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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 06/25/1973 1973 JUNE 18 , 25 MINUTES CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE 1 MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION Monday, June 18, 1973 . 7:30 p.m. , Village Hall Members Present: Chairman Marvin Erickson, Marge O'Ryan, Roger Boerger, Bill Garens, Jan Berkland, Steve Eisch, Frances Blacklock. Members Absent: Rita Kooiman, Dick Anderson, Dean Holasek, Terry Fields. Staff Present: Marty lessen, Director of Parks and Recreation. Chris Enger, Landscape Architect. Dick Putnam, Village Planner. Also present: Dick Sampson,Frank Hartmann, Geneva Middleton, Bud Belk representing the Anderson Lakes Property Owner's Association; Charleen Beltt, representing land owners on the west side of the Major Center Area; and Emerson Greenberg and Ray Geiger from the Gelco Corporation. The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. by Chairman Erickson. lessen intro- duced Chris Enger, newly-appointed Village Landscape Architect. Enger will be working approximately half-time in Planning and half-time in Park Design and other functions for the Park and Recreation Department. I. MINUTES OF NNE 11, '1973 , MEETING. C M/Garens, S/Boer er to ap prove pprove the minutes of the June 11, 1973, meeting with the following modification: Item E, Line 6 should be changed to read: "Village it is a little bit difficult to catch anyone". Motion carried unanimously. II. RECOMMENDATIONS & REPORTS. A. Bryant Lake Safety Program. Jessen presented a report prepared by Bill Salinger, Recreation Supervisor, and the Water Safety Staff at Bryant Lake indicating two solutions to the safety roping of Brvant Lake Beach. lessen indicated that he and Chris Enger had walked the site and recommended that solution #2 be approved by the Commission and that the actual alignment of the buoys would be down the lake from the main point that presently serves as a swimming beach. This would reduce the amount of boat traffic directly around the buoys and would make for greater swimmer safety, and will no doubt be the site of future beach expansion. M/Garens, S/O'Ryan that the Park and Recreation Commission approve the installa- tion of buoys generally in the fashion outlined by Plan #k2 in the report dated 6/16/73. � Motion carried unanimously. I Minute s Park & Recreation Commission Page 2 B. Eden Prairie Athletic Association Hockey Rink Request. jessen requested that this item be tabled until a later meeting. C. M.C .A. Task Force Report. Putnam reviewed the Transportation, Fiscal, and Land Use components of the Major Center Area Task Force Report. The Environmental component had been reviewed earlier by the Park and Recreation Commission, and no changes have been made since the Commission endorsed the Sub-Committee report earlier. The Environment Sub-Committee of the Task Force previously identified seven prominent natural features of the area. These seven features are: -- Anderson Lakes and its related flood plain and wooded slopes. -- Bryant Lake and its related flood plain and wooded slopes. -- "Lake Edenvale" and its related slopes. -- Nine Mile Creek and its related flood plain and wooded slopes. -- Purgatory Creek and its related flood plain and wooded slopes. -- Rosemount Pond and the wooded slope to the south. -- Smetana Lake and its related flood plain and wooded slopes. �. These seven features total some 1,800 acres out of the total of 5 ,000+ acres in the Major Center Area. The Sub-Committee developed policies and procedures whereby these areas would be protected from development encroachment. - The Transportation Sub-Committee dealt with basically three modes of transpor- tation within and around the Major Center Area. These were: 1. Non-motorized walking and biking types of transportation.movements. 2. The automobile. 3. Some type of transit. The Major Center Area Plan is predicated on some method of mass transit being available at a later date. The road systems as planned will not accommodate the amount of traffic to be generated by the proposed development of the area. A model for estimating trip generations from a particular development on a particular site within the M.C.A. has been developed. This model will be used in determining the assessment for each parcel in paying for the cost of the Ring Road. O'Ryan asked what input the Bikeway/Hikeway Task Force would have in the M.C.A. Putnam responded that they will assist in the delineation of bikeways and hikeways within the area, and also in the implementation program. Blacklock asked if underpasses and overpasses would be provided. Putnam stated that they would be provided over the freeways, but not necessarily on the internal streets within the M.C.A. or