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1996-10-21SOUTHLAKE PARK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MEETING 667 North Carroll Avenue Southlake, Texas 76092 October 21, 1996 MINUTES MEMBERS PRESENT: David Yelton, President, W. Ralph Evans, Vice -President. Members: Rick Stacy, Carol Lee Hamilton, Scott Martin and Rod Johnson. MEMBERS ABSENT: Pamela Muller STAFF PRESENT: Curtis E. Hawk, City Manager; Lou Ann Heath, Director of Finance; Kim Lenoir, Director of Parks & Recreation and Sandra L. LeGrand, City Secretary. Agenda Item #1, Call to Order President David Yelton called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. A quorum was present. Agenda Item #2, Approval of the Minutes The minutes of the September 16, 1996 meeting were approved as submitted. Motion: Ralph Evans Second: Carol Lee Hamilton Ayes: Yelton, Evans, Johnson, Hamilton, Martin and Stacy Nays: None Approved: 6-0 vote Agenda Item #3, Executive Session: Pursuant to Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, Section 551.072, land acquisition. Chairman Yelton announced that SPDC would be going into executive session pursuant to Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, Section 551.072, land acquisition. SPDC adjourned for executive session. SPDC returned to open session at 6:09 p.m. Agenda Item #4, Reconvene: Action Necessary/Executive Session A motion to make SPDC funds available for acquisition of lands for parks, pursuant to the discussion in executive session. Motion: Rod Johnson O *'%w SPDC MINUTES -- REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 21, 1996 PAGE 1 OF 7 Second: Scott Martin Ayes: Yelton, Stacy, Evans, Johnson, Hamilton, and Martin Nays: None Vote: 6-0 Agenda Item #5, Consider: Fox Hollow Equestrian Trail Director of Parks and Recreation Kim Lenoir presented this issue as an informational item for the SPDC. She briefed the committee on a complaint received from a resident in the Ravenaux Addition, Sandra Oliver, requesting that a fence be erected on the south side of the equestrian easement. Their request is for a fence to be extended on both sides of the easement. The original, approved developer agreement required that the developer of Fox Hollow, David McMahan, install a fence on the north side of the equestrian easement and did not include a fence on the south side. She stated some members of the Park Board have considered this item and would like to offer the developer a "credit" toward future developments if he would pay for the fence. Should the developer's plan to develop further, change or not be approved, the developer would need to be reimbursed. Developer and partner of the Fox Hollow subdivision development, David McMahan, 1335 Hidden Glen, Southlake, Texas, presented the issues involved regarding the fencing request and his need for the City to agree to either give him credit toward park fees for future developments or reimburse him within a year or so, should he go ahead with construction of the fence. The exact cost of the fence is not certain at this time, but Mr. McMahan believes it to be about $10,000. The fence is proposed to be 42" tall, three -rail wooden fence. The exact footage across Ms. Oliver's property is not available at this time. Mr. McMahan said he believes the fence is probably 1000 feet. Mr. McMahan has had no other contact with the Homeowners Association. Member Scott Martin reminded the committee of the original discussions with the residents in Ravenaux Addition regarding the trail and the fence. He suggested that the fence remain as it was agreed to originally unless the property owners in the Ravenaux Addition want to pay for the fence on the south side. Kim Lenoir commented that the trail was added to the Trail Master Plan. Curtis Hawk, City Manager, gave the staff's perpective. The Park Board has not made a recommendation to City Council on the additional fencing and the City Council has not had a chance to look at the recommendation from the Park Board [regarding credit to the developer if he constructs additional fence on south side of trail easement] . Until a recommendation comes forward from the Park Board as to whether they want to recommend park fee credits or reimbursements to address the issue, it is premature for the SPDC to make a recommendation. A motion was made to deny the spending of any funds for further fencing for the Fox Hollow Equestrian Trail at this time and refer the matter back to the Park Board. The motion was SPDC MINUTES -- REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 21, 1996 PAGE 2 OF 7 seconded. Motion: Rod Johnson Second: Carol Lee Hamilton Ayes: Johnson, Hamilton, Stacy, Evans, Martin and Yelton Nays: None Vote: 6-0 to deny Agenda Item #6, Consider: Construction of Temporary Soccer Fields John Levitt, president of the Grapevine/Southlake Soccer Association, was present to answer questions regarding this item. Kim Lenoir informed the committee of the need for at least one additional soccer field for next fall and led the discussion to find a solution. The Grapevine/Southlake Soccer Association is currently using the intermediate school field and the District has said they cannot continue using it as they have their own leagues which will utilize the fields; the Association needs to find another location. Mr. Levitt said he expects to lose the current field this spring which will create a jam, as generally in the spring, the Association has an "Under 19" team which consists mainly of Carroll High School football team and the Association is out of space. Chairman Yelton reiterated the committee's prior consensus that the priorities of the Committee (w are, 1) additional land acquisition, 2) soccer fields and 3) playground pavilion. He questioned if there is a plan to implement soccer fields? Lenoir responded that nothing can be done on the Bob Jones Park right away and recommended as a solution that something be done with Joint Utilization; however, there are no funds available. Mr. Levitt offered a solution. He told members that there are areas for three fields at Durham Elementary School and even though the school reserves one of the fields (the one just east of the school) exclusively for Carroll soccer teams, there is room for at least two soccer fields in the northeast corner of the school grounds that could possibly be used. Turf is established on these fields. The two fields on the northeast corner of the property have been hydromulched, but not sodded. The fields are in "practice" condition as is. Ms. Lenoir said the cost to irrigate and sod one field is about $35,000. She stated that if the money was available to irrigate and sod, the fields could be ready by the fall if they start the process by May. The question was asked as to what the restrictions are on use of the Park Dedication fees for a joint use project? Mr. Hawk replied that the funds may be used on whatever the City wants to use them for; however, the City has intended to use the Park Dedication fees for land acquisition. For example, funds from the Park Dedication Account has been used to purchase lots in West Beach. Mr. Yelton offered another solution. He asked Mr. Levitt if it was possible to have a partnership with the soccer association with SPDC and the Association dividing the cost of the fields? Mr. Levitt explained that many members of the Grapevine Southlake Soccer Association feel that SPDC MINUTES -- REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 21, 1996 PAGE 3 OF 7 Southlake has not carried their share of the load. He talked about the participation the Association has had with the upkeep on the ten fields at Oak Grove Park and the concern that he has heard about what Southlake is doing to provide soccer fields for the members. The committee went on to discuss the soccer season and what kind of time line would be involved in getting the fields at Durham ready for fall play. The spring season begins March 15 and goes through the second week in May. In order to have the fields "game" ready for next fall, work must begin no later than the first of May. Sod could be down by June and then have three months for the roots to get established. Available funding can not be determined until after the land acquisition is complete. Mr. Hawk said that practice fields could possibly be available in the Bob Jones Park by that time; game fields may have to be later. John Levitt asked the Committee to expand the request and look at including the rehabilitation of the field at the intermediate school as a joint utilization project. Chairman Yelton agreed that it would be a good joint utilization project. Scott Martin said he would approach Gary Fawks, a Joint Utilization Committee member, regarding the request. A motion was made and modified to "table" Item No. 6 for sixty days and bring back for consideration in the form of permanent fields, with an update on the land acquisition to determine funding options and cost estimates for preparing the two fields at Durham Elementary for game condition by fall. Motion: Rod Johnson (W Second: Carol Lee Hamilton Ayes: Johnson, Hamilton, Evans, Stacy, Martin and Yelton Nays: None Vote: 6-0 to "table" for sixty days and bring back for consideration as permanent fields, with cost estimates. After the vote, discussion continued. John Levitt will confirm with the school district whether or not the Association will be able to continue to use the field at the intermediate school next spring or the following fall and bring that information back to the SPDC at the next meeting. Mayor Stacy said the location of the proposed fields at Bob Jones Park need to be identified and build them in May or at the proper time. Carol Lee Hamilton stated the need to confirm what will be done at Durham Elementary and which fields will be temporary and which ones permanent; Park Board needs to make a recommendation regarding these issues and bring forward to SPDC to vote on. Agenda Item #7, Consider: Funding of Playground Pavilion at Bicentennial Park Kim Lenoir introduced Larry Abernathy, 640 Truelove Trail (Oak Hill Estates), representing The Friends of the Playground. Mr. Abernathy spoke to the group about his background involvement with Adventure Alley and their group's activities. He serves as president of Southlake Playground, Inc., the non-profit corporation that built Adventure Alley. The organization is SPDC MINUTES -- REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 21, 1996 PAGE 4 OF 7 responsible for maintaining the playground, primarily through the application of applying a protective sealer to the structure. The corporation originally promised to build pavilions at the playground after the playground was complete. Mr. Abernathy said he has been involved in trying to raise funds to pay for the construction of pavilions and has not had any success in soliciting committee members to help with the fundraising efforts. The City needs pavilions, but the corporation is not able to provide funding. Mr. Abernathy told SPDC that if the corporation had some money from SPDC, at least some seed money, he could put a more aggressive effort into building a committee to get the project started. Mr. Abernathy explained his recommendations for the pavilions. He recommends a 45' hexagon -shaped pavilion, one or two 20' pavilions, and some 10' square, single-family picnic tables at a cost of about $50,000 for materials for the 45' and 20' pavilions. He said the actual construction would be done by volunteers. A 45' hexagon pavilion kit cost and shipping