6.0.-7.0. PRSR 11-12-1997 ,- / AK.
( Items 6 & 7
eyof ,,
E1kRjver MEMORANDUM
TO: Park & Recreation Commission
FROM: Pat Klaers, City Adminisx #�
� �JJ
DATE: November 12, 1997
SUBJECT: Agenda Items
I will be in attendance at this Commission meeting at least until Phil Hals
arrives at approximately 8 p.m. I plan on providing the Commission with an
update on the status of the Minnesota Sports Federation proposal and on the
Lion's Club teen center proposal for Lion's Park. Additionally, as time
allows, it is appropriate to discuss some ideas and concepts for a 1998 park
and recreation referendum now that we know that the school has been
successful in their efforts and will not be returning to the voters in 1998.
111
•
13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 •TDD &Phone: (612)441-7420•Fax: (612)441-7425
III
November 5, 1997
To: Elk River PO& Recreation Commission
Fr: Jeff Asfahlit-
Re: Various Updates
I will be in Rochester at the Minnesota Recreation And Park Association Conference November 12-
14 so I will not be at your November 12th meeting. See you in December.
- The Association Co-op has reviewed the draft policy for the management of the Youth Athletic
Complex. Enclosed you will find a summary of that meeting which includes their recommendations. I
will present another draft with modifications for your review at the December meeting.
- Enclosed you will find two articles, one related to Skateparks and the other related to planning of
parks, etc. I found the article on Skateparks to be quite interesting. I realize we are at this time
satisfied pursuing an avenue other than building a Skatepark as a city project, but I felt this article
does offer support for the need of a place for this recreational pursuit of youth.
III The Skateboard Association met with the School Board on October 28th and proposed the District
donate their portion of land as determined by the ERP&RC with a similar sized portion donated for
the same purpose by the city of Elk River. The Board took no action other than they were not very
interested in giving any thing away, and that they will discuss it with the city in their continued
negotiations related to the Oak Knoll/ALC issues.
- You all should have received the latest Youth Initiatives newsletter. The next meeting is Thursday
November 13th.
The Community Recreation Board is working closely with Otsego related to Otsego's position. The
budget committee has met and has developed a new format for assessing each communities cost.
The full Board will meet on November 17th to hear the budget committee's proposal.
- Our "Holiday" brochure issue was delivered Oct. 22nd. The Winter brochure will be delivered on
December 31st.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
fr
III
00/31/97
Youth Athletic Association Co-op
Meeting Summary Fr: 10/30/97
Present: Gary Casperson & Tom Kulkay - Youth Baseball, Jerry Palkovich - Girls Fastpitch Softball,
Tim Nelson - H.S. Varsity Coach, Phil Hals - Elk River Streets/ Park Dept. , Jeff Asfahl - Community
Recreation
- Phil reported that the Youth Complex is progressing nicely. The fields will be playable late April /
early May.
- Youth baseball may have some additional funding available to help with improvements. All agreed
that a concession building is a high priority need. Bleachers, shelter and lights were also mentioned
as improvements to work towards developing.
- Jeff reviewed the draft of the policy document for the complex. The ER Park Commission is also
reviewing this draft at this time. The plan is to have this document complete by January of 1998. The
alp Vowing areas are to be further considered and discussed:
Consider appointing or designating a governing body/ committee to be a part of evaluating the
policy and fees document and make recommendations to the city for changes, etc. ( It was felt that
these policies may need some adjustments especially in the first year or so )
- The fee for groups with no local affiliation needs to be revisited. (Section I , item C.) It was
suggested to look at what the adult softball complex uses for use fees.
- It was also suggested that some consideration be given to defining what must legitimately consist
to be recognized in priority under such a term as youth or adult athletic association.
- December 5th of each year has been determined as the deadline for priority consideration of
special event ( tournaments , etc.). All other weekend dates thereafter will be issued on a first come-
first served basis.
It was also suggested that some consideration be given that would encourage hosts of adult
tournament events to consider the youth association to assist w/the event with fundraising
opportunities.
- Jeff reviewed the information that was passed along to him from Charlie Schuldt - Jr
High Athletic Director. He informed me that he had recently met with the Dist. 728 Grounds
Supervisor and Athletic Director Mike Hanlon. They have decided that due to the late start with the
turf refurbishing following the irrigation project at the west portion of Salk this past summer, that they
do not want any use of ball diamonds 101, 102, 103, 106, and soccer# 1 until June 1st.
- Considering this, Junior High athletics will need to make some modified fields out of the space
there soccer fields 2 & 3 sit, thus making those unavailable for soccer use until June 1st as well.
** With respect for the Districts concern for developing quality turf, the following considerations
were suggested and wished to be forwarded to the District representatives. ( Charlie, Mike & Todd H)
A) Field use for softball or baseball requires minimal play in the turf area.
B) It is understood that soccer use is heavy and TRSA could do without # 1 until June 1st but use
of fields 2 & 3 are crucial. If it was decided that use for balldiamonds is allowed, than Jr High athletics
gould not need to develop modified fields in soccer 2&3 territory.
** It was also suggested that during late April early May many, fields get used in the evenings for
practice by members of the public that are not necessarily part of any youth associations.
- Jeff distributed last years registration dates as printed in the brochure. Each association should
consider their plans for this year. The brochure goes to print on December 5th. Please have your
associations plans complete by November 20th as we will discuss these plans at our November 20th
meeting.
Next Meeting - Thursday November 20th - 7:00 pm. Recreation Office.
S
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III ‘ Skate Away ,...
s .
3,
Cities begin to accommodate young skaters and skateboarders.
By Rachel M.Sherman
Iti
• . he phone in Denise Smith's office keeps on ringing.The from all over the southeast to see what we've done," i
callers are interested in booking birthday parties, says H.C.(Woody)Woodward,the director of the
donating money,finding out about sponsorships Methodist Home Recreation Center Skate Park in Char t
and getting all the details about the new skate park lotte,N.C.,one of the locations Greer's planning corn-
i
in Greer,S.C.Sounds like a dream come true. mittee visited during its extensive research stage."In
But for Smith,who is in charge of fund raising for the west,there are quite a few skating facilities,but 1
the facility,it's also a bit overwhelming.The four-acre therearen't a whole lotin this part of the country." •
park for skateboarding in-line skating,in-lure hockey The 13-month-old Charlotte facility is a testimo- R
and BMX bikes is not yet complete.In fact,the ground nial to city-owned skate parks,as it was relatively I
has barely been turned,and inexpensive to build and it's
• Smith has just begun to seek „may,i always in use. j
the handful of major spon- This is a group of The 9,000-square foot park I
• sors she hopes to secure. was erected on an old tennis
"We're hoping a lot of the teenagers and court that had a concrete pad
skate companies and anyone and fencing already in place.
who produces any type of With labor provided by the f
athletic gear will want to be young adults Who county's engineers, the park j
involved in this,"she says. was completed for approxi- �`
"It'sgoingtobe agreatoppor- we, as recreation - - mately $30,000, the cost of ,
The plans for tunity for these companies to 7 materials.The city was then
Greer's new promote their products,and professionals, able to raise about $40,000 in
• skate park hopefully for one,to have the national and local corporate
include park named after them." , sponsorship by selling advertis-
activities for The excitement being gen- probably ha ven t ing space inside the park. .
skateboarders, erated by this park is certainly y, The number of registered
in-line skaters due to its mammoth size and addressed until the skaters in Charlotte has already
and BMX the four skill levels it promises reached 1,500,and about 400
bikers from to offer,but it's also in part to n skaters use the park each week
beginner to its location in the southeast last couple of years. Woodward says they also hold
professionaL "I've had people coming special events such as demon-
strations and events that include raffles,giveaways
and product showcases from the park's sponsors.
s.,\ Says Greer's recreation director,Dick Ploof, •
"When we first started our project, I wasn't sure
what we had gotten into But once I went to the
p,, Charlotte facility, I was convinced it could work.
*iv/ We're still very conservative here in South Carolina,
and some of the kids who skate wear their hair long,
and some may even have tattoos,so people see
area/street them as different But these aren't bad kids.The fact
hockey is,this is a group of teenagers and young adults who
we,as recreation professionals,probably haven't
addressed until the last couple of years." •
That's what makes the idea of a skate park such a
viable one,says Ken Friesen,sports coordinator at
Sioux Falls(Si).)Parks and Recreation."We believe
i> IP it meets the needs that some of the other programs
don't,"Friesen says.
