Title
RESOLUTION R-1415-73: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, APPROPRIATING $234,494 FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK LAND FUND BALANCE TO BE USED FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THIRTEEN PARKS IN THE CITY OF NORMAN.
Body
BACKGROUND: On 1 March, 2011, voters in Norman approved a City Charter amendment providing for the expenditure of fees-in-lieu of park land that were collected between 1976 and 1994 for the purpose of making park improvements in areas where suitable land is not available to purchase. This Charter amendment allowed the city to make use of over $642,000 of park land fees and interest earnings for capital improvements in twenty one neighborhood park sites, which were located in areas where park land fees had been collected. Park land fees may only be used in the areas where they were collected. The first project completed using these funds was the creation of the new Monroe Park on land leased from the Norman Public School System. This neighborhood represented the largest portion of the total fee-in-lieu funds collected prior to 1994 ($275,000).
In December, 2012, City Council appropriated funding for improvements at the four park sites with the next-largest pre-1994 neighborhood fee-in-lieu of land fund balances (Adkin's Crossing Park, Colonial Estates Park, Colonial Commons Park, and Sunrise Park); and in July, 2013, another group of parks had their balances appropriated to spend on improvements (Springbrook, Crestland, and Rotary Parks). For each site, the improvement plan included both the immediate general maintenance needs identified by staff and the park needs as identified in the 2009 Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
DISCUSSION: At this time, staff is recommending the appropriation of Park Land Development funds for improvements to the thirteen remaining park sites in order to help accomplish the following:
Brookhaven Park-Add pedestrian lights along Brookhaven Boulevard and at the parking lot. Repair & re-surface and re-stripe the parking lot, re-build the baseball backstops and upgrade all of the park furniture (benches, picnic tables, trash cans, drinking fountain).
Brookhaven Square Park-Add a walking trail, trees and a park sign.
Castlerock Park-Add new soccer goals with nets, new park furniture and a new park sign.
Cherry Creek Park-Add a new park sign and replace the half-court basketball court with a full-size court. Also, improve the park sidewalks and street-side drainage at the park entry at the dead-end of Stonewell Drive.
Deerfield Park-Plant more trees in the park and add a new park sign.
Faculty Heights Park-Add new site furniture and a new park sign.
Lions Memorial Park-Remove the pipe rail fence along the street, add a new park sign and pave the gravel walking trail in the park.
Normandy Park-Add a new park sign and replace some aging play equipment.
Oaktree South Park-Pave the trail in the park and upgrade the site furniture, as well as add a new park sign.
Ruth Updegraff Park-Funds will be combined with Community Development Block Grant funds currently being used to renovate this park. Final parts of this park plan are to upgrade the park furniture and install a new park landscape, according to the plan established through neighborhood meetings in recent years.
Tulls Park-Construct a perimeter walking trail, add a new park sign, and renovate the baseball backstop.
Walnut Ridge Park-Construct a concrete path from Castlewood Drive across the park over to the playground area and add a new park sign.
Willowbend Park-Currently un-developed. Purchase site furniture that can be stored until a later date.
This action will provide for the final expenditure of the Fee-In-Lieu of Land funding made available by the charter amendment in 2011. At some of these park sites, the funds approved via this item will be combined with the Parks and Recreation annual budget items to make improvements to sidewalks, fences, play equipment and site furnishings to insure that the above-noted projects will be completed as-described.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve Resolution R-1415-73, appropriating $234,494 from the Neighborhood Park Land Fund Balance for park improvements described above at thirteen parks.
Appropriate $234,494 and remaining funds from Neighborhood Park Land Development Fund Balance (052-0000-253.20-00)
Appropriate $53,988 to Project PR0155, Brookhaven Park Improvements (052-9609-452.61-01)
Appropriate $19,875 to Project PR0156, Brookhaven Square Park Improvements (052-9397-452.61-01)
Appropriate $10,853 to Project PR0157, Castlerock Park Improvements (052-9608-452.61-01)
Appropriate $10,327 to Project PR0158, Cherry Creek Park Improvements (052-9055-452.61-01)
Appropriate $3,701 to Project PR0159, Deerfield Park Improvements (052-9739-452.61-01)
Appropriate $3,650 to Project PR0160, Faculty Heights Park Improvements (052-9071-452.61-01)
Appropriate $30,654 to Project PR0161, Lions Memorial Park Improvements (052-9213-452.61-01)
Appropriate $7,720 to Project PR0162, Normandy Park Improvements (052-9099-452.61-01)
Appropriate $27,807 to Project PR0163, Oaktree South Park Improvements (052-9100-452.61-01)
Appropriate $9,826 to Project PR0164, Ruth Updegraff Park Improvements (052-9302-452.61-01)
Appropriate $36,013 to Project PR0165, Tulls Park Improvements (052-9308-452.61-01)
Appropriate $15,539 to Project PR0166, Walnut Ridge Park Improvements (052-9309-452.61-01)
Appropriate $4,541 to Project 0167, Willowbend Park Improvements (052-9396-452.61-01)