CC Minutes 5-23-05
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City Council Meeting - May 23, 2005
d. Approve Recommendation to Remove and Dispose of Wooden Playground Structure,
Bandimere Heights Park.
f. Resolution#2005-48: Approve Resolution for Moon Valley Contamination Clean-Up
Grant.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 4 to O.
E. APPROVAL OF MODIFICATION TO THE CURRY FARMS PARK MASTER
PLAN.
Councilman Lundquist: Thank you Mr. Mayor. I had a brief discussion with Mr. Gerhardt this
afternoon and just wanted to put that out on the public record as we have over the past year or so
talked about ballfields in the city. This is one where it may appear on the surface that we're
taking a playground structure and putting it over the top of a ballfield and just wanted to have
Mr. Gerhardt go through his explanation that he walked me through today to talk about the
practicality that this ballfield is actually, can be used widely and that this actually would be a
better use for it at this park overall than the way it's slated right now.
Todd Gerhardt: We also have our Park and Rec Director, Todd Hoffman here. He might be a
little better served in explaining his report. Todd, what I talked about this afternoon was the
elimination of that park and how we have not scheduled practices in that area. You want to go
about your policy and field usage.
Todd Hoffman: Sure, thank you. Mayor, members of the council. Curry Farms Park is a
neighborhood park and we do not schedule practices in this location. The ballfield, you're
actually correct. We don't want to go backwards in ballfield construction or maintenance in our
city, but in this particular case we have an opportunity to really improve the overall master plan
for Curry Farms Park. The ballfield is in a remote location. Somewhat wet and the playground
that's currently situated on your plan. Right now in it's current location is at the bottom of a
sliding hill used by the neighborhood and does not allow for a run out at the bottom of the sliding
hill. These other things that you're seeing changed on the plan, we eliminated a trail section
because of the wet terrain. This basketball court actually is over here. This playground, we want
to move it on top of the ballfield. Eliminate the ballfield and then just leave it green space.
Currently in all of our neighborhoods, new neighborhood park plans we do not include ballfields.
The maintenance is just too excessive. We just plan for a green field. Open green field for the
kids to play on. Softball, soccer or other play field activities, so in this case we're taking away
the baseball but it's not heavily used at the current time.
Councilman Lundquist: Todd, can you talk.about the other structures that are nearby, the ponds
and other things, the short fence and all those things that collect foul balls in the pond instead of
staying in the field of play so to speak.
Todd Hoffman: Absolutely. Curry Farms Park is, it's nickname is Sinking Park. We have a
sink hole currently in this location. Thank you. This area of the park is sinking and so if you hit
into the right foul line of the ballfield you're going to be in a swamp currently.
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