PARK & RECREATION BOARD
MINUTES – NOVEMBER 15, 2005
The regular meeting of the Park & Recreation Board of
the
Those present:
Park & Recreation Board: David Fritchey, Chairman
Ron Smith, Vice Chairman
Patricia Bunn, Member
Henry Carpenter, Member (left meeting in progress)
Others: Terry Fedorchak, Township Manager (joined meeting in
progress)
Donna Liney, Recreation Director
Pete Stainthorpe, Supervisor Liaison
James Majewski, Township Engineer
Absent: John Kuebler, Park & Rec Board Secretary
Richard Jutkiewicz, Park & Rec Board Member
Andrew Newbon, Park & Rec Board Member
APPROVAL OF MNTUES
Mr. Carpenter moved, Ms. Bunn seconded and it was unanimously carried to approve the Minutes of September 13, 2005 as written.
DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR SNIPES PROPERTY
Mr. Fritchey stated they reviewed this Plan in the summer and were in favor of the Plan
presented. They deferred action at that time as there was no urgency to proceed and they
felt they would consider it closer to the Budget process.
Mr. Majewski noted the property on the Plan which is bounded
by
south end of the Park and
Elementary, and Elm Lowne are across the street from the Park. I-95 bounds the
property on the north. He stated they are proposing to build nine soccer fields – two of
the larger fields, two mid-size, and five smaller fields. He noted the location of the 548
November 15, 2005 Park & Recreation Board – page 2 of 8
parking spaces. He stated thirty spaces per field are recommended but they have
proposed additional spaces due to the turn-over of fields. He stated they have also shown
on the Plan the proposed Northern Fire Station which may be implemented at some time
in the future. He stated also on the Township Master Plan is the proposed re-alignment
of
of the Park which is opposite the drive which goes into
He noted a right-turn in, right-turn out driveway off of
Police Chief had expressed concerns with left-hand turns
going out onto
due to the speeds on the road and coming up over the
lines up with the northerly entrance to Elm Lowne. He stated the parking is proposed to
be around the exterior of the fields so people can park and cross into the soccer areas
without having to cross the road more than once. He showed two possible locations for
Comfort Station/Concession Stand one in the eastern end of the property opposite the
entrance to
closer to
the site. They have also shown a possible playground in the inner loop near the smaller
fields. They have also laid out a pavilion area on the site. He noted the location of the
possible skate park in the northern part of the site along I-95. Mr. Majewski stated as
part of the project, they intend to keep as many of the existing trees as possible along
Ms. Dana Ainsworth,
lighting. Mr. Stainthorpe stated there will be no lighting other than parking lot lighting.
Mr. Majewski stated he does not feel even the parking lots will be lit at this time although
there may be some security lighting around the Comfort Station/Concession Stand.
These would be locked at night similar to the other
Mr. John Bingley,
operation, and Ms. Liney stated the Park & Recreation Policy is that if it is an unlit
facility, it would be dawn to dusk. Mr. Carpenter stated he does not recall they have had
any discussions about there being lights at this Park. Ms. Bunn stated she feels there
were discussions about lighting a field along I-95 when the Plan had a different
configuration.
Ms. Ainsworth asked if the Park will be used seven days a week, and
Ms. Liney stated it is a public facility which will be open seven days a week. The
resident asked if there are other Parks which have these same sports, and Ms. Liney
stated she could provide information on all the Park facilities they have in the Township.
Ms. Ainsworth stated she would not be interested in this but
would like to know what kind of usage other fields have and what could be
expected at this facility. Mr. Fritchey
stated
November 15, 2005 Park & Recreation Board – page 3 of 8
Mr. Mike DiMaio, 1067 S. Kimbles, representing YMS, stated currently they have
players using
Mr. Fritchey noted the significant number of children playing soccer in the Township.
Mr. DiMaio asked about drainage. Mr. Majewski stated they will primarily sheet drain
the site and where the two fields come together, they would direct the drainage around
the fields to keep them dry. Ultimately he feels they will try to utilize some form of
infiltration of stormwater which would be stone seepage pits where the water would run
off and percolate into the ground if possible. Mr. DiMaio stated if they design the overall
space with ridges or gullies, they do not have the option to move fields. He asked if it
could be designed as a flat surface so that the fields have the ability to be turned or
rotated in the future depending on their needs. Mr. Majewski stated this is possible as the
site for the most part has a uniform grade of slightly over 1 percent.
