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P&R 04-04-01 APPROVED MINUTES PARRS AND RECREATION COMMISSION CITY OF CUPERTINO REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2001 CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Jelinch called the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL Commissioners present: Jeanne Bradford Frank Jelinch, Chair Roger Peng Edye Stein Kris Wang Commissioners absent: None Staffpresent: Presenters: Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director Julia Lamy, Recreation, Supervisor Don McCarthy, Recreation Supervisor Marie Preston, Recording Secretary Mark Schatz, Architect, Field Paoli (Sports Center) Dave Nelson, Architect, MPA Design (Portal Park) Jana Sokale, Environmental Planner (Stevens Creek Trail) MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Parks and Recreation Commission minutes for March 1, 2001 were unanimously approved as drafted. COMMUNICATIONS NOT ON THE AGENDA · ORAL - None · WRITTEN - None UNFINISHED BUSINESS · Response to Mr. R. Yun, Therese Ambrosi Smith informed the Commission that in response to Mr. Yun's request regarding dogs off leash, the following actions have been taken at all city parks: Public Works staff is improving the dogs-off-leash signage for each entry at each park, the April issue of the Scene will have an article Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of April 5, 2001 Page 2 of 5 reminding the public about the city's leash laws, Code Enforcement has been out to the parks to step up education and enforcement. Portal Park Safety Issues: Therese Ambrosi Smith stated that the consultant's recommendations were taken under advisement and Public Works has been out to the park and has removed slides that didn't have the appropriate fall zone, and have taken other actions. The spray area is still fenced off and secured so that no one can enter it. There are more drastic actions to be taken that involve demolition of existing concrete. Plans to redo the area will commence following direction from the Commissioners at this evening's meeting. Commissioner Bradford confirmed that she had visited the park and safety measures had been taken and that it appears a lot safer. She pointed out another area that she stated needed barriers to eliminate access. NEW BUSINESS 2. Cupertino Sports Center - receive public comment on possible mixed use of the site: A video was given of the Sports Center campus and the neighboring single-family, individual homes called the Commons. Commissioner Bradford recused herself from any discussion or recommendation on this subject because she is a resident of the Commons. Therese Ambrosi Smith gave pertinent history of the facility, including the Measure K initiative, which failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority to pass (54 percent of the Cupertino voters did support this issue). When the Sports Center facility went on the market, the City Council approved to spend nearly $9 million of reserved money to purchase it. She detailed the results of the Cupertino Sports Center Task Force's investigation. The next step for the Commission is to recommend to Council whether or not some mixed use of the site may make financial sense and whether or not to explore the idea further. Don McCarthy gave a presentation of the Sports Center's operational realities. The facility's fiscal objective, as directed by City Council, is that the center be self-supporting, which is described as the annual operating costs excluding the debt service. The Center has maintained this self-supporting directive up to this point. The constraints of the old building and the changes in the community's needs are straining the self-supporting status of the Center. Therese Ambrosi Smith presented the potential financial options analyzed by Tim Kelly, financial consultant. The options considered included creating a parcel that would include 20-25 townhouses to be sold off (raising approximately $3 million), carving out a site that would support 10,000 square feet of commercial space (raising approximately $1 million), or building an extra floor over the Sports Center for leasing out (no money up front, but does provide rental income). A restaurant, retail space, or a conference center was not recommended uses for the Center from a financial perspective. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of April 5, 2001 Page 3 of 5 Using the above options, Mark Shatz presented rough preliminary schematics of potential layouts of a new Sports Center campus. The Sports Center's close proximity to the Commons, Memorial Park, and the intersection of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Stelling Road were given thorough consideration. Goals: build a better Sports Center to include maintaining 17 tennis courts, maintaining the swimming pool, providing a minimum of 10,000 sq. ft. of new Sports Center facility, and providing adequate parking; be a good neighbor; look creatively at the best options for bringing in additional revenues. Therese Ambrosi Smith read the March 31, 2001 letter from Sharon Heyler, 21063 Patriot Way, requesting the Commission to retain the whole Sports Center property for recreational purposes only. Public comment: Sherry Geddes, 10072 Senate Way, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Commons of Cupertino, and representing the consensus of what came out of a special meeting held where more than 50 percent of the homeowners showed up to express a position regarding the Sports Center. Ms. Geddes read a City of Cupertino letter, dated December 17, 1990, by Lauralee Sorensen, Committee Chair. The letter stated that the composition of the Sports Center property, as well as other park properties, was viewed as part of a master park