\lI ''� A skate park may be more of a gamble in South
Dakota,where the facility can only be used during
%f the warmer months,but Friesen says Sioux Falls is
1 willing to give it a try.Currently the city is turning a
III 40 vacated tennis court into a temporary park that can
be used until snow begins to falL
"We had an initial figure of$100,000 to build the
permanent park,"Friesen says."We came up with
this interim solution so we could see if this will work
28 ATHLETIC BUSINESS October 1997
1.
for us before we spend that kind of our rates are very high.But we think it's boarders,and I have 25 basketball teams."
money. Down the line, if everything worth it to get this off the ground" To ensure safety, Woodward has
goes well as far as usage and the ability Many skate facilities are not city owned skaters fill out a personal data sheet it_
to get insurance,we'll be looking at a and operated because of insurance and and sign a liabity waiver before allow- I
more permanent site." liability issues,but skateboarding,in-line ing them access to the Charlotte park,a
While insurance wasn't much of an skating and BMX biking are actually not policy Ploof also plans to adopt at
issue in Greer,which is a self-insured city, as dangerous as insurance companies Greer.If a skater is under 18,a parent r
the Sioux Falls recreation department has and the public perceive them. For also has to sign the waiver,and that sig I
to pay the insurance fees for its new park instance, according to the nature must be notarized. It
"We belong to a state liability pool,but NRPA,has a lower percentage of reported 'This facility is monitored every hour
this isn't covered by what the city puts injuries than other recreational activities, that it's open,"says Woodward,adding
into it.We had to buy additional insur- including soccer,baseball and basketball. that he hired a staff person specifically for 1
ance from the pool to cover this one activ- Says Woodward,I have more prob- that duty.'The skaters are also required at
ity,"says Friesen.Insurance companies lems'with people getting hurt playing bas- all times to wear a helmet and elbow and
don't care much for skateboards,and so ketball in my gym than I do with skate- knee guards.If they are an in-line skater, #
"The goal behind all 1 y
��:;,' this is to allow kids
to demonstrate '
�_ their talents
without being '
I
hounded because
they don't have a
facility to do it in. "
they must wear wrist guards as well."
A problem with unstructured environ-
ments is the lack of adequate supervision
to make sure skaters wear protective
equipment and aren't skating beyond
their ability.One thing Ploof says Greer
will be able to offer because of its size is a
variety of courses and activities for begin-
.- - ner,intermediate,advanced and proles-
sional skaters.
', "If they wear their pads and a helmet
fig, 4 :_ -i �8 and you put them in areas where theyy're
rfIn_visiblyinter locking° £- — comfortable with their expertise
Vii-° ,< . ,,, '•' F., _,- don't have a problem,"he says.'By build-
' thletie;Flooring 4 r s.f ing a skate park,we're giving yoormg peo-
-2°4 a4 .- ^a'-''" ''f't."'",-v- `� .4'' pie a safe place to skate.We're taking
'id-N-Lok c resistant=rubber tiles combine them off the streets,out of the pal king lots
:the attractiveness of.an all-tile-floor'with the.. , . and from downtown businesses."
ease and versatility of interlocking modules.No 4 i,- Although Greer does not yet have an
nterlocks are visible and AO adhesives are¢k `
needed 5 ; ordinance that prohibits skating on•
„¢. �Y ; r°"'a, nvrsibleInterlocks ''-t, public streets and sidewalks, most
-�Each long-weanng,9/16”thick.cut-resistanttile ke'fhd-N-Lokthe. �. cities do. Ploof hopes that once the
-y c ontains sixteen:5W'.x 5W,raised_,squares 'x; bbertloor ng:of skate is and
' idden interlocks'below3he non-slip surface v hoice wherever eye`, p up running,such a law
nsure a smooth�uninterrupted�look'when .4�h-"' and surface; _ will be passed
easily assembled.r ' - N -� -3,„ " ' '=.- ro�1Onare needer "The goal behind all this is to allow
`' -- ; 3 `- kids to demonstrate their talents without
• 4td N-LokJS- nails.1e-uneven two " ` ---'4%-'-',e, being hounded because they don't have
uiface textures#orversable decorating 4 l „
;•• ssibilitties 1dealJorivieightmnoms''�f'itness � - ,x a facility to do it in, says Greer's Smith
centers entrances and bbies. w , a_ '. �-" a All municipalities have the same
. b , ;: �. . problem,"says Ploof. "There are kids
,' trim` > :"' T'v..1 a skating where the adults have told them
E ;PA N ... <t:' on Free 1-80o-431.3456 ` not to,yet they don't provide them with
{,, eraiorra►andln USA and Canada a place where they are allowed to skate.
''11.4,* `.Fax 914-3735712.c.. I think our facility Is to be
ty going very
-t^.. �� .�irANDARO PRODUCTS DIVISION'� C812bg.._.,,��, $ �`
„ , e,r,.1 I,M""L2°-v 1 °Fax 811d Canada
good for opening some eyes to that."•
4'-'.. �, ..zu'Nr1zser� �'e .. .sr h.. end Canada
CIRCLE 2S ON REPLY CARD
30 ATHLETIC BUSINESS October 1997
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ball fields and eight multiuse fields pri- �.
golf courses,basketball,volleyball and "Focally r fine manly for soccer,football and lacrosse.
tennis courts,skateboard facilities,ball- t we're t man project carries a$15 million price
fields, soccer pitches, lakes,woodlands tag,so like Fort Collins (a northern rice
and trail systems for walking and biking. ,ij�melanin a rein orado boomtown that partnered with its
facilities are such cho associated or indoor �[ ��S���gOLy u.rt, school system), Foothills is going the
facilities such as recreation or comma- cooperative route.A local corporation �`
miry centers.)b Controlling costs is a for Se{,■e}that we�ahead (the Gates Foundation)is on board,local
mart'focus ne appropriate with the hunt Many for tA■ll IIUIL„ soccer associations are helping fund the
affordable and appropriate land Many soccer facilities,and the park district is
resort to combining lakes it a to keep allow of t ability W ir�nde applying for a grant from The Great Out-
their down—scenic lakes situated to allow doors-Colorado.
soccer use as irrigation vessels for fields, I 1 semi ire When it comes to funding issues,park
and pitches that double as football services ���•bewildering organizational varf-
s and lae built fields,accommodate and oda dallev is ety makes generalizations impossible.
that are built to accommodate all levels de n Foothills is a special district that is about
of softball and baseball. [� r I I I; iti. one-third funded by property taxes and
` Fast-growing urban areas and their fees,meaning that
largely unchecked areas of suburban behind demand that let's say the scan- two-thirds high-priced Col-
. sprawl are typical homes for these corn- omy drops out and a lot of people move large-scale purchases
Co nty, One such place is r l booming out of the ation we had figve or six years tion.The district was doubly f fortunate in
County,Colo.,home i several rig Lake- ram pop
Denver suburban cities including Lake- ago—we might still be behind.Fiscally, this case:first,the site in question was
grown owned by a developer who went bank
wood,Golden and Arvada.Cohn Insley,a we're fine, but the community's gr during a time of slower-
`` park planner with the Foothills Park and so fast that it's way ahead of our ability rupt 10 years development.Because slower-
Recreation the
Recreation District in Lakewood, esti- to provide all the services they're than-expected
mates that the county,which now has a demanding.Hopefully we'll catch up,but land was zoned as residential and the
population larger than that of Denver I don't see that happening for at least owner
available ble for allot to sell,less than whatt property
r' County, is "about 26 fields short" of another five or 10 years." was vt could bear t the han what the
t meeting recreational and league needs wooing UIEBI picked up steam.
r -and that's just for soccer. m
,�r In spite of several new multiuse parks Ground will be broken this fall on the Second,Foothills found a deep-pock
in the area and several more on the Foothills Park and Recreation District's eted partner in Jefferson n o ty,which
agenda, "It's going to be awhile before new 130-acre multiuse park that will earmarks a portion of sales tax revenues
sr we catch up,"Insley says. "We're so far include a complex of four softball/base- for land acquisition and development of. .
