07/01/1991 Park Board Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Section 2 - Assessment of Lino Lakes Parks and Recreation Needs a comprehensive, balanced, well maintained system of parks, open spaces, trails, and recreation programs for all City residents to use and enjoy a quality recreational experience. • Maintain "rural", natural, and open space character. Provide adequate parks, open space, recreational facilities, and linkage (trails) system to meet City needs. Proper planning decisions should be made to achieve these objectives. • Develop a clear mission which guides the overall development of the park system and projects a unified and consistent community image. • Provide a balance between passive and active recreational spaces. Develop the park system in a manner which is sensitive to the natural ecology of the land. Strive to be good stewards of the land. • Develop a positive working partnership with the local school districts, surrounding communities and Anoka County. City to School District and City to City Interaction: Clearly defined policies and joint -use agreements need to be developed and implemented. The level of use of City parks and recreation facilities by the three school districts and adjacent Cities needs to be clearly defined and used, in part, as a basis for determining the actual parks and recreational facilities demands. Concerns related to joint funding, park maintenance responsibilities, community education programs, shared benefit of facilities, etc. should be addressed and acted upon as appropriate. Servicing the needs of City residents verses servicing the needs of the school districts and adjacent Cities needs to be addressed. City to Metropolitan Council/Anoka County Interaction: The impact that these public bodies (and their respective plans and policies) have on future development within Lino Lakes should be reviewed and acted upon as appropriate. Future development plZs for regional parks and associated trail corridors need to be reviewed and considered (Anoka County is the implementing agency). Shared benefit of the proceeds and use of the golf course was cited as an important issue. On -going interaction should be sought in order to assure that duplication of facilities is avoided. Funding: Where are we going to get it? When are we going to need it? How much is it going to cost to develop the system? How are we going to off- set anticipated funding losses from State and Federal funding sources? Etc.? Funding sources which were cited as possibilities included league fees, user fees, concessions, "green fees" or other form of remuneration (compensation) associated with the golf course, and charitable "gambling" contributions. The feasibility of these sources should be determined. Revenue producing facilities (such as a golf course) should be explored as potential sources of revenue. Priorities: The future development of the parks and recreational facilities need to be prioritized as to their importance to the community and overall park system. Park Sites and Facilities Cost/Benefit The cost effectiveness of providing certain park sites and/or facilities should be reviewed to determine if the community is receiving the optimal return on it's investment. Park Land Dedication Policy: Parks and Recreation Commission's role in the process of establishing policy/guidelines for park land dedication and negotiations for purchase needs reviewing and updating as appropriate. Concern was expressed that the current park dedication formula resulted in developers desiring to give cash rather than land for park dedication purposes, perhaps eluding to an imbalance in land values vs. park dedication monies. Wetlands/Storm Water Holding Ponds/Water Quality. Policies and administrative procedures (jurisdiction) related to wetlands, storm water ponds, etc. and how thr interact with the overall City of Lino Lakes park system should be reviewed and updated as appropriate. Issues related to water quality should be addressed and acted upon as appropriate. Preservation of Significant Natural Resources: Significant natural resource areas (i.e., woodlots, lakes, marshes/wetlands, etc.) should be identified, documented, and integrated into the park system plan as appropriate. The current land already set aside for parks at the county/regional level provides a significant "base" in which to build on. Linkage (Trails) System: A comprehensive trail system needs to be planned and implemented. Current policies should be reviewed and updated as appropriate. Types of trails, design standards, access points, connection to regional parks, etc. need to be reviewed. Trail crossings at intersections, across roadways, and between adjacent park sites are often dangerous and should be reviewed. Safety of crossings is a growing concern as the size of the City expands. Barriers to use of the trails need to be identified and rectified as appropriate. Park System Classifications/Standards: A classification system should be developed which defines the different types, numbers, sizes, and purposes of parks within the overall park system. Standards should be established to define the type of facilities/activities that are appropriate for each of the park classifications. Existing park sites should be evaluated as to their "fit" within the overall park system. The "orientation" (i.e., passive vs. active, adult vs. children, etc.) of each park site, both old and new, needs to be evaluated. The ability to meet the changing needs (i.e., "adaptability") of specific neighborhoods and the community as a whole were cited as a specific concern. The idea of a "Community Center" which provides a space for community/social events should be explored to determine it's feasibility and appropriateness. "Community Center" does not necessarily mean an indoor facility. Community Development The proper balance between parks/open spaces/nature / Yeas and