TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Peter Fernandez, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
title
Approval of the revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan.
Ward(s): 2
Councilor(s): Andersen
Neighborhood(s): NESCA
Service Area(s): Welcome and Livable Neighborhood; Natural Environment Stewardship
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SUMMARY:
summary
The revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan reflects City Council direction for decreasing future parking and increasing the size of the proposed dog park. Approval of the revised update will provide a vision that will guide park management and park development for the next 20 years.
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ISSUE:
Shall City Council approve the revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Approve the revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan.
body
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan reflects the modifications requested by City Council while providing parking for users of future park facilities. The number of parking spaces has been reduced, recognizing the desire to reduce dependency on the automobile, while still providing access for families and people living with disabilities who may not be able to use public transportation, bike, or walk to the park.
Based on review of the proposed facilities and typical parking demand, parking has been reduced from a 94-stall to a 70-stall parking lot, with 66 standard stalls and four accessible stalls meeting ADA design standards. The reduction in parking considers future high-use facilities such as the inclusive-playground, ballfield, and splash pad as well as the pump bike park and skate park. Recommended parking quantities are based on landscape architecture and recreation recommended standards. Reductions were made from these standards for certain facilities, such as the bike park and skate park, while keeping the prior parking recommendations to support facilities frequented by children. These considerations resulted in reducing the overall parking by 24 stalls. Parking will be constructed in phases and will be tied to construction of high-demand park amenities frequented by children, such as the splash pad. A reduction in parking was accomplished by replacing the north and south parking bays with open lawn.
The following is a comparison of parking quantities to support proposed park uses and facilities, including the consultant’s original recommendation, the original park plan, and the revised plan proposed parking quantities.
Park Facility Consultant Prior # Proposed #
Bike park 20 (Consultant) 15 (Prior) 8 (Revised)
Playground and splash pad 15 (Consultant) 15 (Prior) 15 (Revised)
Skate Park 20 (Consultant) 15 (Prior) 8 (Revised)
Off-leash dog park 20 (Consultant) 0 (Prior) 0 (Revised)
Picnic shelters 10 (Consultant) 9 (Prior) 4 (Revised)
Passive uses (walking etc.) 5 (Consultant) 0 (Prior) 0 (Revised)
Ball field / flexible field space 40*(Consultant) 40 (Prior) 35 (Revised)
*Minimum of 40 (assuming 10 per team, doubled for arriving teams during tournaments)
New parking will not be added in the next phase of development but will be implemented incrementally as high-use facilities are built and demand for parking increases. Should parking demand increase, parking will be developed closest to the high demand amenities at the northwest side of the park in a quantity sufficient to meet the demand. Full buildout of the parking lot may or may not occur within the 20-year planning window of the park master plan update.
In responding to the direction provided by City Council on May 24, 2021, staff and the project design consultant, GreenWorks, increased the size of the dog park by removing a proposed path and expanding the dog park north to attain a full acre for the large dog park. The dog park was expanded from one acre to one and one-quarter acre, with separate areas for large and small dogs. This expansion resulted in the removal of a paved park path in order to maintain a vegetated buffer between the dog park and the stormwater facilities. No new parking is proposed for the dog park. Parking for the dog park will be provided by the existing parking lot.
The revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan focuses on development in the undeveloped areas of the park. The revised update (Attachment 1) includes the following facilities and features for the park:
• Additional baseball/softball field with a soccer field in the outfield
• Open field providing flexible space for a variety of activities
• Enhancements to the existing bike park and new single-track bike trail located near the existing bike park
• Soft and paved paths
• 70-stall parking lot, with 4 accessible stalls meeting ADA design standards
• 10,000-square-foot playground and 1,800-square-foot splash pad, proposed to be inclusive for children of all ages
• 20,000-square-foot skate park
• One-and-one-quarter-acre dog park, with separate areas for large and small dogs
• Two additional restrooms
• Four picnic shelters
• Potential public art and/or interpretive signage location
A planning-level cost estimate was prepared as part of the master planning process. Costs are in 2021 dollars, include a 30 percent contingency, and do not include maintenance costs. The cost for implementing the revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan is estimated at $14,450,617. Implementation of the master plan will occur over time and is dependent on available funding.
The Salem Parks and Recreation Board assigned two board members as liaisons to the master plan update effort and SPRAB was updated throughout the planning process. SPRAB unanimously endorsed the initial update to the park master at its May 11, 2021, meetings. At its July 8, 2021, meeting, SPRAB reviewed the revised master plan update and unanimously passed the following motion (Attachment 2):
We stand by the previous recommendation for the original Geer Park Master Plan approved by SPRAB on March 11, 2021, but if Council chooses to pursue the revised plan, we encourage they do so with: 1) enhancement of public transportation options that are implemented simultaneously with development of the park; and 2) maximizing tree canopy in the park for the offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions.
The process to update the master plan involved significant public engagement and included three virtual open houses, two online surveys, four neighborhood association and community group presentations, two Historic Preservation “roundtable” meetings with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and interviews with 17 stakeholders. Web analytics shows over 800 visits to each open house. Over 300 people responded to each online survey. Presentations were given to the North East Salem Community Association (NESCA) and ENLACE Cross-cultural Friday and Community Connection Nights.
During the public process, most participants indicated a strong preference for incorporating flexible open space, more trails, and enhancing the bike park. There was a lack of excitement for additional dedicated sports fields (i.e., exclusive use by a single sport). Many respondents expressed a desire for a skate park, a playground, a dog park, flexible sports fields, restrooms, walking trails, and picnic shelters.
