HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9061INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
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To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 2, 2009
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SUBJECT: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND
„r. COMMUNITY PARK DEDICATION POLICY
The purpose of this Informal Report is to outline for the City Council the proposed revisions to the
Neighborhood and Community Park Dedication Policy adopted by City Council on April 18, 2000,
(M &C G- 12893) and revised on January 27, 2004, (M &C G- 14225).
Background and Issues
On November 27, 2007, the City Manager provided Informal Report (I.R. No. 8900) to the City
Council which outlined the scheduled review of the Neighborhood and Community Park
Dedication Policy ( NCPDP). The purpose of the review was to determine the effectiveness of the
policy in meeting the park and recreation needs of the citizens of Fort Worth. In general the policy
has been successful in meeting the needs for additional developed neighborhood parks,
particularly in newly developing areas. However, certain elements of the policy have been a
hindrance to 1) re- development within the central city and 2) the ability to acquire large tracts of
land in newly developing areas. Based on this review, staff recommends the following revisions.
On December 17, 2007, staff presented an overview of the NCPDP to the Development Advisory
Committee (DAC). Staff received DAC support for proposed Policy revisions on April 21, 2008.
The Parks and Community Services Advisory Board endorsed the proposed Policy revisions on
October 22, 2008.
Revision 1- Expand Park Planning District IV
This revision would expand Park Planning District IV from the Central City District boundaries to
include all areas in the City encompassed by Loop 820. The District would have a flat Park
Dedication fee of $500.00 per residential unit to be paid prior to the issuance of a building
permit.
After careful evaluation of Park Planning District IV, staff recognized that the area within Loop 820
currently exceeds the standard established by the National Recreation and Park Association of
6.25 acres per 1,000 population. Approximately 2,860 acres of the City's total 10,949 acres of
park land are within Loop 820. The estimated population within Loop 820 is projected to be
347,152 in 2010, equating to 8.24 acres per 1,000 population.
The current Park Dedication fees for these portions of the City are calculated in the same manner
as the remaining four Park Planning Districts outside Loop 820. However, much of the area within
Loop 820 is fully developed resulting in a lack of available land for parkland acquisition. Because
land values per acre near downtown can be as much as ten tunes the land value of undeveloped
property outside of Loop 820, excessively high Park Dedication fees serves as a deterrent to
dense residential development and economic redevelopment and revitalization projects in the
City's core.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT Wt;RTW_ TFXes
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 9061
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 2, 2009
�Ti,% Page 2 of 2
SUBJECT: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND
„n COMMUNITY PARK DEDICATION POLICY
The proposed boundary revision would provide more equitable application of Park Dedication
fees within the Central City. The $500.00 Park Dedication fee per residential unit will be used to
further develop existing parks, fund neighborhood connections from new downtown residential
development to existing parks and when appropriate, used for acquisition of additional
parkland. This proposal would better enable the PACSD to meet the park and recreation needs
for this additional population.
Revision 2- Expanded Use of Community Park Fees
This revision would authorize the use of Community Park fees collected from within a Community
Park Unit (CPU) to be expended within the Park Planning District (PPD) where the CPU is
located or the adjacent PPD based on a percentage of service area. This revision would exclude
Park Planning District IV.
During the development of the policy in 2000, staff anticipated a more orderly growth pattern
which would have generated community park acquisition fees in a progressive and logical
manner. However, "leap frog" development continues to occur resulting in a dilution of funds
spread among several CPU outside of Loop 820. Because of this, staff has been unable to
assimilate a sufficient amount of funds under the current policy to enable purchases of community
parks of sufficient size (30 to 50 acres).
Previous policy language specified that Community Park funds were required to be spent in the
same CPU or adjacent CPU. Because Community Park fees can be expanded within the
affected CPU or the much larger PPD the revision will allow staff more flexibility to accumulate
funding for land acquisition.
Unless the City Council has objections, Staff will bring forward an M$C to adopt the proposed
revisions to the Neighborhood and Community Paris Dedication Policy on June 9, 2009. In the
interim should you have any questions regarding the Neighborhood and Community Park
Dedication Policy or the proposed revisions, please contact David Creek, Acting Assistant
Director at (817) 392 -5744 or Richard Zavala, Parks and Community Services Director at (817)
392 -5704.
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ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS