09-28-1988 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

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FEASIBILITY REPORT FOR A REGIONAL PARK ON LAKE MINNETONKA AND ACQUISITION MASTER PLAN Hennepin Parks has been asked to participate in the planning for regional park facilities on Lake Minnetonka, particularly as they relate to increased public access in Zone 5 of Lake Minnetonka (see attached map from Lake Minnetonka Task Force Report) as designated by the Lake Minnetonka Task Force Report of 1983. The Lake Minnetonka Task Force, appointed by the Metropolitan Council in 1985, in its recommendations concerning intergovernmental coordination, Item c, Page 11, recommended that: "A principal recommendation is that a regional recreation open space implementing agency, most logically the Suburban Hennepin Regional Park District (SHRPD), should prepare a master plan and acquire, develop and operate a regional recreation open space entity on the lake. The facility should be consistent with applicable plans and should incorporate existing regional properties, other new parcels in the lake and on the Lakeshore which may be necessary for its function as a significant regional recreation facility. The facility should provide the following regional functions, among others: staging areas for ferry or other access to islands in the regional park, shoreline access and docks for fishing, areas for viewing the lake and shoreline, parking and sanitary facilities, and boat rentals. Appropriate launch facilities for small craft and fishing boats should be included, especially in zones 3 and 5. The plan should be prepared by the implementing agency, reviewed by LMCD and DNR and approved by the Metrnnolitan Parks and Open Space Commission and Metropolitan Council. In the _it that SHRPD is unable or unwilling to implement the proposed new regional facility, LMCD should be requested to carry out the task as a regional implementing agency. In the latter event, modification of LMCD's legislative authority may be required." EXISTING HENNEPIN PARKS PROPERTY ON LAKE MINNETONKA Among the reasons for Hennepin Parks being asked to participate in this process is the Park District's existing presence on Lake Minnetonka. The District owns four parcels on Lake Minnetonka, including Noerenberg Memorial County Park, Wawatasso Island, Wild Goose Chase Island and a portion of Big Island. (An inventory and summary of these properties follows.) Hennepin Parks desires to acquire the Big Island Veterans Camp (58 acres), which is currently owned by the Big Island Veterans Camp Board of Governors, who are analyzing the possibility of reconstructing the camp for veterans' use. Acquisition of the camp for park purposes is sipported by the City of Orono and is included in the Park District's acquisition plan. The Minnesota State Legislature, in i983, designated all publicly owned land on Big Island as a Regional Park.