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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 09-09-1993Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 9, 1993 Page 36 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Burk, Gutzke, Johnson, Mikula, Wahl, Watson; staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson, City Manager Johnson, Councilmembers Edson and Tierney 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the September meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Gutzke and seconded by Commissioner Mikula 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 at the meeting. b. Staff. Mary stated that the Plymouth Rockers, our senior singing group, performed at the Minnesota State Fair this year. They currently have 50 members. Summer programs ended in early August, with no serious injuries incurred by anyone and no drownings at pools or beaches. Our first Safety Camp was a big success with 50 kids participating. This was also our first year to offer an evening T -ball program, which was the result of parent requests. The Autumn Arts Fair is set for Sunday, September 26. Approximately 50 artists will be featured, along with food vendors and entertainment being provided on the hour. A special children's activity area will also be set up. Target Greatland has offered the services of 30 volunteers to help with this event. The employee of the month for September is Heather Buchanan, who was our summer Day Camp coordinator. 4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION None. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Accessible playground update. Concept plans have been submitted by a number of designers. Staff has been reviewing the plans and will get together again with the Accessible Playground Task Force to choose from the plans. It's possible that features from different designs could be incorporated into one final plan, from which a cost estimate could then be prepared. A formal bidding procedure would follow if Council approved a design plan. PRAC Minutes/September 1993 Page 37 b. Community survey - continue discussion and review. A brief discussion was held regarding the results of the community survey. Director Blank stated that the Minnesota Center for Survey Research will be doing a final summary of the survey results, which will be available at next month's meeting. Commissioners reviewed the chart showing which facilities ranked high and low based on the question "within the next five years, do you feel the City should build and operate the following new facilities?" Responses were "yes, even if it raises my taxes;" "yes, only if it doesn't raise my taxes;" "no, this facility should not be built;" or don't know." Trails was the number one choice for facilities that should be built. Based on that result, Commissioner Burk wanted to know about the progress of the trails that were included in the 1993 CIP. Director Blank stated that a contract may be awarded sometime the week of September 13 for the construction of those trails recommended for 1993, with the exception of the trail between Vicksburg and Niagara Lane and the one around Turtle Lake. Some complications arose, which have since been resolved, but construction will be delayed on these two segments until 1994. Commissioner Burk also inquired about the park land north of County Road 9 and west of 494. Director Blank stated that a clean up effort had taken place there in late spring and that woodchip trails were in the process of being built now. Commissioner Gutzke asked for an explanation of how the various park accounts are funded. Director Blank stated that for every dollar received in park dedication, 70¢ goes to the community playfields/trails account and 30¢ goes to the neighborhood parks account. Each account carries a balance from year to year. Director Blank also explained the park replacement fund, MSA funds, and TIF and CIF funds. C. 1994-98 CIP/request to purchase 26 acres adjacent to French Park. Members of the Save French Wetlands Association were present to request that PRAC consider budgeting funds in the Parks 194 CIP to purchase 26 acres of property which has been proposed for development by the Baton Corporation. The property is owned by Mission Partnership, and a PUD was approved for the site in 1976, which covered approximately 257 acres. The only portion of that PUD that has not been developed is this remaining 26 acres. Bob Donley, 11740 38th Avenue, stated that the Save French Wetlands Association is interested in the possibility of joint ownership of the property. They are proposing that the City, Hennepin Parks, and the Wetlands Association jointly purchase the property and then turn it over to Hennepin Parks, who has indicated PRAC Minutes/September 1993 Page 38 that they would then make it part of French Regional Park. The French Wetlands Association has been in touch with a national non-profit organization, the Trust for Public Land, which would assist in appraising the property and negotiating a purchase price. Mr. Donley went on to explain some of the highlights of this property, with the use of overheads and photographs. As described by Mr. Donley, the 26 acres consists of nine acres of wetlands, 12 acres of hardwood forest and five acres of sloped, grassy areas. Mr. Donley stated that the recent survey done for the Park and Recreation department indicated that 240 of the respondents were willing to pay for a nature preserve, while 20% did not feel the City should purchase such a facility. Chair Anderson asked Director Blank the status of the proposed development at this time and was informed that the Environmental Assessment Worksheet had been presented to the City Council at their last meeting and following their review of that report, the Council sent the project back to the Planning Commission for further analysis. Commissioner Watson asked what the current purchase price of the property is, and was told the owner is asking 800,000. The French Wetlands Association feels this price is way out of line and that half that amount is more likely the fair price. Commissioner Burk asked Mr. Donley how much money the Save French Wetlands Assoc. had raised to help with the purchase of the 26 acres and if the joint purchase would be equally shared by all parties. Mr. Donley did not wish to reveal the amount raised by their association, nor did he wish to comment on how the purchase price should be divided. Commissioner Burk added that as far as he knew, Hennepin Parks was not interested in purchasing the property. He wondered if they had changed their minds. Mr. Donley stated that Hennepin Parks was willing to consider a joint purchase if the City also went in on the deal. He also indicated that the Wetlands Association was not interested in a dollar amount at this time, but only in the City's interest and support. Commissioner Johnson asked how the Save French Wetlands Assoc. had formed. Mr. Donley stated that when the proposal to develop the property surfaced, over 2,000 individuals signed a petition asking that the project be denied. They are a very committed group, with as many as 70-90 members in attendance at the Council meetings, and many of those members have written numerous letters to the local newspaper in opposition to the development. Rita O'Donnell, 12105 41st Avenue, gave a slide presentation to the Commission, showing some of the PRAC Minutes/September 1993 Page 39 unique aspects of the property. She stated that the Save French Wetlands Assoc. has the support of a number of other groups who have lost wetlands issues in the past. Ms. O'Donnell stated that the property is not worth 800,000 in her opinion, but that it is a unique piece of property, and she asked that the Park Commission be open minded about their request. Ms. O'Donnell indicated that this parcel contains 10 acres of wetlands considered to be the best breeding habitat for waterfowl in the country, that there are four different kinds of ponds that attract 160 species of birds, and that there is a flourishing group of muskrats living here, as well as numerous other species of wildlife. The parcel is next to a public park and serves as a buffer zone. Ms. O'Donnell is a volunteer at French Park, and according to her figures, over 3,000 people visit this park each summer day, and up to 100% of the park may be developed for recreation, driving out much of the wildlife living there now. George Daniels, 1865 Black Oaks Lane, stated that he was at the meeting to remind the Park Commission that they serve all of Plymouth's residents. He reminded those present that this parcel is not a park, it's a PUD, and has been since 1976. At that time, getting the PUD approved was a long drawn out process, dealing with different agencies, such as the Watershed District, the County, etc. He also reminded the members of the Wetlands Association that the homes they live in now occupy land that was once undeveloped and provided the habitat for birds, deer, muskrats, etc. Mr. Daniels further stated that he believed the Save French Wetlands Association was a self-serving group. He said that developers do not chop down needless trees, because trees are what make land valuable. He also stated that developers must abide by shoreland ordinances. He questioned the assumption by the Wetlands Association that the owner would be willing to sell the property after paying taxes on it for so many years in addition to other expenses he's incurred up to this point. He said he found it interesting that the Park and Recreation survey revealed that 24% of the respondents were willing to pay for a nature preserve. He interpreted that to mean that 75% of the respondents were not willing to pay. He also questioned why Hennepin Parks did not make this 26 acres part of their master plan when they had the opportunity to do so several years ago. Following Mr. Daniels' presentation, Ms. O'Donnell questioned him as to his interest in this subject, who he represented and was he running for public office. He responded that he was a developer, that he represented no one, and he was not running for office. PRAC Minutes/September 1993 Page 40 Ginny Black, 11410 49th Place, stated that she did not live near this piece of property, but is a member of the Audobon Society, and as such, is interested in the preservation of wetlands. She stated she didn't think the developer would lose anything if he sold the property, because a fair price would be negotiated, with all parties concerned being represented at the negotiations. Ms. Black informed the Park Commission that the city's Wetlands Task Force had