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1999-06-10 Work Session NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 27 MINUTES OF AIRLIE GARDENS WORK SESSION, JUNE 10, 1999PAGE 325 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners held a Work Session on Thursday, June 10, 1999, at 9:00 a.m. in the New Hanover County Administration Building, Room 501, 320 Chestnut Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present were: Commissioner Buzz Birzenieks; Vice-Chairman Robert G. Greer; Chairman William A. Caster; County Manager, Allen O’Neal; County Attorney, Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board, Lucie F. Harrell. Members absent were: Commissioner Ted Davis, Jr. and Commissioner Charles R. Howell. Chairman Caster called the meeting to order and stated the purpose of the Work Session was to hear a status report on Airlie Gardens and to review the rules and procedures for operation of the gardens. He said that Mr. Bobby Rippy, Co-Chairman of the Friends of Airlie Gardens, was present and would like to make a few brief comments. Mr. Rippy reported on the proposed fee schedule and he stressed the importance of adopting a fee schedule that will enable Airlie Gardens to be developed into a world class historic garden. He stated that in order to operate Airlie Gardens without using a significant amount of taxpayers money, the proposed fee schedule should be implemented. Complaints may be received about fees charged for weddings and special events, but if it is the intent of the Board of County Commissioners to develop a first class garden, these fees need to be charged for at least the first two years of operation. Commissioner Birzenieks commented on fees charged for special events and weddings and he asked if it might be prudent to reduce fees for the first few months to attract area people and corporate groups to use Airlie Gardens. This would provide more visibility of the gardens and at the same time allow the Friends of Airlie to work with corporations and groups in donating money for the restoration project. Mr. Rippy responded that during the flowering part of the year, Airlie Gardens will be able to demand the proposed fees. During the off-season, the Board may want to reduce the fees. He urged the Board to adopt the fee schedule for the first two years to allow time for it to work before considering any changes. Dr. Bruce Williams, Director of the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension Service and Arboretum, introduced Mr. Gary Rzepecki, the new Superintendent of Gardens. He advised that Mr. Rzepecki graduated from Temple University with a degree in horticulture and spent the last ten years at the Henry Foundation outside Philadelphia restoring the Henry Botanical Garden. He also served approximately a year as a horticulturist for the City of Wilmington, Delaware. Chairman Caster, on behalf of the Board, welcomed Mr. Rzepecki to New Hanover County and the Cooperation Extension Service. STATUS REPORT ON AIRLIE GARDENS Dr. Williams advised that staffing for Airlie Gardens was completed approximately three weeks ago. The equipment has been ordered and should be received in the near future. The equipment will be used primarily at Airlie Gardens with some use at the Arboretum, and a temporary maintenance facility is being established for storage of the equipment. The clean-up period will be time consuming and the only event scheduled at this point is the Azalea Festival Garden Party. The Friends of Airlie have received approximately $40,000 in membership fees, which is a good start. The membership fees are being deposited in a special non-profit account of the N. C. Coastal Land Trust. Once the Airlie Foundation Board is appointed, a tax number and bank account will be opened. Commissioner Birzenieks commented on the money being placed in a non-profit account and he asked if the money was drawing interest. Dr. Williams responded that he assumed the funds were drawing interest but he would have to check with Camilla M. Herlevich, Director of the N. C. Coastal Land Trust, and report back to the Commissioners. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 27 MINUTES OF AIRLIE GARDENS WORK SESSION, JUNE 10, 1999PAGE 326 Discussion followed on appointments to the Airlie Gardens Foundation Board. Clerk to the Board, Lucie F. Harrell, advised that appointments to the Foundation Board would be made on June 21, 1999. Mission: The mission of the Airlie Foundation Board is to develop a premier world class garden facility and environmental quality education program for New Hanover County citizens and visitors through the restoration of Airlie Gardens to its early 20th century splendor with emphasis on the horticultural, architectural, cultural, and environmental components. Staffing: A list of staffing for the New Hanover County Extension Center, Arboretum and Airlie Gardens was presented. The key positions for Airlie Gardens are as follows: Gary Rzepecki, Superintendent of Gardens Susan Parker, Crew Leader Wendy Knowles, Administrative Assistant Joanne Brown, Landscape Technician Kimi Dew, Landscape Technician Neil Hoffman, Landscape Technician Tony Hubbard, Landscape Technician Quent