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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet - PR - 1996.11.216 1 FA 3 BURLINGAME PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION 7:30 p.m., Thursday, November2l, 1996 Conference Room A, City Hall, 501 Primrose Road, Burlingame Roll Call Cretan, Dougherty, Kelly, Larios, Nilmeyer, Nyhan, Pera, Piccetti, Roberts Approval of Minutes Approve the minutes of the October 17 meeting Old Business A. Teen program issues & teen center 1) Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee 2) Survey of SM County City Teen Programs 3) Other B. Report on meeting with Cuernavaca Park neighbors C. Franklin Field status report D. Report from City Attorney on status of Washington Park Tennis Court "bumps" E. BIS athletic field project F. Victoria Park playground project G. Ray Park court resurfacing project 4. New Business 5. Reports A. Parks Division B. Recreation Division C. Commissioners 6. Public Comments This is the opportunity for members of the public to address the Commission regarding items not otherwise on the agenda. 7. Adjournment Next Regular Meeting: Commissioners Dinner Thursday, December 19, 1996 Friday, March 14, 1997 �ttT A -CITY U� Clryy OI1 BURLINGAME U N�M1 PART-S & ia-lciZI4.A'1'ION \+P 01111T90 November 18, 1996 l) ull l'A Rrl'IVI 14 N r TO: Park & Recreation Commission FROM: Parks & Recreation Director SUBJECT: Meeting With Cuernavaca Park Neighbors - 11/12/96 oll On the evening of November 12, several City staff u and members GGS lu rt Drive to discund Commission Chair Dss issues Roberts met with 13 park neighbors in the home of Janis M about the use of Cuernavaca park, park cleanup, after hours police ps a tacked and two lettersrlems ad possible future steps to make the park a better neighbor. A meeting attendance from park neighbors that were presented on November 12 are also attached. Each of the park neighbors had the opportunity to present their concerns to the group. ■ Nigh� t tme _ r lems. The parking lots area iPo�rC have notKids been gett g out adults of thecars, in the shade structure and in park shrubbery.and so kids come out of hiding as soon as Police patrols bleave.Empty alcohol areottles ar Y cans are regularly found in the shade structure and shrubbery. regu found in these areas. The shade structure is presently in need t� erepair did not respond toparking calls in lot floodlight is currently not working. It was stated that he Pol the area and that Police Dispatchers were sometimes ruo r ate City to sCodes Sectio. it was also ns noted i n that the Police cannot cite persons if there are not app p place banning specific behavior. ■ Large weekend &roue rti s. The area is plagued with large out-of-town groups who show up in the park every weekend during spring,summer he early lwhen the morn morning to "stake -out" is clear. Typically, the groups appear during the groups the picnic tables. There have been several confrontations Wkend there etween thesewas a rubber a'supported between the groups and the neighbors. The previous jumping structure, with generator, in use all day. All parking f (legally and the park is often used up by these group users. Many of these group park users park block driveways. Some young men have been observed throwing things at neighbors' cars and homes. Discussions with user groups have shown that most of these users are from out of town. Conversations with weekend group users have confirmed that many persons are residents of areas from Pacifica to Hayward. Some of the user groups have intimidated or frightened neighbors. Neighbors feel that some criminal types have been "casing" the neighborhood for future criminal activity. Hot coals from portable barbecues are sometimes dumped by users. Some neighbors noted that most park users are polite and are not a threat to the neighborhood. Some groups cleanup after themselves, some do not. Park Maintenance Worker David Ferenc stated that litter and trash were often excessive in the park after weekend activities. ■ Dogs in the park. Residents stated that the park is heavily used by dog owners to walk their pets. It was noted that most persons do cleanup after their dogs, but that some do not. There have been incidents of large dogs attacking small dogs. ■ view concerns. Neighbors complained that the shade structure was built higher than was promised by a City representative and is in violation of the CC&R's for the neighborhood. Some felt that the row of Eucalyptus trees around the athletic field was a fire hazard, was a leaf and debris generator, and were not being routinely maintained by the City. It was also stated that the Eucalyptus trees are important for people using the athletic field. One resident stated that the park should have more trees. ■ Athletic field users. It was stated that athletic field users often left the field, dugout, restroom and bleacher areas strewn with litter. User groups should be made accountable for cleanup. ■ Playground area. It was noted that big kids sometimes dominate the playground equipment. Some parents are reluctant to take small children to the playground area because older teens and adults in the shade structure and on the basketball court use profane language. ■ Out of area basketball users. It was stated that groups of older boys and men regularly drive to the park to use the basketball court for full court games. There is often heavy beer drinking at these games, much loud profanity and others are kept off the court because of the full court game. ■ Graffiti. Graffiti shows up in the park regularly. City staff members and Park & Recreation Commission Chairman Don Roberts addressed many of the issues that had been raised: The Burlingame Police Department Watch Commander for the late afternoon and evening hours is Sgt. Bob Ransom. He stated that the P.D. is concerned about the Cuernavaca Park area. Sgt. Ransom noted that there have only been three calls from the Cuernavaca neighborhood in the time period August, 1996 to the present. Three calls are not heavy traffic for any neighborhood. He described the Police staffing levels and noted that at times there are only four or five officers on patrol for the entire City. Sgt. Ransom stated that he would work with his shift of patrol officers, encouraging them to get out of their cars and to be more thorough in their inspections of the park. He noted that a recent occurrence of burglaries in the area was unrelated to the park, but was common to several neighborhoods along the 1-280 corridor. He noted that graffiti within the City of Burlingame is checked from time to time, but that graffiti appearing in Cuernavaca Park has not been particularly gang related in the past. Sgt. Ransom encouraged neighbors to please call the Police whenever they observed ANY suspicious behavior. Two neighbors stated that they would never call the Police. Commission Chairman Don Roberts described how City Commissions operate and stated that the Commission was concerned about the Cuernavaca Park problems that had been brought to the Commission in August. He noted that this meeting was a first step in addressing the problems being discussed. He indicated that during his years on the Commission, no neighbors have reported any problems to the Commission or asked for relief from any of the issues being discussed this evening. He indicated that Cuernavaca Park concerns would remain a priority with the Commission in the future and he invited any interested neighbors to attend future meetings of the Commission. Parks & Recreation Director John Williams reviewed the steps that City staff have taken since this matter first came to the Commission's attention in August. He stated that although he and Mrs. Musante had discussed the weekend group problem at length on several occasions, he had only been made aware of many of the other issues brought forward within the past three months. He noted that Cuernavaca is a park that is only a "semi -neighborhood park," since the athletic field is a vital part of the city-wide park system. The picnic area also needs to be reviewed since it is now NOT a viable group picnic area and should, probably, either be improved or removed. Williams said he would have the Parks Division install "Pooper Scooper" dispenser stations in the park as a test to see if that would help the dog excrement problem. He stated that if this group and the Commission agrees to study options for removing or remodeling the park shade structure, he would work with a landscape architect to review remodel options that could be brought back for neighborhood review. Williams will review options with the Recreation Division staff, the Police and the City Attorney and determine if there are some specific steps that eau be taken to prohibit certain activities in the park. Parks Supervisor Bob Disco stated that he would request of the Public Works Department that the parking lot floodlight be pat back into service. rrgs - vote onibI actions. Chairman Roberts asked for a vote on four specific issues that had come up to the group. The neighbors present unanimously voted to support the following four actions: The shade structure and group picnic area should be removed. 