HomeMy WebLinkAbout081999 PRC MinutesMINUTES
of the
CITY OF ATASCADERO
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
ITEM 1 - CALL TO ORDER:
Meeting is called to order at 7:00 PM
ITEM 2 — ROLL CALL:
PRESENT:
Chairperson Butz
Vice-chairman Hood
Commissioner Dempsey
Commissioner Gobler
Commissioner Kock
Commissioner Kudlac
Student Representative Brian Potter
STAFF PRESENT:
Community Services Manager Geoff English; Ellen Perkins, Administrative Secretary;
Claudia Collier, Charles Paddock Zoo General Curator.
ITEM 3 — FLAG SALUTE:
CITY CLERK - SWEAR IN NEW COMMISSIONER: RICK MATHEWS
Commissioner Kudlac welcomed Commissioner Mathews aboard. Chairperson Butz said
it was a pleasure to have him a part of the Commission.
ITEM 4 — PUBLIC COMMENT:
Eric Greening welcomed Rick Mathews to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Eric
also asked about the new Highway 41 bridge and wondered when the public will have
access. Community Services Manager, Geoff English said he did not have an answer to
that question.
ITEM 5 — MINUTES OF JULY 15,1999:
Commissioner Kock wanted the minutes to be corrected under Item No. 2, where it states
that he arrived at 7:55 p.m. Commissioner Kock stated that he was present. He also
wanted Item No. 5 to reflect 6 Ayes and not 5 on the motion to approved the minutes
included in the August 19, 1999 Agenda packet.
Vice -Chairman Hood also pointed out that the vote on Item No. 14, Adjournment, should
be 6 Ayes and not 7, as Commissioner Kudlac was not present at the time of voting.
Vice -Chairman Hood moved to approve the minutes with corrections. Commissioner
Dempsey seconded that motion and it was passed 5 Ayes and 0 Nos. Commissioner
Kudlac abstained and Commissioner Mathews was not present at the previous meeting.
The minutes have been corrected and submitted.
ITEM 6 — OLD BUSINESS: None
ITEM 7 — NEW BUSINESS:
7A — ATASCADERO LAKE PARK LIGHTING ROTARY PROPOSAL
Community Services Manager, Geoff English briefly summarized his staff report for the
attending public using overhead projector to show the current lighting and proposed
lighting at the Atascadero Lake Park, Pavilion and surrounding area.
A discussion ensued regarding the lights and their locations. Community Services
Manager Geoff English said the lights are on a timer. They go off at 10 PM in the park
and 6 PM at the pavilion. Vice -Chairman Hood asked if the lights on the timer could be
selected individually to on and off at a certain time. Geoff said the PG&E lights were
activated by a photocell and go on and off automatically, but at the present time there is
only one timer for all the rest. Vice -Chairman Hood also asked if the parking lot at the
pavilion was going to be paved. Geoff said it has not been funded for paving but staff
will request funds in the future.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
John Vial, Atascadero, from Rotary spoke to the Commission regarding the lights. The
Rotary is in agreement with the new lighting plan. Commissioner Gobler asked John if it
was okay to relocate the PG&E lights. John said yes. Commissioner Gobler said they
could put the relocated light in the new paved parking lot by the Zoo Curator's office.
Community Services Manager Geoff English said that could be done.
Eric Green, 6600 Lewis Avenue, Atascadero, would like to see some lower lights with
diffusers, so the lights don't shine in your eyes when you are walking.
Barbara Combs, 9005 Lake View Drive, Atascadero, said she would like to see a Master
Plan prepared and a landscape architect consulted before any work is done at the Lake
Park. Barbara also requested a color change for the light poles. She would like to see the
new lots included in the Master Plan.
Allan Thomas, 9520 Marchant Way, commended the Community Services Department
and Rotary on the good efforts of their lighting plan. He would like to have the lights
changed to the amber colored high-pressure sodium. He also stated opposition to a
proposed light on the westside of the Pavilion.
Henry Engen, 9575 Lake View, also agreed that there should be a Master Plan prepared.
Chairperson Butz brought the discussion back to the Commission with a comment that
working on the master Plan for the Atascadero Lake Park would be a high priority.
Commissioner Gobler applauded Rotary and City staff for their efforts, and working with
the community. Commissioner Kock asked about amending the Negative Declaration to
switch the 6 existing lights. Community Services Manager Geoff English said the
Community Development Department crated the Negative Declaration and it would have
to be re -submitted to the Community Development Department.
DISCUSSION:
Commissioner Mathews questioned maintenance costs. Community Services Manager
Geoff English said there would be a change in the fee for the 6 proposed lights to be
replaced. John Vial said that in the last three to four years, only 1 in 6 light bulbs has
burned out.
Vice -Chairman Paul Hood moved; Commissioner Gail Kudlac seconded to recommend
approval to the City Council of a staff -revised request by Atascadero Rotary Club.
Commission Gobler said he would like to amend the recommendation as follows:
1. Install seven additional decorative lights and to replace six existing street lights in
Atascadero Lake Park (Attachment #1) with high pressure sodium (HPS) light
bulbs.
2. Place five of the replaced PG&E lights into the Morro Road Parking Lot and one
into the Pavilion Parking Lot of Atascadero Lake Park.
