The council’s initial approval came at its Nov. 7, 2013 meeting. Ordinance changes require an initial approval, followed by a second approval at a subsequent meeting.

The recommendation for the ordinance change came from the city’s park advisory commission at its Sept. 17, 2013 meeting. This broader policy change comes three months after the Ann Arbor city council waived all rental fees for the use of Liberty Plaza during a one-year trial period, based on a PAC recommendation. That city council action came at its July 15, 2013 meeting.

The Liberty Plaza fee waiver was approved in response to a situation that arose earlier in the spring, when the city staff considered applying fees to the hosting of Pizza in the Park at Liberty Plaza – a homelessness outreach ministry of a local church.

The proposal recommended by PAC on Sept. 17, and given initial approval on Nov. 7, would amend Chapter 39, Section 3:6 of the city code. [.pdf of revised ordinance language]

It would be a permanent fee waiver for this specific purpose – the charitable distribution of goods for basic human needs – but it would still require that organizations get a permit to use the park, and follow permitting procedures, including clean up obligations.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow.

Ingrid Ault, who was elected chair of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission on Sept. 17, shakes hands with Alonzo Young of Camp Take Notice. (Photos by the writer.)

The waiver, which would require approval by the city council before taking effect, follows action by the council this summer to waive all park rental fees for the use of Liberty Plaza during a one-year trial period, also based on a PAC recommendation. The goal of that waiver is to spur more activity in that urban park, at the southwest corner of Liberty and Divisions streets.

The issue of fee waivers arose earlier this year when city staff considered charging a rental fee to the church that hosted Pizza in the Park, a weekly homelessness outreach ministry. Members of Camp Take Notice, a group that advocates for the homeless, has been urging the city to apply a broad fee waiver throughout the entire park system for entities that provide humanitarian aid. The recommendation approved on Sept. 17 is a compromise worked out with city staff and Camp Take Notice representatives.

Discussion among commissioners focused on how the waiver would be handled. Parks & recreation manager Colin Smith stressed that all park rules would still apply, and that applicants would need to go through the standard permitting process in order to receive a waiver.

During their Sept. 17 meeting, commissioners also discussed the issue of releasing raw data to the public, in the context of two recent surveys – on dog parks and downtown parks. Tim Berla and others advocated for making the survey results available in a form that could be used by the public for analysis. [The data from both of those surveys had been available in a .pdf format, and can now be downloaded from the city's website as Excel files.] Other commissioners pushed for the city to develop a policy regarding the release of data – a standardized approach that would be approved by the city council.

The Sept. 17 meeting also included PAC’s annual election of officers. Commissioners unanimously selected Ingrid Ault as chair and Graydon Krapohl as vice chair. Bob Galardi was re-elected chair of PAC’s budget and finance committee. There were no other nominations. Current PAC chair Julie Grand is term limited and will be cycling off the commission in October.

Park Fee Waiver for Charities

On PAC’s Sept. 17 agenda was a recommendation to waive fees for any charity that distributes “goods for basic human needs” in Ann Arbor parks. It was brought forward by Christopher Taylor, a city councilmember and ex-officio member of PAC.

Christopher Taylor, a Ward 3 Ann Arbor city councilmember who serves as an ex-officio member of the park advisory commission.

The recommendation comes two months after the Ann Arbor city council waived all rental fees for the use of Liberty Plaza during a one-year trial period, based on a PAC recommendation. That city council action came at its July 15, 2013 meeting. That fee waiver was approved in response to a situation that arose earlier in the spring, when city staff considered applying fees to the hosting of Pizza in the Park in Liberty Plaza – a homelessness outreach ministry of a local church. Liberty Plaza is an urban park located at the southwest corner of Liberty and Divisions streets in downtown Ann Arbor.

The Liberty Plaza fee waiver applies to all activities – social, cultural, and recreational – with the goal of increasing the use of that urban park.

However, members of Camp Take Notice, a self-governed homelessness community, have lobbied for a written commitment that the city would allow humanitarian efforts to take place on public land generally, not just at Liberty Plaza. They’ve objected to the focus by the council and the park advisory commission on general activities – as opposed to the protection of humanitarian aid efforts.

The proposal considered by PAC on Sept. 17 would amend Chapter 39, Section 3:6 of the city code. [.pdf of revised ordinance language] It would be a permanent fee waiver for this specific purpose – the charitable distribution of goods for basic human needs – but it would still require that organizations get a permit to use the park, and follow permitting procedures, including clean up obligations.

Several supporters of Camp Take Notice attended the Sept. 17 meeting, but did not address the commission before the vote.

In introducing the resolution, Taylor recalled the history of the Liberty Plaza fee waiver, and of the Camp Take Notice advocacy for a broader waiver. He noted that the waiver doesn’t alter the authorized uses of the parks, or alter the permitting process. The wording “charitable distribution of goods for basic human needs” was arrived at in consultation with city parks staff, the city attorney’s office, and Camp Take Notice representatives, he said.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, noted that because it would amend an existing ordinance, the resolution would require initial approval at a first reading at city council, followed by a public hearing and final reading at a subsequent council meeting.

Taylor indicated that he would bring this resolution to the city council at its Oct. 21 meeting for a first reading, followed by a public hearing and final reading at a subsequent meeting.

Park Fee Waiver for Charities: Commission Discussion

Tim Berla noted that someone will have to decide whether a particular application for this waiver is acceptable or not. “It seems like a good definition,” he said, “but this is Ann Arbor, so it seems like also somebody will come up with something that is borderline.” There might be waivers requested for things that aren’t universally recognized as a community benefit, he said.

At the request of a resident, the city hired Matthew Butler to provide sign language interpretation during PAC’s Sept. 17 meeting.

Parks and recreation manager Colin Smith replied that he was comfortable with the proposed language. There’s room for interpretation on a lot of things handled by the parks staff, Smith noted. For example, activities are supposed to relate to the parks mission, which is open to interpretation. As with other things, the waiver will be looked at on a case-by-case basis, Smith said, adding that by going through the regular permitting process, there are opportunities for checks and balances.

Bob Galardi wondered if there is an appeals process, if the city rejects an application for a waiver. It varies, Smith replied. In this case, it would likely be appealed to the city administrator.

Alan Jackson described the phrase “basic human needs” as a “very fuzzy term.” Food and water comes to mind, he said, but does it extend to shelter or medical care? Is the park an appropriate place for that kind of thing? How broad does this waiver become, and what are the limitations? he asked.

Taylor replied that the word “goods” was specific, and therefore medical services wouldn’t apply. Jackson countered that pharmaceuticals are “goods.” Taylor felt that it would be outside the scope of the waiver.

Regarding shelter, Smith noted that all park rules outlined in Chapter 39 still apply, so no one would be allowed to stay in a park overnight. [.pdf of Chapter 39]

Julie Grand said she felt comfortable with the narrowing of the language, compared to the initial idea of allowing a waiver for humanitarian aid. She noted that the parks staff felt that this approach was “doable.”

Outcome: The fee waiver passed unanimously on a voice vote.

Park Fee Waiver for Charities: Public Commentary

At the end of the meeting during the agenda slot for public commentary, Alonzo Young told commissioners he was on the board of Camp Take Notice and he wanted to thank them for passing the resolution about the fee waiver.

PAC chair Julie Grand told him he’d given the most positive public commentary she’d ever heard, and she thanked him for his remarks.

Land Acquisition Annual Report

Ginny Trocchio is a staff member of The Conservation Fund who provides support to the greenbelt program under contract with the city. On Sept. 17 she briefed commissioners on the annual activity report for the city’s open space and parkland preservation program for the fiscal year 2013, which ended on June 30. [.pdf of draft fiscal 2013 activity report]

Ginny Trocchio, who provides staff support for PAC’s land acquisition activities as well as for the city’s greenbelt program, presented an annual report at the Sept. 17 meeting. In the background is sign language interpreter Matthew Butler.

The greenbelt program and park acquisitions are funded through a 30-year 0.5 mill tax that Ann Arbor voters passed in 2003. It’s called the open space and parkland preservation millage, and appears on the summer tax bill as the line item CITY PARK ACQ.

The city’s policy has been to allocate one-third of the millage for parks land acquisition and two-thirds for the greenbelt program. The greenbelt advisory commission (GAC) handles the portion for land preservation outside of the city limits, while the city’s park advisory commission (PAC) oversees the funds for parkland acquisition. PAC’s land acquisition committee, of which all PAC commissioners are members, makes recommendations for parkland purchases.

To get money upfront for land acquisition, the city took out a $20 million bond in fiscal year 2006. That bond is being paid back with revenue from the millage. Debt service on that bond in FY 2013 year totaled $1.227 million. [Two debt service payments are made during the fiscal year.]

Regarding parkland acquisitions, Trocchio reported that the city bought two properties in fiscal 2013, and accepted a donation from Ann Arbor Township – the Braun Nature Area, which is adjacent to the city’s Huron Parkway Nature Area. The purchases were:

• 0.91 acres along Hampstead Lane, adding to the Kuebler Langford Nature Area – at a total cost of $118,944.
• 0.35 acres along Orkney, to add to the Bluffs Nature Area – at a total cost of $120,774.

For the greenbelt program, five transactions were completed in the last fiscal year, covering 448 acres of farmland. [More details on those acquisitions, see Chronicle coverage: "Greenbelt Commission Gets Financial Update."]

Commissioners were also briefed on a financial report for fiscal 2013, related to the open space and parkland preservation millage. [.pdf of financial statements]

For the year ending June 30, 2013, Trocchio reported that net revenues from the millage were $2.626 million. Most of that – $2.141 million of it – came from millage proceeds. The other main revenue source was investment income of $111,137 in FY 2013. That  compared to $176,082 in investment income the previous year.

Karen Levin, an Ann Arbor park advisory commissioner.

Expenses for the year were $3.357 million. In addition to $1.227 for debt service, expenses included $1.757 million in greenbelt projects and $242,867 for parkland acquisition.

As of June 30, 2013, the fund balance stood at $8.856 million, with about equal amounts designated for the greenbelt ($4.413 million) and park acquisitions ($4.442 million). The greenbelt program also received $396,900 in reimbursements from the USDA Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP), and $5,330 in contributions – primarily a $5,000 gift from Cherry Republic.

Administrative costs of $129,966 in fiscal 2013 equate to 3.9% of total revenues. Administrative costs over the life of the millage are limited by ordinance to be no greater than 6% of revenues.

Trocchio also noted that she hopes to hold a joint session of the greenbelt and park advisory commissions sometime later this year.

There was minimal discussion among commissioners. Julie Grand noted that the city has accomplished a lot of its initial goals for land acquisition, but there are still funds available for that purpose. There’s nothing to prevent PAC from looking at its priorities and potentially approaching landowners who might be interested in selling, she said.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Survey Data

Tim Berla introduced a topic regarding the accessibility of raw data from surveys that the city conducts. Specifically, he noted that subcommittees for PAC had recently done two surveys – for dog parks, and downtown parks. In addition to producing .pdf files with the results, it would also be helpful to have the raw data available for anyone in the community who wants it, Berla said. For example, someone might want to compare the difference in attitudes toward dog parks by comparing responses of dog owners and non-dog owners.

He had advocated for releasing the data, and referenced some email exchanges with others who had raised objections that he said he didn’t completely understand. So his question was whether the city would release the survey data in raw data form.

From left: Park advisory commissioners Tim Berla and Alan Jackson.

Colin Smith, parks & recreation manager, replied that he had sent an email to all PAC members in response to Berla’s query. The city’s IT staff had indicated that it would be possible to release the data, likely in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. There’s no way to lock the file to prevent someone from modifying it, Smith noted, so that’s an issue that PAC should discuss.

There are several ways to handle the survey data, Smith said. Because the recent surveys used SurveyMonkey, it’s possible to run multiple reports and cross-tabulations, he said – for example, to look at responses for downtown residents between the ages of 25-44. Smith suggested that anyone who wanted a particular type of report could email a request to staff, who could then run the report and publish it on the PAC website.

Berla thought that for the sake of transparency, there should be a way to release the data. He didn’t dispute that people might use the data in a manipulative way. “There’s no way you can give somebody a spreadsheet and prevent them from doing something nefarious,” Berla said. “The good thing is that everybody would have the data,” he added, so anybody could verify the information.

The data is a public resource, Berla said. The point is to learn about how the community feels on these two issues. The advantage to releasing the data would be that it wouldn’t entail more work for staff, he noted. Berla said his main goal is for people to have access to the information.