1�_ 0 More floodlights should be installed in the park. ■ Some existing basketball backstops should be removed and the court made into a half - court basketball facility only. ■ The City should install one or more "pooper scooper" dispensing stations in the park. Attachments: 1. List of neighbors attending meeting 2. Letter from Mrs. R. Tuccori 3 Letter from John & Marie Rolih Attachment 1 CUERNAVACA PARK NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING ROSTER 11/12/96 1 Neighbors present Rosadetta Alberts, 1675 Hunt Drive--697-0231 John Batz, 3072 Alcazar Drive--697-2877 Sylvia Bearman, 3064 Alcazar Drive--697-2991 Leon & Claire DelGrande, 1625 Hunt Drive--692-0657 Richard DeMartini, 1605 Hunt Drive--692-1140 Gabriel J. Hyppolite, 3072 Alcazar Drive--697-2877 Carole Marcelett, 1655 Hunt Drive--692-1611 Anne C. MacFarlane, 3040 Alcazar Drive--6974480 Marie Elsa MacPherson, 1701 Hunt Drive--692-3595 Janis Musante, 1665 Hunt Drive--697-3362 Peggy Romanowitz, 3088 Alcazar Drive--697-2897 Frank Suzuya, 3080 AlcazarDrive--697-0231 Park & Recreation Commission Chair presen Don Roberts, 1381 De Soto--342-6804 City sty aff present John W. Williams, Parks & Recreation Director Bob Disco, Parks Supervisor David Ferenc, Park Maintenance Worker Sgt. Bob Ransom, Burlingame Police Department Attachment 2 MY INPUT RE: CUERNAVACA PARK To Whom It May Concern: As a resident of this area for over 15 years Cuernavaca Park has always been a delightful place to relax in. Take in the view, take some really beautiful pictures of the scenic vistas and use as a play place for my grandchildren. It is sad indeed to see the changes which have taken place over the past several years. Almost every weekend someone has taken over the gazebo area and strung crape paper and party paraphanalia. While I can walk to the park, so parking isn't my particular problem, the streets are full of cars parked end to end. I can no longer sit in the park and watch the little ones on the slides and swings with their parents because it seems as though lately N always party time, and there is no where to sit, and anyone with any dignity would not dare to intrude in the gazebo where party cloths are set on every table to indicate the area is taken. Moreover when they leave the area many times they do not remove the decorations and the trash cans are overflowing with debris, and what doesn't fit in the cans is frequently left in the area or on the tables for someone else to clean up. I am sure that this mess adds to the animals which inhabit this area, especially the maurading raccoons which regularly upend garbage cans in the area. I sincerely feel sorry for the parents in the area who bring their little ones there during the weekdays, with broken glass strewn all over the concrete area and on the lawns and in the sand area. Cuernavaca Park has always been somewhat of a lovers lane and a beer drinking place on Friday IV- and Saturday nights, but on the Fourth of July the park was full of youngsters, there were Firecrackers going off, Fire works, including the orocket types which shoot high in the air, and while we were outside we en saw two police cars drive by, but one stopped, or got out of the car, and no one stopped the youngsters from using the illegal fireworks or firecrackers. In the past the park was always used by residents, and suddenly I see that we are having Little League Baseball games. Soccer practice sessions. Golfers galore, and if yours interested I have the golf balls to prove it. They are frequently in my yard, on my front lawn, in the gutters in front of the house, or in my pool. Lately, I've noticed that almost everyday now there are several groups of teenages, perhaps even some older, they play at basketball or just hang out, lounging all over their cars in front of the basketball courts, so many intact that my mother will no longer walk around in this area alone because she is uncomfortable with the undesireable looking individuals which now hang around here. The same is true when my granddaughter visits, I cannot let her go to the park alone, and I am uncomfortable there unless my husband is with me. It is obvious that some kind of controls are need to stop the traffic impacting the area on weekends, and weekday afternoons, also Friday and Saturday nights they park side by side in the middle of Hunt Drive talking to each other and prevent traffic from passing by. Perhaps the gazebo should be removed or fenced off and rented out through the Recreation Department and only to people living in the Mills Estate area. The basket ball court is definitely attracting the wrong type of element to a quiet residential area. And the number of robberies which have taken place recently seem to imdemnify the fact that the park is providing a hiding place to untrustworty types to come into the area and peruse the homes and lifestyles of an affluent community, as well as watch the comings and goings of a particular house before breaking in. It certainly provides a great cover for someone to see which houses have alarm systems, which do not. Where and who is gone all day and who is home all day. Moreover I feel that the park should be used as a residential area park, not equipped with facilities which attract outsiders. I don't know what the total answer is, but I do know that the residents of Hunt Drive which face the park tolerate a great deal of traffic, noise, and nuscience. Since the building of 1610 Hunt Drive I have been protected from a great deal of the problems, but I still get golf balls on occasion and I still get an occasional baseball in my yard on bounced off my overhang. So the problem does go beyond Hunt Drive. Also may times on Friday nights, there are cars racing around the corner of Hunt and Rivera on two wheels. We have had our planting area tom up several times by cars who lose control on the turn, and it is truly a miracle that someone hasn't hit the wall as yet. I sincerely hope that this meeting will result in some kind of change which will make Cuernavaca Park less attractive to people not living in the area. I sincerely feel that the removal of all facilities, and just leaving the area in lawn, and the childrens playground would immediately discourage the undesireable element which is hanging around there now, because there will be nothing to do and nowhere to hide. I also feel that perhaps it needs to be policed better both by the Police Department and the Park and Recreation Department Sincerely, fie, Mrs. R. Tuccori 09 Attachment 3 To: Burlingame Park Commission Burlingame Police Department John and Marie Rolih, 1700 Hunt Drive, Burlingame We have been residents at this address since December of 1964. We purchased our home with the hope that Mills Estates would become another Hillsborough. Our home was the first built on this block of Hunt Drive. The other lots on Hunt from Rivera to Atwater were graded as well as down Alcazar, except for the area across Alcazar which, we were informed, had been set aside by the st of Eichler Eventually it£or wasacity park graded and atthe lawn waseplantedl.eTheolowerman Dave porttion Martin. Eventually was made into a baseball park. Sometime in the mid -seventies, as we recall, we were informed that the park would be completed and we were shown a sketch of the proposed design. That plan was not implemented and, instead,the currenthenthgazebobakewas built which was followed by the kiddies' playground , none of which were included in the design shown us. The gazebo included a light which automatically turned on at dusk and off at dawn. The teenagers didn't like it and broke the light. The light was replaced and, again, the kids broke it. The city gave up and it has been without the light ever since. Under those conditions, the gazebo has been used for all sorts of activities at night. These include consumption of beer and stronger beverages, practice of illicit sex on the tables and using the gazebo area as rtheresome wereof the young girls present)nandecoulddbehseen area ,ousidepassersby the gazebo (perhaps •passersby on the sidewalk, apparently without shame. Some parked their 1�,,ars, particularly where the street lights didn't reach, and the next day we saw evidence of what they had been up to on the street or in our shrubbery. We found it necessary at times to call the police and at other times the police would patrol the area and find teenagers using the park after h ours. As time wore on, teenagers who lived in the area grew up and moved away; so thereafter we knew that the people who came with small children to use the playground were not neighbors. Our main concern over the years has been that too many of the parents