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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-04-2019 Park Commission Minutes MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. ROLL CALL The Orono Park Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: Chair Rick Meyers, Commissioners Jan Berg,Rick Carter, Casey Conrad Hudson, Bryce Johnson, Brian Roath, and Julie Ruegemer. Representing Staff were Adam Edwards and Recorder Jackie Young. Mayor Dermis Walsh and Council Member Victoria Seals were present. Chair Meyers called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. SEPTEMBER 3,2019,PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Carter moved,Hudson seconded,to approve the minutes of the September 3,2019,Park Commission meeting as submitted.VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. 2. OCTOBER 7,2019,PARK COMMISSION WORK SESSION MEETING NOTES The Park Commission took no formal action on the minutes. PUBLIC COMMENT 3. PRESENTATION/RECOGNITION—MAYOR WALSH Walsh commended Rick Meyers for the leadership and dedication he has demonstrated as the chair of the Orono Park Commission for the past six years. Walsh read the resolution of appreciation adopted by the City Council at their October 28,2019,meeting. Walsh noted the Park Commission was dissolved for a period of ten years and then was re-instituted by the City Council six years ago. During that time the Park Commission improved a number of the city- owned parks as well as developed the Lurton Dog Park. Meyers commented he was very fortunate given the support the Park Commission has received from present and past City Councils, Staff,and citizens of Orono. 4. PUBLIC COMMENTS A young boy asked whether the rope swing will be eliminated by the boathouse. Meyers noted the rope swing was never authorized by the City and that he cannot answer yes or no to that question at this time. 5. PROPOSAL FOR BOATHOUSE IN SUMMIT PARK—LONG LAKE ROWING CLUB Lisa McCarty,board member of the Long Lake Rowing Crew, addressed the Orono Park Commission. The Long Lake Rowing Club is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit organization. The Club services approximately 90 rowers from Orono and the surrounding community, with approximately 50 percent of the rowers Page 1 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. attending Orono Schools. The Club has been able to provide them with five to six years of rowing experience and training,which allows them to attain scholarships at high-level universities ranging from Brown, Dartmouth, Syracuse,Washington,Notre Dame, and other universities all over the country. Rowing has become a very attractive sport and the Long Lake Rowing Club produces some of the best rowers in the state. Two of the Club's high school rowers placed first at the Head of the Charles race, which is one of the most highly profiled races in the country. The program, with its dedicated coaching staff, have been able to produce high-level rowers. The Club also prides itself in offering rowing to people of all ages, including a master's program that services rowers up to 80 years old. The Club has worked on integrating the community into this sport and developing a life-long passion for the sport. The rowing club utilizes Long Lake and currently is storing its equipment outdoors at Birches Restaurant because they do not have a building. The rowing club currently has over$200,000 worth of equipment sitting in the woods,which can be a security risk,and they are in desperate need of a home. McCarty indicated the Long Lake Rowing Club is willing to partner with the City for use of the Summit Beach Park location. Craig Martin, Peterson,Keller Architecture, stated the Long Lake Rowing Club reached out to their company several months ago about designing a boathouse and training facility. The Club would like to enter a private/public partnership between the Long Lake Rowing Crew and the City of Orono to create a neighborhood rowing facility and also to update Summit Beach Park. At this time they are proposing a park pavilion with toilet facilities,outdoor patio space with picnic tables, a small playground, a two-story rowing crew boathouse consisting of approximately 9,000 square feet, and dock amenities. The project intention and goals include promoting the education of rowing within the Orono community, establishing a home for the Long Lake Rowing club,building on the improvements Orono has been making to the Summit Beach area,providing a presence in the neighborhood to promote safety and security for patrons of the beach and neighbors,and creating a timeless beach destination that generations of neighbors can continue to use. Summit Beach Park is located on the southeast corner of Long Lake. There is existing parking for approximately 24 cars,temporary toilet facilities, a large lawn area, and a wooded hill area. Currently there are a few picnic tables on site. In conjunction with TBL Studios, a concept master plan has been created for what the park could look like. Being proposed is a paved parking lot for 24 cars and additional space for up to 36 spaces. The goal is to keep it fairly small at this point. The boathouse is proposed