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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-06-1994 Park Commission Minutes T MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1994 ATTENDANCE The Park Commission met on Thursday, December 6, 1994, with the following members present: Richard N. Flint, Chair, Alex Vongries, Sherokee Ilse, Susan Wilson, Lili McMillan, and James White. Robert Howells was absent. City Administrator Ron Moorse and Recorder Barbara Anderson represented City staff. Chair Flint called the meeting to order at 7:20 p.m. (#1) APPROVAL OF MINUTE5 OF DECEMBER 6, 1993 MEETING Ilse commented that the statement on page 4 regarding her meeting with the Medicine Man did not reflect the content of what transpired. She felt that the first part of the second sentence should be changed to read, "His hope was that there be a feeling of a "people" place rich in Native American history..." Wilson moved, McMillan seconded, to approve the December 6, 1993 Minutes as corrected. Ayes 5, Nays 0. (#2) REVIEW OF SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS FOR 1994 The meeting dates were discussed. Ilse inquired what had been done about the July meeting and it was commented that was usually decided at the preceding meeting, since it depended upon the number of Commissioners who were able to attend the meeting. All the Commissioners present agreed to accept the meeting schedule as proposed. (#3) CONSIDERATION OF PLANNING PROCE55 FOR 1994 (JOHN SHARDLOV�. John Shardlow introduced Wally Case, and reviewed the types of work his firm does throughout the metro area both in the public and private sectors. Regarding the park planning process, his firm has developed a program which can be tailored to each community's needs based on its strengths and weaknesses. He explained how Comprehensive Plans had been utilized to provide orderly development to communities in the past, particularly as a means of determining objectives for the future regarding parks, trails and open space needs. Mr. Case noted that the role of their firm would be determined by the City's needs and how they want to develop their plan. He noted that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) would have a definite impact on how recreational facilities would be developed in the future. Commissioner White arrived at the meeting at 7:30 p.m. 1 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMIS5ION MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1994 Wilson commented that the Park Commission had asked to have a Park Plan done a few years ago but there was not sufficient funding available at that time. Ilse stated that she thinks that the Park Commission has been acting in a reactive mode rather than a proactive way and she feels it is time for a plan to be developed. McMillan concurred. Moorse stated that presently there are issues coming before the City which have required decisions to be made regarding land use which have not been fully explored or examined. He stated that it was time to move forward with the plan because funding was available to do this. He noted that the City Council believed that developing such a plan would be a means to address some of these needs. He discussed the needs of the school district and as the City grows, the municipality may need to provide some of the needed facilities. He stressed the need for citizen input. McMillan commented that she would like to have a consultant advise the Commission on issues that regularly arise and Moorse responded that the Park Plan would theoretically provide that assistance; however, there were many parks that were a half acre in size, which was quite small. Shardlow commented that the best use of the land is one aspect of a park plan, but the plan would also establish goals and standards by translating policy that has been set by the City. This can be done by the Commission through surveys and public input. He noted that the City was pretty well developed but with Highway 12 being upgraded, it will increase property values, and it would be best to determine where parks were needed or wanted before that occurred. He stated that neighborhood parks are usually identified on an official park plan and these parks were created using park dedication fees. He felt that the first step would be to establish goals and policies and then development standards could be determined. The final step would be to determine the sites which would be acquired. Case commented that the City of Orono may have a set of standards which would apply given the diversity of the area within the City. He felt that an inventory of existing parks within the City needed to be done and a determination made regarding whether they met the needs of the City. Shardlow stated that the public needed to be informed of the e�risting park system and alerted to other factors which may impact that system. This should include everything that provides recreational facilities for the City. He commented that the community wide sutvey was an excellent tool for obtaining citizen input into this process. He noted that the following steps were utilized in implementation of a park plan for a community: 1. Inventory and analysis of existing parks and recreational facilities. 2 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1994 2. Obtaining public input, through surveys and/or public meetings. 