neglected watching the children and instead chatted with other mothers. In the meantime, the children wandered off to play in the bushes below the playground. One can see the trails they have worn into the ground there. They often.broke the limbs from many trees and destroyed much of the plantings. Since there is a wall below the plantings , it is dangerous for some of the small children to be playing there. One of the more troubling uses of the park has been the celebration of birth- days and other large gatherings by large numbers of people. We have found that many of these groups are not local residents but come from other cities of the Bay Area. We have learned that they come from Daly City, Foster City, Redwood City and from as far away as Newark across th bay. When such large groups come, they take up parking around the park and in front of residences on Hunt Drive and on Alcazar. I have counted up to sixty cars that do not belong to neighbors. They don't seem to take care of their cars and leave grease spots that degrade the neighborhood. They are generallynoissuburban and often play loud music which is intrusive to what should be a quiet neighborhood. e inflatable structures for children to play From time to time they bring larg in. They require noisy generators to run the air pumps to keep them up. -page 2- Most weekends groups come in on both Saturday and Sunday which detracts fr^m the residents' quiet weekends. When they leave for the day, which %q�� a often turns out to be rather late, they generally leave a mess. Some will leave up to six or more bags of garbage for the park department to haul away. But more often than not, they also leave a lot scattered about the area. Furthermore, the type of people who use the park facilities make us wonder if some of the burglars who visit the area may come from some of these people, as well as some of the graffiti artists who come by from time to time. The drivers of the cars seem not to be too well acquainted with driving rules or laws. One of the most flagrant practices is making a U-turn close to the corners of Hunt and Alcazar. The law requires 200 feet of visibility in both directions, which means that they would have to drive down Alcazar before making a U-turn. Also, because Hunt Drive is downhill south of Alcazar, U-turns at the intersection are unsafe, especially since residents from Rivera or those motorists who use Hunt Drive to get to Trousdale exceed the speed limit getting up the hill. Probabal the most flagrantspeed ers are those who use the baseball park. Many of them�ome up Hunt and turn into Alcazar with tires squealing. We dread the possibility that someday a toddler will come out between cars and be struck, or that someone will be making a U-turn at the time someone speeds around the corner. Quite often we note that people park in the crosswals. All these things point to the necessity that something be done to keep Cuerne- vaca Park a local park for the use of Burlingame residents We have heard the park referred to as a Regional Park. That's ridiculous considering that the park is in a residential area and the care of the park is funded by the tax- rers of Burlingame. It is time that the use of the park be limited to the �ple paying for its upkeep. We also feel that the wishes of Mr. Eichler who gave up land intended for more houses to put in a park should be followed. The original design of a park -like setting with lawn, trees, pathways and benches would be a better alternative to what we now have. `}-- j �trt-4 /. November 12, 1996 Burlingame Police Department Burlingame Park Commission Rom. Janis Musante "Cuernavaca Park" letter. Dear Burlingame Police Department and Park Commission, We have been residents of Burlingame for the past twenty-two plus years, at the same address, and "we" take exception with the comments stated by Ms. Musante. In rebuttal to Ms. Musante's letter, we find NO problem with the usage of the park picnic area during daylight hours. We find the groups using the park courteous and the current first come, first serve policy is very fair. The number of participants has not been a problem. The park participants parking has not been a regular problem. Most participants are very courteous and park legally. The generator driven play structures do no harm and is safe recreation for young children. Food being barbecued does not cause undue smoke, nor is the odor offensive. Many of our neighbors occasionally barbecue in their backyards. Also, the picnic area is usually left unlittered by participants and there is seldom any overflow of refuse. Further, the Park employees check the park in the evening after each event and empty trash and clean the area. There has been nothing left for the raccoons or ants, which do appear to be eternal pests in this general area. Seldom have we noted leftover bottles, cans or any other debris, unless left after daylight hours. Ms. Musante never asked our opinions relating to her letter. But we can state that our visual exposure to the covered picnic area, from our property, has a direct view and we have not been aware of any recent disturbances. IP& Police Department has been most responsive to neighborhood watch and to any phone call requests to disburse teenagers who are having parties in the park after dark. We have developed a nightly habit of "checking" the front of our home and neighbor area late in the evening. As regards Ms. Musante's paragraph five, we have no idea what she is implying in her reference to "social problems." This park was a negotiated "gift" from the builders of Mills Estates to the City of Burlingame to be used by the residents of Burlingame. Within the past few years, the biggest disturbance was this past July 4, 1996 at the Musante home when the parents were not present. The Musante's son and his teenage friends caused quite a disturbance including chinking, public urination, illegal fireworks and throwing firecrackers around in fi-ont of their home at 1665 Hunt Drive. The Burlingame Police responded within minutes of several neighbor's complaints. Yours Truly, e e t 16 - nt Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010-5809 aD. Cot rI Carol,y 1 C. Co �11 ivrqsdn E. Cottrell foffR INPUT Jff Cff R7 1HCA PRO' 1fffhil! kesday Nikht, Novewher IZih at 7-00 p-M. IYf1hl�J' 16'6S ffUNT I�1�fD�' BURIJNGA�IIh' IrWr For the last few years, we have had increasing numbers of people using the picnic area at Cuernavaca Park especially during the summer. These groups often exceed fifty people. Use of the park is unregulated There have been confrontations between people over use of the Park. At the present time, it is first -come -first -serve Many times, we, the residents, find that we have no on street parking because of the cars parked on Hunt Drive and Alcazar driven by picnickers. Generators are sometimes used to inflate play structures which run all day. Barbecues are brought in and the smoke and odor of food permeate the neighborhood and unfortunately, the picnic area is often left overflowing with garbage and party left-overs attracting raccoons, ants, etc. Sometimes, cans and broken bottles and other debris litter the area as well as the actual playground and adjacent grass areas. Additionally, at night, the park is frequented by teenagers some of whom have deliberately engaged in vandalism, and most of whom also leave cans and glass littering the area. Some neighbors because of the vantage position of their homes have observed drug abuse, sexual encounters and urination involving these youngsters. Because of the overhang, cement walls and lack of lighting, the police, when they do drive by, do not readily observe what is going on. A combination of all of the above is impacting the neighborhood Luckily, our gardeners are dedicated to their jobs and keep on top of clean-up, but the lack of regulation is increasingly exposing our neighborhood to many of the social problems currently plaguing the more urban areas. The Director of the Rec and Park Department, John Williams, the Park Commission and the Police Department are ready to respond to these on -going problems, but before doing so want your input as to how best to respond Mr. Williams has asked that the neighbors meet with hint, members of the Park Commission and a representative front the Police Department on Tuesday, November 121h. PLEASE COME. IT IS YOUR HOME, YOUR PARK, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOUR INVESTMENT. 