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).
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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.