HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 11-10-1994Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
November 10, 1994
Page 35
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Willegalle, Wahl, Fiemann, Johnson, Priebe; staff
Bisek, Blank and Pederson, Councilmember Edson; members of Classic Lake
Aquatics (CLA), and Mona Domaas.
Absent: Commissioner Bildsoe
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the November meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Public Safety Training
Room.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Willegalle and seconded by Commissioner Priebe to
approve the minutes of the October meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff Mary Bisek stated that staff is working on a number of projects including the
recreation budget for 1995, Old Fashioned Christmas coming up on December 4, the Fire
and Ice Festival scheduled for February 4, hours of operation for warming houses and ice
rinks, the Plymouth Panthers Ski Club (a joint program with Plymouth Middle School for
Plymouth Middle School students), and the December issue of Plymouth News. She
announced that beginning in 1995, the recreation portion of the City newsletter will be
taking on a new look. For the first time in many years, we will be adding photographs and
line drawings to highlight the recreation programs. Staff member Nancy Pederson will be
doing the typing and layout.
c. Others. See item 5.a.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Trail system update. Council has tabled this item until their November 21 meeting.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Proposal for private swimming pool. A group known as Classic Lake Aquatics (CLA)
with the following members: Tom Franke, Terry Kent, Greg Ertz, Steve Schroeder, Brett
Hanson, Stuart Zook and Teri Erhardt, appeared before the Commission to present a
proposal for a private swimming pool to be located in Plymouth Creek Park. They want
the City to consider donating seven acres of land for this purpose at the intersection of
37th Avenue and Plymouth Boulevard. The pool would serve the west metro area.
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Page 36
Tom Franke, 5040 Bryant Avenue N, Minneapolis, is the chairman of CLA, and has
coached swimming for 16 years. He feels that there are swimming needs that are not
being met in the west metro area, such as competitive swimming, recreational swimming
and lessons. The pools that are located in the schools cannot accommodate everyone. In
order to satisfy competitive swimmers, the temperature of the pool is kept relatively cool,
which is not comfortable for recreational swimmers or for those who want to take lessons.
The outdoor pools such as the ones located in New Hope and Crystal are more for
recreational, family -type activities and cannot meet the needs of the serious competitors or
those who like to lap swim for fitness purposes, not to mention that they are available only
three months out of the year.
Stuart Zook, 6170 Dallas Lane, Plymouth, then discussed the proposed design of the
project. The CLA is proposing to build two pools under one roof that would
accommodate all the swimming needs mentioned above. One would be a 50 meter, eight
lane competitive pool, which, when necessary, could be divided into two 25 -yard pools,
and the other would be a 25 yard recreational pool with a zero depth. The 50,000 square
foot complex would also contain a concession area, meeting rooms, weight and fitness
rooms, locker rooms, and parking for 250 plus cars.
Teri Erhardt, 11505 48th Avenue, Plymouth, spoke about how CLA intends to raise the
money needed to build the facility and the revenue necessary to operate. The proposed
facility would cost approximately $4.5 million. CLA is projecting that 75% of their
capital will come in the form of grants, corporate sponsorships, foundations, equipment
donations and individual contributions, 18% would be the donation of the land by the
City, and 7% would come from government agencies. They project that 33% of their
income for operational funding would come from swimming lessons, 33% from
recreational users, 10% from special interest groups, 10% miscellaneous, and 7% each
from CLA members and other events.
Commissioner Priebe asked CLA if they had any fiinding at this time. They responded
that some large corporations, such as Carlson Companies, have indicated interest in their
project. They also intend to seek fiinds from the Amateur Sports Commission (ASC),
which has helped fiend several athletic facilities around the metro area, including a $3
million diving well at the University of Minnesota. The CLA is optimistic that
corporations and groups like the ASC will help, because swimming is a sport where
women and young girls like to compete, which gets into the gender equity issue. This is
attracting a lot of attention lately and will continue to be an important influence on the
corporations and government agencies being asked for donations.
