Re:  Citizens' Forum

None

Re:  Staff Report

Potential Park Board members, Wendy Braund and Ray Thomas were present to be considered for membership on the Recreation and Park Advisory Board.  Potential Youth Board member Adrienne Crutchfield did not attend.  Michelle Bean will contact her again so that she can attend the next meeting.  Chip Boylan stated that the Board should re-invite both applicants to the next meeting to give them more time to interact with the Board as well as to ask any questions.  Chip Boylan added that he would like the Board to continue to have a youth member.

Burt Hall shared with the Board that Andrew Klee, Special Events Manager resigned to take a job working with a company that provides television broadcasting for the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. Colleen McQuitty will be acting Special Events Coordinator until a replacement is hired.

George Sushinky asked when the Board was going to do their clean up of the Adopt-a-Stream section in the Civic Center Park.  Kate Savage will set a date for the spring.

Re:  Street Tree Appeal Letter Re-draft

Included as FYI.

Re:  Zoning Ordinance

Kate Savage testified at the recent Planning Commission hearing on behalf of the Recreation and Park Advisory Board. 

Re:  RedGate Golf Course Quarterly Report

Included as FYI.

Re:  2008 Meeting Locations

The Board concurred with the recommended meeting locations.

Re:  Park, Recreation and Open Space  (PROS) Plan

Stakeholder & Focus Group Meeting
Recreation and Park Advisory Board; Nature Center Advisory Board; Rockville Dog Owners Group; Bikeway Committee; Commission on the Environment; Historic District; Rockville Recreation and Parks Foundation.

Steve Mader, Superintendent of Parks and Facilities was present to kick off the PROS Plan Focus Group and to introduce Clive Graham and Geoffrey Booth, consultants from the ERM Group, to conduct the first focus group meeting of the PROS Plan.

Clive Graham explained the overall purposes of the PROS Plan and expressed observations regarding of some of the things ERM has learned thus far about the Recreation and Parks department in its preparation of the plan:

• Relatively large department for a City of 60,000 people
• The department’s large share of the City’s operating budget (20%) 
• Very wide scope of the department’s activities
• The department’s good performance on ‘the basics,’ such as clean parks and buildings, bread and butter programs, good trail systems; this allows the department to look at other initiatives
• Highly committed staff
• Large number of jobs in the City and the growing senior and racially diverse population.  
• Relatively high disabled population (14%) and a number of low-income households.

Park Provision Standards and Accessibility
Clive Graham shared with the group some park acreage statistics including parkland located nearby but outside the city limits and also used  by city residents. A discussion ensued concluding with the view that Recreation and Parks services provision was generally of a high standard in the City of Rockville.  An issue that now needs to be addressed, however, is the connectivity among the parks and facilities and the quality of the walking/biking experience for the users of such connections.  The increased use of trails to connect the facilities was discussed. Rockville Pike is a good example.  It is difficult to cross the Pike in many areas along the corridor. Kate Savage added that the City does have an easily accessible Ride On bus, Metro and public transportation.

Climate Change and Sustainable Development
There was general sentiment, especially from representatives of the Commission on the Environment, that environmental considerations should be an overriding theme throughout the PROS plan and not just a chapter or section.  Ideas mentioned included showcasing the environment in the city’s facilities; trails to connect parks and to encourage bike riding/walking rather than the use of automobiles; a preference for central locations served by public transit; a range of healthy living activities to combat obesity and health-related problems; and green spaces that provide some carbon offset; and disallowing “stovepipes” (cul de sacs) to encourage connectivity.
  
One participant suggested the City set a goal for 2030 where they go after a certain percentage of additional green space.  Charles Carroccio noted that the City has obtained a substantial amount of new open space for parks over the recent past, particularly in the new King Farm and Fallsgrove developments.  It was noted that the City has done a lot for bicycle connectivity, especially since it has had to be a retrofit effort (the City not having been designed for pedestrian/bicycle connectivity).  However the City should strive to do more, as have west coast cities, especially to make walking and biking an attractive alterative, by creating well-designed greenways through corridors and not directly on the main roads. 

Facilities
Pat Smith said that the Swim Center was a facility that needed reinvestment to bring it back up to standards. In his view it was not keeping pace with changing demand and was a depreciating community asset.  The City needs to focus on maintaining and enhancing existing assets not just building new ones.  Other participants expressed disagreement with this assertion that the Swim Center is in poor condition.  Clive Graham said that while a comprehensive assessment of all City recreation and cultural facilities was beyond the scope of the plan, the PROS plan could contain a recommendation that the City conduct a long-range plan for each facility. The Senior Center and RedGate were also noted as facilities needing long-range consideration.

Acquiring new Green Space
Kate Savage said that the Recreation and Parks department deserves credit for doing everything they can to preserve open space and parkland in new developments. All new developments need to have green space included.

A spirited discussion ensued on the standard of urban park provision in areas such as Rockville Town Center and along Rockville Pike.  Tom Doerr noted that the City is pretty much built out and that the future focus will need to be on redevelopment and providing diverse exercise opportunities in an urban environment. It was generally agreed that more green space had to be provided in the redevelopment of such areas and the quality and attractiveness of this space had to be improved and be of high quality. 

