5.0. PRSR 07-16-1997 • REPORT TO THE ELK RIVERS PARKS AND RECREATION O ISSION OF
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 1997 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION
I attended the American Planning Association's National Planning Conference last April in San
Diego as one of the more than 2500 Park Commissioners, Planning Commissioners and other
Citizen Planners who took part. During my four days I attended three mobile workshops which
dealt specifically with park issues, six other educational sessions on various topics, an opening
reception, an awards luncheon plus another reception for planning commissioners. I came in
contact with a number of people involved with planning and felt that the conference as a whole
was very enlightening. I am appreciative that the City of Elk River paid my conference
registration. The following summarizes some of the highlights of the Conference.
Balboa Park: A 4 hr. bus/walking tour of a 1400 acre cultural/educational/recreational city park
established in 1868. The park is located just outside of downtown San Diego and is the home of
the San Diego Zoo, Botanical Building, Old Globe Theater, a number of museums, and an
international village, to name but a few of the attractions located on the Park's Central Mesa. In
addition the park includes countless recreational and other amenities/facilities, including an 18
hole golf course, picnic grounds, a rose garden, plus a former landfill area which has not yet been
reclaimed. Balboa enjoys high use and serves the needs of many different people.
Key issues which were emphasized included difficulties of designing plazas and other pedestrian
spaces which are car-free; difficulties of bringing multiple and sometimes conflicting interests into
• master-planning process; facility restoration and/or new construction; the failure to protect scenic
views from new construction by the San Diego Naval Hospital; re-forestation issues, and noise
pollution(from both auto and flight traffic).
Mission Bay Park: A 3 hr bus/boat tour of 4000 acre city park which includes aquatic resorts,
recreational facilities, picnic areas, residential areas, camp grounds, beaches, a bike trail loop, a
wild-life sanctuary, wetlands, a huge mobile home park and the municipal sludge drying site(soon
to be phased out). The Park includes Sea World and at least 4 major hotel/marina complexes. It
is also the site of major boat races. The park configuration is Mission Bay plus the shoreline
surrounding it. Residential areas blend into SeaWorld and the resorts, which in turn blend into
recreational areas and beaches, and so on and so on.
Key issues which were emphasized were wetland protection and expansion(the sole remaining
wetland area will be doubled when the mobile home park is removed and the land returned to
wetland); water purity and the health of the Bay; the need to involve all players in the recently
completed Park Comprehensive Plan; home owner/walking-bike trail conflicts; conflict resolution;
and adaptation of the sludge drying facility land area to new uses(land will be added to the wildlife
sanctuary, the campground area, plus residential development(I think).
Mission Trails Park: A 3 1/2 hour bus/walking tour of 5700 acre regional open space park
located 8 miles from downtown San Diego. Although largely surrounded by residential
development, the Park includes mountains, two lakes, a major river, wildlife habitat, archeological
sites, a visitor center, spectacular views which depict San Diego much as it was before its
• "discovery" by the Spanish in 1542. The Park was founded in the 1970's and is a cooperative
city-county venture. About 1/5 of the park was a former gunnery range used by the US Navy,
who before turning the land over to the park removed some 4000 pieces of unexploded ordinance.
This history, park officials say, is quite useful in encouraging people"to stay on the trails".
Key issues which were emphasized included the fact that the visitors center was essentially the 5.2
million dollar pet project of the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation, a citizen support arm
for the park. Additional funds came in the form of lease revenue from an antenna farm located
within the park. Another key point is that the park has only a full time staff of four but is
supported by 250 volunteers who do everything from serving as guides, to running the gift shop,
to publishing the newsletter, to staffing workshops, etc. Another point was that the park heavily
emphasizes its wildlife, Native American heritage which goes back approximately 10,000 years,
plus early California settlement history.
Links with Elk River Park and Recreation Programs:
1. Each of the 3 parks involves multi-users/stakeholders whose interests have to be
accommodated in park planning and operations. Accommodating these stakeholders involves
communication, conflict resolution(at times), and the ongoing need to respond to new
issues/concerns. Communication between residents in adjoining areas, commercial interests within
Park boundaries, recreational users, historic preservation advocates, natural resource agencies,
multi-governmental jurisdictions, etc, while at a scale which dwarfs our local situation, does
• capture many of the same issues facing the Elk River Park and Recreation Commission.
2. Balboa and Mission Trails use ongoing revenues from utility and attraction leases to partially
support their operations. Mission Trails also used trade-offs with other city agencies, such as
charging to store dirt, using sewer projects to construct trails and roadways, etc. Are there
additional ways the Commission can partner with the City of Elk River which can enhance our
parks?
3. Mission Trails uses a staff of 4 to cover park and visitor center needs plus a volunteer force of
250. Is there the need to bring more volunteers into our system? If so, how is the best way to
accomplish bringing more volunteers in and training them?
4. Each park stressed local heritage and culture through an interpretative center(Mission Hills)
through attractions: SeaWorld(Mission Bay), the San Diego Zoo(Balboa), etc, and through wild-
life protection areas(Mission Bay and Mission Hills). It will probably be not too long before
interpretative programs, wildlife protection, and cultural resource protection issues will be coming
before the Commission. How do we anticipate and prepare for such issues?
5. A copy of the Mission Trails Regional Park Master Development Plan, examples of maps,
newsletters and brochures, plus excerpts from 3 Balboa Park Precise Plans(Inspiration Point,
Central and East Mesa), are included in the attached folder which has been donated to the
IDCommission for its future reference.
, , ..
IDWALKABLE COMMUNITIES: This session was presented by the Bicycle Federation of
America and was pitched to design roadways that can be shared by pedestrians and automobiles.
Presenters suggested the criteria for planners to use for pedestrian friendly by-ways to include
security, convenience, efficiency, comfort and welcome.
The Federation suggested some tools to help planners and citizens, including walkability
audits(which measure walking-related needs), pedestrian facility and design courses, and walkable
communities workshops. Additional information can be obtained by writing the National Bicycle
and Pedestrian Clearing House, 1506 21st St, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC, or calling
800/760/NBPC.
CONSENSUS IN THE FACE OF CONFLICT: Presenters at this session discussed various
examples of conflict resolution techniques useful to planners and others working in a polarized
situation. Presenters made the point that when one works for consensus among different points of
view, the goal is acceptance of differences, and not necessarily agreement. Conflict is likely to
occur in situations which have lots of players, working in a process on multiple issues without
clearly defined goals/outcomes, over an extended period of times. Planners/Commission
members/etc should be aware of these variables and work to minimize their impact.
COMMUNITY INDICATORS: Session presented information on how the economic and social
health of a community can be measured through the use indicators which the community has
agreed upon.
TRUE COSTS OF GROWTH MANAGEMENT: Presentation looked at problems rural
communities had in implementing the Washington(state of) Growth Management Act. Panelists
included a member of a rural zoning board, a county commissioner from the same board, an
attorney and a planner.
INTERNATIONAL COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP EXCHANGE PROGRAM:
Presentation featured a unique program which brings international teams of experts together to
address growth management, sustainable development, environmental conflict, and other issues
affecting rural communities which have invited the teams in to advise them. Program operates in
US, Canada and Great Britain.
ISTEA REAUTHORIZATION WORKSHOP: This session featured a panel which discussed
the American Planning Associations response to the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Enhancement Act currently before Congress.
As you can see I sampled issues other than those directly related to parks, choosing from
workshops and presentations which offered hundreds of choices. I conclude by saying that
attendance at the Conference was a great opportunity to gather useful information.
Respectfully Submitted,
40 Commissioner John Kuester July 16, 97