comeup with a set of guidelines to help the Park Commission when they consider the acquisition and development of property. She urged PRAC to request a copy of these guidelines. Ms. Black also stated that she would much rather go for a walk with her dog through a wooded nature preserve than along an asphalt trail around a ballfield or next to a busy roadway. Commissioner Johnson asked Ms. Black if, in her opinion, the City could afford to purchase only one piece of property, was this the absolute best parcel to buy? She said she wasn't sure, but thought it was at least one of the best and deserved serious consideration. Commissioner Burk pointed out to Ms. Black that not all of the trails being built by the City end up going around ballfields or beside busy streets. New trails are constructed yearly and many go around lakes or ponds or through wooded areas, such as the woodchip trails through the wooded parcel west of 494 and north of County Road 9. Joe Domagala, 17705 County Road 24, agrees that saving wetlands is important, but he also believes that a developer has the right to develop his property. He would like to see the 26 acre parcel acquired, but wonders who is the appropriate party to buy it. He stated that if the 2,000 people signing the petition each contributed $300, they could buy the land themselves. Mr. Domagala doesn't believe that Hennepin Parks will contribute any funds, therefore, leaving the purchase up to the City and Save French Wetlands Association. Paul Fusco, Brooklyn Center, stated he is concerned about what will happen in our future if all the wetlands disappear. He feels it would impact a lot of people, and wonders if development will ever go in reverse. Ms. O'Donnell spoke again on behalf of the Save French Wetlands Association, and denied Mr. Daniels' claim that they are a self serving group. She stated that their members come from all over the City. In reference to the statement that there are shoreland ordinances that protect wetlands, it is Ms. O'Donnell's opinion that even with such ordinances, any kind of development negatively impacts wetlands and flood plains. PRAC Minutes/September 1993 Page 41 Commissioners asked staff when this issue will next go before the Planning Commission. City Manager Johnson responded that the soonest it could be on the agenda is September 22. Chair Anderson thanked the members of the Save French Wetlands Association and other interested parties for their presentations. He stated that PRAC needed to review other wetlands in Plymouth, as directed by the City Council, before making a decision on this parcel. He suggested that PRAC members might be able to walk the site as a group, so a tour was arranged for September 13, with Rita O'Donnell and Bob Donley offering to be the guides. Director Blank informed everyone at the meeting that the City currently owns 900 acres of park land, and of that total, only 300 acres are developed. The remaining 600 acres are in a natural state. A few of those natural park areas have trails. d. West Medicine Lake Park master plan update. Preliminary research is being done on the road alignments. Two public information meetings have been scheduled, one for October 6, at 7 p.m. and one November 9, at 7 p.m. Area residents will be invited to attend and voice their concerns and opinions about the proposed park. e. Lions Park/Birchview School update. A realignment of ballfields has occurred, which will alleviate some of the activity at Lions Park. Games at Lions should be reduced to just one per evening and none on Saturdays. f. Equipment storage space update. Athletic associations were notified by staff that limited space was available for storage at Fire Station II, but there has been no response. Staff has also inquired about space availability through the Wayzata School District, but there has been no reply from them. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Study of unique open spaces - referred from City Council. Because of the controversy over the Baton Corporation's proposal to develop the area near French Park, the City Council has asked PRAC to conduct a study of all the open spaces in Plymouth to determine if any of them should be acquired. Eden Prairie recently conducted a similar type study of their wetlands. They hired Barton-Aschman at a cost of about $10,000 to conduct their study. It was suggested that a task force be formed to get started on this process. Those who will meet initially from the Park Commission are Mark Wahl, Mary Kay Watson, Tom Johnson; from staff, Eric Blank and Paul Buck, City PRAC Minutes/September 1993 Page 42 Forester; and from the Council, John Edson. It was also recommended that some citizens join the task force as well. Rita O'Donnell suggested that properties inside the MUSA line be considered before those outside the boundary, and to give priority to parcels that might be developed first. Bob Donley requested that staff contact other communities to see if they have done similar surveys. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Staff reminded PRAC that due to holidays falling on regular meeting dates in November and December, those meetings will be moved up. November's meeting will be on the 4th and December's will be on the 2nd. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:15 p.m.