2000-11-20 Meeting Report (Recreation Center)Recreation Center Placement
Question Answer Summary from S.P.I.N Meeting November 20, 2000
NOTE: This draft is a work -in- progress and does not yet include answers to all of the questions.
We will post these questions and any others that are raised along with available answers on the
city's website as soon as possible. www.ci.southlake.tx.us
1. BASIC DATA
A. What is the size for the proposed Recreation Center? Answer:
B. What comprises a Recreation Center, and why is one needed? Answer:
C. NOTE: Can you post the site plan conceptual drawing It would help people.
Also, if this proceeds I suggest elevation concepts to show what would be left of
the hill if built.
2. SITE SELECTION LAND PURCHASE ISSUES
A. Why build the Recreation Center on the hill in Bicentennial Park in the first place
this is the nicest area of the park? Answer:
B. Why can't the Recreation Center be placed on land adjacent to the Senior Activity
Center? Answer:
C. Why is the Evans property (to the west of Bicentennial Park on Shady Oaks) not a
site for the Recreation Center? Answer:
D. Why has the Recreation Center location been changed from the approved 1996
Bicentennial Park Master Development Plan? Recall that "The Hill" was designated
as Open Space. Answer:
E. While it is desirable to have a Recreation Center, once open space is developed it
cannot be returned is there any other location Answer:
F. Is Bob Jones Park an option to place the Recreation Center, since there is more
undeveloped land? Answer:
G. Has Noble Oaks Park been considered as an option for placement of the Recreation
Center? Answer:
H. Is it possible to obtain the remaining Evans property so that the Recreation Center
could be placed on the West Side of Bicentennial Park? Answer:
L Is the property to the northwest of Bicentennial (Weyland) available for purchase so
that a Recreation Center may be placed in the northwest corner of Bicentennial Park?
Answer:
J. Has the City considered placing the Recreation Center at Royal and Annie Smith
Park? Answer:
K. Has the Carroll School District been approached about the potential to acquire land
from them that they may not need (i.e. Peytonville property)? Answer:
3. MASTER PLAN ISSUES
A. On the 1996 Bicentennial Master Development Plan, there was a plan closure that
was acceptable to the public, and now the plan proposal is changing the other way.
Why is this the case? Answer:
B. While the survey results showing that a Recreation Center is a high priority are
statistically significant, would it also be fair to say that if the survey questions
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specifically mentioned placing the Recreation Center on the hill at Bicentennial, the
distribution of responses may have turned out differently? Answer:
C. Was the hill at Bicentennial Park designated as open space in the 1996 Master
Development Plan? Answer:
D. Is the Recreation Center an inconsistent use for a Neighborhood Park? If not... why
not place it one of them? Answer:
4. CONSTRUCTION/PLACEMENT ISSUES
A. Has the City considered the traffic impact on White Chapel and Diamond Circle
Estates as a result of this construction? Answer:
B. How about building just a Teen Center or a Recreation Center of reduced scope?
Answer:
C. Bicentennial Park is over developed now versus the original plan. What is the real
impact of placing a roughly 50,000 square foot building and roughly 300 additional
parking spaces in the park? Answer:
D. Is it possible to move the four (4) softball fields up into the northwest corner of
Bicentennial Park, allowing the placement of the Recreation Center in the southwest
corner? Answer:
E. What about fewer softball fields and make it fit on the west side of the Park?
Answer:
F. Can the parking be shared between a Recreation Center and the Girls Softball
Complex, allowing a Recreation Center to be placed on the West Side of Bicentennial
Park? Answer:
G. What about the trees on the property? Construction will kill the mature trees on the
hill with the building of the Recreation Center. Answer:
H. Has the City looked at child safety issues with constructing a Recreation Center in
Bicentennial Park, where there is already a high concentration of active uses?
Answer:
L What is the estimated completion date for the intersection improvements at North
White Chapel Boulevard? Answer:
J. Are the proposed number of parking spaces (reciprocal) in the proposal enough for a
50,000 square foot building? Answer:
K. When the Junior High turns into a High School, combined with a potential future
east -west through street, combined with the Tom Thumb, the traffic could
exponentially increase. Why attempt to place a 50,000 square foot Recreation Center
in Bicentennial Park? Answer:
L. What about the lights added due to the building and parking? Answer:
5. FINANCIAL BUDGET QUESTIONS
A. The Southlake Parks Development Corporation (SPDC) is currently $17 million in
debt. Why is there a rush to place a large building in a place where there is open
opposition and a question as to whether the City can currently afford such a facility?
Answer:
B. Why does the SPDC have to pay the City for the property adjacent to the Senior
Activity Center? Answer:
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C. In order to have a better analysis of options, document them and provide cost
estimates for each option? Answer:
D. What are the operational costs for operating a Recreation Center? What is the
financial impact of these additional operations costs on the City's Budget? Answer:
E. While the survey supports the Recreation Center, the results also show a diminished
support for the facility when user fees are mentioned as a means of financial support.
How does the City propose to fund the operations of a Recreation Center? Answer:
6. OPERATIONS
A. How much of this proposed Recreation Center would be dedicated to office space for
the Department of Community Services? Answer:
B. Could the facility be downsized and placed elsewhere? Answer:
C. Why not use other City property for the facility? Is there other property besides the
land adjacent to the Senior Activity Center that the City owns that may be a viable
option for placement of the Recreation Center? Answer:
7. PROCESS AND TIMING ISSUES
A. Why is the placement of the Recreation Center such an urgent issue at this time?
Answer:
B. According to survey information and the Southlake In- Review, 94% of the people are
satisfied with current recreational facilities. Why is a Recreation Center needed now?
Answer:
C. Has the City considered that this is not a viable option to the community, and does
our input matter on this decision or is this issue a "done deal Answer:
D. What is the timeline for this project moving forward? Will there be other
opportunities for public input on this issue? Answer:
E. Will any further public meetings be occurring during the next six (6) weeks on this
issue, as having these meetings during the holiday season may limit participation?
Answer:
8. GENERAL QUESTIONS
A. In the discussion, a perception exists that the West Side of Bicentennial is not a viable
option for the Recreation Center placement because of the Girls Softball Complex. Is
it the feeling of the City that one (1) softball field is more important than the hill at
Bicentennial Park? Answer:
B. In the future, could the policy makers please be present at these meetings so that there
is no loss of impact in the translation? Answer:
C. It appears that not all options have been considered by the City or by the citizens.
Why not place all the options in a new survey and ask residents what they are willing
to sacrifivice of the Center? The Hill? Answer:
D. How do you replace "The Hill Answer:
E. If this built on this site, how can we continue to call it a Park? Answer:
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