Commissioner Wahl stated that he would like to see more figures in reference to the
projected revenue. The CLA said that they have hired a professor from St. Thomas to do
an economic feasibility study, and those results should be available next April or May.
Commissioner Fiemann questioned why CLA came to the City with their proposal before
the economic feasibility study was completed. Mr. Franke stated they wanted to be able to
show that they had support for the project from the community and a commitment for the
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land from the City. Mr. Fiemann was also curious about the future expansion shown on
their concept plan. Mr. Zook responded that the expansion is proposed as space the City
could use in the future.
Commissioner Wahl then asked Recreation Superintendent Mary Bisek about the City
sponsored swimming lesson program. She indicated that the City nuns lessons at two
pools in the summer and that we have been able to meet the majority of the residents'
needs, although there is a very large demand for lessons for pre-schoolers, which are
somewhat more difficult to accommodate, because of the pools' temperature. Mr. Zook
remarked that he believed CLA and the City could work together to meet the needs of the
community without affecting the City's swimming lesson revenue.
Chair Anderson thanked the CLA for their presentation and praised the organization for its
hard work and commitment to the project. He stated that the Commission would like to
see more figures regarding the projected revenues and expenses.
b. Study of unique open spaces update. A draft copy of an open space interim report was
included in the PRAC packet and Director Blank stated that he would like this report to be
forwarded to the City Council for their study session on November 14 or their regular
meeting on November 21. Commissioner Johnson gave a brief update on the status of the
project at this point. Open space sites have been reduced from 30 to 15, and those 15 have
now been ranked in a priority order. No acquisition has been done at this time, however,
negotiations are underway with the owners of sites 4 & 5, which are the Ponds at Bass
Creek and the Mission Partnership property. The Open Space Committee has not yet
considered how open space acquisition should be funded. They are seeking more
guidance from PRAC and the City Council before moving in that direction. Director
Blank commented that in other cities, bond referendums to acquire open space have
successfully passed. He also stated that one of the next steps of the Open Space
Committee will be to research the value of the sites. Some owners have already contacted
the City indicating their willingness to sell. A MOTION WAS MADE BY
COMMISSIONER WAHL AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER JOHNSON TO
FORWARD THE OPEN SPACE INTERIM REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR
THEIR REVIEW. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES.
c. Accessible playground update. The play stricture is finished and according to Director
Blank, the kids are thrilled with it. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be planned for next
spring.
d. Seven Ponds neighborhood park update. The rock surface for the trails has been installed,
and some asphalt may be laid before it gets too cold to do that. The play equipment is also
being installed. Efforts to complete this park will continue until the weather gives out.
The project will be finished next spring.
e. West Medicine Lake City Park update. Director Blank said that surveyors are in the park
doing their work now. The last of the houses on park property will be vacated in
December.
PRAC Minutes/November 1994
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f. Playfield/highschool update. Director Blank announced that the Wayzata School District
referendum passed on November 8. The referendum extends for another ten years the
District's operating levy. The passage of the referendum was crucial for the
highschool/playfield project to continue. Director Blank then updated the Commission on
the status of the project. He stated that the wetlands delineation has been completed. The
architect is expected to have the schematic design of the building completed soon. If the
project stays on schedule, the outside plans will also be finalized soon. Next, negotiations
will take place on the number of acres the City will own and the number the School
District will own. After that has been determined and a site plan has been agreed on, a
joint powers agreement will be negotiated.
g. PRAC work plan for 1995 update. The draft copy of the PRAC work plan for 1995 was
discussed. Commissioner Wahl wondered about item 2, and the reference to "funding
analysis of each and every site." Director Blank responded that the intent of that statement
was that PRAC would only make suggestions for ways to fund selected sites. The work
plan is still open for corrections and additions, but Director Blank would like to have a
recommendation from PRAC at the December 8 Commission meeting.
h. Neighborhood parks' playground replacement update. The final plans and specs are being
written now and will soon go out for bid. The play equipment will be installed next spring
and should be ready for use by May.
i. Planning for northwest Plymouth. Director Blank reviewed his report on Neighborhood
417, indicating that this area has an estimated population of 1,180 when fully developed,
according to the Comprehensive Park Plan. Based on current development and what
remains to be developed, he doesn't feel that this number is going to be reached. He also
explained that a concept plan submitted by Richard Blume, shows a development at the
intersection of Schmidt Lake Road and Vicksburg Lane. In this concept plan, a water
tower and possible park are shown in the northwest corner of that intersection, although
the actual siting of the water tower has not been decided. He expalined that the City's trail
plan does call for the trail on Vicksburg Lane to be extended to Schmidt Lake Road,
which now dead ends at Old 9.
