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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 04/18/2016 APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESROUCES COMMISSION and HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY,APRIL 18, 2016 7:00 P.M., CUMMINS-PHIPPS-GRILL HOSUE 13700 Pioneer Trail PRNR COMMISSION MEMBERS: Larry Link (Chair), Debra McBride (Vice Chair), Donald Jacobson, Matt Pellowski, Leonard Pesheck, Kirk Spresser, Deborah Termer HP COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Olson (Chair), Ed Muehlberg (Vice Chair), Cindy Cofer Evert, Pamela Spera, Tara Kalar, Paul Thorp, Valerie Ross PRNR STUDENT REPS: Bridget Dillon, Emily Harvey, Piper Lincoln, Stefan Wenc HP STUDENT REPS: Zeinab Hussen, Alexander Modeas, Natalie Higgins STAFF: Jay Lotthammer, Parks & Recreation Director Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager Lori Brink, Recreation Manager Valerie Verley, Community Center Manager Lori Creamer, Planning Technician Heidi Wojahn, Recording Secretary I. ROLL CALLANTRODUCTIONS A. OATH OF OFFICE Following introductions, Chair Olson called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. Brink, Termer, Pellowski, Muehlberg and Student Representatives Dillon, Higgins, Hussen, and Modeas were absent. Creamer administered an oath of office to the members of both commissions. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Spresser moved, seconded by McBride, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 12-0. III. APPROVAL OF PRNR MINUTES —MARCH 7, 2016 MOTION: McBride moved, seconded by Pesheck, to approve the March 7, 2016 minutes. Motion carried 5-0. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 18, 2016 Page 2 IV. APPROVAL OF HP MINUTES —MARCH 21, 2016 MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Cofer Evert, to approve the March 21, 2016 minutes. Motion carried 6-0. V. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION - Lotthammer Donations were accepted in the amounts of$500 from the Eden Prairie Lioness Club for the Eden Prairie Art Crawl and $2500 from the Chanhassen Legion for the Eden Prairie Senior Center woodshop and to help with programs for veterans and seniors. Authorization was granted to move forward with the revised facility use policies. They were updated to make sure they match current practice and to fit modern day language. In order to do construction work, the City signed with the Watershed District to have a long-term maintenance agreement for the storm water treatment facility. The go-ahead was given for renovations of the play structure, trails, and parking lot at Pheasant Woods. Parks is experimenting with a new procedure at the Pioneer Park tennis courts at a fraction of the cost of total renovations. Rather than ripping everything out, a pad will be laid which allows the court-cracking ground settling to work independently. The tennis court goes right over the liner. The project can be done in a matter of a few weeks versus several months and has a 15 to 20-year lifespan. Round Lake is in its second phase of improvements. All of the irrigation and fencing is being redone, and four of the shorter softball fields will be reconstructed as three standard-length fields. Parking will be increased and a nice basketball court put back in. Construction is scheduled to begin after July 4. The fields will be seeded and planted and allowed to grow next year, and be open for play in 2018. A proclamation was issued recognizing Eden Prairie as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation. This is the 34th year for Eden Prairie. An Arbor Day proclamation is one requirement for Tree City USA eligibility. VI. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION Bourne said there has not been much Planning Commission activity lately in regards to Parks and Natural Resources other than a small variance and an application for senior housing. VII. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. HANDOUTS OF UPCOMING EVENTS - Arbor Day Walk and Green Fair— Saturday, May 7, 9 a.m.-12 noon at Round Lake Park HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 18, 2016 Page 3 - Arts in the Park—Saturday, May 21, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Purgatory Creek Park - Mother/Son All-Star Evening—Saturday, April 30, 6-8 p.m. at the Community Center VIII. NEW BUSINESS A. HOUSE & GROUNDS TOUR Bourne said an overall landscape and restoration plan was created for Cummins Grill as part of the Pioneer Trail expansion. The plan includes a prairie grass area and a mini orchard with historic varieties of apple trees on the north side of the house. Three to five years is typically required for a restoration project to look good; this is the fourth year. The prairie grass has matured and filled in, but the apple trees are not mature enough to bear fruit yet. Creamer inquired about wild asparagus. Bourne said they have looked on the far side of the ball field and haven't been able to locate it yet. Ross explained Edwin Phipps was known as The Asparagus King which is the historical significance of the asparagus. Cofer Evert asked about the missing peonies. Bourne said plants were taken from the far end and moved to fill in some of the gaps so there are solid rows of peonies. Olson asked how much of the plan is complete. Bourne said it was complete with the exception of native flowers and forbs which will be introduced this year. An interpretive sign sits atop a paver patio installed outside the home. Lotthammer explained it was constructed with blocks saved from the Anderson schoolhouse. Ross offered a house tour for those interested. She explained the parlor was part of the original house, begun in 1870 by J.R. Cummins. He and his wife had no children. J.R. and Mrs. Cummins are the reason the home is on the National Register. He was very involved with orchards and finding winter-hardy apple varieties. She started the peony gardens with plants brought from China. The house was sold to Phipps in the early 1900s. Farmhand Grill later bought the house and lived in it until the 1970s. The last descendants were allowed