COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, December 6, 2006 10:15 a.m. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR., VICE CHAIR COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN FRANK DiCICCO COUNCILMAN JACK KELLY COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN TASCO COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER BILL 060628, An ordinance naming and designating the "Mallery Recreation Center" located at Johnson Street and Morton Street as the "Daniel E. Rumph II Recreation Center." BILL 060857 - An ordinance authorizing the President of the Fairmount Park Commission to execute a ground lease and license agreement with the Philadelphia Museum of Art corporation ("Corporation") under which the Corporation would (1) construct a parking garage and related improvements in East Fairmount Park... - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services Eleven Penn Center 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2
Good morning. This hearing is called to order. This is a public hearing of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Committee on Bill No. 060628 and Bill No. 7 060857. My name is W. Wilson Goode, Jr., Vice Chair of the Committee. The Chair was not able to attend the hearing this morning. I note that a quorum is present. To my left is Councilman Frank Rizzo. Also present is Councilman Jack Kelly. To my right is Councilman Frank DiCicco. Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller is also in attendance. The Clerk will please read the title of the first bill, No. 060628.
Bill 060628, an ordinance naming and designating the "Mallery Recreation Center" located at Johnson Street and Morton Street as the "Daniel E. Rumph II Recreation Center."
Thank you. I'll ask Councilwoman Miller if 3 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. she has some opening remarks.
Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. It gives me great pleasure this morning to have this hearing and to be the sponsor of this bill to change the Mallery Recreation Center to the Daniel E. Rumph Recreation Center. Daniel Rumph is a young man that grew up in that immediate neighborhood and, unfortunately, several years ago -- and I'm sure during testimony, someone will give the exact date -- he died playing basketball from that heart condition that those kids have. I think it's really good when people in the neighborhood can identify with the person whose name is on the building. I grew up in this neighborhood also. I have no idea who Mallery is or who Mallery was, so it's really good that they've gotten -- they have lots of support from the community. They have a 4 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. petition that I have in my office, and this is a good, positive move. It will also be good, positively viewed with a lot of the other young men in that neighborhood. So this is a good bill. I'd just like all the Committee members to know that I strongly support this bill 10 today. Thank you.
Thank you. Our first witness is Mr. Marcus Owens. Mr. Owens. Good morning. Please state your name for the record and then proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Council. My name is Marcus Owens. I'm the uncle of Daniel Eric Rumph, II. I'm also the President of Daniel E. Rumph, II Foundation. I'm here to testify today to you that Daniel Rumph was a 21-year-old young man who was a positive person in 5 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. our community, Bowling Greens community. He came home, played ball in Mallery Recreation Center, as he does every year when he was away at school as he comes back to his community and gives. He collapsed and died on May 8, 2005. He died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a heart disease that affects young athletes of his age and younger while playing sports. Daniel was a young man who was looked up to by his peers, by the younger generation and as well as the older generation. He was a positive person, who came back and worked with the younger kids in the community in the basketball camps. He worked with his peers in making those guys better young men as far as not worrying about peer pressure and not worrying about having to be the cool guy on the block. He wasn't that cool guy. He was that kid that just came home. He was quiet, but spoke volumes. He led by actions. 6 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. He gave back to the young kids. He brought them sneakers back. He'll bring them ball caps back, whatever he could do as a broke college kid. He would just be able to come back and give them little jerseys and things like that. And they looked up to him because he wasn't that kid that ran the streets. He wasn't that kid that wanted to do fast things or do things the fast way. He did it the old-fashioned way, he worked hard at it. He worked hard at school. He worked on the basketball court. He was a loving nephew, son, grandson, cousin and community leader. His foundation that we've put together, as of right now, it's a year and six months old. We're in the process of putting three defibrillators in the first three recreation centers, which is Hank Gathers, Mallery and Finley Rec Center will receive AEDs. We give back to our community as far as Thanksgiving baskets. We've 7 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. fed ten families this year alone with ten baskets. We go out and educate our communities about this heart disease. We participate in screening Cheyney University athletes, all their whole athletes on campus for this disease. So in his death, his name is still ringing through the community in a positive way and doing positive things for this community. And today we just feel and wish that this bill does get passed. This will be just an ultimate honor for our family as well as Danny.
Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Owens. You represented your nephew very well, and thank you for your service to the community.
I will note for the record Councilman Darrell Clarke is here as well. Any questions for Mr. Owens? (No response.) 8 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC.
Our next witness is Mr. Rich. Good morning, Mr. Rich. Please state your name for the record and then proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, Council. My name is Toby Rich. I'm called the "Mayor of Girard Avenue." This is a very good thing. Aside from being a part of Girard Avenue through the help of Mom Krippen and a lot of other people, I grew up in Germantown. I played in Mallery Playground, and that playground had notice of different neighborhoods, Dogtown, Duval Street, Tulpehocken Street and Haines Street. And the Rumph family was from Haines Street. And these guys at one time wouldn't just play basketball. They gang-warred in that playground. But to see today, this is history, this is a good thing, a real good thing. Danny Rumph was a good guy. He was one of the corny kids. He went to 9 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. school. He showed that he knew what happened when you got involved in the gang war and went to jail, got involved with the drugs, because he learned from family members and people that lost their lives, and he learned a lesson from the people that died and he was able to learn from that. And a lot of other kids will learn from this playground being named after him because of his example. There's a post named after Albert Reed, Councilwoman Miller's brother, who died in Vietnam. These things help our community remember the people that were a part of the community and the people that go on. And I just think this is a good thing and I'm happy to be a part of something like this. Thank you.
Thanks for your testimony, Mr. Rich. Any questions for this witness? Councilwoman Miller.
I don't 10 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. have any questions, but I just want to add, and I forgot to say this, that I've certainly known Daniel Rumph since he was a baby, and I've seen him progress and grow into a fine basketball player and he went to a school in Kentucky. I'm not a sports person. I don't know the name. But he's had the support of his mother, Candy, who is here. Candy, do you want to just stand up for a second. (Candy stood.)
And when he died, it was actually on Mother's Day and he was playing ball with a couple other kids from the neighborhood that are also very good basketball players and attend other universities. So I did just want to make note that Danny was a good guy, and I really, really think that this will be good for the neighborhood. 11 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. Thank you.
Thank you. Is there anyone else to testify on this bill? Councilman Rizzo.
This is just a curiosity question. I don't know who can answer it, but do we have a process to back out of one name when we establish a new name, out of courtesy? I assume Mallery Playground has been that for 75 or 50-plus more years, but out of courtesy, if there are heirs or there is someone, do we have a process where we at least notify? And probably if there are family members, they would embrace the fact that we're trying to recognize a person of high quality, but I think in sensitivity to the original naming, there should be some process where there's communication either before or after. Before, it could start a controversy. After, it's a done deal. But at least there should be some, I think, 12 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. sensitivity in that area.
No one is here, but I can address some of that concern. We had the same concern, and we did research and we tried to find folks that were a part of the Mallery family or why it was named Mallery, who they were, and we did this for months, and we were not able to find out the information that we wanted to find out. I was Chair of this Committee when we changed the name -- I'm trying to think of the name of the center up in the Northeast where this young man was killed with the bat. Remember?
Eddie Pollack. And you were on that Committee also, Frank. So at the time, our job was to do the bill, and there were no 7 additional things that we needed to do as a committee. I don't know what the Recreation Department did. I don't know what anybody else did, but what we did was actually --
I'll ask Ms. Marsh from the Mayor's Office if she could ask the Recreation Department to just research that.
They have researched it. They've done that already. We asked them to do that.
Is there anyone else to testify on this bill? Please come forward.
