HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 12-08-1994Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
December 8, 1994
Page 41
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Bildsoe, Johnson, Priebe, Wahl and Willegalle; staff
Bisek, Blank and Pederson; City Manager Johnson
Absent: Commissioner Fiemann
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the December meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the City Center Council
Chambers.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Bildsoe and seconded by Commissioner Willegalle to
approve the minutes of the November meeting as presented. The motion carried with all
ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff Mary Bisek stated that the December issue of Plymouth News had been mailed to
the residents and that registration in winter programs begins December 12. Staff has
already begun working on the next issue which will come out in February and will
contain spring classes.
She announced that Old Fashioned Christmas had taken place on December 4, with
approximately 750 people in attendance. This program relies a lot on the help of
volunteers, with many of them coming from Armstrong High School.
Warming houses are scheduled to open December 17, weather permitting. Parkers Lake
may open shortly after Christmas, if possible, but in the past, the ice hasn't been thick
enough until around January 1.
Safety Day, a spin-off of Safety Camp, is being held on December 29 at Plymouth Creek
School, from 8-4 p.m. The program is for grades 3-6 and will feature visits from
McGruff, Smokey the Bear and Sparky, as well as visits from the police and firefighters.
Safety Day is meant to teach kids about winter safety, personal safety and safety at home.
The Fire and Ice Festival is Saturday, February 4. Mary indicated that anyone wanting
Fire and Ice sweatshirts needs to order them by January 13. New sponsors this year
include Burnett Realty, and NSP. Smith -Barney of Wayzata may sponsor a hole -in -one
golf contest for a new car. Research is being done on the insurance required for that type
of activity. Entertainment includes a juggler who juggles flaming torches, ice surfer
demonstration, dog sled demonstration, Viking kick sleds, the Plymouth Rockers and the
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Wayzata Women's Choir. First Bank is working on trying to secure a celebrity to attend.
Commissioner Willegalle asked Mary if any plans are being made to entertain people
between the time the events wind down and the fireworks begin. He believes that some
people get tired of waiting and leave. Mary responded that she is working on some
activities, one of which is the juggler with the flaming torches. Another would be ice
skating to music on the general rink.
c. Others. Residents of neighborhood no. 17 were present. See their comments under item
5h.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Approved trail study. Council approved the trail study as done by Strgar-Roscoe-Fausch.
b. Accepted open space report. Council accepted the interim report prepared by the Open
Space Committee
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Proposal for private swimming pool update. Classic Lake Aquatics is working with St.
Thomas College on preparing an economic feasibility report which they expect by May
95.
b. Study of unique open spaces update. Council accepted the interim report and then
directed the Committee to begin researching ways to fiind possible acquisitions. Director
Blank stated that the wetlands ordinance will be presented at a public hearing on
December 14 held by the Planning Commission.
c. Accessible playground update. The playground is done. Some sodding remains to be
done and there is a short segment of trail that needs to be installed. A ribbon cutting
ceremony will be planned for next spring that will include members of the accessible
playground committee, PRAC, staff, Council, etc.
d. Seven Ponds neighborhood park update. The playground equipment and the backstop are
in, as well as the wood chip trail. The remainder of the project will be finished next
spring. Director Blank announced that the project is coming in under budget.
e. West Medicine Lake city park update. Director Blank stated that two road alignments
have been staked. By next month's meeting the road layout should be available for
PRAC to review. The tennis court location was proposed in a wetland area, so it will
have to be moved. It may have to be dropped from the plan altogether if a suitable
location can't be found. Because of some problems with the soils, the road constriction
will be delayed. A surcharge is in effect and that could last through next summer. The
road would not be ready then for use until the spring of '96. The earliest usage of the
park would probably be ice skating that following winter.
