CCP 06-23-2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 2 • PREC will stay at 7 commissioners for this year. Each year it can be re- evaluated. Frischman stated we would like to see more residents involved, rather than . less. If more people want to be up here; we would love to have them. Burg stated she will bring that back to the Council. Burg stated she has the same viewpoint. VI. Public Hearing A. Freedom Park Skate Park Frischman took a moment to introduce five City Staff persons who were present. Breuer gave some history of the skate park. In November, the City received a petition from a group of residents that requested that the skate park be closed for a list of reasons and that petition was received by the City Council at their Nov. 10 'h 2008 meeting and was referred back to the Parks, Recreation and Environmental Commission. The Council meeting was held after the November PREC meeting and we did not meet in December so the first time the petition came before this Commission was in January. At the January meeting a meeting date for a public hearing (tonight, May 6th) was set. (This date was chosen to give some time for the skateboard season to be up and running, so we could see what was happening this year. We also wanted time to notify the public). A day or two before the January meeting the City received two additional petitions; one from businesses and another from residents requesting that the skate park remain open. Breuer also mentioned the extensive advertising that was done regarding this Public Hearing. MOTION BY HEINRICH, SECONDED BY MEYER, TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, MOTION CARRIED. Melissa Grahek, 1673 23rd Ave NW, listed several concerns about the park: • In poor condition. • Kids can't use the park because of the things that go on down there such as fighting, vandalism. We should not tolerate it. • Relocate skate ramp to Public Safety area where it can have more adult supervision or remove it. • Remove Climbing wall - only used to hide behind or for graffiti. • The park needs to be cleaned up and restored to good condition. Mike Martel 1301 Pike Lake Dr., • Use park almost every day by some member of his family. • Behavior of some kids using the park is a concerned. They are intimidating to some. He & his wife are police officers and they are not intimidated, but he knows some are and therefore their kids are not able to use the park. • Graffiti is an eye sore, creates sense of lawlessness and that people don't care and that this behavior is tolerated. • Kids have had their bikes stolen; some have been aggressively asked to have bikes borrowed and these kids are afraid their bikes will be stolen. • Behavior of some kids is the issue, not the skate park. Littering, swearing, underage smoking. His 4 yr old nephew had a lit cigarette flicked at him and now he will not go to the park. • These are crimes, disorderly conduct, damage to property, watching marijuana deals go down. As a community we need to show we will not tolerate this. It is a beautiful park. • He does not necessarily advocate removing the skate park.