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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.2017 CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Tuesday, September 19, 2017 I. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 pm A regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission of the City of South San Francisco was held on Tuesday, September 19, 2017, at the Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive, South San Francisco, California. II. ROLL CALL: Present: Commissioners Battaglia, Camacho, Garrone, Flores, Holt, Lock, and Uy Absent: none Staff: Sharon Ranals, Director of Parks and Recreation Greg Mediati, Parks Manager Kelli Jo Cullinan, Acting Recreation Manager Susan Filereto, Administrative Assistant III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV. AGENDA REVIEW: Director Ranals requested that items IX. New Business A. 988 El Camino Real, Proposed Mixed-Use Development be moved to VII. Presentation. V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Battaglia wanted clarification if we used recycled water. She thought that we did. Parks Manager Mediati stated we did not. Director Ranals stated they were looking at in the future to capture storm water from Colma Creek and partially treating it and using that water for irrigation at Orange Park. Commissioner Battaglia also stated if the donated water fountain from Bimbo Bakery was a three tier fountain. Manager Mediati said it was. Commissioner Flores made a motion to approve the minutes of the August 15, 2017 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting with the requested updates. It was seconded by Commissioner Battaglia and unanimously approved. VI. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION: Judy Bush, President of the Friends of Parks and Recreation gave an update to the Commission on their organization. She first introduced members that were in the audience; Jeanette Holt and new member, Ruth DeNardi. She then mentioned members who were not present; new member, Linda Grassi and existing member, Director John Sanna. She also acknowledged Commissioners who were members; Commissioner Holt, Commissioner Lock and Chair Camacho. She invited the rest of the Commissioners to become members. She stated she would leave membership flyers for them. She reported the Chili Cook-Off went very well; however they did not have as many participants as in Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 19, 2017 Page 2 previous years. They had five groups; Elks Lodge, Lions Club, Parks and Recreation staff, Italian American Club, and Ava Romero. She congratulated Director Ranals and her group for winning for the second time. She stated they raised $1,000 dollars and that everyone had a good time. She also stated that Friends of Park and Recreation will be at Concert in the Park on Saturday and they will be selling beer, wine and water. She invited the Commissioners to attend and volunteer. She mentioned they can contact her through the Park and Recreation Department if they would like to volunteer. She also urged Commissioners to get the word out about the Friends of Park and Recreation. She stated that we have the best Parks and Recreation Department around. Chair Camacho thanked Friends of Parks and Recreation for their time and commitment. VII. PRESENTATION: A. 988 El Camino Real, Proposed Mixed-Use Development Director Ranals introduced Adena Friedman, Senior Planner, Planning Division who gave a brief description of the development. She stated it is a 1.67 acre site located at the intersection of Chestnut Avenue and El Camino Real where South City Car Wash is located. The development will have 172 residential units and it will encompass 11,130 square feet of ground-floor retail space. It will be an active community area with an outdoor fitness park and will have connections to the Centennial Trail. She stated she is very excited about this development. She then introduced Elaine Breeze, from SummerHill Apartment Communities who presented a detailed PowerPoint presentation of the project. She stated her company is locally owned in Palo Alto. In her presentation, she stated that they had done formal applications to get feedback on this project. She also stated they are adhering to all the property constraints. They are working with BART and are aware that there is a gas line running through the property. The apartments are 1 to 2 bedroom units. The ground level will consist of retail space situated at the corner of Chestnut. There will be low level landscaping and a fitness court which will be designed to suit the weather in South San Francisco. The property will have access to the Centennial Trail as well as low level landscaping and adequate parking for cars as well as bicycles. She also stated that the entrance to the development is situated as to not cause any traffic issues. Director Ranals asked if Summerhill is still contemplating installing a pedestrian crossing across Chestnut from their site to the new Civic Campus. Elaine stated that a feasibility study was being done. They are also working with BART to possibly expand the public fitness area on BART property. Commissioner Flores asked why there were different versions of benches. Elaine stated it was a first draft and would get more feedback before picking a design. Commissioner Holt asked if a play area would be designed for children. She stated this could be considered. Commissioner Lock asked for more information about a “greenscreen.” Elaine stated they would have panels covered with vines and that they would use metal to give it an artistic feel. Commissioner Lock asked about the boundary landscape. Director Ranals stated the fence would be removed. He also inquired about what turf they would use. Elaine stated they would use what the City recommended. Chair Camacho stated if outdoor equipment could be expanded onto the Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 19, 2017 Page 3 Centennial Trail. Elaine could not comment at this time. If BART was receptive to this, they could through the process of application. Chair Camacho stated if it were expanded