Loading...
CBC 04-02-1998CITY BEAUTIFUL C O M M I S S I O N 500 WEST MARKHAM The Little Rock City Beautiful Commission held its regular meeting Thursday, April 2, 1998 in the Advertising and Promotion Conference Room located in the Robinson Center. The meeting was called to order at 8: 25 a.m. by ROOM 108 Chairman Frank Riggins. Members Present: Lin Blair Dottie Funk LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201 Frank Riggins David Roberts Randall Stocks Pat Torvestad (501) 371-4770 Carolyn Lawrence Mollie Satterfield Nash Abrams Also Present: Bob Brown, Plans Review Specialist, Planning & Development Bryan Day, Asst. Director, Parks & Recreation Gayle Owens, Admin. Asst. I, Parks and Recreation Minutes: Chairman Riggins asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the March meeting. Motion was made and seconded to accept. Motion carried. Treasurer's Report Randy Stocks reported that we now have the Entergy deposit of $1,000 in the account. There was a payment for the rocks of $138.51. Balance is $1,296.77, does not include interest. Re ❑rts of Committees: The letter members received at the March meeting has been revised and reviewed by Bob Brown. The letter was approved by Director Joyce and is ready to be signed. Members signed the letter. Dottie Funk said that Neighborhood representatives of St. Charles, the Rock Creek Task Force and River Mountain will attend the Planning Commission meeting this afternoon and, hopefully, present their recommendations. Dottie and Frank will attend the meeting. This will be Item No. 5 on the agenda under the River Mountain Neighborhood Association. They hope to get an endorsement for their recommendation from the Planning Commission. They want to take the endorsement to the Board of Directors and hope to get on the Board Agenda. It will be important for members of the City Beautiful Commission to attend this Board Meeting. 2. Financial Committee - Randy Stocks said he was not present at the meeting when committee assignments were made. He wondered what that meant. Frank said that since Randy is the treasurer, he should just look after financial matters for the Commission. 3. Dottie Funk said she represented City Beautiful at the last Planning Commission meeting when Home Depot wanted the outdoor display. Originally, (a year ago) Home Depot wanted a 45,000 sq. ft. exterior seasonal display area. The City did not approve this. Home Depot came back this year and requested a 6,000 sq. ft. outdoor display area. The Rock Creek Neighborhood group spoke to the Planning Commission. An agreement with Home Depot which contained a concession to upgrade landscaping was reached. If you don't see an upgrade of landscaping in front of Home Depot, we need to talk with the manager. OLD BUSINESS 1. Letterhead. Discussion was held regarding samples of letterhead. It was decided that the address should be at the bottom of the page with logo centered at the top. The design for note cards were shown to the commissioners. 2. Billboards. Pat Torvestad asked about when the billboards are coming down. Money ($1,000,000.00) has been set aside for billboard removal, when are they coming down and who's in charge of it. Bob Brown said that billboards fall under Van McClendon. Bryan Day said that the last he had heard the City Attorney's office had decided not to make the challenge. They had targeted a billboard at the bottom of Cantrell Hill as the first one. We should get someone from the City Attorney's office too. Frank said he would invite Stephen Giles to the next meeting. 3. Landscape Awards Plaques. Discussion was held regarding the replacement of the certificates that were presented in 1997 with plaques. Frank said that if the members want to do plaques, then we should start with this year and not try to go back and make amends. It was also pointed out that the wording should reflect that the awards are from the City Beautiful Commission. 4. Letter to Former City Beautiful Commissioners. Dottie Funk asked if we should send a letter to former Commissioners asking for support on our issue. A discussion followed and it was decided to take a wait and see attitude at this time to better determine what action is needed, if any, by the former commissioners. The discussion then turned to the method of presentation to the Board of Directors. Brian Day was asked to get the item on the Board of Directors' agenda. MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS 1. Parks and Recreation. Brian said he wanted to brief everyone about something we are doing at Boyle Park that will involve cutting down some trees. For the last three years we have been