Mr. Bingley noted there is significant School traffic in the area and asked if they have a
traffic study to show how this traffic will work with the School traffic. Mr. Majewski
stated a traffic study has not been done but he does not feel the schedule of the soccer
program will conflict with the Schools as most of the players are School children and
they do not start until after School. Mr. DiMaio stated normally they start at 5:00 p.m.
and go until dusk during the week. On the weekends there would be games from the
morning on. On Sunday they start at Noon.
Ms. Ainsworth stated
Mr. Majewski stated on the Township’s Master Plan, there is a plan to realign Dolington
Road with
stop sign or possibly a stop light. Currently that plan is not beyond conceptual stage
because of the expense. This is true for the construction of the Fire Station as well.
Ms. Ainsworth stated she feels they will need to deal with this imminently because of the
safety concerns.
Mr. DiMaio asked the timeline for the Park project. Mr. Fritchey stated the Park &
Recreation Board will vote to recommend this Plan to the Board of Supervisors. They
would then review it and make the ultimate decision. If approved by the Board of
Supervisors they would have to Budget for its construction and development could take
several years as there could be several phases. Ms. Bunn stated Plans would have to be
approved and bid before construction. She does not feel there would be fields available
until next fall at the earliest. Mr. Majewski noted the site is not difficult to engineer
because of the lay of the land and is an ideal site for the proposed use. He noted the Plan
will have to go through Land Development.
November 15, 2005 Park & Recreation Board – page 4 of 8
Ms. Ainsworth asked if the only use proposed is soccer, and it was noted this is incorrect as there is proposed soccer, a tot lot, and a skate park. The resident asked about the skate
park. Mr. Majewski noted the location proposed for this use which is along I-95.
Mr. Fritchey stated basically the soccer portion is open fields when not being used for
soccer games or practice and people could use this for kite flying, Frisbees, etc.
Mr. Stainthorpe asked once this Park is completed, how far in the future would this
satisfy their needs for additional soccer fields. Mr. Tragone stated it would meet their 2002 needs because they are far behind in what they need. He stated they currently use eleven fields outside of the Township. One YMS representative stated based on the timeframe just discussed, if the Park is started in the fall of 2006 and they do not finish until 2007, they would not have it for their use until 2008. Mr. Fritchey stated once it is in use, it will take pressure off of Macclesfield and the YMS representatives agreed.
Mr. Smith stated they could also bring back
Mr. Carpenter moved, Mr. Fritchey seconded and it was unanimously carried to
recommend to the Board of Supervisors approval of the Plans for the Snipes Property as
drawn.
Mr. Carpenter left the meeting at this time.
PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET FOR COMMUNITY POOL
Ms. Liney stated as noted in earlier meetings and reports, the Pool had a fantastic year.
She stated revenue increased significantly from 2004, the dual slide project has been paid
for, and the cash balance shows a healthy bottom line. She stated the dual slides were a
great addition, and she congratulated the Board for their foresight in supporting this
project. She stated the pool function showed increases in membership and swim lessons.
The Pool did require more staff, chemicals, and paper products this season which was not
out of line with record Pool attendance.
Ms. Liney stated the Township is pleased to announce the Preliminary Budget for 2006
proposes no increase in Pool fees. This will be the ninth consecutive year the Township
has been able to hold the line on membership fees to the Pool. Over 1600 families, 310
individuals, and 98 seniors will have no increase in fees. She added that this year’s guest
attendance was consistent with last year’s numbering 6,000 for the Pool season.
Ms. Liney stated that facility maintenance issues, personnel, insurance, equipment,
sanitation, and chemical balance all comprise the Budget picture for the pool which is
self-sustaining. No tax dollars support the Pool.
November 15, 2005 Park & Recreation Board – page 5 of 8
Ms. Bunn asked if there will be an increase in Guest Fees this year, and Ms. Liney stated
no increases are proposed.
