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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/12/2006 B A K E R S F I E L D ~7. ~ Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Staff: Alan Christensen Sue Benham For: Alan Tandy, City Manager Irma Carson AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Monday, June 12, 2006 - 1:00 p.m. Suite 201, City Hall, 1501 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 1. ROLL CALL Called to Order at 1:10 p.m. Present: Councilmembers Jacquie Sullivan, Chair; and Sue Benham I' Absent: Councilmember Irma Carson 2. ADOPT FEBRUARY 6, 2006 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A. Staff report on Sports Village City Manager Alan Tandy gave an update on the Sports Village planned for City property located on Taft Highway between Gosford and Ashe Roads. Highlights: - The plan includes: 22 soccer fields; 12 baseball/softball fields; 6 football fields; a recreational center; concession stands; parking areas; and restrooms. - On the original plan there was a three-par golf course. Due to the space needs for youth football, the golf course was replaced with football fields. - There will be a multipurpose path going throughout for walking and biking. - A lake is planned as a visual amenity to serve as a basin for tertiary-treated water, which will be used to irrigate the trees, landscaping, and lawns. Agenda Summary Report Page 2 Community Services Committee Meeting Monday, June 12, 2006 - The perimeters of the complex will be heavily landscaped to give an attractive appearance to those passing by. - Currently, staff is using the "Sports Village" name to designate the project. Hopefully, there will be interest in naming rights and it will become (something) Sports Village. There are other sponsorship naming rights available for the sports fields or complexes as well. - Developers in the area suggested the City carve out two corners to sell for commercial development for shops and restaurants with a sports related theme to enhance the Sports Village and serve the park and the proposed surrounding neighborhoods. A 25 acre commercial site is planned for the southeast corner at Ashe and Taft Highway and an 11 acre commercial site for the southwest corner at Gosford and Taft Highway. - In order to sell the commercial corners the property would first have to be entitled. This property is owned by Wastewater and proceeds/assets from any sale would go to the Wastewater fund, so Wastewater will pay for entitling the property. - Sites have been set aside in the far northeast corner for a future fire station and satellite City maintenance yard. - A virtual reality video is in progress and should' be completed for the State of the City luncheon on July 11th and then used at other events to raise .. community interest. - The Sports Village is estimated to cost approximately $50 million. - Several months ago the Council approved a $600,000 grant application. - Developer agreements are being negotiated for projects being proposed for the area, which would include funding for the Sports Village over a period of years. Even with the proposed developer agreements, the funding is significantly less than half of what it will take to build the park. - The sports groups will be doing fund-raising for construction of the fields, and maintenance of the complexes will be part of lease contract negotiations. - The timing is controlled in part on when the infrastructure occurs as Gosford and Ashe Roads are built out to arterial status as part of the development projects in the area. Realistically start time is at least three to five years out. - Public Works staff provided information on traffic signals and entrances that will provide access in and out of the facility. Agenda Summary Report Page 3 Community Services Committee Meeting Monday, June 12, 2006 Committee Member Sue Benham requested staff when finalizing the plan, to provide as much access in and out of the facility as possible to avoid, long lines of traffic during events and tournaments. She also suggested there be an advisory committee formed with the different sports groups to coordinate such things as timing of the tournaments and events. Committee Chair Jacquie Sullivan thanked staff for the update. B. Staff report on 40 acre park at Jewetta and Stockdale Recreation and Parks Director Dianne Hoover provided an update. This park is located across the river from The Park at River Walk on Jewetta off Stockdale Highway. The lake has been completed, as well as the bridge over the Kern River. Staff is working on two agreements with Southwest Baseball. The first is a construction agreement to build the fields. The second is a long-term lease agreement with the City for use of the fields. These agreements when finalized will go to the City Council for approval. The City will do some basic improvements including parking and the entry way on Jewetta to make sure it is attractive for the nearby homes. Funding is included in the 2006-07 proposed budget. With budget approval, the City's improvements can start within a couple of months after the design is completed. Much of the design is being done in-house. Southwest Baseball has a letter of intent from the City and will begin fund- raising. They have indicated there are companies who are interested, especially since the completion of The Park at River Walk. Southwest Baseball is on a month-to-month lease with Cai State University, Bakersfield, and hopefully will have the fields completed before they are forced to move to another location. C. Staff report on graffiti deterrence concepts for block walls Staff provided a computer visual of a project completed by the Parks Department at Stone Creek. The area in front of the wall previously had only grass and was tagged continuously. In response to recommendations from Councilmembers, Red Tip Photenia was planted which will grow tall enough to shield the masonry wall. Other examples of taller plants by walls were also shown, such as the new walls on Stockdale Highway landscaped by Castle and Cooke. Developers are being encouraged to plant larger shrubs/trees to shield the walls from graffiti vandals. Agenda Summary RePort Page 4 Community Services Committee Meeting Monday, June 12, 2006 5. NEW BUSINESS 6. COMMITTEE COMMENTS Committee Member Sue Benham asked staff if they had been able to canvass the 'neighborhood by Jefferson Park to survey whether nearby homes and businesses would be receptive to having a skatepark in Jefferson Park. Recreation and Parks Director Dianne Hoover responded. Prior to canvassing the neighborhood, staff went out to Jefferson Park to look for a skatepark site and with the current amenities there is not enough space for a skatepark. In response to a question from Committee Chair Jacquie Sullivan, staff responded they have checked with staff from County Parks and there are no plans or interest at this time to build a skatepark in Heritage Park located on Mt. Vernon. 7. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m. Staff attendance: City Manager Alan Tandy; Assistant City Manager Alan Christensen; City Attorney Ginny Gennaro; Recreation and Parks Director Dianne Hoover; Public Works Director Raul Rojas; Public Works General Services Superintendent Steve Hollingsworth; Parks Construction and Facility Planner Ken Trone; Paul Hellman, Planning Division; and .Park and Landscape Designer Don Hoggatt Attendance others: David Burger, reporter, The Bakersfield Califomian; Mark Howell, reporter, KUZZ; and other news media reporters cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council S:~AC\06 Community Services Committee\cs 06 jun 12summary.doc