Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-10-2013 Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOP) Committee Minutes MINUTES OF THE TRAILS, OPEN SPACE AND PARKS COMMITTEE MEETING, OCTOBER 10, 2013 COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Don Beeman Sandy Dodge Tom Starner Doug Chandler Cyndy Andrus, Commission Liaison COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: Bob Hawks, Chair CITY STAFF PRESENT: Thom White, Parks &Cemetery Superintendent Chris Saunders, Policy& Planning Manager Doreen Olean, Recording Secretary A. The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairperson, Sandy Dodge at 12:00 noon. B. Approval of Minutes of September 26, 2013 meeting—Motion and vote. ➢ Committee member Starner motioned to approve the minutes as written. Committee member Beeman seconded. Motion passed unanimously. C. Changes to the Agenda - none D. Public Comment - none E. Disclosures: ➢ Committee member Starner disclosed that he had received a call from an individual wondering who the soccer people might be. Mr. Starner responded that he wasn't sure. ➢ Committee member Chandler disclosed that Allied Engineering did a small amount of work on the Bozeman Creek Enhancement Project. Mr. Chandler himself was not involved in this. F. Special Presentation: Bicycle & Pedestrian Pathway to the "M" and Drinking Horse Mountain—Gallatin Valley Land Trust. ➢ Kelly Pohl, from Gallatin Land Trust, used a Powerpoint presentation to explain their proposal of the Bicycle & Pedestrian Pathway to the "M' and Drinking Horse Mountain Project. Proposing a shared use path that would connect existing trails of the Main Street to the Mountains trail system to the trailheads at the "M" and Drinking Horse Mountain paralleling Bridger Drive. Ties into Main Street to Mountains trail system at Story Mill Road, the Story Mill Spur Trail 1 MINUTES OF THE TRAILS, OPEN SPACE AND PARKS COMMITTEE MEETING, OCTOBER 10, 2013 and the East Gallatin Recreation Area (two popular trails used in the City of Bozeman). Goals of project are: to improve public safety; connect existing highly used trails; add a variety and balance to the existing trails system by having a paved trail, which are limited. Explicitly specified in the ballot bond language "bond can be used for purposes of designing, constructing and equipping open space land trails and etc., such as lands for trails in and around the Bridger Mountain foothills". Maintenance of the trail would cost about $2000 per mile per year. Signage, brushing and benches GVLT would provide in- kind. U.S. Forest Service and City of Bozeman applied for the grant through the Federal Lands Access Program, which was approved for 3.4 million. MDOT, Western Transportation Institute, Gallatin County, Collin's Coalition, Safe Paths to Schools, Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board, Wind Drinkers, Bridger Ski Foundation and several other organizations support this project. Request is for around $527,000 from the Bond. This project will leveragetax dollars 1 to 8. This is an iconic project. Connecting our down town to the "M" is a legacy. Public Comment: ➢ Rebecca Gleason, 1139 N. Spruce, member of the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board and works at Western Transportation Institute. Fully support this project. Is a model project for TOP program. ➢ Tom Keck, 411 N. 3rd, representing himself, his family and Collin's Coalition. Letter of intent to provide $20,000 in matching funds for a trail that moves bicycles off Bridger Canyon Road and gets them up to the "M" and Drinking Horse. It is our highest priority as we view it as the most critical place for someone to get killed on the road with the guard rails that are in place. Personal interest in this project. From a strictly safety standpoint behind this project 110% . ➢ Bill Cochran, 301 N. Black, member of Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board, Gallatin Valley Bike Club's Advocacy Director, and a board member of GVLT. Project is a model project for the Bond. Currently is a safety issue, and more so as traffic increases. Will allow people to access the "M" and Drinking Horse without using a vehicle. Perfect use for this fund. ➢ Chris Scott, 2973 Oliver Street, with the Gallatin County Planning Department. Providing support from the county for the project and to answer any questions regarding the county and the project. ➢ Al Stanley, with the Bridger Ski Foundation, a member of the Gallatin Valley Bike Club, and on the trails committee of GVLT. BSF uses the "M" trail for training and for time trials. There are also adults and youth who train by roller skating. Almost no safe roller skating places in town and this path would be a