Parks committee presses for south-side parks as city falls 57 acres short; disc golf safety at Art Dye reviewed
September 15, 2020, 7:00 p.m. · Held electronically (COVID-19 emergency)
Members of the Parks and Recreation Committee told the American Fork City Council the fast-growing south side has no city parks, and staff said the city is 57 acres below its park standard and would need about $17 million just to buy that land, with only about $3.8 million available in the park fund. The mayor asked the committee to update the parks master plan first. The council also discussed safety at the Art Dye Park disc golf course after a player's disc injured a pedestrian.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Parks
Parks level of service and south-side park needs (with Parks and Recreation Committee)
Discussed
Community Services Director Camden Bird said the city has 4.54 acres of parks per 1,000 residents versus its 6.25-acre standard, so it needs 57 acres now and 187 more by 2030 (population 54,000), or 12-16 acres a year. At about $300,000 an acre, that is roughly $17 million now and $56 million by 2030 for land alone. The available park fund balance is $3,809,202 after a $2.6 million reserve for the Art Dye Park bond, which park impact fees must cover if the PARC tax is not renewed. Mayor Frost asked the committee to update the parks master plan and identify parcels; City Administrator David Bunker said impact fees have not kept up with demand. Bunker explained wetland mitigation could let the city enlarge Mountain Meadows Park. The mayor noted county pledges of $1.2 million for the boat harbor and MAG's $11.8 million for trails, $3 million of it for American Fork.
- Standard: 6.25 acres per 1,000 residents; current 4.54
- Need: 56.72 acres now; 187 acres by 2030
- Land cost: about $300,000/acre → ~$17 million now
- Park fund available: $3,809,202; Art Dye bond reserve $2.6 million
Item 2 · Parks
Art Dye Park disc golf course safety
Discussed
After reports of a pedestrian struck by a disc and unattended dogs, the council discussed the disc golf course at Art Dye Park, which predates the paved trail. Legal Counsel Cherylyn Egner said the city carries the liability; Bunker said the insurer recommended signs, restrictions on holes crossing the trail and a formal agreement with organized users. The Wasatch Disc Golf Club paid for five caution signs; staff plans fencing (to be budgeted), moving tee boxes and baskets near the trail, and cleanup of stored concrete. The state asked the city to check old sewer treatment facilities near holes 6 and 7 for contamination.
What residents said
No parks on the south side of American ForkDisc golf safety on the Art Dye Park trailUnattended dogs at Art Dye Park
Committee members and residents spoke: Chair Scott Roudabush and Peter Jones said the south side is "starving" for parks and asked that park impact fees from the area be earmarked there; Rosanna Williams urged the city to seek Amazon sponsorship and asked whether developers will again be required to build parks; Lisa Birkeland asked the city to protect Art Dye Park. Wasatch Disc Golf Club President Weston Ringger and member Ryan LaFollet defended the disc golf course. The mayor said about 50 emails on disc golf would be acknowledged at the next meeting.