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12/04/1986 - Advisory Parks & Recreation Commission MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION EAGAN, MINNESOTA DECEMBER 4, 1986 A regular meeting of the Advisory Parks & Recreation Commission was called to order by Chairman Martin at 7:00 p.m. Members present were Porter, Alt, Martin, Thurston, Bertz, Caponi, Carroll, Kubik, and Ketcham. Absent was Commission member Masin, who was out of town. Staff present were Director of Parks & Recreation Ken Vraa, Parks Planner/Landscape Architect Steve Sullivan, Planner Jim Sturm, Student Intern Julie Lencowski, Parks Superintendent John VonDeLinde, and Recreation Supervisors Dorothy Peterson and Paula Sunder. Other visitors were present for specific agenda items. AGENDA Chairman Martin asked to have added to the agenda Item C-6, Pine Crest Addition. There were no other additions and the agenda was approved as amended. MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 6, 1986 Motion by Carroll, seconded by Kubik, all members in favor, the minutes of November 6, 1986 were approved. 1. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS - PINE CREST ADDITION Chairman Martin indicated that the development proposals would be taken out of order because Mr. Sturm was being delayed as a result of another meeting. Parks Planner/Landscape Architect Steve Sullivan presented the Pine Crest Addition as a preliminary plat for seventeen single-family homes in Parks Service Section #15. Mr. Sullivan explained the impact of the high water elevation on the park property and the need for a trail through this proposed plat in order to gain access to a portion of the park impacted by high water elevation. There were questions by the Commission regarding the water elevation and they were responded to by Mr. Sullivan. Chairman Martin indicated that it was important to get this trail through in order to accomplish the parks plan. Member Thurston questioned what the .7 of an acre parks land dedication would look like if taken. The Director of Parks and Recreation responded that a land dedication would preclude the developer from platting the entire seventeen lots in the addition. The loss of a single- family lot may jepordize this development. Therefore, Staff was recommending that there be a cash dedication along with a trail easement and the requirement for the developer to bench in the trail. This would still accomplish the City park objectives. In response to a question, Steve Sullivan responded that the developer was aware of this and was agreeable. After further discussion, a motion by Kubik, seconded by Thurston, with all members voting in favor, the Advisory Parks & Recreation Commission recommended the cash dedication, a scenic and trail easement requiring the developer to bench in a trailway to the park peninsula, and assurances that there be no disturbance to the vegetation by the eventual lot owner. 1 2. LONE OAK SECOND ADDITION NORTHWEST AEROSPACE TRAINING Staff reviewed the proposal by Northwest Airlines for its aerospace training facility. There were numerous questions regarding the size of the parcel and the need for ponding area.' After additional discussion, there was a recommendation by the Advisory Commission on a motion by Bertz, seconded by Kubik, that this plat be responsible for the cash dedication requirement. 3. DIFFLZY CENTER Planner Jim Sturm was present for -an explanation of the proposed Diffley Center addition. - Planner Sturm stated that the proposal includes the development-of a Target store and a Northwest Racquet & Swim Club. He explained the circulation pattern, the roadway, and suggested other uses •'1ai-thin -the proposed development. As it related to parks, it was noted that the developer was proposing to provide approximately 8-1/2 acres of park land. In addition, the developer would pay a cash dedication requirement consistent with the City's policy regarding commercial industrial property. In response to=a -question, it was'noted that the City would be-given two years to determine whether or not it would wish to accept the-gift of the park land. Commission member Thurston commented on the amount of ponding area in the proposed public parcel. The Director of Parks & Recreation stated that the issue for the.Cify is the-rezoning of the property which currently carries a Comp. Guide designation of R-2. The Parks Commission should confine itself strictly to the issue of parks, not to the issue of rezoning and use of thq.property, It was noted that there is an issue of trailways that should be reviewed by the Commission. The Parks Commission noted that the Planning -Commission deferred this item until its January meeting, awaiting additional 'information. The Advisory Parks & Recreation Commission then agreed to place this on its February Commission meeting for further reviewal. EAGAN JOINT-VENTURE - INFORMAL REVIEW r.