Graydon Krapohl asked what the city’s policy is on releasing data. He noted that the data collected by PAC’s subcommittees belongs to the city. That’s the bigger issue, he said, and it would apply to all city surveys.

Smith said he didn’t have the answers to some of these questions. More tools have been available in recent years for getting feedback, including social media, and sometimes the policy doesn’t keep up, he noted. That’s something that city staff need to put more work into, he said. Smith pointed out that certain kinds of information – like emails and phone numbers from survey respondents – aren’t released.

Missy Stults observed that the .pdf file posted on PAC’s website includes all the information from the surveys – not just a summary. She also wondered whether the city parks staff had capacity to handle a lot of requests for survey reports.

Stults also suggested that PAC could encourage the city to come up with a policy on the issue of releasing survey data. A lot of people want the data and think that the city is holding it back, she noted, so it would be great if there were a standard policy to explain how the city operates in this regard.

Alan Jackson said he didn’t really understand the reluctance to release data. Without the raw data, it’s not possible to do relational searches. There might be things that could be learned – nuances about the data – that members of the public could discover, he said. Doing the surveys has been a learning experience for PAC, he added. One of the key lessons is to understand what will be released at the end. Jackson didn’t see any reason to hold back the data available from the surveys.

Mike Anglin, a Ward 5 city councilmember who serves as an ex-officio member of PAC, said that what the public pays for is public property. He suspected that the city would have a hard time telling people that they couldn’t have access to the data. Some local groups “are pretty sophisticated with data,” he said.

From left: Park advisory commissioners Graydon Krapohl and Bob Galardi.

Anglin noted that the city ran into a similar situation with a survey regarding a convention center, saying that the survey’s open-ended responses weren’t included in a final report. “If you’re going to ask the public, then you should report back to the public on what you found,” Anglin said.

Krapohl again urged the staff to develop a coherent city policy. It will only become more complicated as more people start using social media, he noted. If each commission decides how to handle it, then there will be a lot of inconsistencies, he said. The IT staff needs good guidance, and that has to come from a policy that should be reviewed by the city attorney and approved by the city council, he said.

Stults supported releasing data, but agreed with Krapohl that a clear, standard policy is needed. Another challenge is that some people want the surveys to be statistically significant, she noted. That’s something that the staff and PAC don’t have the resources to do, so they need to be very clear about that.

Julie Grand noted that because this is a very educated community, people should also understand the cost that would be involved in conducting a survey that’s statistically significant. The city tries to reach as many people as possible in its surveys, but it’s not possible to be representative of the entire city. The results are representative of the people who are willing to take the time to complete the survey, she said. It’s not realistic that the city would pay tens of thousands of dollars to do a survey that’s more sophisticated. The surveys that are done are one way to get feedback – but not the only way, Grand said.

Jackson agreed that a survey is only part of the process. “Ultimately, our role is to provide judgment to council, who will make decisions,” he said. Certainly it’s important to solicit public opinion, he added, and that’s why PAC did these surveys. “But we don’t have to be a slave to some bizarre criteria that people come up with,” he said.

Smith again stressed that all of the comments received from the dog park survey and the downtown park survey had been posted online [in .pdf form] – “hundreds and hundreds of pages of them.” He said he’d follow up with other city staff regarding the next steps to develop a policy on this issue.

The data for both surveys is now available in .pdf and .xls formats. [.pdf of 306-page dog park survey results] [.xls file of dog park survey results] [.pdf of 110-page downtown park survey results] [.xls file of downtown park survey results]

Officer Elections

The Sept. 17 agenda included PAC’s annual election of officers. The current chair, Julie Grand, is term limited. Her last meeting will be on Oct. 15. Ingrid Ault has served as vice chair for PAC since Oct. 16, 2012, and chairs the commission’s downtown park subcommittee.

Julie Grand, outgoing chair of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission, holds up a blank ballot prior to the Sept. 17 officer elections.

Ault was the only nominee for chair. PAC’s bylaws require that officer elections be conducted by secret ballot, even if there are no competing nominations. The ballots were passed to Colin Smith, the city’s manager of parks and recreation, for tabulation. Ault was unanimously elected, and will lead her first meeting as PAC chair on Oct. 15.

Graydon Krapohl, who joined PAC in January of 2013, was the only nominee for vice chair. He was also elected unanimously. In announcing the results, Smith joked that the spelling of Krapohl’s name showed some variations.

PAC’s chair is responsible for nominating the chair of the commission’s budget and finance committee. Grand nominated the current committee chair, Bob Galardi. This did not require a secret ballot, and his re-election took place with a unanimous voice vote.

Communications & Commentary

There were several opportunities for communications from staff or commissioners during the Aug. 20 meeting. Here are some highlights.

Communications & Commentary: Manager’s Report

Colin Smith, the city’s manager of parks and recreation, gave several brief updates. He noted that the skatepark construction is well underway at the northwest corner of Veterans Memorial Park. The concrete will be poured soon, he reported. Wally Hollyday, the skatepark designer, is basically living in town for the next few weeks to oversee the project, Smith said.

Roof construction at the Mack pool and Vets ice arena is wrapping up – a project that’s perhaps less exciting than the skatepark, he noted, but very necessary.

The Vets ice arena recently opened, and indoor ice skating has started. In other construction projects, the playground at Esch Park is completed, and phase two of the Gallup renovations has begun. The hope is that the Gallup work will be finished in November.

Smith also highlighted the city’s season-ending dog swim at Buhr Park pool. In 2012, 163 dogs “took their humans to that event,” he joked. This year, there were 419 dogs. He attributed the increase to outreach that staff had done to elevate the event’s profile.

Communications & Commentary: Recreation Advisory Commission

Tim Berla gave a report from the recreation advisory commission (RAC), on which he serves. The group advises Ann Arbor Rec & Ed, a unit of the Ann Arbor Public Schools. He said they’re working on a coach recognition program, to develop a Rec & Ed coaching hall of fame.

He also reported that AAPS trustee Glenn Nelson attended the RAC meeting to talk about the sinking fund millage renewal that’s on the Nov. 5, 2013 ballot. Berla described it as not a tax increase, but a continuation of funding to put money into the local schools, to pay for infrastructure needs. He hoped everyone would support it.

By way of additional background, the sinking fund millage was first passed in 2008, expiring in 2014. The ballot on Nov. 5 will include this statement:

Shall the Public Schools of the City of Ann Arbor, County of Washtenaw, Michigan, be authorized to levy 1.00 mill ($1.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) to create a sinking fund for the purpose of the construction or repair of school buildings and the improvement and development of sites and, to the extent permitted by law, for other purposes, including, but not limited to, the acquisition and installation of furnishings and equipment, by increasing the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed on taxable property in the School District for a period of five (5) years, being the years 2015 to 2019, inclusive? It is estimated that 1.00 mill ($1.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) would raise approximately $7,450,000 in the first year that it is levied.

Communications & Commentary: Dog Park

Karen Levin gave a brief update on work of the dog park subcommittee. Survey results are posted online, with about 1,500 responses. [.pdf of 306-page survey results] [.xls file of survey results] Two public meetings are being held – on Sept. 11 and Sept. 24. The subcommittee is still gathering information, Levin said, both on possible locations for a more centralized dog park, as well as how to improve the city’s two existing dog parks.

Communications & Commentary: Downtown Park

Ingrid Ault, chair of the downtown park subcommittee, reviewed that group’s work. Like the dog park, there has been a survey that yielded nearly 1,600 responses. [.pdf of 110-page survey results] [.xls file of survey results] Two public forums – on Sept. 9 and Sept. 18 – were also held. Eight city parcels have been identified as having potential for additional public space, she said. Those parcels, which were part of the survey, are:

• the surface parking lot on South Ashley, north of William, known as the Kline lot
• the surface parking lot at the northeast corner of Main and William, next to Palio restaurant
• the ground floor of the Fourth & William parking structure
• the surface lot north of William, between Fourth and Fifth avenues – the former YMCA site
• the top of the Library Lane underground parking structure on South Fifth Avenue
• the surface parking lot at First & William
• 415 W. Washington, across from the current Y
• 721 N. Main, near Summit

The subcommittee is addressing three questions, Ault said: (1) Is there a need or desire for additional public space in the downtown or near downtown? (2) If yes, then what space would people like to see as an additional public space, and how would they like to use it? and (3) How does the city fund it?

Ault hopes to report back to PAC at its Oct. 15 meeting with recommendations. The goal is to forward recommendations to city council for its first meeting in November, she said.

In response to a query from Tim Berla, PAC chair Julie Grand said she expects the two committees will bring forward recommendations in the form of resolutions for commissioners to consider and vote on.

Present: Ingrid Ault, Tim Berla, Bob Galardi, Julie Grand, Alan Jackson, Graydon Krapohl, Karen Levin, Missy Stults, and councilmembers Mike Anglin and Christopher Taylor (ex-officio members). Also Colin Smith, city parks and recreation manager.

Next PAC meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 at 4 p.m. in the city hall second-floor council chambers, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. PAC’s land acquisition committee meets on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. [Check Chronicle event listing to confirm date]

The Chronicle survives in part through regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor park advisory commission. If you’re already helping The Chronicle with some financial green, please encourage your friends, neighbors and coworkers to do the same. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

Liberty Plaza, a downtown city park, as viewed from the corner of Liberty and Division facing southwest. The white house in the left background is the Kempf House Museum. The red brick building visible in the back right is the Ann Arbor District Library.

Their consensus: That the potential development scenarios presented by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority – focused on five city-owned properties along William Street – did not include sufficient parkland or green space.

Commissioners plan to craft a resolution for their Oct. 16 meeting, recommending that the DDA incorporate more green space into its final proposal to the city council. The council had directed the DDA to develop a coordinated planning approach for the five sites, to guide future development. The parcels include the lower level of the Fourth & William parking structure, plus four surface parking lots: (1) the Kline’s lot on Ashley; (2) the lot next to Palio restaurant at Main & William; (3) the old YMCA lot between Fourth and Fifth; and (5) the top of the Library Lane underground parking garage on South Fifth, north of the downtown library.

PAC’s resolution will also likely suggest specific attributes they’d like to see in a downtown park, such as grassy areas, interactive sculptures, or a performance space. Other attributes might include a visible location with mixed-use development around it, and programming or activities to attract people to the site.

Despite consensus that more green space is needed, commissioners were less unified about where that green space should be located, and expressed some frustration that they didn’t have more time for this task. One possibility discussed was a downtown greenway, making connections between different parcels where pedestrians could walk from Main Street to the library on South Fifth, and possibly continuing to State Street.

Other ideas included setting aside one of the five sites – either Main and William, or Fifth and William were suggested – as a park. Commissioners also discussed a possible park or plaza on the Library Lane site. There was some sentiment that having an outdoor space next to the library would be positive, though they acknowledged the concerns raised by library officials about putting a park there.

Liberty Plaza, one of the city’s current downtown parks, was part of the mix, although it’s not included in the Connecting William Street project. Commissioners have been asked by mayor John Hieftje to look at that park and some staff suggestions for improving it. More broadly, Hieftje has asked PAC to help prioritize the needs for downtown parks and the possibility of adding more parks into the system.

Colin Smith, Ann Arbor’s parks and recreation manager, encouraged commissioners to review the city’s parks and recreation open space (PROS) plan, which includes recommendations for downtown parks. Some of these issues have been discussed for years, he noted, and it’s important not to “reinvent the wheel.”

The follow-up discussion to requests from Hieftje and the DDA was held at PAC’s land acquisition committee meeting on Sept. 4 in the city council workroom. It was attended by seven of the nine park commissioners: Julie Grand, Ingrid Ault, Tim Berla, Tim Doyle, Alan Jackson, John Lawter and Karen Levin. Not at the meeting were the two city councilmembers – Mike Anglin and Christopher Taylor – who are ex-officio members of PAC.

Also absent was Bob Galardi, the commission’s most recently appointed member. His absence was noted by some commissioners, who had hoped to hear his perspective as a member of the DDA’s leadership and outreach committee for the Connecting William Street project.

Downtown Parks: Background

At PAC’s Aug. 21 meeting, commissioners had received two requests related to the downtown. Mayor John Hieftje asked PAC to make recommendations for prioritizing downtown parks, including Liberty Plaza at the southwest corner of Liberty and Division, as well as other city-owned sites that might be incorporated into the parks system: 415 W. Washington, 721 N. Main and possibly the DTE/MichCon site near Argo Dam, if it’s acquired by the city.

