north Russian Jack Springs Park planning process

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

New document added: 1997 Planning & Zoning approval of master plan changes

We've posted the 1997 planning and zoning case to our 'related files' link. This includes the case materials that were reviewed by the commission, the meeting minutes, and the resolution of approval of the plan changes. It's also directly accessible via this link: http://goo.gl/XOw0i.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Thank you for your comments! Post 8

(A reminder that comments posted directly to this blog need to have an identified author. If you wish to remain anonymous, please leave a comment via our Comment Collector and request that your name be withheld from your comment.)

Thank you for those that have posted comments so far, whether on our blog or via the comment collector. To share the comments from the collector, we will be compiling them and posting them generally within a week of receipt. Remember that for posting comments to the collector, we do need a first and last name (you can always request that it not be listed when we post them). If you would like a direct response, please provide a valid email or phone number. Responses will also be posted here if we are unable to get a hold of you. Here are more comments we've received to date:

Interesting comment posted for the existing features at Russian Jack from the previous post ["More Student Input from Begich Middle School"], but it's not wise to discount future leaders in our community from bringing forth their ideas. Not a single student who imagined for a minute what RJSP might be is as stupid as you imply, shame on you. I happen to think that an obstacle course (ropes course?) through the woods or a simple set of swings might go a long way in providing outdoor recreation and 'play' opportunities in our parks. Maintenance - as always everywhere - is a challenge (as is safety) but the investment of young people in our parks by a simple brainstorming measure about what they might envision in a public space shouldn't be ridiculed so quickly but instead evaluated for merit and pondered about for creative inclusion. - name requested to be withheld

Friday, December 10, 2010

VIP Committee Update - Change of First Meeting

Due to several committee members’ unavailability for the first scheduled meeting on December 15th – we will be postponing the first meeting until January 19th at 6 PM at Williwaw Elementary.

For those people that have volunteered, reminders will be sent closer to the date.

For more information on the VIP committee, please go to this link: north RJSP VIP Committee. For a full description of roles and responsibilities, please review the PDF document at this link (VIP Roles and Responsibilities) or you can access this file through our "Related Files" link in the upper right of this blog page.

For questions about the VIP Committee and the 2011 North Russian Jack Springs Park projects, please feel free to contact Suzanne little at 343-4586 or e-mail at LittleSR@muni.org.

Monday, December 6, 2010

More student input from Begich Middle School

It's great to hear that the students at Begich had enough momentum that they continued to talk about what might happen in the park, and they forwarded us more ideas:

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Update to call for VIP Committee Members - University Area and Rogers Park

Dear University Area Community Council and Rogers Park Community Council (in addition to the previously identified community councils):

Russian Jack Springs Park, north has been officially approved by the Anchorage Parks & Recreation Department and the Anchorage Park Foundation with review by the Parks and Recreation Commission for a park upgrade during the 2011 construction season.

Because the Parks & Recreation Department wishes the improvements and schedule to mesh with neighborhood desires, we ask the adjacent Community Councils nominate one representatives each (with an alternate so a representative can always attend) to serve on the north Russian Jack Springs Park VIP Committee. The VIP Committee will be composed of 10 people to assist with decision-making and implementation of the park project. The Very Important Park Committee will be composed of the following representatives:

4 park neighbors – parents with children ages 10 through 18 are encouraged
One Community-wide Representative
1 representative from Russian Jack Community Council
1 representative from North East Community Council
1 representative from Mountain View Community Council
1 representative from Rogers Park Community Council
1 representative from University Area Community Council

The VIP Committee job responsibilities are listed below. Some tasks to be accomplished in the upgrade will be volunteer-powered. The Very Important Park Committee Member’s job is to:

Review project information gathered to date and give fresh consideration to: what is special about the park; what are identified needs for the park; and, what are remedies for concerns at the park. Assist in identifying areas for improvements, review design options, make priority choices, given a fixed budget and scope. (about 3, 2-hour meetings) The first North Russian Jack Springs Park VIP meeting will be held at Williwaw Elementary on December 15th 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM with another meeting possible on Wednesday, January 19th.
Inform your Community Council of VIP Committee work – make consistent reports to your Community Council on action taken by the Committee;
Recruit neighborhood volunteers for the volunteer-powered part of the project and attend on the volunteer day; and

Join in the celebration of the completed park project.
Please let me know about your VIP committee nominees and their contact information by December 13th, 2010:

Committee Member Name
Committee Member Address
Committee Member E-mail
Committee Member Cell Phone # or best contact number if no cell phone

For questions about the VIP Committee and the 2011 North Russian Jack Springs Park projects, please feel free to contact Suzanne little at 343-4586 or e-mail at LittleSR@muni.org.

Begich Middle School Class Visits

On Wednesday, the first of December, Corvus Design and Brooks & Associates conducted in-class workshops with Michelle Barton’s, Ryan Blewett’s, and David Gilliam’s classes at Begich Middle School. While Begich middle school is located further away from Russian Jack Springs Park than the previous schools we attended, many students claimed to be familiar with the park. While a portion of the students were aware of the park, the overwhelming majority of those students only knew or frequented the southern half of Russian Jack Springs Park, with perhaps one or two students claiming to visit the northern section for sporting events. One student who lived in the vicinity stated that her parents don’t allow her to visit that park which is in close proximity to her house, while they do allow her to visit a more populated park that is over twice the distance from home.