2 3 4 5 9 } i l 'SLimFiv I 1t c TEEN PROGRAM INTEREST SURVEY OCTOBER 1996 Participation in Burl. Rec. ro rams each eal Times L Times N.Q. Tim es Times Ng. Times NO- Times NQ.. Times 0 Nl L 110 0 L 89 0 1 0 381 0 178 0 60 0 3 1 1 1 0 1 27 1 19 1 24 1 1 1 6 2 2 1 2 0 2 18 2 11 2 18 2 4 2 3 3 2 3 0 3 14 3 6 3 9 1 3 4 3 1 3 4 0 4 2 4 0 4 6 4 5 3 2 4 5 3 5 0 5 1 5 2 5 0 5 5 Blank 3 1 Blank 2 Blank 1 Blank 31 Blank 0 Blank 0 1 Blank 35 PYesci aiion otheYes pro v197y v Yes 0 Yes 306 45in 9oamsYes 8rra'CYes Yes 56 1 No 145 No 65 No 21 No 2 No 53 3 No 24 No ans. 17 No No ans. 0 No ans 3 5 No ans. 1 2 No ans. 6 No ans. 3 No ans. a. 0.A-1 Sports teams = 8 responses; cnurcn = z; uny aullual, = ,, , �.", r - -- Everyday = 8; 3 per week = 4; 2 per week = 2; 1 per week = 2; 2 per month = 1 Should there be more ern he. is on teen ro rams in Burlin ame? Yes 119 Yes 104 Yes 12 Yes 96 Yes 56 Yes No 84 No 3 No 0 No 45 No 22 No No ans. 19 No ans. 10 No ans. 1 No ans. 12 No ans. 19 No ar 1 Yes 284 0 No I 151 0 No ans 51 Interested in artici atin otter scnooi. ou 3 5 Yes 0 Yes 2227 Yes 1 0 8 Yes 88 Yes 10 Yes 74 Yes 1 No 212 No 87 No 24 No 2 No 74 5 No 48 No ans. 1 4 No No ans. 0 No ans 4 7 No ans. 2 7 No ans. 5 No ans. 1 No ans. Hanging out = 14; Sports = to; Glasses = o; music = o, ra, uva = •, •��- - • Interested in sted01 arYes atin87 n wYesenas9 au Yes 0 Yes Yes1V1„84 Yes 41 1 ]35 No No 92 No 25 No 2 No 63 No 40 No No ans. 2 9 No ans. 5 No ans. 2 No ans.6 No ans. 1 6 No ans. 0 Noans n. nlh� _ 1nancoe - 1 Parties = 14; Sports = 13; Trips = s; Hanging oul-- Interested in participating du ing summer or ..1.11• 3 8 Yes 1 Yes 1 8 4 Yes 91 Yes 1 1 Yes 4 7 Yes No 0 No 257 =oans2o No 23 No 1 No 95 1 1 No 46 No ans. 1 3 No ans. 0 No ans 4 5 No ans. 3 No ans. 1 No ans. Sports = 17, Trips = 6,, Hanging out = 5; uances = a; vatic- = - - -• youth Groups = 1; Performances = 1; Camp Trips = 1 Willin to a fee. Yes 92 Yes 1 0 2 Yes 9 Yes 4 6 Yes 2 8 Yes 0 Yes 17 5 No 117 No 12 No 1 No 81 No 41 No 1 No 241 No ans. 13 No ans. 3 No ans. 3 No ans. 26 No ans. 28 No ans. 0 No ans 70 Several cities could not, or did not, provide any breakdown on facility operation costs --maintenance, utilities, etc.-- and other resources. Other resources were split for comparison. Belmont, Burlingame, Millbrae, Palo Alto & South SF intermediate school sports not included. Inter. school sports program costs are somewhat fee supported. TEEN PROGRAM INTEREST SURVEY OCTOBER 1996 ,�— I BHS I BHS - Parent I EMS I Mercy, 9-10 1 Mercy, 11-12 1 Mercy -Parent I Totals 1 . Participation in Burl. Rec. programs each vear Times Ng, Times NQ, Times NQ, Times NP. Times No. TjmeS NQ, Tim 0 178 0 60 0 3 0 110 0 89 0 1 0 381 1 19 1 24 1 1 1 6 1 1 1 0 1 27 2 1 1 2 18 2 4 2 2 2 1 2 0 2 18 3 6 3 9 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 0 3 14 4 3 4 1 4 1 4 0 4 2 4 0 4 6 5 2 5 3 5 0 5 1 5 2 5 0 5 5 Blank 3 Blank 2 Blank 1 Blank 31 1 Blank 0 Blank 0 Blank 35 2. Participation in other programs (e.g. Sports teams, Church groups) Yes 14 5 Yes 9 0 Yes 8 Yes 9 7 Yes 5 6 Yes 0 Yes 306 No 65 No 21 No 2 No 53 No 24 No 1 No 145 No ans. 12 No ans. 6 No ans. 3 No ans. 3 No ans. 17 No ans. 0 No ans 3 5 Sports teams = 8 responses; Church = 2; City Softball = 1; Youth Group = 1; School Club = 1 Everyday = 8; 3 per week = 4; 2 per week = 2, 1 per week = 2, 2 per month = 1 3. Should there be more emphasis on teen programs in Burlingame? Yes 11 9 Yes 104 Yes 12 Yes 96 Yes 5 6 Yes 1 Yes 284 No 84 No 3 No 0 No 45 No 22 No 0 No 151 No ans. 1 9 No ans. 10 No an,, 1 No ans. 12 No ans. 1 9 No ans. 0 No ans 51 4. Interested in participating after school. Suggestions. Yes 108 Yes 88 Yes 10 Yes 74 Yes 35 Yes 0 Yes 227 No 87 No 24 No 2 No 74 No 48 No 1 No 212 No ans. 2 7 No ans. 5 No ans. 1 No ans. 5 No ans. 14 No ans. 0 No ans 4 7 Hanging out = 14; Sports = 10; Classes = 6, Music = 5; Parties = 1; Clubs = 1; Dances = 1 5. Interested in participating on weekends. Suggestions. Yes 101 Yes 87 Yes 9 Yes 84 Yes 41 Yes 0 Yes 235 No 92 No 25 No 2 No 63 No 40 No 1 No 198 No ans. 2 9 No ans. 5 No ans. 2 No ans. 6 No ans. 16 No ans. 0 No ans 5 3 Parties = 14; Sports = 13; Trips = 9, Hanging out = 4; Classes = 3; Music = 2, Clubs = 1; Dances = 1 6. Interested in participating during summer break. Suggestions. Yes 87 Yes 91 Yes 1 1 Yes 4 7 Yes 3 8 Yes 1 Yes 1114 No 115 No 23 No 1 No 95 No 46 No 0 No 257 No ans. 20 No ans. 3 No ans. 1 No ans. 1 1 No ans. 13 No ans. 0 No ans 4 5 Sports = 17, Trips = 6, Hanging out = 5; Dances = 5; Parties = 4; Outdoor Ed = 2; Classes = 3; Youth Groups = 1; Performances = 1; Camp Trips = 1 7. Willina to nav fee_ Yes 92 Yes 1 0 2 Yes 9 Yes 46 Yes 28 Yes 0 Yes 175 No 117 No 12 No 1 No 81 No 41 No 1 No 241 No ans. 13 No ans. 3 No ans. 3 No ans. 26 No ans. 2 8 No ans. 0 No ans 70 SUMMARY OF SM COUNTY TEEN PROGRAMS (Not Includiniz Intermediate School Snorts) Page 1 November 20, 1996 Personnel FT Salfbenefits $ 2,000 $ 30,000 $ 45,000 $ 45690 $ 21,000 $ 79,150 $ 3,000 $ 21,650 $ 41,700 $ 27,570 $ 1,500 PT Salfbenefits 37,620 201000 15,000 7,320 17,500 525250 4,000 -0- 31,300 205560 4,000 Total Personnel 11$39,620 1 $ 50,000 1 $ 38,500 1 $ 12,010 1 $ 38,500 1 $1319400 1 $ 75000 1 $ 21,650 1 $ 73,000 $ 48,130 $ 5,500 Oth Resources Matl/Supplies 35400 151000 109000 5,570 129075 6,100 11000 -0- 23,000 87460 200 Facilities -0- -0- -0- -0- 500 11800 -0- -0- MAO 33150 -0- Contract Services 2,500 15,000 105000 65500 79000 19600 -0- -0- 53,500 109680 -0- Total Other I $ 5,900 1 $ 30,000 1 $ 20,000 1 $ 12,070 1 $ 19,575 1 $ 9,500 1 $ 1,000 1 $ -0- 1 $102,500 1$88,040 $ 200 Total Teens $ 45,520 1 $ 80,000 1 $ 80,000 1 $ 24,080 1 $ 58,075 1 $140,900 1 $ 81000 1 $ 21,650 1 $175,500 1 $ 1 $ 5,700 Teen Center or Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes 6 = yes No Wing? 3 = no Staff Youth Yes Yes Yes Yes, + Yes Yes No, On Yes Yes 8 =Youth No, Commission? On P&R I P&R 2 =On P&R I on P&R Several cities could not, or did not, provide any breakdown on facility operation costs --maintenance, utilities, etc.-- and other resources. Other resources were split for comparison. Belmont, Burlingame, Millbrae, Palo Alto & South SF intermediate school sports not included. Inter. school sports program costs are somewhat fee supported. L CITY CITY OF I3URLINGAME I l PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMEWF LINGAME MEMORANDUM STAFF REPORT November 19, 1996 TO: Parks & Recreation Commission FROM: John Williams, Parks & Recreation Director 'L SUBJECT: Cuernavaca Park Issues Back rground. As Commissioners will recall, two Cuernavaca Park neighbors attended your August Commission meeting and discussed several concerns about use and misuse of the park. It is my understanding that this was the first time these concerns had been brought to the Commission in recent memory. I had been having some discussions with neighbor Janis Musante about the weekend group users who were overwhelming the park, but no one had really brought all of the other issues to my attention. After your August meeting I discussed Cuernavaca concerns with the Police Chief and the Police Patrol Commander. They indicated they would make the park an emphasis with their patrol officers. I also met with our Parks Division staff and asked them to report any unusual activity or problems created by user groups. On November 12, a meeting was conducted with park neighbors in Mrs. Musante's home on Hunt Drive. My report from that meeting is attached. I believe it was a helpful and productive meeting. I learned some things from the meeting as, hopefully, everyone else in attendance did. Discussion. As we have discussed, Cuernavaca is sort of a mixed -breed park. It is not a local mini -park. It is not truly a neighborhood park because it has the ballfield that is a citywide facility and a half - operable group picnic area. It is not a community park, even with the ballfield, because it does not have the wide range of activities, flat play space, tennis courts, group picnic facilities, etc. that are typically found in a community park, such as Washington Park. It should also be noted that, in spite of the very real concerns expressed by the neighbors, Cuernavaca Park does NOT suffer from more litter, graffiti and abuse than any other park in the community. Even though our collective tolerance for park problems should be zero, reality says that Cuernavaca is really no better or no worse off than other City parks in this regard. Don Roberts conducted a vote at the neighborhood meeting and the neighbors were unanimous in supporting four actions: ■ The shade structure and group picnic area should be removed. ■ More floodlights should be installed in the park. ■ Some existing basketball backstops should be removed and the court made into a half - court facility only. ■ The City should install one or more "pooper scooper" dispensing stations in the park. City staff has taken the following steps re Cuernavaca: ■ A work order has been sent to Public Works asking that the parking lot floodlight be repaired and turned back on. ■ Parks staff is ordering plastic "pooper eco scoops" and will construct a small dispensing stand at the park to see if this helps the dog excrement problem. ■ I have contacted a landscape architect who is interested in working on a removal - rehab project in the area of the shade structure. ■ I am researching what other cities have done to strengthen their City Codes and make police enforcement possible when