Separately, Susan Pollay and Amber Miller of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority had given an update on the Connecting William Street project, a DDA-led effort to coordinate planning for five city-owned sites in downtown Ann Arbor. PAC’s land acquisition committee had served as a focus group for an earlier stage of the project, and commissioner Bob Galardi is a member of the project’s leadership and outreach committee.

The Ann Arbor city council has asked the DDA to propose a framework to guide possible development of the five sites, which are primarily surface parking lots: (1) the Kline’s lot (on the east side of Ashley, north of William); (2) the lot next to Palio restaurant (northeast corner of Main & William); (3) the ground floor of the Fourth & William parking structure; (4) the old YMCA lot (on William between Fourth and Fifth); and (5) the top of the Library Lane underground parking garage on South Fifth, which recently opened north of the downtown library.

The five city-owned sites in the Connecting William Street project are indicated in blue.

The DDA hoped to get feedback from PAC about three development scenarios that generally represent low density, moderate density and high density development. All conform to current zoning, and were created based on input from interviews, focus groups, an online survey, and the work of land use economist Todd Poole.

PAC is just one of the groups that the DDA is meeting with, as part of a broader effort to get input before making a final recommendation to the city council. In August, for example, the Ann Arbor planning commission was also briefed at a working session, when they were asked for feedback. The DDA is also holding public forums and webinars. The next such meeting is on Monday, Sept. 10 from noon-1:30 p.m. in the downtown Ann Arbor District Library’s lower level, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

Although park commissioners gave some input to the DDA at their Aug. 21 meeting, they decided to hold a longer discussion at the Sept. 4 meeting of PAC’s land acquisition committee. That committee, which includes all PAC members, meets monthly and primarily focuses on potential park acquisitions. Those discussions are typically held in closed session, as permitted under the state’s Open Meetings Act.

The discussion about downtown parks was part of the committee’s open session. This report summarizes the discussion thematically.

Park or Greenway?

Tim Doyle began by saying he understood the argument that more downtown density is necessary, but he thought that a downtown green corridor might be possible as well. Although there are a few existing green spaces and parks, like Liberty Plaza,  gaps exist between them, he noted. In the DDA’s presentation, Doyle said he didn’t see any integrated thought to that approach. He’d like to at least consider a downtown greenway.

Tim Berla felt that it’s been hard enough to build an Allen Creek greenway – so he didn’t think a downtown greenway would be possible. What’s needed is another park, he said, but one that’s bigger than Liberty Plaza. He hoped PAC could pass a resolution calling for a park, but stating that it wasn’t yet clear where a new park should be located. They needed more time and staff to help figure out the best location for a park, and there isn’t sufficient time to do that by the next PAC meeting, he said.

Berla noted that the Library Green advocates want to put a park on top of the new underground parking structure on South Fifth Avenue. He could see the positives and negatives of that, but thought that a better spot would be on the city-owned Fifth and William lot – the former YMCA site. It’s a more open site, he said, because it fronts three streets: Fifth, William and Fourth.

The city-owned parking lot at Main and William, next to Palio restaurant, is one of five sites in the Connecting William Street project being led by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

But the DDA wants a recommendation at PAC’s next meeting, he noted. [That meeting is set for Tuesday, Oct. 16.] It was a much quicker timeframe than he had anticipated. So rather than get into a discussion about specifics of each site in the Connecting William Street project, Berla recommended that the entire project shouldn’t move forward until the city decides where to locate a downtown park. For PAC’s park, he suggested commissioners list some attributes that they’d like to see in a downtown park, regardless of its specific location.

Doyle agreed with Berla’s assessment that a downtown greenway might not be feasible. But Doyle suggested being more specific about a park location. He thought the Main and William site – at the northeast corner of that intersection, next to Palio restaurant – would be a good location. It’s located in an area that’s active, he noted, and it might be easier for the DDA to accept if PAC’s recommendation is specific. ”It would enhance the downtown, in my opinion.”

Alan Jackson said he’d been reading information by the Library Green supporters, and they had pointed out that the DDA’s Connecting William Street survey hadn’t offered the option of a park or green space. It seems there’s a lot of interest in having a downtown park at some location, he said, though it might make more sense to have a European-style “commons” rather than a more nature-oriented park.

Liberty Plaza: Why Not Successful?

Julie Grand noted that there are already two downtown parks – Sculpture Plaza at Catherine and Fourth; and Liberty Plaza at Liberty and Division. What makes one of them work, while the other one struggles? For one thing, she said, Sculpture Park is flat, unlike Liberty Plaza, which is sunken. She directed a question to Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager: Is there any way to make Liberty Plaza flat, at street level? Sure, he replied, “but not inexpensively.”

Alan Jackson observed that there had been a lot of failed efforts to revitalize Liberty Plaza. Perhaps it’s just not the best location for a downtown park.

Ingrid Ault described Liberty Plaza’s design as “fundamentally flawed,” because it’s not at street level. She pointed to problems that retail shops have had in the building on the northeast corner of Liberty and Fifth, where AnnArbor.com is now located. There are several steps up from the street level to reach the retail space, and that’s a barrier to access, too.

Smith agreed with Ault’s view, but said the fact that Liberty Plaza isn’t at street level is just part of the problem. The biggest issue is what’s located around the park, he said. It’s not as helpful to simply identify a location for a park – suggestions are needed for the context around it.

A private walk between Library Lot and Liberty Plaza is owned by First Martin Corp. It’s open most of the year, but the company closes it occasionally to prevent the city of Ann Arbor from claiming “adverse possession.”

Later in the meeting, Ault noted that the city’s Kempf House Museum, at 312 S. Division, is adjacent to Liberty Plaza. Although the two sites are currently separated by a picket fence, it’s possible that those could form an anchor for a stretch of green space down Library Lane – a small road running between Division and Fifth.

Smith reported that he and park planner Amy Kuras have been looking at Liberty Plaza and Kempf House. There might be ways to connect those sites to the Library Lane area, he said. [Some of their suggestions are outlined in a staff memo about Liberty Plaza.] Smith noted that the DDA hopes Liberty Plaza will benefit from increased foot traffic from the underground parking structure, but the DDA’s expectation is that people will use a private walkway at the southwest side of Liberty Plaza. Kempf House is on the southeast side.

The pedestrian walkway between the Library Lot and Liberty Plaza is on property owned by First Martin Corp., which also owns the building adjacent to the plaza’s west side. Smith said the company closes the walkway at least once a year, to prevent the city from claiming “adverse possession” – an action in which the title to a property can be claimed because the property has been used by the public for an extended, uninterrupted period.

Grand noted that it’s not a safe environment to walk through at night, but she could envision a different scenario in which a walkway would be better lit and more viable to use.

Alan Jackson recalled that a First Martin employee had attended PAC’s August meeting, and had reported that the company invested significantly in Liberty Plaza’s upkeep. First Martin might be a good partner for the city, he suggested. Perhaps the company had ideas for the plaza, which would in turn increase the value of First Martin’s property. Perhaps a walkway with sculptures along it would be a good way to connect Liberty Plaza with the Library Lot area, Jackson said.

Library Lot: Not Clear It’s Best for Park

Picking up on the issue of context, Julie Grand noted that for the Library Lane site, part of that context would be provided by the Ann Arbor District Library, which is adjacent to the site. With the library there, “one side is taken care of,” she said.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, indicated that he wasn’t sure library officials would support that. [At past AADL board meetings, trustees have raised concerns about having a city park next to their building.]

There was some discussion about how the library’s current site – at the northeast corner of Fifth and William – would make a better location for a park, rather than on top of the city-owned underground parking structure. Some commissioners speculated that AADL could build a new library on top of the parking structure and let its current site be used as a park. Smith pointed out that the bond proposal that AADL is putting before voters on Nov. 6 specifically states that a new library would be built on the current downtown library site.

The reasons for AADL’s decision to build on its existing site were outlined by AADL director Josie Parker at the board’s July 30, 2012 special meeting. From Chronicle coverage:

Parker gave a brief history of the site, to explain why that location is preferred. One major factor relates to the site’s previous ownership by the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Until 1995, the library was part of the AAPS.

A separation agreement with the school system gives AAPS the right of first refusal if AADL decides to sell the site. If the school system decides to buy it, AAPS would pay only 65% of the market value. If AAPS doesn’t buy the property and AADL sells it to another entity, AAPS gets 35% of the net sale proceeds. All of that factored in to the board’s decision to stay on the site, Parker noted.

Grand described her vision is to emerge from the library and have other moderately-sized buildings in that area, with a coffee shop and other retail, and perhaps some library-themed sculptures that kids could climb on. She envisioned something new, that doesn’t currently exist downtown. Having the library on one side of such a park would be important, she said, adding that it’s also important to think about what problems a park there might cause for the library.

Ingrid Ault asked if anyone had talked to library officials, to get their views. Alan Jackson said he’d only heard second-hand reports, and his understanding is that the library isn’t keen to have a park there. The downtown library already has security problems with people using the building, and there’s the fear that a park would exacerbate that issue. He said he understood that perspective. Given the problems at Liberty Plaza, it’s tricky to design a space that discourages certain kinds of activity while encouraging the kinds of use you’d like to see.

Library Lane, facing east. This new two-way street runs between Fifth and Division. Visible in the right foreground is the Ann Arbor District Library. To the left is a surface parking lot, which some community members hope to transform into a park or commons.

Tim Berla said the idea of a green space in front of the library was appealing. It’s easy to imagine people taking their kids there and reading on the grass, he said.

Ault observed that the kind of park described by Library Green supporters isn’t possible on that site – it wasn’t designed to support large trees, for example. It was designed to build a large structure, she said.

Grand noted that one reason why Library Green advocates are lobbying for a park on the Library Lane site in particular is that they’re angry about the potential of something larger being built there. [When the DDA designed the underground parking structure, they invested several million in building a foundation that would support a high-rise building in the future. The city had issued a request for proposals, and a committee that evaluated proposals for that site recommended a proposal by Valiant Partners, which included a conference center and hotel. However, Valiant's proposal was ultimately rejected by the city council in April of 2011.]

Several commissioners pointed out that in the Connecting William Street scenarios, the only green space that was indicated on any of the sites was the relatively small plaza atop the Library Lane site. There was general consensus that this wasn’t adequate, even though there was the option to expand the plaza by shutting down Library Lane for special events.

Ault said she’s always advocated for mixed-use development at that site. If the AADL millage passes and a new library is built, that entire area could change, she said. The DDA’s big picture is to strengthen the connection between Main and State streets, Ault said. So PAC needs to think into the future, and what role a park might play in helping make that connection.

She returned to Doyle’s idea of a downtown greenway, saying she loved that concept. Doyle wondered whether the city could stipulate that developers for the five Connecting William Street sites would need to include green space in their site plans, as a way to build a greenway corridor. That gets the city off the hook for maintaining additional parks, he noted.

Karen Levin pointed out that green space within a private development would be very different from a public park.

Staff Perspective

Julie Grand asked whether the city’s parks staff has formed an opinion yet regarding downtown parks. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, replied that the biggest issue is determining how staff should spend their time and focus. Over the last three or four years, they’ve been pulled in many directions, he said. A year ago, for example, no one was talking about 721 N. Main – but now, that’s become a priority, he noted. It would be helpful to get some priorities from PAC, to help focus staff’s energy regarding downtown parks.

Grand noted that the Connecting William Street sites can’t be viewed in isolation. Perhaps it’s more important to connect North Main to the Huron River, she said. [Grand serves on a task force that's exploring the future of the North Main corridor. The task force was formed earlier this year by city council.]

Site of the DTE/MichCon environmental remediation along the Huron River, near Argo Dam. (Photo by Marianne Rzepka)

Alan Jackson noted that sometimes priorities are being driven by opportunities that emerge. He mentioned the DTE/MichCon site as one that the city can’t ignore, for example. [DTE is remediating that property, located next to the Huron River near the Argo dam. The city hopes to acquire at least a portion of the site.]

Smith agreed, adding that the DTE/MichCon site is one that’s of most interest to the parks staff. It’s been part of the city’s parks and recreation open space (PROS) plan for many years, he said, and it has huge potential.

In terms of Liberty Plaza, there have been several efforts to improve it over the years, Smith said, although the park’s “skeleton” has remained in place. It would take significant investment to substantially change that park, he added, and the question is: Is that the best place for the city to invest?