Please state 14 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
William H. Williams. I had the privilege of coaching Danny Rumph on an AAU team, and I've never met a finer kid. I've been coaching -- we had a league of 700 kids and we play out of Gustine, Mallery and Finley, and Daniel was one of the finest kids that I've -- you knew he had came from a good family. He never gave you any problems or nothing. And I think this will be a good idea of changing that recreation center to Daniel Rumph's and put it in Daniel Rumph's name, because he was a very good, up and coming citizen. You couldn't have a better kid on your team. We had guys go to the NBA. Warwick plays for the NBA now and that's who played with Daniel on an AAU team. He's in the NBA now. And I just want to give my opinion about Ms. Rumph's son. He was a 15 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. very up and standing guy, and I think it would benefit a lot of kids in the whole section up there if the center was changed to Daniel Rumph. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Is there anyone else to testify on this bill? Please come forward. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Shariff Hanford. Yes. I was with Daniel Rumph. I grew up with him since we was about nine or ten. I played with him all those leagues he just mentioned. I was his teammate with him. He was one of the best people. Out of all the years I knew him, I never even argued with him. When people see Danny, they look at that's what they could be. He went to college. He never got in any trouble. I never seen him mad. He 16 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. always been a happy guy, help everybody when we come home from school. His trunk will be full. When he go back, it will be empty. All the little kids running around with the shirts and shorts and sneakers and everything. So people already look at it as his gym. Me and him been in there countless hours. I mean, like Saturday mornings, we'd wake up, have a game at 8 o'clock in the morning, have workouts there and then stay there. We've been there Saturdays, Sundays, any day we could get in the gym. So basically it's almost like that was his second home, so it will only be right to name it after him.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Are there any other witnesses on this bill? Please come forward. Please state your name for the record and then proceed with your testimony. 17 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC.
Michael Morack. I just want to say that I grew up with Danny since we were years old 5 playing at the rec center also, and I'd 6 just like to see the name changed, 7 because I think Mallery has been a safe 8 haven and really a refugee place for so 9 many young kids growing up in the 10 neighborhood since I can remember for the 11 last 20-some years. And I know what 12 they've done at the Hank Gathers Rec Center. Naming that rec center the Hank Gathers Rec Center has kind of kept his name alive, and a lot of younger kids come through and they remember. I just want to see the same thing happen with Danny, because every time he came home and every time he was on TV, it kind of brought everybody together. Everybody was tuned in. Everybody wanted to know how he was doing. Whenever he came home, everybody wanted to come to the gym to see him. So I just think that -- that's 18 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. my personal take on it. I would like to see it be named after him to keep his memory alive for somebody that did such positive things in the community.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Councilman Kelly.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question for Councilwoman Miller, if I may. Since there is no one here from the Recreation Department, what interest or what is the viewpoint of the supervisor of the playground, Mallery Recreation Center?
Absolutely support it. Mr. Berry, he's very, very, very supportive. I've been there several times and talked to him. In fact, I think that's one of the places 19 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. where the petition was circulated. Am I not correct? Right. So Mr. Berry is very, very, very supportive. He's also someone that grew up in the Germantown community that I've known for a number of years. We've talked to the Commissioner. We've talked to -- you know, one of the people at Rec that really kind of knows the history is Eric Iffrig. We've talked to Eric. I mean, we really did talk to a number of people over there trying to find out the background, who was Mallery, you know, can we find them.
I think Councilman Rizzo addressed that, and that's a good point, that somewhere along the line there should be a procedure or something that would enable us not only to rename a playground but to keep it. Because let's face it, 50 or 100 years from now, they have another Council sitting here and they may be deciding, 20 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. Well, we have another person that we know of and we don't know this particular person. We have to ensure that this is going to be, I think, as long as the recreation center stands there.
I'm not sure what it is. I know that I was Chair of the Committee when we did Eddie Pollack. However, once we did the bill, I had nothing else to do with it. We've named gymnasiums after -- and I can really do some research to look at what happened when they changed East Germantown Playground -- I think it was called Artlay back then -- to the name of another young athlete from the neighborhood, and that's Lonnie Young, who was a boxer on the way to the Olympics who got killed in a plane crash. But I'm not quite sure what is the procedure. I'm sure there is some 21 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. procedure, and we don't have a problem looking into that. I know that hopefully generations from now, this family will still be in Germantown. I think they're at least a four or five-year, maybe five or six generations of their family members that reside in Germantown. I've known them all my life. My grandmother knew them. I mean, it can just go on and on and on. So this is not somebody just dropping by and passing through. They've been here. They're established here. They're civic-minded. They're politically active. So they'll be here.
