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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PARK COMMISSION <br /> Monday,May 5,2014 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> 9. EXPLORE INTEREST FOR MORE ACTIVE USES IN CRYSTAL BAY PARK <br /> Meyers noted the Park Commission discussed this item briefly at their last meeting and that some <br /> residents have expressed a desire for more active uses at the Crystal Bay Park. <br /> Lundblad stated they have discussed a possible ice arena at Crystal Bay Park at some point in the future <br /> and that it might be a possible project for 2015. Lundblad stated at the time Jim White was the mayor, <br /> there was a tree dedication ceremony and he had raised the issue that one of the Orono residents wanted <br /> to pay for a pavilion in that park. Lundblad stated he never heard anything about that again but that he <br /> was curious where that ended up. <br /> Meyers stated he vaguely remembers Jim White indicating that he had a benefactor who was interested in <br /> making a significant donation to the City parks but that he is not aware of who the person is. Meyers <br /> stated he is not sure whether the City is necessarily interested in a pavilion at Crystal Bay Park, but that if <br /> the Park Commission is going to have any discussions regarding changing the use of Crystal Bay Park, it <br /> will likely be necessary to hold some type of public meeting for the residents. <br /> Meyers noted Crystal Bay Park is not suitable for baseball fields and that hockey rinks tend to be costly <br /> since they often require lights and a warming house. Meyers stated the improvement could also change <br /> the character of the neighborhood. Meyers noted a number of cities are not maintaining their outdoor <br /> hockey rinks any longer since people prefer indoor rinks. Meyers stated in his view an outdoor hockey <br /> rink is very labor intensive and likely will require someone to keep a schedule of play times, which raises <br /> the question of who would be managing that. <br /> Berg asked how Wayzata manages their hockey rink. Berg noted they also have a warming house. <br /> Struve indicated he is not aware of how Wayzata manages that. Struve noted he has received a note <br /> asking if the Park Commission would consider a dog area within the Crystal Bay Park. <br /> Meyers stated the Park Commission could perhaps look at sending out a survey to see what the residents <br /> are interested in or holding a public hearing. <br /> Berg stated she is not sure what kind of return they would receive on a survey. <br /> Gaffron stated if it is more neighborhood oriented, the residents would be more likely to respond to it. <br /> Gaffron stated the last survey done by the City related to the street lights in Navarre in 2013 and that the <br /> last park survey was completed in 2008. Gaffron stated generally Orono residents have indicated they <br /> want open spaces preserved and that they are not anxious for new baseball fields to be constructed or <br /> other active uses. Gaffron stated he would recommend the Park Commission focus on individual <br /> neighborhoods. <br /> Warner noted the Crystal Bay Park is more of a neighborhood park and not necessarily a city-wide park. <br /> Gaffron stated the City does not have regional parks and that they are either run by Hennepin County or <br /> the Three Rivers Park District. <br /> Page 7 of 10 <br />