Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_PAREB_05.08.2008Minutes of the Meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board City of Georgetown, Texas Thursday, May 8, 2008 The Parks and Recreation Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Thursday , May 8. 2008. Members Present: Barbara Owens, Bill Mateja, Bob Mathis, Kent Buikema , Robert Laemel, Shane Morris Members Absent: Mark Ramsey Staff Present: Randy Morrow, Kimberly Garrett, Jill Kellum Minutes Regular Meeting 1) Call to order The meeting was called to order at 7:13 pm by Kent Buikema. 2) Roll Call 3) Update and possible action for Blue Hole Flood Restoration — Bill Dryden Tom Benz, Systems Engineering Manager for the City of Georgetown, stated they looked at the preliminary engineering report to determine why this happened and if they could prevent the road from being washed out again. The hike and bike trail and road was 20 feet wide with 8 feet as hike and bike trail and 12 feet as road. FEMA money pays for anything the insurance does not pay. Benz stated the City is looking at how to make these repairs. Benz requests input from the board on direction on which way to go with the following options; the'road the way it was with 8 foot bike lane and be able to drive through or go with a hike and bike trail that would have access for emergency vehicles and would be 12 feet wide so that a fire truck or ambulance could get through. Bill Dryden stated one of the issues is the insurance and FEMA are willing to pay for what was there but the flood washed out what held up what was there. Dryden stated that the budget is in the $600,000 range to fix and prevent from it happening again. The estimated amount from FEMA and insurance money is $200,000. Benz explained that when Blue Hole was built it was made into a man made beach and that washed away and then the road was built up to it. Dryden stated that Mark Miller, Transportation Service Manager for the City of Georgetown, has spent years molding that beach and doing some minor flood corrections through the street and drainage budget. Dryden stated there is a fault line in this area and core studies showed that at the first 4 studies the rock was at 0 — 3 feet and the next one was 11 1/2 —12 feet. Benz explained that the fault line is 30 feet to the west of Rock Street. Since it is on the east side of the fault it is an issue. Dryden stated they have looked at several options one being is placing a retaining wall on the riverside of the road that can be put cast and placed or can be put in drill shafts. Buikema asked if there was a disadvantage to having just a hike and bike trail with emergency vehicles permitted. Owens stated that there is a disadvantage to people with handicaps, older citizens and for family gatherings as far as having access to the open space and restrooms. Dryden stated that the roadway from the restroom back to the west is still intact and could have vehicular traffic to that point with a turn around and parking. Dryden stated there are ways to prevent people from driving through. Dryden stated the difference in cost between doing the 12 foot emergency only lane and the 20 foot vehicular traffic plus the hike and bike trail is approximately $35,000. Benz explained that with looking at the engineering the best they can do is a portion of the park from the road down and that in certain flood events is going to wash away every time. He stated they can not design around keeping the road in place which was the goal. He stated that he feels they have a well designed feature for that and if they have the money available to do the rock engineering it will stay in place at a higher velocity. There is preliminary engineering on that. Benz stated they would like to get some direction on which option the Parks Board would like to go with and any modifications to the option. It will then go to GTAB for approval. Owens asked what the time line would be and is there any interim pedestrian only access that could happen while we are waiting. Benz stated that they will go to the Transportation Advisory Board as they are treating this as a street and drainage project and they are the ones to approve that aspect of it. The funding is the big question. He stated that if everything was a go and they find the money to do the project the project could possibly be done in January. They have not looked at any interim methods to open it up. Dryden stated they would not want to open it up in the interim and then close it back down for construction. Dryden stated that if it goes to a hike and bike trail only, then they could steepen the trail to ADA maximums and realign to save some money. Mateja moves that Dryden and Benz explore the hike and bike trail with emergency vehicle access and it was seconded by Mathis. Morris asked if this would include the drop off area. Benz stated that they will take into account the unloading zone and possibly ADA access to the restrooms and also at Rock Street. The motion was passed by unanimous vote. 4) Discussion and possible action regarding the College Street Bridge alignment and the removal of a Heritage Tree - Bill Dryden Dryden showed the map that was given at the last meeting and explained where the heritage tree was located and how the bridge would be aligned. Dryden stated that the City Manager is requesting a motion from the Parks Board to approve that removal or other recommendations. He explained that the tree in question is a Live Oak tree and highly susceptible to oak wilt and could spend $60,000 moving it with no guarantee that it would survive or remove it. Dryden proposed, as a measure of good faith, that the City put in 40 diameter inches of disease resistant trees in the park to enhance the value of the park. Benz explained that the tree in question is a multi trunk tree at 39 inches. Benz stated they have looked at ways to save the tree but with these designs it save 2 pecans trees and the urban forester would like to see those saved. Mathis made a motion that the city construction project of the bridge be permitted to remove the tree with good faith tree replacement of disease resistant trees and shrubs. Owens seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. The motion was approved by unanimous vote. 5) Discussion on scheduled Master Plan meetings Garrett stated there will be an open house at the Georgetown Community Center on May 22, at 5:30pm and at 6:30pm Jim Carrillo with Halff Associates will give a presentation on the master plan. On June 9th , staff and Halff Associates will take a draft master plan to the city council workshop at 4 pm. 6) Discussion regarding parks board member identification badges Garrett explained that parks and recreation has the capability of printing out identification cards for parks board members. Garrett stated this would be voluntary. There was discussion among members and thought it was a good idea to have the badges to wear at functions concerning the parks and in the parks to identify themselves to the public. 7) Approve minutes from Apri110, 2008 meeting Mateja made a motion to approve the minutes and Laemel seconded and it passed by unanimous vote. 8) Future agenda items 9) Adjourn Owens made a motion to adjourn the meeting. AppvAttest: Kdnt Buikema, Chair Parks and Recreation Board Barbara Owe ;Secretary Parks & Recreation