f. Playfield/highschool update. Director Blank displayed a master site plan for the
Commission to review. He stated that it will be on the Planning Commission agenda
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Wednesday, December 14. Schmidt Lake Road will be lined up to meet with the
entrance to the school at Peony Lane. Director Blank described the features of the school
and then explained the layout of the athletic facilities. Commissioner Bildsoe asked
about ownership of the project. Director Blank responded that the City will probably
own a little over 60 acres. The City Council has indicated that they would like the adult
softball complex operational by the spring of '97.
g. PRAC work plan for 1995 update. PRAC reviewed a draft of the work plan as submitted
earlier by a subcommittee of PRAC members. No suggestions were made for changes to
the plan. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER BILDSOE AND
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WAHL TO ACCEPT THE WORK PLAN AS
SUBMITTED. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES.
h. Request for park in neighborhood 417. Director Blank described the boundaries of this
neighborhood and using overheads showed them to the Commission and the residents in
attendance. Overheads were also used to show the locations of current neighborhood
parks and school playground facilities, the locations of proposed neighborhood parks, as
well as the two new proposed developments. He fiirther described the proposed
alignment of Schmidt Lake Road and pointed out the possible location of the new water
tower, which may be in the northwest corner of the Schmidt Lake Road/Vicksburg
intersection. He indicated that a trail on Vicksburg Lane that currently stops at County
Road 9, will be extended north to County Road 47. He also stated that Lundgren Bros.,
the developers of Autumn Hills, have indicated a willingness to install a trail between
two of their lots on the northern border of their development, which will link Autumn
Hills with Richard Bloom's development. He also pointed out two possible locations for
neighborhood park facilities, one in the northwest corner of the Schmidt Lake Road and
Vicksburg intersection and the other on the northern border of the Autumn Hills
development, where it adjoins the Bloom development. Director Blank then explained
that PRAC has a number of options with regard to a park for neighborhood 17. Those
options included taking no action at this time, assuming that any water tower site will
have sufficient space for park facilities; choosing the water tower site; or taking a small
piece of property along the southern border of the Bloom development consisting of lots
9, 10 and 11, between 48th Court and Harbor Lane, where it adjoins with the north border
of the Autumn Hills development.
Mona Domaas, 15910 46th Avenue, commented that the proposed locations for
neighborhood parks should not be relied on, claiming that they are moved and sometimes
removed altogether from the City's comprehensive plan. She indicated that her
neighborhood's number one concern is safe access to a park, and that she prefers option
42 for a park, which is lots 9, 10, 11 between 48th Court and Harbor Lane. The water
tower site is not acceptable to her, because it will mean crossing Schmidt Lake Road,
which is proposed to be four lanes wide and will not have a traffic light, only a stop sign.
The existing parks at Turtle Lake and Plymouth Creek Elementary are not acceptable
either, because of the traffic on Vicksburg and on County Road 9. A proposed park on
the west side of Holly was met with resistance as well, due to the possibility that Holly
Lane will get busy with the new high school. Mona fiirther contended that her
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neighborhood deserved a park because all the residents had paid park dedication when
they built their homes, in addition to the fact that they are tax paying residents. She also
believes that it will give their neighborhood a sense of cohesiveness and community,
qualities she feels are lacking now.
Terry Kaine, 4490 Comstock Lane, agreed with Mona that option 42 was the best
location for a park, claiming that County Road 9 was too busy for his children to cross in
order to get to Plymouth Creek Elementary.
Ruth Freese, 16105 46th Avenue, also supports option 42 for a neighborhood park. She
believes that Vicksburg is a dangerous road, even for adults.
Richard Bloom, the developer of the property north of Autumn Hills, indicated that he
has been working on his development for the past two and one-half years. He owns the
land all the way to the railroad tracks. When he initially began working on his project, he
was told that the City would only want trails on Vicksburg Lane. He later learned that
trail was going to be needed on the south side of Schmidt Lake Road, and now he's been
told trail is also desired on the north side of Schmidt Lake Road. He believes that the
best location for a park is the water tower site because it will have access from trails on
Vicksburg and Schmidt Lake Road. It will also benefit more people and it will be larger
than any other site. He indicated that he would like to use lots 9, 10 and 11 as a drainage
pond. He commented that he supports a neighborhood park for the residents south of his
development, but also believes the residents north of Schmidt Lake Road deserve
consideration, too.
