HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 12-14-1995Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
December 14, 1995
Page 41
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Bildsoe, Fiemann, Johnson, Wahl and
Willegalle; Planning Commissioner Ribbe, staff Bisek, Blank and
Pederson
Absent: Commissioner Priebe
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the December meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council
Chambers.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Willegalle and seconded by Commissioner
Bildsoe 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 discussed Old Fashioned Christmas which took place on
December 10. The hayrides and roasting marshmallows activities ended up
being cancelled due to the extremely cold temperatures. Attendance was
down from the usual 800 to about 400, but despite the cold weather, Mary felt
the event was an overall success.
Staff recently attended the annual MRPA State Conference, held in early
December. Three of our staff members were honored with awards. Karol
received a grant for her work on MRPA committees. Rick was honored
earlier in the year with a NYSCA Youth Sports Coaches award and Cindy
was recognized for her work with aquatics. In addition, one of our seasonal
employees, Kristen Schrader, who has been with us for a number of years,
received a scholarship to continue her education.
Mary announced that we are involved in two new projects. One is CONECT,
a collaborative effort to serve lower income families in the Plymouth area.
Our first program with them will be swimming lessons offered to the
residents' children of Regency Pointe Apartments, located on Harbor Lane.
The complex has its own pool, so the lessons will be offered on site. The
second project is called "We Love Our Kids." This is a program that focuses
on finding positive things for kids to do in their spare time in an effort to
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keep them from getting into trouble. This year's Fire and Ice Festival will be
dedicated to the theme, "We Love Our Kids."
Mary indicated that she needed some help with the speed skating event at
Fire and Ice. The Plymouth Speed Skating Club always ran the event in the
past, but they have disbanded. She asked commissioners to provide her with
the names of any speedskaters they might know personally who would be
willing to volunteer. Mary announced a new event at this year's Festival
would be a volleyball tournament in the vicinity of the new sand courts at
Parkers Lake.
Warming houses will open Saturday, December 16, and will be in operation
until February 19, weather permitting. Rick held staff training for the
warming house attendants Thursday.
c. Others. There were no visitors.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Approved Recreational Sports Facility Report. Council reviewed the Sports
Facility Report at a special session and unanimously adopted it.
b. Approved consultant for amphitheater study. Council approved hiring a
consultant to search for a new location for the City amphitheater, since the
current location is the proposed site for new recreational facilities.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Private pool/Wayzata School Dist. Pool study update. Director Blank
announced that the private swim club, Classic Lake Aquatics, recently
informed the City that they are no longer interested in a joint project,
because they were unable to raise any funds. The Wayzata School District,
however, is still interested and has sent a letter of intent to the City,
indicating their willingness to contribute $1.5 million toward the cost of a 25 -
meter lap pool, which they could use for swim meets, practices, synchronized
swimming, etc. Director Blank said that the City has also had discussions
with a couple of private health clubs, Lifetime Fitness and Flagship Athletic
Club, regarding a joint project that could include facilities such as a
recreational/leisure pool, gymnasiums, fitness equipment, meeting rooms, etc.
Flagship Athletic Club has since decided they are not interested. The City
had asked them if a daily admission fee could be arranged for residents of
Plymouth who might not be interested in an annual membership, and after
doing some numbers crunching, Flagship indicated they could not
accommodate us. However, Lifetime Fitness is willing to work with the City
on some type of daily admission fee for Plymouth residents, even though their
normal mode of operation is an annual membership.
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Commissioners then asked what the probability was for the City receiving a
Mighty Ducks ice arena grant and if this had any effect on this other project.
Director Blank explained that there was a good chance the City would be
receiving a full $250,000 grant from the MASC, as well as additional pledges
of approximately $550,000 from athletic associations, the Wayzata School
District and the City of Wayzata. This leaves a balance of $4 million, which
the City may spend from the Community Improvement Fund. However, this
will require a citizen vote, which the City hopes to schedule for next February
6 or 13. According to Director Blank, this entire amount will be needed to
build the two indoor ice rinks as proposed in our grant application.
The Commission asked if it was feasible for the City to construct a pool with
the School District and no outside involvement. Director Blank indicated
that it probably would be possible from a financial aspect.
Commissioner Johnson questioned where Lifetime Fitness would locate their
facility. Director Blank said that it would be on City -owned land adjacent to
the ice arenas, along Plymouth Boulevard between 37th and 36th Avenues,
east of Cub Foods. Director Blank displayed a concept plan designed by
Lifetime Fitness that showed the layout of a lap pool (which could be used by
the School District free of charge whenever they wanted), a leisure pool,
basketball courts/gyms, racquetball courts, fitness equipment, aerobics room,
community rooms, etc. A senior center was also shown on the south end of
the concept plan. Director Blank explained that if the City accepted Lifetime
Fitness' offer, there would be no operating cost to the City whatsoever.
Lifetime Fitness would bear the entire cost to construct the facility and would
have all the responsibility for operating it. Director Blank added that if
Lifetime Fitness later went bankrupt, the City would have first option to
assume the payments or right of first refusal.
Commissioner Johnson asked what the daily admission fee for Plymouth
residents would be. Director Blank explained that the Lifetime Fitness
owner started out asking $8 for an adult and $3 for children, but that the
City wanted no more than $6 per adult to be charged. Lifetime countered
with $7, but that cost is still being negotiated. Lifetime's regular fee is $29
per month for individuals. In a survey of surrounding cities that have
community centers, the highest per day fee charged for an adult was $6 and
that was at Dakota Community Fitness Center (in Prior Lake affiliated with
Mystic Lake). Most city -run community centers have a daily admission fee of
around $3 - $4 per adult. Director Blank believes that Lifetime's justification
for charging $7 is due to the fact that their fitness equipment is the most
state-of-the-art and most expensive anywhere around, plus daily admission
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gives the user access to every amenity in the club, from the pool to the fitness
equipment to the aerobics classes, etc.