to be built into the hillside. The grassy knoll area was considered but it was felt it would be a little too damp and not safe for rowers moving their equipment in and out. Instead they are proposing to nestle it into the hillside to decrease its visibility for the neighbors. Also looking at a small pavilion,which would contain toilet facilities for park goers, and possibly a few picnic tables. Travis VanLear,landscape architect,noted he met with most of the Park Commissioners approximately one month ago at their work session. He has attempted to take that feedback and apply it to the concept plan that was presented at that time. As Craig elaborated,the goal with the overall project is to have a minimal impact on the design of the park and to use the existing attributes as much as possible. They would like to minimize tree removal and utilize the existing parking as much as possible to reduce cost Page 2 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. and build off some of the main attributes that the park has that are not being utilized at this time,such as the knoll which is currently covered with buckthorn. Following a meeting on site, it was felt the best location for the boathouse would be nestled into the hillside. The concept plan keeps the natural play area of the park intact; hides the boathouse but yet still provides access to the lake in a more isolated spot; and allows the rest of the park to be used. VanLear noted there has also been talk about potential trail opportunities with the City. VanLear indicated they tried to show potential trail connections and how those would be situated with the design of the boathouse. In addition,there was talk of a small playground facility being placed close to the play area. The proposed concept plan is the rowing club's first attempt at encompassing a lot of those comments and they are willing to make adjustments as they go through the process. One of the key needs of the Club will be dock access to launch multiple boats ranging from a single shell up to an 8-person shell. Because of the size of those shells,the docks will need some length. Being considered is the potential to maybe utilize the beach and swim area and perhaps protect it better from ongoing boat activity. The dock configuration shown is just one example,but there will need to be a series of docks for access needs. A secondary dock for a safety boat that goes out with the rowers is also required. Meyers asked what will happen to the north once the road is reclaimed. Meyers noted that lineal area will run approximately three-fourths of a mile down the east shore of the lake. VanLear stated when they go forward with their plans,they can look at that closer. The overall project will not be built at one time but is intended to be a master plan that can be looked to going into the future. The intent is to keep it a more natural park that requires low maintenance,with one of the goals being to maintain the large trees. For the park itself, some of the ideas include maintaining some aspect of the lawn. The floodplain area would also be maintained. Being considered are just kind of passive play uses and seasonal activities. There is also the potential for a hockey/skating rink in the flat area or out on the lake as well as walking paths and a mountain bike path. Some of the big components are the standard recreational play area as well as a natural area,which would allow the imagination of kids to work. Martin displayed floor plans of the proposed boathouse. The first floor would be storage for the boats and the second floor would contain an office area and conference rooms as well as a gathering space. The two sketches on the right demonstrate how the building is nestled into the hillside.As someone goes up the hill towards the street,the building becomes what appears to be a one-story boathouse from the road. The top image shows the deck overlooking the lake on the boathouse. Martin stated they are looking at something that is timeless in terms of architecture and will be long- lasting. As it relates to the building mass,the top picture depicts the building from the lake and the bottom image is a sketch depicting the two-story building nestled into the hillside. The small structure on the right is the pavilion. Martin displayed some more pictures of the building and the various areas of the park. Martin thanked the Park Commission for their consideration of their concept plan. Page 3 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Johnson asked how many trees would need to be removed. Martin indicated it would likely be six to seven. VanLear stated they have not gotten into the technical details of the grading,but that they did receive the tree file from Bolton&Menk. The next step is to go out and assess the quality of the trees and have that information before they go to the City Council. Ruegemer commented she has a number of questions but that she would like to hear from the neighbors first. Carter stated what he remembers from the work session is the Park Commission would like to see limited parking and that he would encourage them to look at that. Carter asked whether they have spoken with any of the