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UH, GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
[Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on December 6, 2023.]
TO THE DECEMBER 6TH, 2023 MEETING OF THE GARLAND PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD.WE HAVE, UH, EVERYBODY, WE HAVE A FULL HOUSE AGAIN.
ALL RIGHT? AND, AND I GET TWO VOTES.
SO YOU GET, YOU GET TWO VOTES OVER THERE.
WELL, YOUR VOTES SHOULD COUNT THAT MUCH.
ANYWAY, UH, BEFORE, BEFORE WE START WITH THE AGENDA, I'LL JUST MAKE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT, UH, HERE, AND THAT IS JUST RECENTLY WE LOST ONE OF OUR FORMER, UM, MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE PARK BOARD, A PERSON WHO WAS CHAIRMAN FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
AND MOLLY, DID YOU KNOW, I DID NOT KNOW YOU.
YEAH, I, UM, IJ JR WYNN AND HIS FAMILY MOVED TO GARLAND AND THEY MOVED TO THE, UH, LITTLE THING CALLED COMMUNITY, WHICH WAS RIGHT OUT NEAR CENTERVILLE AND GLENBROOK AREA IN THAT AREA WHERE THE, WHERE THE LONG WIND PARK, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE A GREAT, GREAT, PROBABLY, UH, TO JR.
AND HE WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED, UH, WITH THE CITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND HE JUST RECENTLY PASSED AWAY AND JUST WANTED, WANTED US TO ALL BE AWARE THAT, THAT, UH, WE LOST SOMEONE THAT, THAT, THAT HAD A LONG HISTORY IN WORKING WITH THIS, WITH THIS BOARD.
UM, FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
UH, I MAKE A MOTION, A CHANCE TO LOOK AT 'EM AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT WAS THERE, AND YOU COULD RECITE IT TO US BACKWARDS.
BUT I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE DANG THINGS.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A, HAVE A MOTION BY MR. PARISH AND A SECOND BY MS. BISHOP.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AND ALL THOSE APPROVED, ALL THOSE THAT OPPOSE NONE, SO THEY'RE PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE HERE FROM THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
SO WE GO THROUGH ITEM TWO AND THEN WE'LL GO TO ITEM THREE, UH, ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
AND THE FIRST ONE IS TO LOOK AT, UH, EITHER CANCELING OR RESCHEDULING THE JANUARY, UH, 2024 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING.
AND, UH, FIRST OFF, UH, WE HAVE THE, WE HAVE AN OPTION OF TWO DATES IF WE WISH TO CONTINUE THE JANUARY MEETING.
UH, AND THAT WOULD BE THE, THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY, UH, AFTER OUR NORMAL DATE.
THAT'D BE JANUARY 10TH OR 11TH IF YOU WISH TO HAVE THE MEETING OR IF YOU WISH TO CANCEL, UH, WE'RE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
I JUST, UH, YEAH, JUST, I, JUST BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON, I CAN'T IMAGINE MUCH IS GONNA HAPPEN BETWEEN THEN AND, UM, THAT FIRST WEEK.
I THINK, AND IT TAKES, IT TAKES A LOT OF STAFF TIME TO PUT THESE MEETINGS TOGETHER.
PROBABLY WON'T BE BUSY WORKING.
WELL, HOPEFULLY THEY GET TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES, WHICH I THINK IS EVEN MORE OF REASON.
IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE WORKING, THEY'RE GONNA BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ARE THERE ANY ISSUES THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY CRUNCH TIME ON RIGHT NOW THAT WOULD NECESSITATE OUR BEING HERE? THEY CAN'T WAIT TILL FEBRUARY.
I KNOW THIS ONE, BUT STAFF IS PREPARED FOR A LENGTHY FEBRUARY MEETING.
SO THAT, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO, UM, CANCEL THE JANUARY MEETING AND SO WE'LL CALL FOR VOTE NOW.
JANUARY, 2024 MEETING IS CANCELED AND WE WILL MEET AGAIN ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF FEBRUARY OF 2024.
WE GONNA HANDLE THIS ONE FOR US THIS EVENING.
IF I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK THE MICROPHONE FROM HERE, I CAN MAKE THIS MICROPHONE.
WHERE'S THE BUTTON? COME ON NOW.
IS MIKE ON? I'M NOT USED TO BEING OVER HERE.
YES, THIS EVENING WE HAVE KEATON BLYTHE COME ON UP.
UM, HE IS OUR AQUATICS SUPERVISOR.
HE'S ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENT STAFF THAT HAS REALLY JUST GROWN UP IN THIS DEPARTMENT, AND HE IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE AQUATICS,
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UH, DIVISION, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY THINK RUN RUNS JUST MAY THROUGH AUGUST.AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
SO HOPEFULLY HE CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT AREN'T AS, UM, APPARENT ABOUT THE POSITION AND WHAT ALL IT TAKES.
SO LIKE LEE SAID, MY NAME IS KEATON BLYTHE.
UM, I'M THE AQUATIC, UH, PROGRAM SUPERVISOR WITH THE CITY OF GARLAND.
UM, I STARTED WORKING AT 16 AT SURF AND SWIM IN 2009.
I BECAME A POOL MANAGER IN 2013, AND THEN FULL-TIME, UM, IN 2018.
AND SO BASICALLY MY WHOLE PROFESSIONAL CAREER HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY OF GARLAND, UM, WHICH I'VE BEEN VERY THANKFUL FOR.
UM, SO AS THE, UH, SUPERVISOR, I'M OVER THE BOND, UH, PROJECT, UH, AQUATICS, HIRING, TRAINING, UM, OPERATIONS.
UH, OPERATIONS, SAFETY, UH, PROGRAMMING, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER PROJECTS AND EVENTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
SO SOME OF THE BOND PO BOND PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON ARE SURF AND SWIM, UH, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN THE DESIGN PHASE.
WE ARE 90%, UH, DONE WITH THAT.
UM, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE TO BE OPENING SUMMER 2026.
UH, HOLFORD IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UH, WITH AN ANTICIPATED DATE OF T UH, SUMMER 2025.
UM, THESE PICTURES OVER HERE ARE, UH, HALFORD'S, UH, RENDERS.
UM, BOTTOM HAS THE REC CENTER AND THE POOL.
THE TOP ONE IS THE SLIDES THAT WE PLAN ON USING.
UM, SO LIKE DELEE SAID, MY JOB IS PRETTY MUCH YEAR ROUND.
UM, EVEN THOUGH SUMMER IS ONLY A COUPLE MONTHS, UM, I HAVE TO START HIRING IN DECEMBER.
SO THAT'S WHEN I PUSH OUT HIRING FOR MANAGERS.
UM, I HAVE TO HIRE THEM ON SO THEY CAN HELP ME WITH MY LIFEGUARD CLASSES, GO THROUGH INSTRUCTOR COURSES, UM, THAT HAPPEN IN FEBRUARY.
UM, SO WITH RECRUITING, I GO THROUGH SCHOOL VISITS.
UH, WE DO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, UM, TO HELP REACH OUT TO OUR, UM, EMPLOYEES.
MOST OF OUR, UH, EMPLOYEES AGE BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE, UM, COLLEGE AGE.
UM, SO THEY'RE VERY SOCIAL MEDIA TECH FRIENDLY.
WE DO THREE TO FOUR LIFEGUARD CLASSES A YEAR.
DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH STAFF WE NEED AND HOW MUCH THOSE CLASSES MAKE.
UM, WE DO TWO SWIM INSTRUCTOR CLASSES AND THEN WE HAVE AN ORIENTATION FOR EACH OF THOSE POSITIONS AT THE POOL.
UM, IN A FULL SUMMER WHEN WE HAD ALL THREE POOLS OPEN, WE DID HIRE 18 MANAGERS, UM, SEVEN, UH, SWIM SUPERVISORS, 90 LIFEGUARDS, 45 SWIM INSTRUCTORS, AND 35 GUEST SERVICE.
UM, WITH JUST BRADFIELD BEING OPEN SINCE SURF AND, UH, HOLFORD HAD BEEN CLOSED, WE WENT DOWN TO, UH, FOUR MANAGERS, THREE SWIM SUPERVISORS, 35 LIFEGUARDS, AND 30, UH, SWIM INSTRUCTORS AND FOUR GUEST SERVICE.
