HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/26/14 MinutesCITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS
Regular Meeting of the City Council
City Hall
2077 West Larpenteur Avenue
MINUTES
March 26, 2014
A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00PM
B. ROLL CALL: LINDSTROM __X__ HARRIS __X__ GOSLINE __X__
LONG __X__ MERCER-TAYLOR __AB__
STAFF PRESENT: FISCHER __X__ TESSER __X__
C. PRESENTATIONS:
1. Geocache Interpretive Trail by Eagle Scout Marc Lowenthal
-Marc Lowenthal presented information on his Eagle Scout Project on the Geocaching
Interpretive Trail in three Falcon Heights Parks.
2. DRAFT-Park Improvement Study by Candace Amberg, WSB & Associates, Inc.
-Candace Amberg provided an update and presentation on the DRAFT Park
Improvement Study. She also answered questions from Council. See attached
PowerPoint presentation.
-Ginny Allen (1490 Idaho Ave W) – discussed buffer areas in the park.
-Deb Wiswell (1543 Iowa Ave W) – discussed Curtiss Field improvements in regards to
both park amenities and flooding improvements.
-Mary Zubriscki (1536 Idaho Ave W) – discussed accessibility issues and the paving of
hockey arenas.
-Gary Lowenthal (audience member) – commented on how much he enjoys the parks.
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: March 12, 2014 APPROVED
E. PUBLIC HEARINGS:
F. CONSENT AGENDA: Keith Gosline Moved, Approval 4-0
1. General Disbursements through 3/20/2014: $34,036.59
Payroll through 3/15/2014: $16,056.86
2. Approval of City Licenses
G: POLICY ITEMS: Pam Harris Moved, Approval 4-0
1. Resolution Proclaiming National Donate Life Month
-Mayor Lindstrom presented the proclamation in support of National Donate Life
Month to Council.
H. INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-Craig Allen (1490 Idaho Ave W) discussed the recent water main break at Idaho and
Arona.
Council Member Chuck Long
-Updated Council on the March 24th Human Rights Commission meeting.
-Announced the upcoming Spring Together Event to be held at Curtiss Field on
Saturday, May 31st from 12-2pm.
Council Member Keith Gosline
-Updated Council on recent NYFS activities.
-Announced the upcoming NYFS Annual Leadership Luncheon to be held at Midland
Hills on May 7th from 11:30am-1pm.
Mayor Peter Lindstorm
-Updated Council on the recent community event and presentation by Jerry Hammer of
the Minnesota State Fair.
City Administrator Bart Fischer
-Announced the upcoming Friday deadline for the annual Neal Kwong Award
nominations.
I. COMMUNITY FORUM:
J. ADJOURNMENT: 7:55PM
3/28/2014
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Falcon Heights Parks
Improvement Study
March 26, 2014 City Council Meeting
Consultant Tasks:
•Review & Evaluation of Existing Parks (uses, conditions,
accessibility, overall design)
•Review Recreation Programming (city run programs & events)
•Undertake Community Engagement (open houses, community
survey, interviews)
•Prepare Project Summary & Recommendations
Guide future improvements
Set priorities
Funding options
Findings:
•The residents are very passionate
about their community and parks!
•Parks are praised, though there were
specific areas of concern
Undesirable Uses
Flooding (being addressed)
Safe / Easy Access
Aging Amenities
•Residents are open to changes that
will improve use among parks in a
more complementary manner
Falcon Heights Land Uses:
Overall Goals:
•Improve and balance use among the park spaces
•Reduce the amount of duplicated amenities
•Improve safe and easy pedestrian access to the parks and
across major roadways
•Create uniform character or theme to build from to enhance
the “Sense of Place” within the community
•Utilize materials and methods of construction that will reduce
ongoing maintenance
Complementary System:
•Community Park: will continue to serve as the main gathering
area with the types and amount of amenities it offers
•Grove & Curtiss Field: will be supplementary parks that will
have some of the same basic amenities but then offer a
varying or unique activity
•Theming can tie the parks together. Some ideas could include:
Environmental (alternative materials, solar energy, water
improvements, native plant or animal information)
Scientific Research (park focused on pollen producers, plant
exhibits)
Historical (history of Falcon Heights, U of M, State Fair)
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1‐Community Park:
•To remain as the key gathering space of the community with a
broad range of active and passive recreational amenities
•Has a nice layout, but an updated master plan can improve
relationships among the amenities
•Improve accessibility
•Update amenities as needed
•Potentially locate winter rink at
this site and pave for multi‐
season use (take place of bb court)
•Tennis court improvements are
new & very appreciated
•Trails are HIGHLY valued!
2‐Grove Park:
•Underutilized park site –
many residents didn’t know it
even existed
•Needs an overall master plan
design to correctly guide future
improvements
•Focus on providing/retaining a “Great Lawn” space that will
provide a more multi‐functional space
•Consider moving or removing skating rink from this site if
appropriate
•Loop trail system
•New accessible recreational amenities
3‐Curtiss Field:
•Small park space that is highly used as it services a
very large neighborhood.
•An updated master plan could improve new
relationships among amenities
•Potentially pave rink surface for
multi‐season use while freeing
up park space
•Improve accessibility
•Update amenities as needed
•Improve buffers
•Flooding issues being resolved
Falcon Heights Elementary:
•The City can potentially work out a more formal cooperative
agreement with the School District to outline a mutually
beneficial plan for improvements and maintenance in order to
adequately provide recreational amenities for the surrounding
neighborhood, which is currently lacking a park.
•Improved ballfields would better support programmed
activities and rentals
Cooperative Agreements
•Cooperative agreements are critical to providing adequate
recreational amenities to the community. Maintaining the
existing agreements and looking for new opportunities will be
important, but should also be done with great consideration
to ensure they are mutually beneficial.
School District
University of Minnesota
Adjoining Communities
State of MN
Trails:
•The biggest factor to achieve a balanced use among the parks
is to create proper access to them at a pedestrian level
•Traffic feasibility study should undertaken to look at options
for crossing major roadways
•Look for potential connections as new development/
redevelopment occurs
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Approvals
•Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed, discussed and
approved the Draft Report on March 4, 2014
•City Council meeting March 26, 2014