Measuring Progress in the New PROS Plan
Terry Baker felt that looking back at the nature of the last plan it appeared more of a wish list. For the plan to be real it needs to have measurable objectives such as so many fields per capita, etc. Then the City can see where it has succeeded and where it needs more work. Bob Taylor stated that the demographics, technology, and sports preferences will always be changing; the plan needs to be adaptable to allow for change.  

Clive Graham noted that he had been impressed with Rockville’s budgeting which pays heavy attention to performance measures.  Geoff Booth added that the plan would be quantitative but would also focus on quality of life.

Historic Places and Buildings
Craig Moloney stated that the City owns historic sites such as the Beall Dawson house, Glenview Mansion, Pump House, and the King Farm Farmstead house) some of which are under utilized.  It was stated that visiting historic sites and resources is a very popular activity.  Perhaps the City’s sites could be made more into destinations, as important components of the City’s open space fabric and park and recreation experience, as well as contributing to the City’s long-term sustainability.  Cemeteries should also be considered as part of the opens space framework.

Changing Work/Changing Recreation and Green Space Values
Faith Klareich stated that more and more people are going to be teleworking in the future and office space will begin to be a thing of the past. What does that mean for open space? The open space and green space right outside people’s homes is going to be their connectivity to the community.  The City’s updated zoning code, currently in development, will be an important tool in new open space provision. 

Dog Parks
Seanne Baruch, Rockville Dog Owners Group (RDOG) stated that RDOG would like to see the next dog park in the Twinbrook area or, possibly, near Maryvale. They are still working on a location with the community.  The need for dog parks will increase as residential density increases.

Venues and Events
One participant observed that Rockville is somewhat “segregated” and there needs to be more opportunities for the community to “come together” such as at the Hometown Holidays celebration.  Steve Mader and Burt Hall said that the City’s largest events are Hometown Holidays, July 4th, the Car Show, the Music Festival.  There was discussion about the desirability and practicality of moving events to other locations in the City. Steve Mader observed that some neighborhood parks lack the size and capacity to host large events. The City does try to move events around but it is not always supported. 

Funding the acquisition of new park and recreation land
Marsha Douma asked about other municipalities and how they acquire new open space and/or green space. What were the strategies of other communities? Burt Hall replied that options include impact fees, land swaps, and creating “pocket parks” in areas undergoing redevelopment.  In response to a question from Clive Graham, members of the Recreation and Park Advisory Board expressed general dissatisfaction with the Town Center Plaza.  They felt it was too small and they had really hoped to see more of a park, like a college quad, than the paved plaza that has been created.   They were disappointed, especially coming after King Farm, where there had been a twenty percent land area dedication.   Some members also expressed concern that redevelopment of the Regal movie theater parking lot into condos and a hotel will add to the “blockiness” of Town Center, making it less attractive.  Town Center Phase II has no green space now and it must be created. 

Safety and Security
Burt Hall asked the group to discuss the safety and security issues concerning parks and facilities, as the annual citizens’ survey reported an increase in safety concerns.  Kate Savage stated that the parks nearby her house with lighted areas, and also with forested areas, tend to attract teens and others hanging out and thus create the potential for more trouble. She added that she feels that for the most part the parks seem safe and secure. Chip Boylan added that it might have to do with diversity and traditions.  Rockville’s increased diversity resulting in feelings of insecurity.  Some people may also have a different sense of “safety” than others. 

 Charlie Carroccio shared with the Board his experience recently at Welsh Park. He and his wife were approaching a bridge with numerous kids and found that he was not sure who was more scared them or him. Kate Savage also shared her story about a group of kids hanging out in the woods and a lady walking with a stroller came out before she went in and warned her of the kids. She continued through the woods only to find the kids were her own children.  Marsha Douma added that some people come from big cities where their parks are not safe and they bring the same concerns.

Re:  Subcommittee Reports

These will be shared via email.

Re:  Monthly Divisional Reports

Included as FYI.

Re:  Old Business/New Business

Marsha Douma brought up the issue of relocating the District Court to the former Giant Food store site.  She stated that the Governor would very much like to see the court relocated.  The plan under discussion for that site includes a large park to be located in front of the court.  The problem is, if the State moves the courthouse, the County has right of first refusal to take back the old library site and they have informed the City that they would exercise that right.  The holdout is State Senator Jenny Forehand who wants the court built on the library site.  The District 17 State Delegates seem to be more willing to examine the options and potentially support moving the courthouse location.  Marsha Douma added she is trying to mobilize citizens in support of moving the courthouse by working with members of the Town Center Action Team.  Chip Boylan responded that what is not being discussed is the very large price tag involved with the change of location.  He feels that City officials are passing the buck. The MOU on the location of the new Rockville library states that the City supports the County selling the old library site to the State for the new District Courthouse.  Now the City is going back on what it agreed to.  Chip Boylan added that as a Maryland taxpayer he can not support this large additional expenditure. 

Re:  Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m.  The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 28, 2008 at Lincoln Park Community Center.