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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-28-15 CCJMLAKE ELMO Our Mission is to Provide Quality Public Services in a Fiscally Responsible Manner While Preserving the City's Open Space Character NOTICE OF MEETING Joint City Council — Park Commission Workshop 3800 Laverne Avenue North July 28, 2015 6:30 PM —9:00 PM AGENDA Call to Order - Mayor Pearson Chairman Shane Weis 6:30 PM i Presentations ,pe: Park Survey Results 43( Lake Elmo Regional Park SiSunfish Lake Task Force Results 111 -.16.15 Park Commission Plan of Work A. Cpmmunity Park Re -Models Tablyn Park . Reid Park Planning vp/Lake Elmo Regional Trail Master Planning unfish Lake Park Master Plan 11 Picy Discussion /(Land Dedication vs. Cash Contribution from Developers 3. Park Size 6:30 PM 7:00 PM 8:15 PM _Wage Green Ball Field Discussion 8:45 PM 4V,7 Adjourn 9:00 PM •••Note: The Public is advised that there may be a quorum of City Council Members in attendance as observers, No official action con or will be token by the City Council at this meeting. ***Note: Every effort will be mode to accommodate person or persons thot need special considerations to attend this meeting due to a health condition or disability. Pfeose contact the Lake Elmo City Clerk if you are in need of special accommodations. '"Note: This meeting will be video recorded, but not broodcosted, for record -keeping purposes, t A park survey was mailed to 3,203 homes in Lake Elmo on June 14, 2013. 432 surveys were completed and returned. The most common (39%, 170 responses} age group was 51-65. 60 % of those responses were female. o. of Responses by Age NA (26) 18-25 (0) 26-35 (15) 65+ (94) 6-50 127) 51-65 (170) 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 26-35 Gender by Age Group 65+ r, NA F M Both rr Fifty-nine percent (59%) of overall park users visit city parks on a weekly or monthly basis. Park users between the ages of 26 to 50 use parks more frequently than users aged 51+. The primary reason that taxpayers do not use city parks lack of interest or time. Other reasons are cited below. Average Park Visits No Interest/Time Only use Park Reserve Kids Outgrew 10 6 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% - Avg. Park Visits by Age Group 7.! Daily Weekly Monthly Annually Never Don't know where they are Other 5 5 P, 26-35 r 36-50 51-65 65+ Current Park Use Summer is the most popular season to visit parks. The majority of park users have no preference when they visit the parks, and users frequent the parks most in the afternoon. Visits by Season Doesn't Matter 21% Visits by Day No Preference 39% Visits by Time No Preferenc e 27% Evening Every Day 21% 11% Afternoon unchtime Overall, 73% of park users spend between one to three hours per park visit. Visitors between age 36 to 65 typically spend 3 or more hours per visit, where users between the ages of 26 to 35 and age 65+ typically spend 1 to 3 hours per park visit. Time per Park Visit 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Time Spent by Age <1 Hr 1-3 Hr 3+ Hr 26-35 - -51-65 65+ Proximity to home is the most important factor for taxpayers choosing which park to visit. Trails, playground facilities, trails, and wooded lands are also important factors. The ranking of importance varies by age group, as noted in the chart to the lower right. Important Park Factors 350 308 300 252 250 -''TZ, _i_ i--4-::,:if r---,-, --_--i-Zi 145 138 130 200 147 150 t2:1;.,A e:, -,z, , - - i7,, = :: ,,,:: , -,-,:-_-:',-.! 98 ii,Z,:! „_:__,__., 100 '-f--='-'---=_-- r'----:_-_!69 67- -:-;------,-i c --, 66 ;----------- '1,f,., 49 „:,-±'::,-,i-A ._ '::----:)_,!--i• ii=t--'3 5"--c_,-_i _, 62 56 50 .:__,,__! 18 31 33 25 4 - 0 4) • e, , e 7 e‘' ?,(‘ ,"P ''Z CP C. 6\ ' •c\ ' • e o01/4' 09 ci St' k'§C `4o- Proximity to home 16% Playground Facilities 15% Hiking Trails/Restroom 8% Proximity to Home 18% Hiking Trails 12% Playground Facilities 10% 302 r Overall, walking and hiking is the most popular park activity engaged in by taxpayers. Biking, nature observation, and monitoring children are also frequent activities, which vary in priority slightly among age groups. 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Park Activities 140 107 79 75 -7-i 84 8 _ 38 147 144 Monitoring Children Walking/Hiking Biking Walking/Hiking Biting Monitoring Children Walking/Hiking Nature Observation Biking Walking/Hiking Nature Observation Monitoring Children 25% 12% 10% 24% 17% 13% Residents were asked to rank their preferred/most commonly used city parks from 1 to 3, with 1 being the most frequently visited. Sunfish Lake Park is the most popular park overall, followed by Lions Park. When broken down by age, Tablyn Park ranks in popularity for 26 to 36 year olds. 200 Primary Park Use M 1 7; 2 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Primary Park Use by Age ..,5 ,..p \b• t% e e4's (;) 26-35 —36-50 51-65 65+ Factors in Favor of Parks 196 The leading factor for park choice is location and proximity to home. The importance of location decreases slightly as the age of park user increases. 