06-01-2020 Park Commission Packet

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, March 2nd, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 of 20 by the University of Minnesota and rowed there through her college years. She also was an assistant coach and helped keep the club’s program alive. They were there during the club’s rough patch. This club was built on character. The rowing club is an ambassador of the community across the country as they participate in regattas and events. They have been given awards for their behavior and sportsmanship. They were proud to be part of this club; how it competed, worked, and succeeded. Mr. Zoner stated when the rowing club was started, it was just a bunch of boats with no home. The group took great pride in trying to make an impact on Billy’s Lighthouse to show the community they were interested in good stewardship to reclaim the property and beautify it as well as the lakeshore. They were in the water in hip waders pulling dumpsters of tires, pipes, and trash to bring the area back to life. There has been a tremendous amount of sponsorship by local businesses and residents in the general community. They will continue to support the club in any way they can. Mr. Mike Feldmann, 1010 Old Long Lake Road, said they bought their home in the summer of 2017 and the park was a major selling point. They have enjoyed a mix of activities on the lake. He attended one of the rowing club meetings and felt they were cordial and constructive. He realizes a lot of the parks do not serve the immediate neighborhood, a lot of people use the parks infrequently, and a majority of the time a small frequency ends up being the majority of the users. He noted it would be unrealistic to reach out to everyone and hoped the proxies would speak for everyone. He is encouraged to know that the statement written about the growth of the rowing club was a mistake; the meeting he attended clarified that the expansion was not happening. He said he reviewed emails from the rowing members and it is very relatable in that the club has been a positive influence on them. He wished the rowing club members continued success. He stated the proposal was not about anyone’s feelings about the club; instead, it is about irreversibly modifying the face of the park the Orono community has come to enjoy. He realizes the trail will be evolving due to other improvements in the area. This proposal is for a massive building to be placed in the center of the park and there will be launches and docks close to where people will be swimming. If the proposal goes through, the nature of the park will fundamentally and forever be modified. Placement of a large boat storage facility, private offices overlooking the lake, and a fitness facility is outside the scope of what should be considered good public resource stewardship. It also sets a dangerous precedent for the future of Orono parks. Ms. Rachel Feldmann, 1010 Old Long Lake Road, stated they are the property next to Summit Beach. She said she appreciates that the Park Commission exists and promotes the usage of all parks in the area. She would like to leave the park as it is. Adding the boating equipment would not fit with its purpose and is not the best use of the park. They did receive notice from the rowing club to get together and get feedback, and that was great. She understands the rowing club has benefits: it’s a form of exercise and there are scholarships available, She noted there would be a lot more traffic and the situation would need to be assessed when it gets developed, because the City will probably have to make a bigger parking lot and they would already be taking away from the playground and grassy area. The teenagers use the hammocks in the trees. She said the park is very good the way it is now and asked the Commissioners to reject the proposal. Ms. Lisa McCarty, 3340 Graham Hill Road, stated eight years ago she and her husband wanted to move to Orono and looked at 1000 Old Long Lake Road. They loved the house, but because her husband is a surgeon and gone a lot, she was worried about the safety of the park since they had three young children at the time. She sat in the park after dark, and the activities she saw at the time were not things she wanted in her backyard so they did not buy the house. She believes there is a lack of perceived security in Summit Beach Park and believes having perceived security would change some of the activities occurring