HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 09-14-1995Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
September 14, 1995
Page 29
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Bildsoe, Priebe, Wahl and Willegalle;
Planning Commissioner Ribbe, staff Blank and Pederson
Absent: Commissioners Fiemann and Johnson
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the September meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. in the
Council Conference Room.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Priebe and seconded by Commissioner
Willegalle to approve the minutes of the July meeting as presented. The
motion carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff. No recreation staff were present, but Director Blank discussed how
our fall youth soccer program continues to grow, with 200 more children
participating in 1995 than in 1994. There was an increase in 1994 of about
200 as well. With our current facilities and the difficulty in securing
coaches, staff feels that soccer enrollment may have to be limited next year.
Director Blank announced two special events in September sponsored by
the City; an Art Fair on Saturday, September 16, at Parkers Lake Park, and
a History Fest on Saturday, September 23, at Plymouth Creek Park.
c. Others. None.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Council approved the acquisition of the Ess property, which adjoins the land
the City currently owns that has been designated as environmental park.
This acquisition will now permit the City, if they so choose, to build some
girls softball fields. The City is currently lacking in fields of the appropriate
size for girls high school softball. Also, by having this additional land, the
environmental park could be expanded to include such things as an
environmental education center.
b. Council approved the purchase of the Mission open space property.
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c. Council approved the purchase of the Hartenburg open space property.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Private swimming pool update. Director Blank stated that he met with the
Wayzata School District and a private swimming club regarding the
possibility of building a swimming pool in a joint three way project
between the City, the school district and the private club. The School
District has indicated that they have $1.5 million to contribute to such a
project.
b. West Medicine Lake Park update. Progress on this project has been fairly
slow due to some permits being tied up in the environmental process.
However, Director Blank is expecting Council authorization on September
19 to go out for bid on Phase 1, which is the road and bridge portion. A
contract for this work could then be awarded in mid-October, with the
actual work possibly beginning in November.
c. Open spaces update. Director Blank indicated that the acquisition process
on three of the four sites has been fairly smooth and that there is adequate
funding available for the final site. The last site, however, may be
somewhat complicated by the fact that a realtor has gotten involved and is
trying to sell the land to a developer. Director Blank said that if that
happens, the City will simply deal with the developer if necessary.
d. Playfield high school update. Director Blank stated that the contractor is
busy working on the construction of the three buildings that will comprise
the high school. Dirt is being stockpiled on the site to be used in
conjunction with the construction of the bridge. The NURP pond is in as
well as wetland mitigation. Sewer and water lines are in. Some grading of
fields could take place later this fall.
e. Study of youth sports facilities update. Director Blank and Rick Busch are
planning to reconvene this committee within a couple of weeks. Members
of PRAC that are on this committee are Don Anderson, Mark Wahl and
Henry Willegalle.
f 1996-2000 CIP update. Director Blank discussed the request for tennis
courts in Turtle Lake Park. He explained that tennis courts planned in
Plymouth Creek Park have been in the CIP for the past five years but keep
getting bumped for other more pressing items. These are the courts that
would be for use by the residents requesting courts in Turtle Lake Park. So
far, the policy of the City has been to build tennis courts at our playfields
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Page 31
and not in neighborhood parks. Director Blank feels that this policy may
change in the future, but at the present time, there is still need for a few
more neighborhood parks to be developed. Director Blank explained that
when Shiloh Park was upgraded a few years ago, the Park Commission
recommended that tennis courts be included in the upgrade, because many
of the residents requested it, but the City Council took it out of the final
master plan before approving the plan.
g. Recommend Mighty Ducks ice arena grant. Director Blank indicated that
staff is preparing a Mighty Ducks ice arena grant application and explained
to PRAC why there is a need for indoor ice in Plymouth. He explained that
conditions of the grant state that there must be joint cooperation with other
agencies if a grant is to be considered for award. Several agencies have
made a commitment to the City of Plymouth that they would cooperate in
such a project, including School Districts 281 and 284. Others, such as the
City of Wayzata, Plymouth -Wayzata Youth Hockey and the Wayzata Lions
Club have indicated an interest in contributing financially to such a project.
Contributions may total about $675,000. The amount of the grant would be
250,000. The entire project is estimated at approximately $4,000,000.
This would be for two sheets of ice, which, in the long run, according to
Director Blank, is more profitable. Single sheets of ice tend to lose money.
When asked how the City would fund the balance of this project, Director
Blank explained that it would probably be through a bond referendum.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER BILDSOE AND
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WAHL TO RECOMMEND THAT
THE CITY COUNCIL SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR A MIGHTY
DUCKS ICE ARENA GRANT. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL
AYES.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Name for ninth playfield. Director Blank explained that playfield number 9
needs an official name, and that staff s recommendation is Elm Creek
Playfield. He stated that if PRAC preferred a different name, staff would
come up with a few more possibilities and bring them back to the next
meeting for further consideration.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON AND
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BILDSOE TO ACCEPT THE NAME
ELM CREEK PLAYFIELD AS THE OFFICIAL NAME FOR THE
NINTH PLAYFIELD. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES.
PRAC Minutes/September 1995
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b. Review citizen survey results. Director Blank went over the results of the
latest citizen survey. Unlike the survey conducted a few years ago, this one
was a city-wide survey, rather than just park -related. Park issues rated
quite well, with 92% of those surveyed liking our park facilities and 94%
approving of the job that park maintenance does. Sixty-eight percent want
a community center study done. Ninety-four percent want the City to save
one of the three golf courses in Plymouth from being developed. Director
Blank indicated that Hampton Hills and Elm Creek could both become 9 -
hole executive courses, with Hollydale remaining as the only 18 -hole
course in Plymouth. The owners of Hollydale have indicated they want to
stay in the golf business, although Lundgren Bros. has offered to buy their
land. Director Blank said that if the City decided it wanted to acquire a golf
course, the current owners would need to be persuaded to sell to the City
rather than to a developer. Even though the property at all three courses is
guided public/semi-public, a developer would likely win a case for having
it re -guided residential. The Park Commission indicated their interest in
pursuing this issue and keeping it on the PRAC agenda for future meetings.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
None.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
None.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.