Tim Doyle wondered what it would take for the city to sell or trade that Liberty Plaza site. He realized that it would require voter approval, but the location is prime real estate and might be attractive to developers. Then funds from a sale could be used for a park or greenway somewhere else.

Doyle also asked whether downtown parks in general caused more security concerns, from the staff’s perspective. Smith’s initial response was yes, but after further thought he said that wasn’t really the case. Although Liberty Plaza has been an issue, there are hardly ever security calls for Sculpture Plaza or the farmers market. It’s more typical to have security problems in some of the city’s more isolated nature areas, he said.

Smith also stressed the importance of programming, from the staff’s point of view. That needs to be part of any recommendation, he said. In the past, the parks department hasn’t had a major role in providing programs for downtown parks, although his staff does handle site rentals and some special events. But that all takes time and money, he noted. Some events – like the popular Sonic Lunch concert series at Liberty Plaza – are put on by private businesses. The Bank of Ann Arbor spends a lot of money on Sonic Lunch, he said, and the bank feels it is getting a good value for that. Perhaps part of PAC’s recommendation could be that private developers should be responsible for programming the open space that’s on or near their developments.

Smith reported that his staff previously had been asked about their opinion on having an ice rink on top of the Library Lane site. They didn’t support it, he said, because of the expense to build and maintain it. The city has experience with that, he noted – the parks staff already operates two ice rinks, at Veterans Memorial Park and Buhr Park.

Responding to the DDA

Alan Jackson said it bothered him that the DDA was trying to push an artificial timetable. The DDA wanted PAC to make a recommendation by October, before the library has made a decision about what it intends to do. [That decision by the Ann Arbor District Library will depend in large part on the outcome of the Nov. 6 ballot proposal to fund a new downtown library.] It’s better to partner with the DDA, the AADL and others and take however long is needed, Jackson said. As long as there’s no rush to sell or develop the land, there’s no need to hurry.

Tim Doyle said he agreed with Jackson’s point, but noted that if developers are interested in the five Connecting William Street sites, then there are potential revenues that the city is losing if it waits.

Tim Berla didn’t think PAC should ignore the DDA’s timetable. But he suggested a general resolution stating that PAC thinks a park or green space is needed. The resolution could also suggest specific attributes they’d recommend – like grassy areas, or a performance space. But the main thing is to recommend another park.

Doyle noted that if PAC doesn’t provide some definitive feedback, the DDA’s process will move on without them. He suggested crafting a recommendation that would put the issue back on the DDA’s shoulders by providing certain attributes a park should have, and then telling the DDA to figure out how to make it happen. Ultimately, he said, it’s the DDA’s problem.

Karen Levin suggested narrowing down PAC’s recommendation to two possible sites for a new park: the Library Lane site, or Main and William. She felt PAC could be more specific than the general approach that Berla had proposed.

Jackson recommended at least identifying a geographic area where a park should be located. At that point, Berla said, one option might be the southeast corner of Huron and Fifth, across from city hall. [That site, a surface parking lot, is owned by First Martin Corp.] But generally, Berla said, he favored having more time to figure out what the best option would be.

Colin Smith, parks and rec manager, noted that PAC has been asked to give feedback on two things: (1) the DDA’s Connecting William Street project; and (2) the broader request from mayor Hiefjte to prioritize downtown parks. Smith cautioned that since the future of the Connecting William Street sites isn’t yet determined, PAC might be pigeon-holing itself by identifying a specific site for a park, without knowing what will be developed around it.

John Lawter said he liked the idea of a more general recommendation, along with some rationale about why a park is needed and what attributes commissioners would like to see. There was general discussion about those attributes, with suggestions including: (1) a visible location with mixed-use development around it; (2) the site’s ability to be used for multiple purposes; and (3) programming or activities to attract people to the site. Suggestions for programming/activities included a winter art fair, ice sculptures, a playground, a merry-go-round, interactive sculptures like The Cube,

Ingrid Ault noted that the city will get pushback from advocates who want a park at a specific location – like the Library Lane site – so PAC needs to be prepared with specific arguments to back up their recommendations. PAC needs to provide the rhetorical tools so that city officials can make their case, she added, whatever the final decision is. She noted that she attends a lot of Democratic Party events, and the future of the Library Lane site comes up frequently at those events.

Responding to the DDA: Connecting William Street Scenarios

Ault asked what the DDA wants in terms of responses to the three specific scenarios in the Connecting William Street presentation. Berla replied that the DDA doesn’t really care about PAC’s feedback in that regard – PAC “isn’t part of their world.” PAC’s job isn’t to help the DDA, he added. Rather, commissioners should give advice on the scenarios directly to the city council.

Ault disagreed, citing her experience as former director of the Ypsilanti DDA. PAC needs to work with the DDA, she said, but it wasn’t clear to her what the DDA wanted from commissioners.

Grand thought the DDA would be most pleased if PAC simply picked one of the scenarios. But more realistically, PAC should try to give concrete guidance as much as possible, she said, in terms of what size a park should be or what should surround it.

Doyle expressed frustration at the overall Connecting William Street effort. He didn’t see any sign of connectivity between the five sites.

Berla pointed out that Doyle’s definition of “connecting” differed from the DDA’s goals. In the past, there have been separate discussions and in some cases requests for proposals for these sites, Berla noted. So the DDA’s charge from the council is to connect those sites into a comprehensive plan that can give guidance to developers, he explained. The point is to prevent developers from saying “Oh, it’s those Ann Arbor twits again,” he joked.

It’s great for the DDA to aim for developing greater density downtown, Berla continued, but he didn’t want PAC to get into that. Personally, he supported scenarios with the maximum density, while making the Fifth and William lot into a park. But others had different views, and that’s why he didn’t think they should focus on the development issues, but rather parks. The worst outcome would be for the city to decide a year from now that it wanted a park in a certain location, but that something was already being built there.

Several other commissioners weighed in for adding parkland, possibly by suggesting that a percentage of the total land on the Connecting William Street sites be devoted to parks or open space. Ault said she’d advocate for a greater percentage of parkland/open space in scenarios with greater density.

Colin Smith recalled that the DDA’s position had been to consider green space in the context of the rest of downtown, not simply on the five city lots. Even with the greatest density scenario, the DDA believes that the city would still be well-served with green space.

Grand felt that, based on the DDA’s presentation to PAC, that the DDA preferred scenario B – with moderate density, and buildings in the 3-8 story range. That scenario was estimated to support the most amount of job growth (900-1,000 jobs) and most annual employee spending in the local economy ($6-$6.7 million).

Smith pointed out that these scenarios aren’t recommendations for what to build. They are guidelines, and the final recommendation to the city council will likely be a combination of these ideas.

Next Steps

Julie Grand, PAC’s chair, said it seemed like the consensus was to recommend including more green space than currently exists in any of the Connecting William Street scenarios. The resolution from PAC can include the fact that PAC recognizes the need for density and an appropriate interface with adjacent sites, she said, as well as the importance of programming and activities to draw people to the site.

Grand felt it was important to pass some kind of resolution at PAC’s next meeting, so that their opinions could be incorporated as the planning moves forward.

Colin Smith suggested pointing out that PAC is also looking at the downtown area as a whole, not just the Connecting William Street sites. He also recommended that commissioners walk through Liberty Plaza and the Library Lane site, to familiarize themselves with the area before the next PAC meeting.

Smith encouraged commissioners to review the city’s parks and recreation open space (PROS) plan, which PAC had previously recommended for approval. The document includes a lot of recommendations about downtown parks, he said, so incorporating those recommendations into a resolution would be helpful. Sometimes it feels like the city keeps “reinventing the wheel,” he noted, and it’s important to remember that some of these issues have already been discussed.

Grand asked that recommendations for elements to include in a resolution should be emailed to her. The plan is to discuss and vote on a resolution giving feedback to the DDA at PAC’s Sept. 18 meeting. She also suggested continuing this discussion at the next land acquisition committee meeting, and inviting park planner Amy Kuras to participate. LAC next meets on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. in the city council workroom at city hall.

PAC also is planning a fall retreat, at a to-be-determined date and location, where they’ll discuss the group’s work plan for the coming year.

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public affairs. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

The resolution received four votes of support – from Marcia Higgins (Ward 4), Mike Anglin (Ward 5), Jane Lumm (Ward 2) and Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3). Sabra Briere (Ward 1), who had co-sponsored the original resolution, did not vote for it. So the vote on the 11-member body was 4-7.

The version of the charter amendment considered by the council on July 16 was [added language in italics]: “The city shall not sell, lease, or contract for any non-park or non-recreational long-term use, without the approval, by a majority vote of the electors of the city voting on the question at a regular or special election, any city park, or land in the city acquired for park, cemetery, or any part thereof. For purposes of this subsection long-term shall be defined as a period greater than 5 years.”

Part of the argument for the postponement by the council at that July 16 meeting was a desire by some councilmembers to receive input from the city’s park advisory commission (PAC) on the proposed charter amendment, before taking a vote. And on Aug. 8, 2012 PAC met to deliberate on the resolution, but ultimately voted unanimously not to support placing the charter amendment before voters.

Concerns cited by PAC members in declining to recommend their support of the resolution included the idea that the language of the proposed amendment introduced a “gray area,” and possible unintended consequences. They also had questions about who the arbiter would be for the meaning of “non-park” and “non-recreational.” Some commissioners also had concerns about the public process that had been used thus far to evaluate the proposed charter amendment.

At the council’s Aug. 9 meeting, an alternate version was also discussed, which was put forward by one of the three sponsors of the original resolution, Sabra Briere (Ward 1). Briere’s version departs from the syntactic pattern of the existing charter section, which separates the verb “sell” from its direct object “park” with a 23-word clause. The other two co-sponsors were Lumm and Anglin.

Briere’s proposed amendment took the approach of enumerating the actions that trigger a popular referendum: “The city shall not, without the approval by a majority vote of the electors of the city voting on the question at a regular or special election, do any or all of the following with any city park or land in the city acquired for a park or cemetery or with any part thereof: (1) sell any such land; (2) lease, license or contract for any non-park or non-recreational use any such land for a period longer than 5 years; (3) contract for the operation of any such land for non-park or non-recreational use for a period longer than 5 years; (4) contract for the construction of any building on any such land, except as is customarily incidental to the principal use and enjoyment of such land.”

Briere’s amendment failed with support from only one other councilmember – Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3).

Councilmembers voting against the main resolution cited the same concerns that had been mentioned at the PAC meeting, as well as the function of a representative democracy and a desire not to tie the hands of future councils. Kunselman, who voted for the resolution, called the charter amendment a way to guard against representative democracy “gone awry” that would “protect our parks from ourselves.”

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Jen Lawson, the city's water quality manager, talks with Doug Kelly, the city's director of golf, prior to the start of the Dec. 20, 2011 park advisory commission meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

Jen Lawson, the city of Ann Arbor’s water quality manager, said the city hopes to hire a design consultant in January, with preliminary designs for the project ready by April. Final designs and construction plans would be done by July, and construction is projected to start in November of 2012.

The project would be completed by the spring of 2013, Lawson said, although an additional two growing seasons would be needed for plants to take hold. The intent is to minimize the impact on golfers during construction – parks and recreation manager Colin Smith noted that the project team is sensitive to the need for revenues from the course.

During the December meeting, commissioners also got an update on the city’s natural area preservation program, which has increased the number of volunteers who help with tasks like invasive species control and animal/plant monitoring.

Communications from staff included an update on the Argo Dam bypass, where work has stopped for the season. Additional work, including paving of a footpath, will occur in the spring. And in communications from commissioners, Sam Offen reminded his colleagues of the upcoming sustainability forums. The first forum is on Thursday, Jan. 12, focusing on resource management. All forums, held once a month, will be at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library building, 343 S. Fifth Ave. starting at 7 p.m.

Natural Area Preservation Update

Jason Tallant, a staff member of the city’s natural area preservation program, gave a presentation about the work that NAP does. He began by noting NAP’s mission: “To protect and restore Ann Arbor’s natural areas and foster an environmental ethic among its citizens.” It’s something he had to recite when he first started working at NAP, Tallant said, and something the staff regularly evokes.

NAP tracks volunteer hours by the type of work that volunteers do, Tallant said, and has tracked that data going back to 1994 – the year after the current NAP manager, David Borneman, was hired. Since about 2007, the program has courted private groups to volunteer, from nonprofits like SOS Community Services to companies like Toyota. The number of hours in that category grew from 1,613 in 2007 to 5,031 in 2011. The next-highest category of volunteer hours is logged during public workdays, with 1,464 hours in 2011.

