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12-13-2000 PR MIN '. MEETING OF THE ELK RIVER PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION HELD AT THE ELK RIVER CITY HALL WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2000 Members Present: Chair Kuester; Commissioners Dana Anderson, Dave Anderson, Huberty, Sladek and Westrum. Commissioner Peterson arrived at 7:05 p.m. Commissioner Reitsma arrived at 7:35 p.m. Members Absent: None Staff Present: Michele Bergh, Community Recreation Manager; Phil Hals, Street/Park Superintendent; Pat Klaers, City Administrator; Michele McPherson, Director of Planning Municipal Utilities Representatives Present: Bryan Adams, Municipal Utilities General Manager; Utilities Commissioners Jim Tralle, John Dietz, George Zabee Also Present: George Sanford of S & Z Investments and Jim Brown of Dynamics Land; Bob Mueller, BLAST 1. Call Meetinq To Order . Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River Park and Recreation Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair Kuester. 2. Consider 12/13/00 Park & Recreation Commission Aaenda COMMISSIONER WESTRUM MOVED TO APPROVE THE DECEMBER 13,2000, PARK & RECREATION AGENDA WITH THE FOLLOWING CHANGE: .MOVE WATER TOWER DISCUSSION TO PRIOR TO ITEM 5. COMMISSIONER DANA ANDERSON SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0. 3. Consider Minutes of 11/08/00 Park & Recreation Commission Meeting Chair Kuester noted that under Item 13 - Other Business, Chair Kuester brought the issue forward, as opposed to Commissioner Dave Anderson. COMMISSIONER DANA ANDERSON MOVED APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 8, 2000, PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES AS AMENDED. COMMISSIONER HUBERTY SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0. . Park & Recreation Commission Minutes December 13, 2000 Page 2 . 4. Park & Recreation Commissioner to Attend December Plannina Commission and City Council Meetinas a. 12/18/00 City Council Meeting Commissioner Kuester will be in attendance at the December 18, 2000 City Council meeting. b. 12/27/00 Planninq Commission Meetinq Commissioner Peterson will attend the December 27, 2000 Planning Commission meeting. 9.B.3. Reconsider Placement of Water Tower- East Elk River Director of Planning McPherson provided a verbal update regarding Council action on November 20th and 27th. She stated that the Council had voted to place the water tower in Trott Brook Farm Park on November 20th per the Commission's recommendation, but that a letter from the Developer had been received, objecting to the placement of the tower. The Council then voted to have the Park and Recreation Commission reconsider placement of the water tower. This vote was taken at the November 27th City Council meeting. . Chair Kuester stated that he spoke on November 20th regarding the Commission's difficult decision to place the water in Trott Brook Farms Park. He also provided an update of various meetings that had occurred between members of the Park & Recreation Commission, the Utilities Commission, and the developer. General Manager Bryan Adams stated that the charge of the utilities is to provide safe, dependable, affordable and consistent services to the City of Elk River residents. He stated that an extensive analysis had been completed and that a water tower is necessary for the summer of 2002, based on strict engineering standards. He stated that in addition to the original six sites reviewed by the Commission in October, two new sites were added at the southeast corner of County Road No. 12 and Twin Lakes Road and the City-owned property formerly owned by George Deschene. Bryan Adams stated that there are three major considerations that factor into a decision such as this, including the physical aspects of the site: can the ground support the tower, is there access to the tower for maintenance, is there access to nearby trunk utilities and can the tower be maintained in the future. There are hydraulic considerations to consider: is this the best site for the tower in terms of the rest of the system, both existing and future. Finally, what are the financial impacts of each site. Mr. Adams stated that in his mind, sites 3 (Hillside Park) and 5 (Trott Brook Park) are the best sites to place the tower. He reviewed the two locations at Hillside City Park. . Utilities Commissioner George Zabee stated that placement of the tower is a difficult choice and the Commissions are only recommending bodies, someone else may change the decision that occurs this evening. He stated that he would vote for Site 3 or Site 5 as they are the best sites in terms of the overall system. He Park & Recreation Commission Minutes December 13, 2000 Page 3 . stated that good water pressure is important and that providing less than good service is a disservice to Elk River city customers. Utilities Commissioner James Tralle spoke to his concern regarding locating the water tower in the park. He stated that the need for the tower is a result of the development and that if the developer objects to the location of the tower in the park, the developer should be willing to assist the Utilities Commission in finding a less objectionable site. Mr. Tralle stated that he was open to other options: however, there are consequences to other options including timing and risk factors. He stated that the Utilities may be required to impose restrictions on use of water if a tower is not built in the recommended time frame. Mr. Don Patten, representing D.R. Horton provided the Commission with some background regarding discussions in early June 2000, regarding a need to provide