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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Packet 06-08-2000Regular Meeting of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission June S. 2000, 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. b. C. d. S. Unfinished Business a. Plymouth Creek Center update b. Millennium Garden update c. Comprehensive Plan update 6. New Business a. Review field house rental fees for 2000-2001 season b. Select date for annual park tour C. d. 7. Commission Presentation S. Staff Communication 9. Adjourn Next regular meeting - July 13, 2000 n\parks\staff\eric\pmc\agendas\june.doc MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING May 11, 2000 Page 21 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Singer, Meyer, Thompson, Wahl; staff Bisek, Busch, Callies, Mittelstaedt and Pederson Absent: Commissioners Fiemann, Musliner; staff Blank 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. in Meeting Room 1 at the Plymouth Creek Center. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Singer moved and Meyer seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the April meeting. Motion passed. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present. b. Staff. Sara Mittelstaedt, Director of Senior Services, explained that she worked for the City on a contractual basis through Senior Community Services. She stated that the Senior Premiere sold out three weeks after it was advertised. Three hundred fifty people are signed up, with 60 on a waiting list. She feels the event is so popular because the facility is new, and the seniors want to check it out. Also, the seniors have been waiting for a long time for a facility like this. She said the Senior program began in 1972 and that the Plymouth program started with six members. One of those original members is now 90 years old. Sara explained that with the new center we can now offer art classes, because we have the rooms available and storage areas for keeping supplies. We are offering more trips and numerous classes that we couldn't offer before, and we are hoping to have more special interest groups. The focus of senior clubs is changing, Sara said. They are getting away from the huge social clubs, and focusing in on more specific interests. An example of this is a bird watching club, which began last week with 18 members. Sara says it is better to form these groups based on what the seniors have indicated they are interested in, rather than she trying to come up with things she thinks they might like. Sara then discussed the younger seniors. They tend not to volunteer as much as the older seniors. They are busier and many are still working. She is trying to find more things to interest this group such as programs offered in the evenings to better accommodate their schedules. Sara said that the Plymouth Creek Center is going to try to offer a dining program. Typical congregate dining programs turn some people off, Sara said. Most of the seniors in our community seem to be a little more affluent and don't need a low cost meal. Noon meals don't always fit into the typical lifestyle of today's seniors. They are PRAC Minutes/May 2000 Page 22 too busy. We're going to try something called lunch express, which would feature soup and salad or soup and sandwich . It would be available during a more broad time frame. These meals will be held at the Plymouth Creek Center every week day. They've approached our caterer about providing these meals at cost. This program will hopefully begin in September. People will need to register in advance for it, so the caterer will know how much food to prepare. Sara stated that the programs that appeal to the younger seniors are the exercise programs, and the biking and tennis programs. People like to be with their own age group. Chair Anderson commented that nowadays many people retire at the same pay they had when they were working. Sara said travel is offered at some very reasonable prices. Commissioner Meyer asked if we do special mailings for advertising the senior activities. Sara distributed a copy of the Senior Grapevine and said this is the newsletter that is mailed to the community's seniors. The first one was recently mailed out. The second one is going out soon. There are 1,200 on the mailing list right now and Sara expects this number to double. Plymouth seniors also receive the Plymouth Leisure Times, which advertises a variety of programs for seniors. Sara stated that today's seniors are very active and drive themselves around. They are not housebound. If they see a program they are interested in, they will drive to other communities to participate. Commissioner Wahl asked if we have a golf program for the seniors. Sara mentioned the women's golf league, which is predominantly made up of seniors. Sara is thinking of having Galyans' come to Plymouth Creek Center sometime and make a presentation on golf. Sara said a survey will be done on Monday during the Senior Premiere on senior dining. The survey will ask what seniors would be willing to pay for a meal, the best time of day for the meals to be offered, etc. Chair Anderson thinks that a history club could be of interest. Sara feels that when people reach age 50 they become more interested in their genealogy. She suggested that a book club about history might attract some members. One very popular club is the wood carving club, which has 40 members who get together once a week to carve and whittle. They meet from 10-4 every Thursday. c. Others. There were no other visitor presentations. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION Mary stated that not a lot was going on right now. There's a bid out for playground resurfacing and a change order for Plymouth Creek Center. We will also be going to the council for approval to work with a designer on the Greenwood ball fields design. PRAC Minutes/May 2000 Page 23 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Plymouth Creek Center update. Rick said the Senior Premiere next Monday is the first event at the Center with a full house. The grand opening is set for June 3, along with the Millennium Garden groundbreaking. Furnishings are slowly coming in and getting set up. There are four full time people on staff. Rick, Dan Lauer, who is Rick's assistant manager, Sara, and Sheri, Rick's administrative assistant. There is also a part time senior outreach coordinator who works with Sara. Rick recently hired a custodian who started tonight. There are also three part time building supervisors, who work weekends and evenings, when there are activities going on during times other than normal business hours. Rick distributed some materials on the fieldhouse to the commissioners. The cover sheet showed regular expenditures consisting of costs for temporary staff, gas, electricity, sewer and water. He explained that these numbers should stay fairly consistent from year to year. He said that revenues started rather slowly the first couple of months but then picked up considerably. April revenues were way down, but Rick feels that was due to the warm weather we had then. There were limited hours for walking and jogging, but next year there will be a lot more hours available, because the Plymouth Creek Center will be open full time with more staff on hand to supervise. Word is spreading fast about the great playing surface, especially for playing soccer. Rick explained that most of the expenditures on the second page were first year start up costs. Rick said that the field surface is guaranteed for five years, and the roof is guaranteed for anywhere from 10-20 years. Rick then discussed the various clubs and groups that used the fieldhouse and the revenues collected from each of them. Commissioner Wahl asked how the field is holding up. Rick said there have been a couple of problems with the turf separating from the rubber backing. The manufacturer has been here and done some patching. The surface is still very good to play on. Rick stated that over the summer, in-house and traveling soccer will be using it in the evening. Summer daytime use will be soccer camps run by our Parks and Recreation Department. Chair Anderson asked Rick who is doing the scheduling now that he has new duties as the Activity Center manager. Rick said Dan Lauer is now in charge of scheduling. Mary stated that Dan would attend a future PRAC meeting, so people could meet him. Commissioner Singer asked about the wedding and how it went. Rick said it went very well. There were 150 guests. Rick stated that with our weddings and special events, we now have two wedding and special event coordinators - Commissioners Singer and Musliner. Rick said invitations for the June 3 grand opening will be mailed in the next few days. The Plymouth Community Band will be performing in the parking lot beginning at 10 a.m. The ribbon cutting will be taking place around that time also. Then there may be a ground breaking for the garden. There will be appetizers in the ballroom served by the caterer. The craft rooms will have activities for the kids, like face painting and other craft projects; and soccer games will be played on the field. Dignitaries, the construction company representatives, the architect, etc., will all be invited. Most PRAC Minutes/May 2000 Page 24 activities will take place between 10 and noon, followed by self -guided tours of the facility. Rick mentioned that there's a greeter program starting soon at the Plymouth Creek Center. Our volunteer coordinator recruited these folks. Each greeter works a half day per week, from 9-3. They greet visitors, direct them to their classrooms and give tours of the building, etc. They will also do light clerical work. There's more landscaping to be done at the site. They hope to have the parking lot done by the end of the month. Commissioner Singer said people are asking about getting married in the garden and then having the reception in the banquet room. Mary mentioned that a donor has come forward who wants to build a permanent stage in the amphitheater. Because of that Hennepin Parks is interested in our Showmobile. We may be selling it to them. We have an agreement that we would still get to use it for Music in Plymouth this year, and we will have priority to use it for other special events. The waterfall is in, built by Hedberg Aggregate. They built it as a training seminar for their contractors. b. Millennium Garden update. We're working with two design firms and expect to have a preliminary design from them by mid June. Mary Meyer will be joining the committee working on this project. We're still getting donations, in addition to the brick buying program. Mary introduced Regina Callies, a graduate intern from the U of M. Regina is working on a fund raising program for the Millennium Garden. Staff decided on two major fund raising events over the next year, explained Regina, and the first one is the chocolate sampler, scheduled for October 5, in conjunction with Plymouth on Parade. It will be held at the Plymouth Creek Center. We will use the entire facility for this event. It will run from 6:30-9:30 that evening. There will be a chocolate dessert competition, a chocolate boutique, a live auction and possibly a silent auction, too. Regina explained how the evening would unfold. Desserts will be judged on taste and appearance. There will also be beverages, such as a gourmet coffee bar. Other limited beverages will be on hand, as well. The chocolate boutique will be set up in the Fireside room, where event attendees will be able to purchase chocolate items. We're looking for some larger items for the live action, such as trips, etc. We're also looking for a local celebrity that would be involved in gardening or in chocolate in some way to host the event. Typical revenues for this type of event range anywhere from $2,000 to 5,000 to as much as $50,000. Commissioner Thompson suggested auctioning off the first row of bricks as one of the large items for the live auction. 6. NEW BUSINESS No new business was discussed. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION PRAC Minutes/May 2000 Page 25 Commissioner Thompson mentioned that when you drive down 18th Avenue going towards Medicine Lake, there are no curb cuts for the many bikers and parents pushing strollers. Commissioner Singer pointed out that the East Beach bath house is in bad shape. Lots of families visit this beach, and the building is rather unsightly from the exterior. Commissioner Wahl said the East Beach is always busy. Mary said she would pass this information on to the park maintenance department. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Mary reminded the commissioners of the Spring Ice Show at the Ice Arena coming up May 12-14. The theme is Dancing Through the Decades. Guest skaters are the National Junior Pairs Champions from Michigan. Channel 9 and 12 both were at the History Fest this morning, which was the first day of Education Days. Mary handed out the program for the History Fest and encouraged everyone to come on Saturday. Director Blank is having a great time in England. He's taking lots of garden pictures, going to soccer games, etc. 9. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. CITY OF PLYMOUTH 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MN 55447 DATE: 6/5/00 TO: Eric Blank FROM: Rick Busch SUBJECT: Fieldhouse rental and walking fees for 2000/2001 season During our initial six month period of fieldhouse operation, we generated $195,530 in revenue. Of that total we had about $186,000 in rentals, $3500 from walkers, and $6000 from open soccer and youth camps. For the upcoming season we are budgeted to bring in $246,000 in total fieldhouse revenue. I think we can meet this goal with increased marketing and programming and simply by the public being more aware of our facility now than they were a year ago. I would like to keep the rental fees the same except for two changes. Changing the prime time from 6-10 to 5:30-10:30pm on school days would add an hour of prime time during our most requested hours. I would also like to change our weekend/holiday prime time from 8am-1 1pm to 8am-10pm. Prime time is $210/hr. Non -prime time was $180/hr. and accounted for about 100 firs. or $18,000 in income last season. I'd like to drop the non -prime rate to $150 primarily to attract the high school after school sports teams but also to make it more attractive to other users. Our main projected expenditures will be part-time staff ($15,000), gas ($45,000), and electricity 25,000). These total $85,000, and after other misc. expenditures and fall time salaries are added should still yield over $100,000 for our escrow account to replace the roof and turf. I'd like to keep the fees the same for walking and jogging as well. Adults pay $1/time or buy a 12 punch card for $10. People over 55 or under 18 pay $.50/time or buy a 12 punch card for $5. We will now have the track open daily from 8am-9pm because of the staff already available at the activity center. We are offering a warn place to walk on an excellent surface so I think we are making a mistake to drop any or all of those fees. Our fieldhouse is aready recognized throughout the metro area as having the best turf available for soccer and most other field sports. Our rates are very reasonable compared to other dome facilities. While I don't think many changes are needed, I would like to see a lower non -prime rate. FIELDHOUSE RENTAL FEES Current Hours/Fees Prime Time: $210 per full field $105 per half field Prime Time Hours: Mon -Thur, 6-10 p.m. Friday, 6-11 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Non Prime Time: $180 per full field $90 per half field Proposed Hours/Fees Prime Time: $210 per full field $105 per half field (same as before) Prime Time Hours: Mon -Fri, 5:30-10:30 p.m. (this is a change) Saturday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. (this is a change) Sunday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. (this is the same as before) Non Prime Time: $150 per full field $75 per half field (this is a change) Walking/Jogging Current Hours/Fees Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 11 - 1 p.m. $1.00 per visit up to age 55 or could purchase punch card for $10/12 punches 0.50 per visit 55+, or could purchase punch card for $5/12 punches Walking/Jogging Proposed Hours/Fees Daily, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. $1.00 per visit, ages 19-54, or punch card for $10/12 punches. 0.50 per visit, 18 & under and 55+; or purchase punch card for $5/12 punches Walking/Jogging Records- ecords- WedWedDec 1 - Sun Dec 5 Week #1 - Mon i i - - Tues Wed 1 _ Thurs ; Fri Sat r Sun Total Others Total 31I31 5 5 0 0 6 6-0 0 42 Mon Dec 6 - Sun Dec 12 Week #2 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. Others 13 2 9 1 11 3 10 49 Total 13 2 9 1 11 3 10 I Mon Dec 13 - Sun Dec 19 Week 93 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. Others 5 9 12 2 19 10 11 68 Total 5 9 12 2 19 10 11 Mon Dec 20 - Sun Dec 26 Week #4 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Frl Sat Sun Total Srs. 5 6 6 17 Others 11 6 6 2 7 Closed Closed 32 Total 11 6 11 8 13 Mon Dec 27 - Sun Jan 2 Week #5 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun I Total Srs. 13 3 4 10 10 6 46 Others 10 4 14 0 8 Closed 4 j 40 Total 23 7 18 10 18 10 3- Mon Jan Sun Jan 9 Week #6 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 16 16 18 4 12 13 10 89 Others 10 18 25 6 14 12 19 104 Total 26 34 43 10 26 25 29 Mon Jan 10 - Sun Jan 16 Week #7 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 16 10 15 0 20 27 11 99 Others 23 22 51 0 13 16 22 147 Total 39 32 66 0 33 43 33 I Mon Jan 17 - Sun Jan 23 Week #8 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 30 10 7 15 19 22 20 123 Others 21 18 7 20 16 16 21 119 Total 51 28 14 35 35 3841 I i I Mon Jan 24 - Sun Jan 30 Week #9 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri 1 Sat Sun Total Srs. 21 i 9 32 21 28 21 14 146 Others 19 22 26 11 35 25 i 32 170 Total 4031 58 32 I 63 46 46 Mon Jan 31 Week #10 Srs. __ Others Total Sun Feb 6 r Man Tues 32 - 8 29 19 614 27 Wed 31 35 66 Thurs Fn 15 27 10 25 25 52 Sat 9 - 22 I 31 1 Sun 6 17 23 Total 128 157 _ Mon Feb 7 - Sun Feb 13 Week #11 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 5 3 31 31 24 5 j 6 105 Others 39 23 35 11 2911 15 163 Total 44 26 66 42 53 16 21 Mon Feb 14 - Sun Feb 20 Week #12 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 11 20 8 27 10 28 20 124 Others 12 33 25 1923 40 19 171 Total 23 53 33 46 33 68 39 i Mon Feb 21 - Sun Feb 27 Week #13 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 18 5 22 5 21 7 9 87 Others 39 5 31 17 25 24 23 164 Total 57 10 53 22 46 31 32 Mon Feb 28 - Sun Mar 5 Week #14 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 22 0 16 6 13 2 2 61 Others 7 0 9 10 3 8 1 38 Total 29 0 25 16 16 10 3 Mon Mar 6 - Sun Mar 12 Week#15 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 7 6 11 12 16 0 5 57 Others 5 14 8 10 30 11 6 84 Total 12 20 19 22 46 11 11 Mon Mar 13 - Sun Mar 19 Week#16 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 16 2 18 2 1 10 7 56 Others 29 3 25 3 3 12 8 83 Total 45 5 43 5 4 22 15 I Mon Mar 20 - Sun Mar 26 Week #17 on Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Srs. 17 10 12 39 