Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Eagan Voters approve parks bond referendum - 5/28/1984Eagan voters approve parks bond referendum
By JEFF BURRILL
A two -part, $4.4 million parks
bona referendum was approveu
by Eagan voters Tuesday, May
22. According to Parks and
Recreation Director Ken Vraa,
769 residents in the 11 precincts
favored Phase I of the proposal,
while 614 voters cast negative
ballots. Phase II results were
even closer, with 691 people
voting yes, and 671 saying no.
"Needless to say, we're very
pleased with the results," Vraa
said. "The community is badly in
need of parks improvement. With
the approval of the referendum,
we'll be able to accommodate the
projected growth of the city."
The parks bond issue featured
two questions. The first asked
voters for a $3.3 million package
to develop and /or upgrade four
large community parks and 17
smaller neighborhood parks. Ap-
proximately 27% of this cost, or
$825,000, will be used for actual
grading of park land.
Construction of Phase I will
begin this fall and run into 1985.
With the approval of Phase I,
the second question on the ballot
became eligible for considera-
tion. This question -- Phase II
-- concerns an additional $1.1
million to develop 11 parks and
purchase 30 additional acres of
park land to accommodate
neighborhoods in the north -
central portion of the city.
Phase II is expected to begin in
1986.
"With the completion of Phase
I, the city will be caught up on its
parks systems," Vraa said.
"Phase II will keep us on track
with the expected population
growth."
As a result of the referendum
approval, parks acreage in
Eagan will increase from 126 to
260.
"But that doesn't mean our
staff will double," Vraa added. "I
anticipate an additional full -time
person and seasonal part -time
workers. We'll also need another
large- capacity mower."
Eagan
Details of the parks bond
referendum were worked out by
members of the narks and
recreation commission, along
with a special 21- member citizens
task force.
"The task force was a positive
group which worked closely with
the commission on the issue,"
Vraa concluded. "It basically ac-
cepted the commissions pro-
posal, in some cases expressing
belief that we were being too con-
servative in our request."
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