HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Packet 03-14-2002Regular Meeting of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission
March 14, 2002, 7 p.m.
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes
3. Visitor Presentations
a. Athletic Associations
b. Staff — Diane Evans
c. Others
4. Report on Past Council Action
a. West Medicine Lake Park restrooms
b. Accepted annual report and work plan
5. Unfinished Business
a. Northwest Greenway
b. Millennium Garden update
c. Hilde Performance Center update
d. Greenwood youth sports update
e.
6. New Business
a. Review and approve Mud Lake neighborhood park master plan — Barry Warner
b.
7. Commission Presentation
8. Staff Communication
9. Adjourn
Next regular meeting — April 11, 2002
n\parks\staff\eric\prac\agendas\Mar02. doc
Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
February 14, 2002
Page 4
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Rezabek, Weir, Meyer, Musliner, Fiemann;
Councilmember Hewitt; staff Blank and Pederson
Absent: Singer
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the February meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers.
A motion was made by Commissioner Weir and seconded by Commissioner Rezabek to
approve the minutes of the January meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff. Director Blank stated that Diane Evans will be starting on March 4th as the new
Superintendent of Recreation. She will be at the March meeting.
c. Others. None.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. The Northwest Greenway was presented to the Council and it was unanimously adopted.
The Council chose paved trails over crushed limestone, which had been PRAC's
recommendation. Blank says we're five years away from owning anything or paving
anything. The issue will be reviewed again thoroughly before anything is done. No
definite decision has been made at this time. Cost will be a deciding factor. Blank said we
will print several 11 x 17 maps, for the public to have if they wish, and a number of
booklets will be printed on the greenway plan, which would also be available to the
public at a minimal cost. Fiemann asked about the land for an elementary school. Blank
said the school district has purchased land on County Road 47 and Dunkirk for this
school.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Construction began on the Millennium Garden. Arbor footings and foundations are in, the
hole for the fountain has been dug. Contractors are scrambling to move heavy equipment
into place, because road restrictions will be placed in the near future. We will add a little
article in the next city newsletter advertising that people can still purchase bricks, etc., or
make donations. We've raised about $310,000 so far along with the City's $200,000.
b. Hilde Performance Center. The water line is in and sewer line construction has begun.
That will be finished in three or four days. Structural steel will be arriving tomorrow. At
PRAC Minutes/February 2002
Page 5
the end of the month the long span 50 foot arched blue beams will arrive. We're on
schedule. The Civic League is planning a reception for Al and Jayne Hilde on Sunday,
June 30th. PRAC will be invited. Music in Plymouth is July 2. We're down to selecting
colors. So far, a yellow scheme and a blue scheme are being considered.
c. Greenwood Sports Complex. Baseball teams will commence playing on June 1. There
will be one uniform sign at the main entrance. We will design it, and the school district
will help fund it. There will be a grand opening, date to be determined.
d. West Medicine This future of this project is in question. The ground is very poor below
the building. We cannot find a place to support a structure. We are going to recommend
abandoning the project and continue with using satellites. We cannot justify $270,000 for
bathrooms. If the Council wants the bathrooms, we will go ahead. Piers have to be driven
down 35 feet to support structure. A permanent building will be there in about five years,
so until then we will continue with satellites. We may be able to rent a portable trailer
style toilet facility, which is a little higher class than satellites. Councilmember Hewitt
recommended that we get them cleaned more often. We were not happy with our satellite
service last year, but we have a new provider this year.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Annual Report approval. Blank stated this item needs to be approved and fowarded to
the City Council. Blank stated that it's important to celebrate grand openings. The
manufacturer has asked to participate in the grand opening of the skate park, along with
Sports Hut. The baseball association will want to do something for the first games at
Greenwood. The Mud Lake neighborhood park will be a big project in 2002. Some
special facilities to research include a bike park and dog park. Third sheet of ice at the Ice
Center has been discussed. The Northwest Greenway will move into development phase.
Seniors are excited about the Plymouth Creek Center. The youth are still looking for
options for a place to call home. We have a renter in the basement of the Plymouth Creek
Center. We don't want to move him out just yet. The 10th playfield will be a primary
acquisition for us. We have an old warming house at Ridgemount that needs to be
improved. Our maintenance crews will take a look at that and come up with some type of
plan. Youth survey came back, and Regina will come to a meeting and talk about that.