neighbors. Martin indicated they have not at this point. VanLear stated they typically present the idea to the Park Commission first and then prior to going before the Planning Commission they would have an open house. Lisa McCarty stated she has reached out to a number of friends and their advice was to see if this was feasible first and that she would be happy to go to anyone's house and meet one-on-one with them. The Club wanted to go before the Park Commission first to see if there is a green light to go forward and then reach out to the neighbors. Meyers stated as a Commission,they had some reservations about the plan at the work session,but that they cannot tell the applicants no or yes until the City holds public hearings. Meyers noted this is not a done deal. Norm Hammond asked about the plans for the sewer and water. VanLear stated they have not gotten to that level of detail at this point and that their next step will be more of a technical level. What is known is that some of the setbacks will be an issue. Meyers requested people come up to the microphone to speak. The public hearing was opened at 7:04 p.m. Rachel Feldman, 1010 Old Long Lake Road, stated they are the house right next to the proposed building and that they will be looking at the building from their back yard. Feldman stated in her view there are more than six trees that would need to be removed for a building of this size and that she would like to encourage the Park Commission to act in two ways. The first is to reject altogether the proposal for any type of building at Summit Park and the second is to reject any type of proposal to expand the rowing club at this site. Feldman noted she also has friends on Long Lake who are opposed to the proposal. If the proposal goes through, it would change the nature of Summit Beach for the benefit of the rowing club but would be a Page 4 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. detriment to the residents. The neighbors appreciate the smaller scale presence of the rowers on the lake and Long Lake is a recreational lake for fishing,paddle boarding,pontooning, skiing, swimming and other activities. Feldman stated as a registered nurse, from a public health and safety perspective, expanding the club would be a very poor decision and poses a danger to people enjoying the beach and swimming area. Since she has lived in her house,there has been a swimming section for people of all ages and neighboring dogs enjoying the lake. The people visiting the park ranges from tiny children to groups of elderly people out swimming. Boats will come down to this end of the lake to anchor down and relax and swim and jump off the rope swing,which is a fun feature of the lake. Lots of high schoolers enjoy using it and other people picnic there and lay out in hammocks. Summit Beach is a relaxing and peaceful beach that the neighbors hope the City continues nurturing. Placing a boathouse at the beach would be dangerous to swimmers,boaters,floaters,and families. Feldman noted the rowers were asked to change their path to avoid the swimming area. Besides being a concerned neighbor, she is also an unofficial nature lover. Going forward with any type of expansion plan would not only affect recreation at the beach but would also destroy a nature preserve and large grassy area. The world needs more open, quiet and natural areas. There are wild turkeys that flock there, eagles, deer,and other animals that enjoy this area. Feldman noted since they have lived in their home,the rowing club received approval for longer hours and that she would like to see the rowing hours restricted back to what they were previously. This past summer the rowing club was outside of their expanded hours and it is difficult to see the boats against the setting sun. Currently the rowing club has a home outside Birches,which is an ideal location. Birches places a restriction on the number of rowers and it is a safe place for the rowers to go in and out of the lake since there is no beach there where there will be swimmers and other people enjoying the water. Feldman encouraged the Park Commission to reject any proposal to place a boathouse on Summit Beach and any expansion of the rowing club. Norm Hammond,450 East long Lake Road,noted he has resided at his house for more than 50 years, and that he would request Summit Beach be maintained as a natural setting as a neighborhood beach,which is more or less the way the beach and park has been maintained over the past 50 years. Hammond indicated he does agree with the comments of the previous speaker regarding construction of permanent structures on the Summit Beach property. People come to Summit Beach to enjoy the natural environment, and that he and his family would like to strongly encourage the City to not allow any expansion of the park. Betsy Johnson,460 Long Lake Road East, stated the structure they are proposing to construct would be right in front of her house. The building is proposed to be 9,000 square feet and her house is 7,000 square feet. With this structure in front of her home, she might be able to see the lake if she is upstairs looking out the window. The view out the front of her house will