park users create a nuisance. I will meet with the new City Attorney after January I to draft some possible changes for the 1997 season. ■ Sgt. Ransom has indicated he will put out the word on the evening watch for the police officers to be alert in the Cuernavaca Park neighborhood and will encourage officers to be more thorough in their surveillance of the park shrubbery and other hiding places. Recommendation. I recommend that the Commission concur with the steps proposed and taken above and that you propose that a landscape architect be hired to draft some alternative removal and development schemes for the shade structure and group picnic area that can be considered with the 1997-98 capital improvement project budget. Attachment: Memo re November 12, 1996 meeting cc: Fred Parker, Police Chief Tim Richmond, Parks Superintendent (_m 1iz_l VRLINGAM November 18, 1996 CITY 0IF BURLINGAN114" PARKS1ZI:CIZI:A'1'1ON I)LI'AlZ'1'1VIIN'1' MEMORANDUM TO: Park & Recreation Commission FROM: Parks & Recreation Director SUBJECT: Meeting With Cuernavaca Park Neighbors - 11/12/96 On the evening of November 12, several City staff members and Commission Chair Don Roberts met with 13 park neighbors in the home of Janis Musante, 1665 Hunt Drive to discuss issues about the use of Cuernavaca park, park cleanup, after hours police problems and possible future steps to make the park a better neighbor. A meeting attendance list is attached and two letters from park neighbors that were presented on November 12 are also attached. Each of the park neighbors had the opportunity to present their concerns to the group. ■ Night time -problem , The parking lots area is very dark. Kids and young adults hang-out in the shade structure and in park shrubbery. Police have not been getting out of their cars, so kids come out of hiding as soon as Police patrols leave. Empty alcohol bottles and cans are regularly found in the shade structure and shrubbery. Used condoms are regularly found in these areas. The shade structure is presently in need of repair and the parking lot floodlight is currently not working. It was stated that the Police did not respond to calls in the area and that Police Dispatchers were sometimes rude to callers. It was also noted that the Police cannot cite persons if there are not appropriate City Codes Sections in place banning specific behavior. ■ Lame weekend croup parties. The area is plagued with large out-of-town groups who show up in the park every weekend during spring, summer and fall when the weather is clear. Typically, the groups appear during the night or in the early morning to "stake -out" the picnic tables. There have been several confrontations between these groups or between the groups and the neighbors. The previous weekend there was a rubber air supported jumping structure, with generator, in use all day. All parking in the area of the park is often used up by these group users. Many of these group park users park illegally and block driveways. Some young men have been observed throwing things at neighbors' cars and homes. Discussions with user groups have shown that most of these users are from out of town. Conversations with weekend group users have confirmed that many persons are residents of areas from Pacifica to Hayward. Some of the user groups have intimidated or frightened neighbors. Neighbors feel that some criminal types have been "casing" the neighborhood for future criminal activity. Hot coals from portable barbecues are sometimes dumped by users. Some neighbors noted that most park users are polite and are not a threat to the neighborhood. Some groups cleanup after themselves, some do not. Park Maintenance Worker David Ferenc stated that litter and trash were often excessive in the park after weekend activities. ■ Dogs in the park. Residents stated that the park is heavily used by dog owners to walk their pets. It was noted that most persons do cleanup after their dogs, but that some do not. There have been incidents of large dogs attacking small dogs. ■ View concerns. Neighbors complained that the shade structure was built higher than was promised by a City representative and is in violation of the CC&R's for the neighborhood. Some felt that the row of Eucalyptus trees around the athletic field was a fire hazard, was a leaf and debris generator, and were not being routinely maintained by the City. It was also stated that the Eucalyptus trees are important for people using the athletic field. One resident stated that the park should have more trees. ■ Athletic field users. It was stated that athletic field users often left the field, dugout, restroom and bleacher areas strewn with litter. User groups should be made accountable N% . for cleanup. ■ Playground area. It was noted that big kids sometimes dominate the playground equipment. Some parents are reluctant to take small children to the playground area because older teens and adults in the shade structure and on the basketball court use profane language. ■ Out of area basketball users. It was stated that groups of older boys and men regularly drive to the park to use the basketball court for full court games. There is often heavy beer drinking at these games, much loud profanity and others are kept off the court because of the full court game. ■ Graffiti. Graffiti shows up in the park regularly. City staff members and Park & Recreation Commission Chairman Don Roberts addressed many of the issues that had been raised: The Burlingame Police Department Watch Commander for the late afternoon and evening hours is Sgt. Bob Ransom. He stated that the P.D. is concerned about the Cuernavaca Park area. Sgt. Ransom noted that there have only been three calls from the Cuernavaca neighborhood in the time period August, 1996 to the present. Three calls are not heavy traffic for any neighborhood. He described the Police staffing levels and noted that at times there are only four or five officers on patrol for the entire City. Sgt. Ransom stated that he would work with his shift of patrol officers, encouraging them to get out of their cars and to be more thorough in their inspections of the park. He noted that a recent occurrence of burglaries in the area was unrelated to the park, but was common to several neighborhoods along the I-280 corridor. He noted that graffiti within the City of Burlingame is checked from time to time, but that graffiti appearing in Cuernavaca Park has not been particularly gang related in the past. Sgt. Ransom encouraged neighbors to please call the Police whenever they observed ANY suspicious behavior. Two neighbors stated that they would never call the Police. Commission Chairman Don Roberts described how City Commissions operate and stated that the Commission was concerned about the Cuernavaca Park problems that had been brought to the Commission in August. He noted that this meeting was a first step in addressing the problems being discussed. He indicated that during his years on the Commission, no neighbors have reported any problems to the Commission or asked for relief from any of the issues being discussed this evening. He indicated that Cuernavaca Park concerns would remain a priority with the Commission in the future and he invited any interested neighbors to attend future meetings of the Commission. Parks & Recreation Director John Williams reviewed the steps that City staff have taken since this matter first came to the Commission's attention in August. He stated that although he and Mrs. Musante had discussed the weekend group problem at length on several occasions, he had only been made aware of many of the other issues brought forward within the past three months. He noted that Cuernavaca is a park that is only a "semi -neighborhood park," since the athletic field is a vital part of the city-wide park system. The picnic area also needs to be reviewed since it is now NOT a viable group picnic area and should, probably, either be improved or removed. Williams said he would have the Parks Division install "Pooper Scooper" dispenser stations in the park as a test to see if that would help the dog excrement problem. He stated that if this group and the Commission agrees to study options for removing or remodeling the park shade structure, he would work with a landscape architect to review remodel options that could be brought back for neighborhood review. Williams will review options with the Recreation Division staff, the Police and the City Attorney and determine if there are some specific steps y that can be taken to prohibit certain activities in the park. N r Parks Supervisor Bob Disco stated that he would request of the Public Works Department that the parking lot floodlight be put back into service. Group vote on possible actions. Chairman Roberts asked for a vote on four specific issues that had come up to the group. The neighbors present unanimously voted to support the following four actions: ■ The shade structure and