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12/01/1988 - Advisory Parks & Recreation Commission MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION EAGAN, MINNESOTA DECEMBER 1, 1988 A regular meeting of the Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission was called to order at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, December 1, 1988 with the following Commission Members present: Dick Carroll, Ted Billy, Sandy Masin, JoAnne Alt, Wayne Sames, Michele Swanson, Bob Porter and George Kubik. Staff present included Director of Parks and Recreation, Ken Vraa; Landscape Architect/Parks Planner, Steve Sullivan; Parks Superintendent, John VonDeLinde; Recreation Supervisor, Dorothy Peterson; Parks Secretary, Cherryl Mesko; Recreation Intern, Beth Mundy; Parks Intern, Mel Bailey. AGENDA Michele Swanson requested that School District 196 Liaison report be added under New Business. Also requested for addition to the agenda was update of MnDot turnback and the Santa Calling program. JoAnne Alt moved, Michele Swanson seconded with all members voting in favor to accept the agenda as amended. MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 3,1988 MEETING JoAnne Alt moved, Dick Carroll seconded with all members voting in favor to accept the minutes as presented. CONSENT AGENDA The following consent agenda item was presented for approval. On a motion by George Kubik, seconded by Bob Porter with all members voting in favor, the Commission approved recommendation to the City Council of the following: 1. EPISCOPAL CHURCH ADDITION - SAINTS MARTHA AND MARY - That this proposal be subject to an 8 foot bituminous trail along Lexington Avenue and Diffley Road. That this proposal be subject to a cash parkland dedication with any change in land use other than a church facility. PARK CENTER ADDITION - FEDERAL LAND COMPANY Steve Sullivan reviewed this parcel which is located south of the undeveloped portion of Rahn Park at the intersection of Cliff Road and Cliff Lake Road. Mr. Sullivan reminded the Commission that they had reviewed this proposal in April of 1988 and at that time had expressed some concerns for the loss of oak trees adjacent to Rahn Park as well as the compatibility of R3 zoning versus commercial as has been planned for this Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of December 1, 1988 Meeting Page 2 parcel. The current proposal under review by the Commission was brought before the Advisory Planning Commission at the November meeting and was denied due primarily to the omission of an elderly housing site on this parcel as well as the traffic impact of the plan as presented. Mr. Sullivan stated that there are six issues that the Commission needs to review which include: 1. Is the proposed land use change from R3 to Commercial PD compatible with Rahn Park? 2. Does the proposal make every effort to preserve the existing significant vegetation? 3. Does the proposal provide adequate screening to provide a reasonable buffer to Rahn Park? 4. What are the pedestrian transportation needs? 5. What impact does the additional run-off have on Rahn Park? 6. What is the parkland dedication requirement? Sandy Masin asked if the Commission could request that trees be preserved along the northern side of the project to buffer Rahn Park from whatever the development was on this parcel. Steve Sullivan responded that if the large trees could be preserved,this would provide a good buffer for the park. Jim Sturm of the Planning Department has requested the developer to do a tree survey so the City has a better idea of what impact development will have on the existing vegetation. Dick Carroll noted that the site plan on page 44 of the packet showed that the addition of a parking lot in the northern area of the development would eliminate most, if not all the trees that exist. Dick Carroll questioned the status of Dakota County HRA's proposal for considering a senior housing project on this parcel. Mr. Sullivan noted that the County is taking appraisals of property for a senior housing facility and has met with the City of Eagan. Federal Land has given Dakota County a price for purchasing a portion of this parcel so it is being considered at this time. Federal Land is proceeding with this current plan, however. Wayne Sames noted that in an early concept plan this parcel showed senior housing as part of the plan. Bob Porter asked if a land dedication could be requested if this parcel remains as R-3 zoning to which Mr.Vraa responded affirmatively. Mr Porter then noted that in requesting a land dedication the City could then establish it's own buffer for the park. Dick Carroll commented that it should be the responsibility of the developer to provide for this type of buffer to a park area. Sandy Masin asked if the water run-off could be filtered before entering the park. Mr. Sullivan stated that that was the intention of Pond AP-50 which will provides for water entering this retention pond before entering the park pond. JoAnne Alt noted that this plan was by far the worst presented for this parcel to date. She felt elderly housing would be a much more compatible use of this parcel. Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of December 1, 1988 Meeting Page 3 George Kubik expressed concern for the water quality due to the amount of oil that will be running off from the parking lot area. Steve Sullivan noted that in talking to the engineering department they would like to see a filter eliminate this type of runoff however they have not seen one to date. Further concern regarding the parking lot was the lack of green islands to break up the parking lot. Mr. Carroll also noted that because of the steep embankment on the north side of the parking lot it would be very difficult to berm this area to eliminate views directly to the loading docks from the park if the parking lot is developed to its full potential which is shown as a possibility. Mr. Sames noted that this plan was not compatible with the project across Rahn Cliff Road. After further discussion JoAnne Alt moved that the Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission recommend to the Advisory Planning Commission that the Comprehensive Guide Plan not be amended because of the impact on Rahn Park. The motion further stated that the following recommendations be made before approval 1. The developer provide staff with a tree inventory and revise the grading/layout plan to preserve additional significant vegetation 2. The developer resubmit a landscape plan which increases the density and size of plant material adjacent to Rahn Park providing the required screening/buffering according to the Landscape Policy. 3. A 5 foot wide sidewalk be placed along Cliff Road and the existing sidewalk adjacent to old Rahn Road be extended to the proposed 8 foot trail along Cliff Lake Road. 4. That a catch basin be placed for run-off before entering Rahn Park. 5. That this parcel be subject to a cash parkland dedication Sandy Masin added that relative to the run-off issue, the details of this issue should be worked out between the engineering department and staff to insure the least amount of impact on Rahn Park. Dick Carroll seconded the motion and all members voted in favor. WATER QUALITY UPDATE Mr. VonDeLinde noted that the Sub-Committee on Water Quality has been meeting since October 17, 1988 to review the draft management plan and classification program to recommend the reclassification of 15 lakes and wetlands and develop a "position statement" outlining eight points related to the management plan findings relative to the recommended revisions to the Water Quality Management Plan. The sub-committee has continued to meet to try to work through the rankings of lakes and ponds associated with the City's parks. The memorandum attached in the packet outlined the recommendations of the sub-committee. Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of December 1, 1988 Meeting Page 4 The Commission has assisted the sub-committee by helping to define the priorities for water quality management on recreation related lakes. The main emphasis for the sub-committee was focused on the level I, II and III lakes and ponds classified for management as "recreational waterbodies". To date the Soil and Water Conservation Department has looked at the recommendations the sub-committee and Citizen's Task Force have prioritized and have agreed that the changes they have recommended are feasible. The prioritization process was handled by a point system by the sub-committee which is presented to the Commission for review. The sub-committee is asking at this point for direction from the Commission as to the credibility of these point priorities to determine if the priorities need to be changed. In response to questions regarding the future use of the water bodies within park property Wayne Sames noted that this issue has been given a great deal of consideration to date. It is not something that will be overlooked. Mr. VonDelinde indicated that water quality trends will be watched as time progresses, i.e. when Fish Lake meets the quality parameters, it will then move into the next priority stage. Mr. VonDeLinde noted that the information is based on old data that has been obtained and that more new data would need to be obtained by way of additional samplings to insure the accuracy of classifications. Dick Carroll commented that he was very impressed with the work done on this project and the results of the work that have been completed. He felt comfortable with the point system that had been determined in prioritizing lake and pond classifications. Sandy Masin mentioned that because of the visibility of Cedar Pond perhaps this should have a higher priority. Wayne Sames noted that the ranking by points doesn't mean that the lowest numbers will be the last water bodies worked on. Sandy stated that we should be as safe as possible, that the high visibility of Cedar Pond would warrant high quality and safety. Bob Porter suggested that the level of Cedar Pond is the biggest concern; if the level is brought up that will help with the overall quality problem. Mr. VonDelinde noted that the level should rise on it's own and that the healing process for this water body will occur with time. George Kubik commented that the ranking as presented is excellent and looks very sound. Ted Billy , noting that the surface use criteria maximum is 35 and none of the waterbodies are ranked at that level now, asked if water bodies could be brought to that level. John VonDeLinde responded that it is very difficult to obtain that level. George Kubik moved, Wayne Sames seconded with all members voting in favor to ratify the lakes and ponds classification priority ranking in the order in which it was presented. George Kubik thanked John VonDeLinde for all the work and follow through involved in taking this project to this point. Wayne Sames also noted that the involvement of the Commission was very beneficial and had a big impact on the results. Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of December 1, 1988 Meeting Page 5 HUD Director Vraa stated that Mr. Mike Doeherty is in contact with HUD and working on the particulars for the agreement to purchase the 65 acre site. At this point HUD is not certain if all the property will be included because of some unresolved title issues. Part of the agreement would provide that any judgments against the bank would go back to HUD and the City of Eagan would not be involved in any way with them. At this time the attorneys are waiting for the Washington office of HUD to sign off on the agreement. We are hopeful a closing can occur yet this month. A redesign of the site was at the meeting for Commission members to review if they chose. MURPHY PROPERTY Director Vraa explained that the City will get title to MnDot property adjacent to the Murphy property near Blackhawk Park to help with the negotiation of an access road into the park. The surveying crew will be establishing the legal description of the parcel so that the negotiations with Mr. Murphy can begin soon. PROGRAM EVALUATIONS - BETH MUNDY Beth Mundy, interning in the Recreation Department for the past 12 weeks addressed the Commission and introduced the project she had been assigned by the department relating to evaluating programs provided by the City of Eagan. The activity that Beth planned and supervised as part of her assignment from the University of Minnesota was the annual Halloween Spook Trail. This was a very positive and educational experience for her. Beth began by stating that 51 letters had been sent to various Parks and Recreation Departments requesting information on their evaluation procedures. Of the letters sent out, 27 responses were received and 3 stated they had no formal evaluations at this point. Beth's research found that 67% of the evaluations received were specific in nature. The general evaluations reviewed were too generic in their content and would probably not be beneficial to programs currently operating in the Parks and Recreation Department. In reviewing the specific evaluations, Beth concluded that the ultimate evaluation should be completed by the participant. In the case of children's programs, this evaluation would need to be done by the parent provided they had an opportunity to observe the class in action. One day events, however, being difficult to evaluate, should be handled by an after action report. Beth noted that it would have been helpful to have after action reports for each special event to enable the subsequent program to operate in an efficient and informed manner. Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of December 1, 1988 Meeting Page 6 Chairman Carroll thanked Beth for her in-depth report and noted that this process for evaluating programs would be invaluable to the department. Wayne Sames suggested that a suggestion box be installed at the shelter buildings for people to respond to the drop-in kinds of use the buildings provide. PARKS DEVELOPMENT Parks Planner, Steve Sullivan updated the Commission on pending parks development and parks projects. Thomas Lake pavilion is almost completed with site restoration to occur in the spring. Ohmann Park was not seeded this year, however the irrigation system was installed and the trenches compacted, Slater Acres Park's seeding was completed, the bituminous Rahn Road Trail was completed with the rejected 60 feet of trail to be completed in spring. Pilot Knob hockey light poles are up and the lights will be on soon. Heine Pond park has been graded, seeded, and the trail bed is down. The sand blanket and bituminous work will be done in the spring. Mooney Lake has been cleaned up but the bituminous trail is not down as yet and the Well Site skating oval is nearing completion. COMMUNITY CENTER UPDATE Director Vraa stated that work is progressing very well on the Community Center to date. Most of the Commission members were present at the joint meeting and were given the latest details outlining the costs and changes. A proposed philosophy statement was provided for the Commission members for their review and recommendations. Mr.Kubik suggested that the members take the statement with them, review it and get back together later to review and revise as necessary. Mr. Kubik also complimented staff for the excellent presentation they gave at the joint Council/Commission meeting . UNISYS TRAIL MEETING Steve Sullivan stated that a meeting was held for the neighbors north of the Unisys property to review the proposed trail linking Pilot Knob Park and Quarry Park. The meeting was attended by 5 people. At this meeting it was apparent that the residents are unclear of what the impact would be to their properties. Some felt it would be beneficial whereas some felt this was a negative. It appears that once the 15 foot offset is staked the neighbors will be able to see what the actual impact of the trail would be to their property. A second meeting will occur once the staking has been completed so the placement of the trail is easier to visualize. George Kubik noted that there was indeed some confusion on this issue and once the staking is completed the residents can better assess the situation. Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of December 1, 1988 Meeting Page 7 WINTER PROGRAM UPDATE Recreation Supervisor Dorothy Peterson updated the Commission on the activities for the winter programs. Currently staff is preparing for the winter skating/sliding season with many of the seasonal staff returning from last year. An advertisement was run four times but the best response to date has been word of mouth for new seasonal workers. Flyers are being prepared for each shelter showing the scheduled hours, rules, etc. A meeting has occurred with Eagan Hockey Association which will have 20 teams participating this year compared with 12 from last year. Dorothy also indicated that the space at Goat Hill is being planned more for pleasure skaters and neighborhood hockey games. DANIEL DRIVE TRAIL Steve Sullivan explained that residents adjacent to a trail planned on Daniel Drive are wanting to have the location of the trail changed from the west side to the east side. As background, Steve noted that the idea for the trail is for a transportation network between Diffley and Lexington to provide access to Schwanz Lake. People north of Trapp Farm Park would be able to go south to Trapp Farm Park on this trail. On the west side of Daniel Trail the development provides for 2 side yards, 10-11 front yards, 3 street crossings. On the east side the development provides for 7 side yards, 5 backyards and 4 street crossings. It is unknown what the impact is for property on the north side of Daniel Drive, west of the 7, 5, 4 configuration. The residents are requesting that the Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission make a recommendation to change the development contract so that the trail can be moved from the west side of Daniel Trail to the east side of Daniel Trail. Sandy Masin asked if the reason for the change of location was for safety. Steve responded that residents are concerned about backing out onto the trail. Wayne Sames noted that if there was going to be a neighborhood meeting on this issue that residents on both the west and east side should be included not only the residents petitioning for the change. Director Vraa noted that there are 10 homesites on the west site with 7 homes already built. The Parks Department position is that the agreement that exists is between the owners of that property and the developer and should be settled between them without bringing the City back into the process. Steve Sullivan stated that the first call came when the trail was being installed; that the residents felt the bituminous trail wasn't compatible with their homes and would prefer a sidewalk. Bob Porter stated Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of December 1, 1988 Meeting Page 8 that the homeowners should be negotiating with Tri-Land to do a sidewalk versus. a trail. Member Billy stated that this is a regrettable situation but felt the City should not be caught up in the middle of a negotiation that should take place between homeowners and developer. Member Kubik stated that the Commission makes a good faith effort to keep the public informed about the total trail system and felt that the trail should be built as planned. Dick Carroll noted that the developer had ample opportunity to request a change before this time and felt this was a little late in the game to be making changes in the development contract. He also stated he had no preference for this being a trail or a sidewalk. Bob Porter asked if there were any other sidewalks in this area to which Steve Sullivan responded affirmatively. The sidewalk seemed to be more compatible with the surrounding area. After further discussion Bob Porter moved, Wayne Sames seconded with all members voting in favor to recommend that the contract be completed per the development agreement with the only option of choice being that of a sidewalk or a bituminous trail for the reasons discussed above. HAPPENINGS Ken Vraa noted that the Santa Calling program is scheduled for December 13, 14 and 15 and the department is still looking for volunteers. He passed out a sampling of letters received to date from the parents. Mr. Vraa also noted that staff has been working for some time on the development of brochures that will be used for marketing purposes and to date the brochure cover has been completed and was shared with Commission members. The brochures themselves are still being worked on. The first 6-month calendar has been delivered for distribution to homes in Eagan. This year apartments will be covered for the first time. SCHOOL DISTRICT 196 LIAISON Michele Swanson brought the Commission up to date on the meetings she has attended as liaison to School District 196. They are in the process of goal setting with youth development set as the number one priority. The existing and expanding latch key program would result in the school district asking other groups that generally use the schools' facilities after hours to no longer use them due to lack of space. Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of December 1, 1988 Meeting Page 9 With no further business to conduct, Sandy Masin moved, JoAnne Alt seconded with all members voting in favor to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 P.M. DATE 4CRETARY