UH, WE ALSO DO, IF IT'S A WEIRD YEAR, LIKE WITH COVID, WE DO STAND ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A SHARK OUTFIT.
SO YOU MAY SEE US THERE AS WELL.
UM, FOR AQUATIC OPERATIONS, UM, I GO OVER STAFF SCHEDULING, UM, OVERSIGHT OF THE STAFF DAILY DOCUMENTATION, UH, RUNNING OUR IN-SERVICE TRAININGS, UM, ENSURING THAT OUR SUPPLIES ARE IN STOCK AND AT THE PROPER LOCATION.
UM, ALL OF OUR CASH HANDLING IS, UH, BEING MAINTAINED AND DOCUMENTED.
UM, ANY OPERATIONAL AUDITS THAT WE, UM, WANNA MAKE SURE OUR STAFF ARE DOING, AND THEN STAFF ENGAGEMENTS AS WELL.
SO FOR AQUATIC SAFETY, OUR LIFEGUARDS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE FOUR HOURS OF IN-SERVICE EVERY MONTH.
SO EVERY, UH, EVERY WEEK WE DO HAVE AN IN-SERVICE TRAINING, UM, WHICH MAINTAINS THEIR LICENSE THAT THEY, UM, THAT THEY CURRENTLY HOLD.
AND THEN THEY, UH, ANY UPDATES FOR THOSE SKILLS AS WELL.
UM, WE DO HAVE INTERNAL AUDITS, UH, WHICH ARE VISUAL TIMED VISUAL AWARENESS TEST.
UH, SO THIS JUST MEANS THAT WE WOULD THROW EITHER A MANNEQUIN INTO THE WATER THAT SIMULATES A GUEST IN DISTRESS.
UH, WE DO SILHOUETTES OR WE DO LIVE ACTIVE WHERE WE'LL SEND IN EITHER SOMEONE FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, ONE OF THE STAFF ON BREAKS TO ACT LIKE THEY ARE A GUEST IN DISTRESS.
UH, SO TRYING TO SIMULATE THESE SCENARIOS.
UM, WE ARE A CLIENT OF JEFF ELLISON ASSOCIATES.
UM, THAT'S WHO WE GET OUR LICENSE AND CERTIFICATIONS THROUGH.
UM, AND THEY PROVIDE AUDITS AS WELL.
WE HAVE A VISUAL AUDIT, WHICH AGAIN, THEY COME INTO OUR FACILITY, UM, WE DON'T KNOW THEY'RE THERE.
AND THEN THEY JUST VIDEOTAPE OUR STAFF, MAKING SURE THEY'RE SCANNING, WATCHING THEIR WATER, UM, WHICH IS MAJORITY OF THEIR JOB.
UM, AFTER THAT WE HAVE A SKILLS AUDIT WHERE ONCE THE PARK IS CLOSED, WE GO OVER A FULL BLOWN SCENARIO, WHICH CONSISTS OF EITHER A WATER RESCUE, PULLING THEM OUT OF THE WATER, UM, GOING INTO CPR, UM, RESCUE, BREATHING, WHATEVER THE SCENARIO MAY ENTAIL.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A DOCUMENTATION AUDIT, MAKING SURE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR LICENSES.
UM, ALL OF OUR IN SERVICES ARE IN CHECK.
UM, ALL OF OUR OPENING CLOSING CHECKLISTS, ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT IS, UM, NON EXPIRED AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE TOP 10%
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IN THE WORLD, UM, OUT OF THEIR 1500 CLIENTS.UM, SO WE DO LIKE TO HOLD THAT.
WE HOLD OUR STAFF AT A VERY HIGH STANDARD.
UM, SO THAT IS A VERY GOOD, UH, METRIC FOR US.
UH, WE DO, UH, EQUIPMENT AND, UM, ATTRACTION INSPECTIONS AS WELL.
SO WE ALWAYS, EVERY DAY WE INSPECT ALL OF OUR CRASH BAG EQUIPMENT, OUR OXYGEN, OUR A ED, UM, MAKING SURE ALL THAT STUFF IS UP TO DATE AND CURRENT AND IS READY TO BE USED IN A MOMENT'S NOTE NOTICE, UH, AQUATIC PROGRAMS. UH, SO WE DO HAVE A LARGE SWIM LESSON PROGRAM.
UH, JUST BRADFIELD ALONE, WE HAD 1,620, UM, REGISTRATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE FOUR SESSIONS PER SUMMER.
UH, EACH SESSION IS TWO WEEKS WITH FOUR, UH, DAYS A WEEK.
UM, WE DID OFFER A WATER AEROBICS THIS YEAR, BUT IT DID NOT MAKE, UM, FOR THE SENIORS.
UH, SO WE ARE GONNA TRY AND PUSH THAT OUT AGAIN, TRY AND, UH, WORK WITH THE SENIORS A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THAT COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN I WORK ON, UH, SEVERAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS.
SO I'M, UH, PART OF THE, UM, GARLAND GRAVEYARD TRUNK OR TREAT COMMITTEE.
UM, THE, A HUNT COMMITTEE AND IN THE, UH, THE SWEETHEART DANCE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN I'VE ALSO PAIRED WITH THE CBB AND ATHLETICS, UH, RUNNING OUR ASIAN AMERICAN SOCCER TOURNAMENT, UM, AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE OUR BUDDY LEAGUES, UM, ANNIVERSARY TOURNAMENT.
AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR YOU GUYS.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE, UH, SPLASH PADS? SPLASH PADS? UM, NOT REALLY.
THOSE ARE OUR MAINTENANCE, UM, STAFF.
I'M PRETTY HANDS OFF ON THOSE.
UM, SO SURFING STONE'S GONNA BE CLOSED FOR TWO YEARS? YES.
WHY IS IT, WHY THE DELAY ON THAT? SO, SURF AND SWIM, I'LL, I'LL HELP YOU ON THAT ONE.
SO SURF AND SWIM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE EKING ALONG AND IT JUST BECAME REALLY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE TO CONSTANTLY HAVE TO CLOSE EARLY DUE TO MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
AND SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THAT WHILE WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THAT NEW FACILITY.
BUT, UM, WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG? THAT'S YOU'VE, WE JUST, UH, WE'RE ABOUT 90% DONE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS ON THAT.
IT WILL GO OUT TO BID, UM, IN THE NEW YEAR.
AND THEN ONCE THAT BID GETS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL AND AWARDED, THEN THEY CAN START CONSTRUCTION.
AND I MEAN, IT'S JUST THESE THINGS.
THEY'RE NOT JUST DONE ON A NAPKIN, YOU KNOW, OVERNIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT HAVE TO GO INTO IT WITH A DESIGN DETAIL AND THEN CREATING THOSE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, ALL OF THE, THE BID PROCESS, IT JUST ALL TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
WELL, UM, THE CHAIRMAN AND I ATTENDED A, UM, A DALLAS PRESENTED FULL, UM, UPDATE AND THEY WERE GIVEN, UM, A TWO YEAR DEADLINE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A THREE YEAR ONE FROM WHAT I CAN KIND OF SEE.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE THAT UP.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT, HOW THEY SAID, WANT THAT OPEN FOR A, YOU KNOW, AND THEY MADE IT HAPPEN? I JUST, I JUST REMEMBER BEING IMPRESSED PARTICULARLY.
UM, DOES, I DON'T FELT LIKE IT TOOK THAT LONG TO GET BUILT ORIGINALLY, SO I WAS, WELL THERE'S, THIS ONE WILL HAVE A WHOLE LOT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MORE AMENITIES WITH THE NEW FACILITY THAN THERE WERE WITH WHAT WAS THERE.
SO IT'S NOT GOING, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE WAVE POOL ANYMORE.
AND SO WE'VE GOT SLIDES AND THE FLOW RIDER AND SO THERE'S A LOT MORE IN, AND WE ALSO THOUGHT ORIGINALLY, UM, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SALVAGE PARTS OF THE EXISTING SURF, LIKE THE BUILDINGS AND WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO WE STARTED THAT WHOLE DESIGN PROCESS AND HAD TO START FROM SCRATCH.
'CAUSE I, I MEAN, I KNOW IT COMES WITH A LOT OF MECHANICS, BUT I, AND I KNOW IT'S AN OUTDOOR PROJECT FOR THE MOST PART EXCEPT FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE MECHANICS.
AND I, AND I'VE BEEN, I'VE TOURED OVER THERE THE MECHANICS OF, OF WHAT USED TO BE THERE.