to include all ages (including children) that would be great. She stated South San Francisco has the highest rate of obesity in children in the County. Chair Camacho thanked for her presentation. B. Justin Lovell, Public Works Administrator, Bike Share Programs Justin Lovell, Public Works Administrator gave a presentation on the Bike Share Program. The two bikes used in this program are the Orange Spin Bike and the Lime Green Bike. He stated this is a 6 month pilot program and that we are one month into the program and between the two bikes they have tracked 500 plus rides a day between both bikes and 600 rides on holidays. He stated this program is geared for commuter use. However, the latest update has the highest users being high school students and that the highest usage areas were Linden Avenue, Grand Avenue and Orange Avenue. He stated that to use these bikes you need to have a smart phone and have a credit card for payment. The charge to use the bikes is a $1.00 for the first 30 minutes. If you go longer than 30 minutes it charges you accordingly. There is a plaque on the back that you scan with your smartphone to unlock the bike. These bikes do not have to be left in a specific area; they can be placed on wide sidewalks so as not to block access. He also stated that they are equipped with GPS, so if they are broken or damaged the company is made aware and they know to pick them up and fix them. If someone tries to take a bike out of South San Francisco the company is alerted. The Commission liked the idea of the bike program; however, they all voiced concerns regarding safety. Concerns that were voiced were: teenagers and children not wearing helmets, riders not following safety rules, vandalism of the bikes, bikes being left all over the city especially in front of resident’s homes, and bikes not being suitable for everyone to use (adult versus child). Chair Camacho stated doing a video about bike accidents might make the high school students at least more aware of the dangers of not following the rules. Commissioners stated residents had concerns about all of these issues. Justin stated that Public Works would have a table this Saturday at Concert In The Park promoting their program Leave the Car, It’s Not that Far where the bike company would be giving out free helmets. Commissioner Flores stated that the marketing of the program was not outreached to the Latin community of South San Francisco and he also stated that family and friends thought this program had been initiated by the Recreation Department not Public Works. Justin stated that the company is new and that they are working on a better outreach program. He did state that the instructions on how to use the bike are in Spanish and English. Commissioner Uy had a suggestion of hosting our own workshops to educate residents on the use of the bikes. Vice Chair Garrone suggested reaching out to the schools. Justin stated both companies have reached out to the high schools. Chair Camacho stated using social media to reach out to the residents. Commissioner Uy also stated that it would be better if the bikes could be dropped off in specific locations. Commissioner Holt asked about repairs of bikes and if there had been any accidents from the use of these bikes. Justin stated no accidents had been reported Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 19, 2017 Page 4 and the company was responsible for all repairs and maintenance of the bikes. Vice Chair Garrone asked if any other cities had this bike program. Justin stated we were the first city in the Bay Area to have this program, but that Burlingame, Mountain View and Cupertino were interested. They would see how the program works for us first. A major concern the Commission had was on how the bikes were being left all over the city and where is the right place to park the bikes. Justin stated he had discussed with Director Ranals about installing bike racks. He would be working on this issue. Director Ranals stated possibly having bike racks installed in the new Breezeway between Grand Avenue and the Miller Parking Garage. Commissioner Flores stated the blue bikes in San Francisco use docking stations. Justin stated that with a docking station program they would have to purchase the bikes and docking stations and it could be costly to the City. Chair Camacho also stated that it would have been a good idea if the Commission could have had input on this program before it was rolled out. Chair Camacho thanked Justin for his presentation. C. 2017 Beautification Award Winners Parks Manager Mediati reported that in July t hey chose their Beautification Award winners. They had 15 submissions. He stated they have 3 categories: Commercial, Residential, and Multi-Unit. This year they only had winners in residential and multi- unit. The winners for residential were: 8 Arlington Drive, 264 San Felipe Drive, 55 Daly Court, and 145 Ramona Avenue. For the multi-unit category, the winner was 813/815 Duplex at Grand Avenue. Chair Camacho asked if winners could be posted on-line as well as previous winners. VIII. OLD BUSINESS: A. Update on Status of Civic Campus Project Director Ranals reported that out of the 6 teams of architectural firms two were chosen as finalists. The two firms are the Smith Group and ELS. She stated on October 13, City Council and representatives from city departments will do site tours of representative facilities and projects that these firms have done. Chair Camacho asked if the Commission could get a list of these facilities. Director Ranals stated she would provide this list for them. . B. Parks 11 Update Parks Manager Mediati reviewed the information provided in the staff report. Commissioner Flores stated this program is a very hot topic with all the community groups. He also stated it would be good to get it out on social media. Chair Camacho asked it was appropriate to involve the co-sponsored groups. Director Ranals said yes but not to discuss funding, only design. Commissioner Uy stated when he was in Europe their basketball courts were multi-use for different sports. IX. NEW BUSINESS: Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 