Mona Domaas, 15910 46th Avenue, stated that she and her neighbors do not want to cross
Schmidt Lake Road to get to a park, and asked if the water tower and park could be sited
on the south side of the road. Director Blank said this may be a possibility, although siting
it on the south side puts it inside the MUSA, whereas the north side of Schmidt Lake Road
is outside the MUSA, and this may make a difference to Mr. Blume. Another option may
be to ask Mr. Blume to dedicate some land for the installation of a park, although Mr.
Blume isn't prepared to do this. The Comprehensive Park plan did not call for park in this
area, so Mr. Blume wasn't asked to dedicate any land for that purpose when he had his
development plan drafted. Director Blank suggested that maybe a compromise could be
worked out with Mr. Blume, whereby he would give up some property on the south side
for a small park, if the City would put the water tower on the north side of Schmidt Lake
Road. This is all still dependent on the alignment of Schmidt Lake Road, which should be
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decided by next month. Recent traffic studies now show that Schmidt Lake Road will
need to be four lanes wide. Earlier studies suggested only two lanes. The Comprehensive
Plan does show a park west of Holly Lane and south of the railroad tracks. Mrs. Domaas
suggested that this park could be made accessible to the residents of Oxbow and the other
developments in this area if trails were installed, but her preference would be to get a park
in the development proposed by Mr. Blume. Mrs. Domaas stated that she will continue to
show her support for a park for her neighborhood by attending fiiture PRAC meetings, and
if necessary, will ask the 178 residents living in neighborhood no. 17 to attend with her.
Chair Anderson commented that the residents' input was welcome, but no decision could
be made until some other issues are resolved, such as the siting of the water tower and the
alignment of Schmidt Lake Road.
6. NEW BUSINESS
There was no new business to discuss.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
None.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Director Blank continued the discussion on the private pool proposal with the Commission.
He informed the Commission that the CLA is very optimistic about their proposal based on
the overwhelming success of swimming pools in other areas. Director Blank stated that he
had to remind the CLA that success in other cities may be due to the fact that there aren't as
many pools or lakes available there, as there are here. He also indicated his concern over
holding in limbo seven acres of land, valued at over $1 million, while waiting for CLA to
raise fiinds. Then there's the question of are there too many indoor 25 yard pools? Perhaps
some consideration should be given to an outdoor pool for this area. He also mentioned that
the Wayzata School District has offered us an option to cooperate on a pool in the new high
school or one in the old high school. Director Blank is concerned, too, about getting
involved in a private/public venture should something go wrong and the pool's revenues drop
off Who would be responsible? Another thought to consider is whether or not this is the
best possible use for this land. Are there other recreational facilities that might be better
suited to this location? Some commissioners then brought up the issue of a community
center and how the very same facilities proposed for this private complex would likely be
included in any community center design. The discussion concluded with the Commission
stating they wouldn't feel comfortable making any decisions until they get more information
from CLA on their financing and the results of the economic feasibility study.
Director Blank informed PRAC that the Council had budgeted for another resident survey
sometime next February. There will be a section in the survey on park and recreation
facilities. Results of the survey should be available in April or May.
Director Blank stated that he would like to take PRAC members on a tour of the facilities at
Shoreview, Chanhassen and some of the other metro area community centers, for the benefit
of the newest commissioners. He also stated that a hockey/ice arena interest group may
attend the December PRAC meeting with a presentation of their own.
PRAC Minutes/November 1994
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9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.