perfect training place. ➢ Maddy Pope, 1508 S. Willson, on behalf of herself and the Trust for Public Lands would like to express support for this project. Will be a great asset to the community and was the kind of project that was intended when there was talk about the Trails and Parks Bond. 2 MINUTES OF THE TRAILS, OPEN SPACE AND PARKS COMMITTEE MEETING, OCTOBER 10, 2013 ➢ Gary Weiner, 4030 Sourdough Road, coordinator of Bozeman Creek Enhancement Committee. This is a model project for safety, recreation and transportation reasons. Connections for trails and parks located at the base of this trail. G. Action Items: i. Bicycle & Pedestrian Pathway to the "M" and Drinking Horse Mountain Application—Community Benefit Matrix and Prevailing Characteristics Matrices The Trails, Open Space and Parks Committee members Starner, Dodge, Beeman, and Chandler completed the Community Benefits Matrix and each member scored the benefit above 60%. The Prevailing Characteristics Matrix: Trails was completed by each TOP committee member and received a score of above 60%. This proposal has passed through step 4 of the process and will be recommended to the City Commission for approval. Highlights that should be included in the recommendation: a. Committee member Beeman spoke to the way the project leverages money and the hard work that has already be done to secure this funding. This leveraging speaks highly of the project and should be highlighted even more. The safety component is an interesting one. This really does improve the safety issue. b. Committee member Chandler echoed the comments of Committee member Beeman and also that he appreciated the private contribution from a safety standpoint. Maintenance issue is a minor thing and should not derail this proposal. c. Committee member Starner stated that this is an easy, non-controversial project to move forward on. Looking forward to completion of project so people can start using it. Something that has been needed for a long time, will be great. d. Committee member Dodge looked for something to not like about this and could not find anything. It is an absolute rocket project. They have done an enormous amount of work and we appreciate the state of which you brought this forward to us. Kelly Pohl relayed information that once the local match is committed, the project manager will be assigned who will work on engineering right-of-way and they expect construction to begin in 2015. ii. Bozeman Creek at Bogert Park Enhancement Project Application —Rough Cut Matrix— ➢ Gary Weiner stated that this project has a lot of benefits for the City. Benefits to natural resources would reinstate the flood plain, realign the 3 MINUTES OF THE TRAILS,OPEN SPACE AND PARKS COMMITTEE MEETING, OCTOBER 10, 2013 creek and put it back to a naturally functioning condition, improve fish and wildlife habitat and water quality, reduce erosion and sediment in the creek. There would be improvements to the park as well. Stream is now off to the side and is channelized and deep and fast during high water. Park would be safer and could be used for nature based recreation and environmental education, which the parks currently have little creek based recreation. Public Comment: ➢ Kelly Pohl, Gallatin Valley Land Trust. We strongly support this proposal and view that enhancing Bogert Park and the creek through Bogert Park follows a lot of the criteria of the TOP Bond. GVLT has committed a match to this project, providing reconstruction of the trails through the park so that the cost of trails that have to be reconfigured with the reconfiguration of the stream will be covered, as well as putting in some new benches to make the park a nicer place to enjoy. The TOP Committee completed the Rough Cut Matrix for the Bozeman Creek at Bogert Park Enhancement Project. The proposal passed the Rough Cut Matrix and will go onto the Community Benefit and Prevailing Characteristics Matrices at the next meeting. The Committee asked that the costs of this project be presented at this meeting. H. Discussion i. Confirmation of next Committee meeting date on October 24, 2013. ➢ The site tour will be held at 8:15 a.m. on October 24, 2013 at the Bozeman Pavilion. The next meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the upstairs meeting room in the Professional Building following the site tour. I. FYI ➢ The Bozeman Pond project will probably be submitted for the next meeting for the Rough Cut Matrix review. J. Vice-Chairperson Dodge adjourned the meeting at 12:56 p.m. 4 MINUTES OF THE TRAILS,OPEN SPACE AND PARKS COMMI EE MEETING,O-TOBER 10, 2013 Bob Hawks,Committee Chairperson (ATTEST: J Ca� Doreen Olean, Recording Secretary PREPARED BY: Doreen Olean, Recording Secretary Approvedon 5