08/18/1997 - Advisory Parks & Recreation Commission
AGENDA
ADVISORY PARKS COMMISSION
EAGAN, MINNESOTA
Monday, August 18, 1997
7:00 PM
Eagan Municipal Center
City Council Chambers
A. 6:00 Park Tour - River Hills Park, Cinnamon Park, Kettle Park
B. 7:00 PM Regular Meeting
C. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance 7:02 pm
D. Approval of Agenda 7:03 pm
E. Recognize Eagle Scouts 7:04 pm
F. Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting of July 14, 1997 7:10 pm
G. Visitors to be Heard 7:11 pm
H. Department Happenings Pages 3-4
1. Consent Agenda 7:20 pm
J. Development Proposals 7:21 pm
K. Old Business 7:22 pm
(1) Inventory Mapping - GPS Recorder Presentation
L. New Business 7:35 pm
M. Parks Development Update 7:36 pm
N. Water Resources Update 7:37 pm
0. Other Business and Reports
(1) Kiosk/Sign Survey and Report - Craig Walter Pages 5-34 7:38 pm
(2) Set Meeting for Development Sub-committee 7:55 pm
N. Round Table 7:56 pm
0. Adjournment 8:00 pm
The City of Eagan is committed to the policy that all persons have equal access to its programs, services, activities, facilities
and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, marital status , sexual
orientation, or status with regard to public assistance. Auxiliary aids for disabled persons wishing to participate are available
upon request at least 96 hours in advance of the events. If a notice of less than 96 hours is received, the City will attempt
to provide the aids.
city of eagan MEMO
TO: ADVISORY PARKS COMMISSION
FROM: KEN VRAA, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION
DATE: AUGUST 12,1997
SUBJECT: AUGUST COMMISSION MEETING
The Augustl8 Commission meeting is one of the lightest agendas that has come forward for
some time. You should be able to plan some family activities after the conclusion of this
meeting!
The Commission will tour three neighborhood parks prior to the meeting. We will depart from
the east lot at 6:00 p.m. and return at 7:00 p.m. for the meeting. After the call to order and
pledge of allegiance, the first item of business is recognition of projects performed by Eagle
Scouts this past year in the parks. Staff will then review the Department Happenings. There are
no consent or development proposals to review this month.
Last month the Commission asked for a review of the GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) Record
System that the Forestry Division has used to record boulevard and public trees. This
presentation is for information only and no action is required. Staff will also provide brief
updates on recent activities in Parks Development and Water Quality.
As part of his internship requirements, Student Intern Craig Walters was asked to research trail
information kiosks that might be helpful for the Commission and staff as we begin to plan for
and implement installation of these information stations at key points along Eagan's trail system.
Although no specific action is requested, if the Commission sees a value and benefit as a result of
this report, they may want to direct additional study by one of the sub-committees or staff.
The final action item is to set a meeting date for the Acquisition and Development Sub-
committee. The purpose of this meeting is to review an item that will appear on the September
Commission agenda, priorities for the CIP recently adopted by the Council, and to again review
the trail proposed for Wondering Walk Park.
As always, if members are unable to attend either the tour or regular meeting, please notify staff
of your absence.
Respectfully submitted,
Ken Vraa
AUGUST, 1997
DEPARTMENT HAPPENINGS
1. The Department will provide 29 soccer fields for the Eagan Athletic Association and Dakota Hills Middle
School fall programs. EAA will also use 4 fields at Eagan High School, which are maintained by school crews.
Once again, it is the age of the participants that places virtually all of the responsibility for fields on the City.
Were the children older, more school facilities would "fit" the needs.
2. Staff have met with Dave Gervais, EAA Travel Baseball Director, to review the organization's desire to field
more teams in 1998. Expansion would occur at younger age levels, which allows for more flexibility in field
allocation. The expansion of travel would likely result in an equal reduction in the in-house program, making
the change virtually a wash and manageable.
3. Evening in the Park is moving along to its conclusion on August 6. The stage had to be set up in Trapp Farm
pavilion on two occasions. The weather was threatening the first time and the amphitheater was soggy the next
week. The pavilion worked well, even with a large crowd for the Ronald McDonald Show.
4. The Department will host a Men's D Region tournament on August 8-10. Sixty-two teams are entered. All
games will be played at Northview Athletic. If the weather is warm, the concessions will do well.
5. Recreation staff has begun preliminary planning for fall activities. The fall brochure will be distributed right
after Labor Day. Staff looks forward to many new 3 year olds in their first experience in organized activity.
6. The adult co-recreational tennis league is in the play-off stage of its activity. Playing with teams from Inver
Grove Heights, Eagan can boast of a champion in one division and a runner up in the other division for the
regular season's play.
7. The City's Northview soccer fields sustained considerable wear and tear due to the generous amount of rain in
July and the heavy schedule of games. Fortunately, youth soccer is currently between seasons.
To allow time to repair the Northview soccer fields, the few remaining adult games were moved to Ohmann
Park. Dakota Hills Middle School will be the primary user of Northview soccer facilities this fall.
8. Staff held its fall City/School meeting with District 196 personnel. These quarterly meetings help to keep lines
of communication open, to plan for facility use and to share expertise. Frequently awareness for problem
solving emerges through shared effort.
9. The Department's youth tennis lesson program was again well received. Thirty-four of 36 classes offered were
held. Staff are considering adding a third lesson site, at least during the most popular time frames - late June
and mid-July.
10. Recreation revenues are on target to once again surpass projections for FY1997. Environmental Education, i.e.
nature activities, youth development and sports & creative camps are among the programs whose popularity has
resulted in increased revenue.
11. National Youth Sports Coaches certification clinics will be held for EAA coaches the week of August 11.
Football and soccer are the sports scheduled to be addressed. Typically the turn out is smaller in the fall
compared to the April offering. With the size of the soccer program one never knows!
12. The Department will host an undergraduate intern from the U of M beginning September 15. Cindy Fitzsimons
is majoring in leisure studies and will work primarily in recreation. However, staff will challenge her to
experience all other aspects of the Department as well.
13. Staff is preparing the construction documents for the construction of the additional parking lot at
Lexington/Diffley. An August bid opening is anticipated.
3
14. The 7'' Annual Safety Camp was completed on August 5. The 3 day camp is coordinated with Police and Fire
Department staff.
15. Recreation staff are conducting exit interviews with summer playground staff. Although time consuming, the
interviews enable supervisory staff to complete the summer long teaching process with young employees.
16. Bid packages have been sent to 5 contractors for the color coating of 5 tennis courts and 11 play courts. The
work is expected to be completed during September.
17. Staff is researching the possibility of using a plastic/rubber tile over the tennis courts at O'Leary Park.
Subsurface moisture has caused previous surface treatments to peel.
18. A consulting engineering firm has completed a sub-surface investigation of the court area at Rahn Park. It now
appears that the primary cause of the large cracks on the older courts is the lack of any base material under the
bituminous material. Staff expects to have the engineering recommendations within the next several weeks and
intends to have repairs made in 1998.
19. The midseason application of fertilizer has been completed at all athletic sites and the contracted school site.
20. As of August 1, staff has provided approximately $7,800 of maintenance services to the Dakota Hills Middle
School. The services have included mowing, fertilization and infield renovations. The school district will be
billed for the services under the terms of a previously approved 2 year agreement. It appears that the actual
costs will be in line with the original estimates. There has been no significant impact on park maintenance
activities.
21. Water levels remain high in several park water bodies, most notably Blackhawk and Patrick Eagan Parks.
Because of the volume of water in the storm ponding system it may be weeks before levels return to normal.
Several trail segments remain submerged.
22. The Dakota County Sentence to Service crews will be painting outdoor hockey rinks throughout the City during
the next several weeks.
23. Staff has been mowing on weekends and in the evenings in an attempt to "keep up" with mowing schedules.
24. Staff has approved a contract with Barr Engineering for the completion of a Phase I environmental audit of
Captain Dodd Park. The audit is the first step towards receiving MPCA "assurances" pertaining to any wastes
on the site. Preliminary testing has found all contaminate levels to be within "acceptable" levels as established
by MPCA.
25. From all indications the mulch sale conducted by staff on August 9 was a success. A second sale will be held
early this fall. The price charged is minimal and is intended only to cover staff and equipment costs.
Cs14/August Dept Happenings.dp.
city of eagan MEMO
TO: ADVISORY PARKS COMMISSION
FROM: CRAIG WALTER, PARKS AND RECREATION INTERN
THROUGH: KEN VRAA, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION
DOROTHY PETERSON, SUPERINTENDENT OF RECREATION
DATE: AUGUST 5TM, 1997
RE: REPORT ON KIOSKS
PURPOSE
This project was initiated because there was an identified need to accommodate the
different masses of public that use and travel on the Eagan trails. The System Plan also
identifies this as a need. It is also being done to fulfill my requirements as an intern. When the
public travels through Eagan on any of the many trails, they should be informed of the specific
facilities that are available to them. These facilities could possibly be parks, rest facilities, water
fountains, and others. This information could be given out via informational kiosk/signs that are
posted at various locations through out the Eagan area. The following study examines the
feasibility of informational kiosk/signage along the Eagan trail system. This will include the
possible costs, designs, and locations of the kiosks.
OVERVIEW
After I received this assignment from Ken Vraa, Director of Parks and Recreation and
Dorothy Peterson, Superintendent of Recreation I decided that it would be beneficial to talk to
different people for information. All of the people I talked to were directly involved with and
had knowledge about kiosk design, cost or information.
The first person I talked to was Dean Heng from Hennepin County Parks, who is the
Operations Supervisor. I also met with Lynn Morotzke, Dakota County Planner of Trails, we
1
talked about existing kiosks in the County. I continued to talk to different people like Steve
Sullivan, Dakota County Park Architect about their park kiosks. I also spoke with
representatives of companies that manufacture signs/kiosks. The first company I talked to was
Safety Signs; I spoke with Jay Blanchard on certain projects that they have done. The last person
I spoke with was Cheryl Frenette with Vomela graphics. All of the conversations I had with
these people were helpful in providing me the important information.
I had also decided that a survey would be beneficial to this report. The purpose of this
survey would be to find out what people thought about kiosks and if kiosks would be helpful to
them. Also the survey was used as sort of a person count to see if people were actually using the
trails.
In this report, you will be reading about the following items:
? Possible locations for kiosk/signage
? Existing kiosks/signage
? Different options for kiosk/signage
? My survey results
INTRODUCTION
Trails are one of the most popular recreation facilities within a park system. These trails
are important not just to the park but also the whole city. Trails and trailways may be
specifically in a park or on the side of a road. The existing trails and trail development in Eagan
are primarily an outgrowth of the community's park and trail system plan along with Dakota
County's plan. These trails all have many different uses in today's growing world.
Sometimes trails are used for transportation, recreation, and (or) just personal enjoyment.
All of these possibilities happen via rollerblades, walking, biking, or running. The City of Eagan
must look at all of these uses when providing and planning for the community's future. Goals
proposed in the Park System Plan pertaining to the development and improvement of Eagan's
trail system relevant to this study are:
? To provide a coordinated trail system of the state, county, and local trails that meets
the recreational and transportation needs of the community.
? To coordinate trail systems with the adjacent communities.
2
? To establish a consistent trail signage and public information program.
Past studies have shown that the use of Eagan's trails is going up in population and
frequency. With this increasing usage of the trails, the City must visualize possible ways to
make the trails more appealing and useful. One way of doing this would be by posting
kiosks/signs with information along Eagan's trails.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
On Road Trail - the right shoulder of a traffic lane of a collector street
Off Road Trail - an 8-foot wide bituminous asphalt trail along major thoroughfares or an
independent trail.
Sidewalk - a 5-foot wide concrete walkway; found in conjunction with bituminous trails or as
connection to trails along neighborhood collector streets.
Bike Route - any trail along a street, on or off road, that is designated by Dakota County with a
Bike Route Sign
BACKGROUND
Eagan has about 93 miles of trails and trailways to offer citizens, most of these trails are
along arterial roads such as Pilot Knob, Yankee Doodle, and Cliff. The bike routes, as assigned
by Dakota County, are marked with a green bike route sign that has a bicycle on it and the words
`BIKE ROUTE' along the roads (Picture 1). These are helpful but they tend to be a bit
confusing because they are spread out too far along the different roads. A good amount of these
bike routes are adjacent to other communities and tie into their trail system. In talking with Ken
Vraa, we decided that some of the most logical and preliminary places to start this possible kiosk
location is where Eagan's trails meet with trails coming from other community's.
Some of these locations that are adjacent to or closer to other community's are: Interstate
494 & Pilot Knob coming from Mendota Heights, Pilot Knob & Cliff road which eventually
leads into Apple Valley, Silver Bell Road / Beau D Rue / T.H. 13 area which descends into the
river bottom with the option of going into Bloomington or into Burnsville. The last two sites are
at both ends of the Highline trail. All of these locations would be good locations for a possible
kiosk/sign.
3 '7
G
1 1-d
O
o r'' o
`o
o 1
ho,
\ r 6
R„ ~~r G
j 4
4
Site 1
0
INTERSTATE HWY. NO. 494
LKJ
p 200
0
e`~0 0
NGr°'~' ® ~•Trail
Possible location
® of Kiosk
The intersection of Interstate 494 & Pilot Knob road is a logical northern spot.
An off the road, bituminous trail is on the west side of the road south of 1-494. This
North-South trail continues on both sides of Pilot Knob all the way through Eagan to
Apple Valley while crossing many major East-West trails. There is an off road
bituminous trail that veers to the West that serves as a river crossing into Bloomington.
Once across the Interstate 494 bridge, to the North, there is a bituminous off road trail on
the West side of the road into Mendota Heights.
5 9
Site 2
11000,
F~ \ /
Ole 1000' 1.0000'
19 'PO
Ole
/ 4000' 1-1 / rlkn
/ / ¦I JJ Sidewalk
Trail
10,
Possible location
•r' of Kiosk
/
/
100,
Ole
/ SILVER BELL ROAD
/ II
/ I I
/
A third possible location is the
Silver Bell / Beau D Rue / think highway 13 area. Silver Bell, an East-West road, has a
sidewalk on one side from Blackhawk across trunk highway 13 to Nicols road. Nicols
road then has an on the road bituminous trail to the river. Beau D Rue, which is
intersected by Rahn Road, has a North-South, on the road, bituminous trail that runs into
Nicols road.
g lb
Site 3
I I o
a
I
v
M ~
I ~ 1
Trail
CLIFF ROAD
Present Kiosi
The location at Cliff and Pilot Knob is a good southern location. It is
only 1-mile from the Apple Valley border. There is already a kiosk connected to the
brick water treatment marquee. To the West, on both sides of Cliff road, is an off the
road bituminous trail, it then becomes sidewalk at Blackhawk road and continues on to
Nichols road. To the East, there is an off the road bituminous trail until Dodd road. To
the North and South is the bituminous Pilot Knob trail.
7
Site 4
.--N 16H LINE TRAIL ®
I I
I
1 I
Imow - Trail
Possible loca i
of Kiosk
S(. iMER LANE I /
The High-Line trail is a 5.4 mile trail that generally runs underneath high power
lines, along the easement from the Power Company. It is a bituminous trail that runs
from Dodd road to Nicols road. At the Eastern most point, there are bituminous trails on
both sides of the North-South Dodd road from Cliff toDiffley roads. The High-Line trail
runs for 'A-mile to Trapp Farm through a wooded area. It then runs along Widerness Run
road from Trapp Farm to Pilot Knob road. At Pilot Knob it continues West on the
easement through wooded and residential areas.
8
Site 5
SHALE LN.
O
cc
to
O
Z
RANK
ATHLETIC
100 r Trail
® Possible location
of Kiosk
The Western most point of the High-
Line trail is at Rahn Athletic fields off of Nicols road. This road has a north-south trail
that is an off the road, bituminous trail. The High-Line trail has a little jog on Blackhawk
road to get across Interstate 35E. This trail has many places along it to transfer on and off
other trails.
9 /3,
DAKOTA COUNTY KIOSKS
There are kiosks in all of the Dakota County parks. There are a couple of different
designs of kiosks in the parks. Along Dakota County Roads, there are three kiosks on trails that
are for public use. There is one in Rosemount, Apple Valley, and Eagan
The current kiosks in the County parks are basic wooden standards. These have a
corkboard for posting information with pushpins or tacks. It is covered with a hinged, plexiglas
door and has the name of the park above it. The roof is at a slight angle to the rear. There are
mailboxes on the sides of these kiosks with trail maps in them (Picture 2). The information in
these kiosks has to do with the individual park more than the trails. They basically have the park
hours, rules, and a general trail map. These kiosks are at trailheads in the parks, designed by the
park architect and constructed by Vo.-Tech students and the County carpenter. I talked with the
Dakota County Park Architect/Planner, Steve Sullivan, and he says that the County is in the
process of designing or implementing new kiosks for the parks to replace the old, outdated ones
talked about above. One of these new kiosks is located down at Spring Lake Park Reserve. The
new kiosks is designed nicely in the shape of a half gazebo type shelter. They are roughly 10'
tall and 11' wide with three information panels with plexiglas doors (Picture 3). Steve stated that
this is the basic design and might be altered to fit aesthetically with the other buildings on site. I
could not get a price estimate on this particular kiosk due to the fact that the County built it. The
supplies were bought from a local lumber company on a as needed basis.
The kiosks that are out on the County trails in the different cities are all basically the
same but just have little design differences. The kiosk site in Eagan is located at Blackhawk
Rd. and Cliff Rd. in the park-n-ride parking lot. This has a bench, a bike rack, bike lockers, and
the covered kiosk (Picture 4). The kiosk is not fully covered, it is more of a shade cover. It is
10' 4" tall. The kiosk has two 4' 6" diameter information display boards covered with plexiglas.
One board has a Dakota County trails map in it and the other is empty. The trails map indicates
all county trails and where some services are such as libraries and bus stops (Picture 5). In the
meeting with Lynn Morotzke, Dakota County Trail Planner, she stated that the space in the
empty board was for city use if need be. The bench has a bike form out of blue PVC pipe with
plastic wood for the seat. The bike rack is also PVC pipe. There are 3 bike lockers for rental
through the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority.
10
The kiosk in Rosemount is located at the intersection of Chippendale Rd. and County Rd.
42. This site does not have the bike locker or the bike rack and the cover of it is different. The
bicycle type bench is the same. The cover of this one is a'/4 of a circle that is plastic, see-
through sheeting. It is angled upward at an 18 degree angle,
this is more for architecture purpose than a shade purpose (Picture 6). It has a single,
informational display board is the same as the one in Eagan.
The kiosk in Apple Valley is located at the intersection of County Rd. 46 and Lac Lavon
Rd. This sites amenities is a mixture of the previous two sites. The bench structure is the same
bike design but the kiosk and cover look like the one at the park-n-ride. Again, the single
informational board is the same diameter and has the same map.
The County did these designs with strict regulations due a the grant from the State of
Minnesota that was paying for it. Safety Signs did the manufacturing and fabrication of the
kiosks. I could not get a specific price on these due to the different designs, concrete amounts,
etc. Jay Blanchard, from Safety Signs, did state a good ball park figure was $2,000-$3,000
each. The idea behind this design was to have a flashy, eye-catching entity. Lynn also stated
that there really has been no feedback from the public about these kiosks. There were feedback
forms out at the locations for people to fill out and tell the County what they thought but the
County has not seen one of these turned in. This may be due to lack of marketing the kiosks, or
the visibility of them.
My meeting with Lynn Morotzke was very informational. As I started telling her more
about my project and what Ken was having me do she seemed to become more enthusiastic
about the idea. Lynn stated that the County has been waiting for cities to look at possibly putting
up kiosks. I showed her the locations Ken and I were looking at for possible kiosks, she was
interested in the two locations on the County Roads. These locations are Pilot Knob/I-494 and
Pilot Knob/Cliff. She stated that the County would
only be able to help with the kiosks at the locations on County Roads. The point was also
brought up that if the city did want help from Dakota County, that there would be some sort of
financial assistance possibly to help.
The feeling I received from the meeting with Lynn was that the kiosks the County would
want to help with would be the same design as the PVC ones that are already in Eagan, Apple
Valley and Rosemount. I think that these kiosks would be beneficial to both the City of Eagan
11 /J
and Dakota County. I would think that this is an expensive design to be implementing
everywhere. Implementing the same design would have to require a good amount of space and it
would also need to be aesthetically pleasing.
KIOSKS IN EAGAN
In Eagan there are two kiosks that I looked at in my study, the one already talked about at
the park-n-ride and there is one in the cement block marquee at the Cliff Water Treatment Plant.
The location of this marquee is at Cliff Road and Pilot Knob Road. This kiosk is a small one that
is connected to the marquee itself (Picture 7). The size is 20" by 26" this kiosk probably could
not be altered. Therefore this would just need some type of informational map placed in it.
There are also four sitting benches at this location, along with a functional water fountain
(Picture 8). As of right now there is no information posted in this kiosk.
/f .
12
Picture I
t vti ,i
Picture 2
su .r
s s ® ~ -
t'.
S
Picture 3 /
13
w,
t a fwd s ,sr
Picture 4
- S
Tom.
OND
Picture 5
-,mow-e~--;; - ` i1
t
t ? y
rsf
A We
_ . • ~ . alb .•:~3 ~
Picture 6
IA
4
I CA IM a
+o~rz
A
Picture 7
41
y} •.z T'' 'yam-_' C'yllo
Picture 8
1
15
POSSIBLE DESIGN OPTIONS
While doing my research for this report I decided to look at some possible designs being
used by others. The first example is a design done by Dean Heng from the Hennepin County
Parks Department. This frame was created in an effort to make the Hennepin County park
kiosks a little more attractive and durable. Dean, Operations Supervisor, created this himself
after seeing the older signs getting beat up and wore out. He wanted something not too
expensive, durable, and updateable. Updateable meaning easy to change the information on the
inside. The ones they were using were just plywood signs with the information screened on
them. These were in a frame similar to that of the Graphic Solutions low profile, horizontal
format. These older signs are in the Hennepin Parks system now.
The new posts and frame that Dean designed are all die cast aluminum and stand about 5'
2" tall (Drawing 1). The frame will have a 2' by 3' sign in it. The post will have the frame ,
connected to it. The frame will have two plexiglas sheets for protection of the sign (Drawing 2).
The outer one will take the blunt of abuse. This outer sheet, according to Dean, can be replaced
relatively inexpensively. The sign itself will be double sided, vinyl screened. It will be
mounted on wood and notched to slide down on the center rail. There is a cover frame for the
top.
Dean said that the couple of signs they have put up with this design so far have had good
reviews from the public. They are planning on changing them in batches of 35 or so to curb the
costs. This particular post/frame cost about $237.50 a piece. This does not include the sign or
the plexiglas.
The Graphic Solution model referred to above is an option also (Figure A). This
company does different kiosks than the two shown on the sheet. The two samples are the
Vertical Profile Horizontal Format (VPH), and the Low Profile Horizontal Format (LPH). This
company gave me a price quote on each of these; the largest VPH is about $550.00, while the
largest LPH runs about $600.00, that would be without the maps/info.
An option with the actual printing of the map could be going with the afore mentioned
vinyl screening process. I received some information from Vomela, a company that does this
sort of screening process. It turns out that this product is really a 3M product, they are the ones
that designed this particular electronic graphics process. While talking with Cheryl Frenette,
16
graphics salesperson, she informed me of the cost and process of the electronics graphics
system. Cheryl said that there is a basic cost for the screening process, this is about $15 a square
foot. The cost does depend on how print ready the original is and how much work they have to
do before actually screening. They can take designs from computer discs, 35mm slides, or
transparencies. It was brought to my attention that this company does most of the DNR's park
signs. Although this is a quality sign, the material that was screened on could not be easily
updated or changed.
There is always the option of designing a kiosk within the parks department. The
building could also be done in house.
17
Drawing I SELF TAPPIMG
SGCI-EWS INTO
- scaEw poa-rs
TOp 0F AWM -
IHL4M Tug(
To 0E GA PFE D
I,~ FAGE ,c , vJII7E
GU SToM pis
sly N
PLZA. M E -
em -Soo
FOWPE12- COAT-
6P ALUMINUM
J
WeILPEV FRAME
GOWJ ERs -
FACES Gczou)P
Pow DER- C
ED ALUMIE,JM
eXISTING^ 4P-oUNp~ TUBING
llll~llll~illl =i111=I(II~1111=illlllll i1 =llfl=l~~~i=(Ippl I IIIII=
rill ' Il~ll 1--I! 1 III! I (III i ( hill I
I I dull i
ilk II
~,II II
x-23'7 S V
II II
LU U
SIGN PETAIL
HENNEPIN SCALE: II/ : T
srANVa9zo SIGN DETAIL
PARKS I71ST4z1G7' Wi DE t}ATE: FE$ 1996
At-t. PATS DRAWN: LLSL
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND 18 GINEERING 559.9000 SHEET OF
Drawing 2
O.ItS' o•1L5'
~ O•tS
O.62"
tJ
r.
SMA LL
C2ADIUS
b o
U o
d o
SECTIoF4 CU,T*4 mzth m ? - EM -Goo
v1ECAST AwMtNUM
SIGN
PLEXIGLAS
a 2/074 L
WOOD
SECTION : CUSTOM t=t2AME ACTUAL- SIZE
P% C.A.ST AWM INtJM
SCALE : 1.1o ScAL9
PIN s tG" Fv a m s DETP•M L
PA CLASTIOM Au ',IHUM FMAM6 a3 DALE: V 4 19%
19
I~tSTC~-IGT" ~I MAWN: kSL
Figure A
THE PERFECT COMPLEMENT .
to a Graphic Solutions wayside exhibit Is a high quality framing -
-system.
LOW MAINTENANCE - DURABLE -These all-aluminum systems
-floated In a two-part polyurethane paint, provide maximum durability
and require minimal maintenance by park personnel.
-Durability, low maintenance, coordinated designs, easy Installations,
and Interchangeable graphics any one of these features is
reason enough to consider a Graphic Solutions framing system.
However, combined, they add up to the lowest cost, most versatile t
47-
14 iW
system for framing your wayside exhibits available today.
W
W
4 y. - _ a
VPH VPV Vertical Profile Horizontal Format (VPH)
Vertical Profile Horizontal Format (VPH) Vertical Profile Vertical Format (VPV) - r
W H X W H X
VPH 3624 36 24 36 VPV 2436 24 36 24
VPH 1815 18 15 45 VPV 1518 15 18 42
VPH 3020 30 20 40 VPV 2030 20 30 30
W
E 1 f.
~8.
LPH -
Low Profile Horizontal Format (LPH)
W H X - ?
LPH 3020 30 20 34
LPH 3624 36 24 34
Low Profile Horizontal Format (LPH)
Graphic Solutions Division of Advertising Inc.
P.O. Box 1288.355 S. Potomac Street • Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
outdoor exhibits
20
SURVEY METHOD
The survey part of my research involved a short, 11-question survey. This took
the respondents about 3-4 minutes to fill out and then they were back on the trail. There
were 32 people that took part in this survey although, there were many more observed.
This survey was conducted over 25 hours in 2 hr intervals (weather permitting). These
survey times were spread out in the morning and afternoons and some evening time slots
at the five preliminary sites. These five sites at which this survey was administered, were
the same ones noted as possible kiosk locations earlier in the report. So this was not a
general survey, it just concentrated on the possible kiosk sites.
RESULTS
I observed 139 people out on the Eagan trails. Of these 139 people, 80 were
bicyclists and 32 of those cyclists agreed to do the survey. The 59 non-bicyclists were
classified as walkers, joggers, or others. The following figures are results gained from
the survey, some numbers will be larger than the number of people interviewed; this is
due to the opportunities for multiple responses.
Most of the 139 people were bicyclists, 58%, the next largest figure is walkers
with 24% of the total number. The runners only configured 14% percent of the total
people observed. The other category turned up to be just 6 rollerbladers. (Fig. 1)
# of Trail Users
Walkers (33)
24%
Bikers (80) Fanners (20)
58%
14%
others (6)
4%
Figure 1
21 ~J
As shown in Figure 2, most of the people surveyed were residents of Eagan.
These 24 people represent over three-quarters (77%) of the respondents. The 7 that listed
themselves as non-residents did list their resident city. Of these, there were 2 from Apple
Valley, and 1 each from Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, Bloomington,
Burnsville, and St. Paul.
Percentages of those interviewed that are Eagan residents
Non - residents 7
23%
Eagan - residents
24
77%
Figure 2
In looking at Figure 3, we can see how the people found out about the specific
trails. The most sited response was from just riding around and noticing the trails. The
How people find out about the trails
News letter 1 s
Bike shop
Near a park 1
Live near it 1 a'
40
Friends K r.r..:
Map 4,
Just riding around 11'.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
frequency
Figure 3
22
next most common response was from talking to friends. After those two, there were two
that each had four responses, these were finding the trail on a map and living near the
trail. There were three others mentioned with one response each.
The distance traveled by the cyclist's was the topic of question 7 and Figure 4.
The most commonly traveled distance range was from 1 to 5 miles per trip. 3 miles was
registered 7 times in this range.
Total distance traveled by cyclers
16 & abve 4
11 to 15 7
6to10 7
0
1 to 5 ys 13
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
frequency
Figure 4
In the 6 to 10 mile and the 11 to 15 mile ranges, each had 7 responses. The most
common response in those ranges was 12 miles. The average of all responses was 9.7
miles per trip. There were four responses above 16 miles; these were 26, 27, 30, and 40
miles.
23
Total users at certain sites
35
X33,'
iF
x
30
~*f
26.. st
25
20
r P,--,
15w:
5
2 2,
¦Total users
0 ¦Cyclists
Pilot & Cliff Pilot & 494 Highline E Highline W Beau D Rue
location
Figure 5
Figure 5 shows the breakdown between total users and cyclists' at each survey location.
The W. and E. High Line trail locations were the highest in total use with 33 and 26 users
observed respectively. Those same two trails also had the highest number of cyclists'
with 9 and 10 respectively. The lowest number of users observed was at the Pilot Knob/
1-494 location.
24c
People aware of the trail system
No (15) Yes (17)
47% 53%
Figure 6 Figures 6, 7, and 8 all have to do with
the kiosk and trail awareness. It shows that
the awareness of our trail system is almost
Chances of exploring different split 50-50 between people
trails if they are known
No (9) knowing and not-knowing of the trails.
28%
If the responding
people were made more aware of other trails,
Q Yes (23)
72% 72% of them said they would go and explore
them (Fig 7). In Figure 8, it shows us that
Figure 7
91% of the respondents would
actually stop and read the information
Would you read information on a on the kiosks.
kiosk?
No(3)
9%
Yes (29)
91%
Figure 8
25
With Figure 8 showing us that people will stop to look at the kiosks, Figure 9
shows us what information the respondents regarded as important to them on the kiosk.
The three highest responses were water (23), trails (22), and restrooms (20). Shelter and
other parks received 6 and 9 responses respectively, while the `other' category received 3
responses, two for mileage and one for bike lanes.
Items that would be helpful on a kiosk
25
23
22,
.i~
20,
20
rl' K ~ w
15
10 ~
Y'
i 1~M„yw ?s
6 N3 f:
ri
yr
0
Restrooms Water Shelter Trails Parks *Other
item
Figure 9
vU
26
SUMMARY
Although the survey did not have large numbers of participants, I feel it does tell us some
valid things about the City of Eagan trail users. 1) The majority of trail users are residents of
Eagan and even with this being true, the citizens are not real aware of the trail system. 2) Only
50% of the people are aware of the Eagan trail system but 72% said they would explore new
trails if they were made aware of them. 3) Most of the bike trail respondents (20 of 31) were on
a bike ride of 10 miles or less, implying that people are staying in Eagan. 4) The survey also
shows that people would stop and look at the kiosks if they were there. This leads in to the
results of question 11, they obviously want to know where certain things are in the Park System.
Some of these items the citizens recognized as priorities were water, trails, and restrooms. Also
there might be the possibility of putting other community's attractions at the kiosks on the edge
of the city.
I think that the 5 sites that were looked at were very adequate ones. These sites are all on
major trails in Eagan. The time-spent surveying was parlayed around the cold, rainy. weather
along with the minor flood we had in month of July. I feel that these conditions did have a
negative effect on the survey. The people were just not out on the trials. The reason there were
so many bikers observed and not surveyed was due to their unwillingness to stop and fill out the
survey. Also, there were a lot of young kids that were counted but could not of comprehended
the survey. This brings up the question of "If the people wouldn't stop to fill out a survey, would
they stop to look at a kiosk?" I'think the answer would be yes. First, because they might have
seen me as a bothersome, harassing, city worker. Secondly, they would probably want to stop
and check out this new object on the trail. This, in turn, opens them up to all the possibilities the
trails have to offer. Some of the people didn't have time to fill out the survey or were `late' to be
somewhere. One more reason there were so many bikers observed is that it seemed no matter
what corner of the intersection I was on, the people were at a different corner. This shows the
importance of placement. I hope that this better informs you of kiosks/signs, trails and the
Eagan citizens.
27
RECOMMENDATIONS
1) That kiosks should be a part of a master trail plan in the future. Kiosks would be a
healthy asset to an already great park system.
2) Each site should be studied to find an optimum place for the kiosk. This includes
sight lines, and the correct side of the road or trail.
3) To have Dakota County assist the City of Eagan if kiosks are decided upon.
4) Eagan should promote trails and kiosks to other cities.
5) In the event of kiosks being put up in Eagan, the citizens should be made aware of
them by the paper, the brochure or some other publicity means.
6) Every option should be weighed when looking at companies and designs.
7) If kiosks are to be put in, they should be sturdy and metal in design, similar to the
design of the Hennepin County Parks. The information in it should consist of
(atleast) a map of trails, restroom location, water location, and Parks and
Recreation information. This information could be screened on but with the
ability to be updated.
28 `j~
REFERENCES
Blanchard, Jay Safety Signs Inc., 19784 Kenrick Avenue Lakeville, MN 55044
ph. 469-6700
City of Eagan Park System Plan, 1995
Frenette, Cheryl Vomela Graphic Systems, 274 E. Fillmore Avenue St.Paul, MN 55107
ph. 228-2261
Graphic Solutions P.O. Box 1288 ; 355 Potomac St. Hagerstown, Maryland 21740 ph.
(301) 791-6920
Heng, Dean Hennepin County Parks, 12615 County Road 9 Plymouth, MN 55441
ph. 559-6703
Morotzke, Lynn Dakota County Western Service Center (Planning), 14955 Galaxie
Avenue Apple Valley, MN 55124 ph. 891-7030
Sullivan, Steve Dakota County Parks, 8500 127th St. E. Hastings, MN 55033
ph. 438-4662
29 23
Appendix A
1997 TRAIL/KIOSK SURVEY
Date: Age: Time:
Place:
1) Do you live in Eagan? Y / N
If no, where?
2) How did you find out about this trail?
3) Reason for use of this trail. _ exercise _ recreation
- transportation other
4) How often do you ride on this trail?
5) Are you riding through Eagan? Y / N
6) Where are you going?
7) How many miles is this bike ride/trip?
8) Are you familiar with the Eagan/Dakota county trail system? Y / N
9) If there were kiosks on the trails, would you explore different trails? Y / N
10) Would you stop and read the information on the kiosks? Y / N
11) What items would be helpful to you on a kiosk map?
_ restrooms - water _ shelter _ parks
trails other
30 1,4
-4419-17 4.
yak ty agan
'AM Parks & Recreation Department
Class Evalaatipn Fumme 9
S -Youth Safety Camp
LOCATION: Thomas Lake Park
In order to better serve the participants in our recreation programs, we need to receive as much input
from the participants as possible. Therefore, we would like to ask you to take a few minutes to answer
the following questions and give us your suggestions. THANK YOU1
Please answer the questions with more than a
yes or no - for that answer does not indicate what we are
doing
t right
or wrong. . _ . x ~ - - - - . _ ~Y
Organization of the class _
jWell A
organized
_ Good organization
Usually organized =
_ Little organization, 77
Poor organization
2. Did you child enjoy the program? ,1 Yes No
3. Did the class cover what you 9 r S- I W a S 1 5ed t .41
4. What activities were enjoyed the least?
k L 1Z
e a jo he o
st I/
Srf~ t activities EG
ModrT"
e e frur
awl
`7. ]ease comment on the family
44,!E, :279L, R,75' )nOt- 475
~l'! GC SAC uat ' 43~ ' a cry
8. How you bear about Safety Camp? f 07 05 zc~
9. Comments and sugge 'on for future topics, schedulin and provement• 7.1 or
YOU yew inp Participation and PI fol ~-'cZ'
slap e this form to the
address on the reverse side. PPo stamp
' s j.'.,_ w: .mow
Eagan Parks & Recreation Department -X81-46b0 ' r - Eagan Police Department
.691-4700 Eagan Fire Department
aittLrd-S
City of Eagan
Parks 8t Recreation Department
Class Evaluation Form Summer 1997
CLASS NAME: Summer In the Park for 5 and 6 Year Olds
LOCATION: Class ##861- Mon/Wed - Goat Hill Park
In order to better serve the participants in our
from the participants as possible. Therefore, we would like to ask need to retake aef wmuch
in
minutes to answer the following questions and give us your suggestions. THANK YOU!
Please answer the questions with more than a yes or no - for that answer does not indicate what
we are doing right or wrong.
1 • Organization of the class
2. Instructor's enthusiasm
ZWell organized
Good organization Very good
_ Usually organized -Generally good
- Little organization Mildly enthusiastic
_ Poor organization - Occasional enthusiasm
Bored
3. Did you child enjoy the program? 2 /Yes -No
4. Did the class cover what you expected?
5. Are you satisfied wittl the attention given your child? I .t-
o~..-, o~ d tU 4-w~,, ec~ cGu~s urc~-c. Olt- MCA
6. What activities were enjoyed the most? WA'hee- A&^"&
W ,
7. Was the time frame satisfactory for you and your c • d?
S. k. Stf - b.,t,,N~ot Ire a....ot1,.A.. _sa , a?...01 .
What hours of the day would you prefer? I - O1' v s1,.•,~.t
9. What days of the week would you prefer? 1 IV
10. Comments and suggestions for future proms
l ~ g, scheduling and improvement:
Y aa.~h C~ •{tue a.~ ~ waS ;
wrv~~.. •~:t. Wt art ~ L. ea 4t.
Thank you for your input, participation and support. Please fold, stain stale a
form to the address on the reverse side. p' p this
Eagan Parks & Recreation Department
City of Eagan
Parks at Recreation Department
Class Evaluation Form Summer 1997
CLASS NAME: Science Camp
LOCATION: Class #775 - Trapp Farm Park (August 4 - 6)
In order to better serve the participants in our recreation programs, we need to receive as much
input from the participants as possible. Therefore, we would like to ask you to take a few
minutes to answer the following questions and give us your suggestions. THANK YOU!
Please answer the questions with more than a yes or no - for that answer does not indicate what
we are doing right or wrong.
1. Organization of the class 2. Instructor's enthusiasm
_ Well organized ZVery good
Good organization - Generally good
_ Usually organized - Mildly enthusiastic
_ Little organization _ Occasional enthusiasm
_ Poor organization - Bored
3. Did you child enjoy the program? ZYes -No
4. Did the class cover what you expected? Con"
i w~'p ye~~T '
5. Are you satisfied with the attention given your child? _I/ VVA _ I/ Se
6. What activities were enjoyed the most? &.V. p e>r i r & -t L* S
7. Was the time frame satisfactory for you and your child? -i-i
W &S e_bLW ) r r U '
8. What hours of the day would you prefer?
9. What days of the week would you prefer?
10. Comments and suggestions for future programming, scheduling and improvement:
Thank you for your input, participation and support. Please fold, stamp, staple and mail this
form to the address on the reverse side.
Eagan Parks & Recreation Department
City of Eagan
Parks 8L Recreation Department
Class Evaluation Form Summer 1997
' CLASS NAME: Kids Kraft Camp
LOCATION: Class #905 - Bridle Ridge Park (July 28-31)
In order to better serve the participants in our recreation programs, we need to receive as much
input from the participants as possible. Therefore, we would like to ask you to take a few
minutes to answer the following questions and give us your suggestions. THANK YOU!
Please answer the questions with more than a yes or no - for that answer does not indicate what
we are doing right or wrong.
1. Org tion of the class 2. Intro is enthusiasm
Well organized 4ery good
_ Good organization - Generally good
_ Usually organized Mildly enthusiastic
- Little organization _ Occasional enthusiasm
Poor organization Bored
3. Did you child enjoy the program? /yes No
4. Did the class cover what you expected? sc-rZ, 5. Are you satisfied with the attention given your child?
U 1
6. W h a t activihi~s w e r e e n j o ed t h e most? VV-o__t c.~ -E- ~1 c 2 _ r-
7. Was the time frame satisfactory for you and your child?
''C ?~~c.. d`~r ~t~ ems. -4- L c\
8. What hours of the day would you prefer? 'i
9. What days of the week would you prefer? ty\o~ - k /
10. Comments and suggestions for future programming, scheduling and improvement:
Thank you for your input, participation and support. Please fold, stamp, staple and mail this
form to the address on the reverse side.
Eagan Parks & Recreation Department
City of Eagan
Parks at Recreation Department x
Class Evaluation Form Summer 1997
CLASS NAME: Tiny Tots Recreational Activities
LOCATION: Class #800 -Goat Hill Park
In order to better serve the participants in our recreation programs, we need to receive as much
input from the participants as possible. Therefore, we would like to ask you to take a few _
minutes to answer the following questions and give us your suggestions. THANK YOU!
Please answer the questions with more than a yes or no - for that answer does not indicate what
we are doing right or wrong.
I . Organization of the class 2. Instructor's enthusiasm
/Well organized 'Very good
Good organization - Generally good
Usually organized - Mildly enthusiastic
Little organization _ Occasional enthusiasm
_ Poor organization
Bored
3. Did you child enjoy the program? L/rYes No
4. Did the class cover what you expected?
S. Are you satisfied with the attenti n given yo chi d? ee., srr.? whir rflbSibs/'~tC't qw~
6. What activities were enjoyed the most? c Wd;W*J %W
7. Was the time frame satisfactory for you and your child? Mkr, ? /
. S. What hours of the day would you pre er? 30400 - //.•0, 0 c4 A
9. What days of the week would you prefer? ;2fdpZft &~-Z. ts;r~ r4 'ry"J
10. Comments and suggestions for "programming, schedulnlg and ' rovement:
/ AdE
Thank you for your input, participation and sift Please fold, stamp, staple and mail this
form to the address on the reverse side.
Eagan Parks & Recreation Department