Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRB 1999-05-17 Minutes MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS, HELD AT THE NORTH RICHLAND HILLS COUNCIL CHAMBERS LOCATED AT 7301 NORTHEAST LOOP 820 MAY 17, 1999 ATTENDANCE PRESENT Board: Rick Work Chairman Sharon Battles Board Member Dwayne Leslie Board Member Sherry Milano Board Member Sherry Christensen Board Member StafF: Jim Browne Director of Parks and Recreation Vickie Loftice Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Christina Lopez Administrative Secretary Patty Moos Park Planning & Construction Superintendent Chris Swartz Aquatic Park Manager Bill Thornton Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation ABSENT: John Pena Board Alternate Ann Perchard Board Member ITEM 1. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Work called the meeting to order May 17, 1999 at 6:03 p.m. ITEM 2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Mr. Leslie made a motion, seconded by Ms. Milano, to approve the minutes of the March 1, 1999. (Motion passed 4-0) ITEM 3. NATIONAL GOLD MEDAL VIDEO Mr. Browne introduced the 1999 Gold Medal Award Video. This is the 4th consecutive year that the City of North Richland Hills Parks and Recreation Department has been a finalist for this award. As a finalist, staff prepared a video from which a panel of judges will select the overall winner in each population category which will be announced in October. Mr. Browne acknowledged Mr. Thornton and Ms. Loftice, Assistant Directors of Parks and Recreation, for producing the video. He also thanked Citicable for their contribution as well. Mr. Browne also welcomed Ms. Vickie Loftice back from Alaska who is now serving as one of our Assistant Directors of Parks and Recreation. ITEM 4. THORNBRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK PUBLIC MEETING Mr. Thornton presented the preliminary site plan for the Thornbridge Neighborhood Park. The Thornbridge Neighborhood Park site is approximately 12 acres of a 33-acre park located within and adjacent to the Thornbridge subdivision. Park amenities submitted and approved in the grant agreement with TPWD include a playground, pavilion, practice baseball backstop, bridge, associated landscaping and irrigation, park furniture and a multi-use trail throughout the park and extending to the future Little Bear Creek Trail. Mr. Work opened the floor for comments from citizens. 1. Mr. Jerry Henry - 8912 Thornberry. Mr. Henry is the past president of the Thornbridge Board of Trustees. Mr. Henry has the following concerns: Location of Park Signage End of Trail Maintenance and Mowing Schedule Backstop Construction Schedule Mr. Thornton commented that the placement for the signage has not been determined yet but the signage will be on park property. Staff tried to show as much of the park as possible with the trail ending at Thornway. The park will be mowed and maintained as all our other facilities with the same standard. Mr. Henry said he liked that. The backstop is not planned for anything other than neighborhood pick up games. Thornbridge is not a"drive to" destination and the practice field will only be 100'. Mr. Thornton did comment that the park will be a public park and is open for public use. After receiving comments from citizens, the plan will be refined, if needed, then presented to City Council for approval. The plans and specifications will take approximately 4- 6 weeks to compile. Once complete they will be forwarded to the Park and Recreation Board Minutes May 17, 1999 2 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for review. Once the final review is complete the plans will be authorized for bidding. Construction is scheduled to begin in the Fall. 2. Ken Napier - 8309 Thornhill. Mr. Napier is the President of the Homeowners Association. Mr. Napier has the following concerns: Parking Liability Lighting Architectural Control Mr. Napier wanted to know if "no parking" signs could be installed across the street so that parking will not be a problem. Mr. Browne commented that one of his neighbors might have guests over and want to be able to park on the street. He suggested waiting to see if a problem develops, then address it. All citizens of the City own public parks and they should have access to them if they want. Mr. Browne's commitment to the residents of Thornbridge is to listen, respond to and make changes if problems arise. Mr. Napier was concerned about the liability of the homeowners for the park. Mr. Browne stated that as homeowners they would not incur any additional costs. The park will carry the same liability as every other park in North Richland Hills. The playground will be brand new, state of the art. Staff will be performing weekly and monthly inspections of all equipment and citizens can help staff out by informing us if they see any problems arise. Mr. Napier also wanted to know if the park would have any lighting? Mr. Thornton commented that the park would not have lights. The park is a very narrow strip and is close to streetlights. Mr. Napier also wanted to know if they would have any architectural control over any of the park elements. Mr. Browne commented that all park signs are part of the global signage for the entire park system. Staff welcomes any suggestions by the Thornbridge Architectural Control Committee and is willing to sit down and discuss options to keep the theme consistent with the theme of the neighborhood. Mr. Napier feels the park will be a positive addition to their neighborhood. 3. Mr. Ricky McElroy - 8320 Thorndyke. Mr. McElroy is concerned with parking on the street. Mr. Browne responded that parking issues can be dealt with on a"case by case" basis and there is nothing to preclude people from parking on a residential street. If it does become a problem, staff is willing to make changes. Residents also have the opportunity to go to City Council. There were no other comments from citizens. Mr. Browne thanked everyone who came out for the public hearing and for giving their comments. Park and Recreation Board Minutes May 17, 1999 3 ITEM 5. NORTH RICHLAND HILLS SOCCER ASSOCIATION FIELD USE REQUEST At the February 1, 1999 Park and Recreation Board meeting, Dwight Jett, President of North Richland Hills Soccer Association, presented a request to overlay one of the regulation soccer fields at Green Valley Park with striping for one "6 & under" field and one "8 & under" field. Participation rates have continued to increase each season. Last fall registration for NRHSA reach 453 players and this spring enrollment grew to 773. North Richland Hills Area Soccer League (NRHASL) enrolled 1,284 players for the spring season. Mr. Steve Billarreal - NRHASL - made the following comments: Both organizations are independent and are seeking facilities to play on. He does appreciate what the City of North Richland Hills has done. He said they went to other cities looking for soccer fields and NRH is the only one who provided fields. Mr. Billarreal feels the numbers will continue to grow, he also said they are willing to work with the City to help alleviate the overuse. Mr. Dwight Jett - NRHSA - made the following comments: He clarified that he was looking to add some "temporary" fields on Field #7 lined with yellow paint for U6 & U8. He doesn't think it is possible to add more fields there, but possibly by the baseball backstop. He has also approached Watauga and was told that there are too many other types of parks being developed at this time. The possibility is still there and they know the numbers are there. He said it is not possible to change their schedule, due to NRHSA playing other cities. Mr. Jett is not in favor of limiting registration or players. He would like to help the game of soccer grow. He also suggested looking at some land on the southern half of Fossil Creek Park, it looks about the size of Green Valley. Mr. Browne commented that the property at Fossil Creek Park is in the 100-year floodway. The existing Fossil Creek Park experiences some flooding at this time. Also the BISD Property that has been referred to is in the floodway. The Corp of Engineers are extremely restrictive in that area. With the redevelopment of Richland Plaza there had to be some drainage improvements made that took out about three practice soccer fields and some school property. Mr. Work wanted to make sure that he understood correctly that Mr. Jett is against limiting registration. Mr. Jett commented that, that is correct. Mr. Jett and Mr. Billarreal are both not in favor of a resident/non-resident restriction. Mr. Leslie wanted to know if they over striped the adult field would it still be used for adult play and what age does NRHSA go up to. Mr. Jett said that would depend on scheduling, but they could be used by both and NRHSA goes up to age 14. Mr. Leslie wanted to know when the season begins: Mr. Jett said the spring season beq~ins at the end of February to the 2"d week in May and the fall season is September 18 through November 7th. Mr. Billarreal responded he has the same time frame. Park and Recreation Board Minutes May 17, 1999 4 Mr. Work wanted to know if the fields are being used everyday? They commented that befinreen both associations, the fields are used an average of three nights a week and Saturday & Sunday. The associations do set aside times for rainouts, up front, in their scheduling. Mr. Leslie wanted to know what the recommended usage is. Mr. Browne commented that it would depend on type of turf, size and mass of players and the weather. There is not a set standard, only experience will help with determining when play and the weather impacts the turf. Mr. Leslie wanted to know how the fields are holding up at the current level of play. Mr. Browne doesn't feel the fields are at the level they should be. Mr. Billarreal commented that North Richland Hills has a reputation of having great fields and people from all over comment about the fields. Ms. Milano is concerned about the non-resident (58%) Vs residents ratio. Staff commented that the North Texas State Soccer Association sets the boundaries and Watauga, part of Richland Hills and Haltom