I JUST DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE SO LONG COMING TO FRUITION.
SO IT, IT'LL MAKE IT IN 2026 IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
SO I MEAN, WE, WE ARE JUST FINISHING ALL OF THE DESIGN UP AND LIKE I SAID, THE PROJECT WILL GO OUT TO BID IN THE NEW YEAR.
AND SO EVERYBODY, THEN THOSE BIDS HAVE TO BE REVIEWED BY CITY STAFF, THEN THE BID HAS TO BE AWARDED.
SO ALL OF THAT JUST TAKES TIME.
UM, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
I JUST, SO WE ARE, WE TOOK, UM, UH, WIND, WIND POOL OUT OF, OUT OF PLAY.
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THE SUMMER BEFORE? YEAH.SO, SO WHERE'S THE RAPPORT? BRADFIELD IS THE CURRENT ONE.
AND THEN HOLFORD WILL OPEN AND THEN SURF WILL OPEN AND THEN WIND GOT THE SPLASH PAD SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WON'T, THERE WON'T BE A POOL REPLACED THERE.
SO WE'RE LIKE GONNA PROMOTE LIKE EASTFIELD OR SOMETHING AND INDOOR FACILITY OR THERE ISN'T, THERE ISN'T ANOTHER POOL FACILITY FOR THE PUBLIC.
BUT BRADFIELD IS WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING.
CARL AND ISD ALSO HAS AN INDOOR FACILITY.
IT'S NICE AND IT'S NOT REALLY NICE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A HIGH COST, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT.
YOU READY? OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC? I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS OPEN.
UH, THERE'S, THEY HAVE OPEN, UH, LAP SWIM TIME AND I'VE GONE, IT'S REALLY NICE.
HOW, HOW LONG IS IT OPEN DURING WEEK? UM, I THINK MON I THINK MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FROM LIKE FOUR TO SEVEN THEY HAVE OPEN LAP SWIM.
BUT YOU HAVE TO LIKE PAY I THINK $5 OR $10.
I CAN'T REMEMBER TO SWIM UHHUH.
BUT, BUT IT IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBS AND IN THE BEGINNING THERE'S A LOT OF GONNA BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
I'M SEEING A LOT OF CARS THERE.
YOU JUST HAVE TO CHECK THEIR CALENDAR.
YOU HAVE TO CHECK THEIR CALENDAR.
'CAUSE IF THEY HAVE A MEET THEN THEY WON'T HAVE IT.
AND THEY SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE POSTPONED.
THE AUDITORIUM OFF FIREWALL PARKWAY.
UM, MOLLY, ARE YOU DONE? YOU'RE DONE.
MINIMUM AGE OF THE, UH, LIFEGUARDS OR THE YOUNGEST EMPLOYEE? YOU CAN HAVE 16.
AND WATER AEROBICS? UH, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY IT'S ONLY OFFERED FOR SENIOR.
IT IT WAS ONLY OFFERED FOR SENIORS OR RIGHT.
SO THAT WAS OUR MAIN TURT AUDIENCE.
WHENEVER WE DID OUR, UM, MASTER PLANNING AND REACHED OUT TO THEM TO SEE WHAT THEY WANTED, UM, AEROBICS WAS A, A MAIN ONE.
SO WE WERE JUST TRYING TO PAIR WITH OUR, UM, SENIOR CENTERS TO TRY AND WORK WITH THEM, UM, AND GET THE SENIORS INVOLVED, UM, IN A BROADER PROGRAM.
WHAT DID, WOULD IT GONNA BE, UM, A HUNDRED PERCENT SUBSIDIZED OR, BUT ARE THEY GONNA, UH, DO A COST? NO.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS 55.
$55 FOR HOW MANY CLASSES? TWO CLASSES FOR TWO CLASSES.
SO IT, IT WAS SIX WEEKS I HER TO COME UP HERE SIX WEEKS.
SO SAM, THIS IS SAM CAREY, SHE'S OUR ATHLETICS AND AQUATICS MANAGER.
SO IT WAS $55 FOR SIX WEEKS, TWO TIMES A WEEK.
AND TRANSPORTATION FROM THE SENIOR CENTER AND OH, OKAY.
IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS LIKE 55 FOR ONE WEEK.
I'M LIKE, OH, WELL THERE'S YOUR
WE JUST DIDN'T MAKE, WE, WE DIDN'T MAKE IT.
UM, SO IT, WE DID NOT MAKE THAT.
I WONDER IF WE COULD JUST A, A SUGGESTION.
I WONDER IF WE COULD MAKE IT SO IT'S AVAILABLE TO ANY OF THE PUBLIC AND THEN IF THERE'S JUST MORE OF A SUBSIDIZED COST FOR SENIORS.
UM, SO AT LEAST IT DOES MAKE, 'CAUSE I THINK WATER OAKS WOULD BE NICE FOR THE PUBLIC WITHOUT AN AGE RESTRICTION, BUT THERE COULD BE A LOWER COST FOR SENIORS.
YOU HAD A QUESTION? YEAH, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR STAFFING LEVELS.
UH, HOW WERE THEY LIKE THE LAST FEW YEARS? I KNOW.
SO THEY WERE KIND OF STRUGGLING ALL ACROSS THE NATION.
UM, UNTIL WE RAISED TO $15 AN HOUR, UM, WE WERE STRUGGLING 'CAUSE WE WERE AT 8 75 AND THEN WE'D RAISED TO 12.
UM, THAT $15 AN HOUR STILL REALLY HELPED US, BUT WE STILL HAVE SOME, UM, DIFFICULTY TRYING TO GET THAT.
UM, BUT IT DEFINITELY DOES HELP OUT.
SO WE'VE MET OUR STAFFING NEEDS.
LUCKILY WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY, UM, GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I HAVE, UH, I HAVE ONE FOR THE SURFACE GROUND.
WE, WE HAVEN'T SEEN, WE HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT THE FINAL LOOK ON THAT IS.
WE PLAN TO BRING SOME RENDERINGS TO THE BOARD IN FEBRUARY.
FUTURE AGENDA ARE AND ARE WE
THAT'S ONE OF THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT HAS A SPECIFIC DATE.
SURF AND SWIM DID NOT HAVE SURF.
WELL THERE'S A FLOW RIDER, WHICH IS THE BE SIR.
YEAH, WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS FLOW RIDER, LET'S KEEP IT POSITIVE.
SO MAKE THE PACKAGE AND WE WILL OH YEAH.
IF THE NAME IS THE ONLY THING, NOT
I JUST WAS, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF, UM, WHERE DO NEED TO SWIM IN THAT, UM,
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A SPLASH FACILITY INSTEAD OF A POOL.UH, QUESTION IN, IN THIS, IN THE DESIGN, ARE WE, ARE WE CONNECTING THIS IN ANY WAY TO, UH, THE REC CENTER THERE SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE MORE OF A USE? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HOLFORD OR SURF? I, I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT AUDUBON AND SURFACE.
WE'RE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S A PHENOMENAL THING TO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT
SOME PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, DON'T I?
JUST THINKING I'LL, THERE'LL BE A RIM AND THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S UP ON MORE THE TOP OF THE HILL AND THEN IT GOES DOWN INTO THE CREEK, I WOULD THINK.
ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE BEAT THIS UP? BEAT THIS UP TOO MUCH.
UH, SO, UH, TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE QUESTION YOU ASKED.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, JERRY ON CONNECTIVITY AND WE THINK ABOUT THE BUILDING FACADE FOR THE NEW SURF AND SWIM FACILITY, AND THEN HOW DOES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DOES IT COMPLIMENT THE EXISTING RECREATION CENTER OR DOES IT LOOK LIKE AN EYESORE? SO WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN CHOOSING OUR MATERIALS AND OUR COLORS, SIDEWALKS, LIGHTING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE NOW AN OUTDOOR COVERED FACILITY AT THE AUDUBON REC CENTER THAT IF THINGS WERE TO WORK OUT, THAT COULD BE AN EXCELLENT, MUCH LARGE, MUCH LARGER, UM, OH, A SLIPPING MUCH LARGER GROUP IN THE POOL.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR, APPRECIATE YOUR REPORT AND APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
SO, UH, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT MAY NOT KNOW TRAPS, UH, IS NOT DOING A REGIONAL CONFERENCE BECAUSE OF THE NRPA CONFERENCE THAT WAS HELD IN DALLAS.
