Loading...
2019-09-25 Parks and Rec Comm Tour MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Work Session Held September 25, 2019 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a work session of the Parks and Recreation Commission, City of Mendota Heights, Minnesota began at Marie Park, 1780 Lilac Lane, Mendota Heights, MN 55118. CALL TO ORDER Chair Steve Goldade called the meeting to order at 4:36pm. Commissioners Dan Sherer, Bob Klepperich and Patrick Cotter were also present. Stephanie Meyer arrived at 5:40pm. City staff present included Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Program Coordinator; Cheryl Jacobson, Assistant City Administrator; and Ryan Ruzek, Public Works Director. TOUR OF MARIE PARK Staff discussed with the commission the addition of the remodeled pickleball courts in the hockey rink. Since it is late in the season only two nets have been installed. Next spring all four nets will be installed. The commissioners discussed whether or not they would like to see the same type of project in the Friendly Hills Park hockey rink. One factor that will need to be considered is how well the blue pigment on the current pickleball courts will allow flooding. Chair Goldade expressed his interest in hosting a ribbon cutting where residents could come and try pickleball. Next, those present looked at the new basketball court. Earlier this year the basketball court was extended and another basketball hoop was added to allow users the ability to play “full court” basketball. The court has been highly utilized and staff has received comments from residents happy with the facility. Public Works staff is working to modify the hoops to prevent them from getting damaged from dunking. Hagstrom-King will be getting a full court basketball court and staff hopes it will get as much use as Marie Park. Staff discussed with the commission that the park will be getting a new park identification sign. Once installed all of the parks will have new signs. Those present agreed the newly redone tennis courts looked nice. Included in this project was a new fence. Staff had an opening with a door added that was larger than the player fence, which will enable them to get necessary equipment into the courts. Staff discussed with the commissioners a possible wood chip trail around the park with native plantings. This would come from a proposed $10,000 Natural Resource budget. This would be near the playground equipment, which is next on the proposed schedule of playground replacements. The commissioners extended their appreciation for the new playground stickers providing city contact information and for the multiple recycling and garbage containers that all of the parks feature. TOUR OF IVY HILLS PARK The commission discussed the good condition that the Ivy Hills tennis courts are in. These courts were remodeled in 2015. Staff explained to the commissioners that the park identification sign was recently moved in order to provide more street recognition of the park. The commission asked if the basketball court is used for ice skating in the Winter. This area has not been flooded in the past, but there has been some recent requests for it to be done for the 2019-2020 season. The only issue with flooding this location is there is no lighting, so the hours of operation are very limited. Staff alerted the commission to the drainage issues that are currently impacting the park and playability of the baseball field. If the weather cooperates the Public Works staff plans to dig a swail to help address the issue. The commission had considered extending the basketball court at Ivy Hills, and the group discussed the residents’ concerns about the extension of the court. The commissioners expressed their gratitude for the new park bench donations. They are a great addition to the park. Staff discussed a recent resident request to connect a paved trail to Sylvandale. This would be discussed at a later meeting. TOUR OF FRIENDLY HILLS PARK The commissioners looked at the playground equipment and compared the pieces of equipment that they found the most appealing for kids. Staff brought up a recent complaint from a resident regarding the “rock” piece of equipment in the middle of the playground. Some residents feel it is dangerous. The commission looked at this piece of equipment and asked users present their thoughts. The group discussed the possibility of adding pickleball courts to the existing ice rink. The rink is in good shape and it would be a minimal cost to provide more recreational amenities to residents. The commissioners noticed that the existing backstop needs to be replaced. Staff has requested this in the proposed 2020 budget. The project would also include non-shaded dugouts similar to Hagstrom King Park. The tennis courts were reviewed. The commissioners present felt that the Wentworth tennis courts were in worse shape than the Friendly Hills courts. The Wentworth courts had more cracks that were deeper. Staff recommended that a cheaper alternative could be available to resurface the courts without completely remodeling them and that Wentworth be considered for a complete remodel. TOUR OF KENSINGTON PARK Staff and Commissioners agreed the Kensington playground equipment was very well planned and offered a lot of different pieces than those at existing parks. Everyone present felt that the web structure gets used heavily by kids of all ages. This is a piece of playground equipment that should be considered at another park. Commissioners asked staff what storage and concession stand capabilities the facility offered. Staff explained that the storage is limited at this facility, but it is being used to house some of the City’s recreation equipment. The concessions stand is not used heavily, but it is available for soccer field users. Commissioners felt the fields were well maintained and liked seeing the large amount of use. ADJOURN The commission adjourned the meeting at 6:20pm. Minutes Taken By: Meredith Lawrence Recreation Program Coordinator