Others 13 26 7 46 Total 30 36 19 0 0 0 0 i Total Seniors 1177 Total Others 1677 AU6- 06 WAL J/ASH 3, fl, -3 a7 A 0 b 37 May 1, 2000 Dear Mr. Blank: Last week, I spoke with Dan Faulkner (Engineering dept.) concerning the safety of Old Rockford Road between Peony Lane and Vicksburg Lane for cyclists and pedestrians. Many cyclists use Old Rockford Road and many people also run or walk along Old Rockford Road. Mr. Faulkner informed me that the city has a trail on its current plan that would extend east from Peony Lane to at least as far as Kimberly Lane. Hopefully, the trail would proceed east along Old Rockford all the way to Vicksburg. Could you please look into the schedule for this trail and see if this project can move forward sometime this year? I would appreciate any information that you might be able to provide. As a regular bicycle commuter, I prefer to use the roads whenever possible. When the roads have adequate bike lanes, paved shoulders, or are just simply wide, they make the ideal place for a serious cyclist and represent the safest place. The problems with paved trails are the added hazards of unexpected pedestrians, dogs, blind spots, tree branches, and the hazard of becoming all but invisible to automobile traffic at street crossings. I am interested in doing what I can to help the City take note that while Plymouth is extremely trail -oriented (and they are wonderful!); the trails are not always the best place for a bike that is traveling 15 to 25 mph, and that there are some easy things the city can do to help make cycling in Plymouth safer. Since I five on Old Rockford Road, it is presently the ONLY way to leave my residence. More than the completion of a trail along Old Rockford Road, I would advocate paving the unpaved shoulders along both sides of Old Rockford. Even though the unpaved portions are only about 3 feet wide in some spots, this would still be enough to provide the needed safety margin for a cyclist. Last week, I actually had a school bus pass me and break the state law that requires a 3 foot clearance for cyclists. I have spoken with the bus company manager and with the Minnesota State Bicycle Coordinator, Michael Jackson, who said that I should consider simply using the whole lane, to increase my safety. I am not convinced that is what I should do. Could you also please speak with someone in Engineering concerning paving the shoulders along Old Rockford Road? I would like to establish a communication with the city about other steps the city might consider to make Plymouth more bike -friendly. Thank you, PegAnd son _;7pI — o C o? - 4385 Lawndale Lane N. , o ePlymouth, MN 55446 Ln l O June 5, 2000 Kelly Breit 900 Trenton Ln N Plymouth, MN 55441-4498 Eric Blank Park & Recreation Director City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 Dear Mr. Blank: Per our discussion today at City Hall, I am writing to request that the Park and Recreation Department evaluate the possibility of constructing a non -motorized paved trail in the Revere Lane North right-of-way north of 6" Avenue North to 10"' Avenue North. The primary goal is provide pedestrians and cyclists a safe corridor to reach recreational areas along and north of 10" Avenue North and for employees to reach nearby businesses by non -motorized means. Currently pedestrians and cyclists routinely cut through The Village at Bassett Creek to reach recreation areas and for employees to reach their places of employment in a safer manner than travelling along Highway 55. As I work from my home office most days and my hone is situated adjacent to a popular short out, I've taken the opportunity to talk with people about the situation. Most have expressed frustration with the lack of a trail connecting 6" Avenue North to 10"' Avenue North, especially in the winter months when snow is present. To my knowledge, no homeowners have complained to the homeowners association about the presence of and traffic patterns of pedestrians and cyclists, most likely due to the fact that they are not home during the day to observe the situation. In my conversations with the Engineering Department, they indicated that the extension of Revere Lane north of 6" Avenue North to 10" Avenue North is dependent on the second phase of The Village at Bassett Creek being built. Because of the asbestos contamination on the site, they felt it was unlikely that the second phase would ever be built due to the estimated minimum one million -dollar clean-up costs. I understand a trail would be built when the Revere Lane extension is built, however based on the information I have been provided, it appears that no such construction will ever occur. The trail would serve the seventy-one townhouse units of The Village of Bassett Creek, the residents of the Bassett Creek Commons senior center, and employees of nearby businesses. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email at kelly.breit@netalliance.net or by telephone at 612-252-9211 (days), 763-591-7580 (evenings). Thanks in advance for your consideration. Sincerely, Kelly Breit cc: Brad Brown, City Councilmember Independent School District 284 4 eo. arwoi"/s May 25, 2000 Mr. Eric Blank, Director Parks & Recreation Plymouth City Offices 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Mr. Blank, Kimberly Lane Elementary School 17405 Old Rockford Road Plymouth. MN 55446-2422 612.745.5600 Fax: 612.745.569 t Gary K. Kipling, Principal A playground renewal project, at Kimberly Lane Elementary School, is being planned and we are asking that the City of Plymouth be a partner in this project. To date, the partners in the project have been many. Students from Kimberly Lane helped select new equipment. The PTA has raised funds in 1999-2000 and more fund-raising is planned for 2000-2001. The Wayzata School District, working with Rodger Schaefbauer, have helped in the development of the project and have pledged their effort for site preparation. Earl F. Anderson, working with Dave Owen-CPSI, has created a site plan. The project has a cost estimate of approximately $70,000.00. Wayzata School District has allocated $35,000.00. Kimberly Lane PTA has raised $9,000.00, to date. If we were to receive funding from the City of Plymouth we would still have fund-raising needs. I believe you are well aware that the Kimberly Lane playground is used extensively by families during off hours and during the summer months. The playground serves the City of