#8	
									               
BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, August 14, 2000

Present:	June Bailey, James Johnston, Joe McLeland, M.S. Mitchell, Trix Niernberger, 
Leon Robinson and William Sanders	
	
Also Present:	Debra Foster and David Foster – Jones – Rice – Foster, PA; Tim Austin – Austin 
Miller, PA; and Doug Kupper, Larry Hoetmer, and Maryann Crockett (Staff)

President Mitchell called the meeting to order at approximately 3:33 p.m.  The minutes of the 
Regular Meeting of July 10, 2000, were reviewed and approved.  

1. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) land purchases in flood zones along 
the Cowskin and Calfskin Creeks.  President Mitchell mentioned the difficulty in 
maintaining small park sites such as the lots located in the floodplain.  Director Kupper 
referred board members to the aerial photographs provided with the agenda.  He said the Park 
and Recreation Department has been asked to provide input on how the properties could be 
utilized.  He explained that some of the properties had already been purchased and that some 
were still being negotiated.  He commented on the possibility of the properties located at 
Lynndale and Wetmore being used as access points to a wildlife corridor and/or future nature 
trail.  He also mentioned that the property at 119th St. could be used in conjunction with the 
Meadows Park.  He said staff would conduct a site analysis on each property and provide that 
information to the Board for future discussion.  

There was general discussion concerning size of the lots and total acreage, the number of 
homes involved (approximately fifteen), and funding for property acquisition.  Director 
Kupper explained that FEMA would purchase the properties for park and open space use 
only.  He briefly reviewed FEMA regulations concerning property acquisition in flood zones.             

2. Lincoln Park – Firefighter’s Memorial.  Larry Hoetmer, Landscape Architect, reviewed 
the item referring board members to the park site plan.  He reported that the Lincoln Park 
water feature plaza was currently under construction.  He said an old fire station at the corner 
of Bayley and Broadway was being converted into a Firefighter’s Museum.  He said as part 
of the renovation, the Park and Recreation Department had agreed to provide an area in the 
park for a memorial for firefighters who died in the line of duty.  He said all costs associated 
with construction of the memorial would be funded through private donations.

Hoetmer stated that the idea was to design a plaza at the South end of the fire station for 
construction of the memorial, three flag poles and an area for temporary seating for memorial 
services.  He briefly described the memorial, which was a double-sided wall with the names 
of all Wichita firefighters who died in the line of duty on one side.  He also mentioned other 
plaza features including the use of brick and/or concrete pavers and the inclusion of a 
sculpture at the site.  

Bailey asked if the neighborhood association had been notified.  Hoetmer explained that the 
neighborhood association had not yet seen the memorial sketch, however, they were aware 
that some type of firefighter memorial had been planned at the park and had no objection.  
    
3. Update on Needs Assessment Study – Brooks, Chapin and Garvey sites.  Debra Foster 
and David Foster – Jones – Rice – Foster, PA.  David Foster began the presentation by 
stating that Jones – Rice – Foster had been hired to complete a needs assessment study on 
three park sites; namely, Brooks, Chapin and Garvey.  Debra Foster said they began the 
process by conducting meetings with user groups, neighbors, the general public and City 
staff to gather information and input.  She said the process was to produce concepts and 
budgets for future development of the areas that were realistic and politically and financially 
feasible.  She said study goals established were to:  provide safe, secure, pleasant, and 
healthy surroundings for the enjoyment of leisure time; be accessible to all residents; be 
developed in such a way as to preserve the natural resources; help fulfill unmet needs of the 
Park system as a whole; be designed for efficient maintenance and low operations costs; 
accommodate user groups currently not adequately served by the parks system; and design 
each site to complement each other, yet serve its own constituencies.

Foster continued by saying that some of the expectations and issues involved with park 
design concepts included environmental constraints, safety, parking and neighborhood 
impact, exploring compatible uses, opportunities for kids, staffing and more communication 
between the City, County and surrounding communities.  

Foster referred board members to maps of each site and briefly reviewed the best potential 
uses for each.  She said because of its previous use as a landfill and due to the fact that a gas 
plant will remain on the site for at least thirty years, Brooks (270 acres) had limited 
development potential.  She said some suggestions included radio controlled model airplanes 
and gliders, ski runs and trails, horse trails, dog park, wildlife observation and other passive 
uses, climbing wall and river access.  She commented that it would also benefit park 
development to have a buffer around the site, which would include some of the land currently 
being referred to as the Kingsbury site.  She said the site had a beautiful marsh wildlife area 
and that the view from the top of the hill was spectacular.  She added that the Brooks site had 
the potential of becoming a regional park that would serve all Sedgwick County residents.    

Foster said Chapin (190 acres), another previous landfill area, had potential problems due to 
leakage.  She said remediation of that problem was currently being addressed.  She said the 
Wichita radio control club (model airplanes) currently used the area.  She said some 
suggested uses included horse trails, radio controlled model airplanes, dog park, disc golf, 
mountain biking, bike trail access and river access for non-motorized craft.  She said the site 
had a lovely sand dune area.  She said adding another access point to the park for vehicular 
traffic was also being discussed along with the idea of the addition of some type of public art.  

