Parks Comm MINS 04-01-2004 CITY OF FEDERAL WAY
PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL SERVICES
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Thursday, April 1, 2004 Mt. Baker Conference Room
6:00 p.m. City Hall
MINUTES
Chair Purdom called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Present: C. T. Purdom, Chair, Ade Bright, Don Dennis, Cindy Dodge, Joe Henry and George Pfeiffer.
Excused: Bill Foulkes, Vice Chair. Staff: Jennifer Schroder, PRCS Director, Kurt Reuter, Parks Operations
Superintendent and Peg Wright, Parks Operations Administrative Assistant.
Pfeiffer moved; Dennis seconded motion to approve the March meeting minutes as written. Motion passed
unanimously.
PUBLIC FORUM
Barbara Reid – Ms. Reid wanted to express her concern about the graffiti at the Skate Park in Steel Lake Park.
She requested emphasis patrols by Public Safety to catch the perpetrators and asked staff to investigate other
methods of restricting the site once it is closed in the evenings. She said it is a community disgrace with the
ongoing graffiti in the Skate Park.
COMMISSION BUSINESS
Review Meeting Calendar – The Impact Fee Workshop is scheduled for 6:00p.m., May 25, 2004, at Dumas
Bay Center. A consultant will be in attendance to present information and answer questions. Schroder will
extend invitations to the Council Committee, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
A public meeting for French Lake Park is targeted for June and a date will be discussed and set during the May
commission meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to get input from the public on whether to develop the site,
and if so, what components they would like to see added to the park. A meeting on the Kenwood Pit property
will also be discussed at the May commission meeting and a date set for a June public meeting.
April 19, 2004 is scheduled for the Lakota/Sacajawea Master Plan meeting. Schroder will e-mail the
commission on the location once it has been finalized.
A budget presentation will be made by the Management Services department at the May Parks and Recreation
Commission meeting.
Regarding the Motorized Scooter Ban, Reuter reported that the Legal Department had requested more time to
review this issue and it will be on the May agenda.
Chair Purdom inquired about the number of applicants for the commission prior to discussing the parks tour. It
was decided that the parks tour would be scheduled after the new commissioners have been appointed and are in
attendance.
Acquisition Criteria – Schroder said that in the past few years several residents have approached staff with a
proposal to sell their property to the City. She said that in the past, three documents have been utilized to
evaluate and prioritize the properties. They are: 1 - Evaluation Criteria for Proposed Acquisition, 2 - Criteria
listed in the Comprehensive Plan, and 3 - Park Planning Area maps. Schroder said in using these documents it
provides needed information on the property such as urgent need or conforms to legal, contractual or government
mandates, health and safety issues, fiscal values, geographic distribution, etc. Commissioners and staff
discussed the proposed budget shortfall and how that would impact development and maintenance of additional
park areas. The budget presentation at the May commission meeting will address questions on further
development and property acquisitions.
Parks and Recreation Commission, April 1, 2004 Page 2
STAFF REPORTS
Olympic View Playground Update – Reuter reported that the play structure is complete at Olympic View Park.
The youth group and their advisors from The Light Way Christian Church assisted in the installation on Friday
and Saturday. Residents from the neighborhood were on site Saturday assisting in the installation as well.
Reuter said they were very pleased with the on-site supervisor provided by Northwest Playgrounds during the
installation phase. There were over two hundred bags of concrete that went in to the structure to anchor it. The
contractor constructing the retaining wall was on-site last week to finish the walls and will begin work on the
ramps next week. Staff has been on-site cleaning up and preparing to seed areas worn down during installation.
Reuter said the structure has been well received and already heavily used. Schroder noted that the climbing wall
is the first in any City parks and has been a popular addition.
Grosch Field Signage – Reuter reported that staff has the new sign and will be installing it at Grosch Field as
time allows. Schroder said the current sign was only temporary. Discussion followed on the placement of the
sign and landscaping. Pfeiffer asked about installing additional signs on the new field concerning “seeds,
beverages, etc.” and Reuter stated those signs are on order. He feels temporary fencing will also be installed to
allow reseeding where users cut the corner and go up and over the berm to access the field. Reuter said mud is
being tracked on to the paths and field.
