07-27-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, March 2nd, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4 of 14 Mr. Norm Hammond, 450 East Long Lake Road, reiterated Mr. Carlson’s comments: Mr. Dayton donated the property to everyone to preserve a natural and beautiful setting. He would strongly oppose any permanent special construction on the park land. Mr. Roger Adams, 1130 Underhill Circle, Long Lake, said they are long-term residents; he is the third generation. He grew up on the lake and has observed it for many years. He is the Chair of the Long Lake Planning Commission and has been observing the group's activities since its inception. He was instrumental in developing the plan and the hours that they could operate so they could work and share the resource with other users of the lake. In his experience, they have been great neighbors and community partners; there was a rough patch, but they got through that. He believes the lake is a precious shared resource for everyone in Minnesota, not just people in the area. He is in favor of activities that are beneficial to the lake and the community which use the resource in a very healthy and environmentally sound manner. He is not in favor of activities that harm this precious resource. He stated in the last decade he lost 2 feet of shoreline, even though he has riprap which has been there since the 1920s. He stated it was due to two reasons: unusually high-water levels and wakes. If he had to say he was against any activities, large boats producing 2-foot wakes tha t erode the shoreline all summer long are not beneficial to the lake, environment, or the use of the shared resource. He spends a lot of time on the lake in his pontoon boat. Most of the time when he goes by Summit Beach, there are 1-2 families or groups of teens there but it is not that big of a use. He thinks this activity would be great for Long Lake and the community. He thinks it is a reasonable proposal that can be refined and made better. When he was on the Planning Commission, he was told that 90% of his time would be spent on two issues: signage and parking. The City would need to make sure there is sufficient parking for the shared use of the resource. Mr. Eric Zoner, 1050 Cox Farm Road, said he came from Atlanta and has lived here for 16 years. T hey are glad they chose Orono and talk about staying in Orono for the rest of their lives. Their daughter was a member of the rowing crew when it first started in 2013. She benefited tremendously and was recruited by the University of Minnesota and rowed t here 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 th ey 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 unreal istic 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