SO, BUT IN STILL WANNA HAVE THEIR AWARD PROGRAM.
AND SO WHAT THEY DECIDED TO DO IS HAVE THE AWARDS PROGRAM AS PART OF THEIR NORMAL HOLIDAY, UM, EVENT THAT THEY HAVE IN DECEMBER.
AND SO, WHICH IS YES, WHICH IS WHY MATT IS NOT HERE.
HE IS THERE, UM, WITH ONE OF HIS PART-TIME EMPLOYEES WHO I GUESS IS NOW FULL-TIME.
UM, BUT AT THE TIME SHE WAS, SHE STILL IS OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR.
SO SHE GOT PART-TIMER OF THE YEAR.
UM, SHE IS COORDINATING ALL OF THE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE HEARD MATT DISCUSS IN OUR MEETINGS AND IS VERY ORGANIZED AND HELPED WITH THAT WITH THE CHRISTMAS ON THE SQUARE EVENT.
AND SO SHE'S NOW A FULL-TIME POSITION.
SO THEY RECEIVED THAT AWARD AND THEN KIM NUMI RECEIVED THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES AWARD FOR THE NASA, THE GARLAND AND BEYOND, UM, SPACE INDUSTRY EXHIBIT THAT WAS HERE AT CITY HALL FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
ALRIGHT, I SEE KIM'S NAME ON HERE.
COULD YOU SAY YOUR LAST, HOW DO YOU SPELL HER LAST NAME? N-U-R-M-I.
I AM EXCITED TO, UM, SHARE WITH YOU THE, UH, SUMMARY OF OUR PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND, UM, AND DRAFT CONCEPT FOR THE PROJECT.
AND SO, UM, I'LL GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS, UM, IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS AND JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO SAY THAT, UM, WE, WE DID A LOT OF, UH, PUBLIC OUTREACH AND, UH, WE, UH, DID IT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
SO IT'S BEEN A WHILE, UH, TO PROVIDE THIS UPDATE.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
NOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW IT, IT DOES TAKE A TI IT TAKE TIME TO, UM, ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC AND DEVELOP CONCEPTS THAT REFLECT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, I WANTED TO, I'LL, I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THESE SLIDES.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO, TO SEE HERE.
UH, THE FINAL SLIDE IS THE CONCEPT, JUST SPOILER ALERT.
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IT'LL, I WANT TO KIND OF DRIVE YOU THROUGH ALL THE, ALL THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH.UM, UH, IT WAS A, A VERY EXCITING PROJECT JUST TO REMIND YOU.
UH, THIS WAS ONE OF FIVE PROJECTS THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, UM, AND STARTED, UH, EARLY THIS YEAR.
AND, UM, UH, REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT TO HAVE THIS, UM, PROJECT, UH, AVAILABLE, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AS PART OF OUR ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, WE SET OUT SEVERAL GOALS, UH, PRIMARILY TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE, UH, UNDERSTAND THE PARK'S IMPORTANCE WITHIN THE LOCAL CONTEXT, UH, ESPECIALLY ITS STRONG TIES TO THE COMMUNITY AND DEVELOP AN INSPIRING VISION FOR THE FUTURE LU HUFF PARK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND IN DOING ALL THAT, UH, WE AIM TO CREATE A DRAFT MASTER PLAN, UH, FOR FURTHER COMMUNITY INPUT.
THIS BEING ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE'RE, UH, GATHERING INPUT FROM, UH, THE PARKS BOARD.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE PLAN TO TAKE THE SAME PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, THIS COMING MONDAY AT THE WORK SESSION.
SO, UH, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE INVITED TO GO AND PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK THAT YOU MAY HAVE, UM, AND THEN COMPLETE THE MASTER PLAN DESIGN EFFORT, UM, AND, AND GO FORWARD WITH DETAILED DESIGN AND FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, SO JUST TO GIVE A, A OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT, THE CURRENT STATE OF THE SITE AND KIND OF OUR CHARGE, UH, THE PARK IS NAMED AFTER A PROMINENT CHERISH AND RESPECTED, UH, GARLAND RESIDENT LULA LU HUFF.
UH, THE PARK IS SET, UH, WITH A $4.4 MILLION BUDGET FOR THE RENOVATION, UH, INCLUDING DESIGN.
UH, THE REVITALIZATION, REV REVITALIZATION OF THE PARK WILL BE AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF CONNECTION FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S ADJACENT TO THE G-P-N-G-P-N-L OPERATION SITE, UH, NORTH OF, UH, AVENUE B.
UH, THE EXISTING REC CENTER, UH, WAS CLOSED IN 2002 AND IS CURRENTLY USED FOR STORAGE.
AND, UM, THE BUILDING ITSELF CANNOT BE REPURPOSED, UH, DUE TO STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITH THE BUILDING.
UH, WE HAVE DONE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE BUILDING AND IT CANNOT BE REPURPOSED.
SO THE CURRENT PROJECT CONTEMPLATES REMOVAL OF THE BUILDING AND RE-IMAGINING OF THAT SPACE.
UM, THE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, UH, UTILIZE THE NEAREST, UH, REC CENTER AT GALE FIELDS, UH, IN EMORY PARK.
HOW FAR IS THAT, ROUGHLY? HALF A MILE, TWO MINUTES, YEAH.
DOWN, UH, SOUTH ON DAIRY AREA.
UH, THE, UH, PLAYGROUND AT LU HUFF PARK WAS REPLACED AS PART OF THE 2019 BOND PROGRAM, UH, AND IS ROUGHLY 5,800 SQUARE FEET.
THERE IS AN ONSITE, UM, SOFTBALL FIELD THAT IS CURRENTLY A RENTAL FIELD.
AND, UH, THERE IS AN ACTIVE PROJECT WITHIN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT TO HELP STABILIZE THE CREEK PORTION OF THE CREEK, UM, NEXT TO THE, THE DAYCARE, UH, BUILDING.
UH, 'CAUSE A LOT OF THAT, THAT, UH, CREEK HAS SUSTAINED SOME EROSION AND, UH, HAS BECOME EVIDENT THAT WE NEED TO SHORE UP THAT, UM, THAT CREEK SO THAT THE BUILDING CAN STAY, UH, IN OPERATION.
IS THE DAYCARE PART OF
IT'S A COUNTY, COUNTY RUN, SO, AH, OH, IT'S RUN BY THE DALLAS COUNTY.
I KNEW THERE WAS A, A LEASE ON ON THAT SITE, BUT IT'S ALL PART OF THE PARK PROPERTY, SO YEAH.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS DALLAS COUNTY RUN.
UM, SO THE PROJECT SCOPE, UM, OUR CHARGE IS TO DEVELOP, UH, A CONCEPT THAT OFFERS A MULTI-GENERATIONAL GATHERING SPACE.
UM, PROVIDES OVERALL SITE SAFETY, UM, IS FOCUSED MORE AS A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK.
SO IT'S A LOCAL FOCUS VERSUS A REGIONAL FOCUS.
UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS OF THAT SITE AND ONE OF 'EM BEING STATE HIGHWAY 66, THE RAILROAD TO THE NORTH.
UM, AND SEVERAL OTHER FACTORS THAT KIND OF LEND ITSELF TO IT BEING MORE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WANT IT TO BE WELCOMING A GATEWAY OF SORTS BECAUSE IT'S OFF OF HIGHWAY 66.
PEOPLE SEE THAT, UM, AS THEY ENTER INTO THE CITY FROM ROULETTE OR EXIT FOR THAT MATTER.
UM, WE ALSO WANT IT TO BE A, A, A DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD RAINBOW ESTATES.
UH, WE WANT IT TO BE CREATIVE AND, AND IT'S, AND IT'S LANDSCAPING, IT'S HARDSCAPING AND HOW THE DESIGN IS DEVELOPED.
OBVIOUSLY WE DO THAT WITH ALL OF OUR PROJECTS.
UM, BUT WE ALSO WANT IT TO BE A VERSATILE PROGRAMMING SPACE, UH, TO PROVIDE AS MUCH MULTIPURPOSE USE, UM, WITHIN, WITHIN THE PARK.
[00:30:01]
UH, WE ALSO WANT TO HONOR THE HISTORICAL LEGACY OF, OF LOU HUFF AND, UM, ARE FINDING WAYS TO DO THAT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE DESIGN.UH, WE WANNA REIMAGINE THE SPORTS FIELDS AND SPORTS COURTS.