While the brainstorming workshops were fairly similar for each class, subtle differences in process and methods allowed us to get different results and feedback from the classes at Begich Middle School in comparison to the previous schools we had visited. The variation in collected feedback was also evident between the three different classes we visited at Begich Middle School. While the wide scope of feedback was sought after, another positive finding was that there were dominating activities, and amenities that spanned between all schools, classes, ages, and walks of life.

For scans of their ideas and sketches, please click on these links: Class 1 (Barton), Class 2 (Blewett) and Class 3 (Gillam).

Michelle Barton’s Class

What are things you would like to see in your park?

Play Castle
Maze
Lots of huge boulders to climb
Half football field
Seats for parents
Large bridge
Tunnels or things like tunnels
Hill for sledding
Small buildings or rooftops
Rope ladders
Color
Wood instead of metal
Paintball course
Amusement park – thrill rides
Very big hill for sledding
Place to roller skate
Tire swings
Merry go round or carousel
Place for parents and grandparents to hang out and watch children
Basketball court
Volleyball net
More places to hide
Monster truck tire swing
Zip line
Big wooden jet or helicopter
Underground park
Climbing net
Trees to climb
Balance beams
Rocket
Skate park
Small water fountains
Picnic tables
Benches with covers

Ryan Blewett’s class

What elements would you like to see in the park?

Five connected tire swings
A palace or castle with connecting tubes
A bridge between two tree houses
Twenty foot tall fence
Huge bunny jump
Tarzan ropes
Designated graffiti wall
Rocket ship
Monkey bars with a net underneath
Super comfy heated seat
Mile long tunnel
Candy bar vending machine
Water chairs
Trampoline
Sled shop – make your own sled
Ice bar – get your own block of ice
Smoothie / Hot coco bar
Hammock
Swings
Petting zoo
Benches
Laser tag
Roller coasters
Porch swings for the elderly
Pond
Skate / bike park
Bouncy room
Giant slide
Snack bar
Mini bowling alley
Bumper cars
Ramp for sledding hill
Wind tunnel
Build a bear station
Large pole
Mountain with gigantic slide
Gummy bear maker
Ice rink
Volleyball
Super soft benches
Gigantic sledding hill with ski lift
Ice fort that never melts
Tree / jungle fort
3D maze of ropes
Twisting tunnel
Picnic tables
Trail around playground
Rock wall
Water boats
Underground maze
Snow sculpture station
Maze with obstacles
Steering wheel
Shelter with picnic tables
Winter park
Snow ball fight area
Track with bleachers
Bushes outlining a big open field
Mini golf course
Snow ball launchers
Water fountain
Wobbly bridges
See saws
Bathrooms
Bells
Giant dominoes
Communication tubes
Jumping boxes
Giant non-gravity dome
Snow forts

David Gillam’s class

What elements would create a dynamic park?

People
Trees and Plants
Planeterium or viewing area on concrete pad with inlays
Nice benches
Beautiful gardens
Pond
Trash cans
Swings
Hang-out spot
Volleyball court
Capture the flag forest
Chalk drawing area
Jungle gym
Arcade
Little tykes bike trail
Coloring area
Roller coaster
Giant swings
Obstacle course
Hippo chair
Big hammock
Basketball court
Badminton court
Open field
Outdoor hockey rink (flood basketball court)
Small water park
Giant shapes
Skate park with introductory areas
Giant map
Camping area
Rock climbing wall
A giant shoe that you can go in like a house
Exotic trees
Lake or pond
Big eating area
Fire pit
More picnic places
Smooth paths
Good scenery
Open space for Frisbee, family and church gatherings
Good sliding hills
Ice cream
Food court
Rocket
Dog park
Wishing fountains
Gardens
Statues
Bird watching center
Warming hut
Covered areas
Bowling alley
Spa
Sandbox
Roller skating rink
Tunnels / tubes
Maze
Rope bridge
Swirly slides
Fitness center
Pet rabbits
Aviary
Improve existing soccer fields
Lagoon with paddle boats and stuff
Bigger playground area
Keep it clean
Theme park
Super-mega playground
Yoga class
Movie theatre
Giant letters that people could go through and play on
Igloos
Zip lines
Gigantic skateboard
Extreme bench
Shops
Hot dog stand every day
Tug of war rope
Security guards at every station to prevent vandalism

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Wonder Park Elementary Class Visit

On Tuesday, November 30th, Corvus Design conducted in-class workshops with Brandi Haylor-Arnold’s and Michael Adolfae’s 5th grade classes at Wonder Park Elementary. After being introduced to the project, students were asked if they were familiar with the park and the frequency of their visits. While eighty percent of students were familiar with the park (two blocks away from school), only a small portion of the students claimed to actually use the park. Many students walk by the park on a daily basis but do not utilize the park for any recreational activities.

Students spent the remainder of the class period brainstorming and responding to questions that were based on recreational activities and sketching objects and activities that they felt would be great additions to the park.

Being a culturally rich neighborhood, the students were able to provide candid glimpses into their family dynamics and the types of activities that their siblings and grandparents would enjoy having available. With both classes joined, ninety percent of the students claimed to speak more than one language, reinforcing the idea that the students provide an essential link to reaching a broader spectrum of the community which is not accustomed to or willing to participate in typical public hearing processes.

Here is an abbreviated compilation of questions posed to the class and their responses. We also asked them to sketch or write down their ideas (some shown in this post), and all of those are available via these links: Wonder Park Class 1, and Wonder Park Class 2.