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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Packet 06-09-1994Regular Meeting of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission June 9, 1994, 7 p.m. rte `:1 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Minutes 3. Visitor Presentations a. Athletic Associations b. Staff c. Others 4. Report on Past Council Action a. Approved acquisition of property on Forestview Lane 5. Unfinished Business a. West Medicine Lake Park update b. Study of unique open spaces update c. Accessible playground update d. 1994 trail construction projects update 6. New Business a. Review master site plan for Seven Ponds neighborhood park b. C. 7. Commission Presentation 8. Staff Communication 9. Adjourn Next Regular Meeting - July 14 Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting April 14, 1994 Page 13 Present: Commissioners Fiemann, Wahl, Mikula, Willegalle and Johnson, staff Bisek, Blank, Buck, Pederson and Peterson Absent: Chair Anderson (Commissioner Watson resigned after the March meeting) 1. CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Wahl called the April meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Council Conference Room. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Fiemann and seconded by Commissioner Willegalle to approve the minutes of the March meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present. b. Staff. Mary announced that the Recreation Division started summer registration a month earlier this year, because so many residents had requested it. Registrations are up in most classes. Adult softball registration is down by a couple of teams. Credit card registrations are now being accepted by the department on a limited basis. This is a new service the department has made available to the public. We've been trying it on a trial basis and plan to go public with it in the August brochure. Residents will be permitted to use their credit card with mait-in registration, in-person registration, and eventually over the telephone. Mary announced that the Fitness Challenge Kick -Off Walk was held Wednesday, April 13, and the weather cooperated for a change. She explained that the Fitness Challenge is friendly competion with other companies in Plymouth, whereby employees exercise for points, and the company with the most points each week is the winner. There are t - shirts, mugs and a traveling trophy as prizes and incentives to work out. Mary stated that the Recreation Division will hire someone this year to help with the integration of special needs individuals into our programs. The City also now has a policy for administering drugs to children in our programs who are required to take medication during the day. Mary has been receiving requests to offer youth golf and other youth programs in the evening for working parents who are unable to get their kids to these activities during the day. Commissioner Willegalle also commented that he hears from a number of PRAC Minutes/April 1994 Page 14 residents that the parks department doesn't offer enough youth sports on summer evenings to accommodate working parents. Director Blank commented that the majority of the athletic fields are used in the evening by youth baseball, soccer and softball and that the only fields used by adults are Zachary and Plymouth Creek. Mary added that we simply don't have enough facilities to accommodate a lot of evening programs and wondered if the residents Commissioner Willegalle had talked to would be willing to participate in programs if they were offered on Saturdays. He responded that he would check with them and get back to Mary. City Forester Paul Buck announced that Arbor Day is scheduled to be celebrated in Plymouth on Friday, April 29, at Wayzata East Junior High, at 1 p.m. Members of the youth group Y.E.S. (Youth Extended Services) have been doing some fundraising and have managed to purchase 14 trees which will be planted in one of the courtyards at Wayzata East. The fundraising consisted of selling t -shirts, which raised $500. The Y.E.S. group also succeeded in securing a grant for $750 to help with the purchase of the trees. Park commissioners were invited to attend the Arbor Day celebration. c. Others. None were present. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION Council approved the acquisition of properties on 18th Avenue, which are part of the proposed West Medicine Lake Park. One of the homeowners is already in the process of moving to another home in Plymouth. The second property is close to being settled, but an agreement has not been reached yet with the third property owner. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. West Medicine Lake Park update. At the last PRAC meeting, a master plan for West Medicine Lake Park was endorsed by the Commission and a recommendation was made to forward the plan to the Council. However, the Council has not had the opportunity to review the plan, because they are very involved right now in the process of reviewing the acquisition of the ninth playfield site. Director Blank also pointed out that the '94 capital improvements program has not been approved by the Council, because it hasn't yet been approved by the Planning Commission. Director Blank stated that he would keep PRAC, as well as the focus group, informed as to the status of the West Medicine Lake Park project. It will be important to have community support of this project at the Council meeting when it is finally placed on their agenda. b. Study of unique open spaces update. Mark Wahl stated that the Open Space Committee has met three times within the last few weeks and has now identified 34 sites which meet the criteria established earlier by the committee. Most of the sites are, at a minimum, at least 10 acres in size, which was one of the criteria. The sites range in size from 10 acres up to 78 acres. The next step is to hire a consultant to visit the sites and identify the types of trees, plants, etc., and rank the sites. Prior to the consultant being hired, though, the Open Space Committee will meet again to try to reduce the number of sites. There is a limited three week period when the consultant can visit the PRAC Minutes/April 1994 Page 15 sites, which is prior to trees and shrubbery leafing out. Commissioners asked if the sites are mainly wetlands, and Parks Superintendent Mark Peterson responded that several of them have wetlands contained within them, but they are mostly heavily wooded sites. Mark went on to explain that there are other methods for conserving wetlands, such as ordinances, etc., therefore, the Open Space Committee looked more for wooded areas. When asked if the committee tried to identify sites so that there would be an even distribution throughout Plymouth, Commissioner Wahl commented that it wasn't always possible, because most of southwest Plymouth is fully developed, and any open spaces that may once have existed there are now gone. They did attempt to identify sites in all four quadrants of the City, however. Commissioner Fiemann commented that he likes the idea of selecting sites so that there are some in each of the four wards of the City. Commissioner Mikula would prefer that some of the sites be large in size. Commissioner Willegalle asked about getting advice from the City of Eden Prairie, since they have already been through this process. Find out what mistakes, if any, they might have made, or what they would do differently. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER FIEMANN AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MIKULA RECOMMENDING THAT COUNCIL HIRE A CONSULTANT TO VISIT AND RANK THE SITES IDENTIFIED BY THE OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. c. Review plans for accessible playground. Director Blank explained that the City currently has 26 playgrounds spread throughout the community, and the one at South Shore Park has one or two accessible components. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we are now required to provide "like" experiences for children of all abilities. As our older playgrounds need refurbishing, approximately 20- 30% will be made accessible when improvements are done. In addition, the City decided to create one, large, centrally located accessible playground in Plymouth Creek Park. Part of this planning process included forming an accessible playground committee to get input on the types of features to include in the playground. The committee was comprised of area residents with physical disabilities, professionals who work with the disabled, and park and recreation staff members. Five manufacturers of playgrounds were contacted and asked to submit an accessible playground design based on a specified dollar amount and based on standards developed by the Consumer Product Safety Bureau, the American Society for Testing and Measures and ADA. All the submitted designs were reviewed by the Accessible Playground Committee, and eventually a design was chosen that met with the approval of the playground committee. Director Blank shared with PRAC a drawing of that approved design and explained the features. The playground will be 100% accessible to wheelchair bound individuals. One of the more exciting features involves the use of water when the children are playing. They will be able to manipulate the water by turning on a faucet and creating a shower like effect. Commissioner Mikula commented that this is an excellent feature to have in the playground, but also wanted staff to be aware that although the kids enjoy being able to manipulate the water, they may not want to get wet. Commissioner Wahl also wondered if water might damage wheelchairs. Director Blank commented that the PRAC Minutes/April 1994 Page 16 kids could operate the water in such a way that they would not get wet if they didn't want to. Commissioner Mikula also wondered if the overhead bars shown in one of the drawings were reachable by the kids, so they'd be able to do pull-ups from their chairs. Director Blank wasn't sure if it was designed for that purpose and said that he would check into it. As shown, the accessible playground will cost approximately $130,000. Part of this cost will be covered by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. This is because projects designed using ADA standards are eligible for CDBG grants. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER MIKULA AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER JOHNSON RECOMMENDING THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE CONCEPT PLAN AS SHOWN FOR THE ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND AND ADVERTISE FOR BIDS. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. d. Review 1994 trail construction projects. Three segments of trail remain to be constructed that were part of the projects started in 1993. One segment goes around a wetlands and runs between Niagara and Vicksburg, another segment is to close a gap in a trail running north of city hall, and the third trail goes around the west side of Turtle Lake. There is $100,000 in the 1994 budget to complete these projects. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER FIEMANN AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER JOHNSON TO ACCEPT THE TRAIL PROJECTS PROPOSED FOR 1994 CONSTRUCTION. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Review of city trail plan (referred by Planning Commission). Director Blank explained that due to the proposed development of a McDonald's restaurant and a 7-11 convenience store at the southeast intersection of County Road 6 and 494, the Planning Commission has asked that PRAC consider an extension of trail along County Road 6 that would provide access to these businesses. Director Blank further stated that no trail is shown at this location in the city's master trail plan. Commissioner Fiemann asked how often PRAC reviews the master trail plan, and Director Blank said about every two years, even though by law it's only required every ten years. He further explained that in order to amend the trail plan, a public meeting must be held by PRAC, followed by a public hearing held by the Planning Commission. Parks Superintendent Peterson commented that the City can add trails without amending the plan, but they cannot remove a trail that shows in the plan without holding both the public meeting and public hearing. Commissioner Fiemann discussed the need for a trail along Medina Road allowing the residents in the Hans Hagen and Lundgren Bros. developments to have access to the new park located south of Medina Road and east of 101. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION Commissioner Willegalle announced that the East Parkers Lake Improvement Association is having a clean up day on Saturday, May 7, to clean along the shore of Parkers Lake. This discussion prompted other commissioners to ask if Plymouth had a city clean up day. PRAC Minutes/April 1994 Page 17 Director Blank responded that several years ago, the City did sponsor a spring clean up, which included the placement of large dumpsters at locations throughout Plymouth's numerous neighborhoods. The program came to an end when residents began abusing the purpose, which was to clean up the neighborhood, by using the dumpsters to clean out their own personal basements, etc. Commissioner Mikula commented that a short paragraph in the Plymouth News might be helpful, encouraging residents to clean up their surroundings when going out for a walk. She suggested that they take a plastic or paper bag with them and fill it with the paper and aluminum cans they find lying in the street or on the trail. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Director Blank reminded commissioners that the park tour is set for May 25. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. DATE: June 6, 1994 TO: PRAC FROM: Eric J. Blank, Director, Parks and Recreation SUBJECT: SEVEN PONDS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK PLAN Two neighborhood meetings have now been concluded on the development of a master plan for Seven Ponds Neighborhood Park. Some of you were in attendance at those meetings. The consulting engineer, Tim Erkkila, from Westwood Engineering, will be at Thursday's meeting to present the concept plan for the park. I believe we achieved about 99 % consensus from the neighborhood residents on the plan as proposed. The parking lot on the west end of the park at Lawndale Lane is part of the development agreement with Lundgren Bros. They are responsible for building the parking lot, the berming and the landscaping. The master plan contains all of the elements the residents requested. There will be trail entrances from Lawndale Lane, 34th Avenue and 32nd Avenue. There will be a looping trail system around the open area with a portion going through the wooded area on the east end. The play equipment, basketball and hard court games are at the highest part of the park in the central portion. The mowed area, or field games area, with backstop, is on the west end of the park. I think this plan makes the best use of the property. I recommend the Park Commission adopt the plan as proposed and forward it to the City Council for approval. EB/np LAWNDALE / / 1 \ PROPOSED 1 \ PLANTINGS 11 \ r PRIMARY ENTRANCE( PARK SMA.G. d) l i 100 YEAR- (9942) SECONDARY ENTRANCE 34TH RDwG IwRH PARK=,— AVE. t4 qoo EXISTING WETLAND \• I zzt p A PROPOSED TRAL ,GUARD 6 O eaq COPPoo Do RAILS O ---- D T AME foo AL G \ T 10 1.3 oo J I 0 I AW PI EA ' off' io raw tiAAEIS f,' Q ° SEAT BACKSTOP \, ET- U. IFNAE SEAT Cf /$ 09uts EXISTING WETLAND S PAAHEA 9 1, ` e0` . - - - GATHE I G SHAD / ING SEATING p 1:T p oe 000< CATH PI NDl1RE!) wltN PK+Ic T9BLEs oo- , Oo OPEH LAW N p 9927 P 1 l NATURAL A EXISTINGVEGETAT10f11 o 9peez7 EXISTING WETLAND \ \\ 0 1 9927 / 0 9 BOARDWALK - - - 9923 l \ 0 EDGE OF EXISTING 1 ASPHALT 1 EVEN