1987-11-10 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
PARKS COMMISSION MINUTES
NOVEMBER 10, 1987
Members present were Commissioners Lachenmayer, LeffertI
Damberg, Stein, Katz. Commissioners Knittig and Owens had
previously informed the Commission that they would not be
present. Meeting was called to order at 7:07 P.M.
Commissioner Leffert moved, seconded by Commissioner
Lachenmayer, to approve the minutes of the October 13
meeting, with the change noting that Commissioner Damberg had
informed the Commission that she would be not be present.
COMMUNITY Professor John Schultz, professor of Parks
RECREATION and Recreation at the University of
NEED Minnesota, said that he had met with
Public Works Director Jim Danielson and
City Administrator Kevin Frazell, and had
read the City's Park and Recreation
Facilities Needs Analysis. Schultz noted
that Mendota Heights has a lot of arterial
roadways near its neighborhood parks,
which can prove as a barrier for small
children. He also said that he thought
the athletic complex chosen and developed
by the City would determine much of the
use of other spaces in the community.
Schultz and the Commission had some
discussion about how to plan for
recreation programming, including hiring a
full or part-time recreation director for
Mendota Heights only, and cooperative
efforts with other communities or the
school district. Schultz suggested that
the community would probably be most
satisfied having its own full-time person
to oversee maintenance and programming of
the athletic complex, and to handle
scheduling.
It was discussed that Professor Schultz
was willing to take on an analysis of the
Mendota Heights recreation needs as a
class project for his graduate students.
It was agreed that Schultz would provide
City Administrator Frazell with a proposed
outline for the study, which could be
considered by the Commission at its
December meeting, then forwarded to the
City Council before the study begins early
next year.
ATHLETIC COMPLEX City Administrator Frazell informed the
Commission that earlier that same evening,
the City Council had decided not to work
further on the joint athletic complex with
the School District at the Henry Sibley
campus, and instead to focus efforts on
the Riley property in the south end of
Mendota Heights. The Commission expressed
its general displeasure with the Council
decision, and expressed some skepticism
that the voters of Mendota Heights could
be persuaded to pay the extra cost for the
south east area site. Concern was also
raised as to whether the Council was
willing to make the financial commitment
necessary for maintenance of the Riley
site, and for providing staff for
recreation programming.
Commissioner Lachenmayer moved, seconded
by Commissioner Leffert, to request a
joint meeting with the City Council at the
next meeting of the Parks Commission, on
December 10, to discuss issues and
concerns with regard to the athletic
complex, and the promoting of the bond
referendum. Motion passed unanimously.
Developer Dick Putnam was present and
discussed his proposed layout on the Riley
property for the athletic complex. He
indicated that the athletic complex has
been integrated into the overall
residential development plan for the south
east area, and that the developers would
be willing to make the 30 some acres
necessary for the community park available
to the City for about $750,000, subject to
getting an acceptable development plan
approved. He added that this would be
about $22,000 per acre, drastically less
than the $35,000 per acre which had
previously been discussed.
Putnam presented the two plans labelled P-
1, the cul-de-sac, and P-2, the looped
street alternative. Parks Chair Stein
said he felt one of the major issues
between the two was whether or not the
neighborhood park should be separated from
the athletic complex. City Administrator
Frazell presented a memo from Parks
0
Planner Barry Warner, showing that the
cost of developing either plan would be
about $1.25 million.
Chair Stein indicated that he preferred
separating the two parks in the P-2 looped
concept. Commissioner Lachenmayer agreed
that she preferred to see the neighborhood
park separate. Developer Putnam added
that the looped concept probably works
better for the future residential
neighbors of the park.
Commissioner Damberg moved, seconded by
Commissioner Lachenmayer, to recommend to
the City Council the P-2, looped street,
alternative. Motion passed unanimously.
WINTER WARMING The Commission discussed what would be
HOUSES done about operating the winter warming
houses and next summer's recreation
program, since the position of part-time
recreation director had been eliminated
from the 1988 budget. Administrator
Frazell reported that City staff was
receiving applications for warming house
attendants, and would soon be making a
decision about how to manage the warming
houses this year. He indicated that the
management would be under the public works
department, and we would likely be hiring
a college student, or some older type of
person to provide supervisory
responsibilities over the warming houses
during the evening hours.
There was also discussion that the Schultz
study of the recreation needs would not be
completed in time for getting a new
program put together next summer. The
Commission discussed options, including
having Mend -Eagan providing some of the
recreation services next summer, as well
as hiring a parks and recreation graduate
student to supervise the program.
ADJOURN There being no further business to come
before the Commission, the meeting was
adjourned at 9:37 P.M. +