Foster said Garvey (35 acres), which was located close to Chapin, had potential uses such as 
a kid-designed playground, bike trail access, river education and access, community building 
or shelter, nature education and other open space uses.  She said changing access to the park 
and parking were sensitive issues, since the site was located in a neighborhood area that must 
be traversed to get to the park.  She said neighbors had also requested inclusion of a 
community building or shelter for use by seniors and the other community members in the 
surrounding neighborhood.

Mitchell asked if use of the Greiffenstein school had been explored with the Garvey site as a 
potential community building.  He said there had been previous discussions regarding 
combined building use and didn’t want to see the opportunity overlooked.  Director Kupper 
explained that the school board was still in the process of deciding where to build and replace 
and/or repair school sites and that the issue was not really part of the scope of the needs 
assessment study.  Mitchell requested that once the needs assessment was completed, he be 
provided a report on the possibility of combined building use at the site.  

4. Discussion of Kingsbury Site.  On motion by Mitchell, second by Johnston, IT WAS 
UNANIMOUSLY VOTED to defer this item and take it up as the last item on the agenda 
under executive session.  

5. Tree Pruning Ordinance.  Director Kupper referred board members to copies of the agenda 
report, proposed ordinance and City Council Proceedings dated 8/8/00 regarding this item. 
He stated that the ordinance not only covered tree pruning issues, but also root damage from 
construction of sidewalks, etc., which will give the City greater control of the City’s tree 
canopy from both above and below. 

Bailey asked several questions relative to the appeal process and whether special Board 
meetings will need to be held to accommodate appeals.  Director Kupper said it was at the 
discretion of the Board, that special meetings may be called if necessary. He added that any 
decision could be appealed to the City Council and that the Council’s decision was final.  He 
reminded the Board that on the City’s Tree USA Charter, the Board of Park Commissioners 
was the governing board for the City’s tree canopy.

6. Request to Designate the Third Street Drainage Project as a Greenway.  Director Kupper 
referred board members to correspondence from the Uptown Neighborhood Association and 
Greenways Commission attached to the agenda.  He stated that the area was already 
functioning as a “greenway” although it was being maintained by another City department 
and was being referred to as the Third Street Drainage Project.  After brief discussion, it was 
the general consensus of the Board to take no action on this item.    

OLD BUSINESS

Director Kupper referred board members to a copy of the City Council Proceedings dated 
7/18/00 re:  Former Arts and Crafts Center Property, 25th and Arkansas – Request from 
Coalitions Committee to Reconstruct Facility and an article from the 7/19/00 Wichita Eagle 
entitled “City to repair, not rebuild, old arts and crafts center” attached to the agenda.  He briefly 
reviewed the item stating that City staff has met with the coalitions group twice to discuss 
facility layout.  He said once that has been completed the architect, Randal Steiner, will be able 
to finalize the design and cost estimates.  He said the original figure was $560,00, but that may 
change depending on the new reconfiguration.  He commented that the City will fund one-third 
of the cost of building renovation with the other agencies; namely, SER, Head Start and ACTS, 
funding the remaining two-thirds.  He concluded by saying that the City Council has already 
authorized $75,000 for parking lot, roof and plumbing repair to make the building functional.   



OFF AGENDA ITEM

On motion by Bailey, second by Johnston, IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED that the rules be 
set aside and that an item be taken up off the agenda concerning the Northeast bicycle path.

Bailey reported that she had spoken with Willie Burton from the Matlock Heights Neighborhood 
Association and that there seemed to be some confusion concerning exactly what had been 
approved and funded on the Northeast bicycle path project.   She said it had been reported at a 
meeting on Grove Park that the bicycle path concept had been “axed”. 

Director Kupper explained that when the City applied for Kansas Department of Transportation 
(KDOT) funding, the Northeast bicycle path was one of the projects that did not receive funding.  
However, he said when the City reapplies for funding next year, the project will be included in 
the application.  Bailey commented that most people thought the project had already been 
funded. 

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

? Financial Report for May, 2000. 

? Article from the 7/15/00 Wichita Eagle entitled “Endorsements”.

? Article from the 7/23/00 Wichita Eagle entitled “North Wichita cruisers crowd Shelton 
Street”. 

? Articles from the August, 2000 edition of American City & County entitled “Tips on passing 
a bond referendum” and “Blazing America’s new coast-to-coast trail”.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

On motion by McLeland, second by Johnston, IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED that the 
Board of Park Commissioners recess into executive session concerning the relationship between 
the Brooks Tract and the acquisition of Kingsbury for park purposes and that the Board return 
from executive session in thirty minutes.  The motion for executive session was made for 
discussions relating to the acquisition of land.

The Board recessed at approximately 4:50 p.m. and returned at 5:20 p.m.  

On motion by Johnston, second by Niernberger, IT WAS VOTED to recommend that the City 
retain ownership of the Kingsbury property as an acquisition for park purposes subject to the 
reservation for sand production.  The motion was further amended to request that revenue from 
sand production be used to develop the property as a park site.  Motion passed 5-2.  No – 
Sanders and McLeland.   

Note:  Refer to Special Meeting of August 18, 2000, wherein action taken after executive session 
was reconsidered.  

The meeting adjourned at approximately 5:30.m.



	

						____________________________________	
						M.S. Mitchell, President  



ATTEST:


_____________________________
Maryann Crockett, Clerk
		Park Board 08/14/00 (Contd.)	
3

5