AGENDA #7.1(a)

 

 

REPORT OF THE

 

PRITCHARD PARK

 

ART GARDEN COMMITTEE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presented November 25, 2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prepared for the

CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL

 

Kevin Foy, Mayor

Pat Evans, Mayor Pro Tem

Flicka Bateman

Ed Harrison

Mark Kleinschmidt

Bill Strom

Dorothy Verkerk

Jim Ward

Edith M. Wiggins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the PRITCHARD PARK ART GARDEN COMMITTEE

 

Andrea Rohrbacher, Chair        (Parks & Recreation Commission)

Terri Tyson, Vice Chair            (Parks & Recreation Commission)

Jimmie Haynes              (Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission)

Colleen Black-Semelka            (Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission)

Bob Schreiner                          (Library Board)

Betsey Wu                               (Library Board)

 

 

 

 

RESOURCES

 

Pat Evans, Council Liaison

 

Bill Webster, Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation Department

 

Dan Sears, Sears Design Group, P.A., Landscape Architects

Kevin Kahler, Sears Design Group, P.A., Landscape Architects

 

HISTORY

In 1996 the Town began the planning process to develop the Pritchard Park program.  The process was halted in April 1996 when the owner of the Siena Hotel petitioned the Council to consider leasing or selling a portion of the park property to the Hotel. In 1997, the Council decided to postpone a decision until after completion of a concept plan for the park.

 

In 1999 the Council authorized the formation of a Pritchard Park Conceptual Plan Committee.  The Committee was formed and first met on November 29, 1999. On November 27, 2000 the Town Council adopted the Report of the Pritchard Park Conceptual Plan Committee. At the same time the Council adopted a resolution authorizing the Manager to investigate:

 

·        Terms of a short-term lease of Town land being used by the Siena Hotel

·        Present use of Town property by the Siena Hotel

·        Financial terms of the lease

·        Size of the leased area

·        Potential art garden

·        Security issues

·        Maintenance issues

·        Planning process

·        Stormwater management issues

·        Other relevant issues.

 

The Council also included in its resolution a condition that prior to submittal of any plan to the Council that the Manager should seek input from the Parks and Recreation Commission, Library Board, and Public Arts Commission.

 

A six member Pritchard Park Art Garden Committee was formed to address these issues. Two Committee members each were appointed by the chairs of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission, Library Board, and Parks & Recreation Commission. The Committee met a total of seven times and walked the site on two occasions. The Committee voted unanimously (5-0) on March 25, 2002 to adopt this Report.

                                           

DESCRIPTION OF THE ART GARDEN AREA

The proposed Art Garden area is an approximately 1.3 acre portion of the thirty-seven acre Pritchard Park. The Art Garden area is bounded by the Siena Hotel to the east, Library Drive to the west, Sherwood Colony Condominiums to the northeast, and a wet area adjacent to a low point near Estes Drive to the southwest of the site.  The property is wooded with mixed hardwoods and pines.  There is a one-half acre open space near Estes Drive that is currently being leased by the Siena Hotel for employee parking.

 

OPTIONS

The Committee looked at a number of options for development of an Art Garden at Pritchard Park. We examined options that involved cooperation with the Siena Hotel and options that excluded the Hotel.

 

We have submitted two options that involve cooperation with the Siena Hotel. Attachment A-1 shows the Committee’s recommended method of providing an Art Garden. Attachment B-1 shows an alternate method of working with the Siena Hotel. Both of these options are based on the following ideas that were unanimously supported by the Committee:

 

·        There should be no automobile access between Library Drive and the Siena Hotel. A connection would involve removal of additional trees and would encourage cars to drive through the park to avoid the light at the intersection of Estes Drive and Franklin Street.

·        The parking area should be compact and involve as little tree loss as possible.

·        No large trees should be lost.

·        Room for a bio-retention facility should be included.

·        All parking spaces adjacent to the Siena Hotel should be owned by the Hotel.

·        A small (5 space) parking lot should be provided off of Library Drive primarily for park users. This parking area is shown on all options.

 

Option A - Committee’s Recommended Option: Attachment A-1 shows the Committee’s preferred option (see Recommendation section below). Approximately 28 extra parking spaces would be provided between Estes Drive and the Siena Hotel. A formal seating and event area would be extended from the rear of the Siena Hotel and would allow a beneficial transition between the properties. A paved trail from Estes Drive to the new parking area would provide access for bicycles, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles.