250 200 150 100 50 0 20 80% 60% 40% 20% Factors in Favor of Parks by Age 26-35 6 0 51-65 65+ rr Poor maintenance ranked as the primary reason discouraging taxpayers from using city parks. Safety concerns and lack of restrooms were also leading factors. Other factors include unleashed dogs, and lack of time. Overall, taxpayers consider the safety of city parks to be high, and signage and maintenance mediocre. 200 160 140 120 80 40 0 0 Factors Discouraging Use of City Parks q, fit00 +� 1/5 48 200 150 100 - 50 100 80 60 40 20 0 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Park Safety 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Park Signage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Park Maintenance 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Loitering or gang activity is the primary factor that would make taxpayers feel unsafe using city parks. Factors in the other category include after hours activities, high-speed vehicles, and use of parks by non-residents. Park Safety Concerns 92 - 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Park Safety Concerns by Age 26-35 -4 36-50 - 51-65 65+ Hiking trails are high priority for all age groups, when considering future addition of park amenities. The top three amenity needs per age group are listed at right. Playground Equipment 11% Hiking Trails 10% Aquatic Center/Swimming 9% 300 250 240 200 149 150 Future Needs 104 110 100 - 76 69 — 93 63 50 0 N u 0 103 70 = ,-_ 46 47 © N a x 5 22 ro cc 0 0 C N 0 0 p Z tO n1 [1 93 68 72 61 45 40 44 2 z 23 0 Hiking Trails Aquatic Center/Swimming Full Bathrooms Hiking Trails Full Bathrooms Benches/Shelters Hiking Trails Full Bathrooms Birding 9% 8% 8% 13% 6% 6% 13% 7% 7% When asked about desired park improvements, maintenance was the number one request. This was followed by restrooms and additional amenities (ie. Picnic tables, and shelters). When discussing the future development of parks, there is a strong taxpayer desire to develop trails for nature observation. Picnic areas and open space also rank high as desired park land use. 500 Future Park Land Development 411 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Desired Park Improvements 56 Park Land Development by Age 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% so t a` 'C. Kp oQ 26-35 -- --36-50 51-65 65+ Out of the taxpayers who responded to the lake use question, most use city lakes a couple times per year, if at all. Taxpayers between the ages 26 to 35 are more likely to use the lakes more frequently. Lake Elmo is the most heavily used lakes, as indicated by a 54% response rate. 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Lake Preference 60 Lake Elmo Olson Lake Demontreville Lake Jane City Lake Use 160 140 120 100 80 60 49 40 40 20 0 60% 50% - 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Daily Weekly 149 Monthly Couple x/yr Never City Lake Use by Age Daily Weekly Monthly Couple x/yr Never R9 26-35 36-50 51-65 65+ The primary activities enjoyed by taxpayers on city lakes are swimming and fishing. Kayaking and canoeing follow as other popular lake activities. 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Lake Activities 143 128 -_-----;„ (--_-:- 6/ 67 trnu-''47 53._ _ _ 53--1,-;- - 51_ 37 38 tll-1 i„:4-7,8 29 ,'„:- 2 16 20 ii:--- - .,!,:::' 7_Y,1 5 Vii.Prj OD OD OD OD 40 OD OD OD 40 OD OD OD OD cc cc c c ccc c '47; E 4-5 y) 7 0 E >- C:3 Li: , TO 2 `6 I— 3 ro — E o u c co > vi ro Li) c o 6 v-) c vi 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Lake Activities by Age 26-35 36-50 - - 51-65 65+ Out of 432 Surveys received, the breakdown for answers to "When do you think that users should be allowed to use watercraft on the lakes on weekdays?" is: • No answer given: 117 (27%) Wake Restrictions • 200 , Don't care: 19 (4%) 180 • Before Noon (less restrictive): 176 (41%) 160 140 • After Noon (more restrictive): 120 (28%) 120 This includes 'yes' answers as less restrictive (before noon) 100 and 'no' answers as more restrictive (after noon) 60 40 , 20 Of the 176 that answered wake before noon: 144 (82%) cited wake hours beginning at 9 am or earlier 32 (18%) cited wake hours beginning between 9 am to noon No Answer Don't Care Less More Restrictive Restrictive Eighty percent (80%) of taxpayers are in favor of the city developing a trail system that connects neighborhoods, parks, downtown and schools. This desire is shared evenly among age groups, with slightly more interest among 26 to 35 year olds. Favor of Trail System 120% 100% --- 80% - 60% 40% 20% Favor of Trail System by Age 26-35 36-50 51-65 65+ No Yes The majority of respondents are interested in a trail system for exercise and recreation purposes. Taxpayers between ages 26 to 35 are more likely to use trails for recreation, while residents age 65+ are more likely to use trails to get exercise. 