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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 09-12-1996Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 12, 1996 Page 36 Present: Commissioners Johnson, Fiemann, Priebe, Wahl and Willegalle; (Chair Anderson arrived later); staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson; Councilmember Wold Absent: Commissioner Thompson I. CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Wahl called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 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. Mary Bisek began her presentation by announcing that we had a safe beach season, with no major accidents or injuries. The fall soccer program is underway, with 1,200 kids playing. The History Fest was successfid. Henry Willegalle was on the committee. A planning meeting for next year has been held already. Our annual Art Fair is Saturday, September 14, from 10-5, at Parkers Lake Park. Approximately 40 artists will display and sell their work. There will also be musical entertainment and food vendors. Mary stated that she and Mark have been working on the northeast neighborhood park project. Several inmates from Lino Lakes are also working on this park project as part of a work release program. They are starting to constrict trails and are clearing the site for the playground. Public Works is also helping with trails. Staff is in the process of planning winter programs. We are once again facing a shortage of after school space in both school districts. There has been a big expansion in the child care program, and they are monopolizing gym time, cafeteria and multi- purpose space. Commissioner Willegalle asked if the East Parkers Lake Improvement Association could have a table in the pavilion during the Art Fair. Mary suggested that he check with Karol Greupner to see if there would be room, because both the Seniors and the Human Rights Commission are in the Pavilion this year. Director Blank introduced Bill Abel, the ice arena manager. Bill stated that he was from Willmar, and ran the ice arena there for 16 years. He is in the process now of selecting ice resurfacers and is working with corporations on installation of scoreboards. He stated that he is very excited to be here and said PRAC should be proud of the work they did. Bill is working on building policies, such as proper conduct when in the building. Commissioner Willegalle asked when reservations for outside groups would be taken? Bill responded that we have started tentative reservations already. We'll miss out this winter on major youth hockey reservations, but we will be booking things like figure skating, hockey camps and other leagues. PRAC Minutes/September 1996 Page 37 c. Others. See item 6a. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION a. Council continues to award many contracts for the ice arena; walls, mechanical, etc. b. Greenwood playground dedication ceremony is Friday, September 13. c. Log cabin is under constriction in Ely and will be shipped to us between October and October 15. Footings are going in next week. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Ice arena complex. This project is continuing to move forward. The constriction manager reminded Director Blank that $3,000,000 worth of work is underground in the form of utilities, footings, etc. This is in response to comments from the public complaining it doesn't appear that much is happening at the site. Steel is scheduled to arrive October 7. Large cranes will be visible then. The outdoor pool is 90% complete. Director Blank talked about the identification sign that will be near the street. He explained that our contract says the word Life Time must be in the title. Life Time Fitness will be on the door over the Life Time entrance. We need a name over the entrance door for the ice arena. PRAC can make a recommendation for the overall name, too. Director Blank said that 90% of ice arenas are named "ice arena", and he is not particularly fond of that. This facility is special. A list of names was distributed to PRAC members for their consideration. Commissioner Wahl commented that the initials from Plymouth Ice Garden spell PIG. Bill Abel was asked his opinion. He said that he likes Plymouth Arena and Recreational Complex, which spells PARC. Director Blank likes Plymouth Ice Park. Commissioner Priebe likes Plymouth Ice Center. A suggestion for the overall name was Plymouth Life Time Recreation Complex. COMMISSIONER FIEMANN MOVED TO CALL THE ICE ARENA PLYMOUTH ICE PARK. THE MOTION DIED FOR LACK OF A SECOND. The Commission wants to think about it some more and discuss it again in October. b. West Medicine Lake Park update. Engineering met with the contractor on Monday. A crane will be showing up September 13. Concrete abutments for the bridge will be there Monday, September 16. The contractor says the road will be done by Oct. 26, but we're telling the public November 15. The City has a permit to dredge the beach now, remove culverts, and put in a walkway from the parking lot to the beach area. c. Open space. Survey is done on Johnson Bros. parcel, which splits the parcel. Mr. Stewart now wants to sell his parcel to the City for a reasonable price. The City declined. d. Elm Creek Playfield update. The irrigation system is in and includes 300 sprinkler heads. Fine grading and seeding of the softball complex has been done. These fields desperately need rain now, because there is no water to the irrigation system yet. Going out for re -bids on building portion and fence work. PRAC Minutes/September 1996 Page 38 e. Senior citizen needs analysis update. The senior task force will be meeting in the next 20 days to review the report. f. Continue golf course discussion. Letters were sent to the individual golf course owners thanking them for making presentations to PRAC and inviting them to meet with staff regarding ways of cooperating in preserving golf in Plymouth. So far, there has been no response to the invitation. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Maple Creek Park - location of hardcourt - Mark Peterson. Mark distributed copies of park area layout to commissioners. He also had letters from residents indicating where they wanted court or did not want court. Mark explained that letters were sent to homeowners telling them about renovation of park and asking for their input. The play area had to be enlarged due to safety standards, resulting in encroaching on existing basketball court and picnic shelter. The residents wanted the playground to be where it always was, leaving two options for the hardcourt; in the open grassy area or across from the playground area. Commissioner Wahl asked Mark the size of the hardcourt? Mark said 40 x 60. He added that the grassy area is quite large. Rhonda Turgeon, 16205 25th Avenue N, is opposed to any basketball court in this neighborhood park. Objects because it's a neighborhood park. She said friends in Shoreview had trouble in their park when basketball courts were put in. Police had to be called to ask people to leave after hours. She wondered how the police would access this park and if they would keep coming back if necessary. Who's going to pick up the garbage? Her husband has coached soccer for four years and says there isn't enough space for holding soccer practices. She asked if this space could be used for that instead? People have basketball hoops in their driveways, so she feels they are not needed in the park. Just because there won't be lights, doesn't mean people won't be there after the park is closed. She thinks vandalism will increase. Subra, 2545 Weston Lane. His property borders the area in back of park. Doesn't want basketball. His sons play, but they don't want it there. They have a hoop in their driveway. Jim Sanders, 2320 Yuma Lane. Their house is three blocks from Maple Creek. He doesn't share the same concerns. The hardcourt is a common topic of conversation. Not one person is in favor that he has talked to. Neighborhood does not want it. He suggested that City staff listen to what the people are saying. Commissioner Wahl asked if Mr. Sanders objects in general to a basketball court, or just in grassy area? He said he objected to it entirely. Commissioner Priebe asked if basketball was there prior to the park playground being replaced? And did it present a problem before? Mr. Sanders responded that it was set up before, so that older kids would not be interested in using it. Patty Anderson, 16015 26th Avenue. Her house is 100 yards from basketball court. She has lived there three years and has been a professional educator for many years. PRAC Minutes/September 1996 Page 39 She stated that cult signs have been painted on the old basketball backboard in the past. She picks up beer bottles whenever she walks her dog early in the morning as well as broken glass. She hears kids in the park at night after closing hours and fears that this will become a teen hangout. It's a very secluded area and no adults can see this part of the park. Wildlife frequent this area now and she believes that the noise will scare them away. She believes that the anarchy signs will continue if hardcourt goes in. Councilmember Tim Wold serves on community policing committee and encouraged her to call 911 if she hears anything out of the ordinary, explaining that it's not just for emergencies. Patty is not concerned about soccer being played there, or any other use of open grassy area. She is more concerned about who will hang out there. Bob Cobb, 2760 Zanzibar Lane. He lives in the second house from the west entrance to the park and feels that this park is designed as a small neighborhood park and is not suitable for hardcourt. He doesn't want midnight basketball there. He explained that you can't put court near playground, either, because it's too close to people's backyards. Bill Legg, 2665 Weston Lane. He has lived by playground ever since it was first put in and is now 30 feet from new playground. The old basketball court got used a lot. He doesn't see how a car could get into area to shine its headlights on court, unless driven through chains or on the trail, and you can't play in the dark. It doesn't matter to him where the court is. He thinks a court should be there and that everyone should be able to use it. Will not create any more problems if it's there. Eileen Bohn, 16315 27th Place. Lived there eight years. City parks are not just for select few. Old basketball court was not in good shape. She feels that when the City plans its parks and programs, it ignores teens. She believes that the residents are overly concerned with the small minority who drink and thinks that the kids in the neighborhood are basically good and well behaved. We need someplace for them to go and should not exclude them. With or without basketball, you could have problems. In favor of court. Good opportunity for teens. Can get their dads out there to play. Girls like to play basketball too, so put court in. She agrees, however, that grassy area is secluded. Tom Forester, 2430 Yuma Lane. He shared pictures of Oakwood Elementary School hardcourt with commissioners and commented that there is another court at Parkers, so there are other places nearby to play basketball. He had a list of police calls concerning Oakwood Elem. school, specific to hardcourt, from January 1 to September 3. These calls were mostly property damage, alcohol offenses, smoking, starting fires, vehicle damage, etc. He requested that the City not create an environment where crime takes place. Commissioner Johnson commented that teens were not represented in the audience this evening. His teenage son says there is no place for him to go. Mr. Forester said he has no problem with good kids, but these parks don't always attract good kids. The neighborhood is largely made up of younger kids who will not use the basketball court. PRAC Minutes/September 1996 Page 40 Dave Howard, 2645 Weston Lane. Mr. Howard is opposed to grassy area court, because it's a pristine, quiet spot. Historically, there has always been a hardcourt in the park. He uses park five times a week. He said based on people's comments at the meeting, he feels the neighborhood doesn't have a lot of faith in its teenagers. He wants the court installed in a visible area and wants to use it himself. Milton Bohn, 16315 27th Place, lives across from park. Mr. Bohn thinks basketball court should be near playground. He feels that kids will congregate near the grassy area regardless of whether or not there is a hardcourt there, because of seclusion. Concerned about his neighbors