We are hearing that kids are not really very interested in coming to a City facility for a
teen center. Fiemann stated that he's heard lots of complaints about outdoor ice this
winter. He wondered what it would cost to do a rink or two like the John Rose Oval. The
John Rose Oval is an artificial rink and is completely refrigerated, Blank said. MN
Amateur Sports Commission funded it. We have asphalt on one of our rinks on
Fembrook Lane. It costs us about $20,000 to asphalt a rink. It would cost more to use
concrete. We have a budget for when skating rinks open. We try to open them on or
about December 20th. In a normal winter, rinks would be ready by then. Blank had a
meeting with the Wayzata Hockey Associations. They asked if they could put piping in
under a rink, but then they discovered it was too expensive. Blank explained that you
have to buy compressors and a building to store them. This also involves grooming the
rinks, probably every other hour. We are willing to work with them, but maybe it's better
to put money into a third indoor rink. Providence Academy may be interested in a third
PRAC Minutes/February 2002
Page 6
sheet of ice at the Ice Center. Fiemann asked Hewitt if she had any suggestions for 2002
work plan. She didn't have any additions. Anderson commented on how popular the
Plymouth Creek Center has been. MEYER MOVED TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL
REPORT AS PRESENTED. WEIR SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL
AYES. Blank thanked commissioners for a good year.
b. Mud lake. SRF is the consultant for this new park. They are also the consultant for four
different planning components all coming together in the vicinity of Mud Lake. Next
week, a staff meeting is being convened with the Highway Department, Three Rivers
Park District, our engineering staff, etc. Number one thing is crossing Highway 47. There
will be a quick study on the possibility of an underpass under 47. The entire
neighborhood has been invited to the first planning meeting on February 27. One
neighborhood meeting may be all that is necessary before the master plan comes to
PRAC on March 14. If a second meeting is necessary, it would be on March 6. PRAC
approval on March 14 would allow the plan to move forward to the City Council in early
April. A contract could be awarded in early June, so construction would begin shortly
thereafter. The neighborhood is petitioning to change the name of the lake to Lake
Camelot. The park. could then be called Camelot Park. Musliner asked if it was customary
to have the consultant design the playground. Blank said we do that in—house. The
consultant just Suggests the best location. Consultant gets permits, which is time
consuming and technical in nature. The underpass is another area where they could get
involved. The only time County Road 47 is busy is during morning and afternoon rush
hour. We need to get across to parents that they are responsible for their children and
getting them safely to the park, if they are not old enough to cross the street alone. We
can list a number of parks with high traffic volume where we have no overpasses or
underpasses. We do want to clean up the lake. We've been working with the DNR, and
they are giving us the green light to drain lake this summer, by opening a culvert, which
will take out 90% of the water. When it's dry in the fall, we will disk the bottom, and
then in the spring, plug it back up and refill it. We will have to do a floating boardwalk,
and it will be easier to do this when the lake is empty. We expect to start that process in
the summer, if the DNR continues to support us.
c. East Beach repairs. Staff is going to the City Council at their next meeting requesting
approval to do repairs here Blank said, along with Zachary Playfield parking lot repairs.
d. Medicine Lake Sailing Club. Blank stated he was approached by the Medicine Lake
Sailing Club, which currently rents slips from Joe Harty. They want to increase size of
the Sailing Club but have no way to do that. The City owns property north and south of
Harty's site. The Sailing Club has asked if we would consider leasing property so they
could put docks out and moor some additional sailboats. The problem is parking, Blank
said. There's no place to put additional parking. The Sailing Club tried to work
something out with Joe Harty for parking, but he is not interested. The Sailing Club will
probably continue to pursue this issue. Harty's is a non—conforming use. He is not
allowed to grow. Resolutions have been passed by the Council limiting him to so many
slips for renting boats. The neighbors don't want any additional parking. He's a business
in a residential area. We have to provide ice fishing access to Medicine Lake. We have
PRAC Minutes/February 2002
Page 7
one access on the west side, and one on the east side located at Harty's. Blank is
anticipating that the Sailing Club is going to come back asking to rent an area on the
south end of East Beach. The lake is shallow there, Blank said. Rezabek asked if we
could do a City dock that people could rent. We have already considered this Blank said.
Neighborhood didn't want that. Harty has a waiting list of people wanting to rent slips
from him. Musliner asked about the possibility of satellite parking somewhere else and
shuttling to the site. Blank said they may go to Ryerson Steel and ask to park there. The
Sailing Club doesn't want to launch boats from French Park, because the process of
rigging each boat is very time consuming.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Musliner asked about some digging taking place on Dunkirk, along 25th. Blank said perhaps
it's ditch cleaning. This is a very overgrown site.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
None.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
PLYMOUTH TEEN SURVEY
RESULTS
Total of 112 surveys collected at Wayzata High School. Number in () is the total number of surveys with that answer.