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Trail Use 3001:: 235 136 - - - -' — . --_------r----,--i---..,-_-_-,:. - - ' -- --- - --_— .-------'-'-,,1---_---, 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Trail Use by Age Transportation Exercise Recreation Other 26-35 36-50 ' 51-65 65+ Respondents were asked to rate important trail factors from 1-10 (10 being most important). The results indicate that multi -use trails and good maintenance are the most commonly indicated concerns and most frequently ranked most important as well. 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 Close to home Important Trail Factors Connection to Key Connections Between Connection Between Good Maintenance Multi -Use Locations City and HOA Parks 10 9 8 - 7 6 5 4 3 • 2 1. 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 The most popular uses for city trails are walking/hiking, and biking. Trail users between the ages of 26 to 35 are more likely to engage in more vigorous activity like running and rollerblading, whereas the primary activity choice for users age 65+ is walking and hiking. Trail Activities c;4S • Cok Cb\ 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Trail Activities by Age 26-35 - 36-50 51-65 65+ 1 Respondents were asked to rate destinations for trail connections from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most important. As indicated by the results below, the Lake Elmo Park Reserve, Gateway Trail, and the Old Village/Downtown area were most frequently indicated. The Park Reserve and Gateway Trail received the highest rankings in terms of importance. 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Trail Connections P 1 tr-fi 2 3 4 5 Survey respondents indicated that they would like to see more paved trails. The most common factors discouraging the use of trails include safety and poor maintenance. 400 300 200 100 0 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Trail Feature Preference 200 160 120 80 40 0 Factors Discouraging Trail Use 174 167 18 91 -- 21- 40 135 cib e e •r ca ,¢''c, N9 .6 ,e4 56 Factors Discouraging Trail Use by Age Paved Non -Paved WiderTrail Well Lit Clear Signage Trail Feature Preference by Age Paved Non -Paved Wider Trail Well Lit Clear Signage 26-35 - '36-50 51-65 65+ 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% cc' ‘'.'t 0N- ,6•L • cti° c(`\ 00.5 26-35 - -36-50 51-65 65+ 14 T Trail Introduction Presentation Trail Subcommittee o Jennifer Pelletier - Passer By o Mike Zeno - Lake Elmo Parks Commission o Pam Hartley - Lake Elmo Parks Commission o Shane Weis Lake Elmo Parks Commission r Address Community Need • Deliver students safely to school • Bring people to our downtown • Bring people to our parks • Provide safe recreation • Trail Diversity- Provide feel of LE • Omit need to bike down highway 5 r Compatibility ith public grant opportunities o Compatibility ith private funding opportunities o Feasibility of land acquisition 0 Proposed Trail Map o Connect to existing Oakdale trail at Stillwater Blvd and HeImo/Ideal Ave • Travel through Tablyn to Lake Elmo Park Reserve • Pass through LEPR Provide exit point to Sunfish o Continue down Highway 5 right of way to Gorman's- connect to existing trail T s T a e Elmo to Stillwater Senior High t o Estimated cost without land acquisition o Phase One $827,316 (approx. 3.2 Miles) o Phase Two $765,600 (approx. 2.9 Miles) SEE -lion P tfl 11•ESCRIP IICN srphs It 212 rn_es 10' 73.1 EO:3.'31%, SO. I t.C1 -3upp.ly ar,d ,ns1,311 o' L5 2.5' Tt:n7, ot-ts' adi --ydra s&s.:1 5' cn ia:h snr& c' tra fabrc, bs: s L.; - Assunii 25'; rarn:s dorres • Ast,ms 10 - AtSLin1E ecrp!3n: A sphait Spsc ,Secton: 02-T1U tapst Corr:not Pet_one $ :'Lf" CITYMIA $isiN 'Cieneral Items .3urve-y • Tice 101cal :-:=7$ by City 1-3ignaLde - Assume- 32 '17..se F.: .noval - Asztirrra 10 permile Saicition Ficva' Allow•ance: "Naa: plank arnd. bike Assu-n* 5 ,7,uard -a, at G111,,,,,ster elvd ,120C-1 ,E.nzneennj.viDeEign (3Eneral 7.,ontngency 221, 4s:nisdatcn Et: 1-,ssisasassistaaz, --- ; ALT 01,EFer TION TotalBd Add on's, Tout- Bid ird Tc,1a 2,35',.