a water tower in the area. At that time, it was his understanding that the tower would be located in Hillside City Park, south of County Road No. 12. Mr. Patten stated that the developer has contributed to the community: land, money and grading in regards to parks. They have also paid their assessments in cash. Chair Kuester asked Mr. Patten what solution was he offering and what he could bring to the table in terms of resolving the issue of locating the tower in a city park. Mr. Tralle asked Mr. Patten if a developer could donate land either in the existing development, or in future developments for which he is currently negotiating. . Mr. Zabee stated that compromise is good, however. he did not feel that they could compromise the time line in order to delay a decision any further. He stated he would be agreeable to pay slightly more in order to obtain a site to place the water tower. Chair Kuester asked Mr. Adams if the Deschene site would be work or, in the case of Site 6, the developer indicated that title to that property would be available shortly. Mr. Adams stated that Site 8, the Deschene property, would not work well hydraulically, especially with the well located directly adjacent to the tower. He stated that currently, even with the soil borings that have been taken, if the project were bid in January 2001, the tower would not be operational until June of 2002. If an additional month is necessary to take soil borings and the project is not bid until February 2001, the tower would not be available until September 2002. Mr. Adams stated that he felt Site 6 was an extremely high risk due to lack of control of the site. He stated that there are too many concerns with Site 6: scheduling a closing, demolishing the house, plugging the well, and financial liability if the site were not available for timely construction. . Mr. Kuester again asked Mr. Adams if Site 8, the Deschene site, would work. Mr. Adams responded that the urban service district and land uses can change with a vote of the Council and that Site 8 is not centrally located as the Urban Service District is currently defined. Mr. Adams stated that the Utilities Commission are in a position of risk management in order to protect the future investment and future Park & Recreation Commission Minutes December 13. 2000 Page 4 . options for the water system, should the urban service district boundaries change in the future. Commissioner Peterson stated that he has as concern with the timing of the process. He stated that the first opportunity the Commission had to view this proposal was in September and only one site was under consideration. At the October meeting, five additional sites had been added and the Commission was asked to make a decision. The Commission has since discovered that conversations had occurred in June regarding the potential of a water tower site, yet the Commission is now being requested to make a decision under a shortened time frame. Commissioner Huberty stated that it was the role of the Commission to protect the resource and to be stewards of the park and recreation system in the City of Elk River. She stated that she would not want to see the tower located in the park and that sites 1, 2, 6, and 8 appear to be acceptable and available for consideration. She suggested taking soil borings at all sites in order to determine is any site would not work. Chair Kuester asked the Commission what they would want to do. He stated there appears to be three options: 1) support the original motion to locate the tower in Trott Brook Park; 2) approve a motion to state that the tower should not be in either park; 3) suggest that the Utilities Commission look at Site 8. . Commissioner Sladek stated that it is not the Commission's job to direct the Utilities or the City Council where to locate its tower. COMMISSIONER SLADEK MOVED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE WATER TOWER NOT BE LOCATED IN EITHER PARK. COMMISSIONER HUBERTY SECONDED THE MOTION. Commissioner Reitsma stated that his largest concern was that of the timing of the process. He stated that the Utilities Commission should have been before the Park and Recreation Commission in June. His second concern was that the money offered under the original approval in an amount of $20,000 was not enough, especially in light of the discussion of $100,000 difference between the Hillside site and any other site. He felt that if the Commission agreed to place it in Hillside City Park, that the Utilities should pay the difference. Mr. Reitsma stated that he concurred with Bryan's analysis in regards to the best location. Commissioner Dave Anderson presented information regarding protection of the Hillside City Park. He supported the motion on the floor. He stated that Hillside City Park has the healthiest Oak forest within the City and that it should be protected vigilantly during the future driveway construction. Commissioner Anderson presented visual images with the water tower located in Hillside City Park, which illustrated the visual impact of the tower on the park. THE MOTION CARRIED 7-1. Commissioner Reitsma opposed. Utilities Commissioner Tralle stated that the Utilities Commission would look at other sites and consider the Park and Recreation Commission's recommendation. . Park & Recreation Commission Minutes December 13, 2000 Page 5 . 