Explanation
Background: A Metro Park Development Agreement among Metro Parks, Plain Township, New Albany and Columbus, authorized by Columbus City Ordinance 1262-2007, was executed on February 26, 2008. The agreement established land acquisition and development parameters for a Rocky Fork Metro Park in the Park Zone north of Walnut Street in Northeastern Franklin County.
This ordinance authorizes an amendment to the Metro Park Development Agreement in order to specify additional financial contributions by each of the parties to continue progress on the Rocky Fork Metro Park.
Columbus will, exclusively from the Rocky Fork TIF Fund, contribute to Metro Parks $250,000 per year in each of 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 in order to acquire more strategically located land for the Rocky Park Metro Park. New Albany will also contribute to Metro Parks $250,000 per year for each of the same five years in order to acquire more strategically located land for the Rocky Fork Metro Park. Metro Parks will place into its dedicated Rocky Fork Metro Park Fund $250,000 per year for each of the same five years, to be used for a combination of land acquisition and park development. Plain Township will contribute to Metro Parks $50,000 per year for each of the same five years in order to advance park development. Metro Parks agrees to grant easements for a sewer line to the Columbus Department of Utilities at no cost to Columbus.
Fiscal Impact: No impact on the City General Fund Budget. The $250,000 per year Columbus contribution for five years (2013-2017) will come exclusively from the Rocky Fork TIF District Fund. Ordinance No. 1657-2010 authorized the appropriation and expenditure of monies on deposit in the Rocky Fork Blacklick TIF Fund.
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to enter into an amendment to the Metro Park Development Agreement with Metro Parks, the City of New Albany and Plain Township for the purpose of continuing to fund the acquisition of land for and the development of the Rocky Fork Metro Park; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, on the 26th day of February, 2008, the Parties entered into the Metro Park Development Agreement (the "Development Agreement") in order to cooperate in creating a new metro park ("Rocky Fork Metro Park"), and said Development Agreement remains in full force and effect; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Development Agreement was and is to develop a traditional Metro Park, much like Sharon Woods Metro Park or Blendon Woods Metro Park, that shall be primarily but not exclusively a natural area park designed for passive outdoor recreation (i.e. picnicking, walking, hiking, etc.), environmental education, open space preservation and natural area management; and
WHEREAS, the Rocky Fork Metro Park is to be located on appropriate parkland that Metro Parks can acquire from within the Park Zone (as defined and shown in the Development Agreement) and which can be broadly described as consisting of the entire unincorporated area of Plain Township located north of Walnut Street and west of Peter Hoover Road (as of the date of the Development Agreement); and
WHEREAS, the terms and conditions of the Development Agreement clarified certain responsibilities and conditions of each Party towards establishing the Rocky Fork Metro Park, including cash contributions by three Parties, and with Metro Parks being responsible to acquire, own, develop, operate and maintain said Rocky Fork Metro Park; and
WHEREAS, Columbus has paid in full to Metro Parks the $5 million that it directly committed and the $2.5 million that it committed on behalf of Plain Township under the Development Agreement and New Albany has paid in full to Metro Parks the $2.5 million it committed under the Development Agreement, which funds were dedicated to land acquisition; and
WHEREAS, Metro Parks spent all such funds dedicated for land acquisition as outlined in the Development Agreement, and encumbered the $3 million which it had committed in a dedicated fund, spending the majority of such monies on land acquisition, with $430,800 remaining in the dedicated fund that Metro Parks may spend on either land acquisition or park development; and
WHEREAS, the Development Agreement identified a goal of approximately 1200 acres as desirable, while indicating certain contingencies that might prevent reaching that goal with the initial funding provided; and
WHEREAS, Metro Parks has acquired approximately 909 acres within the Park Zone, which the Parties consider to represent substantial progress toward that goal; and
WHEREAS, the Parties desire to build upon the progress already made by expanding the Rocky Fork Metro Park's acreage through additional strategic acquisitions in the near future of priority parcels that will enable a more complete park with better internal cohesion and connectivity and with suitable connections to neighboring parks, and by in the near future initiating development of park facilities; and
WHEREAS, this First Amendment is needed to outline additional funding commitments from the Parties to accomplish these purposes; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Development to enter into this First Amendment in order to ensure Metro Parks' ability to complete the land acquisition process and begin development of the new park, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Director of Development is hereby authorized to enter into an amendment to the Metro Park Development Agreement with Metro Parks, the City of New Albany and Plain Township for the purpose of continuing to fund the acquisition of land for and the development of the Rocky Fork Metro Park.
Section 2. That the expenditure of the City pursuant to this amended agreement has been authorized by Ordinance No. 1657-2010, not to exceed monies deposited in Fund 421.
Section 3. For the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes this Ordinance.