The only person I recognize in the room is the City representative, but I think that maybe it would be nice going forward and I wish we would have thought about it 22 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. before that we not forget the history of a City facility, that maybe somewhere on the facility it could say that it was once this and now renamed this. So I think that the Recreation Department really needs, if there is not a process, for at least to be able to have a plaque on the wall that from 1921 to 2006 it was this and now it's that, and I think that we really have to have a policy where, like Councilman Kelly said, that we don't start changing names back and forth on a facility based on an occurrence. This is a great opportunity to recognize this fine young man. That aside, but I think really the Rec Department really needs to have a policy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'm Rachel Moyer. I'm bringing Danielle Mayne with me, because I'm very hard of hearing and I 23 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. have gone for new hearing aids, but as my husband has said, for $5,700, he'd rather repeat himself. So until I get the hearing aids, I'm sorry, I hope this is not a problem. I understand where Councilman Rizzo -- Ricco, is that how you say it, your last name?
Rizzo, okay. Because I can't see either. I am the President of Parent Heart Watch. We have representatives in every single one of the states, and we're all parents of kids that have died to sudden cardiac arrest. Seventy-five percent of the kids have died in schools. The other kids, percent, have died in 20 places like recreation centers. 21 Danny Rumph was 21 years old. 22 Today it's very difficult for kids to 23 find true heroes, because once they find 24 them, they'll find out later they were on 25 steroids, they were involved with drugs. 24 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. Danny Rumph was a hero to the kids in the area of Philadelphia. There are between 7,000 and 14,000 kids that die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. One thing this will be doing will be bringing attention not only in Philadelphia but across the country because there has been a recreation center named after Danny Rumph. The Mallery Center, no matter where the name came from, because it's not on the Internet, no one seems to know about it, and if it was named after my child and it was 30 years from now, I promise you, I would be at this hearing saying, No, we established it in memory of my son. Danny, like my son -- my 15-year-old son was playing in a basketball game. He walked off the court. Never had missed a day of school in his life. He was 15 years old and he died on the locker room floor in a $70 million school that had no automatic 25 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. external defibrillator. It's through my son's fund that we are dedicating this to Danny Rumph's foundation so that he puts it in one of the recreation centers. The Philadelphia Trial Lawyers I approached four years ago and I said, We need $117,000 to put an AED in every single high school, and now we're working for elementary and middle schools. You are establishing a precedent today by saying that this building needs to have a name like -- it has to be named after Danny Rumph because he deserves it. The City deserves the recognition that this child was not able to create on his own and the awareness and the lives that you will save by saying that this building should be named after him because of all the kids that will be playing there. So I am asking from the bottom of my heart -- I have worked with hundreds of parents. I know how hard that Candy Owens and her brother, Marcus, 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. and his wife and family have worked, and this is one minor thing. You can establish a precedence today that will say in the future this will take so long for a building to be named, but today with all the work that Councilman Miller has done, that I think that it is very important that you make the decision today and let us get on with saving Philadelphia and saving kids from dying from sudden cardiac arrest, as well as anybody else who uses the facility.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. I think Councilman Rizzo's point is well taken, but I also thank Councilwoman Miller, the former Chair of this Committee, for being thoughtful enough to have researched it. So I think the issue is somewhat moot, but I'm sure we will raise it again in the future. Is there anyone else to testify on this bill? (No response.) 27 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC.
Thank you. We will now consider Bill 060857. The Clerk will please read the title of that bill.
Bill 060857, an ordinance authorizing the President of the Fairmount Park Commission to execute a ground lease and license agreement with the Philadelphia Museum of Art Corporation under which the Corporation would construct a parking garage and related improvements in East Fairmount Park in the vicinity of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to primarily serve patrons of the Museum; construct and operate a sculpture garden above the garage; pay all costs to construct, operate, maintain, repair, replace and improve the garage, sculpture garden and related improvements; construct a new surface parking lot in East Fairmount Park, and make other improvements for the benefit of the City, all under certain terms and conditions. 28 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC.
Representatives from the Art Museum are here. Thank you. Please approach the witness table.
Good morning, Councilman Goode and members of the Committee. I'm Mark A. Focht, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission, and with me is Gail Harrity, the Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We've brought a presentation to walk you through the project and then we'll provide our testimony.
