Karen Hornaday Hillside Park Master Plan

Homer Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Draft

August 2008

 

Long term vision

Mission Statement:

Karen Hornaday Park is Homer’s largest a multi-use park. It will remain the hub of Little League activity in Homer. The campground shall be maintained for future users to enjoy in a rustic setting. The park will be adequately maintained to ensure the safety of the users, and the enjoyment and usability of the park. Park planning and development should be for the long term: look 50 years into the future when major projects are planned.

 

Priorities

  1. Safety

            Keep equipment and fields maintained for safety

 

  1. Create a Memorandum of Agreement with Little League so its clear who is responsible for what

            Action Item: Administration and Little League Board of Directors to work out an MOU.

 

  1. Keep all little league related fields at one park

 

  1. Hire a park planner to address drainage, number of ball fields, parking, and the other items in this plan.

 

  1. Complete drainage improvements along the north side of the ball fields

 

  1.  Reconfigure the eastern parking lot

            Action Item: Remove approximately 3,100 cubic yards of fill from the eastern parking lot along              Woodard Creek, and use best management practices to stabilize the fill bank. The engineer’s         estimate dated June 22, 2008 lists tasks and approximate expenses.         

      Action Item: Create a picnic area at the south end of where the fill is removed.

      Action Item: Build a trail from the picnic area, along the fill bank towards the northern part of     the parking lot.

      Action Item: Build a trail roughly following Woodard Creek between the parking lot and the       creek, on the bench area above the creek bed. The northern part of the trail would begin at the   north end of the northernmost parking lot, and possibly loop to the parking lot further south     and connect to the trail leading to the picnic area.          

 

  1. Complete the western parking lot

            Action Item: Expand parking lot slightly to the south to meet city parking requirements    (dimensions for parking stalls and aisles).

            Action Item: Prepare and pave western parking lot, stripe parking stalls, and install wheel stops.             Install handicap parking designations as appropriate.

            Action Item: Until parking lot is paved, continue to block off area to keep traffic off of it during   breakup.

            Note: This plan eliminates the 4th ball field previously planned for this area.

 

  1. Complete the eastern parking lot

            Action Item:  Complete eastern parking lot, cap, and install wheel stops or other way to organize           traffic. Will require some fill to level parking lot at the south end.

            Action Item: Finish eastern parking lot grading, get a cost estimate on capping and gravel costs, and wheel stops.

 

  1. Replace the existing restroom and concession stand. Build a new restroom and concession area, BBQ   shelter and dumpster site

            Action Item: Pursue grant funding to construct a new building for restrooms and the snack          shack. The City and Little League are more likely to be successful in completing this project by         working together on a joint facility.       

            Action item: Hire a professional park planner to redesign the layout of the existing restroom and             open area to make better use of the space, ie orientation of the new building, BBQ shelter and           lawn area. This can be accomplished    as part of the construction of the new restrooms.

 

  1. Continue development of the T-Ball Field. It is currently fenced and mowed.

            Action Item: Install bleachers above the field.

            Action Item: Construct steps or pathway for players down to field level. There is an existing       pathway at the far end of the field that also connects with a trail to Fairview Ave.

 

  1. Increase non-motorized access to the park

            Action Item: Add a pedestrian/non-motorized bridge between the hospital area and the park, over         Woodard Creek.

            Action Item: Install bike racks at each ball field, preferably locally made if possible

            Action Item: Improve the trail connecting the T-Ball field to Fairview Ave; install a culvert          crossing the ditch, trim back the alders, and bring in gravel or wood chips for the trail surface as     needed.

 

  1. Replace the city equipment shed. (reducing waste or reusing materials for this or other projects if possible)

            Action Item: Begin a capital project budget and save for the construction of the new shed over   the next 3-5 years.

 

  1. When the opportunity arises, work with adjacent land owners to solve campground encroachment, and purchase additional lands for camping and access to the other city owned parcel above the park.

 

  1. Have a new diagram for the park showing the changes adopted by this plan

            Action Item: Budget a for a small contract to redraw the park plan.

 

  1. Expand the campground

 

  1. Install a bridge over Woodard Creek, generally between the hospital or Cityview Ave and the park.

 

  1. Maintain park grounds in a visually appealing manner

      Action item: Budget resources and staff to maintain grounds

 

Improvements and current conditions

  • Lawn
  • Parking
  • Utilities (electric, water, sewer)
  • Playground equipment
  • Three ball fields, one minor league softball, one minor league baseball, one major league
  • One T-Ball field under development; its fenced and the surface soil is seeded and mowed. Need a pathway down to the field, and some sort of seating
  • An older mason block concession stand. The roof was repaired in 2008 with volunteer labor. There is frequently water on the floor due to poor drainage in the area, although completion of the drainage improvements to the north may help
  • A building with men’s and women’s restroom. This is an older structure nearing the end of its useful life
  • Little League has a connex box and truck cube box for storage
  • Little League has a batting cage (in need of repairs)
  • Large old wooden storage shed for city P&R storage. Nearing the end of its useful life. Subject to vandalism, break ins and theft.
  • Campground with 31 spaces, some of which can accommodate RV’s. Campground likely encroaches on the neighboring property to the west.
  • Driveway and private access easement to property to the north. Driveway on this property has failed (sloughed) and has been abandoned to date.
  •  

Future development and special considerations

Special considerations

  • The park is on a slope, and will always have drainage problems. Future development should improve drainage within the park, and also keep flooding impacts downstream from getting worse.
  • The park has been a community facility since the 1940’s, and will continue to be forever. Planning and park development should plan for the long term.
  • In the future, new construction or reconstruction projects should start when there is enough funding to do a reasonably complete job. This park is too important and too highly used to piecemeal necessary improvements.
  • Study the feasibility of a soccer field for ages 7-14.
  • Consider allowing a seasonal campground host, to discourage vandalism and improper behavior.
  • Approximately 100 parking spaces are needed to meet the needs of the three ball fields and the T-Ball field. The playground has a separate small parking area adjacent to the play equipment.
  • The city should retain the 10 acre parcel to the northwest of the park, for future park expansion.
  • Preserve green space as much as possible, as part of the community goal of having interconnected green spaces and trails (Relates to #13 as well).
  • In keeping with Homer’s beautification efforts, maintain native shrubbery, greenery and facilities in a visually appealing manner. Preserve and enhance Homer’s considerable visual resources in the park.

 

History

Former Homestead, sold in the 1940’s by Mae Harrington (?) to the Homer Fair Association. By the 1960’s, the Association disbanded and the land was given to the City. Between the 1960’s and 1980’s, ball fields were built. In 1998, the City adopted a formal park plan. In the 1990’s and 2000’s fill was added for the parking lot along Woodard Creek. The park plan was updated in 2008 to the current plan by Resolution 08-XX

 

Acquisition

Given to the city by the Fair Association, in the 1960’s.

 

Property Restrictions

Deed Restriction that the land be used for recreation forever.

 

Plan Timeframe

This plan is for the next 5-10 years. It should be reviewed annual during the budget process so funding requests can be made to implement the plan.

 

 

Attachments

June 22, 2008 Engineer’s report

Eastern Parking Lot drawing

Article “A Creek Runs Through It,” Homer Tribune 8/27/08