06/04/1990 Park Board Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

(612) 451-2266 South St. Paul Inver Grove Heights Chamber of Commerce 633 South Concord Street, Suite 304 South St. Paul, Minnesota 55075 TO: IGH Planning Commission/City Council FROM: IGH-SSP Chamber of Commerce SUBJECT: Chamber Testimony on IGH Park Dedication DATE: November 1, 1989 General Recommendations 1. The primary focus of the Chamber's recommendations will be commercial/ industrial oriented, but certain residential dedication issues will be addressed. 2. We are basically in support of the basic framework embodied in the existing ordinance and are not recommending a totally new ordinance on Park Dedication. 3. The Chamber of Commerce again accepts the premise that some commer- cial/industrial park dedication and appropriate levels of residential dedication should be made, but at the same time we support a park dedication ordinance that is competitive with other communities and clearly support development of quality facilities rather than dis- couraging it. 4. Park dedication should be paid by developers consistent with the in- tent of the Minnesota State Statutes which indicates that fees paid should correlate with demands placed on park and recreational facil- ities by this new development. We also support an education program in our community which the intent would be to adequately explain that park dedication fees are not, and should not be, the sole fund- ing source of park and recreational facilities, and local residents must be willing to accept a significant portion of the financial burden relating to park acquisition, development, and maintenance. Use of Park Dedication Funds The Chamber believes that the original use of park dedication funds coming from the commercial/industrial area was to control land use and acquire needed land for trail systems, and was not necessarily intented to be a major funding source. Currently however, the City perceives the commercial/industrial funds to be used for acquisition, development , and bond repayment of the park system.