Skate Park Graffiti/Paint Update – Reuter reported that the Skate Park has experienced two major bouts of
graffiti from two rival gangs per information provided by the Public Safety Department. Not only was the Skate
Park vandalized but the entire west side of the Steel Lake Annex restroom building was painted as well.
Sherwin Williams Paint Company is working with staff and researching products to remedy this issue. Reuter
said to date, approximately $4,000 has been spent to remove graffiti from the Skate Park in staff time and
materials. The surface can only be pressure washed so many times before it begins to deteriorate. Painting over
the graffiti can only be done on the non-skating surfaces because it makes the surface slick and unsafe for
skaters. Barbara Reid stressed emphasis patrols by Police would deter vandals. She also suggested applying for
CDBG funds to finance ongoing cleanup before it becomes a blighted area. Reuter said that short of a stakeout
and actually catching the perpatrators in the act, may be the only way to eliminate the problem. Fencing has not
helped because they climb over the fence and are beginning to damage it. If lights are installed, skaters will
scale the fence to use it after hours. Reuter and Parks Maintenance Supervisor Stan Osborn are continuing to
work with a paint contractor to explore other options to discourage additional graffiti.
Woodward Property/Olympic View Encroachment – Reuter said he has been working with the Law Department
and they have done an exhaustive search on this property. He stated that the Law Department, Federal Way
Code Compliance officers, Community Development Services staff and King County staff have been searching
for over two months and there is nothing on file that legally grants the use of this property. The consensus is that
there are no legal grounds for this house to occupy park property. Reuter visited the site with a Code Compliance
officer and they reviewed the property line markers from the recent survey. Schroder said that the improvements
made to this residence have encumbered the park visibility and made it a security issue. There were no permits
acquired so there are no dates when the improvements were done to the home. One survey marker is in the
middle of the driveway and the carport and fence are on City property. Staff suggested that the commission
make a recommendation to have the homeowners vacate City property. Reuter stated that Martin Nordby, Code
Compliance Officer, is aware of the issue and has been in contact with Mr. Woodward. Nordby has given
Woodward until the end of April to respond to the encroachment issue. If there is no voluntary action taken,
code compliance action will begin on the property with the endorsement of the Parks Department. With the
recording of the latest survey, there is no longer a clear title to the property so it cannot be sold. A full disclosure
would need to be done for a property sale and the owner is now aware of the encroachment issue and would have
to disclose this information to a prospective buyer.
BPA Trail Resurfacing Update – Reuter and Ken Miller, Public Works Deputy Director, met with contractors on
site concerning the resurfacing of the BPA Trail Phase I. Reuter asked if they could wait until after July 4th so
there would not be trucks accessing the area at that time. The contractor said the work could be started now to
avoid that issue. Schroder stated that the wheelchair turnouts do not need to be resurfaced on Phase I as long as
the trail is the same width as Phase II and Phase III. A complete resurfacing from 324th Street to First Avenue
will be done on Phase I of the BPA Trail.
Chair Purdom is unable to attend the April 12th PRHSPS Council Committee meeting. Pfeiffer will attend in his
absence.
Parks and Recreation Commission, April 1, 2004 Page 3
NEW BUSINESS
Pfeiffer asked if the City was participating in the Interlocal Agreement on the geese issue because the geese
population is better at Celebration Park but worsening at Steel Lake Park again. Reuter said the City would be
signing the contract again this year because of the success to date. The agreement is the Waterfowl Management
Program with the USDA, Wildlife Services Division.
Pfeiffer asked for an update on the road from 333rd Street going through to Celebration Park. Schroder said the
road will be part of the Community Center project and construction will not start until then.
Henry reminded commissioners of the Federal Way Symphony performance and extended an invitation to their
program on Sunday.
NEXT MEETING/AGENDA ITEMS
Review Meeting Calendar Scooter Ban
Skate Park Graffiti Community Center Update
Woodward Property/Code Compliance Budget Presentation
Naming of Armstrong/Thompson Properties Parks Tours
Impact Fee Workshop
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Purdom adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m.