43 replies to this topic

[FolsomParks]

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE FIRST
PUBLIC WORKSHOP
FOR NISENAN COMMUNITY PARK


Thursday, October 7, 2004
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Short field trip to the site by bus

(Refreshments to be provided).
City of Folsom Community Center 52 Natoma Street
(adjacent to City Hall)

[FolsomParks]

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO THE SECOND
WORKSHOP FOR
NISENAN COMMUNITY PARK


Wednesday, October 27, 2004
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Folsom Community Center
52 Natoma Street

[folsommatters]

If you value the public process and are interested in preserving the Native American features (and natural beauty) of Nisenan Park, attend Parks and Rec.'s second workshop.
The Parks and Rec. Department will claim that design plans have to fit their Master Plan. The Master Plan only includes sports and doesn't allow for beautiful passive parks or the cultural elements in Nisenan Park. Some of the cultural features pre-date the Nisenan (a local band of Maidu) as these elements were not used by this area's latest native occupants. They could even pre-date Native Americans--interesting thought!
The features are in danger because they are in the same general area planned for ball fields.
Developer telling people about the park is fine, what goes into the park is up for discussion--by the public--you! Parks and Rec. is hoping that people will buy their line. They change park plans all the time, what about the Masta Plan then?
At one time Empire Ranch had several native villages--for the same reasons people like living in this valley now. The best way to understand who lived here before is to preserve what evidence was left. The Indians in California were treated worse than other tribes in most areas of the country. Ignoring or devaluing their history is repeating history.
Ask the sports people to justify destroying our culture to make way for another ball field when Folsom already has 20 ball fields and 19 soccer fields. No other park has cultural and natural resources on the level of Nisenan Community Park.
Lights and manicured fields also take away food from birds of prey--a very territorial group--that is likely to starve otherwise. Several different owl species cruise the park and you must have seen the hawks!
Go to the workshop and speak up! Bring your own Masta Plan!

[Robert Giacometti]

I went to the Nisenan Park meeting tonight after being asked by a couple of different people to attend to share my perspectives.

It is unfortunate that the people who attended the first meeting were somewhat mislead by being told that a park master plan does not change and that the ballfields and other active facilities had to stay in the master plan. I pointed out during my 4 years of experience on the Park commission, we had changed the master plan on a number of occassions and gave examples where they occurred. Staff concurred that the master plan could be changed.

Many residents were upset that they were forced to submit plans that included active facilities that they did not support. They only did so because they were told they HAD too!

As our community grows, we must keep adding active recreational facilities, to keep pace with needs. The baseball league officials were accurate in saying the demands placed on this particular size filed were greater than could be accomodated and that they need another one. When I asked if he would accept this field in another park, he was agreeable. The city could make this park more passive than what is in the master plan by relocating the active ballfield to another park. This would help preserve the Native American Indian culture located there.

Currently the city is negotiating with developers to sell a 7.2 acre park site next to the High School to build housing that was never configured in the general plan. I suggested that the active ballfields be moved to this site, so that Nisenan park could be preserved as a passive park. This is a win win situation!

It is truly unfortunate that residents of Empire Ranch are not being given all options to consider in their planning of this park.

Also, the residents of Empire Ranch should probably request an accounting of your park impact fees, to make sure that the fees you paid when you bought your homes, are staying within your development.

Robert Giacometti

[BodenMaddox]

Thanks for the update and info, Robert.

[publicityguru]

Does anyone know what the latest info is on those Nisenan Park plans?

The post below is a couple years old. The only signs of life I've ever seen back there have been hawks hunting voles and some prisoners cutting the high grass in June or July.



(excerpt from quoted text):
The city is planning to build the following into Nisenan Park:
1.) A 150 car parking lot
2.) Youth Soccer Field
3.) Lighted Adult Softball Field
4.) Lighted Basketball Courts
5.) Lighted Tennis Courts
6.) Volleyball Courts
7.) A Relocated Barn
8.) Youth Campground Area (holds 25-50 youths)

[Steve Heard]

Contact Park and Rec for the latest. 355 7200

[vjensen]

Contact Park and Rec for the latest. 355 7200

Another good idea is to check out previous threads for community input (broader version). Excerpts from previous threads--updates in brackets []:

"Although mitigation is planned, several concerns are still more than a little murky.

--a report verifying a rock art panel that was filed with the State by a State Parks archeologist and containing a statement by a geologist [was recently accepted by the Historic District Commission]
--the section protecting cultural features does not encompass a large enough area to accommodate additional culturally-related features. The abundant cultural resources in the park and in Empire Ranch in general have not been fully studied by the scientific community. [Still true]
--impact to wildlife, although considerable (some are on concern lists), is listed as "less than significant" because of the size of the park. The park has a variety of habitats, some that wildlife in sections slated for construction simply cannot migrate into. [Should be analyzed for changes--hawk/blackbird activity]
--extensive asbestos mitigation costs are not outlined (clean fill on ballfields, trails, play lots with an additional layer of mesh) [Still true]
--major cuts into the hillside to accommodate the ball field are not addressed. These cuts may disturb large quantities of asbestos, making the asbestos no longer "naturally-occuring," which could affect the way it should be mitigated. [Still true]
--public input overwhelmingly supported keeping the Empire Ranch Barn in this park and the report states to the contrary. [Unfortunately, still true]
--because a large section of the park will remain untouched, this is listed as justification for building a ball field in the most visible area right next to the most culturally-significant section of any Folsom city park. [go figure]
--Attempts to educate folks about the resources are minimal compared to the nature and culture study programming that could be facilitated in the park (across the street from the new high school). [Unfortunately, still true]
This park is a rare gem. Who builds a ball field on a gem?
The city and the area would benefit from an expanded definition for "park". Let's hope this happens before the opportunities are plowed or paved away."

