HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 10-14-1999Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
October 14, 1999
Page 47
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Musliner, Priebe, Thompson, Wahl,
Willegalle, Councilmember Black; staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson; SRF
consultant Arvidson
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Thompson and seconded by Commissioner Willegalle
to approve the September minutes. Motion carried.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff. Mary discussed the Plymouth On Parade event. She said there were a few glitches,
but nothing serious. Attendance was about the same as last year. Our next special event
is the volunteer recognition at Carlson Towers on November 9. Invitations are just going
out. Results are back from the city-wide survey done by Decision Resources. The Parks
and Recreation was ranked higher than the Police Department in overall satisfaction. Of
all cities that Decision Resources has surveyed in the past in the metro area, Plymouth tied
for 2"a place. Edina is number 1. Park maintenance received the highest rating of any
department in the City, by receiving a 94% approval rating. PRAC will get a copy of the
survey results next month after the Council has seen it. Mary said we are making progress
on the sports dome and the activity center. Commissioner Willegalle was part of the
interviewing process for choosing a caterer. The decision has been narrowed down to
two, Atrium Caterers from International Market Square and Suzanne's of St. Paul. They
both do excellent work. Mary said the first few reservations in the dome will have to be
cancelled, because it won't be ready by November 1. We've sold $15,000 worth of time
in the dome to LifeTime Fitness.. LifeTime will be undergoing some remodeling in the
next couple of weeks and will be closed during this time. Director Blank and Bahram
Akradi, LifeTime's President, are doing a presentation at the NRPA Congress in Nashville
next week on the joint partnership between LifeTime and the City. Commissioner
Musliner has had feedback from her neighbors about the new recreation brochure. She
said they like it.
c. Others. None.
4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION
The Council debated the pros and cons of changing the designation of Ferndale North from
open space to neighborhood park and ended up voting to take no action. This means that the
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designation of open space will stand. Director Blank said we'd clean up entrances perhaps
next year, and then discuss signage and a management plan. The Council authorized Director
Blank to seek bids on completing constriction of the Elm Creek Playfield shelter building.
Original bid was $377,000 back in 1996, but this bid was rejected. Since then, new bids have
been received from smaller contractors, so project can now be completed at a total cost of
approximately $270,000. The shelter building should be ready sometime next spring. The
cougar has been spotted again near Heritage Park. He doesn't seem to have any interest in
people. The police will try to track him sometime after the first snowfall.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Comprehensive Plan discussion. Director Blank said the City Council and the Planning
Commission held their joint meeting. It was a chance for everyone to ask questions and
tweak the plan. He said we will label the environmental space along 494 a special use
park. The northern portion of this parcel is designed to be an athletic field. We will need
an access to this parcel from Fluidyne, so we will have to buy some property from them.
The Council thought the living farm concept was a nice idea. The open space map will
now just show open space and will be separate from other maps. We will eventually
develop a management plan for many of the parcels. A management plan booklet will go
along with the map, so that if residents have questions about a particular site, we'll be able
to show them what type of maintenance will take place there. There will be different types
of open space, said Director Blank. If engineering says a certain space won't work
because of drainage issues, it will be removed from the map. Commissioner Musliner
asked about a piece of property near where she lives and Director Blank said it will remain
as open space with little or no maintenance. The Luce Line trail is being extended from
494 to Medicine Lake. The City will eventually have a fiill looping trail around Medicine
Lake. A suspended trail will be built across the swamp. Roads which have over 10,000
cars per day using them meet minimum standards for having trail on both sides of the
road. This could be trail on one side and sidewalk on the other side. The Northwest
Greenway is located in northwest Plymouth. Red dots on the map are crossing hazards.
Peony Lane is going to end at the high school, and from there north it hasn't been decided
where it will go. There are five possible scenarios for this. Commissioner Priebe asked
about park densities and if they included open spaces as well. Director Blank said no.
French Park is an active recreation site. It is not considered a preserve. Director Blank
said open space acquisition will be driven by need. The Northwest Greenway plan may
include acquisition of several pieces of open space. The property west of Vicksburg
won't be developed for many years, so we have an advantage there. Consultant Arvidson
said the open space plan identifies many sites for acquisition labeled high priority and low
priority. Councilmember Black asked about the different definitions of open space. She
said part of the problem with Ferndale North was that there was no definition of open
space. Director Blank referred to the first paragraph of the document handed out in the
packet, which explained that open spaces are natural areas, stormwater management areas,
tax forfeited land and other city -owned parcels that are not intended for active recreation.
This is where the management plan comes into focus, he said. The management plan will
not be part of the actual comprehensive plan but will be part of the appendix.
