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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes 02-11-20211 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 Approved Minutes Park & Recreation Advisory Commission Thursday, February 11, 2021 MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioners: Margie DuPuis, Ann Hoekstra, Allie Storti, Marilyn Sunseri, Hannah Wegner, Vita Wilson MEMBERS ABSENT: Chair Tricia DeBleeckere STAFF PRESENT: Parks & Recreation Director Diane Evans, Deputy Director Barb Northway, Recreation Manager Kari Hemp, Parks & Forestry Manager Jerrod Brunelle, Community Center Manager Jess Riley, Recreation Supervisor Jess Koch, Project Coordinator Sonya Rippe, Office Support Specialist Sarah Josephs COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES: City Council Member Jim Willis, Planning Commissioner Michael Boo GUESTS: Maggie Heurung & Danny McCullough from Three Rivers Park District 1. CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Burkhardt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Commissioner Sunseri and seconded by Commissioner DuPuis recommending approval of the January 14 Park and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting minutes as written. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. 3. OPEN FORUM: 4. PRESENTATIONS (NON-ACTION ITEMS): 5. NEW BUSINESS (ACTION ITEMS): 5a. Eagle to Bryant Lake Trail Draft Master Plan (Action) Maggie Heurung and Danny McCullough from Three Rivers Park District (TRPD) were present to share an update on the Eagle to Bryant Lake Trail draft master plan. This trail provides a north-south route that connects several cities including Plymouth. The TRPD began visiting City officials and Park Commissions in June of 2020 to seek approval for their process and engagement plan. Once each partner granted approval, they transitioned to a public engagement stage starting in September of 2020. The public engagement process was completed in January of 2021. The next step of their process is to seek approval of their recommended trail route. This route incorporates the public input they’ve received thus far. After approval is received, a draft master plan will be shared with the public over a 30-day comment period. After the comment period, the final step would include seeking final approval from elected city officials in late spring/early summer of 2021. The TRPD board would receive the plan at a fall meeting to review and approve. During the public engagement period of the west metro trail study, the project newsletter had 1,400 views and 86 comments submitted. Yard signs with social media information were posted 2 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 throughout the cities impacted. people through in-person and online events. Postcards were also mailed to those living near the proposed trail and held virtual open houses. Amongst comments received that impacted the portion of the trail in Plymouth, many expressed a need for pedestrians to safely cross County Road 73. Many other comments were received regarding enhancing the crossing at Highway 55. Many were excited for the new connection to schools, parks, and commercial areas via the trail. The trail would start at Eagle Lake Regional Park on the border of Plymouth and Maple Grove. The trail will head south down Zachary Lane N following the current city trail. As the trail approaches 36th Avenue it will meet up with the Bassett Creek trail that runs east/west into French Regional Park. The Eagle to Bryant Lake trail will continue south along the east side of Medicine Lake towards the Luce Line trail. The trail will overlap with the Luce Line trail for a short distance, then move south on South Shore Drive. The trail will then cross over Highway 55 and continue south on County Road 73 into Minnetonka, then finishes up at Bryant Lake Park. Commissioner DuPuis asked how the existing city trails would be changed along the proposed route. Mr. McCullough shared that within this new proposed route, 70% of the trails are already constructed. Once a master plan is approved, TRPD will enter into an agreement with the city to transfer ownership of the trail from the city to TRPD. TRPD would take over all maintenance responsibilities of the trails. Eventually those existing trails would be updated to be 10’ wide which is standard throughout the TRPD trail system. If the trails are in good condition, they may remain at the 8’ width until replacement is needed. Trails will also have a center line down the middle. Director Evans added that most city trails are 8’ – 12’ wide. The newer trails are mostly 10 – 12’ wide. Chair DeBleeckere asked if benches, bike pumps, and other amenities are included in this plan. Mr. McCullough shared that those amenities will be available with the next version of the master plan. Staff will review that version of the plan and be able to identify any additional locations that wayfinding or amenities may be needed. Commissioner Sunseri asked if there will be any changes in the maintenance and repairs of the trails. Mr. McCullough answered that once the trail was approved by all cities, they would become regional trails and all future maintenance and repairs would be completed by Three Rivers Park District. Commissioner Wilson asked if there was any possibility to having the telephone poles and electrical wiring along the trail, between Medicine Lake and 36th Avenue, removed. They currently obstruct part of the view of the lake where they are located. Mr. McCullough replied that there may be some minor changes in that area that would improve the view (moving of a map kiosk), but it’s hard to say for certain what engineering changes may be made in the coming years. It’s possible with any future road construction or road right-of-way changes, that there would be an opportunity to bury those utility lines. Mr. McCullough shared that a key theme from the public engagement process was that it is very challenging to cross over Highway 55. TRPD is looking into an enhanced crossing option over the highway. Considerations include a possible underpass or a bridge. There have also been discussions on future possible realignments of County Road 73 at Highway 55. These potential realignments may allow for a joint effort to improve the trail crossing at the same time. 3 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 Motion by Commissioner Hoekstra, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, recommending the approval of the Eagle to Bryant Lake Trail Draft Master Plan. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. 5b. Nature Canyon Playground Renovation (Action) Parks and Forestry Manager Jerrod Brunelle shared information on the renovations at Nature Canyon Park. Nature Canyon Park is located just to the east side of Fernbrook Lane, south of Schmidt Lake Road. The park will replace its current playground equipment with new equipment from St Croix Recreation. In addition to the playground renovation, a new shade canopy over the picnic tables will be installed, signage will be updated, and trail and drainage improvements will be made. A virtual open house was held by sending mailings out to the surrounding neighborhoods in late December. Notifications were also posted on NextDoor. Residents were able to review park plans and submit their feedback online. Respondents were also able to vote on two components: the first being an overall color scheme for the playground, and the second being between two pairs of playground equipment. Feedback from residents was great with comments and votes coming in from 38 unique households. A typical in-person open house typically saw 20-30 individuals attend to provide feedback. Based on the votes submitted, an overwhelming majority chose the charcoal/lime/blue color scheme. Votes for the playground component chose the multi-person swing and web spinner. Over 20 comments were provided via the virtual open house. This provides helpful feedback to staff as they are preparing for the renovations. Many comments addressed the desire to add a park shelter or shade as there is not currently a sun canopy at this park. Staff will be including a shade structure in the park plans. Comments also asked about adding more trees closer to the playground area. While they are unable to add any trees this spring, staff will create a formal plan for future planting along the south side of the playground. Commentors also requested additional seating near the playground. New picnic tables will be added to the outside of the playground area, as well as benches in and around the playground. Safety concerns were mentioned in several comments. Accessibility and fencing options are being reviewed during the renovation. Currently fencing will be a black chain-link fence along the top of the playground structure. Each of the tiers is wheelchair accessible. There is a natural trail that goes through the woods at Nature Canyon Park. Several comments asked if this trail was intended to be paved in the future. This trail is meant to remain a natural trail through the wooded area and will not be paved. The playground will have two components included; one for ages 2-5, and the other for 5-12 year olds. Since trends show that the younger kids want to play with the big kids on the larger equipment, we are using smaller equipment that mimics how the older play structure looks. The multi-generational swings have been very popular at other parks so one will be installed in this swing set. This swing system allows for caregivers to swing with younger kids while facing them. Another fun feature is the rope venture vertex. This feature includes ropes and climbing options for up to 12-15 kids at one time. Commissioner Sunseri asked how many concrete walls are within the playground area. Manager Brunelle shared that due to the three tiers, there are two concrete walls that separate lower tier and middle tier. Fencing will be installed along parts of the concrete walls depending on what feature is 4 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 just below the tier. The drop distance is approximately 2.5’. Woodchips are located at the base of the walls as a safety practice should anyone fall. The playground is budgeted at $150,000 in the 2021 CIP. Motion by Commissioner Wilson, seconded by Commissioner Sunseri, recommending the approval of the Nature Canyon Park Playground Update. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. 5c. Horseshoe Hill Park Development (Action) Recreation Supervisor Jess Koch presented information on the new park development at Horseshoe Hill Park. The park is located at 6110 Garland Lane N, near the intersection of County Road 47 and Lawndale Lane N. The park will measure just over an acre in size and will directly serve residents in the Elm Creek Meadows and Steeple Hill neighborhoods, as well as the community. Park development would include earthwork, playground, shade shelters, and planting trees and landscaping. The park development is scheduled in the 2021 CIP utilizing Park Dedication funds totaling $250,000. Like the Nature Canyon Park, we also utilized a virtual open house and posted notice on NextDoor. There were approximately 30 residents participating during the open house. Following the open house, a survey was opened from January 13 through the 21st for residents to vote on the playground option, as well as equipment colors and to give staff some feedback. We had 61 households take the survey, which was a significant number and considerably more than we see on average. We had 54 households provide comments. Staff