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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/19/2017 10 Naches Parkway Conversion to a City ParkBUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDASTATEMENT Item No. 10. For Meeting of: September 19, 2017 ITEM TITLE: Proposed conversion of Naches Parkway to a City Park SUBMITTED BY: Ken Wilkinson, Parks & Rec Division Manager -576-6416 Scott Schafer, Director of Public Works SUMMARY EXPLANATION: There is a proposal for City Council consideration to convert the Naches Parkway into a City Park. Attached is a memo from staff outlining the requirements and issues of such a conversion and the estimated costs. ITEM BUDGETED: No STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Neighborhood and Community Building APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: City Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: BOARD/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date memo 9'13'2017 D narks rules &'132017 Type CGner Memo Cner Menu.) 2 Memorandum September 19, 2017 To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Yakima City Council Cliff Moore, City Manager From: Scott Schafer, Director of Public Works Ken Wilkinson, Parks and Recreation Manager Subject: Conversion of Naches Parkway to a Park Located on North and South Naches Avenue, the Naches Parkway is a 15 block long parkway of center planting islands. The oldest of the City's park greenspace, the parkway stretches from H Street to Race Street and crosses through downtown at Yakima Avenue (map attached). The parkway is covered with lawn for all of its length except for the Hatfield block between Yakima Avenue and Sgt. Pendleton Way which has brick paving and picnic tables. Most notably, the parkway contains stands of mature shade trees including sycamore, silver maple, red maple, oak and crab apple trees. Many of the trees are almost 100 years old and the City has begun selective replacement with new red oaks and red maples. One of Yakima's few public statues, a depiction of Spanish-American War Col. John J. Weisenburger, is located on the first parkway island south of Yakima Avenue. The Yakima Parks and Recreation Division currently classifies Naches Avenue Parkway as an area between two roadways that is lined with trees and planted with grass. This parkway is one of the oldest properties in the city that is maintained by the Yakima Parks and Recreation Division. Routine maintenance of this green space is mowing, weed trimming and treatment, irrigation maintenance and repair and tree trimming. Cost of routine maintenance is estimated at $57,000.00 per year. Tree removal, if needed, is added to the maintenance cost. A number of large trees that had reached the end of their life cycle have been removed at substantial cost. Additional trees are being observed for designation for future removal. Col. John J. Weisenburger Requirements and Issues of Converting Naches Parkway to a City Park Benches Cost for a simple yet durable bench is $600 per bench. Placement of one bench on each block of the 15 blocks along Naches Avenue would be $9,000. Installation could be completed by Park Maintenance staff during regular work schedules. 3 Picnic Tables Cost of placement of permanent in ground picnic tables is estimated at $1,500 per table. Picnic tables could be added at alternating blocks. Cost of 8 permanent picnic tables is estimated at $12,000. Park maintenance staff could install permanent tables during regular work schedules. Trash Receptacles Trash receptacles are $25.00 each. The plastic containers used by Parks & Rec are donated from a local fruit processing company. Park Maintenance staff clean each container and place a Yakima Parks and Recreation logo sticker on each. Cans are lined with plastic bags. Trash cans would need to be emptied at a minimum of three times per week throughout the year; less often during the winter months. The estimated cost for trash pick-up and disposal per year is $8,500. Signage Additional park rules and regulations signs would need to be created. Each sign cost is estimated at $80.00 and a sign for each block would be needed. Total estimated cost of signage would be $1,200.00. Total One -Time Costs The estimated "one-time" cost to convert the Naches Parkway to a City Park is $22,200 ($9,000 for benches, $12,000 for picnic tables, and $1,200 for signage). Annual Costs An annual cost of $8,500 would need to be added into the parks maintenance budget to cover trash pick-up and disposal from the park. Yakima Municipal Code — Title 13 — Park and Playground Ordinances Title 13 of the Yakima Municipal Code for park regulations would be required to be implemented (attached). Additional Issues for Consideration Homelessness In the past couple of years, local business owners have requested the removal of benches by the City to reduce the impact of individuals utilizing Naches Parkway during the daytime hours. There has been a significant amount of frustration given the amount of garbage being generated and repeated vandalism of the irrigation sprinkler heads. Staff representatives have been in contact with Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS) and they have agreed to administer a paid program for homeless individuals for helping clean and maintain the park. Office of Neighborhood Development Services (ONDS) would supervise the workers and YNHS would compensate the individuals for their time. It should be noted that in accordance with YMC 13.20.030 Park curfew imposed, designating the Naches Parkway as a City Park would not address the current issue of individuals utilizing the area during the daytime hours. 