Open Space Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2010 04 14

Home Browse Search

To: Louisville City Council From: Louisville Open Space Advisory Board Date: March 10, 2010 Re: Conoco Phillips Public Land Dedication The Louisville Open Space Advisory Board met in special session on Monday February 22,2010 to review a proposed public land dedication associated with development of the Conoco Phillips property. At that meeting the Board wrote a memorandum to the Planning Commission communicating our response to the details, as we know them, of the public land dedication proposed in the Preliminary Entitlement Submittals. We forward that memorandum to you for your consideration as you review development proposals for the Conoco Phillips property. (See attached) At our March 10, 2010 meeting OSAB approved a motion to formally communicate our deliberations and said memorandum to City Council to aid Council in their considerations of development proposals for the Conoco Philips property. The Open Space Advisory Board would like to draw Councils' attention to several topics in the memorandum we consider to be of particular importance: 1. OSAB has a strong opinion that the hillslope above highway 36 is unsuitable for public land dedication. OSAB has determined that this portion of the property holds little value as Open Space and it is our assertion that this hillslope holds very limited prospects for public use. We recommend against accepting this portion ofthe property in the public land dedication. 2. OSAB requests that the perimeter-to-area ratio ofthe dedicated public land be as small as possible and that dedicated lands tract be compact, contiguous and unified. 3. OSAB has identified the NE corner of the property and the small pond there as the portion of the property most desirable as Open Space. The NW corner of the property with the swale and ephemeral stream has also been identified as a candidate for potential Open Space. Its adjacency to the School district property suggests its utility for public access. Both ofthese portions of the property have been ranked in the top tier as "highest priority" by OSAB on the City of Louisville Candidate Open Space Rankings for several years as properties "LL" and "LL1." 4. OSAB requests that, where trails are proposed, the design, construction and maintenance ofthe trails be included in the public land dedication. 5. OSAB requests that all dedicated lands be restored, established and maintained to native prairie standards and that Conoco Phillips enter into a management agreement with the City to maintain those lands consistent with standards recommended by City Staff.