9.C.3. PRSR 11-10-1999 •ity of
E1k •
River Item# 9.C.3.
MEMORANDUM
TO: Park and Recreation Commission
FROM: Stephen Wensman, Planner c]
DATE: November 10, 1999
SUBJECT: Country Crossings Park
Overview
The Streets and Parks Department has been interested in constructing a memorial
for the City worker that died last summer while trimming trees in the Country
Crossings Park. Staff has worked with the Buildings and Streets Department to
develop a concept for a memorial that would "fit" into the overall Concept Plan for
• the park and has provided a vision for the long-term maintenance of the woodlands.
Concept Plan
Phil Hals, the Streets and Parks Department Director, maintains that some local
residents desire a more usable area within the park. Last year, local residents
requested that a portion of the park be left as it is for the young children to ride
their bikes as a "mini BMX track." The revised Park Concept, developed by staff,
includes some lawn area adjacent Orono Parkway, woodlands and prairie near
existing homes, additional tree and shrub screening near the homes, a memorial
garden, a gravel or wood chip walking trail through the Park and the area for the
BMX riding. After consulting with Prairie Restorations, Inc., it was determined
that with further thinning of the woodlands and maintenance with a controlled
burn, a prairie understory is feasible. (The revised Park Concept Plan was too large
to include in the packet, but will be presented on November 10).
Attachments
• Country Crossing Park Concept
• Prairie Restorations Proposal
•
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/CCPK
November 10, 1999
Page 2
• Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Park and Recreation Commission review the proposed
Park Concept changes and make a recommendation regarding the memorial and
maintenance concept.
•
•
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City of
Elk iver
-- _ - Prairie Restorations, Inc.
P.O. Box 327 • Princeton, Minnesota 55371
•
September 28, 1999
OCT 1 1993
Mr. Stephen Wensman
City of Elk River
PO Box 490
Elk River, MN 55330
Dear Steve:
It was a pleasure meeting with you and Phil regarding the possibility of restoring an oak
savanna near your office. This would be a challenging but potentially successful project
that would seem to make a lot of sense for Elk River. The beautiful big oaks in the park
should make savanna restoration a more attractive option than mowed turf.
The enclosed outline defines how I think you should go with this. It basically could
become a working specification for the project. Although I would hope that you would
• plant more than one acre,the pricing and materials are provided on a per acre basis.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
The timing on this project would probably be next year. However,if you decide to go
ahead with it we would appreciate knowing as soon as possible.
Thanks for your initial interest.
Most sincerely,
4—v? Gbh-e�L
Ron Bowen
President
RB/ao
Enclosure
S !;.;-4
Bringing people together with the land //Peat, Antdilqe,','. .
Office 612-389-4342 • Nursery 612-389-5733
•
September 28, 1999
An outline of suggested procedures and materials to be used
for restoring savanna ground layer plants into
thinned oak woods in Elk River.
A. Bidder Qualifications: The Contractor shall submit their qualifications for approval at
least three weeks prior to the bid closing. To qualify, a contractor must document the
following:
1. At least three years of experience planting prairies or savannas of similar size to this
project.
2. That the personnel supervising and planting this project have the documented
experience successfully planting prairies.
3. That the contractor's business specializes in prairie and savanna plantings and/or
restorations,
B. Site Preparation:
1. Re-mow the existing woody vegetation sprouts(to be done by the city)in fall or early
spring.
• 2. Allow re-sprouting to occur.
3. When re-sprouted woody plants are 12"to 36" apply Garlan 3A as per
manufacturer's directions.
4. After an appropriate amount of time, apply Roundups) Ultra herbicide as per
manufacturers directions. Allow a minimum of 7 days before disturbing the
vegetation with other procedures.
5. Implement a controlled burn using appropriate procedures, equipment and permits.
6. Lightly till the soil.
7. Harrow or rake the soil to create a firm, smooth seed bed.
C. Seed and Seeding:
1. Seeding dates shall be in the spring or summer before August 10 or in the fall
between September 20 and freeze-up.