4 Traffic Safety It is recommended that traffic safety issues be taken into consideration if Naches Parkway is converted to a park. Currently, there is an insufficient safety buffer between the traffic and the park users due to vehicle traffic on each side of the greenspace. There should be ample room for park users to move away from the adjacent roadways to avoid any potential traffic related problems such as noise, fumes, and errant vehicles. Vehicle parking is heavy in many sections of Naches Avenue. As a result, individuals crossing the road to Naches Parkway from between parked cars significantly increases the possibility of vehicle/pedestrian collisions. One way to remedy this situation would be to place fencing or another type of barrier around the parkway in order to limit the number of access points. A fence would also provide a barrier between vehicles and park users but could create sight line restrictions at intersections and make it difficult for Park staff to mow and maintain the area. The estimated cost of the chain-link fencing ranges from $28,000 (3 -foot) to $56,000 (4 -foot) depending on the height of the fence. In addition, curbing along Naches Parkway is shorter than the typical 6 inches due to past pavement overlays. There is virtually no barrier for the safety of individuals to an errant vehicle because of the low height curbs. A grind and overlay project the length of Naches Avenue would be highly recommended to reestablish the correct curb height and to address the installation of pedestrian crossings at an estimated cost of $700,000. If only the curbing is addressed, the cost would be reduced to $350,000. One -Time Safety Expenses If a barrier or fence was to be installed around the park the cost would be between $28,000 and $56,000. Improvements to the curbing would be $350,000. If the curb and roads are improved the cost would be $700,000. Conclusion The estimated "one-time" cost to convert Naches Parkway to a City Park is $22,200. One-time costs to improve pedestrian safety in and around the park would vary from $28,000 to $700,000. Just making the minimum improvements would be a one-time expense of $50,200. If all improvements were made the one-time cost would be $778,200. Annual park maintenance expenses would increase $8,500 (from $57,000 to $65,500) for refuse pick-up and removal and would need to be added to the one-time costs. 5 Converting Naches Avenue Parkway to a Park Selected Current YMC Ordinances Regulating Activities in Yakima Parks 13.16.070 Intoxicating liquor regulated—Exceptions. No intoxicating liquor or alcoholic beverage of any kind or nature shall be possessed, consumed or brought within the limits of any city park, city playground, or any property owned, operated and/or managed by the Yakima Greenway Foundation and its successors and assigns within the boundaries of the city of Yakima, except for the following: (a) For any event not constituting a special event subject to Chapter 9.70 YMC, intoxicating liquor or alcoholic beverages may be possessed, consumed or sold pursuant to applicable city park permit and a valid permit issued by the Washington State Liquor Control Board at Sarg Hubbard Park, Sherman Park, the Gateway Sports Complex at Kiwanis Park, Fisher Park Golf Course, and/or the Harman Center at Gailleon Park. (b) For any event constituting a special event subject to Chapter 9.70 YMC, intoxicating liquor or alcoholic beverages may be possessed, consumed or sold in any city park pursuant to the terms and conditions of such special event permit issued pursuant to Chapter 9.70 YMC. (Ord. 2013-041 § 1 (part), 2013: Ord. 2013-016 § 1 (Exh. A), 2013: Ord. 2012-09 § 2, 2012: Ord, 2004-50 § 1, 2004: Ord. 2004-18 § 1, 2004: Ord. 94-56 § 2, 1994: Ord. 2906 § 1, 1985: Ord, 2675 § 1, 1983: Ord. B-1381, rule 7, 1952). 13.16.080 Trash to be placed in receptacles—Toilets not to be defaced. No papers, boxes, food, litter, trash or material of any kind shall be thrown on the grass, walks or driveways, but the same must be placed in the receptacles provided for that purpose. The comfort stations and toilets shall not be defaced nor improperly used, nor the plumbing thereof obstructed or injured. (Ord. 2013-041 § 1 (part), 2013: Ord. B-1381, rule 8, 1952). 