the Ring Road itself. r Minutes F Park & Recreation Commission Pag e 3 , The Fiscal Sub-Committee, in assessing the financial impact of the M.C.A. development on the Village, found that there was no great economic benefit to the Village by developing the M.C.A. in the method proposed. The School District stands to gain substantial financial benefit, depending on the impact of the new State Aid Formula passed by the last-session of the Legislature. The Ring Road itself will be assessed on a three part procedure. The three methods used to determine the amount of assessment are: 1. Front foot. 2. Per acre. 3. Trip generation. Approximately 25% of the Ring Road cost will be assessed based on the amount of frontage of the various properties along the Ring Road, approximately 25`Ya will be assessed on a per acre figure over the primary benefitted properties, and approximately 50% will be assessed based on the trip generation of those a properties. In other words, a high generator of traffic will pay a higher assessment than a low generator of traffic. _ The Ring Road will be a very expensive road per mile -- approximately $10 million total cost for approximately four miles of road. This is because of four major bridges necessary in the construction of the road. The Land Use Sub-Committee has developed some concept plans for the M.C.A. The intention is to keep the major traffic generators inside the Ring Road and to allow for some intense urban development within this area. Hopefully this will allow for the creation of some "urban spaces" in the M.C.A. This can occur r' only when the economics are right. The developer.as a businessman needs to make j a profit and can only provide some of the extras in a development if it still remains a profitable venture. Putnam reviewed the Major Center Area Land Use Concept 7 Map and indicated exactly where the various land uses are identified. Most of the housing identified in the M.C.A. will be of a special, high density type. All of it relates to the outstanding natural features and amenities of the area while the commercial, industrial, office, and service land uses relate to the road as a traffic distributor in the area. Putnam reviewed the agreement and concepts with environmental concerns as they relate to the total M.C.A. report. One response to the environmental concerns has been the realignment of the Ring Road to keep it outside of the marsh on the northwest edge of the North Anderson Lake. The landowner in this case, The Preserve, does not agree with the M.C.A. report as far as protecting this area. They wish to fill it and develop it for a highway commercial use. The M.C.A. report responds to the protection of all of the water bodies and wooded slopes identified by the Environment Sub-Committee with the exception of the Purgatory C I Minutes Park & Recreation Commission Page 4 Creek Flood Plain on the west edge of the M.C.A. In this case, the Land Use Sub-Committee and the Task Force report suggest residential development at the bottom of the slope while the Environment Sub-Committee has sug gested that no development be permitted from the top of the slope to the creek, thus creating an expanse of open space totaling somewhere near 400 acres to be used in con- Junction with the proposed secondary school site to the south. Putnam stated that he felt this was a good residential environment because it is.buffered from the M.C.A. by the substantial slope and there was lots of open space behind the units along the creek. He also indicated that the financial concerns made this very desirable. In other words, the creation of some 60 - 70 acres of additional assessment area for the Ring Road was very desirable. He stated that he felt there were three alternatives in this case: 1. For the Village to buy all of the land to the top of the slope. 2. To allow some development at the bottom of the slope as the Land Use Sub-Committee has suggested. 3.• To bulldoze the entire slope down into the flood plain and create a very large buildable area. Charleen Beltt, representing Messrs. Bermel, Hyde, Teman, and Kelly, land owners on the west shore of the M.C.A. , then presented their land use proposal for this same site. Their plan calls for the Ring Road to be below the slope to create more buildable area at the top of the slope and also to allow for more development within the flood plain. The plan suggested dedication of 80 acres to the Village along the creek and the protection of 8 or 9 acres of slope as scenic easement. It also proposes the leveling the hill and slope furthest to the north along Hwy. 5 and West 78th Street, and displacing the material to the flood plain to allow for wholesale building of that area. Ms. Beltt indicated that this was done for financial reasons as Mr. Hyde