2. All seed shall be applied by broadcasting.
3. The seed mix shall consist of the following species and amounts.
Individual Grass Species lbs./acre
Big bluestem(Andropogon gerardi) 1.5
Side oats grama(Bouteloua curtipendula) 2
•
Kalm's brome(Bromus kalmii) 1
Canada wild rye(Elymus canadensis) 1
June grass(Koeleria macrantha) 1
Switch grass(Panicum virgatum) trace
Little bluestem(Schizachyrium scoparium) 2
Indian grass(Sorghastrum nutans) 1
Prairie dropseed(Sporobolus heterolepis) 0.5
Individual Wildflower Species oz./acre
Yarrow(Achillea millefolium) 0.25
Giant hyssop(Agastache foeniculum) 2
Leadplant(Amorpha canescens) 3
Butterfly weed(Asclepias tuberosa) 2
Azure aster(Aster oolentangiensis) 1
Canada milk vetch(Astragalus canadensis) 0.25
Stifftickseed(Coreopsis palmata) 1
Canada tick-trefoil(Desmodium canadense) 0.5
Stiff sunflower(Helianthus rigidus) 1
Bush clover(Lespedeza capitata) 1
Rough blazing star(Liatris aspera) 3
Meadow blazing star(Liatris ligulistylis) 1
Wild lupine(Lupinus perennis) 3
Wild bergamot(Monarda fistulosa) 1
Slender penstemon(Penstemon gracilis) 1
White prairie clover(Petalostemum candidum) 1
Purple prairie clover(Petalostemum purpureum) 4
Prairie rose(Rosa arkansana) 1
Black-eyed susan(Rudbeckia hirta) 4
Gray goldenrod(Solidago nemoralis) 1
Stiff goldenrod(Solidago rigida) 1
Showy goldenrod(Solidago speciosa) 1
Hoary vervain(Verbena stricta) 3
Culvers root(Veronicastrum virginicum) 1
Golden alexanders(Zizia aurea) 2
D. Plants and Planting:
1. Immediately following the seeding,the planting could be further diversified with
seedlings. These will be planted individually in appropriate micro-habitats
throughout, or in the designated areas of the project. The species used will consist
primarily of species other than those previously seeded.
2. From the following list of 38 , a minimum of 20 , species will be used.
3. Plant a total of 1,500 per acre .
•
Wildflowers
Prairie onion(Allium stellatum)
• Thimbleweed(Anemone cylindrica)
Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta)
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Whorled milkweed(Asclepias verticillata)
Blue-wood aster(Aster cordifolius)
Azure aster(Aster oolentangiensis)
Arrow-leaved aster(Aster urophyllus)
Milk vetch(Astragalus canadensis)
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)
Prairie larkspur(Delphinium virescens)
Northern bedstraw(Galium boreale)
Wild geranium(Geranium maculatum)
Prairie smoke(Geum triflorum)
Hispid sunflower(Helianthus hirsutus)
Stiff sunflower(Helianthus rigidus)
Golden aster(Heterotheca villosa)
Alum-root(Heuchera richardsonii)
Long-beard hawkweed(Hieracium longipilum)
Rough blazing star(Liatris aspera)
Meadow blazing star(Liatris ligulistglis)
Pale lobelia(Lobelia spicata)
Prairie phlox(Phlox pilosa)
Prairie cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta)
• Prairie rose(Rosa arkansana)
Balsam ragwort(Senecio paupercaulis)
Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium campestre)
False solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa)
Zig zag goldenrod(Solidago flexicaulis)
Gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)
Western spiderwort(Tradescandis occidentalis)
Prairie violet(Viola pedatifida)
Grasses
Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)
Wood sedge (Carex rosea)
Bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix)
Greene's rush(Juncus greenei)
Praire dropseed(Sporobolus heterolepis)
Porcupine grass (Stipa spartea)
•
E. Management:
1. During the first growing season the project area may need to be mowed to control
• annual weed development. If a closed canopy of weed cover develops at a height of
18 to 20 inches or more, it should be mowed. Cutting height shall be 4"to 6 inches.
Mowings done by PRI will be billed separately.
2. In years following the first growing season,management services could include
burning, spot spraying, cutting or tree removal. These services should be contracted
separately from the installation contract.
F. Costs:
The work as outline can be performed for a lump sum of$4,875.00 per acre.
•
Restoration outline prepared by Prairie Restorations,Inc.(PM),Princeton,Minnesota
•