be the back of the building. When they purchased their house in 2010,they felt it was a charming area and that they are disappointed that this is even being considered. Page 5 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Johnson noted they have not had a realtor out to give them a price for what their property would be worth once the view is obstructed. Johnson commented it appears the building will be higher than what is being portrayed and in her view the park is wonderful the way it is,and she would like to keep it that way. Jane Davidson, 1020 Old Long Lake Road, stated they have one of the best views of the park, and when she walks out to her dock, she is almost at the park. The park is crowded. While it does not have a playground, people swim,paddleboard,and fish. It is a very quiet park. At 10:00 at night the police come by and clear people out. Summit Beach is very different from the Nelson Lakeside Park that has a large playground. Summit Beach is just very unique because it is so natural. Davidson stated she likes the idea of having a natural playground,which is likely the new wave of parks. She can also see the benefit of a small pavilion and some improved picnic tables,which would enhance the park, but that she is very concerned about this extremely large building and private use of a public park at the exclusion of others. Davidson commented she is also concerned about the environmental impact of this proposal. Currently Long Lake is under siege environmentally because it has far too many pollutants,with one of the main pollutants being runoff. It does not appear that the rowing club has considered the environmental impact of their proposal and that the City needs to consider the hardcover with the expanded parking lot and how that will impact the lake. The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District said there could not be walking paths in some of those areas due to the environmental impact. The Long Lake Rowing Club does not represent the entire community but is one component on a small lake. The lake has ski boats,pontoon boats, fishing boats, paddleboards, and the Long Lake Rowing Club. Davidson stated she cannot imagine a club constructing a 9,000 square foot building and not try to expand. It is currently difficult to access the lake when the club is there, and when she was out on the lake one time, an oar just narrowly missed hitting her in the head. Davidson stated in her view the plan is not appropriate. In addition,the proposed building does not look like a multi-functional building. It has storage and a workroom for fixing boats, an office space for the Long Lake Rowing Club,and a conference room. Davidson questioned how this could be a public building. Meyers asked if it would be appropriate for the rowing club to respond to some of the questions raised. Edwards noted the Park Commission is an advisory board and that they can ask for additional comment from the applicant. Meyers noted the City Council is the final arbiter of this and that the Park Commission attempts to listen to all sides. Orono takes environmental concerns very seriously and is a very lake-oriented city. Rob Burrell,president of the Long Lake Rowing Club,noted this is a very preliminary plan and kind of high-level at this point. In terms of expanding the club, it is not their intent to expand the club, but they are looking for a permanent home to store their equipment and boats. Being at Birches is not ideal since their equipment gets beat up being stored outside and it is not their intent to have more boats on the water but merely to house their equipment. With the club's expanded hours,they do not have time to put more people and boats on the water. The coaches can only handle so many boats on the water and they are limited to two safety boats. Page 6 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. As it relates to safety,Birches is not a safe place to access the water given the slope. The club has to continually put mulch down in order to provide a safe walking path down to the lake. In terms of environmental impacts and the other issues that were raised,those are things the club will take into consideration. The club is not proposing coming into the park as a sole use. While this would be the club's boathouse,the club wants to improve the park and make it more useful for the community. They also want to keep the park as natural as possible and they are trying to make the structure as less intrusive as possible. Burrell noted they are just in the beginning phases of their plan and that they will be addressing the residents' concerns as they go through this process. It is not their intention to cause disruption to the neighborhood. Norm Hammond asked whether they are looking for public funding. Burrell stated they would conduct fundraising of their own to help build it. Betsy Johnson asked what type of impact the traffic would have on the neighbors. Currently people are forced to turn into private driveways and turn around. Johnson asked how many actual rowers will be there on a daily basis on top of the people who drive into the area and live there. Johnson indicated her driveway hooks right into