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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 09-08-20161 Approved Minutes September 8, 2016 Approved Minutes Park & Recreation Advisory Commission Thursday, September 8, 2016 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Merrilee Riley, Vice Chair Aaron Vanderwall, Commissioners: Greg Anderson, Dick Burkhardt, Tricia DeBleeckere, Michael Swanson, Kipp Wyse MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Parks & Recreation Director Diane Evans, Deputy Director Barb Northway, Forester Paul Buck, Office Support Specialist Sarah Josephs COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES: Councilmember Ned Carroll 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Riley called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Wyse, recommending approval of the May 12, 2016 Park and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting minutes as written. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. 3. OPEN FORUM: Steve Carns of 18225 39th Ave N spoke first at Open Forum. He lives in the Walnut Grove Pond development near the corner of Medina Road and Troy Lane. Residents are concerned over the safety of walking or biking along Medina Road. Currently there is only access to the nearby park and other city trail systems by walking on Medina Road. Within this stretch of road there is a blind spot making it hard for motorists to see any pedestrians on the road. With the increase in home development the traffic has increased on Medina Road. Mr Carns and other residents have to walk along the curb or grass to safely get to the next trail, park, or school. Mr. Carns noted that in 2011 Gap #43 was addressed and estimated to cost $311,000. There were neighborhood meetings and the housing development to the west rejected the need for a trail. The Walnut Grove Pond development has many avid bikers and walkers and they are looking for a safe way in and out of their neighborhood without having to walk on Medina Road. Jan Kjellberg of 18230 39th Ave N spoke next at Open Forum. Ms. Kjellberg regularly walks in the neighborhood, but dislikes walking along Medina road due to how fast the cars are moving past her. She shared that there is not a shoulder on the road to provide any distance between walkers and traffic. Where Medina Road runs east/west there is a safety concern when the sun is facing the drivers, making it hard to see pedestrians. At times she will walk along Medina Road on the grass. The terrain in this area is on a hill so she ends up walking at a slant. She does not feel comfortable pushing a stroller along this route, or having her grandchildren ride their bikes to the nearby Honey & Mackey’s. 2 Approved Minutes September 8, 2016 Director Evans shared that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission did review the road section along with other trail gaps. An open house was held for the residents living nearby. In speaking with those in attendance, there were more residents against the project than for the project. It creates a challenge to add a new trail when there isn’t support of the neighboring residents. Director Evans included that trail gap #43 will remain in the queue of trails that need to be completed. Currently there are 4-5 other requests for trail gaps to be completed in 2018. Within the next 5 -6 months the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission will be deciding which trails to complete in 2018. During the time that the trail gap initially was being discussed the country was just coming out of a recession and budgets were tight. There were limited funds to complete all of the projects desired. Since there was opposition to the trail project staff moved forward with a different project. Director Evans recommended that the residents present tonight should create a petition and speak with other residents near Medina Road. It would also help to communicate with those residents along the proposed trail route and have their support. Residents are welcome to come to future Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meetings to hear discussions on trail gaps. Chair Riley shared with residents that every trail gap in the city has been identified and will remain on our project list until they are all completed. Commi ssioners and staff will continue to have conversations with neighbors and help to move projects forward. At times trails are moved ahead of others due to grands or outside funding available. Mr. Carns asked if it would ever be possible to complete a portion of the trail gap, or if it has to be the entire project. Their neighborhood runs along the backside of Greenwood Elementary. They would like a paved trail leading to the school. Director Evans answered that we would complete the whole project as opposed to in two separate sections. Commissioner DeBleeckere asked what the typical trail gap cycle is. Director Evans shared that trail gaps are reviewed every other year. Initially the city began by completing the smaller, easier trails. Now they are moving on to the more difficult and expensive trail gaps. In 2017 staff will review costs of the gaps and decide which ones to move forward with. Those trail projects are added to the CIP for the City Council to approve when reviewing 2018 projects. Mr. Carns inquired as to when a petition should be handed in to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission. Director Evans explained that we only have two more meetings in 2016. Commissioners will most likely be discussing trails at their March 2017 meeting. She recommended presenting the petition by this meeting date. Commissioner DeBleeckere inquired as to how we could educate the area residents as to which utilities and trees may be affected. Director Evans shared that we would only know the full impact once an Engineering report has been completed on the project. Chair Riley thanked the residents for attending the meeting and sharing their concerns. There will be lots of opportunities in the future to continue these discussions and educate the neighborhood on the impact of a trail. Commissioner Anderson encouraged the residents present to connect with their City Council member to make sure they are aware of the issue. By starting a dialog with them it will allow them to understand the resident’s concerns. 