group picnic area should be removed 0 More floodlights should be installed in the park. �Y 6)� _qC) l77^ 0 . ■ Some existing basketball backstops should be removed and the court made into a half - court basketball facility only. ■ The City should install one or more "pooper scooper" dispensing stations in the park. NE DO Attachments: 1. List of neighbors attending meeting 2. Letter from Mrs. R. Tuccori 3. Letter from John & Marie Rolih i `. Attachment 1 CUERNAVACA PARK NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING ROSTER 11/12/96 Neighbors Rosadetta Alberts, 1675 Hunt Drive--697-0231 John Batz, 3072 Alcazar Drive--697-2877 Sylvia Bearman, 3064 Alcazar Drive--697-2991 Leon & Claire DelGrande, 1625 Hunt Drive--692-0657 Richard DeMartini, 1605 Hunt Drive--692-1140 Gabriel J. Hyppolite, 3072 Alcazar Drive--697-2877 Carole Marcelett, 1655 Hunt Drive--692-1611 Anne C. MacFarlane, 3040 Alcazar Drive--697-4480 Marie Elsa MacPherson, 1701 Hunt Drive--692-3595 Janis Musante, 1665 Hunt Drive--697-3362 Peggy Romanowitz, 3088 Alcazar Drive--697-2897 Frank Suzuya, 3080 AlcazarDrive--697-0231 Park & Recreation Commission Chair present Don Roberts, 1381 De Soto--342-6804 OR City staff present John W. Williams, Parks & Recreation Director Bob Disco, Parks Supervisor David Ferenc, Park Maintenance Worker Sgt. Bob Ransom, Burlingame Police Department M Attachment 2 MY INPUT RE: CUERNAVACA PARK To Whom It May Concern: As a resident of this area for over 15 years Cuernavaca Park has always been a delightful place to relax in. Take in the view, take some really beautiful pictures of the scenic vistas and use as a play place for my grandchildren. It is sad indeed to see the changes which have taken place over the past several years. Almost every weekend someone has taken over the gazebo area and strung crape paper and party paraphanalia. While I can walk to the park, so parking isn't my particular problem, the streets are full of cars parked end to end. I can no longer sit in the park and watch the little ones on the slides and swings with their parents because it seems as though lately it always parry time, and there is no where to sit, and anyone with any dignity would not dare to intrude in the gazebo where party cloths are set on every table to indicate the area is taken. Moreover when they leave the area many times they do not remove the decorations and the trash cans are overflowing with debris, and what doesn't fit in the cans is frequently left in the area or on the tables for someone else to clean up. I am sure that this mess adds to the animals which inhabit this area, especially the maurading raccoons which regularly upend garbage cans in the area. I sincerely feel sorry for the parents in the area who bring their little ones there during the weekdays, with broken glass strewn all over the concrete area and on the lawns and in the sand area. Cuernavaca Park has always been somewhat of a lovers lane and a beer drinking place on Friday and Saturday nights, but on the Fourth of July the park was full of youngsters, there were Firecrackers going off, Fire works, including the rocket types which shoot high in the air, and while we were outside we saw two police cars drive by, but en one stopped, or got out of the car, and no one stopped the youngsters from using the illegal fireworks or firecrackers. In the past the park was always used by residents, and suddenly I see that we are having Little League Baseball games. Soccer practice sessions. Golfers galore, and if your's interested I have the golf balls to prove it. They are frequently in my yard, on my front lawn, in the gutters in front of the house, or in my pool. Lately, I've noticed that almost everyday now there are several groups of teenages, perhaps even some older, they play at basketball or just hang out, lounging all over their cars in front of the basketball courts, so many infact that my mother will no longer walk around in this area alone because she is uncomfortable with the undesireable looking individuals which now hang around here. The same is true when my granddaughter visits, I cannot let her go to the park alone, and I am uncomfortable there unless my husband is with me. It is obvious that some kind of controls are need to stop the traffic impacting the area on weekends, and weekday afternoons, also Friday and Saturday nights they park side by side in the middle of Hunt Drive talking to each other and prevent traffic from passing by. Perhaps the gazebo should be removed or fenced off and rented out through the Recreation Department and only to people living in the Mills Estate area. The basket ball court is definitely attracting the wrong type of element to a quiet residential area. And the number of robberies which have taken place recently seem to indemnify the fact that the park is providing a hiding place to untrustworty types to come into the area and peruse the homes and lifestyles of an affluent community, as well as watch the comings and goings of a particular house before breaking in. It certainly provides a great cover for someone to see which houses have alarm systems, which do not. Where and who is gone all day and who is home all day. Moreover I feel that the park should be used as a residential area park, not equipped with facilities which attract outsiders. I don't know what the total answer is, but I do know that the residents of Hunt Drive which face the park tolerate a great deal of traffic, noise, and nuscience. Since the building of 1610 Hunt Drive I have been protected from a great deal of the problems, but I still get golf balls on occasion and I still get an occasional baseball in my yard on bounced off my overhang. So the problem does go beyond Hunt Drive. Also may times on Friday nights, there are cars racing around the corner of Hunt and Rivera on two wheels. We have had our planting area tom up several times by cars who lose control on the turn, and it is truly a miracle that someone hasn't hit the wall as yet. I sincerely hope that this meeting will result in some kind of change which will make Cuernavaca Park less attractive to people not living in the area. I sincerely feel that the removal of all facilities, and just leaving the area in lawn, and the childrens playground would immediately discourage the undesireable element which is hanging around there now, because there will be nothing to do and nowhere to hide. I also feel that perhaps it needs to be policed better both by the Police Department and the Park and Recreation Department /Sincerely, Tuccori Attachment 3 To: Burlingame Park Commission Burlingame Police Department 'rom: John and Marie Rolih, 1700 Hunt Drive, Burlingame We have been residents at this address since December of 1964. We purchased our home with the hope that Mills Estates would become another Hillsborough. Our home was the first built on this block of Hunt Drive. The other lots on Hunt from Rivera to Atwater were graded as well as down Alcazar, except for the area across Alcazar which, we were informed, had been set aside by the Eichler organization for a city park at the behest of then Councilman Dave Martin. Eventually it was graded and a lawn was planted. The lower portion was made into a baseball park. Sometime in the mid -seventies, as we recall, we were informed that the park would be completed and we were shown a sketch of the proposed design. That plan was not implemented and, instead, the current gazebo was built which was followed by the kiddies' playground and then the baketball court, none of which were included in the design shown us. The gazebo included a light which automatically turned on at dusk and off at dawn. The teenagers didn't like it and broke the light. The light was replaced and, again, the kids broke it. The city gave up and it has been without the light ever since. Under those conditions, the gazebo has been used for all sorts of activities at night. These include consumption of beer and stronger beverages, practice of illicit sex on the tables and using the gazebo area as a restroom. Some of the young men even used the area ouside the gazebo (perhaps there were girls present) and could be seen by pesaersby on the sidewalk, apparently without shame. Some parked their ars, particularly where the street lights didn't reach, and the next day ewe saw evidence of what they had been up to on the street or in our shrubbery. We found it necessary at times to call the police and at other times the police would patrol the area and find teenagers using the park after h ours. As time wore on, teenagers who lived in the area grew up and moved away; so thereafter we knew that the people who came with small children to use the playground were not neighbors. Our main concern over the years has been that too many of the parents neglected watching the children and instead chatted with other mothers. In the meantime, the children wandered off to play in the bushes below the playground. One can see the trails they have worn into the ground there. They often broke the limbs from many trees and destroyed much of the plantings. Since there is a wall below the plantings , it is dangerous for some of the small children to be playing there. One of the more troubling uses of the park has been the celebration of birth- days and other large gatherings by large numbers of people. We have found that many of these groups are not local residents but come from other cities of the Bay Area. We have learned that they come from Daly City, Foster City, Redwood City and from as far away as Newark across th bay. When such large groups come, they take up parking around the park and in front of residences on Hunt Drive and on Alcazar. I have counted up to sixty cars that do not belong to neighbors. They don't seem to take care of their cars and leave grease spots that degrade the neighborhood. They are generally noisy and often play loud music which is intrusive to what should be a quiet suburban neighborhood. From time to time they bring large inflatable structures for children to play in. They require noisy generators to run the air pumps to keep them up. -page [- Most weekends groups come in on both Saturday and Sunday which detracts from the residents' quiet weekends. When they leave for the day, which suite often turns out to be rather late, they generally leave a mess. Some 1caill leave up to six or more bags of garbage for the park department to haul away. But more often than not, they also leave a lot scattered about the area. Furthermore, the type of people who use the park facilities make us wonder if some of the burglars who visit the area may come from some of these people, as well as some of the graffiti artists who come by from time to time. The drivers of the cars seem not to be too well acquainted with driving rules or laws. One of the most flagrant practices is making a U-turn close to the cornere of Hunt and Alcazar. The law requires 200 feet of visibility in both directions, which means that they would have to drive down Alcazar before making a U-turn. Also, because Hunt Drive is downhill south of Alcazar, U-turns at the intersection are unsafe, especially since residents from Rivera or those motorists who use Hunt Drive to get to Trousdale exceed the speed limit getting up the hill. Probabaly the most flagrantspeed ers are those who use the baseball park. Many of thempome up Hunt and turn into Alcazar with tires squealing. We dread the possibility that someday a toddler will come out between cars and be struck, or that someone will be making a U-turn at the time someone speeds around the corner. Quite often we note that people park in the crosswals. All these things point to the necessity that something be done to keep Cuerne- vaca Park a local park for the use of Burlingame residents We have heard the park referred to as a Regional Park. That's ridiculous considering that the park is in a residential area and the care of the park is funded by the tax- payers of Burlingame. It is time that the use of the park be limited to the >eople paying for its upkeep. We also feel that the wishes of Mr. Eichler who gave up land intended for more houses to put in a park should be followed. The original design of a park -like setting with lawn, trees, pathways and benches would be a better alternative to what we now have. November 12, 1996 Burlingame Police Department Burlingame Park Commission �. Janis Musante "Cuernavaca Park" letter. Dear Burlingame Police Department and Park Commission, We have been residents Of Burlingame for the past twenty-two plus years, at the same address, and "we" take exception with the comments stated by Ms. Musante. In rebuttal to Ms. Musante's letter, we find NO problem with the usage of the park picnic area during daylight hours. We find the groups using the park courteous and the current first come, first serve policy is very fair. The number of participants has not been a problem. The park participants parking has not been a regular problem. Most participants are very courteous and park legally. The generator driven play structures do no harm and is safe recreation for young children. Food being barbecued does not cause undue smoke, nor is the odor offensive. Many of our neighbors occasionally barbecue in their backyards. Also, the picnic area is usually left unlittered by participants and there is seldom any overflow of refuse. Further, the Park employees check the park in the evening after each event and empty trash and clean the area. There has been nothing left for the raccoons or ants, which do appear to be eternal pests in this general area. Seldom have we noted leftover bottles, cans or any other debris, unless left after daylight hours. Ms. Musante never asked our opinions relating to her letter. But we can state that our visual exposure to the covered picnic area, from our property, has a direct view and we have not been aware of any recent disturbances. one Police Department has been most responsive to neighborhood watch and to any phone call requests to disburse teenagers who are having parties in the park after dark. We have developed a nightly habit of "checking" the front of our home and neighbor area late in the evening. As regards Ms. Musante's paragraph five, we have no idea what she is implying in her reference to "social problems." This park was a negotiated "gift" from the builders of Mills Estates to the City of Burlingame to be used by the residents of Burlingame. Within the past few years, the biggest disturbance was this past July 4, 1996 at the Musante home when the parents were not present. The Musante's son and his teenage friends caused quite a disturbance including drinking, public urination, illegal fireworks and throwing firecrackers around in front of their home at 1665 Hunt Drive. The Burlingame Police responded within minutes of several neighbor's complaints. Yours Truly, e-Z ent"t 16; ; nt Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010-5809 ih DL.,JCo tr`el Carol yn'C. CO Qll 7stin E. Cottrell TON21j1VPUT)F CUI TIV.411.40 P,4B!r MIT Tuesday Nikh1, Novemf er 121h at 7-00 p.m. IY11A 166S AUNT DR1DJ; .96MI GA,l1R Mr. For the last few years, we have had increasing numbers of people using the picnic area at Cuernavaca Park especially during the summer. These groups often exceed fifty people. Use of the park is unregulated There have been confrontations between people over use of the Park. At the present time, it is first -come -first -serve. Many times, we, the residents, find that we have no on street parking because of the cars parked on Hunt Drive and Alcazar driven by picnickers. Generators .are sometimes used to inflate play structures which run all day. Barbecues are brought in and the smoke and odor of food permeate the neighborhood and unfortunately, the picnic area is often left overflowing with garbage and party left-overs attracting raccoons, ants, etc. Sometimes, cans and broken bottles and other debris litter the area as well as the actual playground and adjacent grass areas. Additionally, at night, the park is frequented by teenagers some of whom have deliberately engaged in vandalism, and most of whom also leave cans and glass littering the area. Some neighbors because of the vantage position of their homes have observed drug abuse, sexual encounters and urination involving these youngsters. Because of the overhang, cement walls and lack of lighting, the police, when they do drive by, do not readily observe what is going on. A combination of all of the above is impacting the neighborhood Luckily, our gardeners are dedicated to their jobs and keep on top of clean-up, but the lack of regulation is increasingly exposing our neighborhood to many of the social problems currently plaguing the more urban areas. The Director of the Rec and Park Department, John Williams, the Park Commission and the Police Department are ready to respond to these on -going problems, but before doing so want your input as to how best to respond Mr. Williams has asked that the neighbors meet with him, members of the Park Commission and a representative from: the Police Department on Tuesday, November 12th. PLEASE COME. IT IS YOUR HOME, YOUR PARK, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOUR INVESTMENT. `.. OR CITY o CITY OF BURLINGAME BURL,„ --GAME PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT r :0 MEMORANDUM D '��D11I1T[D November 13, 1996 TO: Park & Recreation Commission FROM: Parks & Recreation Director i' SUBJECT: Status Report on Franklin Field Tui Problems As you are aware, the turf at Franklin School field has been a problem since the field was opened in 1995. In 1995 and 1996 the field looked good and was in excellent shape in the spring and early summer. In both years the field turned sour in August and then, after heavy fall soccer and BIS use, has been in poor shape during the fall. The project architects were NOT given a