the beach and that her children are not allowed to ride on the road due to the number of cars. Johnson stated the neighbors have concerns with the traffic and the noise. Burrell stated in the summer months they do a couple of practice sessions with the juniors and the masters are only in the evenings three times a week. The junior rowers practice more often and there will be approximately 20 to 25 rowers per session,with some of them carpooling. Currently their cars are parked in the back row of Birches,which will provide some idea of the number of cars. Some of the rowers get dropped off. The proposal is to keep the lot small,and if the City ever wanted to expand it,that would be their call. The rowers are not there on Sunday. Meyers noted if this goes to the next level,there will be other opportunities for the residents to comment on the application. Rachel Feldman stated she does not know if going to the extent of a big two-story building is necessary and that perhaps they could cut down a few trees at Birches and construct a smaller structure. Feldman stated she would like to see the parking area stay the same as what currently exists. Meyers asked whether the Park Commission could table this. Edwards stated that is up to the Park Commission, but at some point the applicants would like to go before the City Council. Hudson noted the comments expressed by the public were similar to the comments raised by the Park Commission at their work session and that the Park Commission is interested in something that would have the lowest environmental impact as possible. Roath stated this has been a healthy, productive discussion and that he appreciates everyone's viewpoints. The Park Commission had the benefit of meeting with the rowing club during their work session and that he knows how the neighbors feel because they had a lot of the same concerns. Page 7 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Roath indicated he is not ready to make a recommendation tonight and that in his view more discussion needs to happen. There were a lot of details the Park Commission heard at the work session that were not raised tonight that the public needs to understand. As a result, his vote is not to make a recommendation tonight because the conversation needs to continue. Berg stated a lot of points raised tonight have been discussed by the Park Commission and that they still have a lot of the same questions on how this will impact the neighborhood. Berg indicated she is not sure she is ready to move it forward at this point. Carter commented he also cannot move it forward and that he does not see a compromise at this point. Ruegemer stated she agrees with the comments of the neighbors. While it is a beautiful plan, Summit Beach is also a beautiful park and she does not feel they should move forward with anything at this point. Johnson stated one of the purposes of the Park Commission is to increase the usage of the parks in Orono and that he does not believe the Park Commission has made an improvement at a park where similar concerns were not raised initially. There are a lot of issues that need to be looked at. The proposal is still at an early point, and he would like to see the dialogue continued. In addition,the environmental aspect needs to be looked into and he would like to see more information about that. Johnson noted at the work session there was a little more stated about the public-private partnership at the park, and that if a little effort was made to have some more of these informational meetings, it would be easier for the Park Commission to make a recommendation. Meyers commented there are a number of issues to be considered. Regardless of this proposal,East Long Lake will change because there will be shoreline restoration and a lineal park created, which will naturally bring in more people to the area. There is always a balance that needs to be struck on things and that they will be spending money to make the northern part a park. While it will attract more people,the shoreline restoration work,however,will improve the water quality of the lake. Meyers stated he views Summit Beach as a rustic park, and the question is whether it needs to be improved or have more use. In the past there has been some naughty use. The bathroom was burned down a few years ago and there is some partying that goes on, which raises some security and safety issues with the other activities that go on down there. The Park Commission has to look at the overall picture. The city-owned parks are for all the residents. In addition,being by a park can increase someone's value of their home. Meyers commented he appreciates all the residents' concerns and that it is just a matter of how much give and take there can be. This situation is unique because it would be a private-public partnership but there needs to be more discussion about what will happen at the park. There have been points that have been raised that need to be considered, such as the number of swimmers out there and how far out they swim. The beach does get a fair amount of usage. As a result,the City might have to look at changing the philosophy of that lake and perhaps only allow smaller