is $23,000 plus cost for concrete base. The actual cost would be dependent upon the options the city wants to include in the construction. Due to the same issues involved in the request for funding of soccer fields, Carol Lee Hamilton recommended SPDC revisit this request in 60 days. Rick Stacy asked to see concept drawings of the pavilions and would like the opportunity to look into having the materials donated by area businesses. Curtis Hawk brought out the need to find out from the Park Board how the pavilions fit the Park Master Plan and what their recommendation is. He mentioned that with the acquisition of additional land, they might be able to do more than what was considered in the original plan. Committee members talked about involving Leadership Southlake in the project as they had been in the Adventure Alley project. A motion was made to refer this item back to the Park Board for them to define exactly what needs to be done and make their recommendations. After their recommendations are known, the project could be taken forward to possible commercial donors for participation. Motion: Rod Johnson Second: Carol Lee Hamilton Ayes: Johnson, Hamilton, Stacy, Evans, Martin, and Yelton Nays: None Vote: 6-0 to refer back to Park Board Agenda Item #8, Discussion: Southlake Sportsplex Concept Rick Stacy credited Curtis Hawk with the concept for the Southlake Sportsplex. He said discussions have lead to several ideas coming forward. Property large enough for the project has to be identified. He said there is nothing definite at this time; three or four sites have been looked at. The CISD says about 50 acres would be needed for the football complex although Pennington Field is only 27 acres. With this in mind, a good football complex could be built on a fifty acre site with other recreational facilities being included on the fifty acres, such as a tennis center, SPDC MINUTES -- REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 21, 1996 PAGE 5 OF 7 soccer fields, natatorium, etc. He said there are strong feelings that the CISD cannot fund this project and the best way for the City to accomplish the task is to go through the SPDC. Mr. Stacy talked about the idea of setting up a "Sports Authority," which would be a joint - venture, public/private organization, involved in creating funding for the project. Mr. Stacy recommended that whatever the complex becomes or wherever it is located, it does need to be directly accessible to SH 114 due to the large amount of traffic and use it will accommodate. Curtis Hawk said the project had been discussed at last month's Joint Utilization Committee meeting and those members felt it would probably be used almost 365 days a year. Mr. Hawk gave information about the formation of the Fort Worth Sports Authority. It was created under the auspices of the Section 4B, Economic Development Act to address the racetrack being constructed. It is the same type of corporation as the SPDC. He mentioned various way money could be borrowed and how the authority could work. He cited "tax incremental financing" (TIF) as an option if there was private involvement in the project. If an entity is created as the vehicle to finance and manage a municipal recreational complex, with something other than the City or the District running it, it needs to be managed through SPDC. Carol Lee Hamilton had to leave the meeting at this time. Agenda Item #9, Discussion: Road Improvements of White Chapel Boulevard at Bob Jones (w Road Curtis Hawk reported that staff is looking at interim estimates and the initial estimates are somewhere around three-quarters of a million dollars. Rick Stacy reported on a meeting he had recently with the Commissioner of Denton County about the portion of White Chapel Road in Southlake that falls in Denton County. He said he explained to the Commissioner the importance of having the road in good condition in that area because the City plans to build a nice park there. He invited members of Denton County to be a part of the region and they showed a lot of interest. Curtis Hawk stated that the reason this item was on the agenda was because the improvements of public utilities to get to the park are eligible for funding. David McMahan and Curtis Hawk spoke about the obligations and services provided to citizens in that area. Agenda Item #10, Consider: 1997 Funding Priorities Chairman Yelton reminded members that this item was "tabled" from the last meeting. The consensus at that time of priorities were: 1) land acquisition, 2) soccer fields and necessary bufferyards and 3) playground pavilions. SPDC MINUTES -- REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 21, 1996 PAGE 6 OF 7 Stacy stated that he feels land acquisition has to be number one for SPDC. Mr. Hawk said SPDC needs to begin planning now for the next bond sale. To do that, SPDC needs to know limitations and which projects can be included with land acquisition. There should be more information regarding land acquisition by the City's bond counselor and financial advisors at the next meeting. Lou Ann Heath will consult with advisors and will bring back an estimate on amount of bonds that may be issued. She discussed a new, potential change in rules regarding "debt service" and how it will affect funding. A motion was made to table this item until the next meeting. Motion: Rod Johnson Second: Scott Martin Ayes: Johnson, Stacy, Evans, Martin, and Yelton Nays: None Vote: 5-0 to table Agenda Item #11, Consider: Meeting Time for SPDC Meeting Members discussed meeting times and agreed on 6:00 p.m. Motion: Scott Martin Second: Rod Johnson Ayes: Johnson, Stacy, Evans, Martin, and Yelton Nays: None Vote: 5-0 SPDC MINUTES -- REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 21, 1996 PAGE 7 OF 7