Tallant credited former NAP volunteer coordinator Jason Frenzel with expanding the private group volunteer effort. The work days often include several hundred people, like the more than 400 Community High School students who volunteered at eight different parks in one day this past year. Tallant said that NAP’s field crew, which he supervises, has spent most of this fall following up on work that was started during volunteer work days over the summer.

Controlled burning is the primary task that NAP performs for ecological restoration to achieve the greatest results, Tallant said. But in term of hours spent by staff or volunteers, it’s a small percentage compared to other tasks – 343 hours in 2011, out of a total of 11,869 volunteer hours. Volunteers spend most of their time doing invasive species control, he said, logging 4,737 hours on that task. Other tasks include trail work (2,748 hours), administrative work (659 hours), revegetation (561 hours) inventory and monitoring of animals and plants (594 hours), stewardship training (118 hours), and trash pick-up (98 hours).

This past burn season was the wettest one on record, Tallant noted. Even so, NAP workers did controlled burns on 72 acres over eight days. Two percent of that land was on rain gardens, reflecting the fact that NAP has started to take over maintenance of the city’s rain gardens, he said. Other burns occurred in woodland (45%), prairies/old fields (19%), savanna/prairies (18%), and wet prairies (16%).

Natural Area Preservation Update: Commissioner Discussion

PAC chair Julie Grand asked about the transition for managing volunteers. Jason Frenzel, the former NAP volunteer coordinator, left that job earlier this year to join the Huron River Watershed Council. David Borneman, NAP’s manager, noted that Frenzel had worked with the city in that position for about eight years. It was a Teamster job, but it hasn’t been filled, he said. They’re taking a step back and looking at the broader organization, Borneman said, to decide how to handle that work.

Gwen Nystuen noted that in addition to NAP volunteers, the rest of the parks system also uses volunteers – for the adopt-a-park program, as one example. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said the staff is looking at how to coordinate volunteers for all the programs, including NAP. Gayle Hurn is volunteer outreach coordinator for the overall parks system. Borneman added that there’s a recognition for greater consistency across all areas regarding volunteer outreach.

Leslie Park Streambank Stabilization

Jen Lawson, the city’s water quality manager, gave a presentation on a streambank stabilization project at Leslie Park, where one of the city’s two golf courses is located. The Traver Creek bank is exhibiting some erosion, as any urban stream would, she said. High volumes of sediment are being swept away, deposited downstream and into the Huron River. The vegetation along that stretch of the creek is golf course turf grass, which provides a limited buffer between the land and the creek. As a result, there are areas along the creek that experience regular flooding, Lawson said.

The project has three goals, she said: (1) improving stormwater quality, because the creek is incorporated into the city’s stormwater system; (2) improving several ecological aspects, such as reducing phosphorus that’s discharged into the river, and enhancing the habitat for wildlife; and (3) improving the recreational experience for golfers.

Lawson described several design objectives for the project, and noted that staff were putting together a request for proposals (RFP) that would be issued soon. The design objectives include:

• Addressing bank erosion and reducing the phosphorus load in Traver Creek, a tributary to the Huron River.
• Assessing hydrologic, hydraulic and geomorphic conditions to develop appropriate stabilization measures.
• Possibly retrofitting the downstream basin and upstream irrigation pond, which might involve moving the pump station. This might help with the limited detention of small flooding events.
• Soliciting ideas for additional stormwater treatment.

The city hopes to hire a design consultant in January, with preliminary designs for the project ready by April. Final designs and construction plans would be done by July, and construction is projected to start in November of 2012. The project would be completed by the spring of 2013, Lawson said, although there would be an additional two-year growing season for plants to take hold.

A photo included in the park advisory commission meeting information packet shows a section of the Traver Creek bank that's been eroded as it runs through the Leslie Park golf course.

The construction will occur in two phases, she said. The first phase, which involves heavy equipment and moving dirt, will take place during the winter when the ground is frozen, to minimize impact from construction runoff. The second phase entails planting grasses, sedges, perennials, wildflowers and other plants.

Because this is a stormwater infrastructure project, Lawson said, the city can use the state’s revolving loan fund, via Washtenaw County’s office of the water resources commissioner. There’s the potential for up to 50% loan forgiveness, if the city can show that it’s a “green” project, she said.

Gwen Nystuen asked if it would be easier to see the creek, after the project is completed. Yes, Lawson said. None of the plantings will grow tall, except in the areas where no golf is played.

Colin Smith, manager of parks & rec, said there’s good collaboration and an understanding of what’s needed in terms of revenues and recreational access at the golf course. He noted that Lawson has worked on this type of project at her previous job, with success. Lawson explained that the project she’d previously done was for a municipal golf course in Troy, which was also in an urban watershed. It’s important to meld the two types of land uses together, she said.

In response to a question from Sam Offen, Smith said the work will be staggered in stages, so that areas of the course that get the most play will be done first. That way, those areas will be ready when the season resumes in the spring of 2013. It’s obvious that they need to be extremely aware of the impact on golf revenues, Smith said. The intent is not to halt golf play at all, Lawson added.

Tim Berla noted that several years ago, a project at Mary Beth Doyle Park aimed to stabilize the stormwater flow and sediment going into Malletts Creek. The project had been designed so that earth-moving equipment could come in every few years to remove the sediment. He wondered if sediment that was collected in the wetlands there was being removed, and whether the same kind of removal would be needed along Traver Creek, too.

Lawson said the county is monitoring the amount of sediment at Mary Beth Doyle Park. No sediment has been removed yet, she said, but when it needs to happen, the county would handle it. For the Leslie Park golf course project, she said they aren’t yet sure how it will be designed. There’s some desire to take the stormwater retention ponds “offline” – that is, to design the ponds so that the creek doesn’t flow through them. Whenever there’s an impoundment, like a pond, the water flow slows and sediment settles out. The common solution is to have ponds there for stormwater control, she said. But the state Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) prefers to have an open creek, which is better from a habitat perspective.

The project’s ultimate design needs to take into account the hydrology of the site, Lawson said, and the multiple uses of the ponds – for sediment capture and stormwater control.

Tim Doyle asked for clarification about the location of the project. Lawson said it would run from where the creek crosses Traver Road to the south, to where it crosses Traver Road again to the north.

Misc. Communications

Every meeting includes opportunities for staff and commissioners to give updates or share information.

Misc. Communications: Dog Park, Argo Bypass, Grants

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, gave updates on several projects. He noted that the Olson dog park would be closed during the week of Dec. 26 for drainage work. Drain tiles will be installed to make it “less of a muddy mess” than it’s been in the past, he said. The dog park – part of Olson Park, which is located off of Dhu Varren Road on the city’s north side – is expected to reopen on Jan. 2.

From left: Colin Smith, Ann Arbor's parks & rec manager, and city councilmember Christopher Taylor (Ward 3), who also serves as an ex officio member of the city's park advisory commission.

Smith reported that work for the season has wrapped up at the Argo Dam bypass. Some additional work will be done in the spring on the spillway, he said, to calibrate the water flow. Paving of the paths along the bypass will also happen in April or May, though the path will be open throughout the winter. And the new bridge, which will be built where the concrete culvert is currently located, will also be installed in the spring.

John Lawter asked for an update on the whitewater area, which will be built in the Huron River near the bypass. DTE agreed to pay for the whitewater section – the utility is being required by the state to complete environmental remediation on its nearby property, which prompted its request that the city hold off on the part of the project that runs along the river. Smith said the city was still waiting to receive a copy of DTE’s remediation plan, but he noted that as he had reported at the November PAC meeting, DTE will now be paying for the whitewater part of the project.

Tim Berla wondered what the status would be of the land along the river that DTE is remediating. He thought it should be a park with a bandshell, and perhaps some commercial operations. He asked what the process would be for deciding what happens to that parcel.

Smith said that if the land came to the city, there would be a public process for deciding what happens to it. In several of the city’s master plans, there are references about possible uses for the site, he said. But all of that depends on whether the city owns the land, he noted. Currently, it is DTE property.

Sam Offen asked whether there would be any other changes at Argo and Gallup canoe liveries, as a result of this project. Parks staff will spend the winter months working out those details, Smith replied. They had always expected to add amenities like inner-tubing and rafts, he said. They’ll also likely be purchasing a new type of kayak that’s better suited for the bypass, since there will likely be more “banging around” as people navigate the descending pools. David Barrett noted that canoes and kayaks will no longer be banged up because of being hauled down stairs, as they had to be with the previous portage.

Smith said the staff will also work on developing a new guide for river tours, since there are now more options. They’ll likely bring something to PAC to review, and plan a grand opening in May or June for the public.

Tim Doyle asked whether there was any concern about congestion in the new bypass. Smith said congestion was an issue with the previous configuration, whenever it was busy. The challenge is to ensure that people know that there are different options, he said, and that they take the trip that best suits them.

Later in his report, Smith also noted that the city had received two state grants earlier in the month: $300,000 for a proposed Ann Arbor skatepark at Veterans Memorial Park, and $300,000 for improvements at the Gallup Park canoe livery. The grants were awarded by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.

For the skatepark, city parks staff would be meeting with skatepark organizers to talk about next steps, Smith said. It’s likely that a request for proposals (RFP) will be issued for a design/build, he said. When asked by Sam Offen to clarify, Smith said a design/build RFP would ask for bids that include both the skatepark’s design as well as its construction, in a single proposal. It’s similar to the RFP for the Argo Dam bypass, he said.

Misc. Communications: Rec & Ed Fitness Fair

Tim Berla, who’s also a member of the city’s recreation advisory commission (RAC), reported that Ann Arbor Rec & Ed will hold a fitness fair on Thursday, Jan. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Forsythe Middle School, 1655 Newport Road. The event will include a keynote speech by Pete Thomas, a local resident who was on Season 2 of the TV show The Biggest Loser.

From left: John Lawter and Tim Berla of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission.

Berla said that at the last RAC meeting, commissioners learned that the Rec & Ed budget is still “iffy.” Rec & Ed is a program of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and Berla said the program has cut costs to address its budget, including moving its offices to Pioneer High School, where they don’t have to pay rent. Berla said Rec & Ed didn’t raise prices for its offerings this year because the market is so competitive, but that means its margins are small, he said.

Berla also reported that Rec & Ed staff are pleased that the city’s softball and baseball diamonds will be renovated – leagues from Rec & Ed use the city’s ball diamonds, as well as ball diamonds that are owned by AAPS.

Misc. Communications: Sustainability Forums

Sam Offen reminded commissioners about the upcoming sustainability forums, starting in January. All forums will be held at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library building, 343 S. Fifth Ave. starting at 7 p.m.

• Jan. 12, 2012: Resource Management – including natural areas, waste reduction, recycling, compost, local food systems, water and air quality. Panelists will include Matt Naud, the city’s environmental coordinator; Kerry Gray, the city’s urban forest & natural resource planning coordinator; Tom McMurtrie, Ann Arbor’s solid waste coordinator; and Dave Borneman, manager of the city’s natural area preservation program.
• Feb. 9, 2012: Land Use and Access – including transportation designs, infrastructure, land uses, built environment, and public spaces.
• March 8, 2012: Climate and Energy – including an overview of Ann Arbor’s climate action plan, climate impacts, renewable and alternative energy, energy efficiency and conservation.
• April 12, 2012: Community – including housing, public safety, public art, recreation, outreach, civic engagement, and stewardship of community resources.

The four forums reflect categories in a framework that the city is developing to organize its existing goals as they relate to sustainability. The project, which began earlier this year, is being led by Jamie Kidwell and funded by a $95,000 grant the city received from the Home Depot Foundation. Four city commissions – park, planning, energy and environmental – participated in a Sept. 27, 2011 joint working session focused on prioritizing existing goals for the city that touch on sustainability issues. [For additional background, see Chronicle coverage of Kidwell's briefing at the Nov. 15 park advisory commission meeting.]

Misc. Communications: Leslie Science & Nature Center

Sam Offen also reported that a new executive director has been hired for the Leslie Science & Nature Center – Offen serves on the center’s board of directors. Until 2007, the nonprofit had been part of the city’s parks system, and the city continues to own the center’s property and buildings.

Susan Westhoff joined the center as executive director earlier this year, following the resignation of Greta Brunschwyler, who had served in that role since early 2010. Offen said he hoped to set up a time for Westhoff to attend an upcoming PAC meeting so that other commissioners could meet her.

