City of Ashland

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

REGULAR MEETING

MINUTES

May 23, 2005

ATTENDANCE

Present:    Commissioners D. Amarotico, Eggers, Lewis, Rosenthal; Director Robertson; Superintendent Gies; Superintendent Teige; City Council Liaison A. Amarotico

Absent:     Chair Gardiner

CALL TO ORDER         

Rosenthal called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Regular Meeting – April 25, 2005

MOTION Eggers moved to approve the minutes as written. Lewis seconded the motion.

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

Study Session – May 16, 2005  Under New Business item “Discussion on Open Space Funding,” Eggers requested that the first sentence in the section “Discussion Among Commissioners” be changed to read: “Commissioners discussed the short-term and long-term open space plans, which were previously approved by the Parks Commission and City Council….” In the final paragraph of that section, Eggers requested that the second sentence be revised to state that “the commission agreed to submit the worksheet to the SDC Committee, with the intention of requesting an increase in the SDCs dedicated to Parks….”

MOTION Eggers moved to approve the minutes as amended. Amarotico seconded the motion.

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Open Forum

Aaron Benjamin, 740 Emigrant Creek Road, asked about the status of the Ashland Gun Club lease extension request and spoke in favor of developing the North Main at Scenic park site into a multi-use property, with a portion designated for affordable housing and the remainder developed into a neighborhood park.

ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA

None.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None.

NEW BUSINESS

REQUEST BY LITHIA MOTORS

Robertson reported that staff received a request from Lithia Motors asking for support from the commission in obtaining permission from the City Council to waive the ordinance banning alcohol in City-owned parks, as the corporation wished to serve alcohol at an event in Lithia Park on August 15. He introduced Paul Jacobs of Lithia Motors, inviting him to speak to the commission.

Paul Jacobs, Manager at Lithia Motors, spoke on behalf of Lithia Automotive Group in requesting support from the commission for a waiver of the City ordinance banning alcohol in parks. His request stemmed from a desire on the part of Lithia Motors management to serve wine and beer at a semi-annual general managers’ meeting in Lithia Park, and he asked that the commission recommend approval to the City Council for the one-time request.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners discussed the matter and agreed that the pre-prohibition City ordinance banning alcohol in parks could not easily be waived. Robertson reported that staff receives many similar requests each year, and each one is denied, and he reinforced the fact that the City Council is authorized to make decisions regarding waivers of City ordinances while the Parks Commission is not.

MOTION Eggers moved to recommend to the City Council the denial of the request by Lithia Motors to serve alcohol in Lithia Park. Lewis seconded the motion.

               The vote was:   Commissioners D. Amarotico, Eggers, Lewis – yes

                                       Commissioner Rosenthal – no

TRESPASS APPROVAL

Robertson referenced the packet memo regarding the request from the Ashland Police Department’s CAP officer for authorization by the Parks Commission for the exclusion of certain repeat offenders from City parks for no more than 30 days.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners spoke in support of the trespass notice and discussed authorizing the director to sign it on their behalf.

MOTION Lewis moved to approve the suggested modifications to the trespass notice, including extending the notice period to “up to 30 days” and the placement of the director’s name in the signature line. D. Amarotico seconded the motion.

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

DESIGN PARAMETERS FOR THE VOGEL PROPERTY

Robertson reported on the conference call meeting between the landscape architecture firm of David Lewis and Associates, as well as Parks staff, commissioners, and others. He indicated that the purpose of the meeting was to target potential issues relating to the Vogel project and to identify potential stakeholders. Robertson reviewed current uses of the property, including horse boarding and a community garden, and he reported that Lewis suggested the local distribution of a survey to gauge the desires within the community for the uses of the property. Finally, Robertson reported that Lewis suggested establishing design parameters for the purpose of directing the design team about appropriate potential uses for the property.

Public Input

Bryan Holley, 324 Liberty Street, talked about the value of community gardens within both urban and rural communities and voiced his support for Parks to continue providing community garden plots at their present location.

Ted Loftus and Katherine Mahoney, 295 Beach Street, spoke in support of community gardens in Ashland and throughout the country, stating that they provide opportunities to share and educate others about gardening. They advocated for additional plots at the Vogel site to best meet the needs of gardeners in the community.

Patrick Marcus, 813 Leonard Street, outlined three points, including: 1) thanking the Parks Commission for their willingness to include the public in the design process; 2) advocating for the inclusion of community garden plots within the Vogel park site; and 3) speaking with concern about overnight camping at the location, especially in the shed in the winter. Marcus asked for increased security patrols to monitor and control potential vagrancy.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners spoke of the value of working with the public to develop the vision for the Vogel park site and discussed potential uses for the land. Eggers questioned whether the mission of the commission included designating public land for private use, as it is not done in other areas within Ashland. Robertson agreed to provide the commission with a list of city-owned and operated community gardens in the state of Oregon.

SUB-COMMITTEE and STAFF REPORTS

Teige thanked the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission for their invaluable assistance at the annual Bike Swap on May 7. She reported that this was the first year Ashland Parks and Recreation ran the event and that it was very successful.

ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS

Eggers spoke about the May 21 “Stream Team” event, reporting that it was a successful, well-planned community activity.

UPCOMING MEETING DATE(S) and PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS

·     Trail Master Plan meeting – May 26, 2005, at 1:00 PM – Parks Office, 340 S. Pioneer Street.

·     Public meeting on North Main Street/Scenic Park site – June 1, 2005, at 6:30 PM – Mountain View Retirement Home, 548 N. Main Street.

·     Public meeting on Vogel Property park site – June 11, 2005, at 10:30 AM – Ashland Christian Fellowship Coffee Shop (The Upper Room), 50 E. Hersey Street.

·     Study session – June 20, 2005, at 7:00 PM – Parks Office, 340 S. Pioneer.

·     Regular meeting – June 27, 2005 at 6:30 PM – Ashland Senior Center, 1699 Homes.

·     Joint study session with the City Council and the Ashland School Board – June 27, 2005, at 7:00 PM – Ashland Senior Center, 1699 Homes.

ADJOURNMENT – By consensus, with no further business, Rosenthal adjourned the meeting at 8:25 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland Parks and Recreation