19, 2017 Page 5 A. Centennial Way Cameras Update Parks Manager Mediati informed the Commission that since the installation of 8 cameras at Centennial Way and South Spruce in 2016, there has been a 60% reduction in vandalism and graffiti. He stated that the Police Department has also used the cameras for their investigations of a sexual battery case. These initial cameras cost $40,000 dollars. He stated staff will submit a funding proposal for the installation of cameras along the remaining two miles of trail for 2017/2018 mid-year budget. The cost will be approximately, between $120,000.00 - $200,000.00. He reported that the money, if approved, would come from the general fund. C. Field Rental and Tournament Policies Director Ranals stated that she wanted to provide the Commission with the Department Field Rental and Tournament policies due to the recent dialogue between the City and School District facilities on how facilities are allocated by priority. Director Ranals stated priority is broken up into four groups. The first group is any city sponsored event. The second group is the school district and the third group is co- sponsored groups. Group four are all other sponsored community events. She stated this applies to hall rentals as well. Chair Camacho asked if there are any fees involved. Director Ranals stated that when they use the high school theater for the Nutcracker, the school district does not charge them for the facility, but the City pays for the custodian who is on duty. She stated that this policy works well for both parties. D. National Fitness Campaign – Fitness Court Proposal Director Ranals reviewed information provided in the staff report. Vice Chair Garrone suggested locating the fitness court closer to the restrooms and basketball courts at Orange Park, as opposed to directly adjacent to Orange Avenue. X. BEAUTIFICATION COMMITEE Committee had nothing to report other than the Beautification Awards that were presented earlier by Parks Manager Mediati XI. FRIENDS OF PARKS AND RECREATION Judy Bush gave presentation under Citizen Participation XII. ITEMS FROM COMMISSION - Commissioner Holt attended the Firefighter Senior Picnic, Mayor Town Hall, and Chili Cook-Off. He stated he received a thank you letter from the Chair of the Cultural Arts Commission thanking him for supporting the Cultural Arts fundraiser event. - Commissioner Battaglia attended the Chili Cook-Off. She stated that she loved the design of the Leisure Guide. Director Ranals stated Supervisor, Erin O’Brien is Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 19, 2017 Page 6 responsible for putting it together. Commissioner Battaglia stated she also liked the letter from the Director. She had one concern with the acronyms used in the brochure not knowing what they referred to. She asked if they could offer memory classes in the future. - Commissioner Lock stated that he enjoyed the drop-in classes very much and that the attendance was high. He wished more men would attend. He also stated that our own Kevin Mullin, Assembly Member co-authored two Assembly Bills 18 and 5 that could provide over 3 million in funds to develop parks. He also mentioned that long-time California Park and Recreation President Paul Romero was retiring. He asked if actual pictures of South San Francisco residents could be used on the website. Director Ranals stated we do prefer to use local pictures, and would check to see if any stock photos are still up on the new website. - Commissioner Flores attended Mayor’s Town Hall, and Fiesta Patrias. He asked if Park and Recreation Minutes and Agendas could be updated on-line. Parks Manager Mediati stated that they are working on getting the new website updated. He congratulated Sharon and Kelli on Big Lift. He will be attending Concert in the Park. - Vice Chair Garrone stated keeping kiosks updated especially with information on the bike share program. He also stated utilizing the greenspaces by being more creative. He reported while visiting in Europe he noticed how they incorporated small areas into fenced indoor soccer fields. - Chair Camacho attended the Chili-Cook Off. She congratulated Director Ranals and her team for winning again this year. She also extended her congratulations to Director Ranals and Acting Manager Cullinan for the Helen Putman award that they received at the League of Cities Conference. Acting Manager Cullinan reported it was actually Acting Supervisor Armanino who should get all of the credit. She also attended her first Coastal Clean-up and was very impressed on how many middle school students attended. She suggested drafting a letter to Mr. Toy, one of the middle school teachers, for his participation and continued support. She stated she will be attending Concert in the Park. She invited Commissioners to attend a planting event being hosted by the South San Francisco Mother’s Club on September 30, at Buri Buri Park from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. XIII. ITEMS FROM STAFF A. Calendar of Events Director Ranals informed the Commission about the IPP Planting and Meet and Greet luncheon on October 7, at the Municipal Services Building side parking lot. She also informed them about the Quilting show being held on October 13, and 14, as well as the Halloween Extravaganza on October 21. She also reminded the Commission that staff would try to keep the October agenda light because there will be an update presentation on the Oyster Point Development. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 19, 2017 Page 7 A. Administrative Update Director Ranals reviewed the information provided in the update. She noted the old kiosk at the Dog Park will be replaced, and that Parks Manager Mediati, four other staff and herself completed the Bay Friendly Landscape Maintenance certification training. It ended with a project being completed at Sellick Park which she invited the Commission to go and see. She also stated presenting new staff members to the Commission at the next meeting. XIV. Adjournment 9:46 p.m. Respectfully submitted by: Susan Filereto, Administrative Assistant NEXT MEETING: October 17, 2017