• Parks & Recreation Director Vraa-stated that he had placed the Eagan Joint Venture Proposal on the Commission agenda as an informal review. He stated that several members had seen the first proposal which had been modified by the developer and then presented to a second group of members who saw it at a second meeting. Furthermore, two members had not yet seen the development proposal at all. It was intended that the Advisory Commission could provide Staff with some direction concerning the proposed parks land dedication, which could then be discussed with the owners and developers of the PUD. Mr. Rod Hardy, spokesperson for the development, was present and explained who the property owners were and their thoughts on the development of the PUD. He then introduced John Uban, Landscape Architect for the project, who then explained to :the Advisory Commission the objectives of the PUD. He stated that developers were as concerned about parks as the Advisory Commission and had used a lineal green belt-system similar to that which was used by the Minneapolis Park System at its Chain of Lakes. -He stated that the lineal parkway system provided a tremendous amount of park edge by which homes could be :ad=jacent to this green space, enhancing both the residential characteristics as well as the park property. He also stated that this would ,,be a visual amenity as well as providing continuous green belt connection between neighborhoods in the development. He explained how the trailways would connect Dodd Road with the existing Northview Park Road as well as Wescott. Mr. Uban explained the road system, indicating that other roadways 9 would contain a median continuing the parkway effect through the residential development. "He-stated-that there are sufficient, ball fields in the area and he did ifo`t want to have 'a -park -Tystem that encouraged people from outside areas to,.play softball within the neighborhood itself. He-said it was a careful design decision onhow toIhave the best of both worlds which addresses the natural, the passive, and they idea of preserving the amenities of the land by linking it with a corridor system that is_ good. for wildlife, for ponding, and-preservation and, at the same ime,:creating the maximum amount of edge to the park system which is important'- to the developer as'a marketing tool. He explained that this would help separate neighborhoods and allow for different styles of housing while, at the same time, provide for the sharing of ammenities that adds..val.ue to, everyone. He concluded by saying he felt this added to-the bu,i;lding of 'quality ieighborhoods'and needed to be worked- into the. City's park system. He asked the Commission for suggestions on changes which they could then illustrate or incorporate into. the parks -plan. He suggested that 'he would like to focus on the • plan for the public park system and that` the dedication system 'is a `separate issue . They understand that riot all 6f-'..this would be 100% .dedication .through- different formulas for %ccepting land as. A dedication. Mr. Caponi asked for clarification of the "edge system" and the width and the attributes within the green belt areas shown on the plan. Mr. Uban reviewed some_of-.these concepts again. Mr. Caponi stated that it was hard to determine whether or not this was workable, based on the topographic data. Mr. Uban then explained that there will be-preliminary, plats which will address the specifics of where every house will go and that will, refine the entire concept. There will have to be some adjustments as each plat is prepared. Mr. Caponi said his point was that it should not be just a beautiful view from the homes but a beautiful view from the park as well. The topography and vegetation need to h6 -considered. Chairman Martin explained some misgivings about the original -idea of having the Commission review the proposal before it was actually submitted. He stated..his first thought was that it was a pretty good idea to provide this green space. But, when he saw the map with the topography, he was disappointed because it appeared that all City Park Department was getting was the same as parkland that was accepted back in the early 60's which consisted of ponds and unuseable space. -Mr. Martin continued saying that while it appears to be 50-50 between active and passive, seeing what he sees now, he is not very happy with the proposed parks plan The Parks Committee is going to have to take a real close look because it is such a large PUD. In response to a question from Mr. Hardy-, Mr. Martin explained that, in the initial presentation without topography, he did not understand'what was in the mind of the developer as it related to parks. He stated that the Commission is looking for a level space to provide for the neighborhood amenities and more active play space.` Mr. Martin explained that, for example, there was only one ball field shown, which would not meet the neighborhood standards for the population derived. After'a discussion and review concerning the City's standards, Mr. Uban stated that he felt the proposal, as presented now, would provide for approximately thirty acres of active space which should meet the City's standards and, in addition, exhibits thirty acres of passive park which exceeds the City's dedication requirements of forty or so acres. Chairman Martin explained that it certainly did not appear that there were thirty acres of level space. Mr. Uban then explained that they were providing thirty acres of property of less than 12% slopes and within the trail system. Mr. Hardy said that this entire "issue of parks was very critical to the developer because he felt that they had thirty acres which met the criteria of the City. 3 If they, could develop twelveto,_fifteen acres per thousand population, by which ten acresr would be level. space-and two acres would be wooded or inactive space, then they have met the. City's requirement. -'There are thirty acres of land in, the plan that meets the criteria of open space and play area. He went on to state that-the developer will not, specify where the space should be and that ,"it is the Commission's decision as to how it will be graded to meet your needs but we think that what-we have presented meets your criteria for the number of peon e. If it doesn't .meet the,, City's. needs, _ we. need hard facts telling us-exac_tlr-where you need it, where you want it, rand why you want it". Mr. Hardy then went on to explain, that. he was -trying to.develop a community here and-that they will provide.