlmeyer stated that the "round about" could be outside the wet pond and make it more decorative in the water spray feature. Morrow asked about the lighting and how many posts there will be. Pohlmeyer stated they will be on the bridge and the roadway and will be 50 feet apart, staggered. There was discussion on the raising of College Street and the switch back to the trail. Pohlmeyer stated that everything will have topsoil and grass when the job is completed. This will be the responsibility of TXDOT and the requirements for erosion control. This does not include decorative landscape. Ramsey asked about the approaches. Pohlmeyer explained that they would go for the 25% of the structure cost. Pohlmeyer explained the work on the South side of the bridge and the concerns with flooding. He also explained that this is a bridge replacement program and they do not have road money to rebuild the road at a higher elevation higher than the last flood. Pohlmeyer said if the city wants to put the money in the project for road improvements, TXDOT will go ahead and pick the road up out of the flood plain. Ramsey asked if the old bridge was being taken out. Morrow stated it will be used as part of the hike and bike trail and people could fish off of it. Pohlmeyer stated the bridge would not be used for vehicular traffic and some type of barrier would be used on the end so it was only wide enough for bicycles to go through. Morrow asked about the timeline. Pohlmeyer stated that it would be about 1 year before they could start from the time they get the approval from the city. He stated it would take about 1 year to complete the bridge. Jones explained that right now they are in the schematic and environmental phase and working with the city. Once everything is agreed on then they can work on the planning stage and actually design it and come up with some real numbers and a construction schedule. Miller explained that the city will have to pay for the extra road work and that the service road will continue on around to and over the railroad track. Pohlmeyer stated that the state can provide conceptual landscaping. Buikema moved that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board advise TXDOT to proceed with the program as presented and that the city be aware that additional money will be needed for the landscaping. Cobb seconded the motion. The motion was approved 5 to 1, with Mike Simpson abstaining. 5. Discussion and possible action on parkland dedication for Bastian Woods Garrett stated there are 30 units in this subdivision. The requirement would be .07 acres or $8,500.00. Gavurnik did a tree survey which showed a 51 inch live oak in the middle of these 2.99 acres, in addition there are quite a few large trees. Garrett stated that Gavurnik has always been a big supporter of parks and he wanted to make this parkland even though there is a park located in near by Katy Crossing. Garrett explained that the City of Georgetown usually does not want less than one acre of parkland and would take the fees instead. Garrett stated that there is an old homestead on the property and this will be removed but there are a lot of trees in this area and Gavurnik wanted this to be a park. Gavurnik would like to leave it more passive. He wants to give the 2.99 acres and will give $10,000 for amenities. He suggested doing a trail around the property, put in picnic tables and bar-b-que pits. Gavurnik will maintain and mow the area until the subdivision is built out. Garrett stated she was concerned about the street frontage and where people would park and Gavurnik stated that he could add some parking spaces when the road is developed. Buikema made a motion that we accept the Bastain Woods neighborhood park proposal and Cobb seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. Garrett added that the family that sold the land wants Gavurnik to put up a plaque in the area and he asked if it could be put in the park. Buikema would like to amend the motion to allow the plaque to be placed in the park and Cobb seconded and it passed by unanimous vote. 6. Update on Parks Master Plan Garrett showed a conceptual drawing from Halff Associates of the Master Plan. She stated they have got some inventory and maps of the parks done. For example, in Rivery Park the have inventoried all the amenities through the GIS system and this will be a layer on the map that public can pull up on the website. They have inventoried all parks and all the amenities and what condition they are M. Garrett stated that at this point, Halff Associates are collecting data. 7. Announcement of Recreation Center Expansion Ground Breaking Garrett stated that the Recreation Center Expansion ground breaking will be Tuesday the 18that10am. 8. Update on Dog Park Simpson stated that there was a stumbling block on the getting correct approval for imperious ground cover for the pad from TCEQ. Garrett stated that David Munk is working with TCEQ on this. They looked at an early build for the panels at the entry gates and they look excellent and most of the fence is in place. Simpson stated that he estimates the opening about 4 — 6 weeks away. 9. Approve the minutes from August 9, 2007 Simpson made a motion to approve the minutes and Mateja seconded and it passed by unanimous vote. 10. Future agenda items 11. Adjourn Cobb made a motion to adjourn and all approved. Approved: Mark Ramsey, Chair Paks and Recrea Attest: n Board Barbara Owens, Secretary Parks & Recreation