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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 09-14-1989Minutes of the Park and 'Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 14, 1989. Page 32 Present; Chair Edwards, Commissioners Freels, LaTour, Beach r.nd Hanson; Planning Commissioner Zylla; Councilmember Sisk; staff Blank, Busch, Patterson and Pederson Absent Commissioners Anderson and Rosen 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Edwards called the September meeting to order at 8:11 p.m. in the Council Chambers 2.. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A :notion was made 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, Rick Busch stated that there had been a total of 210 teams in the adult softball program, which continues to grow. He indicated that field space is becoming a concern, and to alleviate the situation, he has informed non-resident teams that the only league they can play in next year, will be the Friday Open League. He stated that the youth. fall soccer program has been underway since the 5th of September. Six hundred eight children are enrolled between grades one and nine. The lower age groups (1st -4th grades) are playing six children to a side and play on smaller fields. Rick also stated that he is busy planning winter programs, which include warming houses, skating rinks, volleyball, broomball, 4 -man hockey and basketball leagues. Rick distributed a chart to the Commission which was an analysis of spring/summer field use. The ,chart indicated the number of Plymouth teams involved in sports sponsored by youth athletic associations and the number of adult softball teams playing in the Plymouth Park and Recreation program, It also showed the number of fields that are available thrpughout Plymouth, both City fields and school district fields and the number of players ,per field. This analysis was done :n preparation for a meeting with a member of the NHPAA. who has voiced' concern over the lack of baseball facilities in Plymouth for younger age groups, particularly practice fields. A similar concern has been raised. by a Plymouth resident from the Wayzata School District. Director Blank indicated that this issue will probably surface more in the future and further study needs to be done on. how many baseball fields are needed. Mary Patterson discussed the success of the rescheduled Water Carnival, which was rained out in ::uly and postponed until Tuesday, August 8. Approximately 700 people attended the event which was held at Parkers Lake. In previous years, it had been held at East Medicine Lake Beach on a Saturday afternoon and was not well. received. Mary PRAC'Minutes/September 1989 Page 33 feels the excellent at en%,ance tt Parkers had to do with holding it on a week night as well &a the &-adit oral publicity given when it was rescheduled.because of the ;rain out Mary announced that our lifeguard staff took lot place in the 1989 All Metro Lifeguard Competition held in Edina. She stated that our beaches closed on August 13, with another safe season, and no major problems. She indicated that several summer programs were very successful, including the pre-school PITS specials and the all day Day Camps that we ran in cooperation with Hennepin Parks. Fall programs have begun. Some: special events coming up that staff is working; on include the Volksmarch, on October 7, the Third Annual Old Fashioned Christmas on December .10, and the Second Annual Fire and Ice Featival on February 10, Another project that takes up some of Mary's time is the rental of the Parkers Lake Pavilion. It's a popular spot, and is being requested by groups. on a fairly regular basis. c• Othgra. 4 REPORT ON ;PAST COUNCIL ACTION, None.. 5. UNFINISHPD BUSINESS a. ComRrehensive Park and Trail Plan Ucdatg. Director Blank stated that the Planning Commission has wrapped up their review and has made recommendations to the City Council. Based on some of the reguid`ing that has been proposed to change from industrial to residential, Director Blank feels that the park plan also needs to be reviewed. and possible changes made. Director Blank is recommending that Brauer and Associates, look over the park plan and analyze the current facilities. Our neighborhood park system is mostly passive in nature, whereas other communities haveein_stalled facilit es such as hockey rinks, te;tnia courts, backstops, etc.,,, in thein neighborhood parks. We have stayed away from doing this at the request of the residents, but it might be time to begin- thinking about making some of our future neighborhood parks a_ little more "active," Particularly in light of recent concerns over lack of baseball practice facilities. Brauer will also, be asked to help site playfields #9 and #10. We currently have six completed playfield facilities, and we own the land to build the seventh end eighth ('across from Parkers Lake Park and the 'Bass Lake location) The third item that Brauer needs to study is where we might, need future neighborhood parks in those areas where reguiding has taken place, ; Director Blank briefly reviewed the seven