UM, WE WANT TO UTILIZE THE EXISTING ASSETS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE SPORTS FIELD.
UH, WE WANT TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT IT IS UTILIZED BY MORE THAN JUST THE PEOPLE WHO RENT THE FIELD.
AND SO WE WANT TO FIND WAYS TO OPEN IT UP, UH, SO THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN USE IT.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE MORE USE AND POSITIVE USE YOU GET IN A PARK, THE, THE MORE NEGATIVE USES GET DISPLACED.
AND SO THE MORE YOU ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THE PARK TO OFFER UP THOSE KIND OF, UM, USES OUTSIDE OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY BEEN JUST IN A RENTAL, UM, TIMEFRAME, IS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE, RELATIVELY SPEAKING TO AN OVERALL, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL OF, OF, OF ANY GIVEN WEEK.
UM, AND SO WE ALSO WANT TO INCORPORATE A MEMORIAL, UM, PUBLIC ART TO TELL THE STORY OF LOU HUFF AND OTHER PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ALSO WANNA INVESTIGATE OTHER ENHANCEMENTS TO TIE THE PARK INTO OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING QUITE A BIT WITH THE RAINBOW AND STATES RAINBOW STATE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CHURCHES NEARBY.
SO IF THERE'S WAYS TO GATHER MORE PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES WITH THEM, THOSE ARE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE, UM, BEGINNING TO, TO HAPPEN NOW.
AND THEN ALSO TO REUSE SOME OF THE MATERIALS WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF MATERIALS AS PART OF THE OLD REC CENTER.
IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN REUSE SOME OF THAT TO KIND OF, UH, FURTHER TELL OUR STORY IN THE DESIGN, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO CREATIVELY PUT THAT TOGETHER.
SO JUST TO DIVE INTO THE, UM, COMMUNITY, UH, ENGAGEMENT PIECE.
UH, SO THE CITY STAFF ENGAGED WITH, UH, A GROUP OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF, UH, THAT AREA.
AND HERE'S A LIST OF, OF PEOPLE WHO KIND OF REPRESENTED THOSE, THOSE GROUPS, UH, THAT WERE PROMINENT, UH, KEY FIGURES IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, PROJECT.
WE HELD TWO MEETINGS WITH THEM FEBRUARY 28TH AND APRIL 4TH.
SO WE MET WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RAINBOW STATES NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, THE GARLAND NAACP, UM, THE CAPS GROUP, UH, FORMER RESIDENTS, CLERGY MEMBERS, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, AND INDIVIDUALS WHO, UH, PREVIOUSLY FREQUENTED THE PARKS.
WE GOT A LOT OF, UH, HIS, UH, HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO PERHAPS GREW UP IN THE PARK, PARK, YOU KNOW, SPENT TIME THERE DECADES AGO.
UM, REALLY THE PURPOSE WAS TO GATHER THE, THE HISTORY AND, AND MORE OF THE, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PARK WAS TO THEM, UH, BEFORE THE REC CENTER CLOSED.
'CAUSE THE, THE REC CENTER WAS REALLY THE, THE HEART OF WHAT DROVE A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES IN THAT PARK.
UM, SO AS PART OF OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH THAT GROUP, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS WE ASKED WAS, WHAT DOES THE PARK MEAN TO THE COMMUNITY? AND SO WE PROVIDED SEVERAL QUOTATIONS OR QUOTES FROM, UM, FROM THOSE MEMBERS.
I'LL, I'LL JUST TOUCH ON A FEW OF THESE, UM, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH ALL OF 'EM, BUT WE, THE, THE, THE GROUP IS REALLY LOOKING FOR A FOUNDATION IN THE PARK THAT SHAPES OUR FUTURE, A PLACE FOR FAMILIES AND MEET FAMILIES TO MEET AND GATHER.
BUILDING BRIDGES WAS A VERY STRONG THEME.
UM, AND, AND WE WILL GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON THE NEXT SLIDE OR SLIDE AFTER THAT.
UM, BUT AS WE WERE ENGAGING WITH THE GROUP, WE WERE TRYING TO SPARK SOME, UM, INSPIRATION TO HELP DRIVE THE DESIGN CONCEPT.
SO AS WE, AS WE AS DESIGNERS LOOK THROUGH THE LENS OF, YOU KNOW, OUR AUDIENCE TO TRY TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE SPACE WAS TO THEM, WHAT IT MEANT TO THEM, THAT DRIVES A LOT OF THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HOW THE FORMS OF THINGS PUT ARE PUT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THAT UNDERSTANDING.
UM, AND SO ESSENTIALLY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCES.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PLACES THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN CREATE THOSE SAME EXPERIENCES THAT THEY HAD AS, AS CHILD, AS CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THEIR KID OR THEM AS CHILDREN WITH THEIR, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THEIR KIDS NOW YEARS LATER TO HAVE SIMILAR EXPERIENCES THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD AT THAT TIME WHEN, UH, WHEN THEY GATHERED AND, AND CREATED THOSE, THOSE MEMORIES.
SO AS WE, AS WE DEVELOPED THIS IDEA, WE, WE WANTED TO PUT TOGETHER KIND OF A LOGO AND, AND TAGLINE THAT THAT CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF WHAT WE, UM, WHAT WE HEARD FROM THAT GROUP.
AND SO THE LOGO THAT YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE, UH, IT WAS DEVELOPED WITH THAT IN MIND.
AND SO THE, THE CELEBRATING LEGACY COMMUNITY AND CULTURE WAS HOW WE ARRIVED, WAS WHERE WE ARRIVED
[00:35:01]
BASED ON ALL OF THOSE IDEAS AND SENTIMENTS.SO, UH, KNOWING THAT THEY WANTED TO BUILD A LEGACY, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT LU H MEANT TO THE COMMUNITY AND HOW ALL OF HER EFFORTS, YOU KNOW, UH, CAN BE MEMORIALIZED AND, AND SOMETHING MEANINGFUL.
UM, HOW COMMUNITY AND CULTURE ARE A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE.
UM, BRIDGING THE COMMUNITY AND THE CULTURE TO REIMAGINE THE FUTURE.
AND SO ALL OF THESE KIND OF IDEAS BROUGHT US TO WHAT YOU SEE HERE WITH THE CELEBRATING LEGACY COMMUNITY AND CULTURE.
AND THAT HAS BEEN OUR DRIVING FORCE IN TERMS OF GETTING A DESIGN PUT TOGETHER THAT, THAT AIMS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
AND SO, UM, THROUGH DIFFERENT MEANS AND METHODS, YOU KNOW, PHYSICAL BRIDGES, PAVILIONS GATHERING SPACES, UM, AND YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THAT IN THE, IN THE CONCEPT PLAN.
AND I'LL, I'LL REMIND YOU OF, OF THIS SLIDE AT THAT TIME.
UM, SO AFTER WE MET WITH THE KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, WE HELD, UH, TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UH, THE FIRST ONE WAS AT FIELDS RECREATION CENTER AT MAY ON MAY 18TH, UH, THE SECOND ONE ON JUNE 1ST AT SIMS CHAPEL CHURCH.
UM, THOSE WERE REALLY INSIGHTFUL.
UM, WE HAD PROBABLY AROUND 30 PEOPLE ATTEND EACH MEETING.
UH, WE HAD, UM, A, A VOTING EXERCISE, WHICH, UM, I'LL GO THROUGH IN JUST A MINUTE.
EVERYBODY WAS HANDED OUT $3 MILLION, HUFF BUCKS.
AND SO EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO, UH, VOTE ON HOW, WHAT LEVEL OF AMENITIES THEY WANTED IMPROVED.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I'LL GO INTO IT IN A, IN A MINUTE, BUT LIKE IF THE, WE NEEDED A BRIDGE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO.
SO PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO VOTE ON WHAT TYPE OF BRIDGE THEY WANTED, THE STANDARD, LIKE A MEDIUM AND AN ENHANCED BRIDGE.
AND SO THAT ALL THAT COMES WITH A COST.
SO WITH THE MONEY THAT THEY RECEIVED IN THE HUFF BUCKS, THEY WERE ABLE TO VOTE AND PRIORITIZE HOW THEY WANTED TO SPEND THEM, THEIR MONEY, YOU KNOW, IN THE, ON THE PROJECT.
