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MINUTES <br />PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION <br />November 2, 2017 <br />Sullivan stated that Pioneer Park was set up in a circle, and she wanted to <br />consider ideas that help people flow through the park to experience all of <br />the active recreational opportunities that are already present, but also <br />passive opportunities that incorporate ideas like interpretive signs for the <br />natural areas. She also suggested an educational aspect for children to <br />build birdhouses. Sullivan suggested adding welcome signs that were in <br />multiple languages. She also noted all ages should be able to enjoy the <br />park and an adult exercise area on the northeast side could bring a new age <br />group to the park. Chu and Darling agreed it would be nice to integrate the <br />park and bring in people of all ages. Sullivan stated a splash pad would <br />still be a good feature, and children do get excited about water activities, <br />but explained there were still more ideas to consider. Schletty suggested <br />some of these ideas be spread out across other parks. Chu asked if Spooner <br />Park was still planned to be upgraded. The Community Services Manager <br />reported the playground would be upgraded next year. Chair Miller agreed <br />it would be good to spread the opportunities out across all parks. Darling <br />stated there may be additional ideas that were not outlined in the <br />summary, that the Commission should still consider. <br /> <br />Horwath stated his idea for a wow park may have been misconstrued. He <br />explained he first and foremost wanted to give additional recreation <br />opportunities for Little Canada residents, but often times, his family went <br />to parks in other cities to find more creative opportunities. Horwath stated <br />he wanted his family to be able to enjoy those types of opportunities here <br />in Little Canada. Councilman Fischer stated the question in the survey, <br />about the wow park, opened the idea up to interpretation and allowed <br />people to give feedback that helped shape the conversations the <br />Commission is having. Horwath stated he would like to see a larger <br />budget to work with for the Pioneer Park upgrades. He explained the <br />$150,000 would only be enough to replace the existing playground. <br />Horwath stated he agreed the park ideas should focus on attracting all age <br />levels, cultures, skills, and abilities. Schletty stated a parks features <br />characterize the community and if a park is rundown, people think twice <br />about taking their children there or going to a different park. He stated <br />building a park that reflects well on the community will help attract <br />residents and surrounding communities. <br /> <br />Chu stated the Commission should consider ideas for themes that bring <br />purpose and meaning to a park. She suggested healthy living, natural, or <br />historical signage along the trail. Horwath explained he would like to see a <br />historical component. <br /> <br />Sullivan stated it could be a phased component. Horwath questioned how <br />to integrate different community groups into a phased approach. Chu <br />suggested creating a timeline. Councilman Fischer agreed a theme would <br />be an interesting approach, and wondered if it could be integrated