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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PARK COMMISSION <br /> Monday, March 2nd, 2020 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 2 of 20 <br /> <br />promote personal and competitive achievement and enrich members and the community through the sport <br />of rowing. The project goal is to build a permanent home at Summit Park, which includes storage for <br />boats and equipment, space to conduct indoor training, and an opportunity to better serve the community <br />through the sport of rowing. He stated one of their core values is community service and described events <br />they have participated in. They also constantly survey the lake for water quality and report safety <br />concerns. All of their spots were filled in community ed in 2019. Classes in 2020 will only be offered to <br />Orono residents to accommodate Orono’s residents. LLRC also brings retail patronage to Long Lake and <br />Orono during their season. He noted in 2018 they received a special commendation from the Long Lake <br />City Council for their commitment to service. <br /> <br />Mr. Burrell stated in November 2019 the Park Commission charged the LLRC to educate, inform, let <br />people ask questions, and listen. He feels they have done so by extending invitations and having meetings <br />with the Park Commissioners and members of the Orono and Long Lake City Councils. They had a <br />meeting with the Summit Park neighbors on January 8, individual meetings with a number of lakeshore <br />and City residents, and fielded numerous phone calls from residents who could not attend the meeting. He <br />displayed a revised site plan of 6,900 square feet, a reduction of about 24% from the original plan. The <br />overall height of the building has decreased from 2 to 1½ stories. Public restrooms have been included in <br />the rear of the building. They are flexible on the location of the docks; they will not be occupying the <br />beach area. They will be working with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District to minimize any <br />environmental impact. <br /> <br />Mr. Burrell explained the different programs offered by the Rowing Crew and how they operate in terms <br />of traffic in and out of the park. They would require a long-term lease agreement for land and a guarantee <br />that the current water hours of operation on the lake would transfer under a partnership with the City of <br />Orono. Should the City elect to sell the property at Summit Park, there would need to be a guarantee that <br />LLRC would retain water access and the right to continue operations at the park. <br /> <br />Mr. Burrell described benefits to the community: LLRC will fund 100% of the building construction; <br />there will be permanent public restrooms, reducing vandalism and providing a safer, more sanitary <br />bathroom for park users; there will be a small resting/sitting area outside the restrooms for public use; <br />they are willing to help with costs of the playground; they will be able to offer more indoor community <br />fitness classes and training opportunities for Orono residents from November-April. He discussed the <br />health benefits and that rowing is a very quiet, non-invasive activity. Rowing is an opportunity for <br />children to excel in a sport while learning the lifelong skills of teamwork, discipline, commitment, and <br />respect for the sport of rowing. Several rowing club members have received scholarships for college as <br />well. He stated LLRC’s presence in the park will increase security and usage of Summit Park. They are <br />open to offering free learn-to-row opportunities in the summer for Orono residents, and he discussed the <br />possibility of special programming at the Orono Middle School. He noted public-private partnerships <br />exist in the City of Orono with other sports and clubs. This would be an opportunity for the City to get <br />assistance in financing other improvements it wishes to make at Summit Park. He listed examples of <br />public-private partnerships in Minnesota with rowing clubs. <br /> <br />Chair Roath opened the public hearing at 6:24 p.m. <br /> <br />Mr. Larry Carlson, 965 Old Long Lake Road, said he was Bruce Dayton’s caretaker and property <br />manager for 26 years. They had many discussions regarding how to keep the property along Old Long <br />Lake Road in a natural state; and through his vision and generosity, it became Wood-Rill Scientific & <br />Natural Area and will remain undeveloped and enjoyed by all in perpetuity. In the 1970s, Mr. Dayton