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1994-08-09 Parks and Rec Comm Agenda Packet (2)CITY .OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AGENDA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION AUGUST 9, 1994 - 6:30 P.M. 1. Call to Order. 2. Roll Call. 3. Approval of ,July 12, 1994 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes. 4. Wentworth Park Play Equipment * Guy Kullander, Parks Project Manager 5. Neighborhood Meeting - City Council Chambers at 7:00 p.m. North Kensington Park Concept Plans * Joni Giese, Landscape Architect 6. Verbal Updates * Park Vision and Philosopy Statement * Celebrate Mendota Heights Parks! * Monthly Report from Terry Blum * City Council Actions - North Urban Trail - Budget Workshop * Dakota County Picnic Report - Ann Norton * Archery Range - Friendly Marsh Park 7. Adjourn. Auxiliary aids for disabled persons are available upon request at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will make every attempt to provide the aids, however, this may not be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at 452-1850 with requests. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES JULY 12, 1994 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, July 12, 1994, in the City Hall Large Conference Room, 1101 Victoria Curve. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 o'clock P.M. The following members were present: Damberg, Kleinglass, Libra and Linnell. The following members were excused Katz, Spicer and Norton. Also present were Administrative Assistant Kevin Batchelder, Parks Project Manager Guy Kullander, Landscape Architect Joni Giese and guest Mrs. Janet Schrankler, Commissioner Libra moved to approved the June 14, 1994 minutes. Commissioner Kleinglass seconded the motion. AYES: 4 NAYS: 0 Acting Chair Ramberg introduced Commission members, staff and guest. Mrs. Janet Schrankler, of 2350 Apache Street, stated that the City has a nice archery range at Friendly Marsh Park with one draw back that there is no regulatory signage. She stated there is no indication that this is an archery range other than the existence of the bales. Mrs. Schrankler stated her husband, herself and their daughter enjoy using this range and that she had called about the use of the range at some point in the past and had not been told there were any restrictions regarding the use of the range by minors. Mrs. Schrankler stated her sixteen year old daughter learned archery under their supervision and that this summer her and her daughter went to use the archery range and it had been burned down and not replaced. Mrs. Schrankler stated she had just now found out that minors are not allowed, by Ordinance, to discharge bows and arrows, any where in the City of Mendota Heights. Mrs. Schrankler stated other archery ranges that she,has attended have signs posting the restrictions of the range Parks and Recreation Commission July 12, 1994 Page 3 Acting Chair Damberg stated that there were two items that the Commission should consider. She stated the Commission should consider if the City's Ordinance on weapons is clear enough and should the City Council take a look at this. Damberg stated the Commission also needs to consider whether they are going to replace the archery range following its destruction by arson. Damberg stated the Commission is upset at the level of vandalism occurring in the City's park system. Mrs. Schrankler stated she is aware the police have caught the perpetrators and that perhaps word of this apprehension will get around and there will no longer be vandalism at this park. Damberg inquired if it is a fire hazard when these hay bales are set on fire. Kullander stated the only hazard is that the Fire Department has to respond to put out the blaze and that perhaps in a dry year the surrounding woods might catch on fire. Kullander stated there have been arson incidents at this archery range every summer for the last five years. Commissioner Kleinglass stated he would like to see staff conduct an analysis of the coat to replace the archery range, - the cost to install regulatory signage and the necessity for fencing or other structures to make a safer archery range. Commissioner Linnell stated that perhaps fencing and separating this area is appropriate. Linnell stated he feels the Ordinance should be changed so that minors are allowed to discharge bow and arrow when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Linnell stated this should only extend to bows and arrows and not the other items listed in the Ordinance such as sling shots, air guns, etc. Linnell stated this should only be allowed at the archery range and not in other areas of the City. The Commission was of the consensus that the Police Department should address this issue and that City staff should analyze the replacement of the archery range and that some hay bales can be placed in this area in the meanwhile. Commissioner Kleinglass stated that he wants this to be a safe facility. Commissioner Linnell stated that perhaps berming behind the archery range and the establishment of shooting stations would be appropriate. Mrs. Schrankler thanked the Parks and Recreation Commission for their consideration of this matter. Acting Chair Damberg stated vandalism has undermined a lot of activities in the park system. NORTH RENSINGTON PARR Administrative Assistant Batchelder introduced Joni Giese as the Landscape Architect under contract with the City Council to do the design work for North Kensington Park. Ms. Giese began by providing a background and overview of Mendota Parks and Recreation Commission July 12, 1994 Page 5 (gas and electric lines), the movement of water and the movement of people in the trail system. Giese stated that philosophically we are a mobile society and that this park can be designed as a place to reconcile that movement with a gathering area. Ms. Giese stated the NSP easement could be planted with low level hawthorne trees to provide a buffer between the yards and the public park. She stated benches would be designed in a fashion to.act as a porch for residents in the townhomes. Ms. Giese stated this movement concept shows the pond being segmented in three tiers that terrace down towards Mendota Heights Road. She stated the first level would include vegetation designed to filter water as it flows down the terraces. She stated the terraces would be created by using sandstone block that is available to the City and located at Acacia Cemetery. She stated this is wonderful stone that can be had free and was aware this stone was placed in on vacant land Acacia Cemetery when the old Ramsey County Courthouse was dismantled. Giese described how the water spills over the stone terraces from one pond level to the next. Giese demonstrated that this first concept also has the lawn segmented into three terraces with gardens and open grass spaces. Under this concept design the roof of the existing building (US West building) would be extended to have a covered picnic and shelter area. Ms. Giese introduced the second concept titled Formal Garden Concept. Giese stated the location of this park is in the very heart of this neighborhood and that this concept is based on creating a place that is the center of the neighborhood and a gathering area. She stated people enjoy flowers and flower beds but do not have time for this so a formal garden concept could be created in this park. She stated this concept creates a place of existence and imposes order on the site. She stated this design also creates a place of civic pride and would include perennial flowers, terraces to the wetlands and wetland vegetation in formal plantings. Giese described the garden layout with four gazebos at the corners and an axis mundi at the heart of the garden. Giese explained that the axis mundi is a center piece at the heart of the garden that would be a granite piece that would be available from the stone pile at Acacia Cemetery. She stated this plan also uses granite as support poles for the gazebos and granite pillars to mark the boundaries of the formal garden. This concept includes an open space area in the southern portion of the park. Parks and Recreation Commission July 12, 1994 Page 7 gathering place in any concept that is chosen. Giese stated her design of a gathering area with the second concept was to push the envelope of what a shelter is other than a roofed structure. Acting Chair Damberg stated she is intrigued by the Movement Concept and its use of terracing ponds to filter the water flow in this area. Giese explained that sandstone structures would be used to divide the pond segments and that there would be different aquatic plants within the upper ponds. Ms. Giese explained there would be wildflowers used in the terraced sections of the park. Commissioner Kleinglass stated he feels the Backyard Concept was the more natural concept and for that reason he prefers it. Kleinglass stated the Formal Garden Concept is too busy and he feels formal gardens and structures are too much for this park and do not fit the character of Mendota Heights. Kleinglass stated he prefers the Backyard Concept because it is more natural and more open. --. Acting Chair Damberg inquired about pond maintenance with the Backyard Concept. Kullander stated rainfall would flush out this pond system and that possible artificial aerators could be used to stir the water in dry times. Acting Chair Damberg inquired if the pond could be unsightly if low during dry years. Damberg stated she is concerned about segmenting the pond verses keeping it intact and trying to work around it. Commissioner Linnell stated he feels multiple ponds on the site can work and as a result of this each successive pond is a little bit cleaner. Ms. Giese stated that the standards she is using on this pond design for the Backyard Concept is that in order to clean the water the pond should be five times in length what it is in width. Commissioner Libra inquired about the concept showing trails through the townhouses through Claremont Drive. Kullander stated easements would be necessary and grading would