03-02-2017 Parks & Rec Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Preliminary Draft: February 27, 2009 1-1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF THE PLAN Throughout the history of parks in this country, communities have considered the costs and benefits of providing parks, trails, and open space. In the late 1800s, when the City of Minneapolis was struggling with how to balance these considerations, H.W.S. Cleveland (a landscape architect) told the Minneapolis Park Commission the following: “Look forward for a century to the time when the City has a population of a million, and think what will be their wants. They will have enough to purchase all that money can buy, but all that wealth cannot purchase a lost opportunity, or restore natural features of grandeur and beauty, which would then possess priceless value, and which you can preserve if you but say the word and save them from destruction that certainly await them if you fail to utter it.” Today, Minneapolis is nationally known for its outstanding park system. However, the City’s exceptional parks would not exist had it not been for the wisdom and forethought of the Park Commission, elected representatives, and the residents of Minneapolis. Like Minneapolis, Little Canada was fortunate to have leaders with the wisdom and foresight to develop the community’s park system while the city was still young and growing. Today, Little Canada’s park system is a vital part of the community. Although much of Little Canada is developed and the opportunity to acquire a significant amount of additional parkland has diminished, there is much that the City of Little Canada can and should do to ensure that its park system is preserved and enhanced for the present and future generations. This Plan provides a strong vision of Little Canada’s park system. In addition, it sets goals and policies for attaining that vision. More specifically, this Plan serves the following purposes: Spooner Park – Little Canada’s First Park Established in 1976 (Source: City’s Website)