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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 07-23-1998Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting July 23, 1998 Page 22 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Musliner, Priebe, Thompson, Wahl, Willegalle, staff Blank, Sankey Absent: Planning Commissioner Koehnen 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was pointed out that the second to the last page of the minutes was missing in the information packets. A motion was made by Commissioner Priebe and seconded by Commissioner Thompson to approve the minutes of the meeting as presented pending reading of the missing page. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present. b. Staff c. Others. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION a. Approved architect to begin plans for Activity Center/Field House. Work on a prototype plan has begun. b. Approved rental policy for mobile stage. Director Blank reported that the Wayzata School district had used the showmobile for a 5th and 6th grade musical students' concert. The City of Richfield used it for a Minnesota Orchestra concert. The Park & Recreation Department is sponsoring a concert with a 40 -person orchestra next Tuesday night. An ecumenical group will be using the amphitheater (they haven't decided on the stage). Chair Anderson commented on the higher fees approved by the Council. Blank said the Commission could review the fees after the first of the year after we see how this first season goes. Willegalle felt the quality of the stage is excellent and it was a good investment. Commissioner Thompson asked about Music in Plymouth attendance. Blank said it was probably over 10,000, the largest ever. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Elm Creek Playfield. Director Blank reported that they had fired the first turf contractor due to lack of performance. The new one has done a wonderful job. The turf looks good. The softball fields have been popular and have been well used. The fields will be Page 23 ready for soccer training in September. The city is building a garage with the help of an institutional work crew. b. East Medicine Lake Regional Trail. This is very close to being complete. The major hold up has been with the power companies. Because of the storms this year, the crews have been pulled out for damage repair. The contractor had to wait for lines to be buried before they could finish the job. The trail is already being used a lot. Commissioner Wahl said he has used it, and it is terrific. c. Activity Center/field house. The architect is working on a prototype design. Director Blank said that the committee will have meetings with senior citizen groups and athletic organizations to go over the prototype plans. The plans will be brought to the Commission when they are ready. A citizen is protesting the site. He will be on August 5 Council Meeting Agenda. Commissioner Fiemann wondered why this person was protesting. Blank said the man doesn't want it in this park. Commissioner Thompson asked if the bond specified where the project would be built. Blank said no, it doesn't specify the location, it just authorizes the money to be spent. However, he thinks we have somewhat of a moral commitment to the location, since this is what we advertised, and this is what the public voted for. Ward 10, the ward in which the park is located, had the largest "no" vote. Commissioner Willegalle pointed out that the costs would not get better with time; we should go ahead with the project now. Chair Anderson was surprised the voter turnout was so low. Commissioner Priebe commented that it would feel better to have this type of vote with the regular fall election so that more people would have input. Willegalle pointed out that if it were done with a larger election, more people who have not examined the issue would be voting, so it could actually be more inaccurate. You can look at it either way. d. Open Space Committee. Chair Anderson said the committee has pretty much wrapped up what they want to do. The big issue is how they are going to manage the areas. They may recommend that the land be turned over to The Minnesota Land Trust Commission. Priebe asked if the property would come back to Plymouth some day. Anderson said after a certain amount of time, it would. Wahl said it is a relatively new organization which has just acquired a very large piece of land by Grand Marais which they will guide. He isn't sure of all the legal wording, but the land would still be owned by the city, but managed by the Land Trust. Director Blank said he has received some public inquiries, especially by those who live near the properties, as to whether they can use or visit the sites. A nature center has been discussed. Commissioner Wahl asked Chair Anderson how the high school open space area discussions had gone. Anderson said it hadn't gone forward, but needed to be addressed. Members of the open space committee should be at the next commission meeting. A large amount of reading material will be given to the commissioners to review. Beth Nixon has written a report on the Hartenberg property, which will be included. Director Blank said that the Open Space Committee report would be presented to the Park Commission for recommendation, and then forwarded to the City Council. Page 24 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Little Peninsula. Director Blank said we have been tracking this piece of land for about 10 years. Interest has picked up in the last 3 years. Homestead Village, a short term stay hotel, was rejected by the City Council a few months ago. It has been presented again, reworked. The Planning Commission is reviewing the merits of the hotel, while the Park Commission is reviewing the peninsula issue. The hotel will go to the City Council for its August 5 meeting. A staff report and attachments have been distributed to the commissioners. On one of the maps, the area in question is highlighted. One map shows the three old foundations on the site, which could pose a safety hazard. A biologist report included plant life and other details for the area. Entrance and egress from the site would need fiirther work. Blank pointed out to the commissioners the six most prominent open spaces that the city now owns. The Open Space Committee, after considering all aspects of the issue had ranked the peninsula at number 14 out of 15 sites as far as desirability. He pointed out the options available: to not acquire it, to let the City of Medicine Lake acquire it, or to acquire it for Plymouth. Staff has discussed the issue and feels acquiring it would probably be in the best interests of the City. The hazards on the property would need to be cleaned