•113 472-400 3371, $4-Ete'T t: or, tracer 73403; t Itoa Ls•-. Iri Insaa:s: 21r300 20000 25000 •-•' 32-0 ..s. 15000 13300 20600 3.3D3 3.303a0 '273-.45 1.3 PrI4cL 7,30 Loc-atibn: L3Sti Eno, Le,3d Esl"La13tor. "1 sz. tsiels This summary by: 2 Screa:teit not 3 •7 - .55-2000 571102 Inc:: Inc sc. cc 3 Li 2100 ,.. 4,•.:—.S. 12000 a .a: L 20030 add 2000 a:--: 10000 add 12000 4 pa: ;JD07 5000 1500 10000 3000 35000 35,2313 152.33 - onnostnotononoont. _5732-20_ 21 1 23; 1 .5: G00 1210%0D 30000 35000 2.74o0 1577:1'2 Ccratactcr E S55.53 t.21n7.73,LItit r tr Trails considered, but not selected 94 to Lake Elmo via Lake Elmo Blvd 94 Corridor to highway 5 via Inwood Ave t • Loc I Trail onn ction (DNR) o Connect to public space or complete existing connections o Max Grant S150,000 - 25% Match o Federal Recreational Trail Pro ram (DNR) o Development of recreational trail linkage including trail side facilities o Max Grant $150,000 25% Match r t Ii.i.ility •u oor Recr ation rant (DNR) o Internal park trails or support facilities o Total average distribution - $335,000 • Saf- 'out- Schools (SRTS) (MDOT) o K-8 Schools o Trail study required (already completed by Lake Elmo) o ashin ton ounty Legacy Funds (MET) o Parks of regional significance and trails that connect regional parks o Jon Elhom to present Iic Grant Eligibility o Washington County Public Health © SHIP funds MN Department of Health Funds nv unain Blue Cross Blue Shield McKnight Foundation o Cargill o Parks and trails council of MN T ef The Fun Begin Questions? Informal Discussion" - Next Steps Identify possible stumbling blocks �C|T\'(DF A E 2015 Park Cm0000^ss^on Strategic Plan of Work The City of Lake Elmo Park Commission has affirmed their priorities to be: 1) Trails - Develop a comprehensive trail plan, and continue efforts onthe Lake Elmo Regional Trail system; 2\Create onupdated comprehensive park plan; 3) Create and implement a forestry and park plan for Sunfish Lake Park ; 4) Make improvements to existing parks to encourage increased utilization and enhanced taxpayer experience With the broader priorities defined, the 3015Park Commission Strategic Plan ofWork has been broken down into (G) segments; Planning &&udit; Park Deve|oprnent& Equipping ; K1aintenance& Refurbishing; Nature Q' Conservation; Park Awareness; and Finance. Planning &Audit Mission Statement: Through the use mfdiagnostics /surveys/audits, carefully plan for the proper equipping ofparks and available porkfundingtomaximize taxpayer utilization. Develop Updated Comprehensive Park Plan Continue planning &kfund development nfthe Lake Elmo Regional Trail. Complete trail plan feasibility study, and comprehensive trail plan. Create Sunfish Lake Park plan tnaddress utilization, safety, forest management, nature center & education, structures and parking issues. (Task Force) Development — Equipping Mission Statement: Toconstruct/ develop /equip appropriate parkfacilities to serve the community generally and neighborhoods specifically in accordance with the open space philosophy of the City, Develop master plan for Reid Park including ADA equipment, and permanent restroom Work with HOAs to create / maintain community connection trail access. Determine location for community ice rink a~������������ V� ��������~"�K=~���� — -_' _''—_ __ '-_'--'-~~~...~.�� Mission Statement: To maintain and upgrade all parkfacilities inomanner that increases park use orelevant experience. o � Focus on downtown park space; transforming into hometown ball field destination park Update park recreational amenities based on park audit, current trends, conditions & typical use. Complete 2014 updates/imp rove me nts to Tablyn, Pebble Park, and Sanctuary Park Nature & Conservation Mission Statement: To promote the open space character and commitment to the environment via nature observation amenities and targeted conservation programs. Implement forest management plan in Sunfish Lake Park per approved stewardship plan Research the replacement of park land due to landfill remediation in Sunfish Area 3 Park Awareness Mission Statement: To promote through public relations &'age the utilization of City Parks. Establish through special events, publications, xvebshe,e'b|astsand other promotion apark awareness plan Maintain consistency in theming/branding to increase park awareness Finance Mission Funding Priorities = 2. Trails .& Pathways 2. Revitalization ofCurrent Parks J. Destination Features 4. Establish New Parks 5. Parking d>Safety 6. Nature &Conservation Purchase new mower, skidsteerfor park maintenance Expend up to $400,000 in the refurbishing and updating of the current park system Expend uptn$SO,OOOfor LERTfeasibility study