Parks and Recreation - 10/18/1972 1972
OCTOBER 18
MINUTES
CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE
I
EDEN PRAIRIE PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING
October 18, 1972 7:30 p.m. Eden Prairie Village Hall
Present: Marvin Erickson, William Garens, Richard Anderson,
Frances Blacklock, Rita Kooiman; Marty Jessen, Dick
Putnam, Reed Olson, representatives of Ecklund-Swedlund
and The Preserve.
Absent: Janet Berkland, John Cosmano, Terry Fields, Dean Holasek,
Bob Johnson, Marge O'Ryan
I.
Minutes Due to a lack of a quorum, the minutes of September 25 were not
brought up for approval.
II.
Petitions, Requests and Communications
A. 1972 MRPA Annual Conference
Jessen went over highlights of the Conference to be held at the
Pick-Nicollet Hotel Nov. 8,9 and 10, explaining that all commission
members are members of the MRPA and that fees for attending the
Conference will be taken care of by the village. Reservation forms
are to be filled out and sent to Jessen. Programs the first two days
are especially good for Commission members. Jessen is chairman of the
Conference.
III.
Recommendations and. Reports
A. Agency Liaison Reports - None
B. Development Proposals
C1. Hirsch Development --- The Preserve
Putnam described alternatives possible in putting "Urban Pathway"
connecting Anderson and Neill lakes trailways:through the developments
1. Underpass, which would mean dropping down almost immediate7,y
after a major road underpass.
2. Re-alignment of pathway, but terrain would make it undesirable.
3. Crossing of the pathway with two private "driveway streets" with
the following treatment paid by the developer ,ai a two streets
would be 150 feet apart. Where they intersected- a path there
would be rippling of the road on either side of the path and change
in road surface texture on path to slow down cars. On the 4-foot
asphalt path there would be plantings6 and posts in path to wsrn
cyclists and slow them down. Between the roads would be a plaza
type area with fountain, lamps, telephonebooth, benches etc. a
possibility. There would be 30 units on one road, 26 on the other,
and neither would be "thrull streets. There would be "Stop" or
"Yield" signs placed where deemed advisable.
Concensus of the Commission was that the .latter idea seemed workable,
but that it wants to see the final plan before approval with the plan
for how the crosswalk will be handled spelled out speoifioally.
Garens said he doesn't Like it but wants to see the final plan.
E.P. Pk. and Rea. Ccamn. Mtg. Oct. 18, 1972 Page 2
B. Development proposals contd.
2. Hidden Ponds --- Ecklund - Swedlund
This development plan has been referred to the Park and Recreation
Commission for comments by the Planning and Zoning Comission.
Dick Knutson, site planner for Ecklund-Swedlund presented the proposal.
He said they wanted reaction to a private park system. This is not a
PUD tqt single family development of 150 acres with a parkway system.
They plan seven ponds to be dredged and part of a storm sewer system
with continuous flowage (a well to maintain when necessary); series
of bridges, tennis court and ballfield and internal parkways privately
maintained by homeowners assn. There were several questions: Would
tennis courts and ba]lfields be available to organized groups of the
village like EPAA7 A. No, not type for heavy use. Could public use
walkways? A. They connect to streets so can't keep people off. Couldntt
the H.O. Assno put up fence to keep public out? A. That could be one
of the conditions of approval by village.
