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Parks and Recreation - 05/18/1998 i 1998 May 18 , 1998 Minutes Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE I i AGENDA PARKS,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY,MAY 18,1998 7:00 P.M.CITY CENTER 8080 MITCHELL ROAD COUNCIL CHAMBERS COMMISSION MEMBERS: Richard Brown,Chair; Frantz Corneille,Claire I•lilgennan, Don Jacobson, Vicki Koenig,Glenn Stolar,John Wilson STUDENT MEMBERS: Elizabeth Cook,Stacy Eager COMMISSION STAFF: Robert A. Lambert, Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources; Stuart A. Fox, Manager of Parks and Natural Resources; Laurie Hclling, Manager of Recreation Services 1. ROLL CALL I II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Ill. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-MAY 18. 1998 IV. PETITIONS,REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Petition for Purchase of Park Property-Prairie View Park j B. Petition for a Water Ski Slalom Course on Staring Lake I{. f V. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS A. Anchor Communications B. Rcalifc Valley Comoration C. Rivcrvicw Bluffs j D. Wvnstone 1998 ! VI. OLD BUSINESS A. Dedication of Staring Lake Playground to the Mcmory of Paul Rcdpath V11. NEW BUSINESS s A. Reconmiendadon ReLar ding Display of Banners at Community Center B. Volunteer for Hcaisinl;.Transportation.and Human Services Board Vlll. REPORTS OF MANAGER OF PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES A. Goose Removal Report B. Information on Cottonwood Trees \ IX. ADJOURNMENT APPROVED MINUTES t PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY,MAY 18, 1998 7:00 P.M.CITY CENTER 8080 MITCHELL ROAD COUNCIL CHAMBERS COMMISSION MEMBERS: Richard Brown,Chair,Frantz Corneille,Claire Hilgeman, Don Jacobson,Vicki Koenig,Glenn Stolar,John Wilson t STUDENT MEMBERS: Elizabeth Cook, Stacy Enger t 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, and Barbara Anderson,City Recorder 1. ROLL CALL. Glenn Stolar,John Wilson,Stacy Enger and Elizabeth Cook were absent. I1. APPROVAL.OF AGENDA i I MOTION:Jacobson moved,seconded by Hilgeman,to approve the Agenda as published. Motion carried 5-0. 1 Ill. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-MAY 4 1998 y ,t 1 Koenig noted one change on page 4 in the motion requesting the developer to restore some replacement trees similar to those presently existing on the site. i MOTION: Koenig moved, seconded by Hilgeman, to approve the May 4, 1998 Minutes of the Parks, I Recreation and Natural Resources Commission as amended. Motion carried 4-0-1.Corneille abstained. IV. PETITIONS,REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Petition for Purchase of Park Property-Prairie View Park Fox reviewed the staff report and recommended that the property owners be allowed to purchase the property they have been maintaining. The cost for purchase will have to be worked out and all three property owners must purchase the land. Mike Aaron, 17740 South Shore Lane,stated he is the owner of Lot I which is next to the Tot Lot. He has maintained this area to keep the weeds from growing into his yard. He was willing to purchase the land to help out his neighbors, lie noted that at night the Tot Lot becomes a place for kids to smoke and hang out and they are the only ones looking after this property. He commented it would be difficult for him to purchase the larger parcel. j Bob Watkins, 17712 South Shore Drive,stated he bought his lot as it appears today and these lots ! i I PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES May 18, 1998 age 2 were maintained up to the point that they are because of the topography and it makes sense to keep these lots maintained to the base of the hill. He asked the Commission to approve the sale of this property so they can continue to maintain it. Marilyn Schmidt,owner of Lot 2,stated they maintained this area for twelve years to prevent erosion in the spring and to improve it's appearance. They were working with the City to try to find out who owned this land because they wanted to purchase it from the beginning. They did not get a resolution to the ownership question. Craig Schmidt, 17512 Pavelka Drive,stated his yard borders the park and he had asked the City to establish the park boundaries because they wanted to plant some landscaping material. When this was done,it was discovered that there were several structures and gardens located on park land. He did not feel there was any reason to sell park property and if residents wanted bigger lots they should have bought larger ones. He was concerned that this was a major issue and people were not notified of this request. He was opposed to the sale of the park land to individual property owners. He noted that some of the neighbors had been dumping garbage and yard waste on this land. The catch basin takes drainage from this entire area and it was thought by the Engineering Department that it drains into Round lake. He requested the City to reclaim this property and let it become natural again. // Lynn Featherstone, 17500 West Hills Drive,stated she was concerned about setting a precedent if i. the City sells any park land