more than for himself. Gwenn Goblirsch, 2705 Weston Lane. She doesn't want hardcourt in her backyard. Likes park the way it is now. Chris Chiles, 16120 21 st Ave. Lives on southern end of Steeplechase. Her family uses this park a lot. Kids are elementary age. She opposes basketball court in park. Her boys are into biology and science and enjoy the wildlife they find in the park. Thinks park is a real asset and would like it to remain natural. Tim Stibblin, 2725 Weston Lane. Doesn't oppose a basketball court, but has a concern about the possible sites, though. Is hesitant to keep putting up more tar and less grass. Basketball is a loud game. Bouncing balls make a lot of noise. Kids at playground don't make nearly the amount of noise that basketball makes. Rich Heinrich, 2505 Yuma Lane. Mr. Heinrich says he knows his neighbors, and they don't play basketball. He claimed that there are more adults than kids living in this neighborhood. He wondered if there was a City policy stating that neighborhood parks had to have a hardcourt? Commissioner Wahl responded that he doesn't think the hardcourt belongs in the grassy area. Other PRAC members agreed. COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE MOVED TO DISCARD THE OPTION OF PLACING THE HARDCOURT IN THE GRASSY AREA. COMMISSIONER PRIEBE SECONDED THE MOTION. AYES ALL. Mike Leonard, 2510 Yuma Lane. Read a letter from his neighbor, Russell Gallagher, who could not attend. Doesn't want the hardcourt anywhere in the park. Chris Chiles spoke again. She thinks that staff needs to do an assessment of other options for where area teens can go to play sports. Andy Polzin, 15925 27th Place, said there is a problem with this area being under water sometimes. He thinks it will be a maintenance nightmare. PRAC Minutes/September 1996 Page 41 Cheryl Polzin thanked the Commission for their recommendation to drop basketball from the grassy area. She feels that the other proposed area is not a good option either, because it's too close to houses. Commissioner Wahl agreed that putting the basketball court near the playground was not a viable option. COMMISSIONER PRIEBE MADE A MOTION TO REMOVE THE HARDCOURT FROM THE PARK COMPLETELY. COMMISSIONER FIEMANN SECONDED. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. The Commission continued to discuss the issue, stating that basketball is a questionable use of a small park. They feel that small parks are better suited for use by young children. Commissioner Johnson stated that he wasn't hearing a lot of voices in favor of the hardcourt. Commissioner Wahl agreed and said that this park didn't lend itself to putting one in. Commissioner Fiemann agreed but said he feels there is a need for activities for teens in the area, but this was not the place. Councilmember Wold asked Director Blank to explain to residents the process that follows this recommendation by PRAC. Director Blank said PRAC is an advisory board and makes recommendations to the Council. He stated that this item will be placed on the consent agenda for the Council with a denial recommendation. Council will likely agree with PRAC. A final comment made by a resident was for more trees to be planted with money saved by not putting in the hardcourt. b. 1997-2001 CIP. Director Blank explained the `96 projects that are underway or have been completed. In 1997, $225,000 has been allocated for Elm Creek Playfield. There currently are no lights on baseball or soccer fields and there is no playground. Neighborhood school/parks requesting financial assistance include Birchview, Sunset and Pilgrim Lane. Director Blank explained that the City policy on contributions to school playgrounds needs to be updated. Two neighborhood park playgrounds will need 80,000 each for replacement. The amphitheater needs to be lighted for safety reasons, which is estimated at $25,000. $2.2 million is earmarked for the senior/activity center addition to Life Time Fitness, and additional trails are proposed. In 1998, trails, development of one neighborhood park, and a field house at Elm Creek Playfield are proposed, Zachary Playfield needs to be upgraded for youth baseball, and land needs to be acquired for the 10th playfield in northwest Plymouth, if population growth warrants it. In 1999, trails are proposed, as well as continuing payments for the 10th playfield. PRAC Minutes/September 1996 Page 42 In 2000 and 2001, neighborhood park development is proposed, along with more trails. Director Blank then discussed some of the things that are not included in the CIP, such as money for the Ess property development, a building in West Medicine Lake park, a walkway of some kind over 494 and County Road 9, and some additional amenities in the parks like sculptures, or fine art type items, etc. Commissioner Fiemann asked about the house and land by Greenwood to be used for soccer. Director Blank said he spoke to the Superintendent and told him to explore purchasing this property and that we would consider a joint venture with the School District. Commissioners then asked what kind of money was needed to add amenities to the open space we purchased? Director Blank said we need a management plan for the open space sites first, and that a year from now will perhaps have that in place. Director Blank encouraged PRAC to think about items that were not included in the CIP and let staff know what they are. The CIP will need PRAC approval in October. Mary Bisek mentioned that golf was not included, either. Commissioner Priebe asked staff to give PRAC a list of what's not included in the CIP. Director Blank stated that he has fiends in the parks operating budget to study the golf course issue in 1997. c. East Medicine Lake Regional trail update. Director Blank reported that 90-95% of residents favor trail. Hoping to present a draft report to Council at first meeting in October, which will go to park district board in late October. If all goes well, could start constriction next year. Part of the road has already been changed to a one way. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. 8. STAFF COMM[_]NICATION Think of names for the ice arena for next month, and approve CIP. The seniors' request for use of tennis courts at Parkers Lake will be discussed in January. 9. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.