really appreciated the feedback and interest in making this area as multi-generational as possible and we took that feedback into account before finalizing. Based on feedback, we'll be adding some yellow wood trees along the street that will complement the autumn blaze already existing. We also added a couple evergreen trees for that additional screening their benches and sidewalks in this Park Area. Two shelters are included in the plan. Each shelter will include picnic tables. The portable restroom will have a three-sided enclosure. Neighbors had indicated that a planter near the entrance is something they were interested in adopting and maintaining so that's been included in the plans. Residents, particularly those in Steeple Hill neighborhoods wanted to know more about how they could safely access this new park and any future trail connections. Staff will be coordinating with Engineering when the reconstruction of County Road 47 takes place for an additional trail. The additional connection would provide safe trail options. That project is tentatively scheduled to be taking place in 2022. An additional trail link will be connecting the park to the north into Maple Grove’s trail system. We have added temporary parking to accommodate residents who can't currently access the park via trails. The goal would be to provide permanent parking in the future. The playground includes two play structures that are standard for 2-5- and 5–12-year-old playgrounds. The 2-5 play set will feature a clubhouse type structure, a sand area and will be surrounded by artificial turf. The 5–12-year-old structure features eight-foot-high decking, a large climber, swings. and four slides. There will also be an expression swing included in the playground plans. The infill would be wood fiber chips and has poured in place in the areas along the swing bay and at the bottom of slides. 5 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 There were two color pallets for residents to vote on. Option 1 received the most votes. Neighbors also shared in their comments an interest in a different color option. Staff have included this color option for PRAC’s consideration. Bonnie Roed of 6195 Garland Lane North shared that the initial color pallet options weren’t as complementary to the neighborhood home color schemes. The new suggested color pallet would blend in better with the homes already built along the park. They are excited for the park to be built so they can take grandkids to play at. Joel Savat of 6145 Garland Lane North shared that he lives across the street from the proposed park and is in favor of the new color pallet (CC) and would appreciate PRAC considering this third option. Paula Spratt of 6130 Garland Lane N shared that she lives next to the park would prefer the new color pallet (CC) and was one of the initial residents to suggest the alternative option. Joanne Walles of 17040 60th Avenue North shared that she is concerned the park is geared more towards children and would like staff to consider any possible amenities for adults to use. She would like to see another covered picnic area outside of the playground area for adults to gather in the park. Recreation Supervisor Koch responded that initial plans for this park only included one shelter near the playground, but due to public comments and feedback, an additional shelter has been added to the plans. Commissioner Wilson shared that she would like to see more adult amenities in our parks beyond benches. Looking over the feedback from the neighborhood helps with future planning for our parks and provides creative options for amenities. Commissioner Wegner shared that she appreciated the suggestion of the new color option and hearing from the community as to what they would like to see at their neighborhood park. Chair DeBleeckere thanked the community members for attending the meeting and sharing their input on the park plan. She is in favor of selecting the color option suggested by the community. She asked for more explanation on the planter being installed. Recreation Manager Koch shared that they will be installing a low-maintenance planter with the park sign. Plants like hostas would thrive in the planter but could also be combined with other perennials. The neighborhood has shared their interest in taking care of the plants in the planter. Commissioner DuPuis asked if there was a neighborhood association that would assist with coordinating the planting and maintaining the garden. Recreation Manager Koch shared that this is not a neighborhood association located along the park, but we do have contact information for those residents who expressed interested in planting and maintaining the planter. Staff would coordinate with those residents each year on planting and watering. Commissioner Wegner asked if there was a plan for permanent parking spots once the roads are complete the and future trail connecting the neighborhoods are finished. Recreation Supervisor Koch shared that once surrounding development is complete the temporary parking will be removed and replaced with three pull-up parking spots along the road. At least one of the spots would be handicap accessible. Motion by Commissioner DuPuis, seconded by Commissioner Wegner, recommending the approval of Color Option CC. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. 6 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 Motion by Commissioner Hoekstra, seconded by Commissioner Storti, recommending the approval of Horseshoe Hill Park Development. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. 