HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Packet 04-11-1996Regular Meeting of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission
April 11, 1996, 7 p.m.
AGENDA
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. Awarded grading contract on ice arena
b. Adopted 1996 CIP
5. Unfinished Business
a. Review ice arena/pool complex
b. West Medicine Lake Park update
c. Open spaces update
d. Playfield/highschool update
e. Senior citizen needs analysis update
f. Continue golf course discussion - Craig Scherber, owner of Elm Creek, will attend
meeting
g. Planning for northeast neighborhood park update
6. New Business
a. Letter from Pilgrim Lane Elementary School
b.
C.
7. Commission Presentation
8. Staff Communication
9. Adjourn
Next regular meeting- May 9
Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
March 14, 1996
Page 12
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Johnson, Thompson, Wahl
and Willegalle; staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson; Councilmember Wold
Absent: Commissioner Priebe
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the March meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Mooney
Lake Room.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Wahl and seconded by Commissioner
Thompson to approve the minutes of the February meeting as presented.
Councilmember Wold indicated that in the minutes, members of the Council
should be referred to as councilmember rather than councilman. The motion
carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff. Mary Bisek announced that this year's Shape Up Challenge held its
kick-off meeting on March 14. This program is a fitness "contest' between
companies located in Plymouth. Employees "challenge" each other by
exercising and earning points for each minute of exercise.
She stated that the summer recreation brochure has been sent to the
printer and should be delivered to residents on April 1.
Planning for the northeast neighborhood park is underway. A letter is being
sent to area residents inviting them to the first meeting with the architect,
scheduled for April 2.
Adult softball registration is still being accepted in leagues where there is
space available.
Applications are being accepted in the park and recreation department for
summer seasonal help in several areas; t -ball, softball and baseball
PRAC Minutes/March 1996
Page 13
instructors; lifeguards and swimming instructors; golf and tennis instructors;
playground and daycamp leaders; and office clerical help.
The recreation department is researching new computer software for
registration. One of the things being considered is phone -interactive
registration.
A new program being offered this summer is the Plymouth Pageant, for
ages 10-14. The end product will be a play presented at the History Fest
on August 10, about the history of Plymouth. Councilmember Wold
mentioned to Mary that there was a Plymouth militia in 1868 that she might
want to research for possible inclusion in the play if it's deemed
appropriate.
c. Others. None were present.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Approved annual report and 1996 work plan. Chair Anderson said that the
Council approved the 1995 Park Commission annual report and praised it
as one of the best they receive each year. They also approved the facility
rental fees and policies as recommended by PRAC.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Ice arena/pool complex update. The Planning Commission approved the
site plan at their last meeting, along with a conditional use permit, and
reguiding and rezoning. There is a small wetland on the site, which has
been approved for filling, but the City must now wait a period of 30 days for
the public to make comments on that before any work could begin. Bids for
site grading will be opened in April. The architect is working with the
electrical and mechanical contractors. At the present time, the project is
slightly over -budget, so it needs to be trimmed back a little. The contract
with Life Time is moving along and is on the March 20 Council agenda.
The target date for opening the ice arena is December 9, but Director Blank
believes that early January is more realistic.
The relocation of the amphitheater is also on the Council agenda for March
20. If this is approved, work on the site could begin as early as the next
day. The amphitheater has to be completed by July 2, which is this year's
date for Music in Plymouth.
b. West Medicine Lake Park update. Director Blank announced that he gets a
report once a month informing him that the soils have compressed another
PRAC Minutes/March 1996
Page 14
six inches. He also said that the bid package is out for the bridge that will
be constructed over Plymouth Creek.
c. Open spaces update. Director Blank stated that the Seitzer property has
been closed on, and there is an agreement with the Johnson Bros. for their
parcel. This leaves the Stewart parcel, which is still for sale at $1.4 million.
Mr. Stewart has been informed that the City is no longer interested in his
property and that he can sell it to someone else if he chooses. Director
Blank indicated that the open space task force will reconvene soon to start
looking at how to manage the open space properties.
d. Playfield/high school update. Director Blank stated that the committee is
Waiting to see some written specifications on the playfields and that they
want the project under construction as soon as it's feasible. The athletic
fields need to be seeded and sodded this summer, so they have about a
year to develop. Adult softball is scheduled to be moved to these fields
next April, so that youth baseball programs can be moved to Zachary.
e. Senior citizen needs analysis. Director Blank had nothing to report on this
item.
f. Continue golf course discussion. Director Blank stated that he hasn't had
much time to think about golf, but that he would like to invite the three
owners to attend the next three PRAC meetings, separately, and get their
opinion on what they feel is the best course of action for them.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Request from Armstrong to help fund their baseball stadium. Director
Blank explained that Armstrong is in the process of building a new baseball
facility at the high school, but they are running out of funds and will need
outside assistance if they are to complete this project. They have made a
request from the City for $27,000. Director Blank said that there is money
in the Parks CIP and that this is a project that deserves our help. A
MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE AND
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON RECOMMENDING THAT
COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THE EXPENDITURE OF $27,000 FOR THE
ARMSTRONG BASEBALL STADIUM. In the discussion that followed,
Councilmember Wold suggested that when Armstrong makes its official
request in writing, that they indicate they intend to build a "safe" athletic
facility. PRAC agreed with that suggestion, and the motion carried with all
ayes.
PRAC Minutes/March 1996
Page 15
b. Hennepin County regional trail. Director Blank stated that the City is
working with the Park District on a joint project to get a regional trail all
along the east and south shore of Medicine Lake that will tie into the Luce
Line and eventually into the Theodore Wirth trail. A public meeting is
scheduled for Monday, March 18, at Armstrong High School, to get citizen
feedback on the proposed trail. The City and the County have jointly hired
the consulting firm of Strgar-Roscoe-Fausch to identify problem areas
along the proposed trail route and then later to do a feasibility report and
cost estimate. The City has allocated $100,000 in the capital
improvements budget to this project so far, and Henn. Co. has $1 million
available to spend. Director Blank explained that this trail has been in the
works for over 15 years now, and the City is trying to gently push the
County along in getting this done.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
None.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Director Blank announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the ice arena
will probably be scheduled sometime in April.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
PILGRIM LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
3725 Pilgrim Lm,e
Plymoalh, MN 55441
545-1649
March 28, 1996
Eric Blank, Park and Recreation Director
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, Minnesota 55447
Dear Mr. Blank:
This letter is to request financial support from the city of Plymouth to
modernize the playground equipment located at Pilgrim Lane Elementary
School.
The playground equipment and fields are used by the surrounding community
during the school year and summer months. The present equipment,
purchased and installed with cooperation between the city of Plymouth and
this school's Parent Teacher Organization, is in need of replacement within
the next few years.
The treated wood structures are approximately 13 years old. Inspections have
been completed routinely. Several parts and pieces have been replaced or
repaired over time by school staff.
Please give this request serious consideration as you plan future budget
allocations.
It is our desire to continue to work cooperatively with the city of Plymouth to
serve our Plymouth community.
Sincerely,
R o lvk(n-
Roger O. Evans, Principal
c: Thomas D. Bollin, Superintendent of Schools
I
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT281
Robbinsdale Area Schools
Learning for a lifetime of growing