HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-04-2013 (2)Parks and Recreation Board Meeting
Minutes
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
5:30 p.m.
Auburn Senior Activity Center, Rotary Room
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 5:35 pm by Board Chair Michael Hassen.
Additional members present were Laura Keim and Vicki Gilthvedt. Excused members - Julie
Parascondola, Greg Dobbs, and Richard Artura. Unexcused member - David Domenowske. Department
staff present were Parks Director Daryl Faber, and Parks Secretary Julie Mehl and citizen Doug Hill.
II. Minutes
The minutes of the May meeting were not approved as there is no quorum.
III. Committee Member Input
Board member Vicki Gilthvedt asks Daryl if she can attend meeting with friend working on project for
skate park in memory of her son. Daryl gladly approves.
Julie Parascondola has dropped from the board due to schedule issues.
IV. Correspondence /Public Input
Citizen Doug Hill lives on Green River Road and has an issue with Isaac Evans Park. At the sandy beach
area near the foot bridge the picnic tables and barbecues are gone. He called the Parks Department and
someone called him back and said yes, the Parks Department did remove those items. While helping at
Clean Sweep at the Mary Olson Farm, a city employee did admit they didn't like the homeless folks using
them. Doug feels those items should not have been removed, it's like not allowing people to use the
streets because they speed. Director Faber will find out why the items were removed and follow up with
Doug Hill. Doug also mentions the grafitti on the footbridge, and states that the wooden bench near the
pump house needs to be painted.
V. Old Business (Faber)
VI. New Business (Faber)
Postcards will go out for a neighborhood meeting at 6:30 pm on June 18 at Evergreen Heights
Elementary School to discuss what folks would like to see happen at the new lake property. Daryl has
met with a consultant and he will put together a drawing and we can get the school district and Green
River Community College volunteers involved.
For the past year, we've been working on reviewing the Park Policies in the Parks Department Policy
Guide and have separated out things that should be included in City Codes so those things are laws, and
those things that should be in the procedures manual are items which state how Parks staff operates.
This will go through committee and council in the next month. The policy manual includes items from
the 1950's and 1960's and we made adjustments that make more sense. We had regulations that didn't
match the codes such as the noise ordinance in the Park Policy guide was not the same as the City
Ordinance and the length of your leash for your dog was not consistent with code.
VII. Department Report (Faber)
We are headed to Auburndale Park, which we've talked about for another off leash area. The White
River Disc Golf folks approached us about making this a 9 hole disc golf area. Most parks staff feel that
the 18 holes located at Game Farm Wilderness Park is ample for the disc golfers in the Auburn area and
perhaps neighboring cities could add to their inventory of -0- disc golf courses. Board Chair Michael has
heard complaints that there's not enough disc golf here in Auburn. We could also hold a Lea Hill
neighborhood meeting and ask folks what they would like to see at Auburndale Park. The folks right
around the park don't want anything to change (there's only about six houses) they've got their own
personal park that not many people use; that's not fair to the tax payers who are paying for those ten
acres. If we kept a 50' buffer around the entire fenceline it wouldn't change too much. It's a very
underutilized, really great piece of land. Parking is a big issue, we'll talk about some potential solutions.
Vicki asks if the disc golfers could create a 9 hole course under the power lines. They possibly could
replies Faber, there are some off leash areas going in, that would be allowed by BPA because they do
have restrictions of how the area can be used. Another good area would be the long section of property
near the power lines at Lakeland.
Park Board takes a walk around the walking trail and discusses possible ideas for park use. Director
Faber shares that when Parks Maintenance tried to get rid of the blackberry bushes, some neighbors
came out and complained because they like to pick the blackberries. The area inside the walking trail is
what is being considered for the 9 hole disc golf area, it contains a lot of bushes and trees. There is a
large rolling meadow which could be used as an off leash area. We could have some nature
improvements, add some benches, view corridors and do a little clearing of blackberries. Board Chair
Michael Hassen feels this is not a good location for disc golf.
Parking ideas: Angle in parking at the back side of Auburndale. The street is too narrow on the front
entrance for angled parking. If we could widen the road to 30' at the rear entrance we could push the
park in 10' for additional parking (10 — 12 cars per side). Would like to get pricing on curb, gutter,
sidewalk.
Drive by Lea Hill park construction site. Skate park on corner, barn style picnic shelter is taking shape,
baseball diamond, restroom is a silo, small synthetic soccer area (3 on 3) with walls, basketball area,
huge playground. There is a stage for summer concerts, an area for public art (bronze calf).
VIII. Adjournment
A. The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 pm.
Approved this Day of , 2013
Michael Hassen, Chair
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Daryl Faber, Director
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