5d. Plymouth Creek Center Name (Action) Director Evans would like Commissioners to decide if we should reconsider a new name for the facility. Due to the renovation and expansion of the Plymouth Creek Center taking place a name change to reflect the updates may be considered. Staff are recommending either keeping the name Plymouth Creek Center or changing to Plymouth Community Center. When the facility was built in 1999, PRAC was involved with determining the name. Through a series of meetings, surveys, and public input Council ultimately chose Plymouth Creek Center as the new name. Looking ahead, the Parks & Recreation department has been working with the Communications department to determine the pros and cons surrounding a possible name change. If PRAC recommends keeping the name Plymouth Creek Center, the name carries forward the 20-year history of the building. There is also the benefit of retaining name recognition and having a unique name that describes the area around the facility. The current name also conveys a more upscale venue which can be beneficial for marking weddings and family events. Changing the name to Plymouth Community Center would allow the city to emphasize that the site is a public amenity available for community use. The name also implies fewer barriers and lower costs to the use of the amenities in the building. This name would also express that the site includes spaces for athletics and meetings, not just an event center anymore. The nice part about both names is that both can still be referred to as “the PCC”. Staff would like to hear Commissioner’s thoughts on the building’s name. The recommendation decided tonight will be forwarded to City Council for their final approval. Commissioner DuPuis asked if staff had a preference between the two names and what the reasons are for any preference. Director Evans responded that she has heard from several community members stating they prefer the name Plymouth Community Center. A common theme is that they moved to the city and didn’t realize we had a community center. The community members who have reached out feel that Community Center would better identify who the building could be used. Staff are open to either name option. Commissioner DuPuis shared that the most important thing to her is that we market the facility as a community center. With the investments being made on the facility, we need to ensure everyone understands this facility is a community center. Director Evans responded that the marketing is something we can absolutely improve on. One can search for a community center on google and the Plymouth Creek Center won’t appear among top results. Regardless of what name is selected, we know that we must do a better job branding the building and sharing what amenities are included. Commissioner Sunseri inquired how neighboring cities named their facilities. Director Evans answered that most facilities in the metro have Community Center in the name. An exception to that trend would be Brookview in Golden Valley. Director Evans explained that when the facility was first built, the emphasis was more on event space and weddings which is why Council went with Plymouth Creek Center. Now that we are adding a lot more active amenities and education rooms it is becoming much more than an event 7 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 space. Staff did have conversations regarding a name option of Plymouth Creek Community Center but found that name to be too long. Chair DeBleeckere shared that the included chart was helpful to review. She had grown up in Plymouth and it wasn’t until having kids that she realized the Plymouth Creek Center was the community center. Changing the name would help give people a clear understanding to what the building is becoming. That said, she still enjoys the name Plymouth Creek Center because it is unique and conveys the beautiful area within the city. She is voting for the name Plymouth Creek Center. Commissioner Wilson shared that she would prefer to keep the name as it is now. Like Chair DeBleekere, it was many years after living in Plymouth before learning what the Plymouth Creek Center was. Increasing the messaging to new residents would help bridge that gap in awareness of what the facility offers. She is voting for Plymouth Creek Center. Commissioner Sunseri shared that regardless of the name chosen, we will need to work on re- educating the public to make them aware of the facility and learn what amenities are now available to them. She likes the name Plymouth Creek Community Center but understands that is too long. Having Community Center in the name will help tell the story of what the facility offers. She is voting for Plymouth Community Center. Commissioner Hoekstra expressed her vote for Plymouth Community Center. She likes that the name is short and too the point. By making the name simple, it makes it more clear to the community. Commissioner Wegner favors changing the name to make a point of showing the new amenities the building will offer. Both Maple Grove and Minnetonka refer to their facilities as Community Centers. She appreciates that both names still allow for users to call the facility the PCC. She is voting for Plymouth Community Center. Commissioner DuPuis shared that people have a better understanding of what a facility is when it is referred to as a community center. Having other nearby communities that refer to their facilities as a community center will help increase the awareness of the amenities found in a community center. She is voting for Plymouth Community Center. Commissioner Storti shared that she had been leaning towards Community Center as a name since it brings a community feel to the space. Regardless of the name, messaging and marketing will be key. The site may serve as a draw to those looking to move to Plymouth, or even a reason to stay in Plymouth. She is voting for Plymouth Community Center. Motion by Commissioner Hoekstra, seconded by Commissioner Storti, recommending renaming the Plymouth Creek Center as the Plymouth Community Center. With five members voting in favor, and two against, the motion carried. 