7. Area Recreation Uodate - Michele Berqh Ms. Bergh stated that she has a number of updates and also two items for discussion. The updates were as noted here: The winter/spring brochure will be delivered January 3rd with the next brochure not scheduled for delivery until June. They will be providing additional promotional material between the two delivery dates. Community Recreation is scheduling the ski club down-hill skiing events for junior and senior high students on Friday evenings. The open gyms are going well and they have conducted a cheerleading class to teach cheerleading fundamentals to interested girls. The first discussion item that the Commission considered from Michele Bergh was the use of Woodland Trails for cross country ski practices by other schools. A second request has now been received from the Coon Rapids Ski Team for practice. The first request came from Champlin-Park High School. The number of practice dates available for the 2000-2001 season are greatly limited due to the number of home meets and the Commission's policy which was established in 1999. Ms. Bergh stated that the lack of available dates for practices in disappointing and that there is potential revenue that is being lost from the lack of available dates. . Commissioner Dave Anderson stated that the policy that was established in 1999 is that practices are allowed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings unless a meet is scheduled or the day prior to a meet, to allow for grooming. Commissioner Anderson stated that the Elk River cross country ski coach will be receiving a letter from staff regarding the practice policy and that it may be appropriate for the Commission to discuss the 2001-2002 ski meet dates with the coach at a future meeting. The second discussion presented by Michele Bergh is a safety concern with warming house supervision. She stated that the warming houses for the outdoor rinks are very isolated and that there is a potential for bodily harm to either the warming house monitor or participants utilizing the outdoor rinks. She is especially concerned with the Lions Park shelter, as it is constructed of concrete block and has doors that do not require keys to be locked. She presented the following options for the Commission to consider: 1) staffing the warming houses during peak hours only, 2) scheduling two people per warming house, 3) scheduling an older staff person to visit each site on a regular basis each shift, 4) provide an opportunity for concessions at Lions, either staffed by community recreation or a local charitable group who could use the site for fundraising purposes, and 5) keeping the warming houses locked and allowing groups to "rent" the warming house, at which point, they would be responsible for locking and unlocking them for the period that they would be utilized. Commissioner Sladek asked what type of communication tools were available. Ms. Bergh stated that there are two cell phones available to the warming house monitors. . Commissioner Dave Anderson stated that he would prefer not to staff during non- peak hours and also, adding a floating staff person. Park & Recreation Commission Minutes December 13, 2000 Page 6 . COMMISSIONER DAVE ANDERSON MOVED TO DIRECT THE COMMUNITY RECREATION STAFF TO MANAGE THE WARMING HOUSE HOURS BASED ON NEED, STAFF AVAilABILITY AND BUDGET. COMMISSIONER PETERSON SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 8-0. 8. Park Development Proqress Report Phil Hals, Street and Park Superintendent reported that the ice at Lions is in excellent shape and that two warming houses would be delivered this week and that the Handke rink would potentially open next week. Mr. Hals stated that he has received a letter from Quest (formerly US West) which indicated that they are getting out of the payphone supply business. He is currently researching various options for providing phone service in the parks. Some options include a cell pay phone, or a emergency only "hot phone". He is also consulting with the City's insurance carrier to determine what is actually needed. 9 .A.1 . BLAST Mountain Bike Group Hillside Update . Bob Mueller, representing the BLAST mountain bike group, stated that the approximately 3Y:z miles of trail have been completed to date in the south half of the park. They have carefully laid out the trails in order to reduce erosion and to maintain the trails easily. As they have been removing trees in order to create trails, they have also been removing the invasive species such as buckthorn. Mr. Mueller stated that their group is fully insured to do the work that they are doing and they have provided approximately 600 man hours of volunteer work. Mr. Mueller stated that he would like to thank the Commission for being open minded in providing a location for safe and sensitive mountain bike use within the City. He stated that he will work with staff on a promotional event for the spring of 2001. Commissioner Dave Anderson asked about maintenance and if a trail section would need to be closed due to excessive use. Mr. Mueller stated that they have provided adequate space between trails to allow for re-routing of the trail around problem areas. 9.B.1. Consider Concept Plan - Ridqes of Rice Lake Mr. Jim Brown, representing Dynamics Land, was present to discuss with the Commission a concept plat of 78 lots on 275 acres north of 22151 Avenue. This proposal will be presented to the City under the cluster ordinance. The developer is asking that a portion of a ten-foot paved trail leading from 22151 Avenue to the east edge of the subdivision be considered for public trail credit. Ms. McPherson stated that the ordinance allows for facilities that are open to the public to be considered for trail credit and therefore, the developer would be eligible for a 5 percent increase in the allowable density. . Mr. Brown described the proposed development as being similar to the Woodlands of Livonia with an entry monument, park benches, entry kiosks and Park & Recreation Commission Minutes December 13, 2000 Page 7 . shelters. They are suggesting to provide the trail to increase public safety and to allow children to travel off of the public street. Commissioner Dave Anderson suggested that the developer consider allowing a portion of the open space proposed to be farmed to revert to the City for public park space after the owner is no longer interested in farming. Mr. Brown stated that he would take that to the developer and the property owner for consideration. It was the consensus of the Commission that at this time, no credit would be given for the proposed trail. 