.7. ill
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CIRCLE 30 ON REPLY CARD CIRCLE 31 ON REPLY CARD
' _- 36 ATHLETIC BUSINESS October 1997
recreational facilities.The county pur- picture permanently blurry. 25 years,at which point the district will
chased the land and will continue as "We're all going to the same funding have to decide whether to maintain it as
owner under the terms of the 99-year sources, and we're kind of competing an ice arena or renovate it.it works out
lease it struck with the district against each other for those dollars,"Ins- well for us because they're providing ser-
"Like everybody else, they get ley says. vice to the community using a facility
umpteen million dollars in requests and That extends to corporate sponsor- built with private funds that we don't
only have so much money that they can ships and partnerships with for-profit have to operate or manage in the near
set aside each year for purchases,"Ins- ventures,two areas where the district is term,"explains Insley.
ley says. "It helps to have at least a being more aggressive, despite the fact Insley sees such partnerships as the
county-wide master plan so we can go to that Foothills(like park and recreation wave of the future in Jefferson County
them and say,'This is our next priority districts generally) is run on a break- and elsewhere.He mentions, for exam-
and we want to work with you on this.'" even basis.One current venture is with a ple,a 600-acre site owned by the Denver
Unfortunately, he adds, other cities group that recently built an ice arena on Water Board that has been declared a
and other special park and rec districts the park's land;in return, ownership of surplus property.
are in the same boat,making the funding the facility will shift to the park district in "It's the one site that everybody's kind
to the
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etin
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� p p P agency in the county that has the money•i`"a ' Sno-Kones®, Cotton to develop it.I know the school district
is r�,. i �' ,
3 .. - needs an alternative stadium site,so per-
_ {: = r Candy...all 75% to 8Jr 0 baps between us,the school district,the
.:,1;47. 70,r.1.7.1;
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profit funfoods...and turn city of Lakewood and some other agen-
p cies in the area, collectively we could
your concessions stand into make something happen there."
a winner! Gold Medal will give you the REIN Space in Comas
knowledge you need to put profit power back in The explosion in growth that has
g y p p p defined Columbus,Ohio,for the last two
your concessions! Call, write or fax today for decades has also left its mark on the
city's recreation and parks department.
complete information. ;u�..0 Ivi DAL. As work began on 39-acre Lazelle Road
" Park in May — $528,754 worth of
f:',.--,c2' improvements that include basketball
FREE 1997 80-page full-color catalog "` courts,softball diamonds, benches and
-a► playground equipment—city officials
announced the purchase of three other
�. ._s, purchas
pieces of land that they hope to be able
to develop into multiuse parks soon.
v
,� r The Lazelle Road site is on the city's
far north side,which is a lot further
'- 9no-JtnlmS -; north than it used to be as far north as
4;-:,==-- 5,r .jr, --� .. .{ s.,.....--r- _:) the previously distinct towns of Wester-
,`� r ,,, . {f S./' i• vile and Worthington.As Columbus eats
il���laS its way into neighboring Delaware
-
Ark" - —ti 1
1J t County,the number of neighborhoods
'""'� grows,and so do the demands for park
1. _ space.
-� '"' Gary Fenton, director of Columbus
`/' HOT DOCi GRILLS,
COTTON CANDY SNO•KONEg ROTTISSERIES&STEAMERS Recreation and Parks,began his career
in Columbus and then moved to Rich-
044 mond,Va.,where he says residents were
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CIRCLE 35 ON REPLY CARD
38 ATHLETIC BUSINESS October 1997 I•
rt
4
Ilig
hoods with that in mind. Now, after 12 between the two that will eventually give profligate. It's halfway through a five-
years
away,Fenton says Columbus resi- the recreation and parks department a year, $25 million park improvement
dents are fully park-savvy. "Now," he huge multiuse park site of close to 800 bond passed in a 1995 referendum that,
says, "people call me three weeks after acres. Fenton hopes people will look at while welcome,doesn't come close to
they buy a new house and say,I live in this park,already 20 years in the making, the $65 million worth of needs th
the city of Columbus,where are my Tacit and buy into the department's overall department had identified.Some of I
ities?' I tell them I'm working on it, but philosophy. land purchases need immediate develop-
it's going to take awhile." "This park will be a reality because ment athletic fields are being planned
The competition between neighbor- somebody had the foresight to acquire for the three recent west-side acquisi-
hoods for recreation facilities isn't lim- that land back in 1968—and I'm sure he lions, and in the meantime, the sites
ited to those demanding facilities where was criticized,"Fenton says."Today,we must be maintained or interim uses
none currently exist Residents of older would have had to pay$1.5 million to get found for them. (Portions of the south-
neighborhoods see new parks going into it, and 20 years from now it would cost side land are being leased to farmers so
new neighborhoods and want their older us$5 million.' revenue can be generated.)The depart-
facilities refurbished. "People ask me The department can't afford to be too meet is also looking at potential partner-
"This park will Ilea reality a *11
A 1 f m ,'Oa4V bemuse somebody len .
