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Parks and Recreation - 12/02/2002 APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2002 7:00 P.M. City Center Heritage Room 4 COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Munna Yasiri, Chair; Dick Brown, Rob Barrett, Jeffrey Gerst, David Larson, Bruce Schaepe, Trisha Swanson and Philip Wright(left at 7:45 p.m.) COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Kim Teaver STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Lauren Astry and Chris Shea COMMISSION STAFF PRESENT: Bob Lambert, Director of Parks and Recreation Services; Laurie Obiazor, Manager of Recreation Services; Tria Mann, Arts & Special Events Coordinator and Carol Pelzel, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chair Yasiri at 7:05 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion: Barrett moved, Wright seconded, to approve the agenda as published. The motion carried, 8-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —November 4, 2002 Motion: Larson moved, Swanson seconded, to approve the November 4, 2002, minutes as presented. The motion carried, 7-0-1, with Yasiri abstaining because of absence from that meeting. IV. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Request to Consider Acquisition of Open Space Land Lambert explained that a request had been received from residents of Hillcrest Court asking the Commission to consider acquisition of approximately 47 acres of land adjacent to Purgatory Creek and the Edenvale Conservation Area. Kim Vohs, 15900 North Hillcrest Court, said he feels this land is very important to the City. He has been a resident of Eden Prairie for approximately four years and moved here because the City does preserve its land. The site being discussed is one of the last sites in PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION December 2, 2002 Page 2 the City in its natural state. Vohs introduced Forest and Joan Meyer,residents of Hillcrest Court and Jeff Strate, an Eden Prairie resident. Vohs displayed a map to orient the Commission members as to the location of the property. He explained that the area they are discussing is 47 acres and has been divided into three parcels. The land is currently owned by Richard Anderson and has been preserved for some time. The owner recently subdivided the 47 acres into three parcels and is retaining one 27 acre parcel for his own use. Vohs explained that the other two parcels are up for sale. He said they are asking the City to acquire one of the parcels to extend the trail and existing conservation area. Vohs said it is his understanding that the City is contemplating holding a referendum and he feels that the acquisition of this property would fit into that referendum. The price of the land is $380,000 for one parcel and $650,000 for the parcel on the hill. Both parcels are approximately ten acres in size. Vohs distributed to the Commission a newspaper article on referendums indicating that referendums for acquisition of open space are most often successful. Wright indicated that he serves on the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed Board and he questioned if there are wetlands involved in this area. He stated that they may be able to trade wetlands with the developer to lower the cost of the land. Lambert responded that they can only get the credits if they are taking land and turning it into a wetland. If the wetland is preserved they do not get any credits. Jeff Strate asked if the City has any future trail plans that include this corridor. Lambert answered that the Open Space Plan is to make a connection at Edenvale Boulevard. The trail cannot be extended to the creek because of the railroad track. Larson asked if Vohs represents the owners of the property and if they have talked to the owner regarding the acquisition of the property. Vohs said he is not a representative of the property owner and that he has talked to the owner's daughter regarding this property. The original plan was to develop the land into 27 lots. They have reduced that plan to three parcels. Strate said he met the owner only briefly many years ago. The owner is conservation minded. One of the options to be considered if the City is interested in preserving this site is to rezone part of the flatlands to denser development that would result in getting more land dedicated to the City. This is a parcel that has been farmed and the City may also want to consider this parcel as some kind of community dairy farm that operates or as a history farm. This would make it a function of the City's park system. Larson asked what portion of this land is a conservation easement. Lambert responded that more than 50 percent is in a conservation easement and would be extremely difficult to build on because of the bluff. Vohs pointed out that there is no access to the conservation easement without one of the parcels. Larson questioned what the price per acre would be for these parcels of land. Vohs explained that the parcel on the south end of the property is listed at$380,000 while the parcel on the hill that would require extensive grading is listed at$650,000. The 27-acre parcel where the property owner currently lives is not for sale. There are only two parcels for sale, which totals approximately 20 acres. Swanson asked PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION December 2, 2002 Page 3 what the zoning is for these parcels. Lambert stated that they are guided for low density residential and the zoning is rural. Yasiri pointed out that should the Commission direct staff to obtain more information many of their questions will be answered. Vohs explained that the 20 acres that is for sale includes some of the land that is in the conservation easement. Lambert indicated that this Commission has not discussed a referendum. The City Council did direct staff to do research on a number of high demand facilities that were listed on a survey conducted by the City. Staff is to then report back to the Council on their findings around the first of the year. At that time they will look at the facilities and the costs to decide if a referendum will be held. The number one goal of the survey was to not raise taxes. Yasiri stated that determining whether or not the City should obtain this property will not occur in a week or so. This is a lengthy process. Vohs said he did talk to the realtor and they don't have any one interested in the parcel on the hill at this time. If the owners of this property want to preserve it and if the City has a solid intent of acquiring it, they may hold off selling it. Motion: Barrett moved, Gerst seconded, to request staff to obtain more detailed information on each of the three parcels in terms of developable acreage, cost and status of ownership and any other details the Commission would need to know and to bring this information back to the Commission at their January 6 meeting. The motion carried, 8-0. Lambert said that if they are looking at land acquisition they may want to look at acquiring other parcels as well. Yasiri expressed the Commission's appreciation to the residents who brought this information forward to the Commission. V. OLD BUSINESS VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Recommend Approval of the Jean Harris Memorial Design (Wright left during discussion of this item.) Mann reported that the City's Arts & Cultural Commission appointed an Ad Hoc Committee to work with staff to select an artist to design a memorial honoring Mayor Jean Harris and work with the artist to design an artistic component within the City's Purgatory Creek Recreation Area. On August 6 the City Council approved the contract with Teri Want for artist design services for the Jean Harris memorial project. On November 25 the design was presented to the Arts & Cultural Commission and was received with full support and unanimous approval by the members that were present. Mann explained that they are now asking this Commission to review the design. Sharon Grossbach,representing the Ad Hoc Committee, explained that she has been an Eden Prairie resident since 1995 and is honored to have served on the Design Committee PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION December 2, 2002 Page 4 and Ad Hoc Committee. She explained that this has been a wonderful process that has directed the design. The Committee did develop guiding principles for the tribute to Jean Harris's life. This is a tribute and not a memorial or monument. The design creates an interactive expression that includes the ten dictum that Harris used in her life. Grossbach briefly reviewed the Committee's concepts and foundation principles. Teri Kwant, the design artist for the project, explained that she is a public artist and designer and is very honored to have been selected for this project. She reviewed with the Commission the interview process and meetings with the Committee who selected the artist and members of the community who worked with Mayor Harris as well as with her friends and family. Kwant presented an overview to the Commission on how she developed the information into the design. This included the place, the form and the concept. Kwant reviewed the conceptual design of the project to be located in Purgatory Creek Park. The design will be placed in the park so that it is one of the first things to be constructed. The tribute would be a 45-foot functional bridge with a 16-foot circular bridge at the center. The bridge will include a roof structure with 18 glass structures on the bridge that will include text and imaginary. Kwant reviewed with the Commission the bridge material and displayed a model of the bridge. Mann explained that the original Committee knew that Mayor Harris would not feel comfortable with a statute and felt strongly that the tribute be something that would bring people together or to learn from. The middle circle on the bridge will be a printed tribute to Mayor Harris. This public art piece is most appropriate because she was a lover of the arts and is not drastically different from what has been done at other City parks. Kwant reviewed the project budget with the Commission explaining that the total cost would be approximately $156,590. The bridge originally planned for this area was an off- the shelf bridge which is a bridge built at another site and then moved in. It was anticipated that that bridge would have cost approximately $45,000. The Watershed District allows for funding of the $45,000 for the bridge. The amount above and beyond that cost is approximately $100,000. Barrett said he was envisioning something in the park and questioned why this bridge would not be located inside the park. Kwant said it seemed most appropriate that it be located by the water. Parts of the park that would permit the project would not be completed for another three to five years. Larson asked when the project would be started. Mann responded that it all depends on the dredging of the site. If it is dredged this winter and all of the approvals have been received, it could begin as early as next fall. If this Commission approves this project Staff's next step is to take it to the City Council for their approval. Once that approval has been given, they will then begin the fund raising process. Funding for this project will not come from the City's General Fund. The Eden Prairie foundation has given an indication that they may support part of the funding. The Commission discussed possible fund raising events for the project. Grossbach said they did talk about selling paver blocks early on,however, that may take away from what they PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION December 2, 2002 Page 5 wanted to achieve. Kwant said it is a very subtle tribute and they have to be very thoughtful if they add additional names to the design. Motion: Brown moved, Gerst seconded, to recommend approval of the design presented by artist Teri Kwant and Design Committee Member Sharon Grossbach, as an appropriate memorial to the memory of Dr. Jean Harris. The motion carried, 7-0. VII. REPORTS OF STAFF V. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Larson moved, Barrett seconded, to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m. The motion carried 7-0.