Again, thank you very much. As Mark said, I'm Gail Harrity, the Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and we're thrilled to have an opportunity to walk you very briefly through this project. As you are aware, the ordinance 25 authorizes the President of the Fairmount 29 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. Park Commission to execute a ground lease and license agreement that will allow the Museum to build a new below-grade parking facility and rooftop sculpture garden in the Park. Here is a view of the area. The parking garage facility will be built to the west of the Museum where there is currently a surface lot and, again, a new view of the facility, the landscaped sculpture garden and parking facility. This is very important to the Museum. It is part of the Museum's Master Plan, a ten-year plan to renovate and modernize the Museum facilities. It's particularly critical over this ten-year period as the Museum starts its construction, and some of the current parking around the terrace will temporarily be unavailable to visitors. As you know, the Museum is a major force in the City's cultural and economic life. On a busy weekend, anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 visitors 30 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. arrive at the Museum to see its exhibitions, such as the Dali or Wyeth or the current Tesoros exhibition. So the plan to build a parking garage and sculpture garden is critical to the Master Plan. It is intended to be a green facility and as inconspicuous as possible. The surface lot will be eliminated and in its place will be a 400-car garage that is inserted in the hill. There will be boulders disguising the garage to make it as least conspicuous as possible. And what I've included here are several renderings of the completed garage, this one from Kelly Drive looking east to the Museum, and as you see, the Azalea Garden and other plantings cover the bulk of the facility. You will see portions of it just close to Kelly Drive. The top of the parking garage will be entirely green, with new walkways and lighting, very safe for visitors and 31 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. a wonderful area for the sculpture garden here. It will also not only create additional park space, but it will provide a new amenity for Museum visitors and City residents alike. It will also provide spectacular views of the river, of the Water Works, of the Azalea Garden, some of the crown jewels of Fairmount Park. Again, it is a structure that is inserted into the hill, a four-story structure that is inserted as low as possible. You see in the section that it's restricted somewhat by Water Department piping, but in large part, it takes the shape of the existing space. So at the end of the project, it should be largely invisible. There will be a small pavilion that pops up from the garage to provide elevator access to the four stories near the west entrance to the Museum. But the views from the Reilly Memorial looking east towards the Museum will be 32 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. unhampered or unchanged. Then I'll turn over the presentation, brief presentation, to Mark, who will discuss in further detail some of the park amenities. We've been very pleased to work very closely over the last year with a number of City departments and certainly very closely with Fairmount Park. We're excited about this project, and thank you for considering it today.
Thank you, Gail. I'll pick up the presentation at this point and just reiterate Gail's comments that the Museum and their consultants have worked very closely with City departments, including Fairmount Park, Commerce Department, Law Department and the Managing Director's Office. This aerial view shows the Museum set in the context of the heavily used recreation trail. On your left of the image is the trail as it comes up along Boathouse Row and then turns into 33 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. the site and then continues down through Schuylkill banks. This is a close-up of the area here, is the Water Works complex. The garage will be at this location. This is the Azalea Garden, the Italian Fountain. This is Lloyd Hall. In working with the Art Museum and their consultants and with the direct involvement of Mayor Street, we were all led as a team to envision new public amenities that could be brought to this section of the park as part of this project in a team work between the City and the Museum. The area you see highlighted in green here is really the available public land that's not already used for some other use that could receive additional public amenities. In other words, this is an area that's outside the historic Water Works. It's outside the Reilly Memorial. It's not part of the Azalea Garden. 34 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. The intriguing component of this is looking at this area, which is a silt peninsula. This is something that's built up over the last several decades from the water that slows down as it tries to round this curve to go over the dam. Historic photographs we have from the 1920s and 1930s, this was not here. It's built up over time. We've never thought of it. It's not public accessible. It's never really been thought of as parkland. This process allowed us to reenvision it in a very exciting way. This is the proposed plan, which shows the existing Fairmount Avenue lot. It shows the relocated rec path, new 27-car parking lot here, which will be impervious pavement, very environmentally appropriate and green parking lot. And the most exciting thing is, it shows us the silt peninsula becoming a silt island dredging along the existing wall to allow the water to flow 35 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. through, which will get rid of the stagnant water that tends to collect at the rear of Lloyd Hall, providing a boardwalk and bridge out and a boardwalk through the island, allowing people to come out here for environmental education and quiet contemplation and bringing people out to the tip of what will now be an island, which will have phenomenal views down the river, up to the Art Museum and right into Boathouse Row. There's also an area here that will be an interpretive sculpture garden and interactive water feature. These are just some images. The project has not been designed yet. We will go into the design phase after receiving Council approval. These are just images of what the bridge and boardwalk out to the island may look like, essence of the island, you know, very low-impact boardwalk, handrail, built-in benches, interpretive graphics, all native plant 36 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. species, some images of what the interactive water feature could look like. This would be something that when it's turned off in the winter, you don't know it's there. It's not a dry fountain that says that there's no water there. It's something that would be a paved plaza. Some examples of children's themed environmental sculpture and artwork that would be brought into this space. We really see the water feature and the sculpture as being a complement to the Azalea Garden and the natural areas in the Azalea Garden. And then this is a beautiful area that was done by the Olden Partnership that illustrates the proposed plan. The bottom corner here is Lloyd Hall, existing Lloyd Hall. This is the existing Water Works drive, which does not change. This is the Italian Fountain.
