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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 12-14-1989Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting, December 14, 1983 Page 44 Present: Chair Edwards, Commissioners Freels, Hanson, Anderson, Beach and Rosen; staff Blank, Patterson and Pederson; George Watson of Brauer and Associates 1; CALL TO ORDER: Chair Edwards called the December meeting, to order at 7:36 p.m. in. the Council Conference Room. 2., APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Freels and seconded by Commissioner Rosen to approve the minutes of the November meeting as presented, The motion carried, with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Association$. None, b. Staff, Mary announced, that the Olympic Festival Torch Run, scheduled for next July, will be passing through Plymouth at approximately 4;30 p.m. on July 6. Participants in Plymouth will be involved for about an hour and a half, before the Torch is transported to the Metrodome, where the Olympic festival will be held. The torch is being carried by people on foot (running, walking) throughout the state of Minnesota, and Plymouth is its last stop. From 'Plymouth, the torch will be driven to the Metrodome Mary announced that Karol Greupner is working on a project called National Celebration of the Earth," which is to promote awareness of our environment and conservation. Mary stated that the Fire and Ice. Festival will, be held Saturday, February 3 at Parkers Lake. She asked if PRAC would again be responsible for the bonfire, and they agi,,ed to help with that. There will be a few new events this year, as all as expanding on some of last year's events. Rick will offer a itftball tournament for men on the ice. Last year's tournament was offered for co-ed teams, and none registered, so this year he's trying just a men's tournament. Mary said that the Old Fashioned Christmas event, held December 10 and co-sponsored with the Plymouth Historical Society, at Plymouth Creek Park was a big success. There were more events than. last year, and about 1:,000 adults and children attended. A big hit was the storytelling by Bob Gasch. There were some problems with the hay ride when the wagon got a flat tire, but while it was operational, it was_a very popular activity. The January -February issue of Plymouth on Parade will be in the homes around December 22. December, 1989 PRAG Minutes Page 45 Staff is in the process of preparing the Park and Recreation Advisory Com tssion Annual Report for 1980. A rough draft of the report will be available, for the January meeting. Special programs `or the school, holiday break period include Gym, Swim Movie Days. December 2.6 & 27, Pre-school Specials on December 26 27, and downhill ski, trips on 'December 28 & 2.9. Werther permitting, warming house and ice rinks open December 16. The rink at Parkers Lake is much larger this year, Greg Oly of the Plymouth: police department is organizing a speed skating club in Plymouth, c. Others, There were no other presentations, 4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION a. None. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS' a. Comprehensive Park & Trail Plan Update --George Watson. Mr. Matson briefly summarized his findings and recommendations for updating the park and trail plan from the report he prepared dated December 14, 1989, He explained that his recommendation to increase the standard acreage for ball fields from,2 to 2.9 is due to the fact that today's. athlete is physically larger and more powerful and able to hit and, throw the ball farther. This also allows for a safety zone around each field and a drainage area; He showed; that based on the existing City standards, we have the need to add three 60_75' softball/baseball fields, six 90' baseball fields and three hockey rinks. Land should be acquired for a playfield in the Elm Creek community, while land is still available, and possibly for a playfield west of 494 for the Base Lake community. Neighborhood park land should be acquired for one additional neighborhood park in the Elm Creek area, and a neighborhood park should be developed in the Mud Lake area. Commissioner Beach asked Mr. Watson about swimming pool standards and why they are not included in the park and trail system plan, Chair Edwards ,pointed out that the comprehensive plan doesn t include pools, since the City has not planned for pools to be located in playfields or neighborhood parks.. Mr. Watson responded that swimming is a special use and, perhaps belongs in a City park._ Director Blank stated that swimming pools are a special facility. He suggested that. PRAC may want to consider amending the comprehensive plan to include a chapter on special use facilities, which could include swimming, golf courses, and other one -of -a -kind facilities. Discussion continued then on facilities that will be needed in the future, in order to nieet the needs of the current