City of Homer

Planning & Zoning        Telephone        (907) 235-3106

491 East Pioneer Avenue                    Fax                  (907) 235-3118

Homer, Alaska 99603-7645                E-mail             planning@ci.homer.ak.us

                                                            Web Site          www.ci.homer.ak.us

M E M O R A N D U M 09-81

 

TO:                  Mayor Hornaday and Homer City Council

THRU:            Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission

FROM:            Julie Engebretsen, Planning Technician

DATE:            May 28, 2009

SUBJ:              Karen A Hornaday Hillside Park Master Plan

 

History

The new Karen A Hornaday Hillside Park Master Plan has been a work in progress for over two years. Resolution 08-92, passed August 25th 2008, supported the concept of a trail in the park near Woodard Creek, and also the hiring of a hydrologist or landscape planner to look at options for the filled area next to the creek. At the subsequent Council meeting on September 9th, the Council failed Resolution 08-96, which would have adopted the new master plan.

 

After the failure of Resolution 08-96, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, Friends of Woodard Creek and the Kachemak Bay Conservation Society returned to the drawing board. A new plan was drafted by active citizens, and an open house was held in January 2009. The open house was well attended by elected officials, city staff, Little League representatives and a few members of the public. At the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting on May 21, 2009, the Commission recommended the City Council adopt the new plan.

 

Major changes

The most major change is the suggestion to alter the road alignment within the park, and reconfigure the parking areas. All changes are based on the premise that an engineer/landscape architect and probably a hydrologist will be hired to come up with the best site plan possible given the constraints of the property. There are three conceptual ideas within the master plan, but again they are conceptual; design drawings and plans would be rendered by an appropriate professional, along with cost and material estimates.

 

Other big changes:

·         When new restrooms are built, they would be constructed in a new location

·         When the maintenance shed is replaced the location would change

·         The fourth Little League field would not be constructed, instead the area would be used for parking (as it is now)

 

Implementation

Through this process, interested citizens and the Commission have agreed there needs to be a well defined plan, before any dirt is moved. Piecemeal development created some the current problems; further development should avoid this pitfall. The first step is to hire an engineer/hydrologist team to review the Woodard Creek area, and to come up with cost and materials estimates for moving the road.

 

Commission Recommendation:  City Council adopt the Karen A. Hornaday Hillside Park Master Plan.