Present: David Barrett, Tim Berla, Doug Chapman, Tim Doyle, Julie Grand, John Lawter, Karen Levin, Gwen Nystuen, Sam Offen, councilmember Christopher Taylor (ex-officio). Also Colin Smith, city parks manager.

Absent: Councilmember Mike Anglin (ex-officio).

Next meeting: PAC’s meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012 begins at 4 p.m. in the city hall second-floor council chambers, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

The Chronicle survives in part through regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor park advisory commission. If you’re already supporting The Chronicle, please encourage your friends, neighbors and coworkers to do the same. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

Ann Arbor park planner Amy Kuras, right, shows maps of Riverside Park to neighbors who came to an information meeting on Tuesday evening at the nearby Island Park. Sitting next to her is Eliana Moya-Raggio, a resident of Wall Street. The smaller map is an overlay showing how a lot of the park, which is located next to the Huron River, is in a floodplain. (Photos by the writer.)

Park planner Amy Kuras described the park’s entrance off of Wall Street as “falling apart,” and talked through some of the proposed changes of the project. The two main changes involve relocating a parking lot and repaving Canal Street, a narrow lane that runs parallel to the park and leads to the back of the University of Michigan’s new Kellogg Eye Center building.

The project is one of many slated for fiscal year 2012 and outlined in the recently updated Parks & Recreation Open Space (PROS) plan.

Residents generally expressed support for the project, and gave suggestions for improvements. During the hour-long discussion they also raised other concerns not directly tied to the park, including increased traffic along Wall Street, additional parking lots planned by UM, and noise from delivery trucks traveling along Canal Street to Kellogg Eye Center. Similar concerns had been raised by some of these residents nearly three years ago, at a December 2008 meeting with university officials regarding planned parking along Wall Street.

Tuesday’s conversation also touched on topics that affect the surrounding area, including the need for better connections to the Border-to-Border trail system, and the status of changes planned at the Argo headrace. The city had expected to receive a state permit earlier in the day so that work could begin on the headrace, but Kuras reported that by late afternoon, it still hadn’t arrived. [Responding to a follow-up email from The Chronicle, parks & rec manager Colin Smith reported that the permit has now been received, and work on the headrace will begin on Thursday, Aug. 25. For details of that work, see Chronicle coverage: "Action on Argo Headrace, Trails Near Fuller" ]

The Riverside changes are among several slated for the city’s current fiscal year, paid for out of the parks millage and outlined in the PROS plan. Another forum is planned for Tuesday, Aug. 30 at Cobblestone Farm to talk about proposed improvements at Buhr Park.

Riverside Park: Proposed Changes

Riverside is one of the city’s oldest parks, acquired in the early 1900s and located in the Lower Town district, fronting a section of the Huron River. It includes a playground area, softball diamond and a field used by several rugby teams.

Map showing Riverside Park. (Links to Google Map)

Nearly all of the 15-acre park is located in the river’s floodplain, and flooding is frequent. Eliana Moya-Raggio, who lives next to the park at the Riverside Park Place condominiums, reported that it’s been worse over the past two years because of heavier-than-usual rains.

In particular, the gravel parking lot near the park’s entrance is often covered with water, Kuras noted. On Tuesday evening, large puddles were still visible from recent rains.

The PROs plan listed the Riverside parking lot as an infrastructure need, and parks staff included it in the action plan for fiscal year 2012, which began July 1, 2011. The plan called for: (1) repaving the path and drive entry to create a separation between the path and road; (2) paving the parking lot; and (3) creating a rain garden.

However, rather than keeping the lot where it’s currently located, Kuras suggested moving it to slightly higher ground at the opposite end of Canal Street, on the west side of the softball diamond. That would likely mean a rain garden wouldn’t be necessary. Feedback from residents indicated support for that move, and a preference for making the new lot parallel to Canal Street – rather than an elongated lot jutting into the park. [.pdf of map showing proposed changes]

Kuras noted that the existing lot is used by UM employees, and she’s exploring the possibility of negotiating for the university to lease the new lot during the day. Currently, there’s no lease arrangement for the Riverside parking lot, though UM does lease other lots from the city – most notably a surface lot at Fuller Road, where the proposed Fuller Road Station parking structure is planned.

Stephanie Munz recommended keeping a few spaces at the location of the current lot, for fly fishermen who use that nearby portion of the Huron River. It would be less of a walk for them, she noted. Kuras said another option would be to put a couple of spots along Canal Street.

In addition to moving and paving the parking lot, other proposed changes at the park include:

• Removing and/or relocating the lights at the current parking lot.
• Moving the park’s sign to the opposite (east) side of the entry drive, for better visibility.
• Adding curbs along the entrance and possibly extending the curbs along Canal Street. There are no curbs now on Canal or the entrance.
• Requesting that trees at the entrance be trimmed. Residents have planted a garden on the west side of the entrance, but overgrown trees and bushes have prevented it from getting sufficient light.

Kuras added the caveat that the amount of work will depend on costs and available funding. She said there’s a $175,000 budget for Riverside improvements, funded by city’s park maintenance and capital improvements millage. Canal Street repaving will be paid for by the city’s street millage.

A redbud grove at Riverside Park. The plaque in the foreground notes that the grove was planted in memory of World War I veterans from Ann Arbor, paid for by the Elizabeth R. Dean Fund and other contributions. On the left is a path running through the park next to the Huron River.

Other Issues: Argo, Trails

At Tuesday’s meeting, several questions were raised that were unrelated to the Riverside improvement project. In response to one question, Kuras clarified that a temporary canoe launch at the park will be removed as soon as work on the Argo headrace is completed, likely by the 2012 season.

Currently, because of a state-mandated reconstruction of the headrace, there’s no access between the city’s Argo canoe livery and the downstream section of the Huron River. A temporary launch at Riverside allows canoeists to put in to the river below Argo dam. The Argo livery is available for canoeing and kayaking on Argo Pond and upstream. [The park advisory commission was updated on the Argo headrace work at their Aug. 16 meeting. See Chronicle coverage: "Action on Argo Headrace, Trails Near Fuller" ]

At one point in the meeting, Kuras expressed dismay that whenever she had visited Riverside Park, she rarely saw it being used by people other than teams that played on the fields. Residents assured her that the park was well-used by walkers, joggers and bicyclists. UM employees also use it during the day on breaks and during their lunch hours, Kuras was told. And many people are just passing through the park, on their way to other destinations.

That final observation led to a discussion about how the Riverside Park path fits in to a broader trail network throughout the city’s park system.

By way of background, access to Riverside Park is addressed in the city’s master plan, in a section on the Lower Town district:

Access to Riverside Park: Riverside Park was acquired by the City of Ann Arbor in the late 1920’s. Public pedestrian and bicycle access points to Riverside Park should be provided from at least the following places: a) the future pedestrian bridge over the Huron River near Broadway Bridge connecting to Broadway Park [that pedestrian bridge is now completed], b) from the Huron River Trail under Broadway Bridge, c) through the Detroit Edison site where Canal Street turns toward Wall Street, d) from the University District at two access points, and e) from the Huron River Trail near Wall Street. Access points should be clearly identified, well landscaped, properly lighted, and designed to encourage pedestrian access to the Riverside Park. Canoe/kayak access should be provided along the Huron River near the Detroit Edison Building to encourage marine access to Lower Town.

Kuras pointed out that when Maiden Lane bridge was built, the design included room for future trails to go under the bridge. It has never been fully developed, however, and the walkway is overgrown with plants and is a hangout for the homeless, she said.

The entire intersection at Maiden Lane, Fuller Road and East Medical Center drive is a “conundrum,” Kuras said, and parks staff are exploring ways to improve the area for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Tim Mortimer said he hoped to see a pedestrian bridge over the Huron River at the east side of Riverside Park, similar to the one at Broadway. When he noted that in the past there was a bridge crossing the river at Wall Street, Stephanie Munz pulled out her iPhone and produced a picture of it – there’s a photo of the old Wall Street bridge hanging at the Potbelly sandwich shop in downtown Ann Arbor, and she’d taken a picture of that photo.

Other Projects: Buhr Park

Changes are also in the works at Buhr Park, and a public input meeting for that project will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Cobblestone Farm barn, 2751 Packard Road. A needs assessment listed in the PROS plan calls for several changes to Buhr Park, including:

• Provide inter-connecting pathway system to provide pedestrian access from the surrounding neighborhoods.
• Light the tennis courts.
• Construct new picnic pavilion with added picnic opportunities.
• Provide new wayfinding signage.
• Continue implementation of the goals and elements as identified in the Buhr Park stormwater management plan.
• Renovate entry road and parking lots.

For fiscal year 2012, a total of $250,000 is earmarked for the Buhr Park entry drive and pool/arena parking lot, and the Riverside Park entry drive and parking lot. [.pdf of FY 2011-2015 parks project list from the updated PROS plan]

The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of local government and civic affairs, including the Ann Arbor parks. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

From left: Michael Morris and Leslie Morris, who are donating $50,000 to rehab South University Park, and Colin Smith, the city's parks and recreation manager.

In brief remarks to commissioners, Leslie Morris – a former Ward 2 city councilmember – explained how she and her husband had played a role decades ago in creating the park, which is located at South University Avenue and Walnut. They hope their donation will help develop the park based on current needs of the neighborhood, she said.

Michael Morris noted that before they became involved in forming that neighborhood park, their civic engagement primarily had been limited to voting. But getting involved in that project ultimately led to much deeper engagement, culminating in the service of Leslie Morris on council. ”It’s been a rewarding time for us,” he said, “and I’m pleased we’re able to do more to continue the life of that park.”

Later in the meeting, commissioners got updates on the Ann Arbor senior center and Mack pool. Both facilities rely on general fund support and had been at risk of closing, when city officials were looking to cut costs in 2009. Residents rallied, and the city formed two task forces to develop strategies – both for raising revenues and cutting expenses – to keep both facilities open.

The reports given at PAC’s June 21 meeting were updates for the first fiscal year that these strategies took effect. Neither facility completely hit its target budget goals, but each took steps toward closing the gap between revenues and expenses.

Commissioners also got a quarterly update on capital improvements in the park system, including plans to renovate the Island Park Greek Revival shelter and the pergola at West Park, and to replace a path at Leslie Science & Nature Center – a project that might use recycled crushed glass as a porous surface. PAC members voted to recommend approval for funding of two specific projects: renovation of locker rooms at Veterans Memorial Park, and of tennis courts at West Park.

At the end of the meeting, Steve Thorp spoke during public commentary, urging the city to give West Park a new name – Central Park West – and to possibly put a dog park there.

Gift for South University Park

One of the first items on the June 21 agenda was news of a gift to support South University Park, located at South University Avenue and Walnut. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, introduced Leslie and Michael Morris to make some remarks about their donation.

Leslie Morris described how their family had moved to the neighborhood in 1969, when they’d been among many families with young children there – it was less expensive than the Burns Park neighborhood, and located near Angell Elementary School. But there was one clear problem: Two vacant houses, in poor condition, were a source of trouble for the neighborhood. An absentee landlord had hoped to rezone the land and redevelop it, but when the rezoning was denied, he had abandoned the property, Morris recalled.

They enlisted the help of their councilmember at the time, Bob Faber, who convinced the owner to demolish the structures and let the neighbors use the land as a park. Neighbors rose to the occasion, Morris said, and developed it themselves, digging a sandbox, putting in playground equipment and other amenities, planting flowers and taking care of maintenance like mowing and snow removal. It was heavily used, she said. In the winter, they’d borrow firehoses from the fire department and spray water for an ice rink. They raised money for the park by picking up and taking large trash items to the dump – something the city didn’t do at the time.

After about five years, they convinced the city to buy the land and add it to the parks system, she said, using funds from proceeds of a 1971 bond for parks. But over the decades, children in the families grew up and the neighborhood changed. Their own children grew up, she said, and she and her husband moved to a different part of town. The playground equipment aged and was removed, but wasn’t replaced. Housing got more expensive – university students “could always pay more,” Morris noted – and it became too costly for young families to buy homes in that area. Nothing was done at the park for years.

The park is located in a densely populated area, she said, and needs to be redeveloped to suit the needs of the people who live in the neighborhood now. They hope that the parks staff will engage the neighbors in a discussion of how to redevelop the park, and use their contribution to get things started.

Michael Morris added that when they initially moved to the neighborhood, they were just ordinary, quiet citizens – as quiet as it can be when raising four children. Their civic engagement was voting, and not much more, he said. It was their efforts years ago to organize the neighbors for that park led them to become more civically engaged – culminating in the election of Leslie Morris to the Ann Arbor city council in Ward 2. She served for six years in that role in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She had also served as a park commissioner. He recommended that others get involved in the community in whatever way they can. ”It’s been a rewarding time for us, and I’m pleased we’re able to do more to continue the life of that park.”