will not consider any other alternatives. He wants to fill the flood plain using the fill material available on the site rather than have to buy fill from other sources. Garens asked about the distance between access roads to the Ring Route as pro- posed in this plan. Ms. Beltt stated that the proposal was for an intersection every 660 ft. with stop lights. Garens stated that this would be no different than Penn Avenue, and Blacklock stated that she felt this totally defeats the purpose of the Ping Route. Blacklock further stated that she felt consideration of this plan and approval of the filling of the flood plain would create a bad precedent for the M.C.A. as this would allow one developer to move the landscape and many others would then request the same consideration. Blacklock asked who would review the specifics of M.C.A. development to insure C compatibility with the total plan. Putnam responded that the Village has this responsibility through their police responsibilities and their ability to regulate land use. The ordinance being considered to govern M.C.A. development will .also be of utility in this purpose. Minutes Park & Recreation Commission Page 5 No action was taken on this report at the meeting. The Commission will meet again on Monday, June 25 , 1973, at 7:30 p.m. at the Village Hall to take a position on the total M.C.A. report. D. Gelco Corporation. Dick Putnam introduced Emerson Greenberg, Administrative Vice President for Gelco Corporation, and Ray Geiger, an associate with the architectural firm of Parker Klein. Mr. Greenberg reviewed Gelco's considerations for a corporate headquarters ' for their soon-to-be international firm. He stated that Gelco is the #2 leasing company in the country and they presently have some 225 employees. They hope to move into their new corporate headquarters on the north shore of Anderson Lakes in the fall of 1974 with 350 employees, with the potential to expand on that site to 450 employees at a later date. He stated that Gelco was a "paper company", providing service to various users and that they will-not be storing large numbers of cars on their site. Gelco is a public company with the ' Grossman Corporation being one of their major stockowners. The Grossman Corporation also owns Suburban Chevrolet. C Mr. Geiger presented the preliminary concept plan for the land. The Gelco Corporation has an option to acquire the 30 acre Bren's Wood site. On-this site, 9 acres is in heavy woods, 9 acres is in meadow, and the remainder is in lake shore and marsh. Their program calls for an approximately 90,000 sq.ft. building in four to six stories, ranging up to 25 ,000 sq.ft. per story. Of �M particular concern to Mr. Geiger was the parking requirements for the site. They have programmed 431 parking spaces on the site, which requires approximately three acres. The tentative site plan shows the parking extending very close to the north shore of Anderson Lakes. Mr. Geiger indicated that he knew there would be a surface drainage problem from the parking lot, but he felt this was a technical problem that could be solved rather easily. He further said that he had considered terraced parking on the site and that they would be exploring this alternative further. Enger stated that he had done some site review earlier in the day and felt that there could be a very sensitive treatment of the site with the building and site requirements as programmed. Dick Sampson of the Anderson Lakes Property Owner's Association asked if Gelco had considered the two new state laws that were refertdd to at the last Park and Recreation Commission meeting. Mr. Greenberg stated that he would have their legal firm check into these laws the very next day. Frank Hartmann, also of the Anderson Lakes Property Owner's Association, asked what happens to West 78th Street, and what other source of access is there to the freeway Minutes Park & Recreation Commission ( Page 6 except Co. Rd. 18 in this location. Putnam responded that the Ring Route will j be built and opened in 1975 and at that time, there is a possibility that West 78th Street will be closed by the Village, as it was anticipated that 212 would reduce the traffic volumes on West 78th Street. M/Boerger, S/Garens that the Park and Recreation.Commission refer the tentative site plan for Gelco Corporation to the staff for their review and recommended solution to some of the detailed problems as discussed,' particularly the parking, and that the Gelco Corporation prepare some statement about the likelihood of expansion on this site at a later date. Motion carried unanimously. III. ADTOURNMENT. M/Garens, S/O'Ryan that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried unanimously. I AGENDA EDEN PRAIRIE PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION Monday, June 25, 1973 7:30 P.M., Village Hall ROLL CALL I. MINUTES OF JUNE 18, 1973 MEETING II. PETITIONS, REQUESTS, AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Request from Mpls. Elks for use of Round Lake Park for a picnic on August 19, 1973. (Note -- This is a large non-resident group and we should consider a fee structure for this type of use) . III. RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPORTS A. M.C.A. Report B. Gelco Corporation MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION C Monday, June 25 , 1973 7:30 p.m. , Village Hall Members Present: Chairman Marvin Erickson, Bill Garens, Frances Blacklock, Steve Eisch, Marge O'Ryan, Jan Berkland. Members Absent: Rita Kooiman, Dick Anderson, Dean Holasek, Terry Fields, Roger Boerger. Staff Present: Marty lessen, Director of Parks..& Recreation. Chris Enger, Landscape Architect. Dick Putnam, Village Planner. Also Present: Emerson Greenberg, Gelco Corporation. The meeting was called to order at 7:45 p.m, by Chairman Erickson. I. MINUTES OF TUNE 18, 1973 , MEETING. M/O'Ryan, S/Eisch to approve the minutes of the June 18, 1973, meeting with the following modifications: ; Item IIC, page 4, 3rd paragraph, Line 4: be changed to read "than Penn Avenue"rather than Hennepin Avenue. • p Motion carried unanimously. II. PETITIONS, REQUESTS & COMMUNICATIONS. A. Request from Minneapolis Elks for the use of Round Lake Park for a picnic on August 19, 1973 . lessen stated that the Village has been contacted by the Minneapolis Elks about the use of Round Lake Park for a picnic for approximately 300 people . This group would consist of Minneapolis Elk Club members and their families and friends. lessen also stated that MTS Systems Corp. of Eden Prairie has requested Round Lake Park for a picnic for a like number on August 18, 1973 . Due to the fact that the Elks group would be largely non-resident, lessen indicated that he felt there was a need for a policy statement on fees and charges for groups of this kind, while MTS as 'Eden Prairie residents ought to be able to use the area free of charge unless special services are required. lessen recommended that this request be referred to the Staff for study. M/Garens, S/O'Ryan that the Staff collect data on fee schedules from other governmental agencies and private recreational facilities and make a recom- mendation to the Park & Recreation Commission at their next meeting con- cerning this request. Motion carried unanimously. i I . 1 Minutes Park & Recreation Commission Page "2 C IIl. RECOMMENDATIONS & REPORTS. A. M.C.A. Report. Putnam submitted a brief overview of the M.C.A. Land Use Plan and asked- for specific recommendations from the Park & Recreation Commission as they relate to the Environment Sub-Committee Report and the total Task Force Report. Two areas of potential conflict exist: 'one on the west side of the M.C .A. where the Ring Road goes along the major open space adjacent to Purgatory Creek, and the other on the northwest marsh of the North Anderson Lake. Putnam also reviewed the plans prepared by Barton-Aschman for the the west side land owners, as it compares to the M.C.A. Task Force Report, The .Commission again discussed the problem with road access, the frequency of stop lights, and the potential for moving large volumes of traffic up or down the hill depending on the alignment of the road. Jessen reviewed the new cost � estimates for Ring Road construction prepared by Howard Needles Tammen & Bergendoff. These figures indicate that the cost for the below the hill alignment will be anywhere from $90,000 - $1 ,000,000 more expensive than the above the hill alignment. Three alignments below the hill have been considered: the one closest to the slope and in fact going up the slope .on the north end would result in an increase of about $90,000; the one suggested Cby the property owners would result in an increase of approximately $1 ,000,000; the third alternative is between those two alignments and would result in an increased cost of about $200,000_ Blacklock stated that she felt the Environment Sub-Committee Report con- cerned itself with both protection of the existing environment, the flood plain of Purgatory Creek, the lowlands adjacent to it, as well as the slopes and woods, and that the Sub-Committee further addressed itself to the question. of environment of the M.C.A. once it is developed. Because of this latter consideration, the Sub-Committee recommended that no development occur west of the Ring Road and that the Ring Road be constructed on top of the bluff overlooking the flood plain. M/Garens, S/Berkland that the Park & Recreation Commission continue to support the Environment Sub-Committee recommendation concerning the align- ment of the Ring Road in this location, that the