be needed but that these trails do not have to be formal eight foot wide asphalt trails. He stated they could be wood chip trails and as narrow as four feet. The Commission reviewed the preferences listed in the summary of the neighborhood meeting, The Commission discussed the idea of using, soft paths, stone dividers and wildflower gardens in the design of this park. The Commission discussed the maintenance of gardens and flower bed areas in the park system. Kullander stated that perhaps the City could initiate the plantings in this area and that they could be lower Parka and Recreation Commission July 12, 1994 Page 9 connect the north and south pieces of the park, considering trail connections to the townhouses and providing more benches. Commissioner Libra seconded the motion. AYES: 4 NAYS: 0 Administrative Assistant Batchelder stated that at the June 211 1994 Council meeting, Councilmember Huber had requested that the Parks Commission discuss the priorities for locations of shelters in the City's park system and to make a recommendation on which park should be next to receive a shelter. The Commission discussed the Capital Improvement Plan which includes a shelter for Wentworth Park in 1995 and proposes a shelter for Friendly Hills Park in 1996. The Commission discussed the shelter/gathering area for the Backyard Concept which they had just endorsed. Ms. Giese explained that her notion of a shelter in this area was more to provide shelter from the sun than the rain. She described an elevated structure with a deck nearby the ponds at the center of a trail system. Acting Chair Damberg stated she prefers a gathering area verses a formalized pavilion or shelter. Damberg mentioned she had recently seen copies of a pergola (a structure designed to have a trellis as a roof with ivy and vine to provide shelter from the sun). The Commission felt that the priority for shelters in the City's park system was appropriate with Wentworth Park scheduled for 1995 and Friendly Hills Park scheduled for 1996. The Commission was of the consensus that a shelter in North Kensington Park appears to be appropriate for 1994 but that this is dependent on the costs which would be known at the time the final plan is reviewed. TENNIS DISCIISSION Commissioner Libra stated that tennis for Hagstrom-King Park had been listed as a high priority for residents at the neighborhood meeting. Libra stated he had discussed the tennis situation with Roger Kneissel, of St. Thomas Academy, who was of the,opinion there has never been a problem getting access to tennis courts in Mendota Heights. Libra stated he is also aware that Henry Sibley High School was upgrading their tennis courts. Administrative Assistant Batchelder stated the plans at Henry Sibley High School are to replace Parks and Recreation Commission July 12, 1994 Page 11 the Capital Improvements Plan by City Council for an estimated cost not to exceed $17,000, Kullander stated at the last Council meeting the Council had authorized him to seek bids for that amount to make play equipment accessible at Wentworth Park. Kullander stated he had a bid from Flanagan that meets this cost estimate, however, when he spoke to Earl Anderson, who has supplied all our current play equipment, they had come back with an,�expanded concept. Kullander showed the existing play structure and stated that at the time of the referendum some of the old equipment had been kept in place but that new features had been added to replace old play equipment and that $20,000 had been spent in the referendum to improve the existing play structure. Kullander described the new concept proposed by Earl Anderson that would have an asphalt ramp connection from the trail system, a rubberized surface and bucket swing as well as transfer points and additional play facilities for an estimated $18,573. Kullander stated they also suggested a tiny tots addition for $2,680 that would be accessible as well. Kullander stated that Earl Anderson had analyzed the Wentworth Park play equipment with regards to American with Disability Act and consumer product safety guidelines. Kullander stated that some future repairs would be needed to meet these new standards. He stated that due to this possible need for replacement he is raising this issue now so the Commission can look at the overall picture and the whole set of equipment for this park. Kullander stated that tiny tots play equipment may be an area where we are undeserving our residents. The Commission discussed the need for all of the proposed upgrades. Commissioner Linnell stated that he prefers that the City at this time provide more accessibility than new equipment. Linnell stated that access to the swings and slides in existing equipment is better than putting out new pieces. The Commission discussed age range and accessibility of new equipment. The Commission directed Parks Project Manager Kullander to seek to incorporate some of the elements of Earl Anderson proposal but to `stay within the $17,000 budget for making Wentworth Park play equipment accessible.