motors or certain types of uses. Burrell stated in terms of moving forward,their understanding was if they receive a recommendation to move on to the next step,that is where a lot of this discussion would go on. Page 8 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Meyers commented it does not appear that the Park Commission is in favor of making a recommendation at this point. Burrell asked whether there would be another work session that they could appear at. Berg stated the feedback of the residents is new and that she would prefer to have another work session. Meyers suggested discussing this at one more work session and that it would be helpful if the residents submit their written concerns that the Park Commission can look at during the workshop. Jane Davidson stated what they have heard tonight is what is the right thing for the park and the greater community. The Park Commission has not heard from the people who use the park,who are not primarily the neighbors. The park is heavily used and most of them are not the residents in the area. Davidson asked whether the City has done a survey of the people who use the park. Davidson indicated she has not noticed a lot of partying at the park and that it is usually pretty quiet. The question is whether they want the rowing club to have almost exclusive use of this property since it is not looking like it is for the public except for possibly the bathroom. Edwards asked if they would like them to come back for the February work session and perhaps the March Planning Commission meeting. Roath noted the work session would be with the Park Commission and that their work sessions are open to the public. Roath stated that does not mean that the rowing club has to wait until then to reach out to the neighbors. Johnson commented he is not sure he wants a work session where the Park Commission is the arbiter between the two sides and that he would be fine if the parties have their own meetings to see if there is enough common ground. One of the points raised was whether this will be an exclusive use and what is the greater value to the community. Johnson stated in his view those things can be answered in the meantime and then brought before the Park Commission. In his view it would be a mistake to suggest that this is ready to go to the Planning Commission since they would have the same types of questions and that there are still are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Meyers stated hardcover and tree removal will be huge issues. Berg stated another issue is the impact to the beach and the people that use the park. The City wants people to use the parks and make them friendly for everyone, but that is another issue that was raised tonight. Roath stated the City needs to be thinking about the improvements to the area and this proposal together. Meyers commented it will be a big change to the neighborhood and it will not be the little hidden beach that it has been. Page 9 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Ruegemer stated bringing in bikers and hikers and swimmers is different than constructing a 9,000 square foot building for a private club. Rachel Feldman stated she would echo those same comments. The Planning Commission took no formal action on this item. STAFF REPORTS 6. NAMING OF PARK BEHIND THE LONG LAKE FIRE STATAION Edwards noted the parcel of land behind the Long Lake Fire Station was designated as a park by the City Council a number of years ago. The park was not tracked by Staff since it was unnamed. The parcel has been used for the donation garden and recently there has been some interest in developing the parcel. The City Council directed that Staff and the Park Commission look at how this parcel is used as a park. It is Staff's feeling one of the first things to do is to give it a name and start tracking it as a park. Some options include the Donational Garden Park or the Fire Station Park. Meyers stated another idea was to name it after Paul Pesak,who served as Mayor and a Park Commissioner. This park is for the donation garden and not a community garden. Meyers recommended it be named the Paul Pesak Donation Garden Park. Carter moved,Ruegemer seconded,to recommend the park behind the Long Lake Fire Station be called the Paul Pesak Donation Garden Park. VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. Meyers suggested the park also have a small plaque erected that says"Press On",which was a saying that Paul liked to use. 7. PARK SIGN STANDARD Edwards stated the top image on the screen is an example of the current park sign standard and the bottom is the new design. Berg noted the circle was on top of the old sign but not within the sign. Edwards stated the colors preferred by the Park Commission was dark woods green with tan lettering. The sign would be smaller than the current sign at 95 inches wide. Meyers asked whether gray was an option. Edwards indicated it was not an option. The material is recycled laminate plastic. The sign and post would be$2,100,concrete$100, labor$120, for a total cost of$2,320. The signs would not be illuminated. The existing signs are made out of cedar and are starting to deteriorate. Johnson asked