3 Approved Minutes September 8, 2016 4. PRESENTATIONS (NON-ACTION ITEMS): 4a. Emerald Ash Borer – Paul Buck City Forester Paul Buck presenting information regarding the recent findings of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Plymouth. EAB moves from tree to tree and feeds under the bark. Each borer lays around 80 eggs. Within 5 years, there are approximately 200,000,000 EAB within that original tree. This constant feeding of millions of EAB results in the tree dying. Once the tree is no longer sustainable, the EAB moves to a new tree and repeats the process. Communities in the area have been on top of the EAB issue by removing affected trees as soon as they are found. Plymouth is estimated to be within year 5 of the cycle. There were 3 trees with EAB found in south eastern Plymouth last year. After completing a ½ mile radius search around that site 6 more trees were removed as a precaution. It is important to remove any potentially infected trees right away before they begin to dry out. Within 2 years of infection branches begin to break and fall off. EAB is unable to be stopped, we are able to spread out the impact over the next few years. The largest impact will likely be felt in 5 years. A large impact of the tree removal is that it increases water usage for yards as there is now lawn and landscaping to take care of. The removal of trees also creates an increase in storm water runoff. The City’s Ash tree inventory accounts for 4.5% of all park trees, 4.7% of all street trees, and 12% of all private trees. The Forestry Department has been treating the Ash trees in Plymouth on an every other year basis. Trees on the west side of the city are treated in odd years while trees on the east side of the city are treated in even years. This year’s treatments were tough to apply due to the heavy rain this summer. If the trees are too wet, the medicine does not take as well as in a dry tree. The Forestry Department will continue to remove trees that pose a threat to safety. 4b. Open Space Management Plan Update – Paul Buck The City currently manages 7 open spaces. Crews have been setting up boundary posts to prevent encroachment from neighboring residents. Another major project at each open space has been the removal of buckthorn so that native plants can begin re-growing. Each open space has been rated from high to low by its buckthorn density. The process of removing buckthorn involves hand pulling the plants and then applying a chemical treatment to the site. A crew is designated to work on buckthorn removal 2 days a week for 8 hours a day 9 months of each year. Residents near the open spaces have given positive feedback since the buckthorn has been removed. They appreciate being able to see more of the natural plants and greenspace. 4 Approved Minutes September 8, 2016 4c. Tree Preservation Ordinance – Paul Buck The City Forester currently allots 1/3 of his time to tree preservation in the city. When new development takes place within the city a plan is put before City Council for their approval. At that time Forester Buck receives a copy of the plan and initiates a site walk to establish where the trees currently are and which trees need to be saved. His ultimate goal is to save as many trees as possible. Developers also benefit by saving larger trees. When a developer creates a plan for the site they are allowed to remove up to 50% of the total width of trees without facing any penalties. Once the 50% has been reached they have to plant trees back into the site at a rate of 1 ¼” width for every 1” removed. If it does not work within the site plan to replant those trees then they have the option to plant those trees nearby. A third option would be to pay the city a fine for removing more than 50% of the tree width in their development. The fine is $150 per inch of width. Those fees would be used to purchase and plant trees elsewhere within the city. Currently the fund is being used to purchase and plant trees within the Northwest Greenway. A caveat when planting the new trees is that they must not be planted in the boulevard. Once in the boulevard they become the city’s responsibility to maintain and trim. The question was raised as to whether or not new homeowners are informed about where to plant any future trees. Forester Buck explained that there is not a process of notifying new or current homeowners where to plant trees in their yards. In many cases there are too many utilities running along the boulevard that prevents trees from being safely planted there. When new homes are built, the developer needs to put at least two trees in every front yard. Forester Buck will maintain an inventory of the new trees planted and make sure that they are recorded in the city GIS map. During a final inspection, Forester Buck will make sure the appropriate amount of trees have been preserved. If any of the trees have been damaged during the building process the builder must pay the city $150 for every inch of width damaged. Deputy Parks Director Northway added that there is a Community Planting Fund within the Parks and Forestry budget. This fund is supplied by tree preservation fines as well as proceeds from the annual tree and shrub sale. Each year the city spends around $15,000 on planting trees. With the upcoming effects of EAB on the city’s ash trees, staff are anticipating replacing a large number of those trees each year as well. The Community Planting Fund will also cover the replacement of trees damaged during storms. Director Evans shared that the City Council will be meeting to review the tree preservation plan. In preparation for the meeting Forester Buck has polled a few cities to see how they preserve trees. A copy of the survey is included with the meeting packet. The question was asked about how tree removals are paid for. Tree removals are actually in a line item by itself, separate from the Community Planting Fund. The Parks and Forestry Department has been educating residents to begin planting new trees so that they are a few years old before EAB infects the ash trees and must be subsequently removed. They are also encouraging residents with ash trees to begin removing them over the next couple years to eliminate the tree dying and losing branches. 