PONDS/ MATHER RUN TEIGHBORHOOD PARK`\ , -' SECONDARY32ND AVE. WITH PARK SCNA9EREVISED. NOTE 2.72 ACRES OF PARK EXISTS ABOVE THE 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN April 21, 1994 Joy Tierney and Plymouth City Council 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Mayor and City Council, It is with regret that I inform you of my resignation from the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission effective August 1, 1994. I plan to attend the July meeting. I will be attending graduate school at the University of Califomia-Berkeley this Pall. I have appreciated the opportunity to serve the city as a Park Commissioner. The experience has been educational and "very enjoyable. The city of Plymouth is certainly fortunate to have such devoted staff and citizens. I wish you continued success. Sincerely, C egklel—' Lynn Mikula 3482 Pilgrim Lane North Plymouth, MN 55441 cc: Eric Blank Don Anderson Mr. Eric J. Blank Director Parks and Recreation City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Mr. Blank: May 21, 1994 1 Lot 5 `` t- Thank you for the response to my letter regarding a city park for our area neighborhoods. I would first off like to respond to two of your points. First of all, I do not think that a privately owned golf course which in my understanding could be sold for housing) should negate our neighborhood's request for a park. A golf course does not benefit the children. Secondly, I would like to respond to your statement regarding neighborhood number 17 being within walking distance to our neighborhood. While this is may be true, Vicksburg Lane does not have sidewalks for children to walk on north of County Road 9, which is our neighborhood. This is much too busy of a road to regard as a "safe walk" for children, without sidewalks. County Road 9 is also quite a busy road for youngsters to cross, and getting busier every year with the increasing development. While you state our estimated neighborhood population is quite low, I see sites marked for future parks where there is no population or development as yet. Does this make sense? While some neighborhoods have bike paths and others have parks, the neighborhoods to the West of Vicksburg and North of County Road 9 have nothing. We offer no safe recreational areas of easy access for our children. I would like to remind those in the decision making process that the neighborhoods of Deer Run, Fawn Creek, oxbow, Autumn Bills and Golf View Estates support the City of Plymouth with quite a high tax base. I feel, as do many other neighbors, that there should be some consideration given to provide a safe recreational area for our children. Neighborhood 17 is not an option as I stated, due to traffic on Vicksburg, no sidewalks on Vicksburg and the crossing of County Road 9. The Golf Course does not benefit the children, and we need to keep that in mind. Perhaps some thought could go into the developing of future neighborhoods. Do not some developers offer to put in a neighborhood park? Is this done in agreement with the City, or on their own merit to provide a nice environment? Who pays for the installing and upkeep of the nice bike trails through some of the neighborhoods? Could not something be found for the children of our neighborhoods? I hope the Park Commission will seriously consider our -request and find a convenient and safe place for the children of Oxbow, Deer Run, Fawn Creek, Autumn Hills and Golf View Estate. Respectfully, Mona J. Domaas 15910 46th Avenue North Plymouth, Minnesota 55446 612/557-0908 cc: Mayor and Council Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Residents of Oxbow May 21, 1994 Mr. Eric J. Blank Director Parks and Recreation City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Mr. Blank: Thank you for the response to my letter regarding a city park for our area neighborhoods. I would first off like to respond to two of your points. First of all, I do not think that a privately_ owned golf course which in my understanding could be sold for housing) should negate our neighborhood's request for a park. A golf course does not benefit the children. Secondly, I would like to respond to your statement regarding neighborhood number 17 being within walking distance to our neighborhood. While this is may be true, Vicksburg Lane does not have sidewalks for children to walk on north of County Road 9, which is our neighborhood. This is much too busy of a road to regard as a "safe walk" for children, without sidewalks. County Road 9 is also quite a busy road for youngsters to cross, and getting busier every year with the increasing development. While you state our estimated neighborhood population is quite low, I see sites marked for future parks where there is no population or development as yet. Does this make sense? While some neighborhoods have bike paths and others have parks, the neighborhoods to the West of Vicksburg and North of County Road 9 have nothing. We offer no safe recreational areas of easy access for our children. I would like to remind those in the decision making process that the neighborhoods of Deer Run, Fawn Creek, Oxbow, Autumn Hills and Golf View Estates support the City of Plymouth with quite a high tax base. I feel, as do many other neighbors, that there should be some consideration