UM, ALSO IN THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS, WE DEVELOPED A SURVEY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE PREPARED, UM, FLYERS, UH, 400 FLYERS WITH QR CODES TO ACCESS THE, UM, ACCESS THE SURVEY.
UH, WE HAD, I GUESS THIS IS, WE UPDATED THE SLIDE BEFORE, AND I HAD THE NUMBERS HERE IS LIKE AROUND 160, 170 DOOR HANGERS WERE DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE RAINBOW ESTATES NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WENT DOOR TO DOOR AND HUNG DOOR HANGERS FOR THE, UM, THE JUNE 1ST MEETING.
UH, WE PUT ADS ON THE WEBSITE.
UH, WE ALSO UTILIZE SOCIAL MEDIA, FACEBOOK, UH, NEXTDOOR, UH, PUT THIS IN THE GARLAND CITY PRESS.
AND, UM, WE DISTRIBUTED THE FLYERS TO ALL THE CITY HALL LIBRARIES AND, AND REC CENTERS AS WELL.
UM, AND THE SURVEYS WERE PROVIDED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
SO IF SOMEBODY HIT THE QR CODE, UM, THEY HAD THE, THE, THEY HAD THE OPTION OF HITTING THE QR CODE IN SPANISH OR IN ENGLISH TO TAKE THEM TO THE RESPECTIVE SURVEY.
UM, AND, UM, SO AS, AS WE OBTAINED THE FEEDBACK FROM EVERYBODY, UM, WE COM WE HAD 43 SURVEYS COMPLETED, UH, BOTH ONLINE AND, AND WRITTEN.
UM, WE HAD AROUND 40 PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THE HUFF BUCK VOTING EXERCISE.
UH, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE SURVEYS AS WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT LOU HUFF PARK? AND, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, PEOPLE LOVE THE OPEN SPACE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING COMMUNITY TOGETHER, UH, ACCESSIBLE, UH, ACCESSIBILITY TO THE AREA RESIDENTS.
IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR KIDS HISTORICAL.
UM, AND IT'S CLOSE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD I GREW UP THERE.
UH, WHAT DO PEOPLE NOT LIKE ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE PARK? THAT IT'S NOT FULFILLING ITS POTENTIAL? UH, HAS POOR MAINTENANCE VISIBILITY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED? UH, IT'S NOT WELL SEEN OR OBVIOUS TO THE PUBLIC.
IT'S A HIDEOUT SPOT AND IT'S A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO HANG OUT AND DO ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.
AND SO, UM, KIND OF BACK TO MY STATEMENT ABOUT POSITIVE BEHAVIOR, OFFSETTING NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR IS THAT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW BEING USED AS A STORAGE FACILITY, IT DOESN'T LEND ITSELF TO PARK ACTIVITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD, UH, DISPLACE SOME OF THIS.
SO, UM, WITH THE BUILDING, UM, UH, REMOVED FROM THE SITE REIMAGINED, UM, WE ARE PLANNING ALSO TO CLEAR THE UNDERBRUSH OF THE TREES ALONG THE CREEK.
AND SO IN DOING SO, IT OPENED UP A LOT OF VISIBILITY.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MAIN, UH, PIECES OF FEEDBACK WE, WE GOT WAS ABOUT SECURITY.
AND SO IF PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SAFE SOMEWHERE, THEY WILL NOT GO.
AND SO IT CREATES THIS VICIOUS CYCLE OF, UH, LACK OF ACTIVITY AND, AND MORE NEFARIOUS, UH, ACTIVITY HAPPENING.
SO, UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE, WE HEAR THAT.
AND SO WE'VE DEFINITELY TAKEN THAT INTO ACCOUNT IN THE, IN THE CONCEPT, JUST A FEW PHOTOS OF WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE IN FIELDS, UH, RECREATION CENTER.
[00:40:03]
SO, UH, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE VOTING EXERCISE.UM, I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE THE, THE BOARDS, BUT THE BOARDS HAD, UH, ESSENTIALLY THREE IMAGES ON THEM.
UH, OF THE, OF THE FOUR IMAGES YOU'RE SEEING HERE, THE TOP LEFT IS THE PAVILION, THE TOP RIGHT IS A SPORT, THE SPORT COURT.
UM, AND THE BOTTOM LEFT IS THE BRIDGE AND THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS, IS THE TYPE OF, IS ANOTHER SPORT COURT, BUT IT'S TRYING TO ASK WHAT TYPE OF SPORT WE WANT TO SEE, UM, AS, AS THE, THE PRIMARY USE ON THE SPORT COURT.
AND SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, PEOPLE RECEIVED 3 MILLION HUFF BUCKS.
UM, EACH ONE GOT A $1 MILLION BILL, TWO $500,000 BILLS, AND THEN 1,000 THOUSAND DOLLARS BILLS.
SO THAT'S INTENTIONAL SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A SENSE OF IF THEY'RE GONNA USE THEIR $1 MILLION BUCK, THEY'RE GONNA PUT IT ON SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY LOVE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE MEDIUM TIER AND THEN THE, THE LOWER TIER IN TERMS OF THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND, THEY MAY SUPPORT CERTAIN THINGS, MAYBE NOT OTHERS, BUT MAYBE ARE WILLING TO GIVE 200 OR $300,000 TOWARDS SOMETHING.
UM, SO THAT WAS VERY TELLING IN TERMS OF WHAT THE EXERCISE YIELDED IN, IN THE FEEDBACK.
SO WE, UH, WE FEEL LIKE ALL THE FEEDBACK WE DID RECEIVE WAS VERY MEANINGFUL AND VERY INTENTIONAL.
UM, IT DID REFLECT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IDEAS OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE, THAT THEY REALLY, YOU KNOW, DESIRED VERY SPECIFIC THINGS AND HAD EVERYBODY HAD THEIR OWN KIND OF PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THEY VALUED IN THE PARK.
UH, SO THE RESULTS OF THE HUFF BUCK VOTES ARE THAT, UM, SO OF THE RESPONSES THAT WE RECEIVED, THE ENHANCED BRIDGE, MORE PEOPLE VOTED FOR AN ENHANCED BRIDGE, UH, AS OPPOSED TO THE IMPROVED OR THE STANDARD LEVEL, UH, OF THE PAVILION.
MORE PEOPLE VOTED FOR AN IMPROVED PAVILION, UH, AS OPPOSED TO THE STANDARD OR ENHANCED, UH, REGARDING TRAILS.
PEOPLE RESPONDED MORE IN FAVOR OF THE ENHANCED TRAILS, WHICH INCLUDES THINGS LIKE SEATING AND PERHAPS A FITNESS STATION SHADE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, REGARDING THE SPORTS COURTS, PEOPLE, UH, VOTED MORE FOR THE ENHANCED SPORT COURTS.
UH, SO THE SUPPORT COURTS IN THE ENHANCED SCENARIO HAD, YOU KNOW, MORE MULTIPURPOSE ASPECT, MORE AMENITIES POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THOSE SUPPORT COURTS POTENTIALLY HAS AN ARC COMPONENT ON THE COURT ITSELF AS THE SURFACING.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE A SUPPORT COURT ENHANCED VERSUS KIND OF A STANDARD ONE.
UM, AND SO IN TERMS OF THE TENNIS COURTS, WHAT TO DO WITH THE, THE EXISTING TENNIS COURTS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UM, MOST PEOPLE VOTED TO IN FAVOR OF HAVING FUTSAL AS THE PURPOSE FOR THAT SPORT COURT THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
SO, UM, IF ANY OF YOU KNOW, LOU HUFF PARK, THERE'S AN EXISTING TENNIS COURT KIND OF ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES WE FOUND THAT PEOPLE ARE CUTTING THE NETS TO PLAY SOCCER THERE.
UM, SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A DEMAND FOR SOCCER.
UH, AND WE KNOW THAT THE DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE ADJOINING NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, HAS CHANGED A LOT OVER THE LAST YEARS.
AND SO, UH, SAL APPEARS TO BE MORE OF A, A, A NEED OR A DEMAND, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO VOTED HERE AND, UM, UH, COULD BE FOR THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UM, SAL, IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW, WE HAVE ONE BUILT IN IN WATSON PARK.
WE'RE PROPOSING ANOTHER ONE IN KINGSLEY PARK.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WAITING TO SEE HOW THE USE HAPPENS, UH, IN THOSE PARKS.