Commissioner Priebe is concerned about including tax forfeited land on the open space
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map. Some tax forfeited land could be nothing more than an alley. He'd rather we call
the rest of it unimproved city property. Director Blank said most of the open space sites
were acquired through park dedication. It was then suggested that there be a category
called undeveloped city land. Director Blank pointed out the parcels on the open space
map that were acquired as park dedication, or that were purchased. Very few were tax
forfeited. Some were dedicated as trail outlots. Director Blank said they would cleanse
the map to include just those parcels that were acquired as park dedication or were
purchased specifically as open space. Councilmember Black has concerns over labeling a
golf course as open space. Commissioner Priebe has concerns about trails being labeled
open space. Director Blank said staff will keep working on this issue. In response to a
question about the Little Peninsula on Medicine Lake, Director Blank said it has limited
development possibilities, and this has been communicated to the current owner of that
parcel. For next month's meeting there will be a write-up on golf courses.
b. Plymouth Creek Center update. Director Blank said the artificial turf installation is
completed. The bubble is scheduled to go up in a couple of weeks. The first rental is
scheduled for November 5. On paper we have sold enough time to make the bubble
profitable, covering operating expenses. The main building will be ready by early April.
The bulls of the roof is on. We now need to get windows and doors in within next few
weeks. The large retaining wall has been a problem, and we are four weeks behind on
that. The parking lot is not finished. We've started putting in some trees, and the
irrigation system is being worked on. Things are pretty much on schedule. Paul Buck
created a hybrid soil for all the planting beds in the medians. Rick Busch has an interview
scheduled with Cable 12 Monday regarding the new fieldhouse. While the filming is going
on, West Lutheran High School will be practicing soccer on the new turf.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. 2000-2004 CIP. Director Blank distributed some handouts regarding the CIP. The trail
bridge over 494 was a 1999 project coordinated with MN Dot. They've been dragging
their feet on this, but it will probably now take place in 2000. West Medicine Lake is
done. Elm Creek Shelter building has been approved. Park replacements are all done at
Turtle Lake, Green Oaks and Imperial Hills. Oakwood School just completed their
playground. Youth sports upgrade meetings have been held numerous times with the
Wayzata School District. The Central Middle School football stadium bleachers will be
torn down, the field will be widened, and a track will be put in. A feasibility study will be
done on the Greenwood site. This will outline the potential cost. Nothing has been done
with Art in the Park. All bleachers must be upgraded by 2001, according to state law.
Most dangerous bleachers have been pulled out of our parks already. One third of our
bleachers will be upgraded each year due to the vast amount of money involved with this.
The Vicksburg mini -park north of Parkers Lake has a trail now, and the playground is
scheduled to go in next year. Director Blank said this park needs a name. He then
distributed some handouts and explained the status of park dedication fiinds. Something
that has just came up for consideration is Mud Lake Park said Director Blank. We own all
the shoreline around the this lake except for one parcel. The owner came to the city
recently and now wants to sell to us. We'll buy it on a contract for deed, paying half now
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and half when we take possession. Director Blank talked then about the 2000-2004 CIP.
Two new soccer fields are anticipated at Greenwood. Wayzata East Middle School
officials want to do some improvements at Ridgemount Playfield, including a new
building. They'd also like more tennis courts, sand volleyball, track, and additional
basketball courts. We need to come up with a plan and budget for things other than the
building, Director Blank said. The City does not have a need to put in more tennis courts
there. The Mud Lake area has now developed pretty extensively. All the land has been
acquired, with the exception of one parcel, which we are in the process of buying. Within
the next five years we will need to consider a neighborhood park there. Armstrong youth
baseball wants a new building at Zachary. Our staff would like to see an outdoor picnic
shelter at Zachary, as well as a picnic shelter near the Plymouth Creek playground.
Director Blank said that someday northwest Plymouth will be developed, and this area will
need a playfield. This needs to be in the plan for the fiiture. Two possible sites have been
identified for this playfield. Director Blank pointed out where Providence Academy will
be in northwest Plymouth. Chair Anderson asked about golf in the city-wide survey. 52%
of respondents said they play golf. 80% of respondents want us to save a golf course if
needed. Commissioner Musliner wants Ferndale North added to 2000-2004 CIP. Director
Blank said he could do that. There was very strong support indicated by the survey for
acquiring open space, also. 84% thought it was important. Playgrounds in 2000 include
Zachary, St. Mary's and the Vicksburg mini park. 25% of the respondents favored
skateboard parks, even if it raised taxes. Director Blank asked for ideas of other things to
include in the CIP over the next five years. The disc golf course will open in the spring.
Councilmember Black stated that she was uncomfortable with putting Ferndale North in
the 2000-2004 CIP, since there are other neighborhoods also lacking in playground
facilities. Director Blank said crews are finishing the lighting system at Plymouth Creek
Center. He explained the layout of the trail and which segment would be lighted.
Lighting for West Medicine Lake park will need to be on the list, too. Commissioner
Musliner asked about permanent signs for advertising events. Director Blank explained
that the new ordinance adopted doesn't allow for them, except in front of the ice center.
b. Name for mini park. Director Blank said that the new mini -park on Vicksburg and 22nd
Avenue needs a name. He had one suggestion, which was Shenandoah Park. He said he
could come up with a list of five or six possible names by next month for PRAC to
consider, but they concurred that Shenandoah was a good choice. COMMISSIONER
WAHL MADE A MOTION TO NAME THE PARK SHENANDOAH PARK.
COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE SECONDED. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH
ALL AYES.
c. Select date for next meeting. November 11 is a holiday, so it was decided the next meeting
will be November 10. The agenda will include open space, golf courses and the CIP.
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7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
None.
8. STAFF COMM[_]NICATION
None.
9. ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.