Russian Jack Springs Park VIP Committee Holds Its Fifth Meeting - draft summary

The north Russian Jack Springs Park VIP committee held our fifth meeting last night. Previous meetings achieved sharing of historical and current information about current uses and needs in the park. A prioritization exercise in meeting #3 produced a rough listing of key areas where investment is needed.  In meeting #4, that list was prioritized with an understanding that it was a working document. 

Given several million dollars in value of work on the list from meeting #4, meeting #5 attendees grappled with the limited in-the-ground construction budget of $700,000 to assess what items would actually be funded to achieve some of the desired outcomes and which items would not receive funding at this time.  Meeting #5’s discussion led to the creation of supported priority list approved by the VIP Committee for the desired capital improvements using available funding (see photo below).

The design process will now begin in a collaborative project team effort.  The goal will be to design-smart and value-engineer to achieve as much as possible given limited funding. 

The nRJSP VIP Committee requested one more meeting to review the preliminary design, once it is available.  We anticipate the preliminary design will be available for review by the Committee in 40 to 60 days.

The group present at VIP meeting #5

Russian Jack Springs Park VIP Committee Holds Its Fourth Meeting - draft summary

The fourth VIP meeting was held on March 22, 2011. The intent for this meeting was to further examine the potential priority items that the group had identified at their previous meeting.

In order to get an initial look at how the committee might prioritize their previously developed master list of 'potential priorities', the committee was asked to place stickers on the items that they felt were the Top Seven items for the people they were representing (neighborhoods, community councils or stakeholders). The photo below shows how the group allocated their dots.

This was a preliminary prioritization for the sake of discussion only.

Below are the results of this ranking, showing prioritization (#1 being most agreed upon). A number of items had equal ranking, and are indicated on the same line.
#1 - Lighting trails & Refurbish bathroom/utility building
#2 - Signage
#3 - Open entry/welcoming entrance & improve parking
#4 - Additional picnic facility(ies)
#5 - Maintain and improve soccer fields
#6 - Additional trails & destination playground & amend master plan
#7 - Recondition tennis courts & Ice rink
#8 - Replace removed trees & Convert soccer to open space
#9 - Maintain Girl Scout area as is
No dots - Use Girl Scout area for unleashed dog walking & Provide parking off Boniface for dog area & Fence dog area & add frisbee golf & add basketball & add volleyball & redo camping area

It should be noted that each of the items has had at least one 'champion' at previous meetings, so a "no dot" ranking does not mean that these will not be considered... it meant that the people who had previously brought up these issues were not present (or had changed their mind on their priorities).

Russian Jack Springs Park VIP Committee Holds Its Third Meeting - draft summary

At the third meeting (March 1, 2011), the VIP committee came prepared with their "Top Five" lists for improvements they would like to see made to the north part of Russian Jack Springs Park. We asked people to present their lists and give brief reasoning for their inclusion, and to help us summarize their item appropriately in a master list. Each subsequent person was asked to add their items that they felt were significantly different enough from previous ones to warrant an additional item being listed. The image below is of the final 'master list' that was developed with the group.

The goal is now to take this list and develop a supported priority list, where these items are ranked in order of how soon the VIP committee would like to see them addressed/implemented.

Russian Jack Springs Park VIP Committee Holds Its Second Meeting - draft summary

The Meeting was opened with a very brief review of project goals, scope and schedule by Suzanne Little followed by attendee introductions around the room. We then listened to presentations by stakeholder groups:

Stakeholder Group Presentations

Lars Spurkland, East High School Skiing :

• Use trails until grooming stops
• 70 kids, 3-4 days/week
• Desire for:
• Signage to show multi-use vs. skier only use (internal loop)
• Ideally a lit loop on north (minimum of out and back on multi-use trail)

James Starkey, Soccer:

• Currently 4 fields for kids (8v8)
• Significant potholes in the soccer fields
• Use heavy – 565 kids playing soccer – M-F 5 PM to 10 PM – one game per hour – Tournaments on weekends – 120 kids @ changeover
• Desire for:
• Improve Soccer Fields
• Improve Parking
• In 10 years could use another soccer field
• Partnership: Currently maintain fields during summer for soccer use
  

Scott Kolhaus, Alaska Tennis Association:

• 274 ATA members
• 4 tennis courts at RJSP currently (would love to have tournaments at these courts but they are dilapidated)
• Desire:
• Four courts ideal
• Recommend resurface 2 courts
• Partnership: ATA willing to partner to take care of nets and wind screens

Don Brooks, Softball

• 227 Teams (ages 10 to 80+) with approx. 4,000 players
• Desire:
• Bathroom / Storage Building – recommends refurbishing and ASA would maintain bathrooms
• Also needs additional portable toilets – just one ordered currently
• Recommends using the treed area south of the tennis courts for parking
• Chip seal parking, and ideally indicate parking stalls
• Partnership: Currently spend $100,000 / year on maintenance

Brian Dean, Junior Nordic

• Weekdays in Winter 6:30 – 7:30 and 10 – Noon on Saturdays – 50 to 100 skiers
• Lack of off-season maintenance creates poos skiing conditions (dirt surface trail has frost heaves and dirt mounds up in the middle of the path)
• Needs consistent winter grooming
• Likes narrow wooded trails
• Desire:
• Would like lighted trails in a loop
• Would like curly part of the trail (internal loop) to be groomed and lit
• A trail-head is needed on the North side of the park with a kiosk and a park map
• Selective widening of trails
• Suggest grooming the soccer fields in the winter for skiing
• Partnership: NSAA might be willing to maintain

Clifton Reagle, Skiing

• Wishes to have lit trails

Christa Burg, Dogwalkers

• Appreciate recent improvements, and walkable trails in winter
• Desire:
• Lighted trails would be nice
• Fenced dog area (doesn't need to be large)
• Partial fence along Boniface
• Partnership: Users actively try to keep park clean