5e. PRAC Chair and Vice Chair Selection (Action) Each year the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission nominates a Chair and Vice Chair to serve. The Chair is responsible for leading the meeting and ensuring that Robert’s Rule of Order are followed. The Vice Chair leads the meetings should the Chair be unable to attend. The Commission’s nomination is sent to Council for their final approval. Chair DeBleeckere nominated Commissioner Sunseri to serve as Vice Chair for 2021. Commissioner Wilson nominated Chair DeBleeckere to serve as Chair for 2021. 8 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 Motion by Commissioner Wilson, seconded by Commissioner Storti, recommending the nomination of Tricia DeBleeckere as Chair and Marilyn Sunseri as Vice Chair. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. 5f. Annual Report Draft (Non-Action) Manager Hemp shared a draft of the 2020 Annual Report. The budget portion of the annual report is blank currently as we are still waiting for final data from our Finance Department. Final data will be available by our next meeting. The stats gathered this report are slightly different to reflect the programs and facilities impacted by Covid. In 2020, the department provided $4,600 in scholarships to participants living in Plymouth. Inclusion services were provided to 104 participants. Our new and re-developed parks are also listed. In 2020 we built the Northwest Greenway Trailhead Challenge Course and renovated both playgrounds at Swan Lake Park and West Medicine Lake Park. While many events were cancelled, we were still able to welcome 1,549 participants to 24 special events. There were just over 9,000 participants in our recreation programs: both in-person and online. Volunteers remained busy helping the City. Just over 1,500 volunteers provided 16,877 hours of assistance between all departments. Some of the projects were able to be modified and worked on from home. We also had former volunteers, who no longer live near Plymouth, able to help with data entry projects from around the world. City staff saw very high trail usage numbers in 2020. The Northwest Greenway had just over 480,000 trail users. There were also an impressive 241,734 users of the rest of the trail system in Plymouth. The Plymouth Creek Center was able to host 1,537 events despite being closed for nearly 4 months in 2020. Wedding ceremony and reception counts were lower than past years with only 19 garden weddings held throughout the summer. Commissioner Storti inquired how the City tracks the number of people who use the trails. Manager Hemp shared that there is a trail counter system that is set up on several points on the Northwest Greenway as well as on several trails throughout the city. The counters provide live data to staff showing how many people are using that portion of the trails. Project Manager Rippe added that the counters on the Northwest Greenway are set up at four locations. In addition to those four, there are two portable counters that rotate through the trail system each month. Counts are also taken during the winter months along plowed trails to show use during cold-weather months. Project Manager Rippe shared that the highest number of users were recorded in March and April of 2020. Chair DeBleeckere asked if there was any particular reason why more trail users are using the Northwest Greenway as opposed to other trails. Project Manager Rippe replied that the large circular loop around the wetlands on Peony Ln is a huge draw to walkers. Trail users also like to have a long stretch of trail where they can get in a long bike ride or run. The Northwest Greenway currently has 7 miles of trails weaving throughout it. Users can visit and cover a large stretch of land if they choose. Commissioner Wilson shared how impressed she was with the community turnout to our recent park renovation open houses. She suggested adding these totals to our annual report as a sign of community engagement. Commissioner Wilson also expressed how nice it was to have detailed surveys completed by community members regarding what they would like to see in their new playground or park. 9 Approved Minutes February 11, 2021 6. COMMISSIONER/STAFF UPDATE 6a. Special Events Manager Hemp provided Commissioners with a full copy of the upcoming 2021 special events. Staff are making modifications and back-up plans for each event due to the ongoing pandemic. As Covid safety mandates change, updates may need to be made to be able to run the event. Currently, outdoor special events are limited to groups of 250 people. We have begun a pre- registration system to allow for the community to participate while ensuring that we have a safe number of people present. Primavera has added an online art gallery component to this year’s event to allow for more visitors to safely view the artwork. Larger-scale events like Discover Plymouth may be unable to be held this year due to the nature of the event. Other annual events are coming up this spring such as Kids Garage Sale, Walk with the Mayor, and Bark in the Park. 6b. French Regional Park Master Plan Project Manager Rippe shared information provided by Three Rivers Park District announcing the French Regional Park Master Plan. There is a project plan website that can be visited to learn more about the planned updates at their park. Project website: https://www.letstalkthreerivers.org/french-regional-park-master-plan. 7. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Hoekstra, seconded by Commissioner Wegner, recommending adjournment of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting. With no objection, Chair DeBleeckere adjourned the meeting at 8:51 p.m.