BUT, UH, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WHEN WE REPURPOSE THE TENNIS COURTS FOR FOOTBALL, IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE WELL UTILIZED.
UM, UH, WE INCLUDED THIS SNAPSHOT OF, UH, ONE OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONS IS PLEASE SELECT WHAT PURPOSE A PAVILION AT LU HUFF PARK WOULD SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
SO OF THE VOTES THAT WE RECEIVED, 74% SAID THAT THEY WANT IT TO BE A PLACE FOR LARGE GROUP GATHERINGS.
UM, KIND OF COMES WITH THE TERRITORY OF A, OF A PAVILION, LARGE PAVILION.
UH, BUT THEY ALSO WANT IT TO BE A PLACE FOR CITY SPONSORED EVENTS, UM, TO BE A SHELTER AND A PLACE FOR PUBLIC ART POTENTIALLY.
UM, SO AS WE, AS WE DIGEST THE FEEDBACK HERE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE BUDGET IS A MAIN CONCERN IN TERMS OF HOW THESE AMENITIES ARE, UH, PUT TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT MEETS OUR BUDGET AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE PUT TOGETHER DETAILED DRAWINGS, KNOWING THAT A PAVILION IS, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY, UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GOOD PAVILION SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GATHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE SUCH THAT THE PAVILION ENDS UP,
[00:45:01]
UM, GETTING, GETTING MORE THAN JUST WHAT IT MIGHT GET IN THE IMPROVED, UH, SITUATION.BECAUSE, I MEAN, LOOK AT THE, THE VOTES ARE BETWEEN IMPROVED AND ENHANCED 56 VERSUS 42.
UM, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE LEVEL OF THE PAVILION AND POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKE AWAY FROM THE BRIDGE IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS THE PAVILION TO MEET THE COMMUNITY DEMAND.
AND SO, AS WE, THIS IS A, A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO GET THE SENTIMENT OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
UH, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT IS NOT GONNA GET NECESSARILY SPENT EXACTLY THE WAY THAT YOU SEE IT, UM, LISTED SO THAT WE CAN GET THE MAXIMUM VALUE OUT OF A PAVILION, FOR EXAMPLE.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE THE LARGEST PLACE FOR COMMUNITY TO GATHER.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE OUTDOOR BASKETBALL COURTS THAT ARE COVERED LIKE A PAVILION? YES.
UHHUH,
AND, AND I THINK THE, UM, AN ENHANCED PAVILION MIGHT PROVIDE MORE OF A, A VENUE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN.
CAN I ASK, ADD SOMETHING TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I HAD MY POLICE YOUTH PROGRAM THERE AT LOU HUFF, THE PLACE WAS ALWAYS PACKED WITH KIDS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GO NORTH, THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
PARENTS WOULDN'T LET 'EM GO THAT WAY.
THEY COULDN'T GO ANYWHERE SOUTH.
THE PARENTS DIDN'T WANT 'EM TO CROSS THE HIGHWAY.
SO THEY HAD A RECREATION CENTER RIGHT THERE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS, THERE WAS ALWAYS KIDS THERE.
UM, BUT I LIKED THE IDEA WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, VISIBILITY FROM HIGHWAY 66.
YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE IT BECAUSE OF THE TREES.
PEOPLE DRIVE AND THEY GO, WHOA, LOU HUFF, WHERE'S THAT? BUT YOU GUYS ARE PLANNING ON CUTTING.
SO IT'S VISIBLE FROM HIGHWAY 66.
SO WE PLAN ON KEEPING THE TREES, BUT THE UNDERBRUSH THAT'S THERE, WE WILL GET CLEARED OUT.
SO A LOT OF THE BRIERS AND SOME OF THE BUSHES THAT ARE THERE TO INCREASE THE VISIBILITY, THE TREES NEED TO STAY FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT YES, UM, THEY'LL GET LIMBED UP LIKELY, AND THE UNDER BUSH WILL BE CUT.
COULDN'T BE A RECREATION CENTER.
'CAUSE IF IT'S JUST OUTDOOR STUFF, YOU CAN HAVE A LOT OF THE OLDER KIDS THERE AND A LOT OF THE YOUNG KIDS WON'T HAVE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST NOT IN THE EVENING.
THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
BUT, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WHOEVER MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR A SPACE INDOORS WOULD BE ABLE TO UTILIZE GALE FIELDS' RECREATION CENTER, PARENTS.
SO HERE'S, UH, ANOTHER SNIPPET FROM, UH, OUR COMMUNITY RESPONSES.
SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THREE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED.
UH, WHAT ARE THE TOP ACTIVITIES THAT YOU WOULD PARTICIPATE IN AT AN IMPROVED PARK? UH, ONE, TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND FITNESS, DEVELOP OR LEARN NEW SKILLS, CELEBRATE, UH, SPECIAL OCCASIONS, UH, HAVE UNSTRUCTURED PLAY, INTERACT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, MEET NEW PEOPLE, UH, SPEND LEISURE TIME, EXPERIENCE, UM, HAVE AN EXPERIENCE BEING PART OF A TEAM ACTIVITY, UH, GARDENING AND PARTICIPATE IN NON-ATHLETIC ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS.
AND THE TOP 10 ELEMENTS THAT PEOPLE FELT, UH, IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND TO DEVELOP OR READ TO BUILD OR REDEVELOP, IS TOP 10 ELEMENTS OF SAFETY, WALKING TRAILS, RESTROOMS, ADDITIONAL PLAYGROUNDS, UH, BASKETBALL COURTS, SOCCER FIELDS, PICNIC AREAS, PAVILION, EXERCISE STATIONS, AND PICKLEBALL.
UM, THE TOP PRIORITIES THAT PEOPLE FELT SHOULD BE PROMOTED AT THE PARK IS UPDATES, EXPANSION OF TRAILS, ADD MORE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND WELLNESS, UH, COMMUNITY OF ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS, MAINTAIN GREEN SPACE AND BUILD COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
SO HERE IS THE CONCEPT MASTER PLAN, AND LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH IT.
SO AS WE GATHERED ALL THE FEEDBACK, WE, WE WANT TO BE MINDFUL AND STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW ALL THOSE ELEMENTS ARE PLACED.
SO I'LL KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THE, THE DETAILS.
SO JUST TO ORIENT YOU, THIS IS HIGHWAY 66, OR AVENUE B-G-P-N-L FACILITY IS JUST NORTH OF THE SITE.
AND SO THIS IS THE EXISTING BA UH, BASEBALL FIELD.
THIS IS THE EXISTING TENNIS CENTER OR TENNIS, UH, COURT 11 IS WHERE THE, THE NEW PLAYGROUND IS.
SO THIS IS WHERE THE PARKING LOT IS.
[00:50:01]
THIS WHOLE SPACE WITHOUT THE EXISTING REC CENTER STORAGE BUILDING IS REIMAGINED IT BEING THE HEART OF THE PARK.THIS IS WHERE WE WANT IT TO HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE AMENITIES.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS, SO AS, AS WE DEVELOP PATHWAYS AND AND CONNECTIONS FOR PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND WALK AND EXERCISE, WE WANTED TO CREATE A BRIDGE ACROSS THE CREEK HERE AT THIS LOCATION AT NUMBER SEVEN THAT HAS THE, UM, CULTURE RING AS, AS A VANTAGE POINT OR AN ACCESS FROM THE BRIDGE BEYOND THE CULTURE RING WOULD BE THE PAVILION THAT KIND OF WRAPS AROUND IT.
AND SO I'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU IN A MOMENT WHAT THE CULTURE RING, UH, WHAT WE ENVISION THE CULTURE RING TO BE.
UM, BUT I'LL JUST KIND OF PLACE ALL THE ELEMENTS IN YOUR MIND SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT ON THIS PLAN.
AND SO NUMBER 10 WOULD BE THE PAVILION.
NUMBER SIX IS THE MULTI-PURPOSE COURT AND BASKETBALL COURT.
AND THIS BEING THE OPEN FIELD, WE WOULD PROPOSE TO REMOVE THE SOFTBALL FIELD, INSTALL A, UM, A SHORT, UH, BACKSTOP.