Part of the project is to 37 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. double the size of the landscape around the Italian Fountain so that it makes it much more accessible. People can get up to the edge, read the inscription on the edge, really interact with this beautiful fountain in a way they can't today. The existing recreation gets relocated closer to the edge of the river wall right in here. It goes through this area you see here, the interactive water feature, which the water would flow out of there underneath the rec path and into the sculpture area. The sculpture would be tied into the handrail that would be put along the river wall. And then as you come out, here is the bridge that goes out to the new silt island and the boardwalk that you see going through the silt island, with some educational overlooks and with seating and interpretive graphics. So each of those -- and then actually, excuse me, tucked in here is 38 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. the new 27-car lot, which provides non-dedicated spaces. Those spaces would be open hours a day, seven days a week 5 for any park user. And, again, that 6 would be pervious payment with drainage 7 that would come down into a rain garden 8 here to infiltrate the storm water. 9 We've been working on the design of this 10 with the Office of Watersheds of the 11 Philadelphia Water Department. 12 With that, I'll go back to the 13 plan for reference. 14
If I may, please. 20 As we mentioned, the City 21 through Fairmount Park has worked very 22 closely with the Museum. To give you a 23 bit more background, the Park Commission 24 gave conceptual approval to the project in December 2005 and was followed with 39 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. final approval of the garage and sculpture garden in June of 2006 and final approval of the additional surface parking and Master Plan approval of the site amenities I just reviewed at a special public meeting that was held on October 23, 2006. We've touched on most of the other details of the project. I would just like to highlight some of the benefits of the parking facility and sculpture garden, relocated surface parking. It would include a net increase of 300 spaces for parking in this section 17 of East Fairmount Park, benefiting people who use the park for walking, biking, jogging, rowing, all of our recreational activities, obviously people that visit the Museum, the Water Works Restaurant and other amenities. As we've talked, it knits together the landscape of the Azalea Garden with the landscape of the Art Museum by removing the Fairmount 40 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. Avenue lot. Interestingly, it results in a net increase in public parkland in this area by capturing the silt peninsula and making it a silt island, and it results in a decrease of impervious coverage since we're removing the Fairmount Avenue parking lot, we're widening the green around the Italian Fountain. So it's a very interesting, positive result of the project, again, providing amazing views of Boathouse Row and the Schuylkill River. The Park and the Museum have done what I feel is an exemplary job of community outreach and has been responsive to input, which has resulted in the plan you see before you today. Mayor Street has been personally involved in this endeavor and has given us direction to develop a plan that the City can be proud of. We think we've met that objective with the designs we've shown you today. This plan preserves the 41 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. aesthetics associated with the Schuylkill trail and the parking needs of citizens for both the park and the Museum. So thank you for allowing us to testify on behalf of this exciting and important project. I would kindly request a suspension of the rules for Bill 060857 to allow for a first reading at the next meeting of City Council. Thank you.