parcels that have been proposed for park in the comprehensive park plan. Parcel 1A and 1B are both owned by Harold Hytjan. He has no objections to the City's r PRAC Minutes/September 1989 Page 3' plans, however, he would like to sell the property to the City now. Director Blank explained to him that we usually dcn't: acquire park property in this way; we wait for a developer to buy it and then we get park dedication. However, we would discuss the purchase of his land if the Council amends the park plan to include his land. Parcel 1C is directly west of lA and 1B and this owner is not pleased. with the idea of so much land being set aside for park. Director Blank stated that -Parcel 2, which is north of Plymouth Creek Park, has a final plat before the City at the present gime, and the developer was agreeable regarding the proposed park area. Parcel 3A and 3B are east of County Road 101 and north of County Road 24. These parcels are east and south of what is currently designated as park for this neighborhood. Parcel. 4 consists of 50 acres just east of Dunkirk Lane and south of Old County, Road 9 near Plymouth Creek Elementary School. Director Blank feels that this area would be better for the playfield than the land originally recommended. There Is much better road access here. Parcel 5 is near Mud Lake, east of Juneau Lane and south of County Road 47. The owner his already sold the eastern 200 feet to HrYnnepin P*rks for trail corridor. Director Blank is considering this parcel fot tb* 04-Fy's 10th playfield site. Parcel 6 belong* to the Begins and is on the south end of Mud. Lake. The City currently owns the land on the west, north and east sides of. Mud Lake and would now like about 75 feet on the south end in order to continue the proposed trail around the lake. There is a home on this, parcel, but Director Blank indicated that the 75 feet the City is interested in does not interfere with this house, or any future development plans the Begins may have. Parcel 7 in the Forster property adjacent to and west of Zachary Playfield. Director Blank would like this parcel to serve as a buffer between the homes and the park. This parcel would also be good for youth baseball fields;. b. Plymouth Greek Parking„Lot/Soccer Field Update. In order to show PRAC the, progress hare, Director Blank had a video tape for everyone to view Which included the improvements here, as well as some improvements at Parkers Lake and the new playground at Kilmer Park. c, Went Medicine Lake Drive Frail Update. The bids will be in within two weeks, and the first phare of this project will be done this fall. d, Kilmer Park Playground Update. PRAC viewed this on the videotape. e. ryC_e toerUodate. This item was postponed to the end of the meeting, so the Commission could review the building, plans. et PRAC Minutes/September 1989 Page 35 NEW BUSINESS a. New Plats. There were no new plata. b. Reguest to''Dredge Parkers Lake, Director Blank has discussed this item with Fred Moore, Director of Public Works, and has learned that the DiQ is the official body which sets the normal, water elevation on Parkers Lake. It would be a very difficult process to change this. Presently, four feet of storm water is retained here abova the normal elevation, therefore, if that elevation were raised, flooding could take place along the eastern shoreline, as well as ,possible flooding of the Parkers Lake Pavilion, which. has its floor set at two feet above the ordinary high water mark, Thus, the only way to get water into the bay would be to dredge-. The dredged material could not be used for the County Road 6 project as some residents have suggested, because it's not suitable fill. Also, the County Road 6 project is producing its own excess fill material, so additional material is not needed, A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER HANSON AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BEACH TO NOT INCLUDE FUNDS TO DREDGE PARKERS LAKE AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER HIGHER PRIORITY ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM. THE MOTIONCARRIED WITH ALL AYES. c. Joint Meeting with the Planning Coneissiz. This meeting will be held on September 27 at 9 p.m., following a, regular Planning Commission meeting. It should last for about an hour. d. Park Dedication Fund Summary._ Director Blank distributed a copy of the park dedication fund showing its current balance. He stated that the City has made approximately $660,000 so far this year in park dedication, which is up about $100,000 from this time last year. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION: Director 31ank announced he is reconvening the. Medicine Lake Task Force in order to, discuss recent environmental issues affecting Medicine .Lake, such as the barrels found recently in the bottom'of she lakeand the discovery of possible Eurasian water milfoil. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, a September 19, 7 p.m., at the Plymouth. City Center. Members of PRAC are invited if they wish to attend. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:18 p.m j'