Plymouth and the community of Kimberly Lane. Our project would include equipment on two sites. On the north side of the building is our preschool/kindergarten play area and the intermediate play area is located on the south side of the building. All equipment would be ADA accessible. Site plans and cost estimates are available upon request. Work... Respect... Belong Mr. Eric Blank Page Two Our fund raising goals for next year will be dependent on the City of Plymouth's partnership in this project. Therefore, we would appreciate your timely response. Most Sincerely, Gary K`. Kipling, Princip I Mrs. Beth Strand, PTA Project Chair GKK:jlt cc: Dave Owen, EFA Rodger Schaefbauer, District Safety To: Mr. Eric Blank Park and Recreation Director 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447 From: Charles Karns 17105 19`'Ave. N Plymouth MN 55447 Date: 5123/00 Dear Mr. Eric Blank, Here in Plymouth there are not many places to skateboard that are legal. If we try to skateboard in public places that don't even have any no skateboarding signs, most of the time we are kicked out. This happens even if we were not causing damage to anything in any way. Some people might say that there is no good in skateboarding therefore, why provide a place for them to skateboard. Skateboarding is just another sport. Professional, just like any other. I know for a fact that when soccer players thought it would be a good idea to play during the winter, Plymouth built them a winter dome. We would be very appreciative if you were to build a public skate park for us. We would pay to get in to make up for the money spent on building it. I know plenty of people that would love to get a job helping to run the place. It would also be very kind of you to let us know of any places we are allowed to skateboard at. Respectfully, CLOAA^ n ) ,w Charles Karns June 7, 2000 Charles Karns 17105 19th Ave N Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Charles: I received your letter regarding aggressive inline skating in Plymouth. I know that you and many other kids are greatly interested in having inline skating facilities to use other than the streets and storefronts. This is the reason the City made the concrete slab behind the Plymouth Ice Center available for inline skating. It is available to use now, but keep in mind, it is just a flat surface with no equipment at this time. It is our understanding that the cities of Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park and Hopkins will all have inline skating parks available this summer. Call them for information on their hours, etc. The Park and Recreation Advisory Commission, the City Council, and the staff will continue to monitor the situation of an inline skate park in Plymouth. It is our hope that something positive will happen in the near future. I am sorry that I cannot give you any more definite answers at this time. Sincerely, R, Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EB/np cc: PRAC City Council Ice Center Manager PLYMOUTH A''Beautifu[PCnce'roLive 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 www.d.plymouth.mn.us Thi.5 i JcLs Sza+ `}D R E P A R K S C R E A T I O N Municipal skate parks 6" Cities are working with local youths to fund, design and maintain skate facilities. By Christina Couret Assistant Editor Verts, half -pipes and grinds: They represent skating to the nations youth and a liability nightmare to many city parks departments. Because of the per- ceived recklessness associated with skateboarding and inline skating, many local governments have banned skat- ing on commercial and community properties, as well as on school grounds, leaving skaters with very little recreational space. As a compromise, some local governments are building skate parks, complete with bowls, rails and ocher skating elements to ensure a safe environment for skaters. By con- structing a designated skate park, city officials meet the demands of their young residents and ensure that skaters are not damaging city or privately owned properties, or dis- rupting pedestrians and other park users. PLANNING The popularity of skating has increased steadily over the past several decades, as traditional roller skates have evolved into inline skates and skateboarding has emerged Continued on. p. 62 58 October 1999 - AMERICAN CITY & COUNTY From p. 58 as a television sport. In fact, ESPN's X Games for extreme sports, held in San Francisco last summer, attracted more than 200,000 spectators and 400 international competitors in events for skateboarding, inline skating and BMX biking. First -place winners took home $10,000. Regardless of the growing populari- ty of skating, many government offi- cials are concerned about skating safe- ty, and they do not want to be held responsible when injuries occur. In 1997, California Gov. Pete Wilson approved a state law that designated skateboarding as a hazardous recre- ational activity. Under the act, skaters basically skate at their own risk, and their ability to file injury claims against cities is limited. Following passage of the law, many of California's local governments passed ordinances prohibiting skate- boards in parks and other areas, leav- ing skaters nowhere to go. However, About 500 skaters use the Modesto Skate Park, which opened in August 1998, each day during the summer. some cities tried to compromise with local skaters. For example, after the Modesto City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting skate- boards in downtown business areas and parking lots and on school properties in January 1995, the city created a task force to investigate building a skate park. The 27 - member task force consisted of residents, local business owners, representatives of the police department and 13 skaters. The city set aside 15,000 to hire a park designer Fullerton, Calif. -based architect Purkiss Rose -RSI and began researching other skate parks and liability issues. Ac- cording to Recreation Supervisor Doug Lemcke, the task force discovered that, in 1996, the National Safety Council, Itasca, Ill., listed football, volleyball and ice hockey as sports more dangerous than skateboarding. Furthermore, a survey of 48 California skate parks revealed that only two had been sued after injuries. Santa Cruz, which has oper- ated a skate park since 1978, has been sued twice. In Grand junction, Colo., home to Westlake Skatepatk and Eagle Rim Park skate facilities, city