 

This plan would involve transferring title of .595 acres to the Siena. The Town would gain .033 acres of Siena Hotel property through a land trade leaving a net loss of park land of .562 acres. The difference of .562 acres would be paid for in some manner acceptable to the Council.

 

Option A (Recommended Option) has the following potential benefits:

• Some property now in Town ownership would become subject to property taxes.
• The Siena Hotel could achieve its parking goals with minimal impact to the park property.
• The Town would take ownership of the Siena Hotel’s access to Estes Drive.
• Language could be required in any agreement, deed, or Special Use Permit that could require the Siena Hotel to make the parking and formal use area available to the public.
• The parking needs for the Siena Hotel and the Art Garden appear to be counter-cyclical.
• The land sale would generate funds that could be used to help pay for the Art Garden.
• The Siena has offered to help fund the development of the Art Garden with a cash payment and a contribution for acquisition of a sculpture.
• The Siena Hotel has offered to provide some security to the area.
• The Siena Hotel has offered to provide some level of maintenance of the area.
• Better access would be provided to the art garden for placement and removal of sculptures.

 

 

 

Option A has the following potential costs:

• The Town would lose .562 acres of park property.
• The wooded area behind the Siena Hotel would be reduced in size by .410 acres.  (existing Siena Hotel and Pritchard Park woods combined)
• The new parking lot behind the Siena Hotel would add .293 acres of improved area

 

Option B – Alternate Option: Attachment B-1 shows an alternative option that would still entail working with the Siena Hotel. Approximately 23 extra parking spaces would be provided in the rear of the Siena Hotel. This parking area arrangement would eliminate the formal seating and event area proposed in Option A. A paved trail from Estes Drive to the new parking area would provide access for bicycles, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles.

 

This plan would involve transferring title of .21 acres to the Siena. The Town would gain .10 acres of Siena Hotel property through a land trade leaving a net loss of park land of .11 acres. The difference of .11 acres would be paid for in some manner acceptable to the Council.

 

Option B has the following potential benefits:

• Some property now in Town ownership would become subject to property taxes.
• The Siena Hotel could achieve its parking goals with minimal impact to the park property.
• Language could be required in any agreement, deed, or Special Use Permit that could require the Siena Hotel to make the parking available to the public.
• The parking needs for the Siena Hotel and the Art Garden appear to be counter-cyclical.
• The land sale would generate funds that could be used to help pay for the Art Garden.
• The Siena Hotel has offered to help fund the development of the Art Garden with a cash payment and a contribution for acquisition of a sculpture.
• The Siena Hotel has offered to provide some security to the area.
• The Siena Hotel has offered to provide some level of maintenance of the area.
• Better access would be provided to the art garden for placement and removal of sculptures.

 

Option B has the following potential costs:

• The Town would lose .11 acres of Pritchard Park property.
• The wooded area behind the Siena Hotel would be reduced in size by .31 acres.
• The new parking lot behind the Siena Hotel would add .29 acres of improved area.
• The proposed formal seating and use area could not be provided.

 

Option C – No Partnership: Option C would involve development of an Art Garden with the premise that the Council chooses not to work with the Siena Hotel. (See Attachments C-1.)

 

Option C has the following potential benefits:

• The Town would have no loss of land.
• This option shows the minimal loss of trees due to the addition of parking.

 

Option C has the following potential costs:

• The Town would lose the opportunity to generate funds through the land sale, and the Siena’s offer to contribute financially to the art project.
• The public would not have access to the Siena Hotel’s parking lot.
• The Town would not be able to take advantage of the Siena Hotel’s offer to provide some security to the area.
• The Town would not be able to take advantage of the Siena Hotel’s offer to provide some maintenance to the area.
• The Siena Hotel would not achieve its parking goals.
• All access to the art garden for the purpose of placing and removing sculpture would have to be off of Library Drive.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS (working with the Siena Hotel)

 

1. Public/Private Partnership: The Committee strongly recommends that the Town work with the Siena Hotel to develop a mutually beneficial partnership that would enable the Town to build an Art Garden in Pritchard Park and allow the Siena Hotel to meet its parking needs on a long-term basis. We note the following benefits that would be realized if the Town and Siena Hotel can agree to work in a cooperative manner of this project:

• The Town and the Siena Hotel could jointly design a space that merges the uses of the two properties in a coordinated and sensible manner. Parking, pedestrian travel, landscaping, and other issues could be planned as a single project rather than as two separate projects with different objectives.
• The Siena Hotel could assist the Town by assuming some maintenance and security functions.
• Parking could be designed that would benefit both parties. The Siena Hotel would have the additional staff and guest parking it requires and the Town would have additional parking for its park and specifically for the art garden. Language could be required in any agreement, deed, or Special Use Permit that would require the Siena Hotel to make its parking available to the public.
• The partnership would generate funds for the Town that could be used to help pay for the Art Garden. Without the partnership there would be no funds available to begin the Art Garden project.

 

Specifically the Committee recommends that the Council adopt Option A which would result in a partial land trade and sale. About .033 acres of land would be traded and another .562 acres would be sold to the Siena Hotel. See Attachment A-1.

 

This recommendation is made contingent on the Siena Hotel agreeing to the following conditions:

·        The Siena Hotel would make a significant cash payment to the Town in an amount and a manner that is satisfactory to the Town Council.

·        The Siena Hotel would agree to a parking lot footprint that results in the smallest possible loss of trees. We believe that Options A and B result in a minimal loss of trees.

·        No large trees would be lost to parking lot construction.

·        The Siena Hotel parking area and the formal seating and use area would be open for public use except when in use by the Siena.

·        The Siena Hotel would agree to participate in the security and maintenance of the area.

·        The Siena Hotel would agree to place signs that would direct the public to the parking lot in the rear of the Hotel for the purpose of parking for visitation of the art garden.

 

2. Use of Funds Provided by the Siena Hotel: The Committee recommends that any funds generated through a public/private partnership arrangement with the Siena Hotel be earmarked for the proposed art garden.

 

3. Development of the Art Garden: The Committee recommends that the Art Garden Committee continue to be involved in the design and administration of the art program for the entire park including the art garden. The Committee should continue to meet until the completion of the Special Use Permit process.

 

4. Design Objectives: The Committee recommends that Pritchard Park and the art garden area meet the following objectives:

·        Blend art and nature

·        Protect the environmental assets of the property

·        Create visual refreshment through the park’s design

·        Create a park that provides for mental stimulation

·        Encourage community pride and ownership of the park

·        Create a positive and mutually beneficial relationship between the park and the neighboring properties

·        Create a sense of discovery and adventure throughout the park

·        Create a park that provides a sensory experience

·        Use plants for design purposes and to trigger sensory experiences

·        Provide for efficient vehicle and pedestrian circulation

·        Provide for adequate parking

 

5. Design Team: If additional funds can be found, the Committee recommends that the design team for the Pritchard Park Special Use Permit include an artist that would address the design of the art garden.  The Committee also recommends that the guidelines and procedures for artist selection established by the Public Arts Commission and the Town be used.

 

6. Buffers: We recommend that the Siena Hotel be responsible for all buffer requirements. We specifically recommend that the proposed land sale/trade with the Siena Hotel incorporate all buffers on the Hotel’s side of the new property line. If that is not possible there should be an agreement that would require the Siena Hotel to be responsible for the costs of providing the buffer on the Town side of the line.

 

7. Maintenance and Security:  Any agreement should include a detailed description of any security and maintenance provisions that would be undertaken by the Siena Hotel.

 

 

 

8. Pedestrian Access:  Pedestrian and bicycle access should be provided in a number of ways:

• A paved pedestrian, bicycle, and emergency vehicle access from Estes Drive.
• The Pritchard Park Nature Trail will eventually circle the entire park site and would provide direct access from Audubon Road and the Library.
• A paved trail would provide pedestrian and handicap access to the art garden and Siena Hotel from Library Drive.

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS (working independently of the Siena Hotel)

If the Council decides that it is not in the Town’s best interest to work with the Siena Hotel we recommend the following:

 

• Follow all development and design related recommendation mentioned above in the development of an Art Garden.
• Follow recommendations mentioned above related to the formation of a design team for the Art Garden.
• A 5 car parking lot should be constructed off of Library Drive.
• The Town should reclaim the current parking area that is being leased to the Siena Hotel at such time as the Town is prepared to construct the art garden.
• Consider alternative ways to fund the art garden.