population and the projected population through the year 2010, based on existing December 1989 PRAC Minutes Page 46 standards:. For example, by the year 2.Q10, 14 tennis courts will have been addedif the City's population increases as estimated, and if the need is present, The City will need 'three 60-75' softball/baseball fields in 1990 and by 2010 may have constructed 16 additional fields: This same situation exists with 90' baseball fields. Six more fields are projected in 1990, but Director Blank said he thought this was an unrealistic number., 'Three hockey rinks are projected in 1990; eight more by 2010.. These facility needs are based on a projected population of 83,913 by the year 2010. When asked, why there: is a shortage of facilities for 1990, Mr. Watson explained that when the. I park :system plan was adopted in 19 2, the projections for 1990 did not count on the population exploding, the way it did. The population today is 18% higherr than was predicted, for the year 1989 in the, 1982: lark plan. The construction of these additional facilities will depend ott Whether participation in the, above sports continues to grow Ll proportion to the; straight line growth in population. Commissioner Peach questioned the figures regarding the need for soccer fields in the future:, stating that she personally feels the est?mate is low. It is her opinion that soccer has grown in popularity quite dramatically over the last few years and will continue to _grow, since it is -a universal sport, played all over the world. Director Blank respon0ei that the standards established by the NRPA in 1980 may have been set low, because at that time, very few' communities had soccer fields, and there was no indication that it would become so popular. Ro indicated that the, City could change the standards if the need' dictates this action. Based on the proposed changes made to the land use guide plan; the. Elm Creek community will need two playfields by the year 2010. One of these proposed sites is adjacent, to the Plymouth Greek Elementary School. The second playfield could, be located at a future junior high school, Which is contemplated for construction by Dist. 284, in the far northwest corner c,,f Plymouth, or just across the border into Medina/Hamel. In the Baas Lake community,, the City has acquired land for a playfiel.d and a neighborhood park, located east of 494. The Brauer plan recommends that the City also attempt to acquire land west of 494 for another playfield" and neighborhood park Their recommendation, is a site just west of Mud Lake. This is consistent with the existing plan. Following the conclusion of Mr. Watson's report, Director Blank,. distributed copies of an updated comprehensive plan: for the years 1990-2000, which included the addition of new class I trails, the upgrading of some class TI trails to class I, the downgrading of a couple of class 11 trails to class 1110 deleting a few trails from the plan, changing the use of a trail (to prohibit horses), and changing the plan to show some trails that have been developed since the last plan was done. The updated master park plan calls for a change in, location of three parks, a change in shapes or expansion of an existing park at three locations, some changes as a result of lard acquisition at the Mud Lake neighborhood park and at Plymouth Greek park, deleting from the plan two park sites, and adding the new neighborhood parks suggested in Brauer's report dated December 14, 1989 December 1989.FRAC Minutes Page 47 A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER ROSEN AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FREELS TO APPROVE THE UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE TRAIL. AND PARK SYSTEM PLAN FOR THE YEARS 1990-2000 AS PRESENTED BY DIRECTOR BLANK, DATED DECEMBER 14, 1989,, WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO INCLUDE A SPECIAL USE FACILITIES CHAPTER, THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES, A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER FREELS. AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER' BEACH TO ACCEPT THE. DECEMBER 14, 1989REPORT PREPARED BY BRAUER AND ASSOCIATES, BUT CHANGING THE. STANDARD FOP, SOCCER/FOOTBALL FIELDS LOCATED ON PAGE 3 FROM .2/1000 TO .3/1000 AND INCREASING THE ACREAGE REQUIREMENTS ON PAGE 4 L-OR SOFTBALL, BASEBALL, FOOTBALL/SOCCER AND HOCKEY, THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AXES, 6. NEW BUSINESS a. None, 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION Chair Edwards thanked the Commission for all their hard work in 1989 and For their attendance. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Director Blank asked the commissioners to review the Goals and Objectives chapter of the annual report for any changes or additions by next month's meeting, at Which time a rough draft of the 1989' report will be available; 9. ADJOURNW,' The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.