Council was provided an update to the park master plan for approval on May 24, 2021 (Attachment 3). Prior to the Council meeting, public comments were received requesting a reduction in parking. The requests for a decrease in parking facilities were related to desires to lessen dependency on the automobile and meet the City’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal. Council returned the issue to staff with direction to reduce the quantity of proposed parking and increase the size of the proposed off-leash dog park.
Master Planning Process
Public engagement is a critical component in all park master planning. Coinciding with the first step of the planning process, Open House One provided an overview of the existing conditions of the park and presented three initial park layouts. Participants were asked to respond to Survey One to share their recreational desires and feedback on the layout concepts. The information received during Open House One was analyzed, which resulted in three park design options.
The three park designs presented a range of approaches on how the park space could be used. The options included a plan focused on added sports fields, a plan focused on flexible open space, and a blended version of the two that included one additional multi-use sports field area with flexible open space. All three options included opportunities for organized recreation, places for children to play, a skate park, enhancements to the bike park, an off-leash dog park, expanded trail systems, as well as parking, picnic shelters, and restrooms. Some elements, such as a splash pad, fitness and bike challenge stations, and a community garden were not included in all three options. The three design options were presented at Open House Two along with a Survey Two to garner feedback. Participants were asked to indicate their preferred option and provide input on what was desirable about each plan.
Based on the feedback from Survey Two, most participants preferred some level of flexible open space while improving bike amenities and enhancing the bike park. There was also a clear preference for trails, a splash pad, a skate park, and a dog park. Open House Three presented a preferred design option based on the combination of desired park features and programmed uses as indicated by public participants.
Public comments from Open House Three led to minor adjustments to the design of the preferred option. Specifically, there were concerns about the proximity of the playground and skatepark. The design was modified by adjusting the playground footprint and adding an adequate separation between the uses.
As part of a public outreach process for the project, the City website was updated throughout the process and people were provided the opportunity to sign up for email updates and notification. The public was notified about open houses and input opportunities through a variety of means including the email list, radio, the City’s website and social media accounts, signs posted in Geer Park, and the “Salem Connection” email newsletter.
The revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan, including all public outreach materials and public comments, can be found on the City’s website. Link to the revised update to the Geer Park Master Plan:
<<https://www.cityofsalem.net/citydocuments/GPMP-Revised-Report-with-Appendices.pdf>
Public Engagement Process - Neighborhood Associations
Geer Park is in the North East Salem Community Association (NESCA) neighborhood. Staff met four times with NESCA throughout the planning process. On December 15, 2020, staff presented the preferred design option to NESCA and requested a written recommendation or comments to forward to SPRAB and City Council. A subsequent staff presentation of the proposed update to the park master plan was provided at the NESCA meeting held on March 18, 2021. No recommendations or comments have been received by staff as of the writing of this report.
BACKGROUND:
Individual park master plans are intended to guide park development and management for 20 years.
Geer Park, originally named State Lands Community Park, is located on multiple parcels of land. The State of Oregon owns much of the park property and has a long-term lease with the City for use as a park. The rest of Geer Park is located on property owned by the City.
The Geer Park Master Plan was originally developed in 2003. Development of the park was divided into two phases as shown in Attachment 4. Phase One was completed in 2005 and included two soccer and two baseball fields, three two-unit restrooms, and two parking lots (approximately 220 parking spaces). Phase Two would have added a driveway, more parking, a picnic shelter, a playground, two softball fields, a soccer field, a multiuse sports court, and a roller hockey facility. However, because of funding limitations, Phase Two was never implemented.
In July 2016, the Geer Park Master Plan was amended by City Council to incorporate bicycle pump tracks and associated bike park features within the undeveloped Phase Two area. The location of the bike park is generally where the playground and picnic shelter would have been located had Phase Two been completed (Attachment 5). Beginning in 2016, the Salem Area Trail Alliance worked with the City of Salem to develop three pump tracks, each designed for different ages and abilities. The bike park also includes a bicycle trail. Since the original park master plan in 2003, recreational interests have shifted. In order to understand public desires and preferences for the park, the City began the process of updating the Geer Park Master Plan in 2019. This was the first step toward developing the remaining areas of the park.
Public Engagement Process - Virtual Open Houses and Online Surveys
Three “micro” websites were used as virtual open houses to share project information with the public and to solicit their feedback and questions. Each open house was held open for approximately two weeks. Dates and usage information are provided as follows.
• Open House One: June 8 to June 21, 2020, with 1,088 visits
• Open House Two: September 19 to October 3, 2020, with 833 visits
• Open House Three: December 11 to December 24, 2020, with 935 visits
Archives of the materials presented at the open houses are available at the following web links.
• Open House One: <<https://geer-voh1-salem.hub.arcgis.com/>>
• Open House Two: <<https://geer-voh2-salem.hub.arcgis.com/>>
• Open House Three: <https://geer-salem.hub.arcgis.com <https://geer-voh2-salem.hub.arcgis.com/>>
Robert D. Chandler, PhD, PE
Assistant Public Works Director
Attachments:
1. Site Plan for the Revised Update to Geer Park Master Plan
2. Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Action Sheet, July 2021
3. Staff Report, Version 1, May 24, 2021
4. Geer Park Phase Plan, October 2003
5. Geer Park Master Plan, July 2016