A stated meeting of the Fairmount Park Commission was held in the Commission
Conference Room, Memorial Hall, at 3:00 P.M.
The President in the Chair.
PRESENT: Commissioner F. Eugene Dixon, Jr.
Commissioner Robert N. C. Nix III
Commissioner Isadore A. Shrager
Commissioner Ernesta D. Ballard
Commissioner John K. Binswanger
Commissioner James J. Bloom
Commissioner Karen Lloyd Borski
Commissioner Robert P. Levy
Commissioner Mary Mason
Commissioner Rosanne Pauciello
Deputy Commissioner William Carrapucci representing Commissioner Victor Richard
III
Commissioner Joseph R. Syrnick
Deputy Commissioner John Herzins representing Commissioner Andres Perez
Mrs. Marcia Makadon, Designated Representative of the Mayor
ABSENT: The Honorable Darrell Clarke, Designated Representative of Council
President Anna C. Verna
Commissioner Kumar Kishinchand
ALSO William E. Mifflin, Executive Director
Barry A. Bessler, Chief of Staff
PRESENT: Lawrence K. Copeland, Counsel to the Commission
Angelica L. Vidro, Secretary
Paul Nice, Deputy Director of Administration
Stephanie Craighead, Deputy Director of Development & Planning
Observers
APPROVAL OF SUMMARY OF MEETING HELD January 9, 2002
The Commission voted to approve the summary of the meeting held January 9, 2002.
REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Commission voted to adopt the recommendations of the Finance Committee:
(A) 33rd & Oxford Driving Range
The Commission voted to approve the proposed RFP subject to two or three
modifications that will be made by Councilman Darrell Clarke.
The motion carried.
(B) McKinley Statue Trust Fund
The Commission voted to request the City Solicitor to petition Orphans Court for
a change in the use of the McKinley Statue Trust Fund from its current use to a
maintenance fund for the statues throughout the park. The official resolution
will be part of the record.
The motion carried.
REPORT OF NATURAL LANDS PROGRAM COMMITTEE
The Chair reported there were no action items for the Commission.
REPORT OF PARK USE AND REVIEW COMMITTEE
The Commission voted to adopt the recommendations of the Park Use and Review
Committee:
(A) The Philadelphia Triathlon
The Commission approved use of West River Drive and Kelly Drive for a race on
Sunday, July 21, 2002.
The motion carried.
(B) Rittenhouse Square Littlest Friends Festival and Ball
The Commission voted to approve the request of the Friends of Rittenhouse Square
for the use of Rittenhouse Square to hold their Festival on Wednesday, June 19,
2002 and their Ball on Thursday, June 20, 2002.
The motion carried.
(C) Make it a Day for Womens Way
The Commission voted to approve the request of Womens Way for the use of
Rittenhouse Square for their event on Sunday, September 22, 2002.
The motion carried.
(D) Green Meadows Educational Event
The Commission voted to approve the use of the lawn area behind Memorial Hall to
hold its annual educational event from May 1st to May 3rd and May 6th to May 7th,
2002.
The motion carried.
(E) Cherry Blossom Festival
The Commission voted to approve the request of the Japan America Society of
Greater Philadelphia to use the vicinity of the Horticulture Center grounds to
do its fifth year of planting cherry trees.
The motion carried.
(F) The Friends of Hunting Park Community Carnival
The Commission voted to approve the request of the Friends of Hunting Park to
hold its annual community carnival from April 5, 2002 to May 5, 2002.
The motion carried.
(G) First Asian Festival
The Commission voted to approve the request of the Asian Federation of
Pennsylvania to hold the First Asian Festival at the Sister City Plaza on Friday
April 19, 2002 from 1p.m. 9p.m. for their scholarship fundraiser.
The motion carried.
(H) Bentley Bros. Circus
The Commission voted to approve the request of Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge
5, to hold their annual Bentley Bros. Circus in FDR Park from August 29, 2002
through September 2, 2002.
The motion carried.