13.16.160 Exclusion from city parks. A. Notification of Exclusion. In addition to other penalties that may be imposed by law for the violation of the posted rules and regulations and/or the commission of other offenses in city of Yakima parks, Yakima police officers and the parks and recreation manager, or his/her designee, are authorized to exclude from city parks an individual who they have probable cause to believe has committed a crime or infraction while in a city of Yakima park. The notice of exclusion shall be in writing and shall inform the affected person of the reason for the exclusion, referencing a police report incident number is sufficient, the period of exclusion, and that failure to comply with the notice of exclusion shall be grounds for criminal prosecution. Service of the notice of exclusion may be accomplished by personal service or by mailing a copy, addressed to the person's last known address, by certified and regular United States mail. Unless otherwise specified on the notice, the period of exclusion shall take effect immediately upon actual or constructive receipt of the notice by the person being excluded. A person may not defeat the effectiveness of a notice of exclusion by refusing to accept the notice. Receipt of the notice of exclusion is construed to have been accomplished five days after the notice is placed in the U.S. mail. Failure to immediately comply with a notice of exclusion may subject the violator to prosecution for criminal trespass. B. Appeal. A person who has been excluded from city parks, as described in subsection A of this section, may submit a written request for a review of the exclusion. The request must be postmarked by the United States Postal Service or received by the city clerk within ten calendar days after the effective date of the exclusion. Upon receiving a timely request, the appointed hearings examiner shall conduct a hearing in which the city may present evidence supporting the exclusion, including but 6 not limited to evidence that the notice of exclusion procedures were followed, and that at the time of the exclusion there was probable cause to believe a crime or infraction was committed in a city park by the excluded individual. The excluded party may present evidence as to why the exclusion was improper or should be reduced in time. This may be done by phone or in person at a time and location determined by the appointed hearings examiner. Within ten calendar days following the hearing, the appointed hearings examiner shall issue a written decision affirming, modifying or terminating the exclusion. The appointed hearings examiner's decision shall be final. C. Savings. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this section is declared invalid or unconstitutional for any reason, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this section. (Ord. 2013-041 § 1 (part), 2013: Ord. 2011-48 § 1, 2011). 13.16.170 Misuse of playground apparatuses, park equipment, water playground features or other park facilities prohibited. No person shall in any manner use any of the playground apparatuses, park equipment, water playground features or other park facilities for any purpose other than their intended purpose. (Ord. 2017-006 § 1, 2017). 13.16.180 Interfering with division personnel prohibited. No person shall interfere with or in any manner hinder any employee or authorized volunteer of the park and recreation division while the employee or authorized volunteer is engaged in constructing, repairing, maintaining or caring for any park property, equipment, or facilities. (Ord. 2017-006 § 2, 2017). 13.20.020 Using park with unlawful intent or purpose. It shall be unlawful for any person to enter upon or remain in any public park owned by the city of Yakima with the intent or for the purpose of committing any unlawful act. (Ord. 1626 § 1 (part), 1974) 13.20.030 Park curfew imposed—Exceptions—Park posting and warning as conditions precedent to conviction. A. It is unlawful for any person to enter upon or remain in any public park owned by the city of Yakima between the hours of ten p.m. and six a.m. of the following day, unless the presence of such person in such park during prohibited hours is authorized by a park use permit issued pursuant to YMC 13.16.100 or otherwise is incidental to an activity or function conducted by or under the auspices of the department of parks and recreation of the city of Yakima. B. No person shall be convicted for violating the curfew imposed by this section unless such violation occurred in a park conspicuously posted with signs warning against entry into or remaining in the park during prohibited hours. C. No person shall be convicted for violating the curfew imposed by this section unless, prior to being arrested, such person had been warned by a police officer of the conditions established by this section. D. The provisions of this chapter do not apply to any duly authorized city employee in the performance of his or her duties. (Ord. 2013-034 § 1, 2013: Ord. 3103 § 1, 1988: Ord. 1626 § 1 (part), 1974). 7 Naches Parkway -1.1i a I Blvd 4.*Ip I • . 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