Commissioner Bildsoe asked Mr. Bloom about the timetable for the development north
of Schmidt Lake Road. Mr. Bloom responded that that area is outside the MUSA line,
and would not be built until sanitary sewer is installed there, a few years from now.
Lynn Fawcett, 16125 46th Avenue, stated her support of option 42 for a park, claiming
that both Plymouth Creek Elementary and Kimberly Lane Elementary are home base
sites, resulting in their playgrounds being inaccessible to the neighborhood kids nine
months out of the year. She fiirther stated that Turtle Lake's playground isn't usable at the
present time. Director Blank responded that that's just a temporary situation due to some
vandalism.
Mike Freese, 16105 46th Avenue, stated that he babysits a lot of children in his
neighborhood and that it is very difficult to cross Vicksburg Lane with small kids in tow.
He also supports option 42 for a park.
Howard Sturtz, 4700 Xene Lane, supports option 42 for a park. He believes that the 1/2
mile walking distance guideline used by the City doesn't always work out the way it's
intended.
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Mona came forward again to say that the park should be placed south of Schmidt Lake
Road, because it will serve over 150 residences there, as opposed to only 100 residences
north of Schmidt Lake Road.
Jamie Ruzicka, 16110 46th Avenue, and Halle Eggom, 4555 Weston Lane, told the
Commission that they like option 42 for the park, because their moms won't let them
cross Vicksburg Lane to go to Turtle Lake Park.
Chair Anderson closed the public meeting and then asked Commissioners for their
questions and comments.
Commissioner Wahl asked how large lots 9, 10 and 11 were. Director Blank stated that,
with wetlands, it's approximately 2-2 1/2 acres and could support a small playground.
Commissioner Priebe pointed out that this is an isolated, relatively small neighborhood,
and consideration should be given to providing them with a small park on the south side
of Schmidt Lake Road.
Commissioner Bildsoe commented that option 42 seems exclusive, almost private. He
feels it doesn't have access from other areas, but he agrees that Vicksburg is too busy to
cross. He asked Director Blank how much playground equipment would fit. The
response was one piece for ages 2-5 and one piece for ages 6-11.
Commissioner Johnson indicated that he doesn't have a problem with small, exclusive
parks and pointed out that there are some parks like that such as Hemlock and Heritage,
which are close to his neighborhood.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY CHAIR ANDERSON AND SECONDED BY
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON RECOMMENDING THAT STAFF WORK WITH THE
DEVELOPER, RICHARD BLOOM, TO COME UP WITH A LOCATION SOUTH OF
SCHMIDT LAKE ROAD FOR A PARK THAT WOULD BE SUITABLE TO ALL
PARTIES. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES.
Commissioner Wahl asked if additional park facilities would be built on the water tower
site in the fiiture. Director Blank indicated that trails would likely be installed.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Name for Seven Ponds/Heather Run park. Residents of these two developments
submitted a list of possible names for their park which included Leuer's Park, Zitur Park
and Heather Ponds Park. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER BILDSOE
AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PRIEBE TO RECOMMEND THE NAME
HEATHER PONDS PARK. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH FIVE AYES.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON VOTED NAY.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
None.
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8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Director Blank stated that the Wayzata and Armstrong youth hockey groups are working
together to come up with a list of their individual needs. The new highschool will not have
an indoor ice rink, and no money has been allocated in any budget for a separate ice rink.
Director Blank feels that it may be better for a jointly shared ice rink to be located on City
property rather than on school property.
Some possible dates for taking PRAC on a tour of area community centers are January 21, 28
or February 11.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.