And I would like to make just a few more points, if that's possible. And, again, in the interest of time, I will only highlight my full testimony, but I trust it will be recorded for the record. I would just say that we feel confident that the sculpture garden will really transform underutilized park space into a major outdoor extension of the Museum's collections of art for the public to enjoy. It will unite significant portions of Fairmount Park 42 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. and a continuous open space overlooking the Reilly Memorial and the Italian Fountain and perhaps, most importantly, create the spectacular views for the Water Works, the Boathouse Row, the Azalea Garden, all crown jewels of Fairmount Park. Lastly, I would just like to present some of the quick facts with regard to the project, and, that is, that the Museum will manage and operate the facility. The City is not providing any funding for the garage or the sculpture garden. The garage will accommodate approximately 400 to 440 cars. It is intended to primarily serve the Museum, but the public may use it as well. And the Museum has received final design approvals for the landscaped garage and sculpture garden from the Fairmount Park Commission and the Philadelphia Art Commission and the Philadelphia Historic Commission. Assuming we do receive 43 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. approval, we intend to begin construction soon, and it should be completed in 2008. So, again, thank you for your consideration, Councilman Goode and other members of the Committee.
Thank you for the presentation and for your testimony. Your full testimony can be incorporated into the record.
The Chair recognizes Councilman Kelly and then Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to, of course, commend you on the presentation this morning, and I will tell you that as a Trustee of the Art Museum, I know how important it is. And I know of all the cultural attractions that we have in the City, I think the Art Museum is really the crown jewel of all of them. I think this is well deserving. And one of the 44 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. things I would like to point out, I'm more familiar with this than probably most of my colleagues because I've seen this presentation before, but one of the things I'd like to point out, especially to my colleagues here, is that actually even with building a 440-car capacity garage, there's actually going to be an increase in parkland for the Fairmount Park. Is that true?
So, therefore, we're not taking away any land whatsoever. In fact, we're adding to it, the Fairmount Park, and I think that's an important point for this Council and everyone else to know, that there's no 21 lost space in Fairmount Park. One of the things I would like to point out, too, is that did you ever consider anything or do you know about mechanical parking? 45 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC.
Yes. We did consider it. I think you were gracious to bring it to our attention, and it was considered. This is a low-tech parking facility.
Thank you, Councilman. Let me note for the record that Councilwoman Marian Tasco has also joined us. Councilman Rizzo.
Great endeavor here, but I have a few 46 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. questions. In the description of the ordinance, it talks about the Art Museum will totally cover the maintenance expenses, et cetera, but I have a question. Presently, the Art Museum, your utility costs, are they paid for by the Art Museum or the City of Philadelphia?
As in the contract between the Museum and the City, the City is obligated to cover the utility costs for the Museum.
The City will not be assuming any cost, including utility costs, for this new facility, for the parking garage.
The Art Museum. I'm sorry. To be clear, for the main building, the City has covered since its 47 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. construction the utility costs. For this new parking facility, there will be no 4 City funding, no operating costs, no 5 utility costs for the parking garage covered by the City. It will be entirely the Museum's responsibility.
So what I'm hearing for the record is that as of this construction, the Art Museum will get a bill for the lights and utilities for the parking garage and you will pay that?
Okay. My next question, since there's no revenue to the Fairmount Park as a result of this transaction other than the improvements that you described today, what about the parking tax?
I think we attempted -- the Museum will be responsible for the parking tax.
Okay. To the Fairmount Park Commission, your 48 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. description of the silt peninsula, is that on your wish list? Have you discussed that with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental, your plan?
They are very interested in it and they're going to work with us on it.
Well, we're confident we can get the permitting to do it. We don't have the permit to do it. But we have to first design it and then go back to DEP. But we have consulted with our colleagues at DPE -- and, Councilman, this actually goes back several years ago when we dredged the Schuylkill in front of Boathouse Row, and at that time, this was going to be dredged and we had the permits to do it, 49 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. but we ran out of money. So this is --
I see some activity going on there right now. I don't know what it is, but it looks like there's some dredging around the Water Works.
Right. We're doing a very minor bit of dredging. Actually, more information than you probably want to know, but the Italian Fountain drains into the river, and we were not able to turn on the Italian Fountain this summer because the silt had blocked up the pipe. So DEP gave us a permit to dredge to reactivate the Italian Fountain.