given to provide a safe recreational area for our children. Neighborhood 17 is not an option as I stated, due to traffic on Vicksburg, no sidewalks on Vicksburg and the crossing of County Road 9. The Golf Course does not benefit the children, and we need to keep that in mind. I -haps some thought could go into the developing of future neighborhoods. Do not some developers offer to put in a neighborhood park? Is this done in agreement with the City, or on their own merit to provide a nice environment? Who pays for the installing and upkeep of the nice bike trails through some of the neighborhoods? Could not something be found for the children of our neighborhoods? I hope the Park Commission will seriously consider our request and find a convenient and safe place for the children of Oxbow, Deer Run, Fawn Creek, Autumn Hills and Golf View Estate. Respectfully, Mona J. Domaas 15910 46th Avenue North Plymouth, Minnesota 55446 612/557-0908 cc: Mayor and Council. Par': and Recreation Advisory Commission Re ---dents of Oxbow i iLL- a CITY OF May 20, 1994 PIYNOUTR Mona Domaas 15910 46th Ave N Plymouth, MN 55446 Dear Ms. Domaas: Mayor Tierney has asked me to respond to your letter dated April 7. First, I would like to let you know that I have forwarded your letter to the City Council and the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission for their information. I have enclosed a copy of the City's comprehensive park and open space plan for your information. You live in walking neighborhood no. 17, which is bounded by Old County Road 9 on the south, Vicksburg Lane on the east, future Schmidt Lake Road on the north and Holly Lane on the west. Most of this land is set aside for public, semi-public space referred to as golf course. The estimated population for this neighborhood is quite low, at around 1,179 people. Because of the geographic location of the golf course, at this time the City's comprehensive park plan does not contemplate the acquisition or development of a neighborhood park in this area. I'm not sure if there is any property available between Vicksburg and the golf course that would be adequate for park. I will check this out in the next few weeks, so that I can pass that information on to the Park Commission. Within the next 12 to 20 months, the City will be reviewing its comprehensive plans again. We will. specifically look at the need and ability to add additional park land in your area. Thank you for calling this situation to our attention. If I may be of further assistance, you can reach me at 550-5131. Sincerely, Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EB/np enclosure cc: Mayor and Council Park and Recreation Advisory Commission We Listen • We Solve • We Care 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 • TELEPHONE (612) 550-5000 CP April 7, 19 •;a City of Plymouth City Council Members Park and Recreation 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Representatives: This is regarding the News Update, dated April 1994. I am responding in particular to your Park and Trail Map. I see that you have a proposed park No.3 marked on your map. As you can see by my address we live in the Oxbow neighborhood. We have a new development, Autumn Hills, going in right behind us. We have waited a long time to get a park on this side of Vicksburg anc Country Road 9, as these are both too busy of roads to cross Por children. I am, however, somewhat perplexed by your choice of location. This location is bordering on Maple Grove, not Plymouth. With the tax base that our neighborhood nays and now• the new neighborhood going in, I think consideration should be given to find a closer location to our development. You can see how some neighborhoods have a glut of parks, for example #6,9 and C -- also 20, 4, and 13. I feel that being taxpayers we are due this consideration and I would respectfully request that you consider it. Please find below signatures_of neighbors shaping my feelings and logic. Thank you. P17 i.r" ter.( T%1 Sincerely. vD77 1%'cc-C Mona S. L aas 15910 46th Avenue North Minneapolis, Mn 55446 557-0908 f C 3 ^..unt'tju C a 1 JJ?- ti75 Z 'A C -L, A`p C LC///tfPE J/ li iop /7 /'/<'xzrj L r c/ /7 o In -Zan 7 Qe Jean M. Thompson 11610 37th Place N. Plymouth, MN 55441 559-3376 April 28, 1994 Mr. Eric Blank City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Eric, Per our telephone conversation on Monday of"this week, I am putting my concerns about the use of Plymouth's outdoor amphitheatre in writing. Please pass along my comments to appropriate city personnel. My parents have applied for an apartment in the new Town Square housing for senior citizens. They anticipate moving there as soon as the building is complete. That is why 1 was concerned upon reading in the local newspaper that the city plans to rent the outdoor amphitheatre for a concert this summer. Although our family attends Music in Plymouth every JWy. I was never aware that the city had plans to utilize that space for other concerts. As you indicated to me on the phone, the upcoming concert may be a trial to see how such events work out, but 1 would urge you and other city officials to consider the future residents across the street before agreeing to any other use of the amphitheatre. Town Square, as you know, will be occupied