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Home My WebLink AboutPARC Agenda Packet 11-6-23CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting Parks & Recreation Commission City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue AGENDA November 6, 2023 at 6:30 P.M. A.CALL TO ORDER: B.ROLL CALL: Jeff Yager_____ Mike Bradbury_____ Eric Brenton_____ Paula Mielke_____ Tom Faust_____ Randi Lundell_____ COUNCIL LIAISON: James Wassenberg _______ STAFF PRESENT: Kelly Nelson_______ C.PRESENTATION: 1.Presentation on the Community Park Remodel by WSB and HCM Architects D.APPROVAL OF MINUTES:1.October 2, 2023 - Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes E. AGENDA: F.INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENT: G.ADJOURNMENT: 1 REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Presentation by WSB and HCM Architects related to the Community Park remodel. Description The City purchased Community Park from the University of Minnesota this past May. In August, the City hired WSB, a civil engineering and planning firm as project manager, and HCM Architects to act as architects for the park’s renovation. The City had previously worked with WSB to develop a parks master plan in 2014; both firms have extensive municipal park renovation experience. The total park renovation budget is between $2.5 million to $3 million. The new park building will take approximately $1 million to 1.3 million. The new parking lot, design fees, site features, and to-be-determined park amenities will take up the other half of the budget. The Parks and Recreation Commission would like to hear an initial presentation from WSB and HCM Architects and then take public feedback in order to make suggestions to the proposed park layouts and amenities. Budget Impact TBD Attachment(s) Community Park Project Timeline; additional materials from WSB / HCM Architects will be presented onsite and handed out in-person, if applicable. Action(s) Requested Staff requests feedback from the Parks and Recreation Commission and from the general public to address any wishes or concerns for the future renovation of Community Park and to suggest changes to initial layouts and/or amenities presented by WSB and HCM Architects. Meeting Date November 6, 2023 Agenda Item Presentation C1 Attachment Reno timeline; additional materials to be provided onsite, if applicable Submitted By Kelly Nelson, Administrative & Communications Coordinator 2 The City has long been planning the renovation of Community Park, located at 2050 Roselawn Avenue. Since the 1970s, the City leased the land from the University of Minnesota. With our lease expiring, the City purchased the property from the university for $1.1 million this past May. Back in 2014, the City hired WSB, a civil engineering and planning firm, to develop a parks master plan. The initial plans included multiple concepts for the renovation of Community Park. The City has once again hired WSB as the project manager and HCM Architects as the architects for the renovation. Both firms have extensive municipal park renovation experience, including both firms as the partners in the Roseville parks renovation. The total park renovation budget is between $2.5 to $3 million. It is estimated that the new building will take approximately half of the budget, and the parking lot, design fees, site features, and to-be- determined park amenities will be the other half of the project cost. The City has been strategically saving for this renovation for many years, and will be able to pay a majority of the project cost through existing reserves. We also have a bonding request in to the State of Minnesota for $1 million, and are applying for a wide variety of grants to assist with the project. Any remaining costs for the project will be financed through a municipal bond as a debt issuance. The City remains in a strong financial position with minimal debt. RENOVATION COMMUNITY PARK 3 TIMELINE MILESTONE NO. 9 Plan finalization, permitting, demolition of building MILESTONE NO. 11 Construction of building, park features, other amenities AUGUST 2023MILESTONE NO. 1 WSB / HCM are hired MILESTONE NO. 3 WSB/HCM reviews community feedback from past City events to update draft concepts of park redesign MILESTONE NO. 5 Public Engagement Session #1 – WSB/HCM presents the initial sketches to the Parks Commission for feedback and review MILESTONE NO. 7 Semi-Final plans proposed to public for final comment MILESTONE NO. 2 Kickoff meeting with WSB / HCM to plan out timeline, soil testing, stormwater plans and other information