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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 02-09-1995Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting February 9, 1995 Page 7 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Bildsoe, Johnson, Priebe, Wahl and Willegalle; staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson Absent: Commissioner Fiemann 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the February meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Johnson and seconded by Commissioner Willegalle to approve the minutes of the January meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present. b. Staff Mary announced that the Plymouth Panthers Ski Club has seen increased participation this year, resulting in the addition of a third bus to transport the kids on their Friday ski trips. For the past several years, only two buses were necessary. Mary stated that adult softball team registration begins the last week of February, and that staff has begun working on the summer issue of Plymouth News, which will be out in early April. She stated that Wayzata Community Education has approached us about working cooperatively with them on some summer school programming. She indicated that the next major special event is Music in Plymouth scheduled for July 6. Director Blank commented that the senior coordinator, Sara Mittelstaedt, will be attending the March meeting to discuss the senior program, and in April, Cindy Anderson, the aquatics supervisor, will make a presentation on the summer swimming lesson program and beaches. c. Others. None were present. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION Council authorized staff to proceed with securing purchase options on four open space sites. Director Blank stated that appraisals are being done on the properties now and should be completed by March. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Adopt 1994 annual report. Commissioner Johnson noted that his term expires in 1997, not 1994 as stated on pg. 4 of the annual report. Some discussion then followed about changing all of the term expiration dates to coincide with the most recent Council re- appointments. It was decided to let the other term expiration dates stand as published in PRAC Minutes/February 1995 Page 8 the '94 annual report, since those were the dates in effect at that time. The new expiration dates will appear in the 1995 annual report. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER PRIEBE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BILDSOE TO ADOPT THE 1994 ANNUAL REPORT AND TO FORWARD IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. b. Private swimming pool update. Director Blank reported that St. Thomas has begun the feasibility report requested by Classic Lake Aquatics and that the results should be available by April or May. c. West Medicine Lake Park update. Director Blank displayed drawings of the new road alignment and explained that the first bid package includes the road, two parking bays, lighting, dredging, curb and gutter, etc. He explained that the road will likely be surcharged during all or most of '95 and the asphalt laid in the spring of '96. The earliest activity in the park could be a skating rink by winter 1996. d. Unique open spaces update. Director Blank stated that the City Council wants to see the estimated costs of purchasing the four open space sites before deciding on a method of financing. e. Playfield/high school update. Director Blank stated that the City Council approved the purchase of an additional 31 acres from Lundgren Bros. at $25,000 per acre. This land lies within the MUSA boundary. Other land within the MUSA is currently selling for 30,000 to $45,000 per acre, so Director Blank feels that this purchase was an excellent buy and a significant savings for both the City and School District. The architect can now start preparing cost estimates on the playfield/park portion of the project. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Study of youth sports facilities. Commissioners Anderson, Wahl and Willegalle volunteered to serve on a subcommittee that will study the need for additional youth sports facilities. Director Blank explained that Mayor Tierney and Councilmembers Lymangood and Wold will also serve on the subcommittee, and a representative from both the Robbinsdale and Wayzata School Districts will be asked to serve as well. b. Review staff proposal for program enhancements. Staff has proposed five program improvements, which Director Blank explained to PRAC. There have been a number of requests for paving an outdoor hockey rink, so that it can be used during the summer for roller blading and skateboarding. The City has received an estimate of $19,000 to pave the east rink at Plymouth Creek. Outdoor sand volleyball courts have been requested at Parkers Lake. Director Blank believes that this project could be completed for about $4,000. The proposed location is northwest of the large picnic shelter in the main Parkers Lake Park (south of County Road 6). PRAC Minutes/February 1995 Page 9 The Plymouth -Wayzata Youth Baseball Association has requested that we install two batting cages at Parkers Lake Playfield. The estimated cost to do this could run between 5,000 and $25,000. Director Blank suggested that if PRAC was interested in this project, they consider contributing something toward it, with the baseball association fund raising for the remaining cost. The batting cages would be available for the general public to use, in addition to youth baseball. The City of St. Louis Park successfully operates a toboggan run during the winter months. Director Blank shared some videotape footage of the run for PRAC to view. He feels that the west side of Parkers Lake would be a possible location for a similar activity in Plymouth, since there is a warming house, night lighting and parking available there. The toboggan run would be open during the same times as the warming house and would be staffed by an attendant. The estimated cost to constrict a toboggan run is between 6,000 and $8,000. Director Blank explained that staff believes there is a need for the City to purchase one or two tents to be used at special events, such as Fire and Ice, Music in Plymouth, the Summer Water Carnival, the Art Fair and History Fest, etc. A 10 x 10 size could be used for registration purposes or information distribution and would cost about $500 to $700. A second tent, 30 x 60, would cost somewhere between $7,000 to $8,000 and could be used to shield participants from inclement weather during special events. Commissioners unanimously supported the paving of the hockey rink, installation of sand volleyball courts, and the purchase of the tents. They felt that the tents should be purchased with general City funds, rather than park and recreation dollars, if possible. They had concerns about the toboggan run at Parkers Lake, because of the aesthetics and suggested instead that the City install lights at Ridgemount, so night sledding and tobogganing could be done there. They favored the addition of batting cages at Parkers Lake and suggested that the City contribute something toward the project, and that the Plymouth -Wayzata Baseball Association should match whatever amount the City donates. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION Commissioner Bildsoe asked if the park fees and policies that were recommended at last month's meeting got approved by the City Council. Director Blank responded that the Council approved them at their meeting on February 7. Director Blank then went on to explain that the balance in the park dedication account is close to $1 million and that the fee in 1994 was $940 per unit. This is the fee charged to developers or single-family builders when they build a house. The Council approved raising this fee to $1,150 per unit in 1995. Commissioner Priebe was concerned about the letter from Lundgren Bros. indicating that they don't want any trail through their development for access to the new park in northwest Plymouth. Director Blank commented that the City has the option to secure trail easement through condemnation procedures, if deemed necessary. PRAC Minutes/February 1995 Page 10 Commissioner Priebe then asked how the Park and Recreation Department funds projects such as the proposed sand volleyball courts, the paved hockey rink, batting cages, etc. Director Blank responded that he would provide a detailed breakdown at next month's meeting on how projects are funded. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Director Blank briefly discussed the results of a survey he conducted in January of other metropolitan communities regarding their per capita expenditures. Robbinsdale has the highest cost per taxpayer at $73 and Edina has the lowest at $21.13. Plymouth falls in the middle at $36.81 per taxpayer. Director Blank also mentioned the telephone survey that the City will be conducting this spring. He feels it is important to find out how residents feel about having a City owned golf course, and thus, hopes to include one or two questions in the survey on golf. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.