working with the neighborhood associations around Boyle Park trying to develop a plan that will place new emphasis on Boyle Park. The plan involves, a lot of things like bikeways, and the restoration of some historic structures. It will also involve some significant clearing in a couple of areas. We've designated about 165 acres as an undisturbed natural area. We are going to clear about 30% of the trees out along the main corridor along Boyle Park where the bike path will be and where the existing trail network is located. We've hired a timber cruiser to give us his recommendation and a wildlife biologist to make sure that we're doing everything right, and we've worked with the neighborhood associations. Everybody at this point has said they like the plan. It will make the park safer and it will return the park to the glade like setting that it was when it was built. Cutting trees is a very sensitive issue to lot of people. Brian said he would make a Boyle Park presentation at the next meeting. 2. Molly Satterfield said that the McArthur Park Neighborhood Association has a problem with trash. She passed around photos. Molly said she sent a letter to the Board of Directors as well as the property owner regarding the trash in the photos. The trash was removed that day. Molly said that a Code Enforcement person told these people to put the trash on the street. She said that it would have been on the street for two weeks before it was picked up and that is unacceptable. Brian said that the City is putting together legislation to present to the legislature next year that will help stop this kind of thing. 3. Carolyn Lawrence said that we really need someone from this commission to go to Ft. Smith. Dottie is going, but she is really going representing her antique club. We need someone that is not a member of that antique club to represent City Beautiful or Parks. It is Saturday, April 18. Brian said that if absolutely need be, we could send someone from Parks 4. Nash Abrams asked if anyone knew what was going on at the vacant lot across from the Federal Building at 5`h and Gaines or State. Nash said they were moving ahead with something, looks like it might be going to be a parking lot. 5. Dottie asked about the property across from Christ The King. She said she had heard it was not supposed to be developed that way. Bob Brown said part of it is cleared and part of it isn't. Bob said the owner hasn't cleared anything that wasn't approved. Bob said the biggest flaw is not the Landscape Ordinance but the Buffer and Tree Clearing. Frank said that we need to make everyone understand that it is not the Landscape Ordinance, but the Buffer and Tree Alteration Ordinance. 6. Nash Abrams asked about Pick Up Arkansas Month. He wanted to know if the City Beautiful Commission gets involved. Frank said, no, we haven't been involved about this year. Nash said he would keep the Commission notified of these kinds of activities. 7. Gayle Owens requested that the manila envelopes be returned to her so that could be reused. Frank asked Gayle to check on his term. She said had already checked. Dottie told Gayle that for a few years, quite a few people never received their letter telling them they were appointed to the Commission. Gayle said that is a function of the City Clerk's office, however, in the past, as soon as she found out about a new appointment, she gave the person a call. Gayle said she has a list of all the past chairmen with the exception of the past six years, and a list of all previous landscape award recipients with the exception of those awarded during the last six years. 8. Dottie asked if anyone was going to the City Planning Commission Meeting this afternoon. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m. CITY BEAUTIFUL C O M M I S S I O N 500 WEST MARKHAM ROOM 108 LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201 (501) 371-4770 Treasurer's Report April 2, 1998 Checking account balance: Less contributions for fountain: Arkropolis Wildflowers Antique Club Net balance $ 1,296.77 * $ (150.00) $ (50.00) $ (10.00) $ 1,086.77 * Does not include interest from June 1997 through March 1998 CITY BEAUTIFUL C O M M[ S S 1 O N 500 WEST MARKHAM MEETING NOTICE ROOM 108 The City Beautiful Commission will hold its regular meeting at 8:15 a.m. on April 2, 1998 in the Conference Room Advertising and Promotion LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201 Office Conference Room in the Robinson Center. (501) 371-4770 AGENDA I. Approval of Minutes of the March Meeting. II. Treasurer's Report. III. Reports of Committees. IV. Old Business. V. Miscellaneous Business. VI. Adjournment.