#2 Update and possible action on proposed skate park
City Manager’s Office Memorandum
December 13, 2010
TO: Janesville City Council
FROM: Al Hulick, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Update and Potential Action on Proposed Janesville Outdoor Skate
Park
Summary
At the December 14, 2009 City Council meeting, the Council unanimously voted
to commit $50,000 toward funding for a skate park if the Janesville Outdoor
Skate Park Group could raise $250,000 by December 31, 2010. Additionally, at
their April 12, 2010 the City Council voted to locate the proposed Skate Park in
Monterey Park. At that time, the City Council asked that the City Engineering
Department to review the construction feasibility of placing the skate park at the
Monterey Park site. This memorandum serves as an update to both the
fundraising efforts and the feasibility of placing the skate park at the approved
Monterey Park location.
City Manager Recommendation
After reviewing the Engineering analysis on the Monterey Park site, I believe that
based on soil testing that a skate park could be accommodated with some
additional costs, but that flooding issues at that location remain.
Also, at this time, I believe the group has raised $40,000 which does not meet
the $250,000 goal.
Based on these two factors, I recommend that the Council would either need to
direct staff to be more involved in the fundraising component of the project or that
the project be placed on hold until a new proposal is brought forward with
additional funds raised or a specific plan on how to fund the skate park.
Fundraising
As previously noted, the City Council previously voted to commit $50,000 toward
funding the skate park if the Janesville Outdoor Skate Park Group could raise
$250,000 by December 31, 2010.
The Janesville Outdoor Skate Park Group has held several fundraisers over the
last year and has several other fundraisers tentatively planned. At this time, the
Group has raised approximately $40,000.
Site Feasibility
At their April 12, 2010 meeting, the City Council voted to approve the Monterey
Park location as the proposed site for the Skate Park. The City Council also
asked the City Engineering Department to review the feasibility of constructing a
skate park at the proposed Monterey Park site.
The proposed location at the Monterey Park is situated between the two softball
diamonds located southwest of the stadium. The attached is a Map 1 depicts the
proposed location of the facility. The footprint of the skate park is estimated to be
roughly 100 ft. by 200 ft. in size.
In the summer of 2010, City Engineering Staff dug three test holes at the
proposed Monterey Park site to a depth of 5’5”. Based on observations of the
test holes, the top 18” to 30” consists of top soil, followed by a 7” to 9” layer of
sandy silt and the balance consists of silty clay. The ground water depth varied
between 1.5’ to 5’ below the surface.
According to the City’s Engineering Manager, the top 2.5’ of existing soil at the
site is not necessarily ideal for the construction of a standard 5” to 6” concrete
slab with base, as the soil is likely to absorb and hold water and expand/contract
with weather changes and fluctuation in the ground water. However, Staff does
believe that a pavement structure in this location could be engineered by
excavating the existing soil and filling with open graded base materials (which
would be required regardless due to the sites location within the flood fringe, see
below). Staff also noted that the cost to engineer the proposed Monterey Park
site to accommodate a skate park would be considerably less than constructing a
skate park at another location that would require the construction of a parking lot
and restroom facilities.
The proposed location for the skate park, along with the play fields in the
Monterey area, is located in the flood fringe area where building development is
permissible if elevated above the 100-year floodplain elevation. During the 2008
flood, the proposed location did experience a minimal level of flooding. Staff
believes that if proposed skate park location experienced flooding again, it would
not create any permanent damage to the facility or equipment based on
construction design requirements and the need to slightly elevate the ground
surface area for the skate park.
One unknown variable for the site is the effect that the local geese population will
have on the site. Geese typically congregate in the Monterey Park area and
leave droppings behind. Whether the geese would be afraid of the skate park
due to the noise and activity would have to be continuously monitored.
Overall, staff believes that the proposed Monterey Park site is an appropriate
location for the Skate Park based on the existing amenities (parking, bathrooms,
bike trail, and other recreational facilities). Staff believes the challenges that the
existing soils pose could be easily engineered and rectified at a cost far less than
building the aforementioned amenities at another location.
Background
The following represents a recent timeline regarding the skate park efforts
leading up to this point.
1. On April 12, 2010 the City Council reviewed the LSAC and Plan
Commissions recommendations to locate the skate park at the proposed
Monterey Park site. The City Council approved a motion to approve the
Monterey Park site with a 5-2-0 vote.
2. On April 5, 2010 the Plan Commission reviewed the proposed Monterey
site location to determine if it was consistent with the City’s Park & Open
Space Plan and the Comprehensive Plan. At the conclusion of the
discussion the Plan Commission voted to forward the proposed site with a
positive recommendation to the City Council with a 5-0-0 vote.
3. On March 9, 2010 the Leisure Services Advisory Committee (LSAC)
reviewed four locations in the city for a proposed skate park. At the
conclusion of the meeting the LSAC approved a motion to forward a
recommendation that the Monterey Park site be chosen as the location for
the skate park with a 7-1-0 vote.
4. At the December 14, 2009 City Council meeting, the Council unanimously
voted to commit $50,000 toward funding for a skate park if the Janesville
Outdoor Skate Park Group could raise $250,000 by December 31, 2010.
cc: Eric Levitt
Jacob Winzenz
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