Well, anything that drains from the Italian Fountain has to be certainly an improvement to the Schuylkill River. Councilman DiCicco would agree with me on that one. The last question that I have, and I'm just going to digress for a second, you mentioned the Water Works and 50 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. how this could be an amenity for that. I understood from a constituent that the Water Works Restaurant's relationship with the Fairmount Park Commission leaves a little bit to be desired. I understand that they've tried to use some of the outdoor areas and you've asked for $10,000 for a wedding that is needed out there. Is there a strained relationship or are there issues that aren't working well with that new restaurant?
Not at all that I know of. In fact, I came here from a meeting with Michael Karloutsos, the owner and manager of the restaurant, and I talk to Michael on almost a weekly basis. They're a new business establishing themselves and we're doing the restoration of the site. I think we have a very positive relationship with MAK.
There were 51 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. some issues that I understand that were troubling to the ownership of that facility, because they wanted to use some of the outside areas and there was very big deposits or fees associated with the use. So if you could, next time you talk to the gentleman, ask him if there's any concerns.
Thank you, Councilman. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke and then Councilwoman Tasco.
Ms. Harrity, can you speak briefly about the equal opportunity plan?
Yes. The 52 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. agreement does include an EOP plan that is satisfactory and has been approved by the City. It calls for the Museum to develop a plan consistent with its past practice. We've worked with both MBEC and the GPUAC to produce a plan, which was approved. The overall -- and I think we have with us today Carolyn Nichols from MBEC who could speak also to that plan if there were additional questions. But the overall business participation range is from 28 to 42 percent, and an oversight committee will be formed to assure that the range is met.
The oversight committee will -- the Museum will be working with the GPUAC and with MBEC on that committee.
I know that my 53 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. colleague at the Museum, who is not here today, Bob Marrone, worked very closely with Carolyn Nichols on this plan, so with your permission, I'll ask her to respond to additional questions.
Good morning. My name is Carolyn Nichols. I'm Minority Business Enterprise Council Director. Yes, Councilman Goode -- Councilman Clarke, sorry, the oversight committee would be constructed as other oversight committees are, which would include representatives from the Museum, from the City and we can include City Council, have a representative on the oversight committee.
Who is going to initiate the selection process for the oversight committee? Is it going to be MBEC or is it going to be the Museum?
All right. Okay. Thank you. 54 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC.
Good morning. I apologize for being late. I did not hear all of the testimony about the garage. I understand it's going to be an underground parking garage?
Yes. It will be sort of inserted into an existing hill with a green roof, which is planted with trees and a sculpture garden.
Yeah. The location here, if you look to the west of the -- this is the west entrance to the Museum, an aerial view with the Italian Fountain and Kelly Drive, and what it will do is be inserted here. In fact, when the Museum was first constructed, the boulders that were excavated from the previous reservoir were placed in this 55 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. location. So the current hill is a man-made hill, and those boulders will be removed, the garage inserted in this fashion, and the boulders then will be replaced in a terraced fashion to disguise or to create as much green space as possible and leave the garage as inconspicuous as possible.
We are shooting for 440 cars. It will certainly be in excess of 400, and our hope is a 440-car garage.
Now, being so close to the river, is there any danger of having water come in to the garage?
We have worked very closely over the course of the design process with the Water Department, and I think that the design has addressed those concerns. There will be a membrane, and I'm sorry that our 56 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. architect is not with us here who could be more articulate on that, but there was a concern that was addressed, and we feel the current design will minimize that risk.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Any other questions for this panel? (No response.)
Okay. Thank you. Is there anyone else here to testify on this bill? (No response.) 57 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC.
Is there anyone else to testify on either one of the bills? (No response.)
Then we will move from our public hearing into a public meeting to consider Bill No. 9 060628 and Bill No. 060857. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco for a motion on Bill No. 060628. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that Bill No. 14 060628 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading of this bill. (Duly seconded.)
Bill No. 58 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. 060628 is reported out of the Committee with a favorable recommendation and a suspension of rules to allow first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke for a motion on Bill No. 060857.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that Bill 060857 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and request for a rules suspension as to allow reading at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
Bill No. 22 060857 is reported out of the Committee with a favorable recommendation and a suspension of rules to allow first reading at our next Council session. 59 12/6/06 - PARKS - BILL 060628, ETC. This concludes our public meeting. Thank you all very much. (Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs adjourned at 11:10 a.m.) - - - 60 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on December 6, 2006, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)