1. Your age?
11-12
13-14
15-16
17-18
0%
4% (4)
65% (73)
31% (35)
2. Are you a Plymouth resident?
Yes 81% (91)
No 19% (21)
3. Which School District do you attend school in?
Osseo
Hopkins
Pobbinsdale
Wayzata 1007 (1 12)
4. Are you involved in extracurricular school program?
6campleo. Soccer, Debate, Drumlin
Yes 81% (91)
No 19% (21)
5. Are you currently employed?
Yes 507. (56)
No 50% (55)
6. Were you employed during the summer?
Yes 67% (75)
No- 33%- (37)
7. Do you plan to work next Summer?
Yes 94% (105)
No 6% (7)
8. Do you have a valid driver's licence?
Yeo 53% (59)
No 47% (53)
N.\Parks\STAFF\Regina\Teens\survey RESULTS.doe
9. Do you own a vehicle or have regular access to a
family vehicle for your own use?
Yes 70% 78)
No 30% 34)
10. How do you get to and from school?
School Bus 26% 29)
Parent 20% 22)
Drive Yourself 54% 60)
Walk/Slke 1% 1)
11.Do you think there is a need for a teen gathering
place in Plymouth? (i.e., Teen Center)
Yes 50% (56)
No 48% (54)
Maybe 2% (2)
12. 19 there a place(e) that currently.meets the need
for a teen gathering place in Plymouth? (i.e., Movie
Theatre, Coffee Shop)
Ye9 60% (67)
No 38% (43)
Not Answered 2% (2)
13. Are you in favor of having the City of Plymouth
estaDlish a gathering place for teen?
Yes 57% (64)
No 38% (43)
Maybe 3% (3)
Not Answered 2% (2)
Ell bI
t s4_4s Rb' .t Kfw !N rjc/'e.(.t
ANraG^-o'e
Yr
a place for teens to established, where would
you prefer it be located?
City building 11% (12)
City park facility 16% (18)
Kenovated building 49% (55)
Other: 11% (12)
Not Answered 12% (13)
16. How often do you think you would make use of the
teen establishment?
Adult Board 4%
1-5 times per week 12% 13)
1-5 times per month 33% 37)
1-5 times per year 22% 25)
Never 267. 29)
Not Answered 3% 3)
Combination of month/year 4% 5)
17. During the school year, when would you make use
of the teen establishment?
Adult Board 4%
Afternoons (2:30-5 pm) 5% 6)
Evenings (5-9 pm) 6% 7)
Weekends 29% 33)
Never 30% 34)
Not Answered 41. 4)
Combo of afternoons & evenings 7% 7)
Combo of weekends & evening 18% 20)
15. During the summer, when would you make use of
the teen establishment'?
Adult Board 4%
Days (9 am -5 pm) 9)
Evenings (5-9 pm) 25% 28)
Weekends 11% 12)
Never 347. 38)
Not Answered 411 4)
Combo of days & evenings 61 8)
Combo of evenings & weekends 12% 13)
N:\Parks\STAFF\Regina\Teens\survey RESULTS.doe
21. Do you think a daily entrance fee should be
charged at the teen establishment?
Yes 25% (28)
No 71% (79)
Not Answered 4% (5)
If yes, how much do you think it should be? $2-
5.00, weekly pass.
22. Who do you thinks should run / make decisions
about the teen establishment?
Adult Board 4% 4)
Teen Board 46% 51)
Teen/Adult Board 42% 47)
Not Answered 6% 7)
Teen or Teen/Adult Board 3% 3)
23. Would you be willing to serve on a Board of
Directors for the teen establishment?
Yes 35% (39)
No 59% (66)
Maybe 1% (1)
Not Answered 5% (6)
24. Would you be willing to do volunteer work at the
teen establishment?
Yes 44% 49)
No 49% 55)
Maybe 4% 4)
Not Answered 4% 4)
WHIM MTOMMIM
l "^j Y£I#k iF/32iPb'G't ifiZh .:i Y Ii`FLGNl '4f(,
A C:r/
do you think there are enough recreation activities
available to teens?
Yes 38% 43)
No 53% 59)
Not Answered 8% 9)
Undecided . 1 % 1)
27. What recreation activities (if any) do you think
r
i%o (ia;'y Ifs EJtGti tlir,'lrrr
28. Have you heard or read about any of the teen
recreation activities offered by Plymouth Park &
PIeG?
recreation activity —
Yes 2870 (31)
No 63% (71)
Not Anowered 9% (9)
If yes, where did you hear or read about the
activities?
29. Have you participated in any teen recreation
activities offered by Plymouth Park & Pec?