road be placed above the hill and that all of the land west of the road be preserved as community open space. The Sub-Committee report also recommends that the Ring Road be outside of the marsh adjacent to the North Anderson Lakes and that no development occur within that wetlands/flood plain area. Motion carried unanimously. B. Gelco Corporation. Jessen stated that the Staff had reviewed the Gelco Corporation site plan and, that they felt that the Commission ought to establish priorities in terms of the most valuable natural features of the site. This priority assignment would Minutes Park ;& Recreation Commission Page 3 then allow the Staff to work with Gelco in developing the best possible site plan within the parameters of the priorities. jessen reviewed the Village's financial situation for park land acquisition, stating that he felt there would be no Federal or States money for the north shore of Anderson Lakes for at least 15-18 months, if ever. Given this situation, it appears that development will occur in this area and that one of the basic questions was the consideration of Gelco as an appropriate land use for the north shore. Mr. Greenberg stated that Gelco has reconsidered their program for the site and they have reduced the number of cars programmed to approximately 350 from the 431 mentioned previously. Garens asked if they had further con- sidered the potential of the site to handle expansion of the corporation. Mr. Greenberg again stated that Gelco is a paper-moving company, not an industrial company, and thus they didn't feel that their growth would be as rapid as it has in the past given new computer technology, etc. which makes the processing of paper relatively easy without greatly increasing staff. Mr. Greenberg indicated that while Gelco purchased 30:7 acres, they actually have approximately 18 acres on which to develop. in their judgment, the meadow was the place to intensify their use while protecting the woods from severe encroachment. Blacklock asked about the open space zoning on the north shore of Anderson Lakes. She said that she recollected that the open space area was to be 250 feet from the lake and that the industrial zoning went from that line, 250 feet from the lakeshore, to West 78th Street. Putnam replied that were . the Gelco plan approved with less than 250 feet, it would merely require rezoning of that land and that in fact, their proposed land use was more desirable than the industrial 1-5 zoning presently on the remainder of the property. As a result, it might well be in the Village's best interest to rezone and reduce the open space area. Garens suggested that the priority assignment on the natural features of the site be as follows: Priority 1: Lake and marsh--these features not be touched in development. Priority 2: Woods--encroachment be minimized. Priority 3: Meadow--Blacklock urged that whatever development occurs in the meadow should not intrude on the regional park across the lake and along the lakeshore, thus calling for a very sensitive site design. Minute s Park & Recreation Commission Page 4 Erickson stated that there appeared to be Commission agreement on the Gelco plan as an appropriate land use on the north shore of Anderson Lakes.and on the assignment of priorities for the natural features of the area, and that the Staff should work with Gelco in developing a plan consistent with those priorities. This plan will be presented at the next Commission meeting on July 9, 1973, and the P.U.D. hearing will be held before the Council on July 10, 1973. IV. ADJOURNMENT. ; M/O'Ryan, S/Garens that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried unanimously. w .. I AGENDA EDEN PRAIRIE PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION Monday, July 9, 1973 7:30 P.M., Village Hall ROLL CALL I. MINUTES OF JUNE 25, 1973 MEETING. II. PETITIONS, REQUESTS, AND CO2•TMUDTICATIONS. A. Appointment of a Commissioner to the Steering Committee for the Purgatory Creek Park Planning Study. B. Notice of meeting to discuss future of Lower Minnesota River at Bloomington City Hall on July 11, 1973 — 7:30 p.m. C. Communication from Congressman Bill Frenzel's office advising us that our request for LA14CON Contingency Funds for Anderson Lakes Park has been rejected. D. Letter from Jim Solem, Director, State Planning Agency advising us of final approval of a State Natural Resources Grant in the C amount of $311,050. This grant is for 100% of the estimated purchase price of the Gorra Property. III. RECOMICNDATIONS AND REPORTS. A. Agency Liaison Reports B. Recommendation for fee schedule for groups requesting park use. C. Eden Prairie Athletic Association Hockey Rink Request. D. Development Proposals. 1. Basswoods Final Plat 2. Edenvale South PUD Concept Plan 3. Gelco Corporation I