3. Direct staff to meet with the Rotary Club representatives to present options for
different pole colors.
4. Replace the lights in the existing decorative lights in Atascadero Lake Park with
high-pressure sodium (HPS) light bulbs.
5. Adopt the proposed negative declaration of environmental impact (Attachment
#2)
6. Direct staff to install a wall -mounted light on the Women's side of the Morro
Road Parking Lot at Atascadero Lake Park.
In addition, the Parks and Recreation Commission requested that staff communicate to
the City Council, their recommendation that a Master Plan for Atascadero Lake Park be
developed as soon as possible.
Vice -Chairman Hood concurred with the recommendation and amendments and the
Motion was passed unanimously 7 Ayes, 0 Nos.
7B — YOUTH CENTER OPTIONS:
Community Services Manager Geoff English presented his staff report. He told the
Commission that a grant request to the CYA for the Youth Center had been denied,
putting the City at a cross -road. Geoff went over the 6 options and the advantages and
disadvantages of each option. Geoff showed the Commission the slides from the
gymnasium in the valley and said a gymnasium of this style may be built at a reasonable
cost. The Commission discussed the fact that if the Masons took back the building, it
meant the land, which consists of approximately 1 to 2 acres, goes too. If an addition is
put onto the Masonic Temple building, that will limit parking. However, Geoff talked
about a potential agreement with the Armory for parking.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Barbara Combs, 9005 Lake View Drive, Atascadero, said we need a swimming pool too,
and should be located near the gymnasium.
Eric Greening, 6600 Lewis Avenue, Atascadero, brought up the fact that the Masonic
Temple was not earthquake retrofitted.
Councilman Jerry Clay thought we could do it all in phases. The gymnasium, pool, roller
hockey/skate park at the Traffic Way Park, with future expansion room.
A discussion between the Commission and the public continued with several ideas, one
being the use of the Public Works Corporate Yard tied in with Traffic Way Park and
Armory by a walkway.
Vice -Chairman Paul Hood brought the discussion back by saying that by all discussions
it appears that the Commissioners want to keep the Masonic Temple, do not want to
renovate it, and look for alternate sites. Community Services Manager Geoff English
told the Commission that plans would go back to the Commission before it goes to the
City Council. Geoff also said that there is some CDBG grant money for renovating the
Youth Center.
Vice -Chairman Paul Hood moved, Commissioner Pat Dempsey seconded:
Recommend approval to the City to abandon efforts to renovate the Masonic
Temple/Printery buklding as a Youth Center and to direct staff to pursue efforts to locate
an alternative location for the construction of a gymnasium in close proximity to the
current location of the Masonic Temple/Printery building. The Parks and Recreation
Commission also recommended that the City Council retain ownership of the Masonic
Temple/Printery building.
4
The Motion was passed unanimously 7 Ayes, 0 Nos.
7C — ATASCADERO CREEK RESERVATIONS—INFORMATIONAL ONLY:
Community Services Manager Geoff English reported that the Atascadero Mutual Water
Company had adopted a new agreement with the City of Atascadero and ALPS for an
easement. Eric Greening asked if the City was bound to put in a trail. Geoff said no and
there are no plans to put in a trail in the creek bed at this time.
ITEM 8 — COMMITTEE REPORTS:
ITEM 8A — ARCC:
Next meeting August 26, 1999 at 6:30 PM at the Youth Center
ITEM 8B — YOUTH TASK FORCE:
Next meeting September 7, 1999 at 7:00 am at the Youth Center
ITEM 9 — CORRESPONDENCE:
ITEM 9A — LETTER REGARDING THE LAKES PROJECT:
Informational only.
ITEM 9B — CRAIG HERRON'S RESIGNATION:
Chairperson Butz said she was sorry to see Craig go, but was happy to see Rick Mathews
here.
ITEM 10 — COMMISSIONER COMMENTS:
Commissioner Gobler said he lives near the lake and the music sounds good from the
Community Band on Tuesday nights.
ITEM 11— STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COMMENTS:
Brian Potter, the Student Representative for the Parks and Recreation Commission is
going to do a survey on how to make the lake swimable. He will be doing some research.
Community Services Manager, Geoff English said a study of the lake water quality
would be done in the near future.
ITEM 12 — STAFF COMMENTS:
ITEM 12A — CURATOR'S REPORT:
Claudia Collier, the General Curator for the Charles Paddock Zoo, said besides the report
included in the Agenda packet, she had only to report that the zoo hours have now
changed to winter hours.
ITEM 12B — PARKS BOND LETTER:
No discussion. Community Services Manager Geoff English said a Parks, Water and
Coastal Protection Bond Act (Assembly Bill 18) will be on the ballot this year. This
bond will provide 352 million dollars for parks and open space.
ITEM 13 CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
ITEM 13A — REVISED CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
September 18, 1999 is the annual Sunken Gardens Yard Sale; September 25, 1999 is the
Golf Tournament.
Eric Green said there would be an Open Art Studios from 10 to 4 on October 22, 23, and
24, 1999.
ITEM 14 — ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 PM to September 16, 1999 at 7 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ellen M Perkins
Administrative Secretary
/emp