Yes 21% (23)
No 69% (77)
Not Answered 11% (12)
t
30. What fee amount would you be willing to pay for a
recreation activity — if the event really appealed?
0-15 55% (62)
0-50 19% (21)
0-60 100 (11)
04150 $150 4% (4)
Not Answered 13% (14)
31. Po you think transportation to and from the
activity site should be provided for you?
Yee 30°70 (34)
No 58% (65)
Maybe 1% (1)
Not Answered 11% (12)
N:\Parks\STAFF\Regina\Teens\survey RESULTS.doc
DATE: March 11, 2002
FROM: Eric J. Blank, Director, Parks and Recreation
SUBJECT: Mud Lake Park Master Plan
The City's consultant, Barry Warner from SRF, will be present at the meeting Thursday
evening to present to you the proposed master plan for Mud Lake neighborhood park. This is
the presentation that was made to the citizens two weeks ago at the neighborhood meeting.
Although there were no commissioners present at the neighborhood meeting, Councilmember
and Commission liaison Sandra Hewitt was present at the design meeting. The consensus from
the residents in attendance at the meeting is that we should move forward with the master plan
as presented by the consultant.
I am attaching correspondence that I have received since the meeting, which also supports the
plan as proposed. I am sorry that I do not have any small graphics of the park to present to
you with this staff report. The park is so large with the lake being in the middle, it's very
difficult to show it in small scale, which would give you any detail on the project. As always,
if you don't think that the plan is ready to be passed on to the City Council, we will wait until
you have had further time to review it.
EB/np
attachments
C 0 N S U L T I N G GROUP, INC.
Transportation • Civil • Structural • Environmental • Planning • Traffic • Landscape Architecture • Parking
MEMORANDUM
DATE: March 6, 2002
TO: Eric Blank
FROM: Ken Grieshaber
RE: Mud Lake Park
Eric,
Enclosed is scaled site plan showing potential location for half court basketball. This
location provides a 50-60' buffer with the play areas that could also be enhanced with a
3- 3 1/2 ` high berm and landscaping. We may also want to slightly modify the
orientation of the pathway leading to the basketball court in order to provide a better
north/south orientation for the court area. Some of the other comments heard at the
neighborhood meeting about the park included:
Installing a larger picnic shelter to accommodate more people.
Making sure there are provisions for shade around the play containers.
Look at different options for creating a buffer with County Road 47 using
landscaping or vinyl clad chain link fencing as an alternative to a split rail fence.
Look at doing landscape screen enhancements between trail and adjacent
residential properties on the east side of Mud Lake.
There was a concern expressed about the possibility of the boardwalk overlook becoming
a hang out for late night activity and the potential need for an additional satellite.
Let me know if there are any other changes or additions you would like to see made to
the site plan for the PRAC meeting. I will be out of the office March 7-11 and back on
Tuesday morning if you have any more questions or comments.
One Carlson Parkway North, Suite 150, Minneapolis, MN 55447-4443
Telephone (763) 475-0010 Fax (763) 475-2429 http://www.srfconsulting.com
An Equal Opportunity Employer
March 1, 2002
Mr. Eric Blank, Director
Parks & Recreation Department
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
via email 3-1-02
eblank@ci.plymouth.mn.us
RE: Proposed Mud Lake Neighborhood Park
Dear Eric:
Upon attending the neighborhood meeting for the above park last Wednesday
evening, I wanted to first commend you and your consultants for your efforts in
making this project a reality. I think that the design and layout will help make this
a quality park. My wife Wendy and I are very excited about the walking trails,
boardwalk and possible canoe rack. Based on my own personal observations of
children in our neighborhood and on the north side of County Road 47, 1 am
convinced that this will be a very heavily utilized facility — even with the park
service area only 30% developed! Because of this, I felt it necessary to forward
a few thoughts regarding the contents of the park.
Skating
At the meeting I asked about the possibility of providing a skating facility at this
location. I completely understand the rationale that you and your consultants
gave for not proposing such a facility on the lake (safety, weeds/ice integrity,
maintenance, false expectations for skating in "warm winters", more desirable
rink locations off of lakes, etc). Despite this, I feel strongly that such a facility
would provide for a winter destination/use of the park. Could a small area within
the park be graded to accommodate a small rink area? Or could a skating track
be plowed on the pond during cold winters? Indoor skating facilities are a great
thing, but In Minnesota, we need to utilize the cold weather and provide the
unique opportunity to skate in as many areas as possible.
I don't think that a warming house is necessary for such a facility since parking
will be available for 6 to 8 vehicles (minivans and SUVs work great as warming
houses!). Alternatively, adults and older children could walk to the rink and
change to skates at the picnic shelter, for instance.