As they finished, Smith prompted them to tell the commission how much they are giving: $50,000. Leslie Morris said they know it will take more, but they hoped it would get things started.

PAC chair Julie Grand thanked them for both their donation and their commitment to the city’s parks. Smith described the gift as incredibly generous, and said it would go a long way toward redeveloping South University Park. It’s exciting to have people who are willing to make this kind of investment in the city’s parks, he said.

Responding to an email query, Smith later explained that the donation will be deposited into Fund 34, for parks memorials and contributions. Project codes are set up within Fund 34 for specific uses – the South University/Morris project will be established, with its use designated for South University Park.

Updates: Senior Center, Mack Pool

Commissioners got updates on two facilities that had been at risk of closing two years ago: the Ann Arbor senior center in Burns Park, and Mack pool, located inside the Ann Arbor Open School. In 2009, city officials were looking to cut costs, and said that closing the senior center would save about $150,000 annually from the city’s general fund, while Mack pool’s closing would save another $100,000. Residents rallied, and the city formed two task forces to develop strategies – both for raising revenues and cutting expenses – to keep both facilities open.

The reports heard at PAC’s June 21 meeting were updates for the first fiscal year that these strategies took effect. Neither facility hit its target budget goals, but each took steps toward closing the gap between revenues and expenses.

Updates: Senior Center

Pam Simmons, facility supervisor for the senior center, gave the report to PAC, saying that the center was struggling with some challenges but was making great progress. [For background on the senior center, see Chronicle coverage: "Shoring Up the Ann Arbor Senior Center."]

The task force recommendations had set a goal of reducing the center’s reliance on the general fund by $97,872 in fiscal 2011, which ran from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. That goal was to be met through a combination of raising revenue and reducing costs, she said. To date, however, they had achieved $83,806 of that goal.

From left: Deputy parks and recreation manager Jeff Straw, senior center facility supervisor Pam Simmons, and city councilmember Mike Anglin (Ward 5).

There were several areas that fell short. The center instituted membership fees, which were expected to generate $12,500 but instead brought in only $7,110. There are 324 members – their goal had been to sell 500 memberships. Individual annual memberships cost $25, or $35 per couple.

The task force had also recommended starting a travel program, Simmons said, hoping to raise $3,390 this first year. However, a request for proposals (RFP) for someone to run the program drew no responses, she said. Although it was an important goal, the city didn’t have the staff resources to pursue it. A consultant – Hooker DeJong – was hired to develop a long-term plan for the center, which will include recommendations about the travel program, Simmons said. Hooker DeJong is expected to present its full report to the city later this summer.

Rental revenue at the center has almost doubled from FY 2010 to FY 2011 – from $6,681 to $12,374. The highest percentage of rentals (43%) is from Washtenaw Community College, which holds several classes at the center, followed by 33% from celebrations – like birthday and anniversary parties – and 24% from clubs and community groups. Upgrades to the building will improve opportunities for more rentals, Simmons said, and the city is working on a brochure to promote it as a venue.

Another goal for FY 2011 was to reduce staff costs. That was accomplished by changing the center’s operating hours and employee schedules, and using more volunteers. In total, they saved $7,960 – but still short of the $12,588 goal.

The center also tried to raise an extra $3,000 in new revenue from selling more ads in its “Zest” newsletter. However, only $430 more was raised compared to the previous year.

Also falling short was the amount of revenue expected from programming. The goal was to bring in an additional $13,076, but only $5,603 more was raised than last year. The name “senior” is a challenge, Simmons said – some people might not attend programs because they don’t see themselves as seniors. The center’s programs are also competing with many other offerings in the community, she noted.

The center also didn’t see the revenue increase they’d hoped would result from changing agreements with instructors who teach there. Previously the center only received 20% of revenue from such courses. In the restructured agreements, the center gets 40-46%. They lost one of their popular instructors mid-year because of illness, Simmons said, and one yoga instructor left to teach her course elsewhere, taking her students. But now they have a new yoga instructor who focuses on seniors and people with disabilities, and the course is growing. There are opportunities for revenue increases in the future, Simmons said.

There were some areas that exceeded the amount budgeted. More donations were raised than budgeted, Simmons reported – $4,583, compared to an expected $3,500. And though the budget called for just $4,000 in savings from information technology (IT) costs, the center cut $14,844. This is due to a decrease in the number of computers and software applications they use, Simmons said.

An additional $39,000 in revenue came from four sources: (1) an $18,00 grant from the McCalla Trust; (2) $15,000 from Stonyfield Yogurt, from winning a contest in which residents voted to decide which facility would receive the Stonyfield donation; (3) a $4,000 Kiwanis grant; and (4) a large-screen TV valued at $2,500. It’s used for playing Wii games as well as for watching TV, Simmons said.

Simmons told commissioners that the city hired Hooker DeJong to develop a long-term strategic plan for the center, which it will be presented later this summer. [The city council approved a $34,750 contract for those services in November 2010. The Ann Arbor Community Foundation funded $16,949 of that amount, with the remainder coming from the city's general fund.]

The consultants are finding that some of the challenges include the center’s location – many seniors don’t live close to it, Simmons noted – and its size. However, she said they think services can expand 30-40% without overflowing the building. The building has a capacity for 96 people, but can comfortably accommodate about 50-60.

Facility improvements – new paint, resanded floors, and a new picture window in the entry, among other things – will make the building more attractive for classes, rentals and other events, Simmons said. She praised the city’s Kim Mortson for developing marketing materials, which have helped publicize events and activities at the center. But another challenge is the lack of a daily printed newspaper in Ann Arbor, Simmons said – it’s difficult for seniors to find things out in the traditional ways.

In summary, the center isn’t quite where it wanted to be at this point, but they’ve made a lot of progress, Simmons said.

Updates: Senior Center – Commissioner Discussion

Karen Levin asked about the membership fee – what was the response when it was instituted? Simmons said they did lose some people who felt their tax dollars alone should fund the center. About 50 people who were part of the former travel group left, she said, as did some social bridge players and others. But overall, the response was positive, she said.

Gwen Nystuen asked if there are any benefits to membership. Simmons reported that members get the newsletter, “Zest,” which comes out quarterly, and reduced fees on classes and other activities. One benefit was supposed to be access to a travel program, but that didn’t happen this year, she said.

Sam Offen asked about the fact that the center isn’t located on a bus line – is that a problem? That’s been an issue for many years, Simmons acknowledged. People can take a taxi, but there’s no close bus stop. The other challenge is parking – especially in the summer, when people who are not affiliated with the senior center come to Burns Park and use parking spaces in the senior center’s lot.

David Barrett asked about competition for programming – it is primarily from the YMCA? Simmons said the Y offers similar classes, as does Ann Arbor Rec & Ed and private fitness businesses. There’s also competition from other lecture series. Simmons said if this were a small community like Gregory, where she lives, then all the offerings at the center would be popular. But in Ann Arbor, there’s a variety of choices.

In light of the disappointing outcome from new programming, Simmons said they’re concentrating on increasing rentals, especially on evenings and weekends. When the consultants report their recommendations, that might include suggestions for programming, she added, which the city staff will evaluate.

In response to another question from Offen, Simmons said that the center has had a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Washtenaw Community College for the past 2-3 years, related to WCC renting space at the center. However, it’s not clear that WCC will renew the MOU this year, she said, so the city staff is looking at other options, like finding other established programs that need to rent rooms.

Barrett asked if it’s possible to give donations that are earmarked for specific things at the center. It can be handled either way, Simmons said. For example, the $100,000 bequest from James Flinn Jr., given to the center in 2007, didn’t specify a use – the center drew about $37,000 from the Flinn bequest this year for operations.

Christopher Taylor, an ex-officio PAC commissioner and city councilmember who represents Ward 3, where the center is located, asked about the center’s FY 2012 budget. Was it adjusted to reflect the results of FY 2011? Yes, Simmons said – the FY 2012 budget calls for the center to generate about $83,000.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said that while the center didn’t manage to totally bridge the gap between expenses and revenues, they did a good job. And because other facilities in the park system outperformed their goals, “it all balances out.”

Updates: Mack Pool

Dan McGuire, supervisor for Mack and Fuller pools, briefed commissioners on results from FY 2011 for Mack – its season runs from September through May, but is closed during the summer. [For previous Chronicle coverage, see: "Task Force Floats Ways to Save Mack Pool," "More Options for Ann Arbor's Mack Pool," and "Proposals for Mack Pool, Senior Center Approved"]

Like the senior center, Mack didn’t generate as much revenue or achieve all the savings that were budgeted for the year. The pool had been subsidized with $102,413 from the city’s general fund, and the goal was to decrease that subsidy by $46,955. Instead, the pool came in at $32,720 for the year.

The budget had called for $12,000 in energy savings, but only $1,900 were realized. A pool blanket was installed and it did reduce water heating expenses, McGuire said, but not by as much as expected – in part because the cost of energy increased. Natural gas usage dropped 16% during the year, for a savings of $1,200. Installation of LED lighting helped cut electrical costs by 8%, for a $700 annual savings.

Increased fees for master classes and season passes were expected to raise $8,375 in additional revenue, but only brought in an extra $1,267. When gathering public input, McGuire said, the task force consistently heard that fees were too low – that’s why the task force recommended that fees be raised, and those increases were approved by PAC and city council. Season pass revenue increased by 3.3% and visits were up 14%, he said. For master swim sessions, revenue increased 9.4% but participation was down 11%. McGuire attributed much of that to coaching turnover, and noted that new coaches who started using Mack during the year are still building their following.

Programming was expanded during the year, with the addition of a Saturday morning masters session, Aqua Zumba sessions offered through a contract with Fitness RX, a Sunday “fun day” on the second Sunday of each month, and Red Cross swim lessons and lifeguard lessons. They also offered a new program called Swim Fast & Fun, which offered sessions for kids interested in competitive swimming, but who aren’t quite ready for that level. The program was popular and had a waiting list, McGuire said, so they plan to offer it again. Some of the other programming – like the fitness classes – had a low participation, however. People aren’t looking at Mack for fitness training, he said, because there are so many other options in the area.

The city also retooled its agreement with the Ann Arbor Public Schools, which expanded the amount of pool time available to the city by 14 hours per week. It allows the city to hold morning public swim times on Tuesday and Thursday from 7:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., to extend its daily lap swim from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and to schedule “tot splash” hours on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7-8:30 p.m.

Rentals brought in more revenues than expected, McGuire said – an additional $16,554, compared to a budgeted increase of $12,500. New rentals came from Swim Smart Academy and Club Wolverine for competitive youth swimmers.

Marketing was increased during the year, McGuire reported, including increased use of social media, traditional advertising and more visible signs. He also noted that Mack pool realized $11,124 in reduced information technology costs, on par with the amount budgeted.

They saw success in some areas while not hitting their goals in others, McGuire concluded – they’ll keep working at it.

Updates: Mack Pool – Commissioner Discussion

Julie Grand asked about the rental revenues – it seemed like they should have seen more from that. Jeff Straw, deputy parks and recreation manager, noted that while the pool received $8,000 from Swim Smart and $22,500 from Club Wolverine, that was offset in part because they lost about $22,000 in rental from the departure of a synchronized swimming group.

Doug Chapman asked whether the energy savings from the pool blanket and LED lights covered the cost of those items. Not yet, McGuire said. The lights cost $800 each, for a total of $12,000. The pool blanket cost about $4,000. It will take several years to recoup their costs, he said.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, noted that the lights and blanket were paid for out of the parks millage, so it’s not included in the pool’s operating expenses. But he acknowledged that they had expected to see more energy savings, especially as a result of the pool blanket. He said they had scaled back their original projections, and he’s glad they did – it wasn’t the windfall they’d hoped for. In response to a query by Sam Offen, Smith said they’d based their estimates on information from the pool blanket manufacturer and the city’s energy office.

Tim Berla asked about Mack pool’s cost to the general fund – how did they end the year? Straw said that the roughly $102,000 subsidy from the general fund had been reduced to about $75,000 for FY 2011. They’re budgeting a $70,000 subsidy for the pool in FY 2012.