to stay in the home for the remainder of their lives at which time it was to be turned over to the City. The interior is maintained by the Eden Prairie Historical Society (EPHS). Many renovations and improvements have taken place in the way of handicapped accessibility, bathrooms, a fire prevention system, and more. Wallpaper was put up in the parlor, and the stenciling in the dining room was based off an original sample discovered in the house by John Gertz. The kitchen was added in 1917. McBride asked if EPHS conducts tours of the house. Ross said private tours are available upon request and they also offer a couple of open houses each year. The home is available for rent for private functions. EPHS is happy to partner with the City and non-profit agencies for events and meetings. Pesheck asked if the furniture was original to the home. Ross explained many Eden Prairie residents have donated items,but the desire is for an even greater percentage of the furniture to be from Eden Prairie families. Spera asked how the wallpaper was HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 18, 2016 Page 4 chosen. Ross said it is a historic wallpaper and was chosen because a similar leafy pattern was seen in historic photos of the home. Pescheck noted the home seemed large for two people. B. LRT UPDATE Lotthammer explained Planning, Community Development, Engineering and Public Works have been working closely with the Project Office on LRT. Parks and Recreation's involvement has to do with placemaking and trail connections to the three stations planned for Eden Prairie. The Project Office is waiting to invest resources until a record of decision to move forward is received. It also wants to find out the State's contribution in addition to federal funding. The City expects to learn more in late summer. There has been good progress in the areas of fundraising for public art as well as placemaking, wayfinding and connections to the parks' trail systems, but the pace has slowed until there is confirmation the project is a go. Parks has, however, worked with an artist on some concepts for piers and lighting, especially for the large bridge by Purgatory Creek Park (PCP). These concepts will eventually be brought to PRNR and Council. Link noted the significant impact this would have by PCP. Lotthammer said one pier would drop in where one of the two monument signs is located at the front of the park, so they have been looking at ways to pull back the tongue while maintaining visibility and the integrity of the spine and promenade of the park. If the project moves ahead, there will be efforts to mitigate as much as possible. Creamer said nothing of historical significance has been found at the proposed Eden Prairie sites. The one unknown is the Golden Triangle Area and City West Parkway where the land may be undisturbed. The City has requested to be notified if anything is discovered upon digging. Link asked the student representatives for input on whether they would use LRT. The unanimously said they would. Lincoln explained it is a good way to meet up with friends, especially for those with no access to a car. Harvey said it gives youth options to get to the University of Minnesota and the airport. Wenc added it gives underclassman an opportunity to explore. Cofer Evert asked Lotthammer to explain the elevation of the line near PCP. Lotthammer said starts behind Costco and starts to come down with one bridge pier at about 16 feet, and another approximately 8 feet. Spera asked if people would board the train up high. Lotthammer said the station itself would be behind the Southwest Station parking ramp. The station on the other side of Bachman's will be the first to go back into the plan if there are any project savings. C. INTERPRETIVE SIGN REPLACMENT Bourne reported an inventory of the condition of interpretive signs in Eden Prairie was done last summer. GPS was used to track the conditions and any work done on them. Based on the results of the survey, the signs were rated according to HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 18, 2016 Page 5 condition. Bourne distributed a handout showing a fair number of signs in poor condition. He said city-owned signs will be replaced. Replacement signs have been narrowed down to two types. One consists of high- pressured laminate and is one-half inch thick, heavy, and durable. It comes with a ten-year warranty for UV light and fade resistance. This type would require all new bases and hardware. Another option utilizes the same process but is thinner. It is equally durable, also carries a ten-year warranty, and fits into the current brackets and mounting systems. Parks and Rec is still working with vendors and consultants until a final determination is made. Cofer Evert asked how the new product compares to the signs currently at Lake Riley and also asked if, in the future, the HPC should order new signs to match the replacements or if it should go with the signs outlined in the plan. Bourne said the sign type at Lake Riley is in the middle price-wise between the two high- pressured laminate samples. Spresser inquired about prices. Bourne said the cost was $1700 for the thicker laminate and $525 for the thinner. Sandblasting and power coating the bases could easily result in another 10 years of use. Lotthammer said if the signs are vertical as they are at Lake Riley, thicker material is necessary. Bourne said the original PDFs of the signs have been located with the exception of the CG peony garden sign. Cofer Evert asked if perhaps EPHS had it. Ross said it was possible and she would check in the museum's files. Kalar left at 8:00 p.m. Bourne said the plan is to replace three or four signs this year and then budget to do quite a few more next year. They want to replace the signs in the poorest condition first. Cofer Evert suggested they start with the signs in the highest traffic areas first: Cummins, Phipps-Grill, Miller Spring, and Glen Lake Children's Camp (GLCC). Olson agreed stating Richard T. Anderson will likely be disrupted by Flying Cloud reconstruction so those should not be replaced immediately. Jacobson suggested moving the GLCC sign closer to the parking lot. Cofer Evert said the current location of the sign is appropriate as it sits at the edge of the historic district. Bourne said the new signs being considered are graffiti resistant and easier to clean. D. P & R ANNUAL REPORT Lotthammer distributed copies of and shared highlights from the Parks and Recreation Department's 2015 Annual Report. He stated not as many are printed now that the information is posted electronically. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 18, 2016 Page 6 E. OVERLOOK SITE PROJECT UPDATE Lotthammer reported the next step in the Overlook Site project is to meet with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Other projects have taken precedence so this has not moved as quickly as originally planned. Whether or not the project begins this year depends on what is discovered and what input MHPO has on the concepts as well as what MHPO decides in terms of using existing materials from the original site. Permits will likely be sought for this year or next. Creamer said to let the HPC know if it can help facilitate communications with MHPO. F. HENNEPIN TOWN SITE UPDATE Thorp said he has been studying the old town of Hennepin which was platted but never built. He believes he has identified the site of the former warehouse and the original road cut down to it by the river where the ferry used to run. He hopes to get it marked in the next month. There was also a blacksmith shop in the River View Road right of way, and a section of the Minnesota Valley Trail used as an oxcart trail from the 1820s to the 1850s. All are within park property and worthy of preservation. The sewer line installed in the 1960s disturbed the trail. Lotthammer suggested taking a field trip to figure out a way to protect what is there. Olson said this type of preservation could be eligible for funding as an archaeological project not previously investigated. G. STREET SIGN PROJECT Creamer explained the HPC's plan to sell retired street signs as a fundraiser. Information is going live on the City's website on Monday. The proceeds can be used as matching funds or to help with other projects. Cofer Evert noted multiples of some street names would be available. Commissioners were asked to advertise the program. H. FELDMANN FARM PROPOSAL Lotthammer distributed copies of a proposal from a resident related to the Feldmann family and asked each commission to put it on a future meeting agenda for review. The resident put together a presentation on the significance of the Feldmann family who once had a farm in the Richard T. Anderson conservation area. Up for consideration is how to determine if this is significant and eligible for recognition. Parks has a naming system to put plaques or names on a bench or memorial trees, but an interpretive sign is another level up. Commissioners need to determine what reaches that level and how to proceed with this proposal if they choose to do so. This could help guide future requests. McBride asked if the Feldmann home was still in existence. Lotthammer said it was not. Cofer Evert asked what the Feldmann family's impact was on early Eden Prairie. Lotthammer said he did not have any information, but EPHS has been asked to consider the proposal as well. Both commissions should discuss the HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 18, 2016 Page 7 merits. Lotthammer will work with Creamer to align commission agendas to discuss. Ross said EPHS could look in their files to see what they could find on the Feldmann family. I. HISTORIC PROPERTIES CHART UPDATE Lotthammer said he, Bourne, and Creamer plan to do their annual walk-through of the city-owned historic properties, and the grounds associated with them. The chart will be updated with items scheduled for this year or expected in future years and then be sent out to Commissioners. Olson mentioned the Smith Douglas More roof and the neglected dining hall at GLCC. Resources are being used to upgrade other things,but the dining hall should not be forgotten. Lotthammer noted Council has suggested things worthy of protection need to be protected. The GLCC lease states True Friends is to keep the site in good repair and the City has the right to inspect the site. City staff will evaluate conditions and needs during their walk-through. The Commissions conducted separate meetings beginning at 8:35 p.m. to discuss Commission- specific agenda items. IX. COMMISSION BUSINESS A. HP BUSINESS 1. Heritage Preservation Award Nominations Following discussion of the nominees, an award winner was chosen and will be announced and presented at the May 24, 2016 City Council meeting. 2. Review Proposals for Les!acy Research and Writing Grant Olson relayed Kalar's comments on the matter following her departure. After much discussion of the two proposals, he called for a vote. MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Spera, to award Bluestem Heritage Group the contract for completing the additional ten signs at Riley-Jacques Farmstead and Park. Motion carried 5-0. B. PRNR BUSINESS 1. 2016 CIP Proiect Overview Bourne review the status of the current projects. 2. Membership Update Verley provided a handout documenting membership history and current status. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 18, 2016 Page 8 3. Springy-Summer Registration Lotthammer expressed that the new software system has impacted summer registrations in a very positive way. X. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS The next PRNR Meeting will be Monday, May 2, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at City Center in the Council Chambers. The next HPC meeting will be Monday, May 16, 2016, 7 p.m. at City Center, Prairie Rooms A & B. The Annual Board and Commission Banquet will take place Wednesday, May 11 at 6:00 p.m. in the Garden Room at City Center. All Commission members and students are invited, along with a guest. XI. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Ross moved, seconded by Cofer Evert, to adjourn. Motion carried 5-0. Chair Olson adjourned the meeting at 9:27 p.m.