I really appreciated your willingness to "leave the door open" on this suggestion
at the meeting. Could we discuss this possibility further? I truly think that a
strong interest could be shown for such a facility.
Young Adult & Adult Facilities
Please let me preface the following suggestions with my understanding that a
park cannot be all things to all people. However, it did seem that the "adult"
facilities at the park were more passive activities (picnic shelter and walking
trails). Could a basketball court and/or sand volleyball court be provided (such
as the facilities at West Medicine Lake Park, which we have frequented on
several occasions)? My guess is that these would be relatively low-cost and low -
maintenance facilities providing a more intensive/competitive use for older
children, teenagers and adults. These activities would also fit well with the picnic
shelter concept.
I don't recall what the topography is like, but it looked as though spatially there
was plenty of room within the "buffer" area between the tot lot and County Road
47 to incorporate something of this nature.
With each neighborhood park servicing approximately one square mile, we would
like to see that the park provides a balanced allotment of available activities for
all ages. From our personal perspective, we have lived here for nearly 6 years
and have looked forward to the day that this park became a reality.
Unfortunately, our children will probably "outgrow" this park before it is
completed. It is from this perspective that got us thinking about the available
facilities proposed at the park.
I hope that you receive these comments in the spirit of open dialogue, as I
certainly do not want to come across as critical of this park. Again, we are very
appreciative of your current and past efforts to providing quality parks and
facilities throughout the City of Plymouth.
Troy and Wendy Gamble
1382557 th Avenue North
Plymouth, MN 55446
763-383-1084 (day)
763-519-0723 (home)
tgamfam@juno.com, or
tgamble@raa-eng.com
Eric Blank
From: JOEBK@aol.com
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 12:53 PM
To: eblank@ci.plymouth.mn.us
Subject: Mud Lake Park
Dear Mr. Blank:
Thank you again for your presentation to the residents of Lake Camelot Estates. Due to several other commitments,
won't be able to attend the Commission meeting on March 14th. I wanted to again say that your plans for the park are
wonderful. I am concerned about crossing County Road 47 and have been for the eight years that I have lived here. I feel
your short, mid and long term plans for crossing the road are very adequate and much appreciated Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Jean Kessler
13825 58th Ave N.
Eric Blank
From: Ann M Novacheck [anovacheck@lindquist.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 3:28 PM
To: Eblank@ci.plymouth.mn.us
Subject: activities for older children in East Plymouth
The purpose of this email is to ask the City of Plymouth to provide some sort of an activity area for children 12+ years of
age in the East Plymouth area. An appropriate age level activity area would be something like a skate or dirt bike park.
My family lives in the Heritage Estates subdivision. There are many children in the area of Northwest Boulevard that are in
this age category, and there are no facilities for the types of activities that they like to engage in with their friends. As a
result, kids are trying to provide such opportunities for themselves by building jumps in the wooded area of Heritage Park
and in neighborhood streets. We feel that this is very dangerous for the kids and are hopeful that the City will help us
resolve this issue.
The City did a wonderful thing for this age group by installing the traffic light and crosswalk at the corner of Medicine Lake
Road and Northwest Boulevard. The light has provided comfort to parents in allowing these kids to cross Northwest and
as a result many more of the kids are freely walking and riding their bikes to see friends on the other side of Northwest. A
park destination for them would be a terrific addition.
I appreciate your consideration of this issue. If I can be of any assistance in furthering a project such as this one, please
let me know. Thank you.
Ann Novacheck
3510 Rosewood Lane
Plymouth, MN 55441
763-550-0280
Ann Novacheck
Lindquist & Vennum P.L.L.P.
612-371-3917
March 3, 2002
City of Plymouth
Director: Parks & Recreation
3400 Plymouth Blvd
Plymouth, MN. 55447-1482
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing to thank you for providing a skating rink this past winter at Turtle Lake Park
46`" & Lanewood Lane). I have three young children who enjoyed skating with my wife
and me throughout this winter. I know that a number of other families in the neighborhood
enjoyed the rink as well.
Last year the rink was not provided, and I wrote you to voice my disappointment. I also
requested that it be flooded in the future. I was very pleased to see that the rink was
available this year. I'm not sure if I can credit it to my letter, but regardless, I appreciate the
change.
I have been very pleased with the Plymouth Parks & Recreation and the outstanding
facilities and programs you provide for our city. Thank you again, and I hope you keep
Turtle Lake Park on the list as you flood the rinks each year.
Sincerely,
JohdLorbiecki
4610 Lanewood Ln N.
Plymouth, MN. 55446
763)551-1453