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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 03/04/2019 APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION,AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER Heritage Rooms, 8080 Mitchell Road PRNR COMMISSION MEMBERS: Larry Link, Chair; Debra McBride, Vice Chair; Cecilia Cervantes, Patrice Erickson, Donald Jacobson, Andy McGlasson, Leonard Pesheck, John Rahman, Kirk Spresser CITY STAFF: Jay Lotthammer, Parks and Recreation Director Lori Brink, Recreation Manager Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager Valerie Verley, Community Center Manager STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Carson Guettler, Tatum Gunderson, John Hilton, Nile Timmerman, Ananya Vegesna RECORDING SECRETARY: Jodie Fenske I. INTRODUCTIONS Vice Chair McBride called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Roll call was taken. Commission Chair Link and Commission Members Cervantes, McGlasson, Rahman, and Spresser were absent. Student Representatives Timmerman and Vegesna were absent. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion: Erickson moved, seconded by Jacobson, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 4-0. III. APPROVAL OF PRNR MINUTES Motion: Pesheck moved, seconded by Erickson, to approve the February 4, 2019 minutes as presented. Motion carried 4-0. IV. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION Lotthammer reported on actions recently taken by the City Council. A. CREEKWOOD PARK PARKING LOT, TRAIL,AND HARD COURT REHABILITATION Council accepted bids and awarded the contract for the parking lot, trail, and hard court Rehabilitation Project at Creekwood Park to Minnesota Roadways Co. The project will begin this spring. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES March 4, 2019 Page 2 B. DONATIONS TO SENIOR CENTER Resolutions were adopted accepting several donations toward Senior Center programming and special events. Lotthammer added tomorrow evening, March 5, 2019, the Council is expected to accept the proposal and approve the Standard Agreement for Contract Services with St. Croix Recreation for playground equipment at Nesbitt Preserve, Bluffs West 1, and Bluffs West 2 Parks. V. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION Bourne reported at the February 11, 2019 meeting, the Planning Commission reviewed plans and provided feedback for the Staring Lake Park Building project. The bidding process will end soon and Bourne will provide an update to the PRNR Commission. VI. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATION A. HANDOUTS OF UPCOMING EVENTS Brink and Verley presented handouts of the following upcoming events. 1. Indoor Triathlon. The bi-annual event will take place on Sunday, March 10, 2019 at the Community Center. 2. Bus Stop—Eden Prairie Players. PiM Arts High School in Eden Prairie will be the new location for the play which will run March 15-16 and March 22-23 at 7:30 p.m. and on March 17 and March 24 at 2 p.m. 3. Annual Ice Show. The Eden Prairie Figure Skating Club will present"Get the Party Started" on March 22 at 7 p.m., March 23 at 5 p.m., and March 24 at 2 p.m. at the Community Center. 4. Almost Springy Lunch. The Senior Center will host their annual spring lunch on Wednesday, March 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 5. Springy-Summer Registration. The Spring-Summer Parks and Recreation Program brochure was mailed to residents today. Registration begins March 13. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES March 4, 2019 Page 3 VII. NEW BUSINESS A. STERLING FIELD PARK Neighbors of the Sterling Field Park were sent a letter on February 19, 2019, inviting them to an input session at tonight's Commission meeting. Due to its age and condition, the current tennis court is in need of being replaced and funds have been budgeted to accomplish this. However, staff wanted to receive feedback from neighbors and the Commission before moving ahead to replicate the park. Since replacing the tennis court is costly, staff wants to explore alternative options that could make use of the budgeted funds and result in additional amenities and play features. The reconstruction timetable is to have either the tennis court replaced or new equipment installed by Fall 2019. Bourne provided a PowerPoint presentation displaying the current site plan of the project area, including the large open grass area with a backstop, small playground in the middle, and the potential project area of hardcourt basketball and tennis court. He explained the tennis court, built by the homeowners association and later taken over by the City, was built narrower than the City's specifications for a tennis court. A map was displayed to show nearby parks that have basketball and tennis courts, including Wyndham Knoll, Rustic Hills, Eden Valley, Round Lake, and Hidden Ponds Parks. Bourne presented slides of alternative options to the tennis court, not as suggestions,just to spark conversation. One option was a plaza area similar to what was recently built at Pioneer Park, with a small shade structure,picnic tables,permanent bag toss area, and bocce courts. Other options included a gaga ball pit, a small shade structure with picnic tables and permanent grills, and a zipline playground structure. Approximately twenty-five residents were in attendance. Bourne invited them to share how they use the park,how they would like to use the park, and if there are other amenities they would like to see in their neighborhood park. Jennifer Montville (6940 Boyd Avenue) stated her home backs up to the tennis courts. She observes them being used year-round and sees multiple groups use the courts extensively. Erika Ambourn (18040 Evenston Road) seconded Ms. Montville's comments and also inquired if the courts could be lined for pickleball as well. She would like additional picnic tables for the neighborhood gatherings throughout the year. Bourne stated the Department could easily bring more picnic tables to the park. Mike Montville (6940 Boyd Avenue) referred to the map illustrating the parks with tennis courts and inquired which parks in the area do not have tennis courts. Bourne responded other than the conservation areas, nearby parks that do not have tennis courts are Edgewood, Edenvale, and High Trail Estates Parks. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES March 4, 2019 Page 4 Cheryl Haagensen (17751 Sterling Terrace) stated some amenities (i.e., water fountain, lights on tennis court) have not been retained since the homeowners association dissolved. Much of the open grass area has since been replaced with homes so more residents in the area are visiting the park than in the past. She's been told by children the basketball court is not preferable since the hoop height is too high. She feels the playground equipment is outdated and would like to see something similar to the rope equipment recently installed at Hidden Ponds Park, as well as additional swings and shade. She added there is a gaga ball pit nearby at Prairie View School Park. She added to Ms. Montville's inquiry about adding pickleball lines to the tennis court. Lotthammer responded the City has tried that option on other courts and has found neither user group is happy with both sets of lines on the court. However, since this is a neighborhood park and not a larger community park, it may be a consideration. Susie Moore (7033 Boyd Avenue) lives within walking distance of the park. She is a tennis player but has stopped using the tennis court at the park due to its condition and dimensions. She inquired about the new dimensions considering possible space constrictions. Bourne responded space does not allow for full City specifications but the court could definitely be widened by approximately five feet. She would also like to see more toddler-friendly options for playground equipment, as well as additional shade. Brent Fritz (18031 Evenston Road) stated his hope for the park is to be more centered around children. He has lived in his home nearly thirty years and sees adults using the tennis court the vast majority of the time. He stated adults have other places to play tennis but the children should have a place to play to which they can walk or ride their bikes. He prefers to see playground equipment for children of all ages. Scott Ambourn (18040 Evenston Road) stated his family uses the tennis court during the summer and would like it to stay. He does not notice the large grass area being used and would like to see it transitioned into something the children could use. Sue Mollner(6931 Boyd Avenue) stated she agreed with making the area about the kids. She inquired if there was a possibility of making the grass area into community gardens. Joanna Park (7072 Boyd Avenue) stated she plays tennis once a week at Round Lake Park. She agreed with making the park about the kids. Her children would enjoy having more swings and slides and she likes the zipline option. She inquired about a sidewalk leading up to the park for strollers and wheelchairs, especially considering the elevation, but did not want it getting in the way of the sledding hill. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES March 4, 2019 Page 5 Dean Peterson (6911 Boyd Avenue) appreciates the tennis courts but will bike to other courts if necessary. He was involved with the playground renovation several years ago. He inquired if a fence would be placed around the renovated tennis court and Bourne responded probably not. He inquired if playground equipment could be added to the grassy area. Bourne responded it could definitely be considered in the future. However, currently all that is budgeted is for the tennis court area and deciding whether courts should be refurbished or something else should be placed in the court area. Lotthammer provided assurance this project will not be the last at this park. The City has had to take over other neighborhood parks originally developed by homeowners associations and not maintained by the association. These neighborhood parks were built much smaller than what most City parks would be and are not designed in a manner the City would prefer. The play equipment at this park will come up in the City's process for replacement,being careful not to make it too large that it becomes a drive-to destination so neighbors are inconvenienced by several cars frequently coming to the area. Mr. Peterson stated the homeowners association spent money in developing the tennis court and he would expect that same investment to be placed in new equipment to uphold the value of the neighborhood. Lotthammer stated tennis courts are expensive to install,replace, and maintain, especially considering the Minnesota winters. He explained for the dollar amount needed to replace the current tennis courts, a large number of other options could be installed instead. Tennis courts require maintenance and expense every few years. He reiterated he is not rallying for one option over another but wanted to make the residents aware of all considerations and asked them to consider if the courts are still of value and still get enough use to justify spending money on replacement and maintenance versus doing other things with the space and budgeted funds. He stated his take-away from the residents tonight is the tennis courts get a lot of use. Commission Member Erickson added she feels this park should get attention considering the number of new houses that have been built since the original park was developed. She agrees additional equipment for children would be beneficial. Ben Montville (6940 Boyd Avenue) stated he frequents the park from spring through fall with his friends and he would find it beneficial to have things to do for a wide variety of ages, especially younger children. He stated Prairie View School Park is nearby but many associations use the park during the summer so it is often busy and the equipment is not appropriate for toddlers. He also inquired if the rest of the park will be off limits while the tennis courts get replaced. Bourne responded the tennis courts would be cordoned off so the rest of the park could be used at the same time. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES March 4, 2019 Page 6 McBride concluded the audience discussion by stating she heard the residents as a whole say they use the tennis courts and they should be replaced but that additional options should be added in the future as budget permits. Lotthammer added staff will watch for extra dollars available as the bids come back to hopefully cover some of the smaller requests right away, including replacement of the basketball hoop and additional picnic tables. Commission Member Jacobson asked staff to aggressively pursue additional funds so kid-friendly play structures can be placed in the park in 2019. Lotthammer concluded by thanking the residents for their input and providing a timetable for the project. He estimates the design and bidding of tennis court replacement will take place relatively quickly. He anticipates determining funds available for other options and being able to update the neighborhood residents in May. He urged them to add their names to the email list provided. VIII. OLD BUSINESS IX. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. PARKS AND RECREATION EXPERIENCES Members and staff shared recent experiences related to parks and recreation. Pesheck snowshoed around Staring Lake and noticed several others doing the same. Erickson spoke to a friend who enjoyed sledding and the warming house at Staring Lake Park. Brink added the Winter Blast rescheduled to February 15 was a successful event and well attended. B. RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER C. COMMUNITY CENTER MANAGER D. PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER 1. Court Ratina/Ranking Update. Bourne provided a PowerPoint presentation explaining the hard court maintenance process the City has in place. The City maintains thirty-seven tennis courts, sixteen permanent pickleball courts, and fifteen and one-half basketball courts. The types of maintenance include full reconstruction, bituminous replacement(a/k/a mill and overlay), preventive maintenance (crack fill and color coat replacement), and miscellaneous surfacing. The maintenance schedule he displayed included each hard court location, the year it was last maintained, the year it is next scheduled for replacement, and the budgeted amount. Erickson inquired and Bourne responded the busier courts like Round Lake Park need to be maintained every three to four years. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES March 4, 2019 Page 7 E. PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR 1. Park and Open Space Plan—Identify Drivers. Lotthammer provided the Commission with a draft, Cultural, Demographic, Environmental, Political, and Socioeconomic Trends Impacting and Influencing the Service Delivery of Parks and Recreation. This tool will be used as the basis for future recommendations for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. He provided a worksheet of scenarios to discuss and develop ideas for the following trends: changing demographics and increased diversity, older/active residents, worker shortage and increasing wages, and increased screen time and use of technology. Commission Members and Student Representatives were divided into groups and were asked to play out the scenarios provided in the worksheet and report back with thoughts and ideas. After the groups met for several minutes, feedback was provided for each of the four scenarios. Regarding changing demographics and increased diversity, the Commission Member group discussed what PeopleFest! will look like in the year 2028. They foresaw ethnic foods, diverse music and dancing, and language sharing. The scenario covering older/active residents was based on activities a healthy older adult in 2030 would hope to see. The group foresaw an app that monitors health factors, orders groceries, schedules activities, and provides virtual tours of anywhere in the world. The Student Representative group discussed workforce shortage and increasing wages by playing out a scenario in which they had just graduated from college and applied for employment with the Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation Department. Input included wanting a job where they can see they made a difference, feel they were a part of something bigger than themselves, and watch progress from a project and feel satisfaction throughout. They felt work schedules would need to be very flexible but yet they would be willing to work longer hours, evenings, and weekends prior to starting families to gain as much experience as possible. The students felt Facebook would be obsolete and Instagram and what follows would be more pertinent in searching for employment. The second scenario the Student Representatives covered was communication tools for parents in 2025 looking for recreation programming for their children. Not only will the information need to be digital, but also as seamless and accessible as possible. Recreation leagues may need to be more of a drop-in situation rather than set for every night for a certain number of weeks. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES March 4, 2019 Page 8 Lotthammer informed the Commission to expect exercises similar to this at each meeting for several months. Trends to be discussed at future meetings will include emerging recreational activities, increased senior housing, invasive species, wildlife population changes, climate change, energy conservation, water scarcity and quality concerns, aging infrastructure, sustainability, renewable energy options, increasing public support and awareness for sustainable practices and materials, changing and increasing digital platforms, increasing obesity and wellness issues, and income disparities. He noted this list is not all inclusive and he invited members to identify additional factors, influences, or trends to add to the list. He has been collecting several articles on trends and shared them with the group. He asked Commission members to provide him with any articles they find as they research not only parks and recreation topics,but also health care, technology, workforce development, etc. Community engagement will be initiated once the draft has been developed further. 2. 2019 PRNR Work Plan. Lotthammer thanked Vice Chair McBride and Commission Member Jacobson for their years serving on the Commission as this was the last meeting of their terms. Additional Commission members are expected to be approved by the Council tomorrow evening and will be introduced at the next PRNR Commission meeting. He noted all Commission members and students are invited to the Banquet on Thursday, May 16, at 6 p.m. in the Garden Room. Lotthammer shared an updated work plan indicating the April 1 Commission meeting will likely cover the Staring Lake Park winter use, Annual Report, and Park and Open Space Plan discussion regarding serving older adults. X. NEXT MEETING The next PRNR Commission Meeting will be held on Monday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in the City Center Heritage Rooms. XI. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Pesheck moved, seconded by Jacobson, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 4-0. Vice Chair McBride adjourned the meeting at 8:51 p.m.