solely by senior citizens. These are not people who would appreciate having a loud concert across the street from their homes, nor would they be amenable to programs which last beyond the early evening hours. Even Music in Plymouth is quite loud and, including fireworks, extends into the late evening. I am also concerned about traffic congestion associated with concerts at the amphitheatre, crowd control, unauthorized use of the Town Square parking lot, and so on. Although I am sure the city of Plymouth has its sights set on income from the rental of the outdoor amphitheatre, as a long time resident I can think of much more appropriate ways of raising revenue. The senior citizens planning to move into Town Square deserve your thoughtful consideration of their rights, and at a minimum they should be told as they apply for housing there that the city is considering allowing concerts right across the street from their potential new home. It would be unthinkable to allow them to move in and tell them about your plans later. Before an use of the amphitheatre, the city should set down very specific ground rules for its use and publish those for any Plymouth resident especially those in close proximity to the site) to see. 1 would appreciate knowing when and if this is scheduled for discussion at an upcoming city council meeting, so that 1 could attend and express my views in person. Sincerely, A Mean M. Thompson CITY OF May 20, 1994 PLT I' OU I R Jean Thompson 11610 37th Place N Plymouth, MN 55441 Dear Ms. Thompson: Thank you for your follow-up letter regarding the use of the outdoor amphitheater. I have forwarded copies of your letter to the Mayor and Council and the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission for their information. At this time, the Christian Music Festival scheduled for this summer has been cancelled due to the lack of ticket sales. Every January, the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission reviews the rules and regulations with regard to the rental and use of park facilities. At that time, I contemplate that we will develop a set of guidelines for the use of the amphitheater. We have not studied this issue in great detail, but I anticipate that the rules will allow for the rental of the amphitheater on an occasional basis for musical events. Thank you for calling this. matter to my attention. If I may be of further assistance to you, please call me at 550-5131. _ Sincerely, Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EB/np cc: Mayor and Council Park Commission We Listen • We Solve • We Care 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 • TELEPHONE (612) 550-5000 A April 25, 1994 CITY OF PLYNOUTR Chip Welling Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155 Dear Chip: At a recent City Council meeting, the Council had the opportunity to review and discuss the upcoming Eurasian Water Milfoil treatment for Parkers Lake. Council asked that I write to you and share these thoughts. First, the Council wishes to thank you and the Department of Natural Resources for your cooperation and assistance in helping the East Parkers Lake Improvement Association and the City of Plymouth address the milfoil issue within Parkers Lake. Without your tremendous cooperation, we would be at a loss for a viable solution for this most difficult issue. Second, Council has requested that the DNR consider amending the 16 hour boat launch regulation. Council felt that there was definite merit, for the first year after the treatment, to monitor the launch using volunteer and paid staff in an effort to avoid reinfesting the lake. Because the DNR is committing approximately 18 hours a week of paid staff to this launch, as well as the City and the Parkers Lake Association committing resources toward this same end, we believe that the shortened boat launch hours deserve further consideration by the DNR. The City would appreciate it if you would discuss this with other members of your staff and provide us with a written reply to our request. Thank you for your time and assistance with this matter. I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, e--49- A$< Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EB/np cc: City Manager City Council Water Quality Committee PRAC Marsha Videen We Listen • We Solve • We Care 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, N41NNESOTA 55447 • TELEPHONE (612) 550-5000 Parkers Lake Pavilion Calendar JUNE -1994 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 3 4 6-8 PM J. MARGET 7:30-10 PM 476-3105 (WHS) BRIDGE CLUB 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 9:30-11:30 SMALL 10:45-11:30 FFT 9 -NOON JOYCE 11-1 PM CHANGE 11:45-12:30 HEYER 476-5067 WILKINSON PICNIC & PLAY 542-8601 2-6 PM GOODRICH 476-2729 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9:30-11:30 SMALL 10:45-11:30 NFT CHANGE 11:45-12:30 PICNIC & PLAY 6:30-8:30 PM 3-6 PM M. KOJETIN J. GRESSMAN 831-8325 881-8663 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 9:30-11:30 SMALL 8-4:30 SAFETY 8-7 PM SAFETY CHANGE CAW CAMP 10:45-11:30 FIT 1-3 PM SAFETY 11:45-12:30 P& P CAMP MEETING 6:15-9:30 MORKM 473-3399 26 27 28 29 30 9:30-11:30 SMALL 10:45-11:30 FFT 10-3 PM BIKE CHANGE 11:45-12:30 BBQ & BEACH 12-6 PM C. RAY PICNIC & PLAY 531-5375 1:45-2:30 MUSIC KINDERFOLK