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Parks and Recreation - 10/05/1998 1998 t October 5 , 1998 Minutes Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission CITY Of EDEN PRAIRIE l I Y 1 AGENDA PARKS,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY,OCTOBER 5, 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 } 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 1. ROLL CALL it 11, APPROVAL.OF AGENDA 7r Ill. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-SEPTEMBER 21. 1998 IV. PETITIONS RFOUESIS AND COMMUNICATION V. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS A. Camp Edenwood i VI. OLD BUSINESS VII. NEW BUSINESS Vill. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF A. Reports of Director of Parke Recreation and Nnteral Resources l. Policy on Establishing Fees(October 6th Council Workshop Subiect) i Y IX. ADJOURNMENT C ' I i APPROVED MINUTES i PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION I MONDAV,OCTOBER 5, 1998 7:00 P.M.CITY CENTER 8080 iv1ITCHELL ROAD COUNCIL CHAMBERS COMMISSION MEMBERS: Richard Brown,Chair,Frantz Corneille,Claire hlilgeman,Don Jacobson,Vicki Koenig,Glenn Stolar,John Wilson 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 f 1. 1101.1,CALL Chair Brown called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Wilson arrived at 7:10 p.m. 3 IL APPROVAL OF AGENDA Brown requested the addition of an item under New Business regarding student parking in the Community Center parking lot. t MOTION: Koenig moved, seconded by Jacobson, to approve the Agenda as amended. Motion carried 6-0. I Ill. A11PROVAL OF MINUTES-September 21. 199 MOTION: Corneille moved, seconded by Koenig, to approve the September 21, 1998 Minutes of the Parks,Recreation and Natural Resources Commission as submitted. Motion •r�;s carried 5-t1-1. Stolar abstained.. IV. PETITIONS.REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS V. DF.VELOI'MENT PROPOSALS A. S1tmu Edenwood Ed Stracke, President of Friendship Ventures, discussed the rationale f'or the relocation of the new dining hall facility to it's proposed site. The existing dining hall I PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October S, 1998 Page 2 and dormitory will stay as they presently exist. This decision was made based on costs of renovation and the feasibility of achieving that goal. They plan to use the present parking area for program space and they will have a new parking area located adjacent to the new building. "This will change the traffic Flow on the site. They are also proposing a ropes course on the site which will be a simple course which will be located close to the center of the site. Stracke explained the way in which the course will be secured. They have been successful in securing the site at Friendship Camp. They hope to access the City trail system but this will not be implemented immediately j as they are not sure of the City's time 1ramc to construct this trail segment. They would like to put a kiosk detailing some of the history of the site at the junction of'tile trail with their property in the future. Pox reviewed the staff'report and noted there is significantly less tree loss with this plan than with the previous plans. 'There will be minor grading occurring on the site and no stone water drainage pond is proposed. Stall recommended approval of the project. CBrown asked if the Commission was approving the trail segment at this time, and Lambert responded negatively,but noted there will be a trail in this area at some time t in the Inure. lie discussed the problems with trail construction in the wetland areas, j and noted staff has not located the trail precisely in this area at this time. The Commission is only approving the dining hall and staff is requesting a master plan in i the inure which will show the trail location. i Koenig asked ifthe preservation and restoration ofthe old dining hall was dependent on a grant. Lambert responded that an application was being filed to get these buildings placed on the National Register of Historic Places and once that occurs,it becomes much easier to obtain grants to find restoration. This will achieve recognition of the historic significance of the site. When this occurs, the Heritage Preservation Commission will give the City guidance as to how these buildings must be maintained Koenig asked if matching rinds for grants would be required and s Lambert responded that Rinds from the Heritage Preservation Commission have traditionally come from the Park Maintenance budget because they did not have their own budget. I lowever,next year they arc submitting a budget tier all the historic sites in hden Prairie so matching grant finds would be coming out of'that budget. MOTION: Koenig moved, seconded by Corneille, to recommend approval of the request of Friendship Ventures fir Camp ldenwood based on the supplemental staff report dated September 30, 1998, Motion carried 7-0. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 1998 Page 3 V1. OLD BUSINESS Koenig requested stafl'to look at Purgatory Creek in the vicinity of St. Andrews Lutheran Church to ensure that the construction was not interfering with the natural habitat and vegetation in that area. Lanibert stated stafl'would look at that area and report back to the Commission at the next meeting if anything was being done incorrectly. %'If. NEW BUSINESS i A. E:1'IIS Student P1lrking at the C onuuunity centel. 1 Lambert noted there are limited parking spaces at the high school for student parking S due to the construction which is occurring and students who do not have permits have ? been parking in the Community Center parking lot. This has become a problem, because they have sonic spaces which are designated for two hour parking only and { intended for use by people using the Community Center, but students have been using } these illegally. 'there is also a problem when school gets out because the access onto Valley View Road becomes extremely congested and dangerous. Staff is concerned about mothers with young children in the parking lot around 3:00 p.111. when students are leaving school. This problem will worsen as the school enrollment increases and ' the numbers af'students with drivers licenses increase. Stall'has contemplated recommending parking in the Community Center parking lot + by permit only, but this creates its own problems. It is difficult to issue citations in parking lots, but parking without it permit becomes a towable ofTense. Another solution might be to run it cable across the hvo-11OUr portion of the parking lot which would tierce people to go out onto Valley View Road. Presently, there is a police ollicer present in the parking lot when school gets out and this slows trallic somewhat. There is It police oficer in the budget i1ir next year who will be assigned to Parks and that officer could be at the Community Center at 3:00 p.m. nearly very day. Stalywill r keep the Commission infonned ofthe solution process. Discussion ensued regarding who will be allowed to use the Community Center parking lot and how it could be regulated. The parking by permit only solution causes it lot of problems fir Conutlunity Center patrons. It was also believed safety issues in the parking lot and on Valley Vicw Road need to be resolved. MOTION: Stolar moved,Jacobson seconded, to ask statl'to collie up with some recommendations resolving this problem. I I PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 1998 Page 4 Corneille commented perhaps the Community Center parking lot should be reserved for members of the Conununity Center only. The high school has a serious problem with cars and this issue needs to be resolved. He believed it was an unfair burden to place on staff to resolve this issue at this time,when it was something that would be ongoing. Stolar withdrew his motion. MOTION: Stolar moved to ask staff to come up with some recommendation to improve the safety around the Community Center. Motion failed for lack of it second. Lambert commented the Commission should refer this issue to the City School Facility Use Advisory Commission for recommendations on a solution. The Commission agreed and requested staff to forward their concerns. Vill. REPORTS Or COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF A. Reports of Director of Park. Recreation and Natural Resources 1. Policy on Establishing Fees Lambert noted this was an FYI item which would be reviewed by the City Council at their next meeting. Lambert discussed the bill for use of the Oak Point pool and explained staft's reasons for not paying it. They have to find a more equitable tbrnuda before the City will pay it,and the School District has agreed to reevaluate it. I\. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Ililgeman moved, seconded by Jacobson to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.