officials also realized that, while cuts and scrapes are common at skate parks, claims and lawsuits are not. Most cities post rules requiring skaters to wear helmets, elbow pads, knee pads and wrist guards. Some cities, such as Bellevue and Santa Paula, both in Calif., even require skaters and/or parents of skaters to sign waivers absolving the city.ofliability. Modesto passed an ordinance requiring use of helmets, elbow pads and knee pads. It also stated that skaters who fail to wear the equip- ment are negligent and therefore skate at their own risk, according to Lear - eke. "Some kids don't want to wear helmets,' he says. SITE SELECTION If liability is not a hindrance, cities can proceed with site selection and development of a skate park. Lemcke recommends choosing a highly visible site, perhaps close to a roadway, so that it can be easily located, attended and patrolled. "Cities should not pick an isolated location for a skate park," he says. High visibility also ensures that police can better patrol the area and cuts the likelihood of illegal activity or rule -breaking. Additionally, Lem - eke says, "Skaters like to show off. They want to be seen." Frequently, cities can tack a skate facility onto an existing park if space allows. Co -locating saves parks departments the additional costs of building restrooms or concessions. For example, by building a skate park at Skating terminology Air: skaters have all four wheels :of skates or skateboards off the ground at the same time Grind: a trick performed by scraping one or both skateboard axles on a surface; or by sliding across.a surface on the inline skate frames Half -pipe: a two-sided, U- shaped ramp; it likely will have 90 degree vertical walls Hang up: catching the skate or skateboard on an obstacle, usually causing a fall Keyhole slot: a spillway or smooth entry into a deep bowl Vert: any ramp or surface with a 90 degree incline 62 October 1999 AMERICAN CITY & COUNTY an established recreational site at Bey- er Community Park, Modesto was able to feed off existing amenities as well as site recognition. Hollister, Calif, chose a site close to a roadway for the Hollister Skate Park, which should be completed by next spring, according to David Rub- cic, associate engineer for the city. The facility is being built at Veterans Memorial Park, which already has drainage facilities and restrooms. Although the park is in a residential area, the closest house is about 600 feet away. "We don't anticipate any noise problems," Rubcic says. Since noise can pose problems, many parks departments do not build recreational facilities close to neigh- borhoods. However, in Grand Junc- tion, one group of residents requested that the skate park be built in their neighborhood at a neglected drainage area. The fact that the site had no sewer utilities and, thus, no restroom facilities, added to the $223,000 con- struction cost. Park planners also included heavy landscaping to serve as PARKS & RECREATION a buffer between the skate park and the residents. THE DESIGN 'TEAM Because many parks planners are not familiar with skate park features, designing one presents a unique opportunity for young people and adults to work together, Lemcke says. I had no idea how to build a skate park," he says. "I really relied on the kids' expertise." Continued on p. 70 GIS helps Boise beef up parks management Ince 1990, Boise, Idaho, has grown rapidly, creating an escalating demand for parks and recreational facil- ities. With 80 city -owned parks totaling more than 2,000 acres, the Parks and Recreation Department had difficul- ty managing inventory, maintenance and budgeting for each of its sites. In March 1999, the department imple- mented a GIS -based tool that allows it to manage its properties more efficiently. Prior to developing the GIS, the city used. two tabular database systems for parks facility maintenance and man- agement; the Project Inventory Management System tracked the status of maintenance items, and the)Preven- tive Maintenance Management System tracked the financial ramifications of facility maintenance. Those databases were stored in large notebooks that were diffi- cult to update and handle. As a,i esult, division managers often did not have the information they needed for ordering supplies or budgeting for capital improvements. Recognizing the inefficiencies of that approach, the department contracted with Spatial Dynamics, a local GIS consulting firm, to develop a GIS -based Parks Infor- mation Management System or GecPIMS. The first task in designing the system was to describe and compile the data used by the department's various divisions, including Horticulture, Forestry, Infrastructure and Planning. The information was gathered by inter- viewing division managers and obtaining copies of paper forms used by each division for tracking items and tasks. Using that data, Boise conducted a pilot study of a sin- gle park. The first data layer identified the surface (i.e., turf, asphalt, concrete) for the park and the correspond- ing purpose (soccer, parking, walkway). Parks and Recre- ation staff then used GPS equipment to locate and char- acterize other items such as signs, picnic tables and trash receptacles. Data on the structural components and con- dition of each item was recorded along with its spatial location. After completing the pilot study and refining the database design and applications, staff members com- Boise is using a GIS -based :system to track parks: inventory, location, maintenance and general use. piled data across the,entire parks system for city-wide use in maintenance, planning and other functions. Each division is responsible for updating that information, which can be accessed only by authorized staff. For example, when forestry workers plant a tree, they locate it on the park map and enter information on type and planting date into the database. Similarly, if infrastruc- ture workers replace a sink in a restroom, they update the database. (Backup mechanisms have been estab- lished to protect the integrity of the data from human errors.) The system is based on a custom ArcView application, which supports the direct import of GPS data, GIS data and AutoCAD files. As new parks and features are developed, the staff can integrate the information direct- ly into the system. By using GIS technology as the foun- dation for its management operations, the parks depart- ment is able to generate