REPORT OF PLANNING COMMITTEE
The Commission voted to adopt the recommendations of the Planning Committee:
(A) Philadelphia Zoo Interior Turtle Exhibit & Reptile House Yards
The Commission granted approval for the Philadelphia Zoos design improvements to
the Reptile House Yards and Interior Turtle Exhibit..
The motion carried.
(B) Restoration of Glen Fern
The Commission granted approval for Milner Architects to conduct a series of
restoration projects at Glen Fern, which consist of:
drainage improvements around the house
structural repairs and reinforcement of the first floor and roof framing
repair of windows
The motion carried.
(C) Improvements to JFK Plaza & Tourist Center
The Commission granted approval of a resolution for improvements to the JFK
Plaza and Tourist Center. The resolution reads as follows:
The Fairmount Park Commission approves the development of plans to rehabilitate
JFK Plaza to increase greenery, clean the stone work and walkways, replace
certain broken features, reduce skateboarding, and to generally improve the
appearance of the Plaza for members of the public. The plans shall be
coordinated and implemented by Fairmount Park Staff and City of Philadelphia
officials. The Commission will issue a Request For Proposals for temporary
and/or permanent uses of the Plaza. Any final concession agreement is subject to
the approval of the Commission.
The motion carried.
(D) Saint Josephs Boathouse
The Commission granted approval for building signage for the St. Josephs
Boathouse Project on Kelly Drive.
The motion carried.
(E) The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Commission granted approval of a request from Feinberg & Associates, for the
installation of an information kiosk adjacent to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The motion carried.
(F) The Grand Federal Edifice
The Commission accepted the request of the East Falls Business Association to
grant concept approval to consider placement of The Grand Federal Edifice
somewhere in the East Falls area, subject to further discussion with park staff
and that the issue return to the full Commission before any such placement can
occur.
The motion carried.
REPORT OF PROPERTY COMMITTEE
The Commission voted to adopt the recommendations of the Property Committee:
(A) Philadelphia Zoo Parking Rate Increase
The Commission granted approval for the Philadelphia Zoo to increase their
current parking rate to $6.00 per vehicle.
The motion carried.
(B) Meadowbrook Golf Rate Increase
The Commission granted approval for Meadowbrook Golf, Inc. to increase their
2002 golf rates up to 5% of the gross golf revenue per round at each course.
The Commission also requested that the staff provide them with a comprehensive
analysis of all the increases given and whether they are within the guidelines
set by the initial contract.
The motion carried.
REPORT OF THE DESIGNEE TO GLEN FOERD
The Fairmount Park Commission received the report of Karen Lloyd Borski,
Commissioner of Fairmount Park.
REPORT OF THE DESIGNEE TO PEGASUS
The Fairmount Park Commission received the written report of Dennis Waller,
Deputy Director of Business Administration, Fairmount Park.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF FAIRMOUNT PARK
The Fairmount Park Commission received the report of William E. Mifflin,
Executive Director of Fairmount Park.
REPORT OF THE FAIRMOUNT PARK RANGER PROGRAM
The Fairmount Park Commission received the report of Jamie Hazelton, Manager of
Operations, Fairmount Park Ranger Program.
OLD BUSINESS
Commissioner Borski suggested that the Commission revisit the parks Strategic
Plan that was developed 20 years ago. She would like to discuss it briefly at
the March 13, 2002 Commission meeting to decide whether a full study is in
order.
NEW BUSINESS
Commission President Dixon discussed a presentation from the Pennsylvania
Recreation and Park Society regarding the development of an Institute for
Recreation and Parks. Mr. Dixon read a resolution indicating the parks support
for the Pennsylvania Institute for Recreation. The resolution reads as follows:
We, the Fairmount Park Commission, do hereby pledge our support to the
Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society in their effort to create the
Pennsylvania Institute for Recreation and Parks and our continued advocacy in
sustaining the Institute in the future.
All commissioners were in favor.
NEXT COMMISSION MEETING
The next scheduled meeting of the Commission will be held on Wednesday, March
13, 2002, 3:00 p.m.
in the Commission Conference Room, Memorial Hall.
ADJOURNMENT
The Commission adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT
The verbatim transcript of the meeting held February 13, 2002 is on file in the
office of the Secretary and is available