HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 02-11-1999Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
February 11, 1999
Page 7
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Musliner, Thompson, Wahl, Willegalle,
staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson; Community Development Director Hurlburt;
Councilmember Spigner
Absent: Commissioner Priebe
1. CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chair Wahl called the February meeting to order at 7 p.m.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Willegalle and seconded by Commissioner Musliner
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 stated that Fire and Ice was a success, with near perfect weather. She
thanked those who volunteered. She talked about the power outage at the end of the day.
Mary announced that Rick was officially named the new activity center manager, which
means that we now will need to advertise for a new athletic coordinator to take over his
responsibilities. Commissioner Willegalle asked if Rick would no longer be doing
scheduling of fields. Mary said he will continue in that capacity until the new person is
fully trained. She said that staff is starting to look for summer seasonal people. We are
currently working on summer programs for the next brochure. Baseball/softball
programs were in the February issue. Mary mentioned the E -Connect project, which is
an interactive internet program that puts our recreation brochure out on the internet and
will eventually allow people to register for classes using their computers. It will be a
while before it is available, because there are a number of issues that need to be worked
out. Primavera is coming up on May 14 and 15 and will again be held in this building.
Lots of local artists, high school artists, and local performing groups will be featured.
Mary announced that Karol Greupner is working on her masters program. Her paper is
on the value of special events to the community. Commissioner Musliner asked about
the deadline for submissions to Primavera. Mary said she didn't know. Director Blank
said that the community band has really taken off and is in need of a band director. The
band director from Wayzata High School has applied for the position. They will play at
Music in Plymouth this year. In addition to Music in Plymouth, they will also perform
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another concert in the amphitheater this summer. Mary stated that other smaller groups
are spinning off from the community band, such as a jazz ensemble.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
Council approved the name Gateway Park for the neighborhood park at Schmidt Lake Road
and Vicksburg Lane.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Comprehensive plan update by Anne Hurlburt, Director of Community Development.
Director Hurlburt attended the meeting to discuss the process for updating the city's
comprehensive plan. She explained that comprehensive plans must be updated every 10
years according to state law. A big issue for Plymouth is whether or not to continue to
expand beyond the MUSA (Municipal Urban Service Area). Approximately 3,200 acres
exist outside the MUSA. The city has spent the last year and a half wrestling with that
question. The process involved lots of public participation. In October, the Council
adopted the partial urban expansion alternative. The expanion area is generally limited to
the area east of Vicksburg Lane, with some limited expansion west of Vicksburg along
the Soo Line Railroad and Schmidt Lake Road. This area includes about 1,300 acres and
could develop within the next 20 years. The remaining acres would not be available for
development until after 2020. The Comprehensive Plan will also address other issues,
such as the preservation of wetlands, lakes and woods, and the establishment of
greenways and open space park areas within the urban expansion area. The parks portion
of the comprehensive plan is now 20 years old. Hurlburt explained that a draft overall
comprehensive plan needs to be ready by the end of the year. Since October, the city has
been working with consultants. Hurlburt said that next week the Council is getting the
recommendation that SRF be hired to help finish all the plans and pull everything
together. She stated that currently there is a moratorium on new development in this area
until everything has been ironed out. She handed out drafts of the overall schedule for
updating the comp plan, as well as meetings on the calendar, lists of tasks, key dates for
public meetings, a summary of major events, etc. The first major meeting is March 31,
when the Planning Commission and City Council will hold a joint meeting to discuss
overall goals and policies for major elements of the comprehensive plan. PRAC will be
invited. Hurlburt hopes that PRAC can discuss some of these things prior to that
meeting. Element 6 (Parks, Open Space and Trails Element) is crucial for PRAC. This
schedule will take us to the point of having the plan all in one piece by October,
explained Hurlburt. Adoption of the comprehensive plan is scheduled for March, 2000.
There will be some nights during the next several months when the Planning Commission
and PRAC will all have to meet together. At the March meeting, the consultant Barry
Warner, from SRF, will make a presentation. Neither the 11th or the 18th will work for
Director Blank or Mr. Warner, so the 15th and 17th are being considered. Commisioner
Fiemann asked about the city's policy of putting bike paths along major roads. Director
Blank said the update of the comprehensive plan will address the issue of putting
sidewalk on both sides of the road on some major roads. The comprehensive plan is for
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the entire city of Plymouth, Hurlburt explained, not just northwest Plymouth.
Commissioner Willegalle said by the year 2025, 25% of the population will be over age
65. We are now seeing a trend toward different styles of housing. There aren't as many
large homes on large lots being built. Commissioner Fiemann asked if Vicksburg would
eventually be a four lane road. Director Hulburt said most likely it will, all the way to
Maple Grove. The Interstate will continue to become more congested, so Vicksburg will
be an alternate route. Commissioner Willegalle asked about the surface water plan.
Hurlburt said the City Council did approve the surface water plan and that it was to be
implemented in the year 2000. She said that approval of the capital improvements budget
will dictate when the surface water plan takes effect, but that it is a small part of the
overall plan. She informed Commissioner Willegalle that if he needed more specific
information on the surface water plan, he should get in touch with Dan Faulkner in the
Engineering Department.
Chair Anderson introduced the new Council liaison Saundra Spigner. She stated that she
really is looking forward to working with PRAC. Chair Anderson thanked Director
Hurlburt for her presentation. Director Blank explained the exercise the consultant asked
PRAC to do, a brainstorming session of items they think are important to put in the
comprehensive plan. Commissioner Thompson said sports fields, Commissioner
Willegalle said open space and preservation of golf courses, Commissioner Wahl said
trails in northwest Plymouth and the Elm Creek Watershed, Chair Anderson said open
space and golf courses, Commissioner Fiemann said trails connecting key points,
Commissioner Musliner said neighborhood parks in northwest Plymouth and updating
play equipment. Councilmember Spigner said she is concerned about neighborhoods that
don't have parks and they somehow need to be connected by trials to existing
neighborhood parks. Commissioner Wahl suggested calling it retro -planning.
