Recreation & Parks Advisory Board

Advisory Board of Recreation and Parks Meeting April 10, 2024 MINUTES REGULAR MEETING OF THE ADVISORY BOARD OF RECREATION AND PARKS FALLS CHURCH COMMUNITY CENTER, KENNETH R. BURNETT BUILDING, 223 LITTLE FALLS STREET, FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA 22046 1. Call to Order Jenna Schroeder (Vice Chair) called the meeting to order. Members present were Charley O’Hara (Chair), Bill Ackerman, Michael Bracken, Brendan Kelly, Sharon Friedlander (Planning Commission Liaison), Jerrod Anderson (School Board Liaison), Erin Flynn (City Council Liaison) and Student Representative Anand Colby. Staff members present were Danny Schlitt, Director Recreation & Parks (R&P), Erin Buckley (Recreation Specialist), Chetna Singal (Senior Administrative Assistant) and Kate Walker (Administrative Assistant). No members of the public were present. 2. Receipt of Public Petitions and Board Member Petitions None. 3. Minutes for Approval: Draft minutes from February 14 and March 13th, 2024 were reviewed and approved unanimously. 4. Recreation Directors Report Director’s report: ­ Staffing: Chetna, our new Senior Administrative Assistant, was introduced. Administrative support is essential to effective functioning of the department, so we are recruiting to fill an additional part-time administrative position. The new Camps Coordinator, Aaron Greene, will start on April 15th. Erin Buckley, our new Recreation Specialist, was also introduced. She has been working with Jimmy during the basketball season, and in the summer will work on both sports and camps. ­ Sports: Tennis and basketball court lighting is now up and running at all locations. Lights will be turned off at 10:15 p.m. at Cavalier Trail Park, and at 10 p.m. at the Community Center; they can also be controlled remotely by staff. We are now turning attention to ensuring we serve the needs of both the tennis and pickleball communities. Bill commented that the basketball season was very successful. The team photography was exceptionally good. ­ Special Events: the Easter Egg Hunt was very successful. Memorial Day planning is underway. Attendance data for events generally come from police department estimates. ­ In preparation for the outdoor season in Cherry Hill Park, sunshades have been installed on the play equipment and a section of sod has been replaced in front of the barn. 5. Update to the Demographics Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan: Emily Bazemore, Senior Planner; Zoe Larive, Planner Emily Bazemore, Senior Planner, presented the proposed update to the Comprehensive Plan Demographics chapter, and invited feedback from ABRP members before the end of April. Jenna asked about our current strategy for expanding park space in the City. Our long-term strategy is to purchase land adjacent to our existing parks when the opportunity arises. The Capital Improvements Program currently under review includes funding for land purchases, and Reserve Funds can also be used. Some funding for parks is raised through voluntary concessions (VCs) associated with Special Exception development projects, but all has so far been allocated to Parks Master Plan implementation. Erin indicated that ABRP and its members need to advocate to City Council when VCs are being negotiated if they have specific preferences for fund allocation. ABRP members will provide feedback individually on the demographics chapter. 6. Old Business i. Park Projects Danny presented potential concepts for configuration of new playground equipment at Berman Park. The existing play equipment and swingset could be replaced with play areas for two different age groups of children on the current equipment footprints. This would avoid permitting and engineering costs associated with relocation. An additional location might be considered for swings – swingsets remain one of the most popular playground items. Erin asked for clarification from the designer about which equipment is considered accessible. We will meet at the park in May to solicit public input. Information in English and Spanish will be sent to residents near the park, and posted in the park. A Spanish language interpreter will be present at the meeting. If the proposed budget is approved, funding will be available in July and work can begin this summer. It will probably take about four months if no site plan is needed. Proposals are being considered for a stormwater retention facility under Lincoln Park, and sewage retention under the Cavalier Trail Park. These plans are in early stages, but would require major work, including removal of all equipment. ii. Student Representatives Project “Please don’t smoke” The City attorney is still providing feedback on the language in the proposed commitment. Student representatives will present to City Council in public comments. iii. HVAC Engineering plans for the HVAC replacement project require that the building be vacated from March to June 2025. Other work planned includes opening the gym ceiling and replacing the lighting with LEDs, and possibly improvements to the bleachers. Some programs and staff may be relocated to the Oak Street trailers, but we are still looking for suitable space for our Senior Center programs. Sharon suggested considering using unrented retail space in new developments. Charley suggested ensuring there are contingency plans for the geothermal well drilling in case of adverse weather. It was noted that the drilling will impact Farmers Market access, so it is best done in winter. Building work can continue before the wells are complete, so it should not impact the overall project timeline. Adjournment Bill Ackerman moved to adjourn the meeting, and Michael Bracken seconded the motion. All approved, and the meeting was adjourned.