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1990-04-11 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES APRIL 11, 1990 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Wednesday, April 11, 1990 in the City Hall Conference Room, 1101 Victoria Curve. Vice Chair Katz called the meeting to order at 7:05 o'clock P.M. The following members were present: Damberg, Hunter, Lundeen, Katz, Kleinglass and Spicer. Councilmember Blesener was present. Staff members present were City Administrator Tom Lawell, Parks Project Manager Guy Kullander and Administrative Assistant Kevin Batchelder. APPROVAL OF After some minor corrections, Commission MINUTES Damberg moved approval of the March 13th Parks and Recreation Commission minutes. Commissioner Kleinglass seconded the motion. AYES: NAYS: TRAIL SIGN Mike Dorsey and Doc Johnson of Earl Anderson PRESENTATION and Associates, Inc., presented options for a trail sign system for the new bicycle/pedestrian trails. Mr. Dorsey stated that signage systems for bike trails are a relatively new product with not many role models to follow. He stated that White Bear Lake and Minnetonka are in the process of signing their trail systems. Doc Johnson previewed the types of signs available and the materials to chose from. He stated that there are basically three types of signs that you need in your trail system. 1) A regulatory/warning sign, 2) A trail informational sign, 3) An area map. He also stated that you want the City's design or logo on the sign. Mr. Johnson described the tic- tac-toe sign approach that allows updating of the sign without replacing the whole sign. He stated it was approximately $800 for a sign with all of the graphics work done for a cabinet sign that would use this tic-tac-toe approach. He stated tubular post signs are appropriate for regulatory and warning type signs. Doc Johnson described the costs for the City April 11, 1990 Page 2 of Minnetonka's trail signing. Guy Kullander stated that Minnetonka was estimating their costs for their trail sign system at $90,000 for 30 miles of trails done over the course of five years. Kullander stated that Mendota Heights will have approximately 25 miles of trails once all planned trails are completed, which will take five to seven years. Signage costs were not included in the referendum trails budget. He stated that money for trail signs would have to come out of either the regular park fund or from contingency amounts in the trails or neighborhood park development budgets. Mike Dorsey stated that a post and paneled sign is more flexible in replacing a channeled post type sign. He also stated that art work is a big expense up front. Mr. Dorsey stated that shelters can be used for signs mounted on the walls in the tic-tac-toe fashion as described by Mr. Johnson. He stated this tic- tac-toe design is flexible and a cost savings for a City when updates are necessary. Commissioner Kleinglass inquired about marking the signs for distance so that you know now far you have gone or how far you need to go. He stated that he felt the distance between segments should be marked in some manner. Guy Kullander stated that these distance markings could be sprayed painted on the asphalt. Commissioner Hunter stated that he has seen trail systems that have a wood post in the ground about approximately two feet (21) off the ground with the mileage marked on the top of the post. Commissioner Spicer stated another approach could be to stencil in a logo mark every quarter mile on the trails. Commissioner Hunter stated he felt it was important to map the park area at each park with a smaller map of the whole system. SCHEDULING Joanne Birnbaum of the Mendota Heights Garden TREE DONATION Club stated that she wants to donate a tree to the City to recognize their parks efforts and in honor of Arbor Day. She stated that she felt it should be either in a newer park, along the hiking trail or near City Hall. Ms. Birnbaum stated that it was the Mendota Heights Garden Club intentions to donate a Red April 11, 1990 Page 3 Splendor Crab Apple tree. She stated this is a pretty tree when it flowers in the spring and it provides fruit for the birds and animals in the fall and winter. Commissioner Spicer stated he felt the City should provide a plaque to recognize the dedication. The Commission discussed the scheduling of the dedication ceremony and decided that Arbor Day was the appropriate day to have a dedication. They discussed City Hall's landscape plan and the plaque to go along with the dedication. Commissioner Spicer moved that the Parks and Recreation Commission accept the generous offer of the Mendota Heights Garden Club to donate a Red Splendor Crab Apple tree on Arbor Day. He also included in his motion a direction for staff to work with the Mendota Heights Garden Club in siting an appropriate location for the donated tree in front of the City Hall building and for the City to provide a plaque to honor the dedication. Commissioner Damberg seconded the motion. AYES: NAYS: The Commission also directed staff that a news release would be appropriate announcing the dedication and stating that the intent is to create a community effort for the Garden Club. SIBLEY SKETCH Barry Warner of Barton-Aschman stated that he PLANS has met with staff and officials from the Independent School District No. 197 to discuss the preferred alternatives of site plans for Sibley Park. Mr. Warner stated that the site has several constraints. 1) Delaware and Marie Avenue have to meet the grade of the park. 2) There will be bicycle trails running along the north edge and the east edge of Sibley Park. 3) The park will have to tap into utilities such as sanitary sewer, water, electricity and storm sewer. 