Girls Scouts (through a letter)

• Traditionally summer use for Day Camp, but will no longer be using for such

Andrew Lee (through a letter), Arctic Orienteering Club

• Uses park about twice per summer with 60 to 100 attendees for an event
• Has an RJSP map for it's beginner to intermediate users
• Desire:
• Minimizing alterations to little used areas of the park that are ideal for orienteering

Tim Kosednar (through a letter), Alaska Disc Golf Association - ADGA

• Would like an 18-hole disc golf course to be considered
• Very popular activity with 15-20 year olds
• Available course space lags behind demand
• A course could be ready for installation within 1 year (perhaps in area that Girl Scouts are vacating)
• 100 rounds of play a day might be expected during the summer
• 1 or 2 official events per year, and maybe a weekly league night
• ADGA would maintain the course and there is a potential partnership with King Career Center for maintenance and improvements

The Stakeholder presentations took longer than anticipated so Committee Members were asked to send their top 5 priorities to Suzanne by Friday, February 4th.  The results would then be compiled and we would use the 3rd meeting to achieve a prioritized plan.

IMPORTANT - VIP MEETING #3 HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO FEBRUARY 23RD FROM 6 – 8 PM AT WILLIWAW ELEMENTARY LIBRARY – please adjust your calendars.

Russian Jack Springs Park VIP Committee Holds Its First Meeting - draft summary

Committee Members

 

The first meeting of the north Russian Jack Springs Park VIP committee was held January 19, 2011 at Williwaw Elementary School from 6 – 8 PM. The meeting opened with introductions of the five community council representatives, stakeholder group representatives and others present. 

A brief exercise was conducted that posed the question “what makes a good park?”.  Attendees were asked to write down five items.  Participants provided the following responses that were shared with the group:

• Maximize use of the park year around
• A commitment to long-term maintenance
• A connection to nature
• Trees/nature/wildlife/urban forest
• Open Space
• Usage appeal to community/community appeal
• Safety (not scared to walks through park, not scared of urban forest, structures, facilities, need lighting)
• Calm/relaxing/sense of solitude
• Clean and safe environment
• Accessibility (parking, access to community/users, neighborhood connection from home to trails to park)
• Loud music/concrete areas
•  Involve people/ to develop ownership for improvements
• Park use survey could reveal what elements are used, how much they are used, for how long and during what season
• Park Plan
• Signage
• Trails and trail connectivity
• Cost Effectiveness (ties to park plan)
• Frequent use
• Reuse/creative plan/stimulating elements/non-traditional elements

Answers to "what makes a good park?"

 Park Planner, Suzanne Little reviewed the scope and responsibilities of the Committee and the group selected a Chair, Carla Hadley and Co-Chair, Tim Benitendi. The Committee approved the draft agenda for the meeting with the motion to approve made by Kep Pierce, seconded by Tim Benetendi and approved unanimously by the Committee.

A brief summary was provided of the 1979 Master Plan, the 1997/98 Master Plan Revisions, and the outreach efforts from last summer and fall. The information that was provided is available in various documents that are posted within the Related Files section. The slideshow is available at this link:VIP Meeting 1 Presentation

The committee was presented with a list of improvements that had been identified by public input to date. This list is available in the Related Files section (link: Now/Later Exercise). The list examined the items and addressed their compatibility with existing Master Plan materials.  The Committee was  asked to rank the items as ’Do Now’  or ‘Do Later’ bringing the paperwork to the next meeting for compilation.

The intent is that this exercise will provide a first level of analysis for potential improvements, with additional ranking and analysis to happen at the second meeting.

The Committee concurred that it would be useful to hear brief reports from stakeholder groups and the Committee was asked to consider what information stakeholder groups needed to provide.  The Committee suggested having the stakeholder groups answer the following questions:

• how the group currently use the park (if they do),
• how they would like to use the park in the future and
• how the group does already or proposes to partner with the MOA to provide services or bring the facility to wider use
• how the group can or does cooperatively utilize park facilities with other users

The list of potential stakeholders that will be contacted for the next meeting may include the following (assuming groups exist for some):

• Tennis
• Soccer
• Softball
• Skiing
• Biking
• Disc Golfing
• Running
• East High School
• Volleyball
• Orienteering
• Horshoes
• Girl Scouts

Stakeholder Group Brainstorming

An initial plan for three 2-hour meetings was developed with the goal of completing a supported prioritized plan of action by the end of the 3rd meeting.  The Committee may choose to hold additional meetings to achieve the goal of completing a supported prioritized plan of action.

The Agenda for the second meeting will be set in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee.

The next meeting is scheduled for February 2nd at 6 PM at Williwaw Elementary School.

The third meeting is scheduled for February 16th at 6 PM at Williwaw Elementary School.

P&R Meeting with Northeast Community Council

Parks and Recreation Department Director John Rodda attended the Executive Committee Meeting of the Northeast Community Council (NECC) on January 6th 2011 to listen and respond to concerns about Russian Jack Springs Park. The Community Council President, Kevin Smestad opened the meeting to any person outside the Executive Committee who might wish to attend. Attendees expressed vehement concern about the safety clearing accomplished in the Summer of 2010 along the major paved trails in both North and South parts of the Park in which sight lines were created. Mr. Rodda responded that there were many calls received by his office from people who did not feel safe walking on the main trails in the park. NECC has previously and consistently expressed opposition to tree removal in the park and felt that the clearing was unwarranted and that no one was informed about the action. Additional concerns were expressed about the public process and the mail notification of surrounding residents in the public involvement process conducted to obtain input about needs and desires for improvements in the north part of Russian Jack Springs Park.

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.