gathering and discovery 1 3 5 7 9 2 MILESTONE NO. 4 Preliminary sitework, sampling, asbestos testing of existing building4OCTOBER 2023 MILESTONE NO. 6 WSB/HCM modifies plans based on community feedback 6NOV. - DEC. 2023 MILESTONE NO. 8 Final plans underway8DECEMBER 2023 MILESTONE NO. 10 Groundbreaking and construction begins10MARCH 2024 (WEATHER-DEPENDENT) NOVEMBER 6, 2023 DECEMBER 2023 JANUARY - MARCH 2024 SEPTEMBER 2023 11 MARCH - OCTOBER 2024 MILESTONE NO. 12 Grand opening of new park building and renovation12OCTOBER 2024 COMMUNITY PARK The timeline is subject to change as the project develops. SEPT. - OCTOBER 2023 4 BLANK PAGE 5 1 | Page CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue MINUTES October 2, 2023 at 6:30 P.M. A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:34 P.M. B. ROLL CALL: Jeff Yager______ Mike Bradbury__X___ Eric Brenton__X___ Paula Mielke__X___ Tom Faust__X___ Randi Lundell__X___ COUNCIL LIAISON: James Wassenberg __X____ STAFF PRESENT: Kelly Nelson___X____ C. PRESENTATION: D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. August 7, 2023 - Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Commissioner Brenton motioned to approve the minutes; Approved 5-0 E. AGENDA: 1. Fall Event Discussion The commissioners discuss existing fall events in the area and what weekends they occur on. There seem to be less events occurring the middle two weekends in October. Mielke points out that the third weekend in October is MEA weekend. Brenton adds that early November might work but would be getting cooler outside. Mielke says that if Community Park is under construction and not usable, then Grove Park could be a location. She suggests taking hayrides from City Hall to the park and having lawn games like cornhole at City Hall and other activities there. Brenton suggests adding some type of competition; maybe food-related. Bradbury says that the fall event would replace the City’s winter event that has been cancelled multiple times in the past due to weather. He suggests a fall fitness festival with a 5K and suggests partnering with Lauderdale like the City did years ago. Lundell likes this idea and says that it seems easy enough to do. 6 2 | Page Nelson shares that the 5K ended when policing changed from St. Anthony Police Department to Ramsey County Sheriff because then two separate police forces were needed to help control traffic and it made it more complicated because of the route. Commissioners discuss alternate routes that the 5K could take. Mielke shares that the MN State Fair has a 5K called the Milk Run in May and would have familiarity with runners through the fairgrounds. She suggests routing through the fair and then the U of M. Nelson suggests running around the field located at Roselawn and Fairview, running on the sidewalk and then the Snelling frontage road so that it would simply the route and the need for traffic control / policing help from multiple agencies. Bradbury suggests a name like Falcon Heights Field Run and Fall Festival. The commissioners opt to hold a fall event in 2024 rather than a winter event. Commissioners will continue looking at fall events in the area to determine additional elements to add to the City’s fall event in 2024 and discuss again at a future meeting. F. INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENT 1. Progress Report – 2023 Park Audit Update Nelson shares examples of work that has already been completed in the parks by Public Works based on findings from by Parks and Recreation commissioners in July during an audit of the parks. In addition, Nelson ordered new nets for the basketball hoops in all parks, nets for the soccer goals at Community Park, basketballs and a tether ball to act as replacements, as needed. In addition, an ADA accessible portable restroom was added to Community Park. Nelson will show commissioners the 2024 Parks and Recreation Budget once adopted. She does not have any further updates to provide regarding future park programming to be done by either Blackhawks soccer or Roseville Parks and Recreation. Faust asked about smoke-free signs in the park. Commissioners then discussed updating park signage to reflect the newly passed ordinance to make all parks tobacco and cannabis free. Tobacco-smoking has been witnessed in parks lately, despite being tobacco-free areas. Commissioners recommend having more than one sign at each park to inform park users. And, to scatter signs throughout the park to make them more noticeable. G. ADJOURNMENT: 7:41 PM Commissioner Lundell motioned to adjourn; Approved 5-0 7