4) The grading of the site has constraints. Mr. Warner described the fields that would be built at Sibley Park. He stated that there would be two softball fields, one with a 280 April 11, 1990 Page 4 foot fence and one with a 300 foot fence, one baseball field which will be 380 in center field and a comfort station. He mentioned that there would be fencing along the western and southern edge of the soccer field. Mr. Warner stated that Alternative F was the preferred sketch plan because it has an open middle area where the play structure can be located, bleachers for the baseball field would be away from the intersection and that there is room there for the batting cage. He quickly discussed Alternative G with the Parks Commission. Mr. Warner stated that Alternative F was the recommended alternative. He stated that the entire baseball field would be fenced, that it would be 50 feet from home plate to the backstop, that there would be space for a batting cage and accommodations for dugouts. He stated that there would be seating for 400 on portable bleachers. He stated that the softball fields would also be fenced. He stated that the soccer field would be 330 feet by 195 feet and be fenced on the western and southern edges. He stated there would be a trail linking the track and comfort station to the baseball complex and the parking area. He stated that there could be a trail on the south running east to west which would most likely be put on the roadway. He stated that the City would be displacing the discus area and that it would be relocated west of the track. He stated this plan has no retaining walls and that the play structure was not sited because he wanted to speak to the Parks Commission about the proper siting of that. Councilmember Blesener added that in 40 years we can site the parking in the northeast corner for the baseball field. Mr. Warner stated that concerning the play structure siting the question was accessibility to the activity center of Sibley Park versus the accessibility to the high school. A discussion as to the advisability of putting play equipment in close proximity to high school students ensued. It was finally determined that some play equipment would be installed as was promised in the referendum information. It was suggested that the AYES: 6 NAYS: 0 April 11, 1990 Page 5 equipment be as sturdy and durable as possible. Parks Project Manager Kullander stated that if the Parks and Recreation Commission approves this plan then the City Council will see the sketch plan for input. Barton-Aschman will then draw the final plans which would be approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission at their May 8th meeting and forward to Council for approval and advertise for bids on the 15th. Mr. Warner stated that a preliminary cost estimate for the site was $295,570 with a 10 percent contingency included in that figure. He stated that this figure does not contain the estimates for the comfort station. Kullander stated that $373,000 had been budgeted for the facility improvements which includes trails, amenities and play structure in Sibley Park. Councilmember Blesener discussed the need of a trail along the south edge of the park and having permanent bituminous pads on which to put the portable bleachers. Mr. Warner responded that he would take a look at this in the sketch plan. Commissioner Spicer moved that Alternative F be the preferred plan and to recommend that City Council should authorize Barton-Aschman to proceed with plans and specifications for the Sibley Park Athletic Complex based upon Alternative F. Commissioner Lundeen seconded the motion. The Commissioners discussed the siting of the play equipment. Consensus was that the appropriate place for the play equipment was in the northeast area of the center by the outfield of the northeast softball field. Parks Project Manager Kullander discussed the comfort station building that Kodet Architecture was going to be designing. The Parks Commission provided direction on what to include in the comfort station. This included instructions on the facilities in the mens and womens restroom areas, concessions, storage, April 11, 1990 Page 6 control room and sprinkler and mechanical items, shelving space for Mend -Eagan storage, drinking fountain, pay phone hook-up, security lighting, roof extension and concrete pad for picnic area. VERBAL UPDATES Parks Project Manager Kullander stated that Barton-Aschman's design and consulting fees were on budget and had billed the City approximately $19,000 as of March 23rd. Kullander explained that Kodet would have a $5,000 fee for a building up to $50,000 and 10 percent over that. He also stated that there could be cost savings on the design of future comfort stations if they were based upon the design of the first comfort station. Kullander stated that the County trails would only allow widened shoulders for the section along Delaware Avenue. Kullander stated that the neighborhood park cost estimates were over budget and that the trail system cost estimates were under budget and that when the bids came in, in all likelihood, these two items would balance each other. Kullander reported on the Marie Avenue Trail and the cost of putting the trail on the south side and the safety factor review that he had had with MnDOT officials. Parks Project Manager Kullander explained the situation concerning the bituminous trail in Valley Park. He stated that during the Citizen's Park Review Committee's consideration of this item that at various meetings that it had gone back and forth between whether this would be a paved trail or a dirt trail. He stated that final conclusion of the Citizen's Park Review Committee was inconclusive and that as best as he could make out from the minutes and from what had been advertised in the brochure that this portion of trail was designated as bituminous trail. He stated that originally Chairperson Huber had wanted this to be a natural trail and remain unpaved but could recall a meeting at which he lost on this issue. Kullander stated that the cost for this portion of the trail system will not adversely impact the total amounts budgeted for trail improvements. April 11, 1990 Page 7 Commissioner Spicer moved that the Park Commission formally acknowledge that the trail through Valley Park is a bituminous paved trail. Commissioner Lundeen seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 1, Damberg BUDGET WORK - The Parks and Recreation Commission decided on SHOP holding a budget workshop on April 25th at 7:00 o'clock P.M. in order to review all the cost estimates and the budget for the referendum items. Commissioners Kleinglass and Lundeen announced that they would be unable to attend this meeting. COURSES ON Commissioner Damberg made a motion that no WALKING TRAILS horses should be allowed on the bicycle/pedestrian trail. Commissioner Hunter seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 ABSTAIN: Spicer Staff was directed to pursue this motion to change the Parks Ordinance regarding bicycle/pedestrian trails. There being no further business to conduct, the Parks and Recreation Commission adjourned its meeting at 10:05 o'clock P.M. Respectfully submitted, Kevin Batchelder Administrative Assistant