07-27-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mike and Rachel Feldmann 1010 Old Long Lake Road Long Lake, MN 55391 March 2, 2020 Orono Park Commission RE: Summit Beach Park Dear Park Commission members: We are the west neighbors of Summit Park Beach and have three children (elementary, middle, & HS) that enjoy Summit Park and the surrounding area, as do their friends and families. We moved into the neighborhood in the summer of 2017 & have enjoyed seeing all the use of Summit Park since then. Long Lake is a unique lake in that we have witnessed so many activities on this small lake--the summer ones which including skiing, paddleboarding, pontooning, fishing, swimming, wakeboarding, surfing, sailing, tubing, rowing, PWC’ing, canoeing, kayaking, anchoring off Summit Park, and last year we even saw someone eFoiling! It is truly an awesome fully recreational lake for all these mixed uses for the entire community and neighboring communities! Largely in part to all these activities, Summit Park is a destination for large numbers in the summer, especially on a prime weather lake/swim day. Boats come onto Long Lake and eventually head over to anchor just off Summit Beach. Friends & families anchor there and often come into the beach to interact with those that drive to the park, and then will picnic and relax the whole day there this way in this natural setting--making full use of the open grassy areas, the beach, and the trees around and near the lake using them for hammocks or shade for fishing. The park is a rare gem & is also Orono’s largest swimming beach presently and hopefully will stay this way in the future if the natural setting is preserved as it is. We understand the Park Commission exists to encourage and promote full use of parks for all in the community and surrounding communities. Thank you so much for your time and service to this endeavor to protect and promote our parks. Communities all over the map are losing their green spaces, especially here in the western metro as more and more homes and buildings go up. We write this letter to urge the Orono Park Commission to do their important job to fully reject any proposal or recommendation for any type of partnership with a private club such as the Long Lake Rowing Club (LLRC) which feels entitled and desires to utilize Summit Park Beach for their private club purposes. We see no mutual agreement, win-win situation, or compromise that can be made in this situation for the park to be utilized to its fullest potential to benefit local residents or surrounding community residents who use the park, if such a partnership between Orono & LLRC ensues. In the Park Commission Agenda Item document for March 2, the “Considerations” section provides an outline that is worth addressing from the perspective of a neighbor and user of the park. These points follow: