9.C.1.a-g. PRSR 04-12-2000 ��/ •
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Item# 9.c.1.a.-g.
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FAk River MEMORANDUM
TO: Park and Recreation Commission
FROM: Stephen Wensman, Planner
DATE: April 12, 2000
SUBJECT: Parks Review
Overview
As part of the Master Park and Recreation Plan review, the Work Plan for April
includes a review of the following parks:
• Woodland Trails
• The Gun Club property
III/ • Windsor Park
• Gagne Park
• Harris Island Park
• Top of the World Park
• Lafayette Woods Park
Attachments
• Woodland Trails Concept Plans and Trails (3)
• Gun Club property location map
• Windsor Park Plat
• Gagne Park Concept Plan
• Top of the World Concept Plan
• Lafayette Woods Concept Plan
Process
To assist the Commission in its review of the parks, Staff has prepared base maps
(where appropriate) of the parks, reviewed previous concept plans and the Master
Park Plan. On each map, staff has added comments regarding additional
improvements, ADA improvements or other changes. No videotape was prepared
this month because of the familiarity of the Commission with the parks or because
filming would be difficult.
•
13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 • TDD &Phone: (612)441-7420 • Fax: (612) 441-7425
Memo to the Park and Recreation Commission/pkrvw
April 12,2000
Page 2
. Staff will review with the Commission the base maps and staff comments for each
park. The Commission is then invited to provide further comments and direction to
staff for each park. Staff will then prepare a formal concept plan for adoption by
the Commission at a later date in 2000.
The Commission may want to rank each park as high, medium, or low priority for
development or improvement to assist with the CIP development process.
Woodland Trails Park
Staff prepared a park concept plan in 1999 that included the following proposed
improvements:
• Locate a barn structure as a focal point to the east of parking lot on grassy
knoll to serve as a warming house, picnic shelter, interpretive center
• Locate temporary picnic shelter just south of parking lot until another
structure can be built
• Locate ski race staging area in east-west road corridor location
• Install picnic tables and grills
• Paved trail connecting barn to north end of parking lot
• Buffer picnic area with native shrubs
• Relocate park entrance and ski race staging area if east-west connector road
is built
• Buffer a east-west road corridor with evergreens, trees and shrubs and
• berms
• Include a paved trail along a east-west connector road
• Add benches along paved trails
• Individual picnic sites
• Play structure
• Landscape and buffer golf course maintenance building
• Park boundary markers on golf course side
• Garbage/recycling corral
Since that time, trail markers and a park sign were installed, the golf course
maintenance road was connected to the park entrance drive, and land and an
easement were exchanged with the Country Club. Also, a map was created that
indicates the trails for Woodlands, Top of the World and those on the surrounding
properties.
The main issues regarding Woodland Trails include locating a play structure and
picnic structure, the type or style of picnic structure and issues related to the east-
west corridor.
Gun Club Property
The St. Louis Park Gun Club property is a private recreational facility located north
of Meadowvale Road and west of Elk Lake Road. This property contains a well-
• preserved prairie remnant with rare species that are of interest to the DNR. This
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Memo to the Park and Recreation Commission/pkrvw
April 12,2000
Page 3
property is also located such that it could be linked to future preserved open spaces
•
as clustered subdivisions develop in the area, including Windsor Park. This
property may be a good candidate for a future regional park if the land becomes for
sale or the use changes.
Windsor Park
As you all know, the Park is mostly wooded with many native species in the under
story. The under story is presently planned to have a trail looping around it in and
out of the public right-of-way and then across the preserved open space to Elk Lake
Road. A conservation easement will be place over the Park and the MN Land Trust
will be the holder of the easement. As part of the process of writing the
conservation easement document, the City will have to determine what uses will be
allowed in the Park and determine in advance likely paved areas and structures so
that they can be included in the easement. It is likely that the MN Land Trust will
want some portion of the Park to remain natural and limit hard surfaces to a
minimum.
Staff recommends that the Park remain in its natural state with only removal of
non-native species such as prickly ash, buckthorn and honeysuckle or any trees
with Oak Wilt that may be present. For the purposes of writing a conservation
easement, a provision to allow for the following future uses might be considered:
• Garbage storage
• Picnic tables
• Play structure
• Park identification signs
• Wood chip trail through the center of the Park
Gagne Park
A Park Concept Plan was prepared in 1998 identifying the following proposed
improvements:
• Use existing entrance road allowing adjacent residents access off of it
• Prairie restoration in northern open field with a loop trail, picnic structure
and tables, play structure, portable toilets, and parking lot
• 2 ball fields and a soccer field in the southern open field
• Paved trail around ball fields and in the woods along the Elk River
• Benches and rest areas for pedestrians and canoeists along the Elk River
• Secondary picnic area accessible by trail only
• Acquire additional land adjacent the Elk River to the south and east if and
when it becomes available to provide greater park river access
• Park identification sign
• Delineate park boundaries and install boundary markers
• Garbage /recycling corral
• Harris Island Park
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Memo to the Park and Recreation Commission/pkrvw
April 12,2000
Page 4
1111 Harris Island is inaccessible from the shore and should be left as a conservation
Park and as a possible stopping spot for river use.
Top of the World
A Park Concept Plan was prepared in 1999. The Park is part of a trail network that
connects to the Railroad Trail and Woodland Trails Park. The land is rolling and
wooded with ski trails. Trail markers were installed as a Boy Scout project in 1999.
The Park Concept Plan identifies the following improvements:
• Acquire an additional+/- 3 acres of land to the east with future development
for a Trailhead with parking, play structure, and portable toilets
• Pave the most northerly trail in Top of the World to connect to Woodland
Trails Park (the trail would have to be rerouted onto park property in order
to pave it) or additional property would need to be purchased from Shiely
Company
• Park boundary markers
• Park identification signs
Lafayette Woods Park
• In 1999, a Park Concept Plan was prepared with the following improvements:
• Gravel or woodchip trail connecting the eastern portion of the park to the
western portion of the park with switch backs
• Walking, nature watching, skiing
• Delineate park boundaries with boundary markers
• Park identification sign
•
\\elkriver\sys\shrdoc\planning\stevewen\parkmmo\pkrvw.doc
Mar 15 00 09: 43a terry 612-274-0840 p. 1
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Elk r TRAIL RULES
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