"Another thought, Folsom could make money with this park. It's a great place to study nature and culture. Features (unique to this Folsom park) may pre-date Native Americans. Cities throughout America provide incredible programs--and receive money in return (grants, donations, fees).

A beautiful, new barn (developer is already required to pay a portion) could be the station. High School students could help with the programs in a real-life setting (earning credit). [Barn is slated for the same park that is currently under consideration for the fire station--6 flat acres surrounded by busy road overlooked by residential development.]

Check out websites...to see what other communities now enjoy."

http://connerprairie.org/
http://americanwestcenter.org/
Nature-based Tourism: http://www.agmrc.org...rebasedtourism/

"Other Folsom parks have areas for study but none have the resources, the setting or the potential for fundraising of Nisenan Park. Go for a walk along the marked trail and see what you think."

Valrie Jensen, Vice Chair
Friends of Nisenan Park
Member of Former Nisenan Park Barn Committee

[DrKoz23]

Another good idea is to check out previous threads for community input (broader version). Excerpts from previous threads--updates in brackets []:

"Although mitigation is planned, several concerns are still more than a little murky.

--a report verifying a rock art panel that was filed with the State by a State Parks archeologist and containing a statement by a geologist [was recently accepted by the Historic District Commission]
--the section protecting cultural features does not encompass a large enough area to accommodate additional culturally-related features. The abundant cultural resources in the park and in Empire Ranch in general have not been fully studied by the scientific community. [Still true]
--impact to wildlife, although considerable (some are on concern lists), is listed as "less than significant" because of the size of the park. The park has a variety of habitats, some that wildlife in sections slated for construction simply cannot migrate into. [Should be analyzed for changes--hawk/blackbird activity]
--extensive asbestos mitigation costs are not outlined (clean fill on ballfields, trails, play lots with an additional layer of mesh) [Still true]
--major cuts into the hillside to accommodate the ball field are not addressed. These cuts may disturb large quantities of asbestos, making the asbestos no longer "naturally-occuring," which could affect the way it should be mitigated. [Still true]
--public input overwhelmingly supported keeping the Empire Ranch Barn in this park and the report states to the contrary. [Unfortunately, still true]
--because a large section of the park will remain untouched, this is listed as justification for building a ball field in the most visible area right next to the most culturally-significant section of any Folsom city park. [go figure]
--Attempts to educate folks about the resources are minimal compared to the nature and culture study programming that could be facilitated in the park (across the street from the new high school). [Unfortunately, still true]
This park is a rare gem. Who builds a ball field on a gem?
The city and the area would benefit from an expanded definition for "park". Let's hope this happens before the opportunities are plowed or paved away."

"Another thought, Folsom could make money with this park. It's a great place to study nature and culture. Features (unique to this Folsom park) may pre-date Native Americans. Cities throughout America provide incredible programs--and receive money in return (grants, donations, fees).

A beautiful, new barn (developer is already required to pay a portion) could be the station. High School students could help with the programs in a real-life setting (earning credit). [Barn is slated for the same park that is currently under consideration for the fire station--6 flat acres surrounded by busy road overlooked by residential development.]

Check out websites...to see what other communities now enjoy."

http://connerprairie.org/
http://americanwestcenter.org/
Nature-based Tourism: http://www.agmrc.org...rebasedtourism/

"Other Folsom parks have areas for study but none have the resources, the setting or the potential for fundraising of Nisenan Park. Go for a walk along the marked trail and see what you think."

Valrie Jensen, Vice Chair
Friends of Nisenan Park
Member of Former Nisenan Park Barn Committee

Or... as Steve recommended... call Park and Rec at 355-7200.

[vjensen]

Or... as Steve recommended... call Park and Rec at 355-7200.

Parks and Rec currently spends nearly 90% of their budget on sports--none of their recent survey questions addressed heritage programming/facilities, cultural resource preservation/interpretation or related community needs. This is the case even though these concerns are now under the direction of the Parks and Rec Department.

Development of the park will greatly benefit from the residents of Folsom understanding their rights to input regarding development (it's a community park rather than a neighborhood park) as well as input from neighbors and stakeholders.

As Bob said in another thread: "The strength of democracy is in letting the people create the future, not the government creating it for them."

[Bill Z]

bump as this seems to match a new thread on the same topic, maybe a moderator can merge the two.

[vjensen]

bump as this seems to match a new thread on the same topic, maybe a moderator can merge the two.

Discussion is regarding this coming Tuesday's Council action.

[xlr8]

They have been grading the new Nisenan park for the past three weeks...

Some info on the park:

http://www.folsom.ca...ning/status.asp

Nisenan Park

Master Development Plan (http://www.folsom.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=6374)

The Mitigated Negative Declaration for Nisenan Community Park was adopted and the Master Development Plan approved by City Council on August 23, 2005. The City Council approved a FY 09-10 budget of $2,400,000 for this project. Elliott Homes, as a condition of park dedication, will be providing the rough grading in the summer of 2009.

The project is out to bid as of August 5, 2009. Bids are due September 1, 2009. Completion is anticipated by September 2010.

Contact Park Planning Manager, Jim Simpson (916) 355-7249 for more information.

[Bill Z]

Discussion is regarding this coming Tuesday's Council action.

Prior to my bump, this was a 3 year dormant topic, how can the preceding discussions be regarding this coming tuesday?

My point was to get a moderator to merge the more recent topic into this one as the two are so closely related.