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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-02-1990 Park Commission Minutes � � MINUTES OF PARK COMMISSION MEETING CITY OF ORONO October 2, 1990 ----------------------------------------------------------------- The meeting was cal.I.ed to order by Chairman Dick Fl.int at approximately 7 :10 p.m. Dick Fl.int, Jim Gilbert, Phil Bradl.ey, Al.exander Vongries, and Lee Erger were present, along with John Gerhardson from the City of Orono staff. Absent were Les Ke11y, Susan Wilson and Bruce Rokal. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. The first order of business was reviewing the minutes from the September meeting. Upon motion, the minutes were approved. 2. LAKE UQ ALITY DISCUSSION. Marty Jessen of the Fresh Water Foundation appeared to taZk about Eurasian Water Milfoil.. He explained the general. nature of the exotic weed that was introduced to Minnesota some time in 1987, and how it has severely infested Lake Minnetonka and was being spread to other lakes around the state. The Fresh Water Foundation is working to organize and mobil.ize spending efforts to decrease the spread of the weed, to harvest the weed, and to educate the publ.ic. Mr. Jessen commented on chemical, mechanica� and bioXogical. ways to counteract the weed, and so far, he is only satisfied with the mechanical. and biol.ogical use of irradication techniques on Lake Minnetonka. He al.so mentioned that Long Lake is not yet infested, but they have not done a systematic or scientific study or search of that Xake. He recommended that a search be done this FaI. I. , and thay any sign of the weed be immediately acted upon before it spreads into that �ake. Clarkson Lindlay from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District appeared next. Mr. Lindl.ay indicated that his organization is currently gathering data for the Long Lake Basin to anal.yze the run-off, the condition of the water and outf�ow. Ms. Lore Schul.I., 1125 Spring Hi1I. Road, Orono, who is the head of the "Save Our Lake - Long Lake/Orono Partnership" appeared next. Her organizatian is concerned about the water qual.ity of Long Lake and is endeavoring to start an educational and community action program to educate the publ.ic on uses to monitor the ].ake and to look for warning signs. They are attempting to obtain voXunteers to monitor the I.ake and to monitor the boat accesses in the lake for evidence of the weed before boats are put in the I.ake. 1 � � Mr. Lee Ashenbeck from the Long Lake Park Commission then appeared and made some brief comments concerning Long Lake boat access monitoring. - A short discussion fol. lowed concerning jet skis. It appeared that both the City of Long Lake and the City of Orono would have to approve any joint ordinances for that I.ake because the lake is in both jurisdictions. Once that is done, the DNR woul.d al.so have to approve any final. ordinances for use on that I.ake. More information is going to be obtained, including the Long Lake ordinance , which is a�ready drafted and can be reviewed. Dick F�int asked that John Gerhardson get a copy of that ordinance for our review before the next meeting. 3 . PARR DEDICATION FEE ORDINANCE. There was a discussion concerning the recently adopted park dedication fee ordinance. Jim Gilbert and Dick Fl.int met as a subcommittee meeting last week to discuss the concerns of one of the devel.opers in Orono, and al.so the opinion of the City Attorney of Orono. There was also a discussion about the vaxuation process used by the current agpraiser. First of a1Y , in regard to Ordinance Section 11.62 , subd. 2 (f), which reYates to previously subdivided property not having previously paid a fee, there was a recommendation for amendment. The ordinance, as drafted, recommended that if one lot previousYy subdivided had not previously paid a park dedication fee, upon the apgYication for a buil.ding permit, they wouZd then be call.ed upon to pay the new fee in effect based on the value of the property at the time of the initial subdivision. This provision was used in two other municipal. ordinances, name3.y the cities of Greenfiel.d and Minnetrista. However, the City Attorney fe7.t that there was not appropriate authority for this provision, pursuant Minn. Stat. 462.358. That statute appears to al.I.ow a city to impose dedication requirements on proposed subdivisions. It is not a retroactive situation and, if one was grandfathered in before, the City apparently does not have authority to impose the new fees at this point in time. Accordingl.y, upon motion by James Gilbert, seconded by Dick Flint, it was unanimousl.y approved to recommend that Section 11.62 , subd. 2 (f ) be deleted from the Ordinances by the City Council. Additional. po�.icy guidelines wil.� be addressed at the next commission meeting for recommendations to be sent to the City Council.. 2 J � 5 . BEDERWOOD PARK PROPOSAL. There was a discussion about the Bederwood Park proposal , which was discussed at the last meeting. It basical.I.y relates to a p�.an dated Jul.y 27, 1990 prepared by Ear3. F. Anderson & Associates. Because of the absence of three members, it was decided to defer any final action on this until. the next meeting. AI.I the commission members appeared to generally favor this proposal, and were impressed with the detail and initiative taken by the neighbors in coming up with a plan such as this. Ms. Sherokee I�.se was aYso there with some comments concerning their desire to compl.ete this project. Mr. Gerhardson mentioned that it might be best to present this in stages on a priority basis. Accordingly, the Bederwood Park proposal. wix 1 be taken up at the next commission meeting. Mr. Gerhardson al.so mentioned that there might be some charitab�e contributions avaiiabie through the Lion's Cl.ub, which might want to donate some money to help bui3.d part of these improvements. 