to residents. Ed Featherstone stated that if people can buy park land it will reduce the area available for use by Eden Prairie residents and he requested the Commission to deny this request. d Kathy Watkins, 17712 South Shore Drive,stated that one neighbor's perception of another's business is often the cause of problems and they do not want this to happen. They are willing to buy this land which is not being used but rather they want to see it maintained without chemicals and in it's best state. j Lambert stated that at one time he had suggested an exchange of parkland for other land and he was sanctioned by the City Council for even considering such an option to give up any park land. The City has about 12,000 acres of land in conservations easements which is not being used. hie was concerned about setting a precedent and where it would end. He was opposed to selling this property •t-.;' and the City should require that the structures and gardens be removed from the land and it be restored to its natural state. Jacobson stated he was concerned about the catch basin draining into Round Lake. Fox stated there are a series of NURP ponds in this chain, which eventually do go into either Round Lake or Duck Lake. Jacobson commented he thought it might be good to utilize the land to create an additional NURP pond given the water quality conditions in Round Lake last year. Hilgeman stated she had been told by the City they would not entertain any suggestion to sell any park land when she had inquired into that possibility to straighten out her yard a long time ago,and she did not support the sale of park land to private individuals. Koenig stated she was opposed to selling land to individual people. Corneille stated he concurred with the other Commissioners. Brown stated that these residents have been using City land tax free for years and it was not right for property owners to I PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES 1y 18, 1998 d I age 3 assume where their property lines are located. Anything that is done to this land should be done by the City and not by it's residents. i MOTION: Corneille moved,seconded by Koenig,to deny the request of the owners of Lots 1,2, and 3,to purchase the park property and that all structures located on the park land be removed and the land restored to it's natural state. Motion carried 5-0. B. Petition for a Water Ski Slalom Course on Staring Lak I Fox reviewed the staff report and stated staff recommended denial of the request. Russell Johnson, 5433 Vernon Avenue, Edina, stated he believed he could use Staring Lake harmoniously with the fishermen,and since there was relatively little boat traffic on Staring Lake it was ideal for his water skiing purposes. He requested the Commission to approve the request. He was unsure how much noise would result from the water skiing and the boat. Jacobson asked what a submersible slalom course was and Johnson responded that it was filled with air and submerged by letting the air out so it would sink. It was inflated when in use and deflated when submerged. Corneille asked who would use this course and Johnson responded that it would primarily be his son and himself using it. if he was going to spend several thousand dollars on the equipment he did not want just anyone using it. Hilgeman asked if the size and depth of the lake was part of the reason for the staff recommendation and Fox responded that the location of the system was a factor in that recommendation. Koenig asked if it was legal to have buoys on the lake and Lambert responded they have to be taken down unless they have a permit to keep them up overnight. Koenig stated she has an issue with this request because over the last two years buoys have remained on the lake without a permit. Also, environmentally she could not support it. She noted that the proponent was not an Eden Prairie I resident, and this was also an issue. She did not want to have boats on the lake creating noise and interfering with the residents who wanted to use the park and the facilities located there. Hilgeman stated they have based decisions on the numbers of people that would benefit from that - decision, and in this case it appeared that number would be very small. Site did not support the request. MOTION:Koenig moved,seconded by Hilgeman,to deny the request of Russell Johnson to install it retractable slalom ski course on Staring Lake based on the staff memo dated May 13, 1998. Motion carried 5-0. V. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS A. Ancor Communications Fox reviewed the staff report and noted staff recommended approval subject to the stipulations listed in the Planning Commission staff report and the supplemental staff report. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES May 18, 1998 Cage 4 Miles -, BRW, Inc. reviewed the project and described the proposed tenant use for the site. Fie described the landscaping plan and the site plan. Fie discussed the NURP pond and its ability to handle runoff from property other than the subject site. He discussed the wetland mitigation that will be done to compensate for the area of fill that they need to do for this project. Fox reviewed the mitigation for the amount of tree loss and the amount of landscaping materials the proponent will be required to plant. He reviewed the ponding on the site and how it can best be utilized. Fie reviewed the waivers required for this project. i Koenig asked about the wetland plantings that would be used in the mitigation area and Miles reviewed the landscape plan for these areas. Brown asked if the concerns of the DNR which had been raised with the Normark project had been addressed with this project, and Fox responded that there were differences between these two projects which lessen the impacts of this project as opposed to the Normark project. Koenig stated she was concerned that the impacts would be greater than expected because the lot size was so small. Fox responded that was the reason for the retaining wall. Hilgeman asked if this was an appropriate use for this site and whether the building was too large for this site. She thought there was too much damage being done to the site in order to put the building on this lot. Koenig stated the fact that the waivers were less than those required for a prior project was not sufficient reason to grant the waivers. Discussion ensued regarding the modification of the site necessary to construct the building. Jacobson was concerned about the lack of parking spaces for the building size and Miles responded that additional parking would be constructed when it was needed. Fox noted the City requires developers to provide proof of parking, and if parking occurs off-site this proof of parking will be constructed. Discussion ensued regarding the site drainage and the impact of the development on the wildlife in the area. The waivers were discussed and the hardship was that it was an extremely difficult site to build on. Gary Wyle,Senior Vice President with Hoyt Properties,stated they always intended to put an office building on the site and they gave the hill to the City as requested, and this now requires them to come back and ask for waivers in order to construct a building on the site. They will build the additional parking when and if it is required. MOTION:Corneille moved,seconded by Brown,to recommend approval of the request based on the information in the may 8, 1998 Staff Report and the additional recommendations within the Supplemental Staff Report dated May 12, 1998. Motion failed 2-3. Lambert requested the Commissioners who voted no to state their reasons for doing so. Hilgeman stated she did not see the trade-off as significant and it was not the best use of this site. Koenig C commented she thought there were too many variances involved. Jacobson concurred with Koenig and felt that the 49%impervious surface was too much area. Corneille commented he believed that as a City they have put the proponent in his present position and felt that they owed him something in return for his donation of land to the City. Lambert stated PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES May 18, 1998 age 5 the City has the option to give the hill back and move the building away from the creek,which would eliminate the variances and allow the proponent to develop the site. The City gives variances to a site similar to this one to preserve the woods and give the wildlife a place to live and create diversity in the design of sites. Discussion ensued regarding what could be done to resolve the issues the Commissioners have with the plan. Corneille commented the developer has proposed a NURP pond that is larger than what is required and since the City made a deal with the property owners,he felt they should now follow through with that. i B. Realife Valley Corporation Fox reviewed the staff report and stated that staff recommended approval of the request. Perry Wright,Wright Engineering reviewed the project which will be a housing development for seniors. Dick Hanson of Realife described the senior housing cooperative and explained how it would operate. The building will be owned and operated by the people that live in it. He described the process that they use to operate and the features that will be included in the building. The City needs this type of project and the site is very expensive. They are trying to make it feasible for those people that will live in this development. Hilgeman expressed concern regarding the intersection and the traffic and Hanson responded that they are putting in a right-turn lane to make it easier for residents to access the site. The building will own a 12-person bus which can be used by the residents at any time. j Jacobson asked if Smetana Lane would end and Fox responded that it will remain in that location until it is upgraded. It is a public street,and will eventually be completed. MOTION:Corneille moved,seconded by Hilgeman,to recommend approval of the request subject to the conditions in the May 8, 1998 Planning Commission Staff Report and the Supplemental Staff Report dated May 13, 1998, Motion carried 5-0. C. Riverview Bluffs Fox gave the staff report and stated that staff recommended approval of the project. Peter Jarvis, Laukka-Jarvis, stated he was present to answer any questions. Hilgeman asked where the