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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13540 RESOLUTION NO. 13540 A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE GRANT APPLICATION FOR A LOCAL PARKS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION PLANNING GRANT FROM THE STATE BOARD OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO FOR THE PUEBLO CITY PARK TENNIS COMPLEX MASTER PLAN PROJECT WHEREAS, the City of Pueblo is requesting $50,000 from Great Outdoors Colorado for the Pueblo City Park Tennis Complex Master Plan Project; and WHEREAS, Great Outdoors Colorado requires that the City Council of the City of Pueblo, Colorado state its support for the Great Outdoors Colorado grant application for the Pueblo City Park Tennis Complex Master Plan Project; and BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO, that: SECTION 1: The City Council of the City of Pueblo strongly supports the application to Great Outdoors Colorado for the Pueblo City Park Tennis Complex Master Plan Project. SECTION 2: The City Council of the City of Pueblo acknowledges that the grant application includes matching funds which the City of Pueblo is solely responsible to provide if a grant is awarded. SECTION 3: The City Council of the City of Pueblo has secured those matching funds and authorizes the expenditure of funds necessary to meet the terms and obligations of any Grant awarded. SECTION 4: The officers and staff of the City are directed and authorized to perform any and all acts consistent with the intent of this Resolution and to effectuate the transactions described herein. SECTION 5: This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon passage. INTRODUCED: November 14, 2016 BY: Ed Brown City Clerk’s Office Item # M-1 BACKGROUND PAPER FOR PROPOSED RESOLUTION COUNCIL MEETING DATE: November 14, 2016 TO: President Stephen G. Nawrocki and Members of City Council CC: Sam Azad, City Manager VIA: Gina Dutcher, City Clerk FROM: Steven Meier, Director of Parks and Recreation SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE GRANT APPLICATION FOR A LOCAL PARKS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION PLANNING GRANT FROM THE STATE BOARD OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO FOR THE PUEBLO CITY PARK TENNIS COMPLEX MASTER PLAN PROJECT SUMMARY: This Resolution will support a grant application for a Local Parks and Outdoor Recreation Planning Grant from the State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado for the Pueblo City Park Tennis Complex Master Plan Project. PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: None BACKGROUND: The City Park Tennis Clubhouse and much of the adjoining amenities were constructed as a project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) back in the early 1930’s. The building was originally built as the City Park Swimming Pool Bathhouse. This building was a multi-purpose building that provided restrooms, showers, recreation hall, and concessions for the wading pool and tennis courts. The adjacent bleachers were also part of the same WPA project for the City Park Softball Field #2. In the late 1950’s, the tennis complex was expanded to 19 lighted courts. Over the next sixty plus years, the complex has received many notable improvements which have resulted in the City securing the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Boys and Girls 4A Regional/State Tennis Championships (over 20 years), Pueblo Chieftain Annual “Paper Cup” International Tennis Tournament, Colorado State University – Pueblo tennis practices and intercollegiate matches, plus numerous clinics, workshops and youth instructional programs. The only constant in that sixty plus year span was the restroom facilities and the clubhouse amenities have remained unchanged. The major complaint from users and spectators is that the restrooms are not ADA accessible and are too few, especially when hosting the current events and programs. The deficiencies of the facility and the clubhouse are many. Besides the lack of ADA restroom facilities, there is limited ADA access around the entire facility. The clubhouse has no public meeting space, little or no storage space, and has no heating or cooling. The building is only open eight months out of the year and must be winterized when freezing weather approaches. The courts are used twelve months so the department must bring in port-a-potties to accommodate the users of the facility. Other deficiencies with the existing facility include no shaded areas for spectators, multiple entrance and exit points which inhibit security, lack of parking for large events, and an unusable deteriorating grandstand area. These issues are on top of the necessary ongoing maintenance related to the facility with the insufficient overhead court lights, court surface maintenance, fence maintenance, net repairs, turf and tree maintenance. On June 2, 2016, the first community meeting was held at the George Williams Indoor Pavilion in City Park. An estimated twenty citizens attended the meeting. A presentation about the need for the City Park Tennis Clubhouse and Complex renovation was given to those in attendance by Director Steven Meier. Jim Gardner and Kurt Thalhamer from HGF Architects, Inc. assisted in the presentation by putting together numerous conceptual design drawings and assisting staff with creating the presentation. The response of those in attendance was in favor of moving forward in plans to renovate and improve the existing facility and clubhouse. Since that initial community meeting, tennis community members ranging from business people to school administrators to public agency administrators met at the Pueblo Chieftain to again review the proposed presentation concerning the need for a new City Park Tennis Clubhouse and a renovated, updated tennis complex. It was determined at this meeting to proceed with creating a fundraising campaign for the proposed project. This GOCO Planning Grant application is the first step in attaining an innovative, modernized tennis facility for the residents of the City and County of Pueblo. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: In 2014, funding in the amount of $200,000 was budgeted into Capital Improvement Project CI1108 – City Park Tennis Clubhouse Renovation. The GOCO grant amount being requested is in the amount of $50,000. The cash match of $50,000 will come from CI1108 with total project cost $100,000. BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: None STAKEHOLDER PROCESS: Over the past decade, users and staff of the City Park Tennis Complex have commented about the lack of ADA accessible restroom facilities as well as the lack of a suitable meeting area and shaded spectator seating areas. In 2011, the old WPA bleachers directly south of the clubhouse began deteriorating to a point it had to be fenced off from the rest of the facility due to safety concerns. Two public meeting have been held in the past 12 months concerning this proposed project. Stakeholders are excited about the possibility of finally having a new tennis clubhouse and updated site amenities. Staff has received a “Letter of Support” for this project from Colorado State University-Pueblo and is expecting other support letters from Pueblo City Schools, Pueblo County School District #70, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), and the Board of Pueblo County Commissioners. ALTERNATIVES: Council could remove the Resolution from the agenda and no GOCO planning grant will be sought to get this project moving. RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the Resolution. PROPOSED MOTION: This Resolution will be placed on the Consent Agenda. Attachments: Pueblo City Park Tennis Complex Master Plan Project GOCO Planning Grant Application and supporting documents