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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 07/07/1997 1997 i DULY 7 MINUTES Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE r i jt ( AGENDA i PARKS,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY,JULY 7,1997 7:00 P.M.CITY CENTER 8080 MITCHELL ROAD COUNCIL CHAMBERS COMMISSION MEMBERS: Richard Brown, Chair, Frantz Corneille, Claire Hilgeman Don Jacobson,Vicki Koenig,David Kracum,John Wilson STUDENT MEMBERS: Jennifer Freemyer,Melody Hasse 3 COMMISSION STAFF: Robert A. Lambert, Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources; Stuart A. Fox, Manager of Parks and Natural Resources; Laurie Helling, Manager of Recreation Services I. ROLL CALL if. APPROVAL OF AG -NDA III. APPROVAL_OF MINUTES-MAY a 1997 IV. PETITIONS,RFQUESTS AND COMMUNI ATIQNS A. Rcaucst to Remove Basketball Couft from Frinlo Park(tour site at 7 30 p.m.) V. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS I i A. Edenvalc Family Housing VI. OLD BUSINFSS A. NMI. VII. NEW B ISIN FS-9 ' A. lY=1 Vill. ADJOURNMENT 1 Ii APPROVED MINUTES ,E EDEN PRAIRIE PARKS,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES MONDAY,J ULY 7,1997 7:00 P.M.CITY CENTER 8080 MITCHELL ROAD COUNCIL CHAMBERS COMMISSION MEMBERS: Richard Brown, Chair; Frantz Corneille, Claire hilgeman, Don Jacobson, Vicki Koenig, David Kracum,John Wilson STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE: Jennifer Frecmyer(absent),Melody Hasse(absent) I. ROLL CALL Chair Brown called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Commissioner Hilgeman was excused at 8:05 p.m. Y 11. APPROVAL OF AGENDA I-lilgcman asked that her name be taken off as Chair on the agenda. Koenig added under New Business,item A,Update on Big Woods Meeting. Brown y added item B,Update on LRT Trail. { Koenig asked for an update from staff on the deer situation for the next meeting. MOTION: Koenig moved, seconded by Hilgeman, to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried 7-0. Ill. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-JUNE 2,1997 MOTION: {-lilgcmanâ–şrcvcd,seconded by Jacobson,to approve the minutes of the June 2, 1997 8den Prairie Parks,Recreation and Natural Resources Commission as published. Motion carried 7-0. IV, PETITIONS REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Request to Remove Basketball Court from Franlo Park(tour site at 7:30 Wtn.l Staff referrer!the Commission to a memo dated June 30, 1997, from Bob Lambert,Director of Parks,Recreation and Natural Resources;and a letter dated June 2, 1997, from Alien McNec and Casey Quinn. t i Approved Minutes Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Monday, July 7, 1997 Lambert explained the problems arising as a result of the proximity of the McNee's home to the basketball court. Before any action is taken and before inviting the residents to a meeting for their input, he suggested the Commission tour the site so they have firsthand knowledge of the situation. lie reviewed the three options the Commission should consider at this point. Allen McNec, 10317 Franlo Road, explained he is an avid sports fan and that's one of the reasons why they bought their house being so close to a park. The basketball court is only 21 to 25 feet away from their yard. They invested$6,000 on a privacy fence last year to help the problem but it did not work. The noise isn't so much the players cackling or swearing but the thumping of the ball on the court which resinates up in their bedroom. All of the bedrooms face the court and it doesn't matter if the windows are closed or open. They find this to be intolerable because of the thumping of the ball and it also happens at inappropriate hours. Staffs suggestion of changing the hours is only short term because it can not { impact the thumping of the court. The best solution would be to move it,if possible, somewhere more into the valley of the park or eliminating it completely from Franlo Park. There was also concern about what to tell prospective buyers if they decided to sell their home. They have toured i other parks in Eden Prairie with basketball courts and the closest home to a basketball court was 50 feet away. None of them have the same impact on the homes like this one does. t Casey Quinn, 10317 Franlo Road,commented that the use of the court has gotten progressively more frequent. The entire neighborhood has preschool children and in 10 years there is going to be someone on that court 100 percent of the time. There has been a lot of misuse of the court but it has gotten better because she calls the police if they use it after 10:00 p.m. Changing the hours is not a good solution because if they wanted to lay down 71 in their bedroom in the afternoon they would hear the thumping because it R= goes straight up. You have to be there to really understand the noise and she J invited the Commission to come visit and hear it. Jacobson commented he was in Franlo Park last week on the soccer field talking with someone and heard the noise from the basketball court 20 yards away and thought it was very annoying. Hilgeman asked which came first,the house or the court. Lambert replied 2 0 Approved Minutes Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Monday, July 7, 1997 the court. Hilgcman suggested putting the basketball court behind the baseball diamond in front of the pond. Lambert said that's a foul ball range area and would not put any kind of recreational facility there. Jacobson suggesting putting the basketball court in the parking lot like Eden Lake School. Lambert said it's a possibility but it makes him nervous because there is drive through traffic and you would have to assume that everyone is paying attention, He noted between the softball field and the soccer field there is a knoll between the two drainage areas and suggested maybe a half court there. He said less than five percent of the games arc full court so this may work. Koenig empathized with the McNees about the situation because they can not wipe out the sound. She asked what the cost would be for a half court. Lambert replied it would be approximately$15,000 for half court no matter where the location is. MOTION: Wilson moved,seconded by Koenig,to postpone action until the August 18 meeting so the Commission can have an opportunity to go out and visit the site and the neighbors can be notified of a public hearing. Motion carried 7-0. Lambert noted before the meeting staff will do a little survey work to see if they can move the basketball court north of the parking lot. V. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS A. Edenvale Family Housing Staff referred the Commission to a memo dated July 3, 1997,from Stu Fox, Manager of Parks and Natural Resources:and a staff report dated June 20, 1997,from Michael Franzen,City Planner. i Jim Dcanovic, developer, reviewed the development proposal with the j r Commission and noted this is it very unusual and difficult site. He showed 1 where they were going to do two cul-de-sacs but decided not to maintain the significant amount of natural trees in the corner and also along Mitchell Road. There arc rows of trees they would like to maintain. They would like to keep as many of the trees as possible. Fox reviewed the staff report with the Commission. The tree loss is 100 3 i Approved Minutes I Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Monday, July 7, 1997 percent and mitigation for that is actually greater than the loss based on the formula for the tree ordinance adding 70 percent loss for 100 percent replacement. One site had 170 diameter inches removed and that was 12 trees which included eight cottonwoods,three basswoods and one hackbeny. The second site had 50 diameter inches removed which were four cottonwood trees. The mitigation for Lot I is 226 inches oftrecs and Lot 2 is 67 diameter inches. They are also required to put in screening based on the number of units as well as to adequately screen the parking lot. As a result,the developer is putting is 529 diameter caliper inches of landscaping which is 18 caliper inches greater than required. 1 There is a significant amount oftrecs that do not show up on the tree plan in terms of significance. There are a lot of smaller trees along Mitchell Road i and one of the things mentioned at the City Council meeting was to try to maintain that buffer strip along Mitchell Road as a visual buffer and try to utilize some of the materials that are there. The NURP pond is located in the southwestern corner of the project to handle all of the storm water drainage from the site. The sizing of the pond is determined by the Engineering review of that particular pond as well as by the Watershed District. There is an internal trail system to handle pedestrian traffic. Staff recommended the developer to upgrade that trail system from 4'wide to an 8'wide bituminous trail to handle two way traffic. In addition,outlets from that system should be extended to Valley View Road so that pedestrian and bicycle tragic is able to enter onto the Valley View Road trail without having to travel along the interior drive. Staff also recommended that the sidewalk/trail in front of the assisted care facility be extended out to Mitchell Road to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle traffic. This project was reviewed at the June 23 Planning Commission meeting and went to the City Council on July 1. The reason for that is because the first Tuesday of the month was u City Council meeting rather than a Parks Commission meeting. j Koenig was concerned about the landscape plan including dogwoods because of deer damage. This is right next to the conservation area and there are deer down there. Fox said this is the shrub form of dogwoods. Koenig asked if the developer would consider putting in cottonwoods since 'l 4 ,t t is 1 I i Approved Minutes Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Monday, July 7, 1997 that's what's being removed. Dcanovic said when he did the Crown Oaks project the City requested them to use the pin oaks,most of which died,and all he wants is something that's going to live and look good. Koenig asked about cottonwoods near the NURP pond. Fox explained cottonwoods belong in open spaces where they will not impact homes or structures and this would I not be a good idea. They are messy and have shallow root systems. l Koenig commented she understands why there is 100 percent tree loss for both of these buildings. It's going to have a big impact for residents,not just the loss of significant trees but the tree mass as well. She asked the developer if he would be willing to put in that retaining wall to try to save something on Mitchell Road. Dcanovic replied they would like to make those grades work. You're looking at the cost of land and trying to make affordable housing work. He would not commit to another$10,000 for a l retaining wall. He would commit to absolutely trying to make those grades S work and trying not to put more fill in. Fox was comfortable with no z retaining wall because box elders arc very tolerant of certain activity with an exclusionary fence. ry Brown was concerned about the cost of these homes. Dcanovic said they are trying to provide a real nice healthy environment for people of 50 percent j median income in Eden Prairie. He noted there is a great need for this type of housing in Eden Prairie. MOTION: Wilson moved, seconded by Kracum, to approve staffs recommendation for the Edenvale Family Housing project as submitted. Motion carried 7-0. (Hilgetuan was excused at 8:00 pau.) VI. OLD BUSINESS A. None , V11. NEW BUSINESS A. Update on the Bij;Woods Meeting This item was continued until the next meeting because Hilgeman had to leave. C B. Uydate on the LRT Trail 5 Ai Approved Minutes Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Monday, July 7, 1997 Brown noted there are some homeowners that are infringing on the trail and the property that is controlled by the casement of 50 feet on either side of the trail. He has been in touch with Hennepin County Parks and has been trying to get in touch with the Regional Railroad Authority. He would like to extend an invitation to Dell Miller of Hennepin County Parks and Larry O'Dell from the Regional Railroad Authority to come to the next meeting and let the City know what their plans arc for the trail in terms of maintaining the variances along the side of the trail. If they don't accept the invitation,Brown would commit himself to see them personally and report back to the Commission, t MOTION: Brown moved, seconded by Wilson, to invite Dell Mille;of Hennepin County,and Larry O'Dell from the Regional Railroad Authority, to attend one of the Park and Recreation meetings as soon as possible to discuss the maintenance and quality along the LRT trail from neighboring infringements. Motion carried 6-0. The Commission decided to meet Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m,at the City Center to visit Franlo Park. Staff will get a van and tour the site with the Commission. VI11. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Koenig moved,seconded by Kraeum,to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 6.0. The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m. C 6