The meeting was called
to order by Chairman Wascher at 7:30 p.m.
Roll Call was taken by
Secretary Baker.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Ronald Baker, Mike
Bruff, Gary Burk, Tracy Butcher, Jack Davis, John Greenway, Gregg
Guetschow, Amy Six-King, Richard Snow, Sue Osika, Robert Teich, and
William Wascher
MEMBERS ABSENT:
MINUTES:
It
was moved by Commissioner Davis and supported by Commissioner Teich to
approve the minutes of the meeting of May 23, 2005 as presented by the
secretary.
AYES: All, Motion
Carried.
NAYS:
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
SITE PLANS:
ITEMS OF
BUSINESS:
PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN
a)
Bentley Park
Phil Hathaway, Community Development Director, reviewed the most recent
master plan of 1987 and the facilities that have been installed and
those that have not been added. Because of its location and significance
this is a community park, not a neighborhood park. The features the
Planning Commission would like to see added include: a running track,
sidewalks, sand volleyball court, a tennis court resurfacing with tree
buffering, benches, covered picnic tables, more landscaping, and paved
parking.
b)
Memorial Park – N. Adams Street
1.3 acres. It is a neighborhood park. The neighborhood wants to leave
the park as open space with very few park ammenities added to the park.
Mike Bruff suggested
selling the park.
c)
Grand Avenue Park
Discussion of the sale of the park for housing development ensued. No
improvements are planned for this park. The plan will propose the park
for removal from the system with a neighborhood input process to precede
the action.
d)
Curwood Castle Park
This is a regional cultural/historic park with river frontage and
access. The Curwood Castle Park ad hoc planning committee made 20
recommendations for improvement to the park. These include:
1)
A new parking lot in the west/southwest sector of the park will have a
capacity for 50 to 60 vehicles in addition to what is already provided
at the Paymaster Building (14 spaces). A small traveler’s stop at M-52
will add another 6 spaces (the committee is not of one mind on this
lot). For the purpose of open space preservation, the parking lot is
designed for regular event use and is not designed for serving the needs
of major events. Parking lots in the downtown with access from the Main
Street sidewalk and the footbridge supply sufficient parking for major
events.
2) Landscaping
improvements:
a) The parking lot will
be shaded internally and along the south and west boundaries with “four
seasons” plantings. The landscaping will have the extra benefit of
buffering the vistas from the Castle against adjoining buildings and
homes.
b) A half-oval landscape area will occupy space in front of the Arts
Center.
c) The east river bank
of the school property will have clusters of evergreen plantings to
diminish the view of the massive wall of the Middle School.
d) Overgrown shrubs
such as the growth about the footbridge anchors on the west side will be
replaced.
e) The transformer in
front of the Comstock Cabin will be either relocated or provided with
buffer vegetation or structural screening.
f) The new parking lot
arrangement about the redesigned apartment building parking lot will
have a border-landscaping plan.
g) The new traveler’s
parking lot will have a low-level shrubbery fence about its perimeter.
3) The traffic
patterns on Curwood Castle Drive and River Street will be altered as
follows:
a) The bend at the two
streets will be softened and moved southwesterly to
create more grounds for the Castle Zone. Curwood
Castle Drive will be rerouted in a
parking lot lane system through the new parking lot to continue to
permit through traffic but not very
convenient as a short-cut or high-speed zone. The closure also
creates the parking lot layout design best
suited to the available area for a four-bay lot system.
b) A loading zone for tour buses, limousines, and public transit vehicles
will be located north of the parking
lot and on the west side of Curwood Castle Drive if
pedestrian crossing is deemed safe
enough. A sidewalk will trim the loading zone
area with painted crosswalks to the east side of the street.
c) A driveway opening to the expansion area of the Arts Center will be
retained.
d) A new drive opening off River Street will access the apartment parking
lot;
their existing driveway opening on Curwood Castle Drive will be closed.
4) Create an arrival design/sign area from the Curwood Castle Drive
approach on the south end of the park.
5) Accompany the traveler’s/visitors mini-lot with two covered
picnic tables and trash containers. Regulate the parking to prevent
truck use. Preserve the vista to the Castle with low-lying vegetation.
6) Continue with the hooded light fixture-replace worn fixtures and
light the new sidewalks as they are constructed.
7) Investigate the feasibility of a whitewater rapids area at the
dam. Build a viewing deck on the west bank.
8) Construct a renovated
plaza landing on the west end of the footbridge.
9) Relocate the east-west sidewalk on the west side of the
footbridge to veer northwesterly.
10) Construct
bikeway land off the sidewalks onto Curwood Castle Drive and design
later when the parking lot is built for bicycle passage.
11) Subject to acquisition of the residential parcel on River
Street, investigate the feasibility of an approximately 70’ diameter
pond with semi-circular walk and cherry trees about it. Consider a
fountain or running water aqueduct from upstream to maintain clarity.
Provide a stone creek outlet to the river. Design and maintain the pond
for winter ice-skating.
12) Irrigate the Castle grounds and work with the Festival Board of
Directors to change the Curwood Festival craft layout/tent anchoring to
protect the system. Alternatively place the irrigation lines 18” below
grade.
13) Provide maintenance to the island as a country scenic setting
over the current setting as a depository for river-borne trees
branches/trunks and litter. Protect as a waterfowl-nesting zone.
14) Despite the absence of a playground in this part of Owosso,
this park’s mission is not compatible with a playground. Explore
near-by possibilities for a small playground to serve the neighborhood.
15) Maintain the 1996 plan’s notation for working with the property
owners along Williams Street to preserve a scenic, erosion free and
vegetated setting on the steep embankments.
16) To promote circular pedestrian activity explore the feasibility
of a stairway off the M-21 Bridge to the bikeway.
17) Acquire a scenic easement for the west wall of the Matthew’s
Building and restore the façade.
18) Design the Armory’s back wall to function with the advantage of
its river frontage. Start a community process to determine a building
use that is compatible with the park and the downtown.
19) The 1996 plan’s reference to a north
side footbridge should only be retained if engineering, island
protection, annual maintenance and floodplain issues demonstrate its
practical application.
20) Recognize the new occupancy area for the Shiawassee Arts
Council with specific occupancy plans pending the Planning Commission’s
site plan review.
COMMISSIONER/CITIZEN COMMENTS:
Bob Teich asked
about the advertisement of George Hoddy’s property as commercial use.
Mike Bruff asked
about the status of the developer of the Old Hotel property.
Bill Wascher talked
about the planning seminar on joint jurisdiction planning commission
that he and Bob Teich attended.
ADJOURNMENT:
It
was moved by Commissioner Davis and supported by Commissioner Teich to
adjourn the meeting.
AYES: All, Motion
Carried
NAYS:
The meeting was
adjourned at 9:28 p.m.
Ronald Baker
Secretary