3. Identifying issues. 4. Developing goals and standards. 5. Establishing those standards. 6. Present the Park Plan for adoption by the City Council. Moorse suggested that perhaps an intern could assist with the survey and other aspects of the proposal. Shardlow commented that they have found it works best to move rapidly through the process to avoid delays and people losing interest because of the length of time involved. Moving quickly keeps interest levels up and the program moves smoothly and expeditiously through the process. He discussed special interest groups and stated that choices will have to be made, based on a prioritized system of needs being determined. He outlined the process by which the community has input into determining the main issues regarding the development of the Park Plan. He stated that his company had used workshops to determine the main points. Discussion ensued regarding the possibility of using a mailed survey to get input from a variety of different groups and persons. Moorse commented that perhaps a citizens advisory committee could be established to assist the Park Commission in developing the plan. Shardlow commented that was an excellent suggestion. McMillan inquired if there were things that had come up over time, i.e., for example, things such as rollerblading, which had affected the sizes of the trails and Shardlow responded that the amount of land required for trails has increased dramatically, and that the demand for soccer fields has increased greatly over the past ten years. He commented that the needs of a community have to be identified based on the information of today because it's being done in the present. Obtaining the land is the most important thing because there is no more land available, and development is always occurring. White stated that an inventory has been done which shows all the parks throughout the City. He noted that one survey had been done and baseball fields were low which created a discrepancy between the survey and those who favored baseball fields. He felt it was time to begin the process of developing a comprehensive Park Plan for the City of Orono. Discussion ensued regarding the amount of money available. It was noted that a proposal to develop a plan had to be put together so that the City Council could allocate funds for the plan to be developed. Shardlow stated that his company would be willing to put together a proposal for the Park Commission to submit to the City Council based on the available information, and 3 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1994 including an estimate of the costs involved based on a specific program for developing the plan. He stated his company would also design a program for developing the plan which would include a number of options. and to give the City their best recommendation as to the way to accomplish this. Discussion ensued regarding the various steps which could be utilized in creating the Park Plan including the best method of obtaining accurate community representation. The old survey was discussed. It was felt that articles should be published in the newspaper prior to another survey being done to alert the citizens to what was going on and the issues involved. It has been found that this encourages better representative responses from communities. Shardlow stated that his firm will submit a work program for the Park Commission to review. He stated that as consultants they will suggest a design for a process and review it with staff prior to Park Commission review. This would be done on a no-charge basis. Vongries stated that he felt the Commission should proceed with the proposal, but that it would be a mistake to rush through it in case some important aspects were overlooked in the process. Wilson commented that she was glad the consultants were familiar with the City and the uniqueness of the community. Wilson moved, Ilse seconded, to have Shardlow, Dahlgren, and Uban put together an estimate and proposal to develop a Park Plan for the City of Orono, including a cost estimate. Ayes 6, Nays 0. (#4) PARK COMMISSION AGENDA FOR 1994. This item was continued to the ne�rt meeting. (#5) REPORTS ON SKATING RINK MONITORING (LILI MCMILLAN) McMillan stated that the ice at the Hackberry rink was unsuitable for skating and it appeared as though snow had fallen on it after it was flooded. Ilse commented that Bederwood was excellent for skating until the Thursday before New Years, when it was flooded while it was snowing and warming up. She was concerned about the policy of flooding rinks without checking their condition or the weather, and felt that the weather and the condition of the rink should be taken into account in determining whether the rinks were to be flooded or not. Snow removal and the possibility of developing a policy regarding this was discussed. Discussion ensued regarding the possibility of closing two rinks and maintaining two, in order to achieve better ice quality and snow removal. The Commission felt that this needed to be discussed with Public Works Director Gerhardson, and Vongries 4 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING THUR5DAY, JANUARY 6, 1994 volunteered to meet with him to discuss this and determine if a better means of maintaining the rinks could be achieved. The Commission decided to keep monitoring the rinks throughout the winter