Lupton, Landscape Technician Kim Betcher, Landscape Technician, Intern position Erin Carey, Landscape Technician, Intern position. Present Schedule: Airlie Gardens is open to the public on the following days: Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday 1:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Ticket sales end at 4:30 p.m. each day. Visitor Policies: The following list of visitor policies was presented: ? No smoking allowed in any county owned building, vehicle or Airlie Gardens. ? No fishing or hunting is allowed on the Airlie Gardens premises. ? No domesticated animals are allowed within Airlie Gardens, including but not limited to cats, dogs, horses and rabbits. ? No fireworks are allowed in Airlie Gardens or the New Hanover County Arboretum. ? No alcohol is allowed at Airlie Gardens or the New Hanover County Arboretum unless approved by the Director for special events. ? No littering is allowed and the public is urged to use trash receptacles. ? No radios, tape decks or CD players are permitted to maintain a pleasurable atmosphere for all visitors to Airlie Gardens and the New Hanover County Arboretum. ? During inclement weather (tornado warning, hurricane warning and severe thunderstorms with lightening) visitors to Airlie Gardens and the New Hanover County Arboretum will be asked to seek a safe shelter and/or leave the premises. ? No bicycles, skateboards or roller blades will be permitted on the paths at Airlie Gardens or the New Hanover County Arboretum. ? Removal of plant material without written permission is prohibited. Fees: The following Fee Schedule was presented: New Hanover County Residents Adult $5.00Senior $4.50Child $1.00 Non-Residents Adult $8.00Senior $7.00 Child $2.00 Friends of Airlie - New Hanover County Residents Adult $3.00 Senior $3.00 Friends of Airlie - Non-Resident Adult $6.00 Senior $5.00 NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 27 MINUTES OF AIRLIE GARDENS WORK SESSION, JUNE 10, 1999PAGE 327 *New Hanover County citizens will be admitted to Airlie Gardens free of charge on the second Friday of every month. Weddings New Hanover County Residents $1,500Non-Residents $2,250 Special Events Minimum $ 1,000 - Garden will not be closed. Maximum$10,000 - Garden will be closed for the day. Site & Location Fee - $200.00 Weddings Photography Only - $300.00 Commercial Photography Area Rental for Production or Entertainment $ 500.00 per day/parking/minimum $1,000.00 per day/production/minimum $5,000.00 deposit A lengthy discussion followed on the Fee Schedule. Dr. Williams advised that four or five inquires for scheduling weddings are being received per day without any complaints about the proposed fee. He said that weddings and special events are not being scheduled until the restoration process has been completed enough to accommodate these events. The plan is to begin scheduling weddings in September or October 1999. The only event scheduled at this time is for the Azalea Festival Garden Party, in April, 2000. He reminded the Board that full staffing was completed less than three weeks ago and the employees are in the process of identifying and determining the amount of work to be done. Further discussion followed on the $10,000 special event fee. Dr. Williams said he would recommend eliminating this fee because Airlie Gardens will be closed to the public and this can become a sensitive matter. After a random sampling of gardens throughout the eastern United States, including Pennsylvania Gardens, Brook Green Gardens, Orton Plantation, Longwood Gardens, the N. C. Arboretum in Asheveille, N. C., and the Chicago Botanic Gardens, none of these gardens allow special events because of the problems involved with politics. These gardens are making money without special events. The restrictions governing the use of Airlie Gardens will become a problem. Many groups will want to ride bikes, canoe in the lakes or play softball under Airlie Oak. When these groups are informed about the policies, they will contact the Commissioners and complain. These types of activities cannot occur in Airlie if it is going to be developed and maintained as a world class garden. Once Airlie Gardens is considered a park instead of a historic garden, this image will be difficult to change. Projected revenue from fees collected at Airlie Gardens during 1999 is budgeted at $25,000. After three months of operation, over $12,000 has been collected, and as movie production companies use Airlie, the budgeted figure should be met. Approximately 80 percent of all revenue is generated during flowering months in the spring. This represents a period of approximately ten weeks. During summer months, revenues fall. Next spring, Airlie Gardens should produce a tremendous amount of revenue. Commissioner Birzenieks asked what a movie production company would pay for the use of Airlie Gardens. Dr. Williams responded that production companies have used Airlie Gardens for the crew set-up in the parking lot. The Corbett family charged $500 per day for use of the parking lot. He suggested charging a fee when the crew steps on the property because the actual time of filming is minuscule. During filming of the recent movie with Sandra Bullock, fees were charged in the amount of $2,000 for only two days when the crew was on the site for eight days. Commissioner Birzenieks asked why the movie industry should not pay the same fee charged to other groups. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 27 MINUTES OF AIRLIE GARDENS WORK SESSION, JUNE 10, 1999PAGE 328 Assistant County Manager, Patricia A. Melvin, responded that typically the filming fee structure has been based on whether there is any interruption to work going on at a site or facility, or if there is a need for staff to be available during the prep time. In the Sandra Bullock film, there were no interruptions to other visitors in Airlie Gardens because they were using the stable area. When the New Hanover County Courthouse is used by a movie production company, the fee is based on whether the filming will interrupt the flow of work being performed in the Courthouse and whether Staff is needed to perform any type of special work such as painting the walls. After further discussion, it was generally agreed that movie production companies should be charged the same fee as other groups. Affiliation with Cape Fear Community College and North Carolina State University: The Cape Fear Community College Board of Directors has approved establishing a two-year Associate Degree Landscape Gardening program. The proposal has been submitted to the State for approval. If the program is approved, the current stables will be used for classroom/laboratory areas by Cape Fear Community College. It is hoped that reciprocity rights will be developed with N. C. State University so students can obtain a four-year degree. This program will require students to have residency on a garden site for period of one semester, which will provide additional workers for the restoration work under the Superintendent of Airlie Gardens. The program will greatly benefit Airlie Gardens as well as the community. Lebanon Chapel Agreements: A meeting is scheduled next week with Saint James Episcopal Church regarding the Lebanon Chapel. The purpose of the meeting is to negotiate the final agreements on the Lebanon Chapel property. This has been a complex issue with a great deal of work involved in trying to reach satisfactory agreements. Capital Projects: After issuance of Request for Qualifications, McKim and Creed has been selected as the firm to provide engineering services. A Request for Qualifications for a landscape architect has been advertised with qualifications to be received by June 21, 1999. An architect should be selected by the end of the month. Charettes: Two charettes will be held. One charette will be sponsored by N. C. State University working with the School of Design and School of Engineering. During the past week, students were interviewing people about the history of Airlie Gardens as a student project. This information will be presented on Thursday, June 17, 1999. Another charette will be held in New Hanover County when the landscape architect is selected. This charette will involve discussion of all data collected. People from different areas of interest will review the information and apply these issues to the design of Airlie Gardens. Items such as parking and overflow parking will be incorporated into the design. Representatives from New Hanover County government and Ms. Paula Lentz, representing the Azalea Festival, will be requested to participate in the charette. Fence: One side of the chain-line fence is constructed running next to the Fox property. The ornamental fence should be delivered any day, and it should be installed by July 1, 1999. Once the fence is completed, many problems with be alleviated with vandalism. Maintenance Facility: A temporary maintenance facility will be used to store equipment until a site outside the 300 foot conservation area can be located. With storage of fertilizer and gasoline, the facility should not be located in the conservation zone. Drainage: The problems with drainage are being addressed by McKim and Creed. A plan will be developed to correct these problems. In closing , Dr. Williams advised that a great deal of work has been accomplished in the past three months. With the effort being given by staff and volunteers, Airlie Gardens will be greatly improved by next spring. He offered to answer any questions. Commissioner Birzenieks asked if there would be parking inside Airlie Gardens since this is a garden that is intended for walking. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 27 MINUTES OF AIRLIE GARDENS WORK SESSION, JUNE 10, 1999PAGE 329 Dr. Williams responded that parking for 250 vehicles inside Airlie will remain in place. After discussion of parking being a problem, the following options are being explored: (1) work with the Wilmington Transit Authority for availability of buses; and (2) work with the Northeast Library and private groups at the Galleria Mall to provide parking on high overflow days. Commissioner Birzenieks spoke about being able to park your car and walk to Airlie Gardens, an d he asked what provisions will be made for disabled persons. Dr. Williams advised that money has been included in the FY 1999-2000 budget to address access for disabled persons. Walkways will be installed for use by electric trams to carry disabled persons to pre-determined sites. This project should be completed within three to four years. A grant has been submitted to CAMA in the amount of $75,000 to build a walkway on the Bradley Creek overlook and the lakes for accessibility to disabled persons. The Arboretum is probably the only handicapped accessible gardens in the eastern United States. Vice-Chairman Greer asked who owns the stables County Attorney Copley responded that New Hanover County is leasing the site from the Corbett family because of problems being experienced with gasoline tanks. She said this site is stilled owned by the Corbett family. Vice-Chairman Greer requested an explanation regarding the capital projects at Airlie Gardens. Dr. Williams advised that he did not bring detailed information on the capital projects; however the major projects are as follows: (1) resurfacing the parking lot; (2) construction of restrooms and a small reception area at the parking lot; (3) construction of a permanent maintenance facility; and (4) installation of an irrigation system. The parking lot will be designed to be environmentally correct with the use of pervious concrete, marl, or stone. It will become an educational site designed to show planners and citizens about options for pervious parking areas. Vice-Chairman Greer asked if the current roads will be used for walking paths. Dr. Williams responded that current roads will become walking paths. The area will be designed to get people in and out of the parking lot without interfering with pedestrians. Currently, there is only one way in and one way out. In the future, if another traffic pattern is found to better accommodate the traffic and pedestrians, consideration will be given to adopting another pattern. Vice-Chairman Greer asked if it would be beneficial to develop a traffic pattern that will allow people, particularly disabled persons, to drive through Airlie Gardens. Dr. Williams objected to creating a drive through pattern because of the additional traffic that will be created which will become a safety issue for pedestrians visiting the gardens. With the environmental mission of Airlie Gardens, driving through the gardens should not be encouraged at this time. The “Wheel Chairs on the Beach” group has contacted the office and is planning to donate large wheel chairs for use in Airlie Gardens. Vice-Chairman Greer asked if vehicular traffic will be allowed in Airlie Gardens during the Azalea Festival Garden Party. Dr. Williams responded that he would prefer for all vehicles to use the parking lot. He expressed concern for areas around the Oak tree being used by vehicles because of mulching and new plantings around the tree. He said The Friends of Airlie have been working with the Azalea Festival Committee to handle parking for the Azalea Festival Garden Party. County Manager O’Neal said that Ms. Lentz understands the need to address parking in a different manner since Airlie Gardens is in the process of being restored. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 27 MINUTES OF AIRLIE GARDENS WORK SESSION, JUNE 10, 1999PAGE 330 Vice-Chairman Greer said the Azalea Festival Garden Party is the highlight of the Azalea Festival. People like the convenience of driving into Airlie Gardens and using the parking lot. If the parking policy is drastically changed, people may not want to attend this event. He also cautioned Dr. Williams and everyone involved about not changing the many things that are now enjoyed by people so they will still consider Airlie Gardens a special place and want to join in the support of this project. Dr. Williams said the primary goal is to make Airlie Gardens enjoyable for more people. During the Azalea Festival Garden Party, this will be a wonderful opportunity to display the gardens and encourage members to join in support of the restoration project. Airlie Gardens is focusing on environmental education and the County must not make exceptions to policies adopted. The policies should be uniformly applied. To park around the Oak tree one time a year will probably not damage the site; however, a precedent will be established and other groups may expect the same arrangement. Chairman Caster spoke on the feeling within the community about New Hanover County spending tax dollars to purchase Airlie Gardens and the citizens not being able to use the gardens. The citizens need to be educated about Airlie Gardens not being a park but a restored historic garden. He said the Azalea Festival Garden Party is a special event that occurs once a year, and it is difficult for people who have purchased tickets to understand why they cannot use the parking lot inside the gardens. This type of change will discourage citizens from attending the event. County Manager O’Neal advised that over a period to time, many changes will occur in the fee schedule and other adopted policies. He reminded the Board that New Hanover County is fortunate to have Dr. Williams and members of staff that are experts in the horticultural field. He requested the Board to allow Dr. Williams to manage Airlie Gardens for the first two years to restore it to its original state with any