9.B.2. Consider Conceot Plan - S & Z Enterprises Director of Planning Michele McPherson presented the townhome concept plan. The concept plan is on 38 acres which is currently wooded, partially open, and contains a wetland complex. The proposal is for approximately 180 town homes, a portion of which would be single family detached "bay homes", the remaining would be located in 1 0 and 12 unit buildings. The concept plan proposes one entry drive and a horseshoe loop for public streets. The remaining streets in the development would be privately owned and maintained by the homeowner's association. . In discussions with the developer, staff has suggested providing sidewalks along the public streets which will connect to the detached trail along the westerly side of Waco Street. At this time, no parks are proposed, as the Park and Recreation Commission recently identified the Wilson property as a potential location for a neighborhood park. It was the consensus of the Commission to ask for cash dedication and to require the developer to install sidewalks along the public streets. 9.C.1. Woodland Trails Deoosit Scale Director of Planning Michele McPherson presented the following sliding scale deposit for the use of Woodland Trails Park by various groups: 0-25 people $50.00 25-100 people $100.00 101-250 people $250.00 251-500 people $300.00 Over 500 people or community events $500 The deposit would be returned upon inspection and compliance with park use policies. COMMISSIONER REITSMA MOVED TO ACCEPT THE WOODLAND TRAILS DEPOSIT SCALE RECOMMENDED BY STAFF. COMMISSIONER SLADEK SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 8-0. . Park & Recreation Commission Minutes December 13, 2000 Page 8 . 9.C.2. Land Acauisition - Aooroach Process Director of Planning Michele McPherson presented the process for making contact with the property owners that have been identified for potential land acquisition to the City's park system. 1. Mailing of the attached letter to the property owner, inquiring as to their interest in working with the City. 2. A follow-up phone call from staff and/or a Park and Recreation Commissioner who is familiar with the property owner. 3. Scheduling of a meeting with the property owner, staff and a either the Chair or another member of the Park and Recreation Commission. 4. Continue negotiations with the property owner, if appropriate. Commissioner Reitsma stated that the process should be more personalized with a Commissioner and/or staff person hand delivering the letter to the property owner. He had several persons in mind who could make a personalized contact with the property owners in question. . Commissioner Dave Anderson suggested moving straight to Step #3. Ms. McPherson stated that she felt that a phone call requesting a meeting with a property owner could be a very threatening event and that she personally, not knowing the residents of the community very well, would be very uncomfortable with this approach. However, if the lead were taken by a member of the Park and Recreation familiar with a property owner, it may be an appropriate method to take. The Commission agreed that the approach was good and that staff would work with Commissioners Reitsma and Anderson on extending first contact. Chair Kuester suggested one change to the draft letter. 9.C.3. 2001 Workolan/Aqendas Ms. McPherson stated that she has prepared a list of agenda items for consideration by the Commission from January through June, 2001. If Commission members have any additional items that they wish to discuss, please contact staff. 10. Information/Uodate Items This information was presented to the Commissioners in their packets. No action was required. . 1. Park Department Subcommittee Report 2. Park Dedication Fund Balance 3. Community Recreation Update 4. River City Snow Riders Newsletter '\ Park & Recreation Commission Minutes December 13. 2000 Page 9 . 12. Update on 11/28/00 Planninq Commission Meetinq Commissioner Kuester provided an update on the November 28th Planning Commission meeting. He stated that most of the discussion was focused on traffic and connecting Dodge Street. Very little discussion occurred regarding the park. Director of Planning Ms. McPherson stated that there were comments made by one Planning Commissioner in regards to relocating the park adjacent to Menards to provide a buffer. Staff. however, is of the opinion that the proposed . location of the park in the Hillside 8 development is more central to the overall Hillside subdivision and that it is also located on the most flat and most tree-less portion of the site. 13. Other Business No other business. 14. Adiournment There being no further business, COMMISSIONER REITSMA MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. COMMISSIONER WESTRUM SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 8-0. The meeting of the Elk River Park & Recreation Commission adjourned at 10:00 p.m. . 7714S1J1;L~ Mi1: McPherson Director of Planning .