burial mounds were located on the site and Jarvis indicated those locations where they had thought the burial mounds might be and the buffer areas around each of them. It now appears that they are not Indian burial mounds, but that has not been verified as yet. They are in agreement with tite stipulations contained in both staff reports. MOTION: I-lilgeman moved,seconded by Corneille,to recommend approval of the project based on the information in the May 8, 1998 Planning Commission Staff Report and the Supplemental Staff Report dated May 14, 1998. Motion carried 5-0. I D. Wynstone 1994 �t James Jasper,Jasper Homes,reviewed the project and described the development which will be for t x I PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES May 18, 1998 Cage 6 people who are 55 years of age and older. This project will help meet the City's need for a diversity E in housing types. They have reduced the density by four units which is comparable to other town home projects in the immediate vicinity. He described the trail around the project and the pond in j the center which will also be a picnic and gathering area. He discussed the landscaping on the site and the buffering which will be installed. ' Jim Brandser, 7238 Vervort Lane, stated he was opposed to the project and noted none of the residents in the vicinity were notified of this meeting. He stated multi-family housing was not consisting with the existing neighborhood. He was concerned about the transition and the buffering between the development and the existing neighborhood. He was concerned about the trail location being so close to his yard. He requested the Commission to deny the request. Terry Willmsen,7265 Vervort Lane,stated he was concerned regarding the notification process. He has a preference for not looking at a row of town homes and while they may be well-screened,he preferred the privacy and intimacy of the single family residential neighborhood. He was concerned about buffering between the development and the existing neighborhood. I Pox stated there was a drainage system engineered into this plan. Discussion ensued regarding the guiding on the property and the changes that can and will occur on property as communities grow r and develop. Alternative buffering strategies were discussed. Jasper explained that he prefers to call the"trail"a walkway which will be a pleasant and safe place for people to walk who don't want to get out onto the public trails. The landscape plan was discussed and the staff recommended that fifteen more trees should be added. The tree loss will be high because many of these trees were planted around houses in an unusual fashion. Lambert stated that transition issues are something that occur throughout the City and the land use issues are decided by the Planning Commission and City Council. Trees,landscaping,trails, and grading issues are the purview of the Parks,Recreation,and Natural Resources Commission. To build anything on the site requires extensive grading,which will definitely impact the amount of tree loss. Discussion ensued regarding the trail location and possible alternatives. MOTION: Hilgeman moved, seconded by Jacobson, to recommend approval based on the information in the May 8, 1998 Planning Commission Staff Report and the Supplemental Staff Report dated May 14, 1998,with the addition of 15 more trees to minimize the visual impact to the public. Motion carried 4-1. Brown stated he was opposed to this because it does not fit in the area and can set a precedent. V1. OLD BUSINESS A. Dedication of Staring Lake Playground to the memory of Paul Redpath MOTION: Hilgeman moved, seconded by Jacobson to approve the dedication ceremony for the ic Playground on June 17, 1998 before the concert at the amphitheater. Motion carried 5-0. :t. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES w]ay 18, 1998 ' L Elbe 7 VI1. NEW BUSINESS A. Recommendation regarding Display of Banners at Community Center j Lyndell Frey, Community Center Manager, stated he was concerned abort allowing numerous banners to be put up at the Community Center. Staff has proposed guidelines for this,and he noted that only first and second place awards would be allowed. MOTION: Hilgeman moved,seconded by Koenig,to recommend approval of the guidelines and allow banners for First and Second places only as outlined in the Staff Report dated May 12, 1998. { Motion carried 5-0. B. Volunteer for Housing.Transportation.and Human Services Board i i ARer a brief discussion,it was decided to defer discussion of this item until Commissioner Stolar was present. MOTION: Hilgeman moved, seconded by Koenig, to continue this item to the next meeting. Motion carried 5-0. 'lll. REPORTS OF MANAGER OF PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES A. Goose Removal Report MOTION: Jacobson moved, seconded by Brown, to authorize staff to coordinate a meeting with the DNR and Dr.Cooper. Motion carried 5-0. B. Informntion on Cottonwood Trees Fox noted this was a FYI item only. IX. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Corneille moved, seconded by Jacobson to adjourn the meeting, Motion carried 5-0. The ' meeting adjourned at 10:30 p.m. C