large budget and neither the irrigation nor the drainage were designed to provide a major league field. Problems occurred when SF Water changed the water mains down Trousdale just as the project began and changes had to made on the fly. Additionally, our Parks staff requested a sprinkler head that turned -out to be a bad one and has subsequently been taken off the market. To further complicate the equation, this field receives the heaviest year-round use of any non - high school field in Burlingame. I originally placed the blame for many of our maintenance problems on the maintenance contractor. During the first year, we may have gotten a minimal effort from the contractor and there was some confusion about what work we were willing and ready to pay for. After several recent meetings with the contractor, I am now convinced that the contractor is alert to our problems and has been trying all sorts of fixes that have not all paid off yet. Until recently, I believed that the irrigation system was the only problem. I now believe that there is a drainage problem related to the extremely wet spots on the field. (6 last week) I had thought the wet spots were a result of over watering or poor sprinkler design. Callendar Associates has agreed to map the wet spots and investigate whether there are line leaks or other unexpected causes. We have taken the following actions: ■ Fall, 1995. A new drainage line was installed at the north end to drain the area behind first base. Some sprinkler heads were relocated. The field was reseeded during Thanksgiving break and looked good in Spring, 1996. We thought our problems were over. ■ August, 1996. When some brown spots showed -up, we instructed the contractor to increase the amount of water placed on the field. Wet spots then showed -up. Heavy fall play over the brown spots and the wet spots weakend the turf. ■ Fall 1996. The project architects have not abandoned us. They have invested hundreds of dollars worth of staff time in trying to assist us on this problem. During the past two months, the architects and the maintenance contractor have been meeting. They have jointly designed a sprinkler relocation plan which should solve the irrigation problem. The plan includes getting free replacement heads for the 39 inefficient sprinkler heads now in the ground; relocating virtually all heads to get more uniform coverage; and installing a separate new sprinkler line to give the maintenance contractor more flexibility in the water schedule. These changes can be made for $5,000 and the City Manager has approved funding for this project. The plan for the next few months is: ■ Now. Callendar Associates is preparing a map of the wet areas so we can check vs. field construction plans and winter storms. We will have more discussion about drainage with the architects, maintenance contractors and the School District during the next few months. ■ Thanksgiving Vacation, 1996. The field will be top seeded by the maintenance contractor. Given the time of year and the Mercy Hi use of the field this winter, the recovery will probably not be exceptional. ■ Winter, 1996-97, City Park Supervisor Bob Disco will check the field on a daily basis during and after periods of inclement weather so that he can give Mercy Hi the go/go-no signal for their practice and games. ■ February, 1997. After Mercy Hi has completed the soccer season, the maintenance contractor will come in and do the irrigation system changes. It is too wet to work now and the irrigation system is turned off for the winter. The trenching work will heal much more quickly in the spring. We will be proceeding with the four steps shown above. Our irrigation system problems should be solved with this new work. The drainage solutions remain unclear. I am also following -up on the City Manager's direction to do cost estimates for City staff maintaining both the Franklin and BIS fields. Tim Richmond and I continue to recommend that Franklin Field be closed every winter in the future to organized play of any type between the end of the AYSO soccer season in November and the March start of baseball and softball play. Franklin Field needs a healing period like all of our City fields. CC: Dennis Argyres, City Manager Bob Peterson, School District Peter Wickman, AYSO Cheryl Nash, Mercy High School Tom Glowski, Environmental Care Peter Callendar, Callendar Associates Tim Richmond, Parks Superintendent Randy Schwartz, Recreation Superintendent BURLINGAME PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT Collection Report Oct-96 1996-1997 1995-1996 1994-1995 COLL. YTD COLL. YTD COLL. YTD Key Pr r m OCTOBER 4 MONTHS 4 MONTHS 4 MONTHS) 00 Rec. Admin. $4.00 $73.00 $0.00 $0.00 10 Advertising 455.00 870.00 767.00 716.00 12 Tickets/Books 2,689.40 30,981.80 17,496.86 5,422.55 13 Bldg. Rental 1,895.50 9,683.61 10,110.50 5,598.50 14 Miscellaneous 455.13 1,214.81 3,847.61 2,536.24 16 1 Park Permit 125.00 725.00 750.00 675.00 17 ISchool Dist. 0.00 7,308.02 8,482.00 2,325.00 20 Sr. Lunch 1,718.30 5,463.46 4,618.37 5,340.90 21 Sr. Trips 443.00 2,883.00 11.00 660.62 30 Pre-school 576.00 25,228.00 23,805.00 19,813.90 40 Music 316.00 6,661.50 5,471.00 3,685.50 42 Dance Classes 834.00 7,965.50 7,631.00 6,508.54 43 Art Sales 149.20 289.70 274.00 432.03 44 jAdult Art 1,275.00 12,826.00 17,320.58 14,708.60 45 Culinary 619.00 1,902.00 3,407.50 1,754.62 46 Child Art 434.00 9,410.00 7,806.00 4,330.00 47 Art Misc. 42.00 566.00 1,049.00 82.00 50 Art in Park 0.00 0.00 311.00 1.59 51 Music -Park 0.00 52.00 106.00 0.00 52 Tree Light 0.00 0.00 43.00 0.00 60 jSp. Int. Classes 4,577.50 27,841.50 29,972.75 27,496.77 61 IFitness 2,196.50 23,422.50 19,617.81 17,104.67 62 Boating/SailingBoating/Sailing 0.00 426.00 586.00 1,489.05 63 Skating 720.00 2,187.00 1,497.00 3,063.31 70 Youth Cams 48.00 19,708.50 12,902.00 10,332.23 71 Youth Trips 0.00 3,765.00 2,893.00 5,945.58 72 Athl. Cams 0.00 21,240.38 28,717.50 14,295.46 80 Elem. Sports 5,181.00 11,879.00 160.00 8,586.00 81 Jr. Sports 1,570.00 10,170.00 7,146.00 7,140.00 82 Tennis 1,590.50 14,340.94 13,249.00 11,427.63 83 Swimming 0.00 0.00 8,915.05 8,670.49 84 Golf 360.00 4,525.61 3,850.00 1,716.94 85 Misc. Sports 685.00 2,741.50 503.00 3,063.31 86 Mart. Arts 228.50 3 324 50 3,389.00 2,657.63 87 ISoftball 265.00 27:150!00 33,935.00 41,775.00 88 Basketball 0.00 4,392.00 3,911.00 3,605.00 89 Volleyball 121.00 4,164.50 4,979.50 3,474.45 90 Field Lights 287.00 1;567.25 1,590.76 1,197.00 91 Field Permit 320.00 1,320.00 1,114.00 1,430.00 92 Tennis Court 90.00 1.365.00 1.228.00 620.00 Totals $30,270.53 $309,634.58 $293,463.79 $249,682.11 Less Refunds 982.001 12,274,89 11,892.891 6,875.25 Net $29,288.531 $297,359.69 $281,570.901 $242,806.86 BURLINGAME PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT Collection Report Nov. 1996 1996-1997 1995-1996 1994-1995 COLL. YTD COLL. YTD COLL. YTD Key Pro ram NOVEMBER 5 MONTHa) 0-MONTHSI JLMDNTHSj0-MONTH 00 Rec. Admin. $0.00 $73.00 $0.00 $0.00 10 Advertising 180.00 1,050.00 767.00 716.00 12 Tickets/Books 3,212.50 34,194.30 20,601.51 8,061.55 13 Bldg. Rental 2,096.00 11 ,779.61 12,410.50 7,064.50 14 Miscellaneous 252.20 1,467.01 4,055.66 3,059.19 16 Park Permit 0.00 725.00 750.00 675.00 17 School Dist. 0.00 7,308.02 8,482.00 2,325.00 20 Sr. Lunch 1,458.30 6,921.76 6,217.62 6,132.55 21 Sr. Trips 249.00 3,132.00 11.00 667.42 30 Pre-school 157.00 25,385.00 23,805.00 20,011.90 40 Music 377.50 7,039.00 5,877.00 3,844.50 42 Dance Classes 1,058.00 9,023.50 8,603.60 6,904.04 43 Art Sales 273.55 563.25 371.00 445.78 44 jAdult Art 2,325.50 15,151.50 19,524.58 18,343.44 45 Culinary 711.00 2,613.00 3,869.50 1,754.62 46 Child Art 431.00 9,841.00 7,945.00 5,311.50 47 Art Misc. 114.00 680.00 1,049.00 82.00 50 Art in Park 0.00 0.00 311.00 1.59 51 Music -Park 0.00 52.00 106.00 0.00 52 Tree Light 0.00 0.00 43.00 0.00 60 fSp. Int. Classes 686.50 28,528.00 30,632.75 28,106.77 61 Fitness 193.00 23,615.50 20,043.81 19,858.67 62 Boating/SailingBoating/Sailing 0.00 426.00 586.00 1,498.05 63 Skating 45.00 2,232.00 1,542.00 3,075.76 70 Youth Cams 796.00 20,504.50 14,660.00 12,091.23 71 Youth Trips 0.00 3,765.00 2,893.00 6,006.78 72 Athl. Cams 0.00 21,240.38 30,582.00 14,353.56 80 Elem. Sports 4,372.00 16,251.00 1,584.00 12,772.50 81 Jr. Sports 444.00 10,614.00 7,221.00 7,250.00 82 Tennis 129.50 14,470.44 13,769.50 11,695.63 83 Swimming 0.00 0.00 8,915.05 8,670.49 84 Golf 0.00 4,525.61 3,850.00 1,716.94 85 Misc. Sports 0.00 2,741.50 503.00 3,075.76 86 Mart. Arts 338.00 3,662.50 3,389.00 2,657.62 87 Softball 0.00 27,150.00 34,060.00 42,175.00 88 113asketball 0.00 4,392.00 3,911.00 3,605.00 89 Volleyball 241.00 4,405.50 5,050.50 3,495.45 90 Field Lights 357.18 1,924.43 1,982.76 1,601.00 91 Field Permit 595.00 1,915.00 1,909.00 2,050.00 92 Tennis Court 100.00 1.465.00 1.228.00 1.145.00 Totals $21,192.731 $330,827.31 $313,112.34 $272,301.79 Less Refunds 814.001 15,314.89 14,500.821 8,901.25 Net $20,378.731 $315,512.42 $298,611.45 $263,400.54