plan. Ms. Geddes stated that in November 1990, the community voted to add a 2.4 percent utility tax for open land acquisition, parks and development, and maintenance of all the parks. In the 1998/19994ax year, the utility tax generated $2,341,000, and it was her hope that this money is being used to support our parks including the Sports Center. The group is opposed to any changes to the use of the Sports Center property -- do not sell offportions of the land. Elena Herrera, 10093 Senate Way. Invited the Commission to visit the individual single-family homes. The Commons homeowners are concerned with increase traffic. She does not approve of changing the use of the Sports Center property to a multi or non-recreational use. There would be strong opposition if property were sold to build housing. Dorothy Levitan, 21035 Freedom Drive. Feels strongly that the City should not sell any of the property - it would be a big mistake. Betty Slattery, 10125 Congress Place. Is not in favor of the City selling any portion of the property or use any of the property for non-recreational purposes. Jonathan Kessler, 10090 United Place. Does not approve of selling a portion of the property - maintain as a public recreational sports center. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of April 5, 2001 Page 4 of 5 Lionel Holt, United Place. Suggested developing a partnership with Andronico's for a cooking school, and investigate them subsidizing the costs of the building, or some form of partnership with a company. Stacey Holt, lives in the Commons. Put two-story condominiums toward the back if you build them. Build on unimproved land. ACTIONS: · The Commission unanimously agreed to eliminate the option of building town homes or selling off a portion of the Sports Center property for private development. · The Commission unanimously agreed to request cost analyses for the remaining building options to be presented at the May 3 meeting. · The Commission unanimously agreed that rental space would be flexible commercial space, with an attempt to consider recreational-type businesses. RECESS Portal Park- review conceptual plans/budgets for retrofiring the play and spray pool areas: Julia Lamy, Recreational Supervisor, noted that the four conceptual plans for the spray pool area and the one for the tot renovation area all come within the budgetary considerations. Ms. Lamy requested that the Commission consider the options and choose the best element to add to Portal Park. Dave Nelson, landscape architect with MPA Design, gave a quick review of the problem areas and presented safety and enhancement options for the park. ACTIONS: The Commission unanimously accepted the tot area as proposed and asked Mr. Nelson to design an active play area for elementary children that would include a fort climbing structure and slides. Ms. Smith suggested a follow-up letter to all participants be sent out showing them the final sketches of the proposed changes, and add this letter as a communication item at a future Commission meeting. Staffhopes to have the renovation project in construction in late summer. Stevens Creek Trail - report by the Stevens Creek Trail Task Force on their first public input meeting of March 27, 2001: Commissioner Bradford, SCTTF liaison, introduced Jana Sokale, consultant for the feasibility study, and David Greenstein, Chairman of the Trails Task Force. Mr. Greenstein gave a brief history of the trail development. In the 1960's, Santa Clara County developed the concept of the Stevens Creek Trail that would start in the Bay and connect to the ocean. In 1993, Cupertino put the Trail in its General Plan. From 1994-1996, the first task force was put together to determine some areas for the feasibility study. They developed four focus areas. Recently, a task force was put together to Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of April 5, 2001 Page 5 of 5 connect the pieces through Cupertino. The role of the task force is to hold public meetings and create recommendations to bring to the Commission and the City Council. By way of a slide presentation, Jana Sokale described the proposed trail, and its study and habitat areas. She stated that the feasibility study would address the shifting climatic changes of the trail. She detailed the general and broad goals of the trail alignment. The Commission was invited to participate in tours and the Task Force meetings. Ms. Sokale presented Study Area A, which is in the general area of Hanson Cement/Valley Oak/Cristo Rey Drive/Rancho San Antonio Park. The Task Force will be returning to the Commission at their July meeting to go over Study Areas B, C and D. MISCELLANEOUS - NO ACTION REQUIRED Community Contacts: Chair Jelinch requested nametags for their use at community events, also business cards should be ordered. Chair Jelinch announced that he had been elected to the State Board of Parks Commissioners. He will be part of a Northern California training team to train other parks commissioners in other cities. He received material that he will share with the other commissioners. · Ms. Smith reported that she had been invited to view the Burrell Leonard collection and distributed a copy of a letter to the executor of the estate earmarking specific items for the City's collection. She had selected many items that had been a part of the John Leonard canning and drying plant where Cupertino grown fruit was processed in Cupertino. Ms. Smith is waiting for the executor of the estate to decide on the division of the collection. · Commissioner Wang reported that she presented to the Cupertino Kung Fu Club (a co-sponsored club) a proclamation, T-shirts, and pins upon their departure to compete in Brazil. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted reston, Recording Secretary