Mr. Smith asked about prior discussions on giving out Guest Passes in return for
completing a survey. Ms. Liney stated she felt this was going to be done when they did
their next survey. She stated at this time no survey is proposed as they have a few
large-scale projects and they were not surveying until that was completed. She stated if
the Park Board would like to recommend a survey in the near future, they could look into
this. Mr. Smith stated one of the complaints he heard was that the Guest Fees were
onerous. He stated the Board had therefore discussed that if a survey was completed,
they would reward them with a few Guest Passes. He felt the Survey was going to give
feedback on the prior year. Ms. Bunn stated she felt those signing up for the new year
would be given a questionnaire about the prior year; and if they returned it with their
Membership for the new year, they would get two to three free Guest Passes. She
suggested that it be included with the Application for the new year in the same mailer.
Ms. Liney asked if the Park Board had specific questions they wanted answered.
Ms. Bunn stated it would just be a satisfaction survey at this time. Mr. Fritchey asked if
they should include something about the proposal to cover the Pool, and Ms. Bunn stated
this could be a question on the survey. Mr. Stainthorpe stated this would tell if there is a
need for this and how much they would be willing to pay. Mr. Fritchey stated he feels
this will change the character of the Pool as he feels covering the Pool would involve
substantial maintenance issues. Mr. Smith stated they would need to do a feasibility
study at some point in time. Mr. Fritchey stated he agrees that there is a small
constituency that wants this “bubble” very badly and could use it but he is not sure
whether there is a wider demand. Mr. Fritchey stated they would have to consider the
matter if people found someone who would provide the funds to construct the facility,
and the Township would then be faced with whether or not to accept the funds
recognizing there will be the need for additional employees, etc. Mr. Smith stated this
would be part of the feasibility study to determine the actual costs and how it would be
run, etc. Mr. Stainthorpe stated they will also have to consider what would need to be
done with the existing building, staffing, winterizing, etc. Mr. Fritchey stated he feels the
character of the Pool would change dramatically.
Mr. Fedorchak joined the meeting at this time. He asked if there was any mention of this
in the original survey, and Ms. Liney stated one person asked that they put a “bubble” on
the Pool. She stated some Swim Team members did indicate they wanted to continue
with the projects that were already identified in the survey such as the slides and
restroom improvements although it is possible that they may want to reconsider this in
the future. She stated if they are trying to appeal to people who are not existing Pool
members, they would have to survey outside of the Pool membership. Mr. Fedorchak
agreed noting that in order to support this financially, they will have to draw from a wider
November 15, 2005 Park & Recreation Board – page 6 of 8
group. Ms. Liney asked if the survey would be better tied to the Township Newsletter
rather than Pool membership. Mr. Stainthorpe stated he feels initially it should be tied to
Pool membership. Mr. Fritchey stated he agrees it should be tied to the Pool membership
as they are the ones who are most attached to the Pool; however, if they also put it in the
Township Newsletter they can get it to the general community and they could respond as
well. He stated he feels they could encourage a response from the Pool Membership if
they send it out with their Application.
Ms. Liney suggested that Wallover prepare a Draft Survey for the December meeting for
review by the Park Board. Mr. Fritchey suggested that rather than “Yes” or “No” they
should have a rating of One to Five on the desire to have a “bubble.” Mr. Fedorchak
stated they also need to have Wallover look at the facility to see if it is feasible to have a
“bubble.” Mr. Smith stated they did see a presentation on this which was very
impressive. Mr. Stainthorpe suggested that they schedule such a presentation for others
to see next year. There was further discussion on how such a survey question would be
worded, and Ms. Bunn suggested that they have those responding rate from One to Five
whether they would utilize the pool were it winterized. Mr. Smith stated if there is no
initial interest in the current pool membership, they would probably not proceed. He
suggested that they also include a comment section on the survey. Ms. Liney agreed to
contact Wallover in order to present a draft for the December meeting. Ms. Bunn stated
she feels it should be a one-page survey.
Mr. Smith asked about the Snack Bar Contract, and Ms. Liney stated it is a yearly
Contract and she would propose this for renewal for the next meeting. Ms. Liney noted
the feedback has been positive and Ms. Klayman has been enlarging the menu choices.