5 Approved Minutes September 8, 2016 5. NEW BUSINESS (ACTION ITEMS): 5a. 2016 Department Strategic Goals – Mid Year Review (ACTION) Every year the Parks and Recreation Department completes a mid year review of its goals for the year. This review is also a part of the CAPRA Reaccreditation process. Progress is being made on the Northwest Greenway Phase 2, running from Vicksburg Lane west to the Plymouth Dog Park. Construction crews are hoping to lay asphalt on the trail but will need to wait an additional week for the ground to dry before grading. The new pedestrian bridge will be a great addition. Hopefully , the project will be substantially complete in October. Staff would like to hold a ribbon cutting either in October or early spring 2017 for residents to come see the Northwest Greenway firsthand. The Plymouth Ice Center (PIC) parking lot project is substantially complete, all that remains are a few warranty items. The project will officially close next year. Staff are very happy with how the project turned out. Visitors will notice the increase in parking spots come winter when the PIC is at its busiest. Work has begun on the new neighborhood park, Aspen Ridge Park. This park will connect with the Northwest Greenway, just south of the Plymouth Dog Park. Crews have been working on this park in unison with the Northwest Greenway. The concrete work is complete and the park is ready for the playground equipment to be installed. The Miracle Field/Universal Playground is still being proposed for Zachary Playfield. The Zakkary Johnson Foundation is still in the process of raising the funds needed to build the playground. Construction can begin once the funds have been fully collected. The question was asked regarding how long the city will wait on the project. Director Evans shared that the playground at Zachary Playfield is scheduled to be replaced in 2019. If Zakkary Johnson Foundation is not ready at that point , we may have to just move forward and replace the playground as scheduled. The playground replacements at Three Ponds Park and Gateway Park are now complete. There still is some trail work that remains at Three Ponds Park. The fishing pier at Three Ponds Park was also relocated to the other side of the pond. The trail along the south side of Old Rockford Road is now in place. There is still utility work and grading that needs to be completed along the road. Since the trail is abutting a road they require the trail width to be 10’ as opposed to the typical 8’ trail. Several other projects within the city have wrapped up recently. The tennis courts at Parkers Lake Playfield have received a new court floor, nets and fencing. The parking lot at the Plymouth Creek Center was also recently completed. On Thursday, September 15 a Grand Opening will be held at the new Pump Track at Plymouth Playfield. Erik’s Bike Shop will be on hand with bike demonstration. This is the first Pump Track in the State of Minnesota. Sue McLean and Associates held two outdoor concerts this summer. Attendance was not huge, but visitors enjoyed the show. Another concert promoter has approached the city with an interest in hosting a paid event as well. Staff are in the middle of a recreation software replacement. Commissioners will hear more about the new system at the December PRAC meeting. There has been a year long 6 Approved Minutes September 8, 2016 transition process in order to get the new system ready. Notifications will go out to residents to explain how to use the new system. Plymouth Creek Center Manager, Susan Muelken, has taken a Recreation Manager position with the City of Apple Valley. The hiring process has begun to find a replacement for her. The new hire should be in place by the end of September. The annual Volunteer Recognition event will take place on Tuesday , October 4. Commissioners are invited to attend the event at the Plymouth Creek Center. Motion by Commissioner Burkhardt, seconded by Vice Chair Vanderwall, recommending the 2016 Department Strategic Goals – Mid Year Review as presented. With no objection, the motion passed. 6. COMMISSIONER/STAFF UPDATE Plymouth on Parade is coming up on September 24, 2016. There are currently 60 units registered to participate in the parade. Since this is an election year, we anticipate the parade to have a large turn-out of units. The route starts at the intersection of 34th Ave/Plymouth Blvd (by the post office) and will run past the Ice Center to 37th Ave/Plymouth Blvd. We use the Plymouth Creek Center and West Lutheran High School for line up parking and the Ice Center/Life Time Fitness parking lot for units to finish at. Units line up along each side of 34th Ave, stopping before Fernbrook Lane. The Parade will start at 11:30am. Following the parade there will be activities at the Hilde Performance Center from 1-3pm. Activities include inflatables, live music, face painting, air brush tattoos and food trucks. Halloween at the Creek will take place on Friday, October 28. Staff have addressed the issue with having enough pizza available for participants. This year pizza will be ordered from two separate companies in a staggered timeline so that if one company is running late, another company should be there shortly. The Park Maintenance/Public Works building is currently under construction. Next year Commissioners will be able to take a tour of the expanded building during our PRAC meeting. The October PRAC meeting will take place at the Ice Center on October 13. Staff are preparing for the R22 conversion. A consultant has been brought on to assist with the conversion process. In addition to the R22 conversion, staff are reviewing plans to possibly convert the Olympic sized arena to a Professional sized arena. 7. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Swanson, seconded by Commissioner DeBleeckere, recommending adjournment of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting. With no objection, Chair Riley adjourned the meeting at 8:33 p.m.