-.for the flat, level space needed for the activities. "We'll. meet-the needs of- that community. The question is, 'do you want to have time responsibility- for the rest of the space -or do you want this community to separate.-itself andcbe responsible for its own internal space and circulation system." : L Member Kubik stated.that he had-'seen a good presentation-and would like to see some more -information to digest in,terms.of topography and 'vegetation. He wanted-more detail and. wanted Staff to` work•.with the developer t(Y get this information for review at the next meeting. Chairman Martin then said he felt it would be appropriate for the Development Committee of the Commission to meet with Staff to get some real'in-depth review.' Several members expressed agreement with this, Member Thurston explaining that the lineal configuration of the park land did not lend itself to the type of development needed for active play space.' There were addi-ti-onal comments by Commission members regarding the topography, proposed alignment of the park, relationships with the school distr=ict, road circulation, and adjacent park areas and development. The Commission then agreed that no action would be taken .at this time, that Staff should meet with the developer and then with the Development Committee to review the proposal. CITY-CODE. Chairman Martin stated that what he saw from the materials in the packet was basically •what he had hoped for, and the.issues as it-related to parks -in. the Code section. He then asked the Commission members to review the sections that they had prepared, <highlighting significafit issues or contents. - Commission members then discussed their sections. In response to a question in Chapter 3, it was noted that the parks dedication is handled separately from other City charges but is also done annually. In Chapter 8, the Commission questioned the regulation of grass, weeds and trees, that it did not provide for exclusion for parks property as designated by the Director of Parks and Recreation. Members were concerned that regulations apply to the City park but prohibit the maintenance of parks in their natural and unmaintained status. In-=Section 10.22,. regarding new subdivisions, the word "adequate" was seen as ambiguous and unclear. Commission members expressed a concern for doing more in review of this. section, perhaps the necessity of rewriting or redefining. The Commission also discussed the need to have the Parks Dedication Policy codified rather than maintained as a policy- because existing Code does not specifically mention parks dedication regulations. Staff was directed to write a memorandum to the City Attorney's office regarding this issue. 4 Also discussed 'by the Commission were rules and*regulations concerning erosion control measure-s, tree preservation and reforestation, enforcement issues dealing-with development, and the need to review alcoholHe beverages in parks. Mr.--Caponi"explained that from his perspective, which was more European, that the existing policy 'may -be too-restrictive relative-to the-family and social gatherings. After discussion, Mr. Martin indicated that heefelt the Advisory Commission should keep these pages close to them for easy reference. -STORM SEWER-PLANNING Director of Parks and Recreation_Vraa explained-that Tom Colbert, Director of . Public Works, found it -necessary -to leave the Commission-meeting because of the. time frame and commitment to babysitting responsibilities. He stated that --he-would be---happy to-,come..back to, the Commission meeting-later on in the evening. - (Later in.the-Commission meeting, it was determined that due to-the lateness of the hour-, - -Mr. Colbert would be, asked back to ,a January.- or-,February- meeting ato-review the storm sewer planning issues:. PARK NAMING COMMITTEE .Member Carrol3 stated thatlhe-had done-some research and pulled together-some historical data regarding the community and the parks 'requiring naming. He stated that he was prepared, to cal 1. thee- Park Naming Committee together. The Commission decided to meet -on Thursday, December 18. It was' also suggested -that the Development Review Committee would also meet at' that time, if necessary. NEW BUSINESS - Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa distributed reduction of the proposed trails plan, indicating the modifications made at the last Commission meeting. Members briefly familiarized themselves with the changes made. It was suggested that this item be placed on the January meeting for formal approval and inclusion into the parks systems plan. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Julie Lencowski, Intern in the department from the University of Minnesota, ;c;distributed the demographic profile and computations she had been working on. She stated that the draft document was similar to the Parks Systems Plan :pages,, and that it was her intent to provide the Commission with the draft document which could then be incorporated into the systems plan document. =Ms. -Lencowski then indicated the process in which she collected the demographic information, including a review of the 1985 Special Census Data and-all housing units and building permits from September 1985 through 1986. There was some discrepency in population figures as a result of using housing 'data, vacancies, and the time lag of pulling a building permit to final .construction and occupancy..--The population indicates that Districts 2 and 5 contain the largest population concentrations for 1985, which is a change from - the .1982 demographics. . District 5 is still expected to increase by approximately 114%. She went on to say that the median age of Eagan residents is now 27.7 years which is an increase of two years over 1982. In comparing 1982 data to 1985, note that the greatest increase in numbers occur in the 25 to 44-year-old age range. Ms. Lencowski than went on to explain other differentials and impacts on parks service districts and neighborhood parks 5 service ar-eas. Several questions were.-asked by:Commission_members regarding the data, popula-tian projections, and the Metropolitan Council's figures for growth. Ms. Lencowski noted' that several parks service districts' actual population-in 1985 exceeded pro"jected.population for 1990, as done in 1982. Members. expressed appreciation for the work-oJulie had done in completion of the demographic profile and accepted the draft document. PARKS SYSTEM PLAN UPDATING Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa explained. that -the Commission had annual-ly updated--the parks system's plait during the months of December, January, and February of ' each year." Noting that Ms. Lencowski had recently completed the demographic update and that Staff would complete the update on the Inventory and Analysis section, two sections of this system's plan had essentially been completed. Further, the City had already embarked upon its water quality management - study; which "could then be incorporated= 'as:part of the Ponds and Lakes'-section. The Trail section, reviewed previously, would also be reviewed in January, and if accepted by the Advisory Commission, would then become a part of the Trails section. The Director questioned whether the Advisory Commission felt that it was necessary to review any of the other sections for updating. Members agreed that such a reviewal did not seem necessary, and asked staff to update those sections mentioned and a cover sheet. WINTER PROGRAM ACTIVITIES Dorothy Peterson and Paula Sunder were present to review for the Advisory Commission, planned activities for the upcoming months. Paula Sunder reported on a new program called, "North Pole Calling". Volunteers would call children whose parents had responded to a flyer, returning it to the department. The purpose of the call would be to imitate Santa Claus to these children. Paula explained their other-activities, including speed skating and the winter vacation weekend. -Dorothy Peterson told the Commission that interviewing for warming house attendants is nearly completed and there is a good group of candidates to select from. She explained other activities, including volleyball, basketball, and winter weekend. The Commission inquired as to activities planned for the winter weekend, complimenting both Dorothy and Paula on the program offerings. PARKS AND RECREATION VIDEO PRESENTATION = Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa, noting the hour and the need fora break, suggested that the Commission take their break while previewing recently completed video prepared for Group W. This was a first attempt and the Staff was able to learn,, from developing it. Future shows would be improved -and modified- based on the experience gained from this first experimental taping. = PARKS DEVELOPMENT Landscape Architect/Parks Planner Steve Sullivan updated the Commission on park development ativities. Noting that the early snows had interrupted the progress-on some parks contracts, he stated that the rest of this work would have to continue over into 1987. Some work "is continuing, however, on the fencing and 'lighting contract with only restoration work necessary for next year. 6 OTHER BUSINESS AND REPORTS Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa stated that he has arranged for a tour on January 10 of community centers in the cities of Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park, and Brooklyn Center. He left it up to the Advisory Commission to confirm the starting time. The Commission members agreed to assemble at 9:00 a.m. at the Eagan City Hall on January 10 for the tour. WINTER MAINTENANCE REPORT Superintendent of Parks John VonDeLinde reviewed the memorandum concerning winter maintenance. Included in the priorities were rinks and parking lots. It was also mentioned that they have to pay additional attention to maintenance of the ice skating rinks on Saturdays, which are typically heavier use days than during the week. OTHER BUSINESS AND REPORTS There will be a December 9 City Council meeting on the Comprehensive Plan, members may wish to attend. Roger Martin, Sandy Masin, and Tom Ketcham were noted as having their terms expire and would be up for reappointment, if they so desired, for another three-year term beginning in 1987. There being no other additional business, the Advisory Commission adjourned at 11:05 p.m. JWAIARY 30' /987 Date -`Se retary/Treasure 7