fast, visual responses to database queries across the entire parks department. This article was written by Trevor Adams, operations manager, and Patti Murphy, community relations coordina- tor for Boise Parks & Recreation. AMERICAN CITY & COUNTY October 1999 63 PARKS-'& RECREATION Mesa residents turn out to plan skate park on the heels of a recent growth spurt, Mesa, Ariz., last year approved a half - cent quality -of -life tax initiative to make improvements for its 380,000 residents. Among the improvements were public safety and transportation upgrades, as well as the addition of a skate park. Planning for the Reed Park Skate Court has involved nearly the entire community, from city officials to the children who will be using the facility when it is completed in 2000. "From the beginning, we knew there was tremendous interest in our providing this facility to the community, so it was important to us to involve the public in our planning process," says Joe Holmwood, Mesa Parks, Mesa skaters took part in planning meetings for the Reed,Park Skate Recreation and Cultural Division director. Court, which will be completed next year. As the planning process got under way, a variety of concerns surfaced. Officials worried about the We expected the skaters would be confrontational liability involved in having an extreme sports facility, about their wishes,",says Planning and Development and they were concerned about the impact of a skate Administrator Bill Way..'But instead, we found them to park on the neighborhood and on other park facilities. be understanding and up to date on the building issues, To address those concerns, Mesa hired a local consult- and we were surprised that they kept liability in; mind." ing firm, The Widforss Group, to assist in researching For example, skaters requested that the architects liability and to serve as a mediator in all public meetings. change some features that were too challenging to ensure At the same time, the city established a 23 -member a safe environment. Skate shop owner Scott Matteson planning committee, composed of architects, designers, was surprised ;by the participants. ."There -were a lot of parents, -business owners, skaters and concerned resi- kids, end-users of the park; who showed up and had their dents. It also included representatives from the city's opinions. I expectedthem to want half pipes — the big - Engineering Division, and police, risk management and ger, more dangerous features but they made their rea- parks departments. sons clear [for their choices]," he says. The committee held three public meetings to obtain On Dec. 21„ 1998, the Mesa City Council approved input from residents on the skate park. More than 250 the plan for the Reed Park Skate Court. The facility, people attended the meetings; 114 people attended the which will be open to skateboarders and inline skaters first meeting to show support for the skate park and to free of charge, will be built at a, former lake site at an share design ideas. existing community park. , Liability concerns decreased after the planning team contacted several companies that insured skate parks. The planners discovered that fewer than 3 percent of the insured skate parks had incurred claims following injuries sustained at the park. With the liability and support issues addressed, the planning committee proceeded with the skate park, hir- ing David Evans and Associates, a national architectural firm headquartered in Portland, Ore., as a consultant. Alan Fishman Associates, Laguna Beach, Calif., signed on as designer. The architects got a number of ideas for the skate park from the committee representatives and from attendees of the public meetings. Skater Marry Murawski and his two brothers were among the youths who attended the first public meeting. "We wanted to be involved," Murawski says. "We wanted to see it built right for skaters." The facility will have threebowls of varying levels of difficulty, including a skate area for small children. It also will include grass, shaded areas and water fountains. The Reed Park Skate Facility Steering Committee, including many of the original planning committee members, will oversee construction of the skate park and develop operations and maintenance guidelines. The committee will stay in place after the facility opens to provide input on rules, events, management, discipline policies, supervision expectations, concessions, instmc- tional opportunities,.accident/emergency procedures and safety education. The Mesa Parks, Recreation and Cul- tural Division will operate the facility and act as lead liaison on all issues. This article was written by Deborah Kuzik, community relations assistant for the Mesa Parks, Recreation and Cul- tural Division. AMERICAN CITY 6,. COUNTY October 1999 69 From p. 63 Skaters in Hollister submitted draw- ings for their skate park. The park planners toned down some of the advanced features that skaters request- ed so that less experienced skaters would have options, too. The 8,000 - square -foot park will include one 3 - foot -deep bowl, one 5 -foot -deep bowl, quarter pipes and various ramps and edges for skateboarders and inline skaters. Including skaters in the design process benefits everyone, Rubcic says. If skaters are involved, they have a sense of ownership, and they will take better care of the park," he says. As in Hollister, planners for Grand Junction's Westlake Skatepark incor- porated ideas and suggestions from local skaters. The park features a 7 - foot -deep rectangular bowl, a free- form 7 -foot -deep open-ended bowl, a street skate area and a 10 -foot -deep bowl with a keyhole slot entryway. Because the park has grown in popu- larity since its May 1997 opening, Grand Junction is constructing a sec- ond facility. Eagle Rim Park, planned for completion by summer 2000, will contain elements for less experienced skaters, including an extensive street skating area, steps, rails and ramps. If I had it to do over, I would have used more space for street skating and not put in the 10 -foot hole [at West- lake]," says Shawn Cooper, Grand Junction parks planner. "The big bowl was geared for very experienced skaters, and it's not getting a whole lot of use. Street skating is the highest use area at Westlake." Modesto's 13,000 -square -foot park also is aimed at intermediate and advanced skaters, and the city may add beginners' facilities at a later date, Lemcke