how the logo would be done. Page 10 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Edwards indicated it would be an insert. The sign itself would be dark woods green with tan coloring. The posts can be green or tan. Staff would propose using similar type of material for the posts. Meyers noted the signs would not need to be repainted. Carter commented he does not like the way the posts stick up above the sign and that he would like Staff to come up with a sketch that depicts the final sign, which could then be reviewed and approved by the Park Commission. Edwards stated the posts will stick up above a little bit because the posts are routed to fit the sign but that it should not be by much. Johnson commented he likes the green for the sign. Berg and Carter stated they would like the posts to be the same color as the sign. It was the consensus of the Park Commission to go with the green sign and tan lettering with green posts. Edwards stated he will do up a color sketch to bring before the Park Commission at their next meeting. 8. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Edwards reported some adjustments have been made to the Capital Improvement Plan based off of previous discussions with the Park Commission. Items on the CIP are funded from the Park Fund and all items on the CIP are subject to funding availability and approval by the City Council. Some of the changes made include the following: 1. Update the trail construction estimate for County Road 19 between Livingston to Dakota. The cost was increased from$115,000 to$160,000. It is Staff's expectation the final design will be smaller than what was originally planned. 2. The estimated cost for East Long Lake Road to trail was increased from$120,000 to$134,000 based on reduced expectations of partner funding. 3. Summit Beach improvements have been reduced to$95,300. The estimate was originally $140,000. The scope has been reduced to only include parking paving and playground given the proposal by the Long Lake Rowing Club. The estimate includes a$15,000 playground grant. Edwards noted the City would be able to use the recycled material from the road removal, which would make an excellent base for the parking lot. 4. The estimated cost for Big Island ADA trails, amenities,and restroom is$80,000,which is the minimum amount the City will need to contribute. Based upon the grant,the City committed to $200,000,but the 501(c)(3)is working on raising donations to fund the remaining$120,000. 5. The golf course fire pit has been reduced to zero from$26,885.00. This item was removed at the direction of the City Council at their October 28 meeting. Page 11 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. 6. The picnic table and shade sail at the community garden was reduced to zero from $7,000. The removal was based on guidance received at the October Park Commission work session. This item may be replaced by a future trail connection from Willow Drive to Long Lake's park. Carter asked how far along the plan is for the East Long Lake Road to trail. Edwards indicated archeological work has been completed as well as the survey work. Carter asked if the road to trail and the beach improvements are two distinct drawings. Edwards indicated the road to trail has a master plan that was developed a couple of years ago and the park improvements were based on past cost. Carter requested he be provided with a copy of the master plan. Carter asked whether the Park Commission is spending a lot less in 2021 because there is less money or perhaps not as many improvements are required. Edwards stated a lot of stuff wound up in the 2020 budget. The CSAH 112 phase three trail project is based on the projection when the road project is currently scheduled by Hennepin County. The Hackberry improvements are scheduled for 2023 and would be triggered by the acquisition of some property in that area. Carter requested the CIP include the Comprehensive Plan changes. Edwards noted the column on the right highlights that. Carter commented he does not have a problem with leaving the parking lot on here but that more information is needed before spending that amount of money. Edwards noted each of these projects have to go before the City Council to be approved and that the CIP is merely a planning level document. Meyers stated in his view it should be kept on the CIP but that does not mean the Park Commission has to go forward with the project. Edwards noted none of the projects listed have been approved for construction. Roath asked what the$140,000 encompassed for Summit Beach. Edwards indicated it was mainly the parking lot and that Staff pulled out some of the possible improvements since it sounded like the layout of the park might change given the proposal by the rowing club. Roath stated they should not assume a certain outcome for the rowing club and that they should keep it at the$140,000. Edwards stated it was more associated with the trail improvements,the sun sails,and dock accessories. Page 12 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Carter indicated he would be fine with that. Johnson stated they should have looked at the fund as having a fixed amount of money and