City are included in those boundaries. Mr. Leslie wanted to know what fees the individuals playing pay. Staff commented $4 - $5 per season -$8 -$10 per year. Mr. Browne responded that there is a price differential for non-residents. There have been discussions with the associations about merging the finro associations together. Mr. Leslie was concerned about the drainage on the full size fields and didn't know if we had ever thought of putting in French drains. Mr. Thornton said there is a sub-surface drainage system in the park already to move the rainwater from the SE corner to the NE Corner. Staff started planting rye grass in the fall and will continue to overseed with rye. Mr. Browne commented that at this time he feels the Park and Recreation Board should review the information received and forward comments back to staff. Staff can meet with Mr. Billarreal and Mr. Jett to discuss scheduling. Ms. Christensen wanted to know if we were "maxed" out on the number of fields for this park. Staff responded that we could put up to 19 fields in the park. Mayor and Council approved 11 fields. When the award of contract for construction was taken to Council, they cut the fields back to seven, but the park can support 11 fields. At a later date an eighth field was added, with Council approval. Each soccer association has use of 1-U6, 1-U8, 1-U 10, 1-U 12 and 1 Adult Field. The associations reallocate use according to what the needs of the program dictate. Mr. Leslie wanted to know if there was an agreement on how adults can use the fields? Staff responded that the adult league had not developed yet at the time the fields were approved and they have shown considerable growth. The Board wanted to know if we thought about adding fields at Little Bear Creek/Tarrant Parkway. Staff responded that we would need to see if there are opportunities for that within the Park System Master Plan. Ms. Christensen asked what the possibilities are of adding some additional smaller fields into Green Valley. Mr. Browne responded that if that is the direction the Park and Park and Recreation Board Minutes May 17, 1999 5 Recreation Board would like to go we could forward a recommendation on to the Mayor and Council. Mr. Browne also stated that there would not be any parking issues. A parking study was completed when 11 fields were proposed and there is appropriate and adequate parking to support 11 fields. Mr. Billarreal said there are never any parking problems, the engineers did a great job. Mr. Leslie wanted to know if there is any space at all at the 100 Acre Park Site or NRH2O. Mr. Browne responded that there is one small practice field at NRH2O, but they have a plan for ultimate expansion of NRH2O and that area is also used for overflow parking. There are ruts, sewer manholes and the field is not in the right condition for competition play. There is also one practice field at Walker's Creek Park but as that park is expanded that field will also go away. Mr. Browne commented that staff is looking at trying to acquire more property. There has been growth in all sports. Staff is also waiting on the responses of the Park System Master Plan Update Survey. Mr. Jett and Mr. Billarreal thank the Park and Recreation Board for listening to their comments. Mr. Doug Blue - 7704 John Autry Road, had the following comments: Mr. Blue asked if the Board would be considerate of the residents who abut the park. He also said that if there were ever an agreement of additional field to be added, it would be brought before the City Council. Mr. Blue said the backstop is in the green belt. He also commented that if you live within 100 feet of the park, on Saturday and Sunday evenings there is no peace and quiet, people are out there screaming. He asked if the Board would consider that in making their decisions. ITEM 6. RECREATION, ATHLETICS, SENIOR ADULTS AND TENNIS CENTER REPORTS Ms. Loftice updated the Park and Recreation Board on the following: Ms. Dette McElroy has been hired to fill the position of Marketing Specialist. Ms. McElroy comes to us from the Fort Worth Zoo where she was a Group Sales Coordinator. She has a Bachelor of Art Degree in Advertising with a Specialization in Art from Kansas State University. Ms. McElroy is out of town this evening and unable to attend the meeting. The 11th Annual "Easter in the Park" was held on March 27th at Green Valley Community Park. Approximately 2000 children hunted 25,000 Easter eggs and prizes. Wells Fargo served as the Title Sponsor for the 9th consecutive year contributing $1,200 to the event. Other sponsors included Wal-Mart who contributed $150 worth of prizes and Chick-Fil-A who sponsored a game booth and gave out store coupons. The Summer 1999 "Time of Your Life" brochures were mailed to the public May 5th & 6th. Staff is thrilled about our first issue with a"glossy" cover. Park and Recreation Board Minutes May 17, 1999 6 Recreation staff has been finalizing plans for Summer Camp NRH. The camp has 45- 60 kids on the waiting list for the second consecutive year. Staff is hoping to expand Camp NRH next year and has asked for additional staffing. They will also be looking at a new site. The Bursey Road Center exercise program now averages 30 participants, three times a week. They also have a jewelry workshop, which proved to be fun and popular as the participants made jewelry from quail eggs. Bursey Road Center also had fifty-six participants who went to Branson, Missouri in March. They already have a waiting list for the next trip in November. The center also hosted a City Council candidate's forum on March 11~'. The Dan Echols Singers entertained three times and the Swingin' Seniors finrice in April at Convalescent homes. They also hosted a City Council candidate's forum in March and April. The Spring Softball Season began March 8t" with 90 teams participating six days a week, including a new Co-Re Fun League on Sunday. The Spring Pre-Season Softball Classic was held March 6th with 12 teams and 350 people participating. Spring Adult Volleyball leagues began with 20 teams playing finro nights a week. The Opening Ceremonies for Corporate Challenge was held on Saturday, April 24tn Thirteen companies competed in this year's event. BISD won Division A with North Richland Hills finishing second. Bates Container won Division B with City of Colleyville taking a close second. Registration is currently bein~q accepted for the Hook A Kid On Golf Program. HAKOG is scheduled for July 12 -16t . "Friday Night. Out" was held on April 16th with approximately 475 teens in attendance. The Youth Advisory Committee is now under the direction of Parks and Recreation. A report to City Council and new member recommendations will be presented at the Council meeting on May 24~'. Richland High School held a tennis tournament at Richland Tennis Center on March 12th & 13th. They had eight schools participating and 100 players. Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Motorola have organized their own corporate tennis leagues playing. Richland Tennis Center held a BNSF mixer March 10th to kick off their league season. Richland Tennis Center has experienced a 29% increase in revenue from October 98 to April 99. Tennis lessons and pro shop sales have shown significant increases. Park and Recreation Board Minutes May 17, 1999 ~ Richland High School held their varsity district tournament April 14th & 15th. They also held a junior varsity tournament on April 2ptn A Mid Cities Circuit Tournament was hosted by the Richland Tennis Center on April 17'n with 83 area juniors participating. Southlake Carroll High School held their district tournament April 21St at the tennis center. The Richland Tennis Center professional staff participated in a Community Tennis Rally sponsored by the Fort Worth Tennis Associations and the Fort Worth Professional Tennis Association at TCU. The event was held to kickoff May as "Free Tennis Lesson Month". Richland Tennis Center is giving free lessons on six different occasions throughout the month of May. ITEM 7. PARK OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM STATUS REPORT Mr. Thornton updated the Park and Recreation Board on the following: A grant application has been submitted for the Tea-21 grant submittals for trail projects. If the grants are funded, they could complete our Citywide Trail System Master Plan. Construction continues on the 100 Acre Park Site. The multi-use trail is being poured and before long the buildings will be going up. ITEM 8. AQUATIC PARK REPORT Mr. Chris Swartz updated the Park and Recreation Board on the following: NRH2O opened on May 15~'to overcast skies. NRH2O's Mission Statement: "Our Mission is to exceed expectations through unrivaled service and to provide quality, family oriented entertainment in a safe, clean, friendly environmenY'. NRH2O added several new shaded areas this summer. NRH2Ocean and the Tad Pole Train Station received increased shade areas. Six funbrellas have been relocated to Frogstein's Forest to cover picnic tables in that area. The new Group Gate which, was also added this year, has been very successful. The Group Gate was moved to a more suitable location for processing the large groups without tying up the front gate entrance. Park and Recreation Board Minutes May 17, 1999 g Currently NRH2O is employing approximately 275 team members for this season. All training sessions were conducted on park and using "hand's-on" methods. Several social events have been planned throughout the summer for the team members. Mr. Swartz referred to the list of staff members and invited the Board to introduce themselves to these individuals when they are at NRH2O. Mr. Swartz also reviewed the Parks Operating Hours and Admission Ticket Prices. ITEM 9. OTHER INFORMATIONAL ITEMS Mr. Browne encouraged everyone who has not sent in their survey for the Park System Master Plan update to do so. ITEM 10. ADJOURNAMENT Ms. Christensen made a motion, seconded by Ms. Milano, to adjourn the meeting at 8:10 p.m. (Motion passed 5-0). ~2~r~-- Ric Work, Chairman ATTEST: D Christina A. Lopez, Admin t' e Secretary Park and Recreation Board Minutes May 17, 1999 g