6 . FULLERTON DEVELOPMENT. The Full.erton deveZopment was then discussed. Chairman Dick Fiint mentioned that he had talked about some of the concerns expressed by the developer with City staff and with the devel.oper. The devel.oper has evidentl.y withdrawn his request to seek City indemnification to have a green buffer zone there, and the onl.y issue remaining was the timing issue. The devel.oper sti1l. wanted to not have anything developed for these bike trail. s for a two-year period. The devel.oper suggested a compromise that the bike trail. and path woul.d not be buil.t until it coul.d be hooked up with some continuing bike trails throughout the City. It was then discussed by the commission and commission did not want the devel.oper to have a del.ay built into the easement negotiations. There was some concern that this might be lost in the shuff I.e if it was not done during the pl.anning stages now, and to tie it to something that might not ever happen in that area would make it a usel.ess benefit that the City had obtained. Accordingl.y, Mr. F�int was instructed to oppose any delays in imp�.ementing this plan, but to take due consideration for working around any septic system probxems that might exist , as a practical basis. Mr. F1int is going to be appearing at the City Council meeting on Monday �o express our opinions. 4 . WILDHURST ESTATE. There was a discussion concerning the Wil.dhurst Estate's market eval.uations prepared by Paul. J. Smith. Mr. Smith came up with three potential val.uations for that property, pursuant to an August 20, 1990 I.etter to Jeanne Mabusth. There was a general. discussion of aXi commission members concerning these comments. 3 .. � It was the opinion of Jim Gilbert and Dick F1.int that the valuations were to reflect true market value, minus the cost of structures on the property. There was then some genera�. discussion concerning the "one free I.ot" issue. Some staff inembers had seemed to indicate that in previous subdivisions one free I.ot was aXl.owed as part of the subdivision process because that was an existing situation. John Gerhardson mentioned that he did not think that was a City policy. Before the commission acted on any final reso�ution on the "one free 1ot" issue, the commission wanted to know more facts concerning the history of the interpretation of prior dedication ordinances and, specificall.y, if one free I.ot was given in the prior cal.cu�.ations. It was the general. feeling of aI.1 commission members that one free Iot was not to be included within this ordinance, but any final rsolution on that wouXd be deferred untiX the next meeting after we receive more facts. This should be an agenda item for the next meeting with some additional facts suppl.ied by Mr. Gerhardson. It was decided to defer a decision on the Wil.dhurst eval.uation of the dedication fee, awaiting the above information concerning the City' s past poJ.icy on the "one free I.ot" issue. There was some general dissatisfaction with Mr. Smith' s eval.uation. In some conversations with Dick Fl.int, Mr. Smith indicated that he not onl.y removed the value of the existing structures, but also gave them some additional deductions for weXl.s and garages that were going to be removed. It was a general. concensus of the commission that those additional. demol.ition items woul.d not be subtracted from the initial market valuation, and there was nothing in the ordinance or in our intentions to have those items subtracted. The val.ue of the structures can be subtracted, but it was a genera3. concensus that, to aI.Zow the value of the structures to be removed from this val.uation process, pl.us el.iminating any demol.ition costs would be giving the deveYoper a double credit, which was not intended by these ordinances. 7 . MULTI-PURPOSE RECREATIONAL CENTER. The Orono schooY site for a mul.ti-purpose recreational center and a joint Park Commission meeting was then discussed. Park Commission members had received a notice from the Orono Community Education Department announcing a meeting for 06tober 24, 1990. Dick Fl.int, Phil. Bradxey and John Gerhardson pl,an on appearing at that meeting, and Jim Gi3.bert wil.I. attend if he is back from out of town. Jim Gilbert mentioned that he is going to be sending a copy of the notice to the hockey and baseball association leaders so they can come as observers to this pub].ic meeting. 4 -�. .� � 8 . MEETING TIMES AND NEXT MEETING. The �.ast item on the agenda was discussed and a meeting time for 1991. When everyone is there, hopefuYl.y at the next meeting, we are going to discuss if we can switch the meeting to a Monday night, as opposed to a Tuesday night. There are al.ready some continuing conflicts on Wednesday night, so be prepared to discuss that also. The next Park Commission meeting is going to be hel.d on Monday, November 5, 1990 , at 7:00 p.m., because of the Tuesday el.ections. 5 .