UM, AND THE REASON ALL IT'LL BE A SHORT BACKSTOP IS, AND I'LL JUST TELL YOU THE, ONE OF THE PIECES OF FEEDBACK WE OBTAIN DURING THE P PUBLIC MEETINGS IS THAT THERE'S A GROUP THAT GOES OUT THERE NOW AND, UH, RENTS THE FIELD FOR KICKBALL.
AND SO THIS WILL ALLOW STILL PEOPLE TO COME AND PLAY BASEBALL, PLAY KICKBALL OR WHATEVER SPORT THAT THEY WANT STILL AS AN OPEN FIELD.
SO IT'S NOT BASED ON A RESERVATION.
AND SO, UM, IT CAN BE USED AS A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T, UH, KIND OF IRONED OUT THE PROGRAMMING YET AS POTENTIALLY, UM, IF, IF WE, IF THERE IS A NEED FOR SOCCER RENTAL SPACES.
AND SO RIGHT NOW IT'S USED AS A RENTAL FIELD PRIMARILY FOR SOCCER.
UH, THERE IS SOME BASEBALL BEING, BEING USED THERE, BUT A LOT OF, A LOT OF THAT IS JUST BECAUSE OF OTHER FIELDS OR OTHER, UM, FIELDS BEING KIND OF, UM, MORE UTILIZED THAN OTHERS.
BUT, UM, SO STILL TO BE YET TO BE DETERMINED IN TERMS OF HOW THAT ENDS UP BEING, UH, UTILIZED GOING FORWARD.
THERE ARE EXISTING LIGHTS THERE AND SO WE'RE CONTEMPLATING WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE LIGHTS IF IT'S WORTH KEEPING THEM SO THAT THE FIELD HAS EVEN MORE VERSATILITY FOR ITS POTENTIAL AS SOCCER RENTAL OR BASEBALL RENTAL, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW.
BUT THE, THE MAIN DRIVING DRIVER HERE IN THIS CONCEPT IS TO, UH, REMOVE IT AS A PERMANENT BASEBALL FIELD AND, AND OPEN UP MORE VERSATILITY AND MORE OPTIONS.
UM, NUMBER FIVE YOU'LL SEE IS, IS A, A NEW PARKING LOT THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH ALL THESE NEW AMENITIES, THE EXISTING PARKING LOT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAPACITY.
SO THIS IS KIND OF, UH, WOULD BE SEEN AS KIND OF A, AN AD ALTERNATE IF YOU WILL, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW IT WORKS OUT WITH THE BUDGET, JUST TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL PARKING.
UM, SO THOSE ARE ALL THE MAIN ELEMENTS PLACED ON THIS PLAN.
SO LET ME KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH HOW, UM, HOW THE, THE CENTER PART IS KIND OF ORIENTED AND WHY.
SO THE BRIDGE WOULD OFFER A, A SAFE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GET ACROSS THE CREEK VERSUS THE CURRENT SITUATION WHERE IF SOMEBODY WAS ON THIS SIDE OF THE PARK, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME UP HERE TO THE, UH, PARKING LOT, COME DOWN THIS PARK ROAD AND WALK ALONG THIS ROAD.
SO WITH US DEVELOPING NEW SIDEWALK CONNECTIONS, NEW PATHWAYS, THIS BRIDGE WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO CROSS THE CREEK SAFELY AND WE WOULD DESIGNATE THESE CROSSINGS ON THE PARK ROAD WHILE IT'S REALLY G-P-N-S-G-P-N-L ACCESS ROAD.
UM, BUT WHEN IT'S DEVELOPED AND IT'S SIGNED AND IT'S INTENTIONAL, THEN PEOPLE HAVE, UM, THE TRUCKS AND THE, THE VEHICLE TRAFFIC HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, THERE'S MORE DEPENDABILITY IN TERMS OF WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT CROSS OR AT LEAST BE MORE AWARE OF PEOPLE CROSSING.
AND SO THAT IDEA WILL HELP THE CONNECTIVITY, UH, YOU KNOW, GET ACROSS, YOU KNOW, GET PEOPLE ACROSS THE PARK TO UTILIZE THE SPACE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT VERY EASY TO DO THAT.
UM, SO LOOKING AT THE CULTURE RING, THE CULTURE RING RIGHT NOW IS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT UTILIZING EXISTING TREE.
SO THE TREE THAT YOU SEE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CULTURE RING IS, IS A REALLY NICE EXISTING TREE THAT WE WANNA,
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UM, KIND OF PIVOT AROUND.THE CULTURE RING WILL INCLUDE IDEAS AND, UH, ART EXPRESSIONS.
THE BE THE PLACE WHERE THE MEMORIAL OF LOU HUFF CAN HAPPEN.
AND BASED ON OUR FEEDBACK FROM, UH, THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS, THERE ARE OTHER PROMINENT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD ALSO BE HONORED IN THIS CULTURE RING AS WELL.
AND SO WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
IT COULD BE, UM, WALLS, IT COULD BE SOME EXPRESSION OF ART AND DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FROM MURALS, INTERPRETIVE PANELS, UH, THINGS THAT CAN TELL THE STORY ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO PROVIDE HISTORY SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING THERE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT, UH, THE HISTORY OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO PLACE THE CULTURE RING THE PAVILION AND THE MULTIPURPOSE COURTS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER.
'CAUSE WE ANTICIPATED THOSE USER GROUPS TO BE COMPLIMENTARY TO EACH OTHER.
SO IF YOU CAN IMAGINE A FAMILY COMING, UM, PERHAPS DRIVING, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR CAR BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BRING THEIR COOLERS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY BRING, THAT PAVILION WOULD BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE PARKING LOT.
THEY COULD EASILY, YOU KNOW, UNLOAD THEIR THINGS, UH, COME TO THE PAVILION.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE A PERMANENT RESTAURANT BUILDING IN THE SAME FOOTPRINT AS THE PAVILION.
SO AS PEOPLE ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE ABLE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A PERMANENT RESTROOM BUILDING KIND OF WITH THAT.
UM, AN IDEA THAT CAME, UM, THROUGH THE PROCESS WAS ALSO TO INCLUDE SOME KIND OF STORAGE FACILITY WITH THE PAVILION AND RESTROOM SO THAT AS PROGRAMMING, UM, IS ENCOURAGED, YOU KNOW, IN THIS AREA THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IT'S BASKETBALL OR SOME KIND OF OTHER GAMES, THEN WE COULD PARTNER WITH EITHER THE CHURCH OR SOME OTHER ORGANIZATION IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THEM A KEY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO OPEN, TO BRING OUT GAMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO THAT, UH, THE PROGRAMMING CAN HAPPEN THAT SIMILAR TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN A REC CENTER, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT AT AN OPEN AIR PAVILION IN THE PARK.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT REALLY THE STAFFING LEVEL THAT WE'RE SET UP TO, TO SUPPORT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS A UNIQUE SITUATION WHERE WE WANT TO TRY TO PARTNER WITH A A GROUP.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS THAT WE HAD EARLIER THAT MENTIONED IS THAT, UH, WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO SEE HOW WE CAN UTILIZE THE SPACE AND, AND BRING IN THE PROGRAMMING TO GET PEOPLE IN AND USE IT WITHOUT UTILIZING STAFF THAT WE DON'T HAVE CURRENTLY.
UM, AND SO WITH THE MULTIPURPOSE COURT AND BASKETBALL COURT HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'D BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES TO UTILIZE THAT SPACE, UM, IN, IN ALL THREE OF THOSE MAJOR AMENITIES.
AND SO YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE EXISTING TENNIS COURT, IT BEING REPURPOSED AS SAL, UH, IS ALSO INTENTIONAL BECAUSE THE, THE USER GROUP THAT'S ANTICIPATED FOR FUS ALL MAY OR MAY NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH THOSE THAT ARE IN THE MULTIPURPOSE COURT AND PAVILION SPACE.
UH, A LOT OF TIMES THEY MIGHT BE, UM, YOUNG ADULTS, OLDER ADULTS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE VERY COMPETITIVE AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO GET A FAST PACED KIND OF MATCH GOING THAT ALSO MAY NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE USER GROUPS OF FAMILIES AND YOUNG KIDS AT THE MULTIPURPOSE COURT.
AND SO THAT PLACEMENT IS INTENTIONAL AND WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S A GOOD DISTRIBUTION OF THE, OF THE AMENITIES, BUT STILL ACCOMPLISHING THE DEMANDS THAT WE HEARD, UH, IN THE, IN THE FEEDBACK.