that he would be cautious of spending all of the money. Johnson noted the City never had a discussion for what they envisioned long-term for Summit Beach and now they have been forced into having that discussion. Ruegemer stated it was her impression that Summit Beach would basically stay the way it is,and that the proposal by the rowing club totally changes the park for everybody. Ruegemer stated a 9,000 square foot building is huge and takes over the park. Hudson commented they did a better job at explaining what would be available for the public at the workshop. Roath noted the Park Commission talked about doing a long-term planning session for the park,but that has not been done. Edwards stated the strategic plan was done a year ago, which is a 10-year planning document and is included in the Comprehensive Plan. Johnson stated they have not had a brain-storming session in the past few years on what they envision for the City going into the future,which would be very helpful. Roath stated if there is going to be another source of funding for the parks,that would change the plan. Carter stated they did that to some extent with the trails but not the rest of the parks. Berg commented things change as the community changes,which also needs to be taken into consideration. Johnson noted the Trails Committee has as its top priority doing the trail construction along North Arm Drive,which was originally proposed in 2016. There was a safety component added to it, which is needed now more than ever. When the Park Commission did the prioritization,it was based on both safety and doing it with the road improvement project,which has been delayed now to 2023. Johnson stated he never thought they should be spending that much money on the North Arm trail for what they wanted to accomplish, and that they should look at that trail as a second imperative. The City already had a study done by Bolton&Menk to arrive at this number and the Park Commission felt the scope of the project was over what was needed and not necessarily meeting that safety component. Johnson stated he would like to allocate some amount of money to take another look at that and just leaving it in the CIP as a placeholder. If it going to be tied to a road improvement,the road improvement should perhaps be moved up since the trail provides a safety path to a park and eliminates the need for people to walk on the road. Johnson stated he would like to put on the record that the Park Commission should allocate some money to have Bolton&Menk relook at it. Edwards noted the Park Commission meeting is in January and that is typically when they set their priorities for what they would like to accomplish in 2020. Page 13 of 15 • MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Johnson noted the City Council at their last meeting voted to allocate the money received from the dog passes back into the Lurton Dog Park. Edwards stated the City also received $35,000 from an easement dedication that was allocated toward the parks. Johnson asked if some of those monies could be used to do the trails. Edwards indicated it could. The Park Commission took no formal action on this item. 9. PUBLIC WORKS PARKS UPDATE None SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORTS 10. BIG ISLAND INITIATIVE UPDATE—RICK CARTER Carter reported the 501(c)(3)has$40,000 committed so far and that they have around$80,000 left to raise. Carter encouraged everyone to pass on the link. Meyers stated he read in the paper where the Rotary Club was going to do a presentation to the veterans and that it would be nice if a representative from the Big Island committee came to that. The Historical Society is also doing an architectural presentation on Big Island at the library. Carter stated that five-person board set up the 501(3)(c)and that they will need the help of a number of other people to solicit funds. 11. HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING UUPDATE—JAN BERG Berg reported the golf course will be getting a fire pit that will be portable. The Public Works Department will be putting the lights on the tree in the near future and work on the tree lighting ceremony is pretty much on track. Meyers noted the$26,000 was removed for the fire pit from the CIP but that it is a long-range plan to have a fireplace with a gas insert in the clubhouse. CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS 12. COMMISSIONER'S UPDATES Meyers reported Navarre and Livingston parks have had their fall cleanup performed by Norling Landscaping. Hudson asked if the payments for Lurton have been put online yet. Page 14 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,November 4,2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. Ruegemer indicated they are still working on that. Ruegemer noted she has been including articles in the City newsletter every quarter on the different parks and that she will do one on Big Island and the fundraising. Meyers thanked everyone for their service on the Park Commission. ADJOURNMENT Carter moved,Hudson seconded,to adjourn the Orono Park Commission meeting at 8:38 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. ATTEST: fi Brian Roath, Chair Page 15 of 15