FERGUSON ROAD INITIATIVE
Community Connection Town Hall Meeting
Vision Workshop for the White Rock Hills Recreation Center
Minutes
Monday, November 3, 2014
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society
Rosine Hall, 8525 Garland Road
6:00-9:00 p.m.
Save the Dates for the White Rock Hills Recreation Center (CENTER) Feasibility Study & Master Plan!
- Tuesday, January 27, 2015, 6-9 p.m., Design Presentation
All meetings to be held at the Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, Rosine Hall, Enter Main Gate at Garland/Whittier (parking and entry free)
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Monday, November 3, 2014
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society, Rosine Hall, 8525 Garland Road
Purpose: To seek community input on the recreation center and to update the community on the feasibility study process status.
Meeting Outcomes:
- Approved minutes from September 30, 2014.
- Reviewed number of surveys received and new submission deadline. 3. Reviewed rules for FRI Board nominations.
- Reviewed Demographic Analysis for The Center.
- Reviewed Competitive Analysis for The Center.
- Reviewed Site Analysis for The Center.
- Conducted a workshop on uses with cost consideration.
- Tallied and reviewed overall use preferences.
- Reviewed upcoming process.
Roles:
- Sponsors: FRI Board of Directors
- Facilitator: Vikki J. Martin, President
- Scribe: Gary Lawler
- Timekeeper: Bill Coleman
Ground Rules:
- Listen and respect the comments and ideas of others.
- Honor time limits.
- Stick to the agenda.
- Share your experience and perspective with the group.
Participants:
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MINUTES
Vikki Martin started the meeting at 6:20 p.m. by recognizing elected officials, City board appointees, Dallas police officers, and candidates for office.
She announced that 430 recreation center surveys had been received as of this morning, and that the deadline for responding had been moved to December 1. Please encourage everyone to take the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FRI-Recreation-Survey-Neighborhood-Leaders
She also announced that FRI had received a $10,000 grant from the Zale Foundation for the upgrading of FRI communications and technology.
MINUTES APPROVAL
Bobbi Bilnoski moved approval of the September 30, 2014 Town Hall minutes, seconded by Bill Coleman. The motion passed.
ELECTION OF FRI BOARD
Bill Coleman announced that an FRI Board election would take place January 27, 2015. FRI will prepare a slate of nominees for that election. Any other nominations must be submitted by January 10, 2015 and must include the signatures of two FRI members and the signature of the nominee stating that he/she is willing to serve, plus an FRI Board application filled out by the nominee. Nominations should be emailed to Bill Coleman, 2001 Buckner Blvd., Dallas, TX 75228 or emailed to him at: billmcoleman@earthlink.net Please place in the subject title: FRI Board Nomination.
JACOBS UPDATE
Mike Pratl of Jacobs introduced participants including Snohetta, Green Play, and Catalyst. He said the evening’s agenda would include a process summary, demographic analysis review, competitor analysis, and site analysis.
Demographics Analysis
Pat O’Toole of Green Play said that this analysis would include age, population, education, employment, housing, and household income.
Competitive Analysis
There are four recreation centers (Harry Stone, Samuell Grand, Juanita Craft, and the YMCA) and five outdoor pools (Harry Stone, Everglade, Tietze, YMCA, and Samuell Grand) nearby.
Site Analysis
Chad St. John, architect, reviewed aerial maps of the area with building layout concepts to show opportunities, not actual designs.
The design framework includes locating an iconic feature (such as artwork), utilizing site topography, providing pedestrian and auto access from Ferguson Road, connecting to the White Rock Creek Trail South, and using existing open space to the west.
Some things that will make this site special include iconic site features, unique program elements that complement nearby facilities, flexible spaces for community programming, greater outdoor environment/recreation connectivity, building a unique relationship with the Dallas Arboretum, and encouraging economic development nearby.
WORKSHOP
Attendees were provided with work sheets showing uses, with consideration for cost of uses, with 1 being low cost, 3 being medium cost, and 5 being high cost. Attendees filled out individual work sheets, then each table made out a work sheet reflecting the top four uses for that table.
There was a question about the work sheet showing standard uses, but how about more unusual uses, such as trampolines and/or rock climbing wall?
Work Sheet Tally
The top four uses were:
- Fitness Center (8 of 13 tables had this in their top four)
- Trails (7 of 13 tables had this in their top four)
- Indoor Pool (5 of 13 tables had this in their top four)
- Trailhead (4 of 13 tables had this in their top four)
Comments on the results included:
- The focus should be less on trails, etc, and more about community, more about education, counseling, etc.
- The White Rock Creek Trail South and the trail connecting with St. Francis Park are outside the recreation center feasibility study and should not have been part of the work sheet.
- There was a concern that centers do not allow young children in a recreation center without their adults. The City said that they allow children five years old and older to come alone.
UPCOMING PROCESS
Operational Analysis.
City approves project and budget. Site/Building integration and image. Master planning. Funding/Financing strategies.
The meeting adjourned about 8:30 p.m.