changes occurring after this period of time. Chairman Caster suggested establishing a date that events can be scheduled so the citizens of the community can be informed. Discussion was held on why events are not being scheduled. Dr. Williams reported that a great deal of work needs to be finished at Airlie Gardens before events can be scheduled. Historically, spring is an ideal time to begin scheduling events. After October, staff will be in a better position to schedule events. Vice-Chairman Greer spoke on the recent request by the Historic Wilmington Foundation to use Airlie Gardens in October for a fund raiser to promote the Pembroke Jones theme. He asked why this event could not be scheduled. Dr. Williams commented on the number of organizations, including his Rotary Club, who have called to hold events at Airlie Gardens, and he said that all groups have been told events are not being scheduled at this time. He said he was not familiar with the request by the Historic Wilmington Foundation but he was sure staff informed the caller that no events were being scheduled. Commissioner Birzenieks stressed the importance of having employees with excellent public relations skills responding in a respectful way to groups calling to schedule an event. He said most groups will understand the reasons for waiting if the details are explained in a courteous manner. Dr. Williams apologized for any responses by staff that have not been courteous. He said that a separate telephone will be installed at Airlie Gardens once the restrooms and facility have been constructed. Vice-Chairman Greer stressed the importance of Airlie Gardens being user friendly. The Historic Wilmington Foundation is a respected group that will have a difficult time understanding why the event cannot be scheduled because a large shipment of bedding plants just arrived. This type of response creates a poor public relations image. The staff at the Cooperative Extension Service must learn to handle these type of calls. Chairman Caster reminded everyone that full staffing was just completed three weeks ago, and it would be impossible to expect that Airlie Gardens would be ready for certain events. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 27 MINUTES OF AIRLIE GARDENS WORK SESSION, JUNE 10, 1999PAGE 331 Vice-Chairman Greer recommended establishing a specific date. Dr. Williams said his major focus is not to present a poor reflection of Airlie Gardens because the necessary site work has not been completed. He advised that January 1, 2000 would be an ideal date to begin scheduling weddings and group events. After further discussion, it was agreed that a date should be established when Airlie Gardens will be ready to schedule special events and the office should start taking reservations. Vice-Chairman Greer referenced the $10,000 fee when Airlie Gardens is closed for the entire day, and he said that many events can be held after 5:00 p.m. He suggested incorporating another category in the fee schedule at a reduced rate for these events. Chairman Caster spoke on developing a scheduling category for events after 5:00 p.m. during day light hours in the summer months with a charge of at least $1,000. This would probably provide a great deal of revenue. Staff could be present to ensure that safety issues are addressed. After further discussion, the Board agreed to request Dr. Williams to prepare the following items: (1) work with the Airlie Gardens Staff to determine a reasonable date to begin scheduling events; (2) begin taking reservations for weddings and events once the date has been established; and (3) prepare a recommendation with a separate rate that can be charged for events to be held after 5:00 p.m. when Airlie Gardens is closed. Chairman Caster stressed the importance managing Airlie Gardens so it will not become a burden on the taxpayers. Dr. Williams guaranteed the Board that once the initial work has been completed, the operations of Airlie Gardens will break even in three to five years. Vice-Chairman Greer recommending placing a portion of revenues generated into the Foundation fund to build up this account. County Manager O’Neal stressed the importance of the Board understanding that Dr. Williams is the Executive Director of the New Hanover County Extension Service, the Arboretum, and Airlie Gardens which are three time-consuming responsibilities. He said without the expertise of Dr. Williams, he would have not recommended the Airlie Gardens project. Commissioner Birzenieks expressed appreciation to Dr. Williams for his vision, and he suggested that the public be informed about the meaning of this restoration project to New Hanover County and the entire region. In closing, Dr. Williams expressed appreciation to the Board for the suggestions and said he would be glad to respond to any complaints received by the Commissioners. He said that Airlie Gardens can become a world class garden. Time will be involved; however, the people he has hired for the task are capable of creating this type of garden. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Caster adjourned the meeting at 11:30 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Lucie F. Harrell Clerk to the Board