Ms. Liney stated she was going to propose an increase in her rent of $100 and this was
put in the Budget.
SUPERVISOR LIAISON REPORT
Mr. Stainthorpe stated they approved the Macclesfield lights at the last Board of
Supervisors meeting. He stated he went to the Rivergate development with Mr. Majewski
and met with the neighbors. He stated the Board did agree to make some adjustments to
help reduce the glare. He noted they also need to insure that the lights are turned off at
the proper time.
Mr. Stainthorpe stated they are working on the Budgets which will be presented at the
next Board meeting and voted on the second meeting in December. Mr. Fedorchak stated
they did agree to include money for the additional lane at the entrance of Macclesfield
Park which is a left turn lane going north as well as the bike path. Mr. Fedorchak stated
they are also looking into the installation of some new control boxes for the lights at
November 15, 2005 Park & Recreation Board – page 7 of 8
Mr. Stainthorpe stated the General Manager of the Golf Course had resigned and the Golf
Pro will become the official General Manager effective December 1.
Ms. Bunn asked if any consideration has been given to maintenance of Memorial Park.
Mr. Fedorchak stated he and Ms Liney have been discussing the need for an additional
full-time Park maintenance person. Mr. Fedorchak stated they also need to consider the
costs at the Park including chemical costs for the reflecting pool, etc. and funds have
been included in the Budget. Ms. Bunn asked if they constructed the shed to house
equipment, and Mr. Fedorchak stated they did not and at this point they will use their
existing equipment and take it to the location.
RECREATION DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Ms. Liney stated Park & Recreation had an initial Budget review session with the Board
of Supervisors on Monday, October 31st. She stated modifications to the Budget are
ongoing, with the Board of Supervisors making the ultimate decision. Adoption of the
Budget takes place in December.
Ms. Liney stated the Township has begun winterizing the recreation sites. The Pool,
Roelofs, and Stoddart restroom facilities are now
closed.
Macclesfield will be completed next week. Portable units will be available at
Kingdom and Macclesfield sites through the winter. Park maintenance will also shut off
the water at Memorial Park for the winter.
Ms. Liney stated the Township’s Memorial Park construction Plan Phase I is nearing
completion. The contractor will be filling in some erosion spots, paving the bike path
entry, and removing the temporary sedimentation controls around the basin in the next
few weeks. Ms. Liney noted there was a great turn out this past weekend for the Second
Annual 5K Garden of Reflection race with over 200 runners and walkers taking part in
this fundraising event.
Ms. Liney reported on another successful fall season that has recently come to an end for
the baseball, softball, football, tennis and the Seniors bocce programs all using Township
facilities. She noted soccer is scheduled through mid-December.
Mr. Fedorchak asked if the contractor has started any work
on the
Mr. Majewski stated he has submitted for his Permits to the Township for the electrical
and mechanical. These had to be re-submitted and he feels the Permits will be obtained
shortly. He will be submitting catalog cuts for approval shortly. Mr. Majewski stated he
will probably start doing some work within the next month. Mr. Fedorchak stated they
did get a Grant from the Forestry Service for trees which had to be extended because it
had expired. Typically this is done at the end of the project but because it was about to
November 15, 2005 Park & Recreation Board – page 8 of 8
expire again, they were looking to do this work earlier. Mr. Fedorchak stated he is
working with the
extension as well.
Mr. Smith asked how many trees are left on the Snipes Tract, and Mr. Majewski stated
there are approximately five hundred. Mr. Smith asked if they could be balled up and
donated to residents. Ms. Liney stated they did discuss this previously and she would be
willing to have the Park crew there to do this. Mr. Stainthorpe suggested that they do this
in the spring and this was acceptable to the Park Board.
LEAGUE LIAISON REPORTS
Mr. Smith stated the new President of YMS is Roger Deininger who has done a good job
for YMS in the past and is well qualified.
Mr. Smith stated he looks forward to working with the Supervisors and the Park &
Recreation Board when he becomes a Supervisor on January 2. Mr. Smith was wished
well.
There being no further business, Mr. Fritchey moved, Mr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously carried to adjourn the meeting at 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
David Fritchey, Chairman