Anderson objected to the development of a private park across from an
area the developer doesntt own. A. This abuts private day camp park. g
Putnam said this is a temporary use; they are asking for other uses of
the land. Other concerns of the Commission were with regard to routes
of the E W and N-S collector streets in the Guide Plan which would
go through the dehlBpmenthich the developer wishes to eliminate);
and the preceden royal of such plan would set. The plan was accepted
for further study and Jessen and Putnam will do further work on plans
for the whole area. (Hwy. 212 plans will come up for approval by the
and of November.)
i
1
3. Basswoods --- The Preserve J
George Carter distributed copies of proposal on the way Scenic Easements
will be. handled. The original has been referred to E.P.ts legal counsel.
i
He introduced James Robin, and Dick Schwartz, representing Mark Z. Jones,
and Herb Baldwin, an.independent planner employed by The Preserve, and
they presented plans for Basswoods, a 76+ acre area on the west shore of
Anderson Lakes just north of the proposed Moorings site. They have now 1
moved their plans from the Moorings to Basswoods, and expressed the hope
of disturbing the woods as little as possible. They would like to lay
roads and sewer and water lines this fall to allow for settling over the
winter. The area would have single family homes, multiple homes and
townhouses in it. A greenway system of quasi-public paths would connect
with the shore trail on the east, the school-park site on the north and
Neil Lake Center. There would be two underpasses at major crossings,
otherwise ri�vrble strips where the paths are private and vehicle trips
per day very low.
M/Garens, S/Anderson that the Park and Recreation Commission express
a favorable response to the plan as outlined for Basswoods to the
Planning and Zoning Commission, providing the proposal for Scenic
Easements meets with approval from the E.P. legal counsel. Carried.
E.P. Pk. and Rea. Carom. Mtg. Oct. 18, 1972 Page 3
B. Development Proposal contd.
4. Olympic Hills PUD
Putnam went over plat drawings for this development. Several
shortcomings in the plans were expressed: pooxccoordination with
with the existing golf course; questionable placement of roads
considering the terrain; the density of housing and location of
some housing on the flood plain; lack of public park dedication;
and poor placement of recreational facilities in relationship to
the housing.
C. Report on presentation to Riley-Purgatory Creek Watershed District Board i
of Managers
Anderson said he had been called in to go over the entire E.P. trail
blare -- that R-P Watershed Dist. Mgrs. needed to know where our trails
would go. A few days later a loose presentation to the Mgrs. was drawn
up and presented to share thinking and perhaps get their financial
help for the mutual benefit of both the village and district. A joint
study could cost between $7 and 20 thousand.
It was recommended that a proposal be written by the E.P. staff on how
E.P. and the R-P Watershed district can work jointly in planning and
development of open space, flood plain, erasing control and funding of
development plans. It was thought Jessen could coordinate special
consultants and possibly intern students from the U. of M. to take
inventory and determine priorites.
M/Erickson, S/Garens that the Trailway Committee draw up a proposal
witri the help of the village staff to present to the Watershed District
November 1. Carried. (A meeting was set for Monday, Oct. 23, 3:30)
D. 1972 Fall Winter Recreation Report (On file)
Reed Olson distributed copies of the report and discussed the regis-
tration, personnel and progress of programs. Oct. 27 the Girls and Boys
Rea Club will have a Hallowelen party at Forest Hills gym from 7 - 9-
Jessen mentioned that a secodnd quarter intern is now working with the
Pk. and Rea. Dept., Dan Schmidt. He has been assigned historical sites
as background material for a HUD historical grant.
Anderson mentioned that he thought it would be a good idea for the
Park and Rea. Dept. to have ideas for the use of liquor store Hinds
in the eventuality that E.P. has a liquor store in the future, before
other uses take priority.
E. Minnetonka Schools Community Education Program
Jessen said we had been assessed for part of this program which seemed
to offer no new service to the community but rather a duplication of
what the pk. and rec. dept. was offering in Mtka. and Hopkins. No
prior communication had been made with Rea. deptsl of any of the commun-
ities. Jessen said he felt the plan was poorly structured and thought out.
The consensus was that no money would be sent on the basis of the note.
E.P. Pk. and Rae. Comm. Mtg. Oct. 18, 1972 Page 4
It was suggested that future Park and. Recreation meetings be
held at 6:30 instead of 7:30, except during the summer. There
were no objections expressed and so the recommendation stands.
The meeting was ad urned.
Frances Hl.acklock, Secretary