Commission recommends council accept $476,000 in park dedication fees for North 61 townhome development

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission voted June 11 to recommend that the City Council accept park dedication fees in cash for a proposed 119-unit North 61 townhome development located at 60th Street and Argenta Boulevard.

Park dedication under city ordinance sets a per-unit fee for residential development; staff told commissioners the applicable rate for townhomes is $4,000 per unit. Multiplyied by 119 units, staff calculated $476,000 in park dedication fees if the council accepts cash in lieu of land. Adam Ottos, the park and recreation director, told the commission that the developers propose on-site private amenities — a clubhouse and pool — and a small internal playground intended to serve residents of that development, not the public.

Commissioners discussed differences between private on-site amenities and public neighborhood parks, enforcement of private amenities (typically managed by the developer or homeowners association), tree replacement rules and the city's tree preservation fund. Staff described the city’s process: developers who remove trees either replace them on-site or pay into the tree-replacement fund; the fund is used for public canopy restoration and the department has recently used it for park plantings.

After discussion the commission moved and seconded a recommendation that the council accept cash park dedication fees for the North 61 development. The commission approved the recommendation by voice vote; staff said the vote will be forwarded to the City Council for final action and deposit into the park acquisition and development fund, which state statute restricts to park acquisition and development purposes.

Commissioners asked staff to consider neighborhood access and long-term park needs for the northwest area as the city evaluates future park acquisition and potential larger community-park sites.