Minutes - 4/8/03
LAWRENCE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
April 8, 2003
April 8, 2003
Board Members present: Chair, Tom Bracciano, Vice Chair, Alice Ann Johnston, Sharon Spratt and LHS student member Elspeth Legler. Absent: Richard Konzem and Bill Penny. Guest: Ken Wheatley and Jeff Ridgeway. Staff Present: Fred DeVictor, Ernie Shaw, Mark Hecker and Roger Steinbrock.
Meeting was called to order by Chair Bracciano. Minutes of the February and March meeting were approved on a motion by Spratt, 2nd by Johnston.
Ken Wheatley, an artist presented and explained a proposal for a memorial sculpture of Langston Hughes to be placed in Watson Park. The proposal for this $35,000 gift of sculpture to the City was presented to the City Commission and referred to the Lawrence Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for consideration. His interest is to provide an interactive piece (a bench where people can sit beside the sculpture of Langston Hughes) for the community to honor this nationally known person who spent his boyhood in Lawrence. Ridgeway reported the LAC had voted to accept the sculpture and its location.
The Board asked a variety of questions about the site, how it would fit in with the sculpture "Emergence", which has been approved for Watson Park and a bronze sculpture of Buford M. Watson, Jr., which they understood had previously been approved to be placed in the park. DeVictor handed out an e-mail letter from Faye Watson, which expressed concern about a well-known memorial to a person in a park, which is named for a local public official. DeVictor reported he had talked to Tom Wilkerson, artist for the Buford M. Watson bust and it was about finished and could be installed later this year. The specific location has not been finalized and park staff would need to visit with the City Manager more about this.
Mr. Wheatley indicated he had looked at a wide variety of locations and felt a public park was a good setting to provide public interaction with the sculpture while enjoying a park setting with surrounding landscaping.
On a motion by Bracciano, 2nd by Spratt the Board voted 2-1 to accept this piece of sculpture and the park site but if it appears to conflict with either "Emergence" or the bust of Buford Watson that an alternate location be found. This recommendation will be forwarded to the City Commission for their consideration.
DeVictor reported the Planning Commission had accepted a plat for single family housing and possible donation of land for a park at the 19th and Learnard location discussed at the February meeting.
Spratt, Board representative on the sub-committee to consider a site for a sculpture garden, reported the committee met and were looking at more of a linear area for such a sculpture garden like along the rail-trail corridor in East Lawrence and along the SLT trails instead of a particular park. The committee was considering perhaps one major sculpture every 3-5 years at key visible areas. They will tour sites later this week.
Staff reported they were finalizing cost estimates for the Clinton Lake master plan and hoped to present to the City Commission in next month.
Hecker showed the Board an in-house improvement plan for South Park and for an arboretum area between YSI and Clinton Lake Softball Complex.
Shaw and Steinbrock reported on recreation programs and the summer brochure, which came out this week.
Meeting adjourned 1:15P.M.
Next meeting May 13th, 2003.
Meeting was called to order by Chair Bracciano. Minutes of the February and March meeting were approved on a motion by Spratt, 2nd by Johnston.
Ken Wheatley, an artist presented and explained a proposal for a memorial sculpture of Langston Hughes to be placed in Watson Park. The proposal for this $35,000 gift of sculpture to the City was presented to the City Commission and referred to the Lawrence Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for consideration. His interest is to provide an interactive piece (a bench where people can sit beside the sculpture of Langston Hughes) for the community to honor this nationally known person who spent his boyhood in Lawrence. Ridgeway reported the LAC had voted to accept the sculpture and its location.
The Board asked a variety of questions about the site, how it would fit in with the sculpture "Emergence", which has been approved for Watson Park and a bronze sculpture of Buford M. Watson, Jr., which they understood had previously been approved to be placed in the park. DeVictor handed out an e-mail letter from Faye Watson, which expressed concern about a well-known memorial to a person in a park, which is named for a local public official. DeVictor reported he had talked to Tom Wilkerson, artist for the Buford M. Watson bust and it was about finished and could be installed later this year. The specific location has not been finalized and park staff would need to visit with the City Manager more about this.
Mr. Wheatley indicated he had looked at a wide variety of locations and felt a public park was a good setting to provide public interaction with the sculpture while enjoying a park setting with surrounding landscaping.
On a motion by Bracciano, 2nd by Spratt the Board voted 2-1 to accept this piece of sculpture and the park site but if it appears to conflict with either "Emergence" or the bust of Buford Watson that an alternate location be found. This recommendation will be forwarded to the City Commission for their consideration.
DeVictor reported the Planning Commission had accepted a plat for single family housing and possible donation of land for a park at the 19th and Learnard location discussed at the February meeting.
Spratt, Board representative on the sub-committee to consider a site for a sculpture garden, reported the committee met and were looking at more of a linear area for such a sculpture garden like along the rail-trail corridor in East Lawrence and along the SLT trails instead of a particular park. The committee was considering perhaps one major sculpture every 3-5 years at key visible areas. They will tour sites later this week.
Staff reported they were finalizing cost estimates for the Clinton Lake master plan and hoped to present to the City Commission in next month.
Hecker showed the Board an in-house improvement plan for South Park and for an arboretum area between YSI and Clinton Lake Softball Complex.
Shaw and Steinbrock reported on recreation programs and the summer brochure, which came out this week.
Meeting adjourned 1:15P.M.
Next meeting May 13th, 2003.