up, and Homestead Village would need to clarify the easements for entrance and egress. Acquisition of the property would have to come with "no strings attached." After acquisition is complete, we would have to determine how the property would be used. This issue would be discussed in the fiiture. Erica Urban of 1541 West Medicine Lake Drive spoke: She has lived here for 33 years. She is a member of the Association of Medicine Lake Area Citizens (AMLAC). She feels that as long as the peninsula is privately owned, there is no control over what happens to it. She is very happy with the City's current park system. Open space is becoming scarce. People and wildlife alike need undeveloped land. Please recommend that the city acquire this property for a park or similar use. Terry Christian of 9910 South Shore Drive spoke: She has been on the AMLAC board for 3 years and has lived here for 14 years. She is very interested in improving the water quality on the lake, which is deteriorating. The AMLAC board is very much in favor of the City acquisition of the peninsula. Homestead Village asked for AMLAC's input, and they were very excited about this opportunity. She would like the land to be returned to something that could help the water quality. City had very good requirements on Basset Creek, so the mitigation is now smaller. Planning Director Anne Hurlburt has said that there are very few sites for mitigation. Perhaps further mitigation could happen on the peninsula to make more of a wetland, which would assist with the water quality. The little peninsula could become a space for wildlife instead of a space for people. Commissioner Willegalle asked if she had been working with the water quality committee with Shane Missaghi. She said yes, she had. She and 3 others toured the lake in a boat to do an inventory of certain sites and found it very disturbing. They were looking for certain types of sedimentation, aquatic vegetation, and algae. They presented their report to Shane's board. They also presented it to the City of Medicine Lake and the AMLAC board. They are waiting to present it to the City Council until the water quality report is ready to be presented. She also mentioned that with the development of the East Medicine Lake Trail, they had hoped that certain things could be done to reduce the Page 25 amount of chemicals coming into the lake. This didn't happen. There are street drains that collect water and send it directly into the lake. John Barton has indicated he has been unable to get information on how these decisions were made. Commissioner Willegalle asked if she had been involved with the report for Parkers Lake on mitigation. She had not. She has gone through the AMLAC files on all the studies they have done on water quality. None of their recommendations have ever been implemented. Willegalle feels if we can do it, we should do what we can to help this issue. Jon Kelson of Sunrise Bay Condominiums spoke: The sentiment in his building is that with the opening of West Medicine Lake Park, it seems like enough parks in this area. Can't we leave the peninsula alone? If it is developed, we would have to provide police and fire services, and a road will need to be added. The area people are concerned about these issues and think they should be addressed now. He is glad the clean up of the peninsula is being considered. It should be done `surgically" so as not to alter the land too much. Chair Anderson wondered if the developer does the clean up, what kind of a job will be done? Blank said it will take some effort, but it should be possible to have it done without harming the land. Anderson also wondered if an environmental report exists. Blank was not sure. Commissioner Wahl said we haven't added roads and satellites in the other open spaces the city owns, so we wouldn't necessarily need to do so here. Willegalle said Councilmember Tim Bildsoe was concerned about getting emergency vehicles down the path into the peninsula. Commissioner Priebe said the peninsula is an extraordinarily unique resource. He feels the Commission should express a desire to own it. He feels we shouldn't plan on any development. Treat it as an open space without encouraged access. If it can help mitigate and clean up the lake, that would be a plus. Terry Christian mentioned that Homestead Village has really tried to work with the community, and they have been very flexible with trying to comply. Commissioner Wahl asked where the project stands. Director Blank said it had been approved by the Planning Commission and was going in front of the Council. Commissioner Fiemann felt it was inappropriate to add a path for emergency vehicles because the entrance is so low, the peninsula becomes an island when it rains. A better use is for mitigation. Chair Anderson asked about Brown's Market. Blank said it would stay, and the parking lot would wrap around it. Terry Christian said when the Browns retire, Homestead Village would acquire it. Wahl asked about cleaning up the lakeshore so people can park boats there. Blank said people will certainly call and ask if they can go there. We would have to institute policies so that we will have the correct answers. The commission will need to address these issues in the future. Commissioner Willegalle moved to recommend to the City Council to accept staff s recommendation to acquire the little peninsula as described in the attached report dated July 17, 1998, Item 4. Commissioner Fiemann seconded. All ayes. b. Director Blank previewed some upcoming issues. He said the planning commission is having a public meeting on August 23 regarding northwest Plymouth. Scenarios for no growth, partial growth, or fiill growth are being discussed. The Commission will next Page 26 start work on the 1999-2003 C.I.P. A new list of potential projects will be developed for the Commission to consider. Commissioner Thompson wondered when Greenwood and Central Middle Schools would be considered. Blank said during this fall and winter, site plans could be worked on. Commissioner Priebe would like to discuss golf course status. Blank has suggested to the City Manager to do another community survey in 1999 to explore the community's interest in golf courses. Commissioner Willegalle asked if the city could build a course. Blank said it is difficult to get the 150-180 acres you would need at this point. Willegalle agrees we should pursue the point, and a survey sounds like a good idea. Commissioner Fiemann said that a small par 3 course is something the city needs and should be considered. Priebe is very interested in having the commission keep on top of the issue. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION None. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.