��, 1 ° - ''°
the foresight to wire ,
that I i, , each in 1968—
and I'm sure he way _
aims, if
Why Does It Take To
whether it's a bigger priority to fix up old Protect A Gymnasium Floor?
facilities or develop new ones, and the
answer really depends on what neigh-
' - borhood I happen to be in at the time the With our COVERMATE; it takes 2 people only 30 min. tf
question's asked."says Fenton. protect the floor and convert a gym into a multi-use facility!
A park planner in a city the size of
Columbus,therefore.has to construct a asy does it,every time COVERMATE"' is the ingenious cover handling
framework for determining the whats Esystem by COVER.NLASTER'.It lets you install,remove and store a gym
and wheres of land acquisition—a phi- floor cover the quick and easy way.
losophy of current versus future needs. Just lock the unit in place and pull out the cover a section at a time.To
You make your best deals by buying remove the cover,just do the reverse.Attach each cover section to its roller
before an area is fully developed, but
then you must commit scarce resources and wind it back up.To store the entire cover,simply roll the mobile system
to projects that may be 10 years away out of the wav and you'll have it ready for the next event
from fruition—a trade-off that residents Easy as pie,every time,guaranteed!
may or may not understand. POWERMATE
COVERCLEAN PROTECTIVE GYM
"As I look to planning 20 years down r- ti X
the road, and I see a piece of land that ..7- 's" FLOOR COVERS— 4 ,erg 1
we could get now for a tenth of what } j g CO'EBMASTEB0 offers a .'. } ' "
well have to pay then,I want to get it," J ;m complete range of custom - - -5:-.< V
Fenton says."But there are other people / a made,fully warranted 3 ,Alt
who say, `Wait a minute, we've got a y +! Hoot ' to snit :
neighborhood right here that needs facil- t any particular need and i ' °`
ities.'It's hard to look to the future when The optional COVERCLEA`'" Your budget. POWERMATE is a labor sating
CALL FOR arces.sory that easily winds up the
you have immediate needs." cncsh assembly sue:ps cur corer p
Lazelle Road Park, an example of while sou wind it'cazli up on the SAMPLES TODAY! longest of cuter sections.Ideal for
immediate need,vividly demonstrates C01ERMAFE" frequent users.
the trade-off.The city purchased the 39-
acre parcel three years ago from the 12111SEDIER -
Worthington School District for about cirvEnomAsTER e ` '`
$42,000 an acre—that's more than$1.6 „„o�"„• .vi r
million ra in land the costs u for the project. covERmAsTER r I Meanwhile,on the south side of the cf CALL TOLL FREE Fenton recently oversaw the purchase of - , .
300 acres for roughly$1.3 million. The - , - at 1.800.387.58Q
land sits very near a 300-acre park that - . _. . ;' . „s FOR A FREE COVERMATE" VIOL
was purchased in 1968, and Fenton is I MASTERS IN THE ART OF SPORTS SURFACE COVERS I 'and GYM FLOOR COVER HANDBOOK I
close to acquiring a smaller piece of land CO''ERSISTER INC,100 WESTMORE CR.11.0,REXDALE,ON,N91,5C3 TEL 416745.1811 FAX 415,744OVER(742.6837)
ORCLE 36 ON REPLY CARD
October 1997 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 39