HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 06-09-1994MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
June 9, 1994
Page 18
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Bildsoe, Fiemann, Johnson, Mikula, Wahl and
Willegalle; staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson, Planning Commissioner Oja,
Councilman Edson
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the June meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council Conference Room.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Wahl and seconded by Commissioner Mikula to
approve the minutes of the April meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff Mary stated that a concert stage is being built by park maintenance staff for the
summer outdoor concerts held at Parkers Lake Park. Concerts start there Tuesday, June
21, and are held every Tuesday evening throughout the summer, except June 28. Mary
reminded commissioners that Music in Plymouth is Wednesday, June 29, and that Target
Greatland is again sponsoring the fireworks show.
Mary announced that an integration specialist and integration aide have been hired with
funding secured from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) fiinds. They will
work part-time this summer to assist kids with special needs that have registered for our
programs.
c. Others.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Acquisition of property on Forestview Lane. The City Council approved the acquisition
of the final piece of property located inside the boundaries of the proposed West Medicine
Lake Park.
b. Approved 1994 CIP. Council approved the 1994 capital improvements budget.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. West Medicine Lake Park update. Council has scheduled a public hearing on the
proposed master plan for West Medicine Lake Park on Monday, June 20. Notice on the
public hearing was sent to all those who attended earlier public meetings on the park as
well as to the focus group members. Jay Maxwell, from the SunSailor, interviewed
Director Blank, and an article on the proposed West Medicine Lake park may appear in
the June 16 issue of the Sailor.
PRAC Minutes/June 1994
Page 19
b. Unique open spaces update. A biologist from Short -Elliott -Hendrickson has visited all the
sites identified by the Open Space committee for possible preservation and has ranked the
top nine based on ecological factors only. An additional six sites were added to the list,
because the Open Space committee requested that a total of 15 sites be chosen. The
committee will continue to study these 15 sites and should have some sort of preliminary
report available for review by August. Some of the sites that have been identified may be
saved through other means, besides acquisition by the City, such as ordinances that protect
certain types of wetlands, etc. Discussion continued then on community support for
acquiring open space. Director Blank stated that he thinks there is support for such an
acquisition. He stated that the next issue of the Plymouth News will have an article on the
work that the Open Space committee has been doing.
c. Accessible playground update. Director Blank announced that a bid advertisement was
sent to the local paper June 9, and that the process for getting this playground constricted
is moving along as quickly as possible.
d. 1994 trail constriction projects update. Director Blank stated that Council authorized staff
to proceed with the constriction of the trail segments proposed for 1994. The Turtle Lake
trail is on hold again. The owners of the affected property are not willing to sell at this
time, but have not riled it out altogether. He indicated that Fernbrook Lane is being
extended north of 45th Avenue, so the trail along Fernbrook will be extended at the same
time. Commissioner Fiemann inquired as to the likelihood of a trail being built this year
along Medina Road from Holly to Jewel Lane. He feels there is a need for a trail on the
south side of the road there, and he also suggested that the trail plan be amended to show a
trail all the way to the Medina border. Director Blank responded that it wasn't very likely
that a trail would be constricted along Medina Road in 1994, but he did say that trail
constriction projects for 1995 will be reviewed by the Commission starting this fall.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Review master site plan for Seven Ponds/Heather Run neighborhood park. Tim Erkkila,
design consultant from Westwood Engineering, presented the proposed master plan for
this neighborhood park to the Commission and staff He briefly described the plan,
explaining the locations of the various entrances, the types of trees growing in the park,
the locations and types of facilities, such as the play equipment, hard court area, trails,
ballfield, etc. He explained that during high water years, some portions of the trail will be
under water for a brief time. He also stated that bridges may be constricted over some
parts of the trail and may require guard rails to keep bicyclists from driving off the trail.
He explained that the cost estimate to build the park is $126,192, and he distributed copies
of the costs to the Commission. He stated that before constriction could proceed, a permit
will need to be secured from the DNR, because some wetlands will be disturbed during
the constriction. He is confident that the permit will be granted and shouldn't cause any
delay in the constriction process.
A representative of the neighborhood was present and urged the Park Commission to
approve the master plan for the park. She explained that the neighborhood residents like
the plan and are excited about the park.
PRAC Minutes/June 1994
Page 20
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER FIEMANN AND SECONDED BY
COMMISSIONER WAHL TO APPROVE THE MASTER PLAN FOR SEVEN
PONDS/HEATHER RUN NEIGHBORHOOD PARK AS PROPOSED AND TO
FORWARD THE PLAN TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH
ALL AYES.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Chair Anderson urged members of the Commission to attend the public hearing scheduled
for June 20 on the proposed master plan for West Medicine Lake City Park.
Commissioner Johnson raised the issue of a neighborhood park west of Vicksburg and north
of Co. Rd. 9, which has been requested by residents living in Oxbow, Autumn Hills and other
surrounding developments. There is no park in this area and none is planned at the present
time. Director Blank responded that the Hollydale golf course lies in the middle of these
developments and is the only public land designated on the parks system plan. He knows of
no other land that is available at this time for the purpose of building a neighborhood park.
He indicated that he would continue to correspond with Mona Domaas, who is acting as the
neighborhood representative, regarding this issue.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Director Blank stated that bike lanes may be striped on the shoulders of Vicksburg Lane,
from 45th Avenue north to County Road 47, when Vicksburg Lane is overlaid with new
asphalt. Because Vicksburg is a rural road north of 45th, it has deep ditches on either side of
it, which do not allow for off road bike lanes. Director Blank received a letter last year from
a young man requesting bike lanes on Vicksburg, because his sister was fatally injured while
riding her bike there.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.