Minutes ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rosewood Neighborhood Contact Team Special Meeting on Downs Field Project October 11, 2005 Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center Present ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tony Arnold and Jimmy Cone, PARD; Laura Patlove, Neighborhood Planning and Zoning; Louis Herrera, Gilbert Rivera, Paula Gilbert, Jean and Rene Sanchez, Angela Miller, Ray Ephriam, and Jane Rivera General Discussion ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We discussed ten possible projects all within the Downs Field area. Tony Arnold recommended that we take our $7 - 8,000 and some ADA funds that he can put into specific ADA needs at the park and use them to leverage additional funding as local match. He suggestedpossible sources of funding to be able to accomplish several of our projects, including a grant application to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Texas Historical Commission, andprivate foundations. Tony has access to some funds dedicated to bringing City parks into ADA compliance, but the amount of the funds are very limited this year. We discussed pros and cons of historical designation, and determined we probably do not want to pursue historical designation. Specific Projects 1. Parking Lot Tony and Jimmy discussed several possible sources of materials to help save costs including granite gravel or recycled asphalt (there were some objections to asphalt); whether or not to do a raised bed by the sidewalk with timbers or used electric poles as a retaining wall; putting in at least one preferably two ADA parking spaces near the driveway and opening the gate to make it ADA accessible; including some drainage improvements at the north east end of the parking lot which the city would pay for; putting in more trees and bollards as Roadway Specialties has some bollards available for pickup. Jimmy Cone said that his staff could do some shrub landscaping along 12th Street and something (ballards or timbers) to separate parking area with his current resources. No Rosewood money would be required to accomplish this. Based on Tony's estimate of $100 per space for materials for gravel parking spaces times 20 - 30 spaces plus 2 - 3 times the price of materials for labor, the estimate for the parking lot -- including the ADA spots, which would be funded with city ADA money -- is $10 - 12,000. He suggested that our current funds, pooled with his ADA money, would probably be sufficient to accomplish this project but more information is needed to be sure. 2. Historical Metal Marker A metal marker will cost from $3000 up. 3. Post/Bollards for the Parking Lot We discussed them above--currently there's a source free for pickup only. 4. Kiosk on Park's History A plastic kiosk that you can put printed material into behind plastic covers is around $300. These kiosks come in green, brown and red. 5. Children's Playscape and Picnic Area New picnic tables can be installed for from $800 to $1200 in other areas of the park. A children's playscape will start at $150,000 and up. 6. Lights on Trail Behind Fields The Parks Board does not approve lighting trails because it lulls residents into thinking the area is safe at night, but it may not be.Such lighting is against city policy. 7. Build on the Existing Picnic Table and Add Shade and Traffic Buffer There are different ways to add shade, but Tony suggested a sort of canopy that is installed on poles and costs around $2000. He said they last about 10 years unless destroyed by a high wind.The kiosk could serve as the buffer from 12th Street for the existing ADA compliant picnic table. 8. Lights to Protect Parking and Clubhouse Following discussion, we determined that we need to approach Austin Energy about modifying the street lights to see if we could get permanent lights onto these areas. Any lights PARD might add would be turned off at 10:00 p.m. when they close the park. 9. Flood Controls PARD will be installing the French drain around the area where we do the improvements and up between the fields,so this project can be removed from the Rosewood neighborhood list. 10. Restrooms Ray Ephriam noted that if we do any improvements to the park, we need to consider cleaning and repairing the restrooms. Tony noted that he can demolish the existing structure (as long as not certified historic) and replace with a new pre-fab unit for around $150,000 (one stall each, women and men). This could definitely be an ADA project, or would be funded somehow by the City, but probably not this year. Actions ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jane Rivera moved and Angela Miller seconded that we do the beautification projects along 12th Street including the parking area and buffering the picnic bench with plants and a kiosk, and if possible, pursue funding for additional work on the park through a TPWD grant. Assignments ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Laura Patlove will check into the grant application requirements and due dates from TPWD. Rene Sanchez will check with Garza High School to see if their landscape Paula Gilbert will see if Flatbed Press could do tintyping for thehistorical marker inside thekiosk. Tony Arnold will do a preliminary sketch andcost estimate for the 12th street & parking lot project. Gilbert Rivera will contact Benny DeLeon at Austin Energy about the street lights to see if multiple lights could be put on the existing poles to light parking area. Tony Arnold & Jimmy Cone will assess repair needs at the restrooms.