and make a decision regarding them once the season was over. (#6) PREPARATION FOR FEBRUARY 7TH PUBLIC MEETING AT WHICH OLD CRYSTAL BAY SITE WILL BE DISCUSSED WITH INPUT FROM NEIGHBOR5. REVIEW OF MAP REQUESTED FROM CITY 5TAFF. McMillan reviewed the draft letter regarding the public hearing on the Old Crystal Bay Site scheduled for the ne� Park Commission meeting. It was suggested that the time, date and place of the meeting be prominently displayed at the top of the notice. Otherwise, the Commission felt the letter was very clear and well done. (#7) REVIEW OF PRELIMINARY PLAT PLAN FOR DICKEY/COFFIN DEVELOPMENT Dick Putnam was present and handed out a notice for a neighborhood meeting which included copies of the proposed plat. He showed aerial photographs of the sites, and reviewed the wetland issues. He discussed the potential for trail connections to the Luce Line Trail and parks. He reviewed the revised plat and discussed the changes from the earlier submittal. He noted that the developer has been able to create a wetland area and a pond system to mitigate the wetland alterations that will need to be done to develop the property. He stated that the State Historical Society and the State do not have any records in existence which identify the site as an historical site. He commented that if the lot was designated as an historical site, the highway corridor may not be located where it is presently proposed. He stated they have not yet been able to get any official designation from any government agency that will affirm that this is an historical site. MnDOT has hired a consultant to determine whether this is a Native American site requiring preservation. He commented that there are a number of Native American spiritual leaders who believe that this is a site of historical significance requiring preservation. The process of affirming this will take some months yet, and he did not believe a determination would be made prior of May of 1994. He noted that this determination would have to be made prior to construction of the highway corridor. If it is determined that this is not an historical site, then decisions will have to be made regarding whether it should be used as a park or developed as a single family lot. The parcel is located in the area designated as the second phase of the development, and Mr. Putnam did not feel the delay would cause any problems with the rest of the development. Discussion ensued regarding the location of the wetlands on the property and the mitigation requirements. Mr. Putnam reviewed the proposed trail locations and the 5 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1994 possible connections to the Luce Line trail through the Department of Natural Resources property. In response to Park Commission inquiry, Mr. Putnam indicated that the developer was willing to construct the regional trail along the west edge of the property at the time that roads were being constructed on the property, but that the developer expected to receive credit against its park dedication fee for the cost of this regional trail construction. Mr. Flint pointed out that the developer had proposed to construct a few portions of the trail along the Old Crystal Bay Road public right-of-way. Since this was being done for the developer's purposes, credit would not be given for any storm sewer or other cost incurred because the developer was using a portion of the existing drainage ditch. Mr. Putnam commented that the old barn and farmhouse are worthless and would be torn down if not acquired as an interpretive center by some body. The consensus of the Park Commission was that the decision to accept this site as a park would be deferred until some determination is made regarding the historical significance of the site. Until then, no decision would be made as to whether to accept the lot proposed as a passive public park. Mr. Putnam stated they would be starting construction by June at the latest. Mr. Putnam then reviewed the proposal for the Coffin property and noted that there will be 20 lots. He reviewed the location of the private trail to the Luce Line, and commented that trails seem to enhance property value rather than decrease it. He stated that the subdivision does not lend itself to having a neighborhood park because of the size of the lots. Discussion ensued regarding the type of neighborhood park the Commission had in mind, and it was concluded that the type of facilities and play structures were usually provided by individual families in their own back yards. Flint commented that this was one of the frustrations in not having a fully developed Park Plan in effect, and it was difficult to determine what the area needs were when developments such as this were considered. The Park Commission concluded that Park Dedication Funds were the best option in this instance for park dedication requirements for the Coffin property. These will be determined based on the appraised value of the land. The possibility of the historical site on the Dickey property becoming ratified was again discussed, but no final action was taken thereon. 6 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1994 ADJOURNMENT It was moved by Ilse, seconded by McMillan, to adjourn the meeting of the Park Commission at 10:30 p.m. Ayes 6, nays 0. /�. i� �� � .� /- ;� �( ,� /, � / � (�/�-y�-� � ..<.- Richard N. Flint, Chair 7