Commissioner Fiemann stated that he would like more time to consider some
other options. He wondered what it would cost the City to build its own
community center that would have facilities similar to Lifetime Fitness.
Director Blank said that the community center proposed in 1989 was
estimated at $12 million, and at today's prices, would probably run around
14.5 million. He stated that Lifetime Fitness' proposal is a good deal for the
City, economically.
Commissioner Johnson indicated that he was not comfortable with a private
health club building on the City's most valuable piece of property, and he
added that he didn't think it was appropriate that a resident of Plymouth be
charged such a high daily use fee. He said that it would prevent many
residents from being able to use the facilities. He also felt that a private
health club would not meet the needs of the majority of Plymouth's residents,
and in most cases, health clubs cater to adults, rather than to children and
families. He also believes that private health clubs tend to have a somewhat
negative attitude when it comes to teenagers hanging around.
Several commissioners concurred with Johnson's opinion and stated they
were not willing to endorse the idea of a private health club building on city -
owned land. Their main concerns were that a privately run facility would not
meet the needs of most of the residents, the daily use fee would be too high,
and it probably would not meet the needs of the City's Parks and Recreation
Department, since the City probably would not be able to schedule any
programs there.
Since it seemed to be the consensus of the Commission that a private health
club was not a good idea, Chair Anderson suggested that commissioners
contact the Council regarding their feelings and encouraged them to attend
the next Council meeting and express their concerns. Chair Anderson also
asked Director Blank to try and schedule a joint meeting with the Council as
soon as possible, so that this issue could be discussed further. Director Blank
replied that a motion would be in order for the joint meeting.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER JOHNSON AND
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE REQUESTING THAT A
JOINT MEETING BE SCHEDULED WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES.
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b. West Medicine Lake Park update. All construction has ceased for the
remainder of the year, but crews did manage to put in the road surcharge,
base rock, water lines and sewer lines.
c. Open spaces update. One site remains to be purchased, but there are some
difficulties being encountered with a couple of the owners. It's beginning to
look like this site may have to be given up for another site elsewhere in the
City, according to Director Blank, although the City may still get a portion of
this parcel.
d. Playfield/high school update - review budget as part of CIP. Director Blank
explained that Elm Creek Playfield is part of bid package no. 5, which is
scheduled to go out for bid in January. The estimated cost to complete that
portion of the playfield that would be ready for use in 1997 is $1.6 million.
Director Blank was happy to report that of the 13 requests made by the Girls'
Fastpitch Softball Association, the City was able to accommodate 12 1/2. The
one-half they did not get was permanent fencing on the softball fields.
Instead, they will get temporary fencing on game days. Director Blank said
they were about to complain about that when they realized that the City had
bent over backwards to satisfy their needs, while the School District has not
made a single attempt to help them out. Director Blank went on to say that
so far, all bid packages have been coming in under the estimates, which has
been very good for the District. The next bid package, no. 4, is the high
school building itself. If that comes in under budget, then the School District
may go ahead and contribute $1.5 million toward the construction of a
competitive pool. If the bid package comes in over the estimate, they may
end up putting the money toward the high school instead.
e. Approve 1996-2000 CIP. Director Blank briefly reviewed the CIP, and
distributed copies of letters received from both Birchview and Sunset
Elementary Schools asking for the City's help in funding playground
improvements. Director Blank said that the City helped fund Sunset's
playground several years ago, and this would be their second request for
assistance. He told both parent groups that Greenwood Elementary is on the
schedule for funding in 1996, and that their requests would probably not be
considered until 1997.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER BILDSOE AND SECONDED
BY COMMISSIONER FIEMANN TO ADOPT THE 1996-2000 PARKS CIP.
Commissioner Wahl asked for some clarification regarding the $440,000 for
West Medicine Lake Park, which was down $100,000. Director Blank said
that the lagoon and the beach, each estimated at $50,000, were withdrawn
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for now, due to some permitting problems. He explained that a significant
amount of construction could still be completed for $440,000.
THE VOTE WAS THEN TAKEN AND THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL
AYES.
f. Senior citizen needs analysis update. Director Blank explained that the task
force needed to hold another three or four meetings before a final report could
be compiled. Commissioner Willegalle, who is a member of the task force,
stated that some of the seniors' concerns regarding a senior center include
having a place to play cards, dance, a stage for their own theater
performances, a multi-purpose room, an arts and crafts room, and a room for
preparing food, all on one level.
g. Continue golf course discussion. Director Blank indicated that he will try to
meet with the owner of Hollydale golf course before he leaves for Phoenix for
the winter months.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Cardinal Ridge neighborhood park. Director Blank explained that Cardinal
Ridge is on the schedule for development in 1996. This project is estimated to
cost about $220,000.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER WAHL AND SECONDED BY
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON RECOMMENDING THAT A CONSULTANT
BE HIRED TO BEGIN THE WORK OF DESIGNING CARDINAL RIDGE
NEIGHBORHOOD PARK. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES.
COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Commissioner Willegalle stated that the East Parkers Lake Improvement
Association is working with City Forester Paul Buck in his efforts to get a grant
to help with the nurp ponds at the new high school/playfield.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Director Blank stated that City staff will be meeting with the public and
Hennepin Parks in January to study a way to get a trail down the east side of
Medicine Lake.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.