Smith noted that this is the first year they’ve tried new programs and adjusted the schedules, and it wasn’t realistic to expect everything to succeed. Staff will make adjustments, he said. “It’s a work in progress every year, that’s for sure.” They’re working with Kim Mortson of the city’s communications staff to increase their marketing, including on social media sites like Facebook, he said. Mortson is also developing core lists of contacts to do targeted promotions, and they expect to see results from that in the coming year.

Mike Anglin, an ex-officio PAC member who represents Ward 5 on city council, asked about the relationship with AAPS. Cost-sharing was adjusted based on the percentage of time the city uses the pool, Smith said, adding that it’s going well from an operational perspective.

Parks Capital Projects

Amy Kuras, the city’s park planner, gave a quarterly update of capital projects that are completed or in the works. Later in the meeting, commissioners voted to recommend awarding contracts for two projects: locker room renovations at Veterans Memorial Park, and upgrades to the West Park tennis courts.

Parks Capital Projects: Quarterly Update

Kuras gave brief descriptions of work being done in more than a dozen of the city’s parks. Highlights include:

• Renovations are completed or nearly complete at the Buhr Park ice arena, which was repainted, and for upgrades of the Veterans Memorial Park tennis courts. Barrier-free access improvements were also made at Veterans Memorial, and a shade structure is being built there with solar panel on it – a project that’s being paid in large part through the city’s energy office. Upgrades to the locker rooms are also in the works. Among other things, they’ll be adding rubberized flooring to make it easier for ice skaters and hockey players to use the rooms. [Commissioners recommended approval of that project later in their meeting.]
• The Chapin Street house on property adjacent to West Park has been torn down to improve visibility into the park, increasing the sense of openness as well as safety, Kuras said. Construction will start later this summer on tennis court upgrades at West Park. [Commissioners recommended approval of that project later in their meeting.]
• A walkway is being built in Wellington Park, between Miller and Dexter-Ann Arbor roads, in conjunction with street repair work in that area.
• Playground equipment is being replaced at Beckley Park off of Pontiac Trail, and a path to Argo is being rebuilt. A trail next to Beckley, by the Fairview cemetery, is being widened. Also, the city is installing a bocci ball court at Beckley Park, at the request of neighbors.
• At Winewood Thaler Park, parks staff will be clearing invasive plants from a dense wooded area there. They’ll also relocate the playground to a more central spot within the park, and renovate the basketball courts and asphalt walkways.
• Access stairs will be built into Hunt Park, off of Daniel Street – it’s on the east side of the park, near the Project Grow gardens. They’ll likely put that project out to bid soon, Kuras said.
• Repairs are planned at the Island Park Greek Revival shelter and historic bridge. An architect has been hired to do a structural evaluation – damage from water and insects is a problem, so any reconstruction will likely be done with more durable materials, Kuras said. As it moves forward, the project will need approval from the historic district commission.
• The pergola at West Park, off of Miller, is also in need of repair. They’ll be getting a structural evaluation of that as well.
• The raptor center trail at Leslie Science & Nature Center will be replaced, and the city is looking at possible use of porous material for that project, Kuras said – possibly made of recycled glass. It’s possible that the city’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) could provide the recycled glass for this project – if not, they’ll use a different porous material, she said.
• Upgrades are planned for the entry and parking lots at Buhr and Riverside parks. At Riverside, it’s possible they’ll relocate the parking lot because of problems with flooding.
• Improvements at the Gallup Park boat launch and canoe livery are in the works. The city has applied for state grants to fund this project, and the scope of the improvements will depend in part on whether those grant funds are awarded. [For details, see Chronicle coverage: "PAC Supports Grants for Skatepark, Gallup"]

Parks Capital Projects: Quarterly Update – Commissioner Discussion

Gwen Nystuen asked whether porous materials are being used for all projects. Kuras replied that it adds significantly to the cost, and in some cases the same environmental goals can be achieved in other ways – by using bioswales on the site, for example. They evaluate each project and consider porous materials where it makes sense, she said. Maintenance costs are also a factor, she said, because porous surfaces must be vacuumed to remove particulates.

Chronicle file photo from April 2011 of damaged swirl concentrator pieces at the northwest section of West Park after excavation from underground.

If they use porous materials at the Leslie Science site, Sam Offen suggested they include some kind of signs to explain how the porous surface works and why it’s valuable to take that approach. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, noted that it might be possible to pay for those projects out of the city’s stormwater fund.

David Barrett asked for an update on the swirl concentrators at West Park, which had collapsed earlier this year. [At PAC's February 2011 meeting, commissioners got a report from Craig Hupy, head of systems planning for the city, who described the "catastrophic failure" of at least one of the devices, an partial failure of others. Eight had been installed underground as part of broad stormwater management system at the park.]

Kuras said the city hired an engineering firm to evaluate the situation, and to determine a fix. That process is still underway, but she hoped the work could be completed during the current construction season.

Parks Capital Projects: Contracts for Locker Rooms, Tennis Courts

PAC considered two resolutions related to capital projects at its June 21 meeting. Commissioners were asked to recommend approval of a $131,670 contract with Construction Solutions Inc. to renovate locker rooms at Veterans Memorial Park Pool and Ice Arena. The contract includes $119,700 for the work, plus a 10% ($11,970) contingency. It was the lowest of four bids submitted for the work.

According to a staff memo, the locker rooms get heavy use and were last renovated 20 years ago. Renovations would include installation of barrier-free shower stalls, benches and toilet partitions, rubberized flooring, energy efficient light fixtures, new windows and an upgraded ventilation system. The project would be paid for from the approved FY 2011 proceeds of the park maintenance and capital improvements millage.

Sam Offen asked where the company is located, and was told that it’s an Ann Arbor firm.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval of the contract with Construction Solutions Inc. The recommendation will be forwarded to the city council for final approval.

A separate resolution recommended approval of a $182,964.60 contract with ABC Paving Co. for the renovation of West Park tennis courts, which were built in the 1970s.

Chronicle file photo from September 2008, when major improvements to West Park were only under discussion. Just west of the tennis courts in West Park lies this shuffleboard court in need of a resurfacing. (Image links to September 2008 article.)

The contract includes a 10% ($16,633) contingency. It was the only bid received for the project, but park staff said it’s in line with other tennis court renovations the city has completed. The company is based in the Detroit area.

The project will include replacing the asphalt, fencing, retaining wall, shuffle board court, and entry walk, as well as repairing a second existing retaining wall. The configuration of the courts will remain unchanged. The project would be paid for from the approved FY 2011 proceeds of the park maintenance and capital improvements millage.

Offen wondered why there was only one bid. Kuras said she didn’t know, but guessed that it might be because the project is more complicated due to the retaining walls.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval of the contract with ABC Paving. The recommendation will be forwarded to the city council for final approval.

Communications: Parks Manager Report, City Council

Colin Smith, who leads the city’s parks and recreation department, briefed commissioners on several items. He reported that the June 19 re-opening of West Park was a success, with about 500 people passing through during the day.

Smith reported that he and park planner Amy Kuras would be meeting later that week with representatives from the state Dept. of Natural Resources on a site visit related to the city’s DNR grant applications. Those include applications for the skatepark and Gallup Canoe liveries, which were approved by the city council at its March 21, 2011 meeting – the council revised the priority ranking given by the city so that the skatepark was put ahead of the Gallup Canoe liveries.

In reporting on parks operations, Smith said the spring hadn’t been kind. The wet weather has caused revenues to be significantly lower than budgeted, but expenses are also down nearly an equivalent amount, he said. In April, there were only two days in a row when it didn’t rain, he noted, and May was a similarly rainy month. At the canoe liveries, for example, it’s only been in the past week or so that they could offer river trips – the water levels have been too high. Pools are doing pretty well, he said, and the golf courses will come in as originally budgeted. PAC will get a budget update in July.

Gwen Nystuen asked for updates on the pathways being built along Washtenaw Avenue and on work at Argo Dam. [The city council approved a $1.17 million project to build a bypass channel in the Argo dam headrace and add whitewater features. See Chronicle coverage: "PAC Recommends Argo Dam Bypass"] Smith said the Washtenaw Avenue work isn’t a city parks project, so he couldn’t provide information on that. Regarding Argo, the city has submitted a permit application to the state and is awaiting a response. It’s a very lengthy review process, but they’re in the final stage, he said. While they don’t yet have a permit to move earth, they’ll continue to do work on removing dead vegetation and pumping water out of the headrace.

Christopher Taylor, a Ward 3 city councilmember and ex-officio member of PAC, reported that the city council had passed the FY 2012 budget at the end of May, and that it had included the $90,000 requested by PAC for additional mowing in high-use areas.

Mike Anglin, who represents Ward 5 on city council and is another ex-officio PAC member, asked about negotiations with Veterans Administration hospital – is parks staff involved in that? Smith clarified that Anglin was referring to the VA’s interest in generating hydroelectricity from the city’s dams. [See Chronicle coverage: "Hydropower at Argo Dam?"]

The issue was previously raised at PAC’s October 2010 meeting. From Chronicle coverage:

[PAC commissioner David] Barrett mentioned a hydro feasibility study that the Veterans Administration hospital in Ann Arbor had recently conducted, looking at possible electricity generation from the dams along the Huron River. That possibility is still in play, he said, and his understanding is that the VA is serious. The city obviously can’t make its decision based on that, he said, but it was something to keep in mind.

Molly Wade, the city’s water treatment services manager, said the VA has shared its report with city staff – the study looked specifically at Argo and Geddes dams. It shows a shorter payback period for Geddes compared to Argo, she said, adding that the city has no idea how the VA intends to proceed.

Barrett said his understanding is that the VA is looking at those dams as a package, to fulfill their federal green energy credit requirements. If they were to assume full or partial responsibility for those dams, he said, that would alleviate some costs for the city. Wade stated that the city hasn’t yet had those talks with the VA.

At the June 21 meeting, Smith reported that conversations are ongoing. If any agreement is reached, he said, there would almost certainly be some kind of cost-sharing arrangement for maintenance, at the least.

Public Commentary

Steve Thorp was the only person to address commissioners during public commentary. He thanked the city for the renovations at West Park and for the grand re-opening celebration there on Father’s Day. Thorp noted that the park is around 100 years old – it was once a farm. It’s near Allen Creek, near the place where the first settler cabins were located. The park’s eastern boundary is also the downtown boundary.

Thorp said that he and Bob Dascola would like to offer “Central Park West” as the new name for the park. Based on an informal survey of friends and neighbors, there’s support for that idea, he said. The name offers an association with one of the most beautiful and famous urban parks in the world. He noted the park’s “Olmsteadean vistas” and forested places, broad play areas, curvilinear path system. Thorp said he’s already spoken to city council about this idea, and plans to talk to the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the downtown area citizens advisory group too.

Secondly, Thorp said he’d heard rumors about having a more centrally located dog park. He suggested putting it in West Park, perhaps as a dual use with the baseball field during the off season – that section of the park is already partially fenced. City staff have told him that people don’t pick up their dog’s poop, he said, but there are ways to deal with that. He said he’s putting the idea out there for further discussion, ”over a beer or during a meeting or whatever.”

Present: David Barrett, Doug Chapman, Tim Berla, Tim Doyle, Julie Grand, Karen Levin, Sam Offen, Gwen Nystuen, councilmember Mike Anglin (ex-officio), councilmember Christopher Taylor (ex-officio). Also Colin Smith, city parks manager.

Absent: John Lawter

Next meeting: PAC’s meeting on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 begins at 4 p.m. in the city hall second-floor council chambers, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

Purely a plug: The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor park advisory commission. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

Examples from the set of fee increases include an increase in daily swimming pool admission fees for adults from $4 to $5, and for youth and seniors from $3.50 to $4. The increase in daily swimming pool admission fees is expected to generate an additional $40,000 in revenue for the city.

Alcohol permit fees for residents would be increased from $12 to $25, which is expected to increase revenue by $4,925.

Fees are also proposed for new activities that previously did not exist. Among the new fees would be one for renting inner tubes. The city does not currently rent them out, but expects to be able to do some business with the tubes in connection with the construction of the Argo Dam bypass channel – which is projected to be completed at the end of this season. It would cost $10 to rent a tube. The city is projecting 1,000 such rentals for April-June 2012, for an additional $10,000 in revenue for the FY 2012 budget.

Another fee for a new activity would be for the pilot night market program on Wednesday evenings – the stall charge would be $20, which is expected to generate $10,000 for the city. [Previous Chronicle coverage: "Idea for Night Farmers Market Floated"]

This brief was filed from the Washtenaw County boardroom at 220 N. Main St. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow: [link]