says. The next item on the agenda likely will be lighting. The majority of skate parks sur- veyed by Modesto do not have out- door lights because it is an extra expense and because parks depart- ments do not want skaters to use the parks at night and create noise. Most skate parks are open from dawn to dusk. FUNDING Because of the high cost of concrete and specialized design services, skate parks can be cost -prohibitive for local governments. And, since demand for the facilitiesishigh, many cities rely on financial support from the commu- nity to fund construction. Modesto's research showed that skate parks cost between $50,000 and 200,000, depending on size and the number of features. Modesto's park PARKS & RECREATION Parks partnership guide available The Urban Institute, Washington, D.C., has published a guide for cities and counties looking to improve their public parks through private partnerships. Commissioned by the Lila Wallace—Reader's Digest Fund, Partnership For Parks" offers guidelines for partnering with private -sector parks supporters. The guide examines four questions for public-private parks partnerships: How should public-private partnerships be structured? Who should make decisions? What assets and liabilities do partners bring? How do the partnerships manage risks? A 1994 study by the National Parks and Recreation Association, Ash- burn, Va., showed that $30.7 billion would be needed between 1995 and 1999 to meet public demand for parks services. Results of the study have shown that public-private partnerships can help meet that demand and fos- ter community involvement. To order a copy of "Partnerships For Parks," call Urban Institute Publica- tions, (202) 261-5687. The guide costs $10, including shipping and han- dling. It also may be viewed online at www.urban.org. totaled $145,000, excluding landscap- ing costs. The city contributed 150,000 from its capital improve- ment plan budget, and the task force raised another $40,000 for landscap- ing in three months from outside con- tributors, including parents, business owners, skaters and the city police department. Persons or businesses who gave a minimum of $1,000 received recognition on a permanent plaque at the park. Not all skate parks receive as much in city funding or in private dona- tions. In Hollister, city officials were not always enthusiastic about a skate park, Rubcic says. "The most difficult part of this process has been getting the city council to fund the skate park," he says. In researching liability — a major concern — Rubcic visited eight skate parks for ideas and background infor- mation. Based on other cities' success- es and local demand, the city approved $120,000 to fund the skate park. That amount should be suffi- cient, Rubcic says. If not, the city will turn to the community for donations. MAKING AND BREAKING RULES Ongoing costs for a skate park are minimal, provided that there is no damage to the facility or graffiti to remove. Rules help avoid liability problems as well as costly repairs. For example, most skate parks do not allow bicycles because the metal bike parts can damage the bowls and other skate park elements. Additionally, Lemcke says, parks officials do not want bikers colliding with skaters and causing injuries. Modesto and Grand Junction skate parks also have strict rules about graf- fiti. Most skateboarders decorate their boards with paint and stickers, but city officials did not want the same items plastered around the skate parks. Grand Junction park planners and local skaters agreed on "self -policing" to prevent graffiti or "tagging" with stickers. "If the park is tagged, the skaters know we will shut it down until we can clean it up or cover it over," says Mari Steinbach, recreation superintendent for the city. To enforce rules about skate park hours, graffitiand litter, some cities ticket unlawful skaters. But, for the 70 October 1999 _ AMERICAN CITY & COUNTY most part, they rely on skaters to enforce the rules. Despite vows from the Modesto Task Force skaters to obey the rules, within three weeks of the grand open- ing of the Modesto Skate Park, skaters were breaking rules. They were seen without helmets or pads and skating at night; bikers were riding amidst skaters; and residents had started conn- plaining about the litter. Police responded by issuing $54 citations to those violating the rules. Lemcke also set up a deal with a park concessions vendor to give a free bag of shaved ice to skaters who picked up a bag full of trash at the park. Skaters now do more self -polic- ing, and police issue warnings to rule - breakers before writing citations, according to Lemcke. No 'HANG UPS' Even with its somewhat rocky beginning, Modesto's skate park has proven to be a success. In fact, Lem- cke says, after the park opened, the parks department received about 10 calls each day from other municipal parks planners requesting information about skate park funding, RFPs, rules and other details. Modesto responded by printing a guide outlining the entire skate park process. The city has sold about 200 copies at $25 each. As the popularity of skating contin- ues to increase, many city officials are StayTurfo Par. Pending StayTurf® Our new revolutionary product provides immediate soil stabilization as well permanent reinforcement for vegetation. Water flowing over StayTurf on an 18% slope under extreme conditions. Water velocity is 4 meters per second with a volume of 13.2 cubic meters per second. 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Still, many pro- posed skate parks garner mixed reac- tions from city officials and residents, who want to see funds going toward roads and other critical infrastructure. Most cities can afford both, Rubcic says. "What people don't understand is that the skate park is going to get skaters into a more controlled area." By creating an arena specifically for skaters, officials reduce the potential for skating -related damage to munici- pal or private property, and they get skaters out of pedestrian areas. "We have seen a reduction in illegal skat- ing by at least 50 percent since we built the skate park," Lemcke says. That's one of the big pluses." i`c Kristin Winn, public communications coordinator for Grand Junction, Colo., contributed to this article. Performance Now makes it easy to implement an effective perfor- mance management system. 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