Commissioner Willegalle stated that it's important to have trails that connect east to west
and north to south, so that people can get across town safely. Director Blank said he had
received a call from the Plum Tree Development saying their private park, put in by
Lundgren Bros., is useless and they want a city park. He also said the current
comprehensive plan prohibits putting tennis courts in neighborhood parks and that
perhaps this issue needs to be reconsidered. He gets calls from people wanting tennis
courts in their neighborhood park. Because they take up so much space, Commissioner
Willegalle said the City has been putting tennis courts in where there's room, which tends
to be in playfields. The activity center was added to the list, along with other facilities
like skateboard parks, disc golf, dog park, etc. Mary suggested calling these special use
parks. Commissioners then were asked to look over the entire list and pick their top
three. These individual lists will be compiled by staff, put in order by most popular to
least, and redistributed to PRAC.
b. Activity center, Fieldhouse update. Director Blank stated that the Planning Commission
held a public hearing two weeks ago on the activity center/fieldhouse. Two people spoke
at the public hearing. One was Commissioner Willegalle and the other was Fred Lips,
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one of our volunteer gardeners, who asked about the intersection of 34th Avenue and
Fernbrook Lane and whether or not a stoplight would be installed there. Director Blank
explained that the two new office highrise buildings going in there have dictated that
there will be a stoplight at this intersection. He indicated that the site plan approval is on
the Council agenda for next week, and then we will go back to the city council for
authorization to bid in late March or early April. We hope to break ground in May. Rick
Busch will be the manager of the facility. Part of his duties will be the overall
coordination of athletic associations' use of the Fieldhouse. Del Erickson may be at the
next meeting to discuss a number of things. There was some discussion then about
whether or not a PRAC member should attend the Council meeting next week.
Councilmember Spigner said a letter of support would probably be sufficient. Director
Blank said two surfaces for the dome are being bid. The less expensive surface is the
aggregate system. It plays like regular grass and doesn't cause turf burns.
c. Approve annual report and work plan. COMMISSIONER WAHL MOVED TO
APPROVE THE 1999 WORK PLAN AND ANNUAL REPORT AS PRESENTED.
THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY CHAIR ANDERSON. MOTION CARRIED
WITH ALL AYES. Councilmember Spigner asked what PRAC wants in terms of golf
courses. Director Blank said the goal is to protect for the long term the existing golf
courses. Councilmember Spigner asked if the City lost one, would PRAC support
building one? Commissioner Willegalle said PRAC's current strategy is to protect the
three we now have. Director Blank said the three existing courses are 18 holes, while the
two new proposals are for nine holes and will be geared to seniors and families with
children, etc. They appeal to different clientele, he explained. Commissioner Fiemann
asked if citizens are supposed to make comments to the Council regarding the golf course
Hennepin Parks is proposing. Councilmember Spigner said that comments to the Council
are welcome.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Approve 1999 park facility rental policies and fees. There are nine policies this year.
Director Blank explained the changes that have been proposed. Large groups of over 125
may require the presence of a police officer when renting the performance stages. Under
the Parkers Lake stage, portable stage and amphitheater policies, the clause about lewd or
obscene lyrics and behavior should be removed from the policy according to the city
attorney, because you cannot prohibit free speech. Director Blank thinks we should
strike the clause, because if push came to shove, we would lose on that issue. The
showmobile policy has a statement that says the City can refuse to rent it if we feel it will
be used in an unsafe or hazardous way or if the event isn't considered to be in the best
interest of the city. Commissioner Musliner suggested changing the wording to better
reflect the intent. She felt we should end the sentence after the words "hazardous to the
showmobile or its operators." COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE MOVED TO
APPROVE RENTAL FEES WITH CHANGES AS PROPOSED; SECONDED BY
COMMISSIONER MUSLINER. Councilmember Spigner asked about fees for the
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showmobile, what they were last year, how we compare to other cities, and who rented
the showmobile. Director Blank stated the fees are the same as last year and that we are
higher than other communities. He said the Wayzata High School, a church, and the city
of Richfield rented it. The motion was then voted on and carried with all ayes.
Commissioner Willegalle asked if there was a policy regarding the picnic shelters down
by the lake. He knows they are first come, first serve, but there was a problem last
summer during the History Fest, when a group showed up and wouldn't leave, even
though the History Fest was a city run event and had plans to use that shelter. Director
Blank said he and Mary would look into that and try to come up with some kind of policy
that would address the city having priority use of the shelter during city sponsored events.
b. Discuss names for activity center and fieldhouse. The Youth Advisory Council has
suggested the name Plymouth Pavilions. Director Blank pointed out that the name
Pavilion is already attached to the Parkers Lake building and will also be used for the
future Medicine Lake bath house. Commissioner Wahl said he didn't like that name for
the activity center/fieldhouse, because it reminded him more of an outdoor band shell.
Commissioner Musliner suggested Plymouth Community Center and Sports Dome.
Councilmember Spigner suggested that PRAC consider holding a contest asking the
public to help name the complex. Chair Anderson said that was a possibility.
Commissioner Willegalle asked who would judge the names. Councilmember Spigner
said PRAC would decide. She felt by giving the community an opportunity to buy in, it
might make them feel better about the facility.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
None
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Staff will try to schedule the next meeting for March 15, which is a Monday, because
Director Blank is out of town on the 11th.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.