HomeMy WebLinkAbout#14 - Inwood Park Naming
STAFF REPORT
DATE: August 4th, 2020
TO: City Council
FROM: Ben Prchal, City Planner
AGENDA ITEM: Naming of Park in Inwood
BACKGROUND:
In total, the park land in Inwood consists of 12.11 acres however, around 3 is reserved for active recreation
with the rest consisting of “natural area” and a walking trail. At this time Pickle ball courts and a pavilion are
being constructed within the 3 acre area. Until now the park has been un-named and the City is looking to
name the park at this time. Similar to the previous parks, the City posted a poll and notification on the City
website requesting suggestions for a park name. There were many name suggestions that came forward and
Staff has done their best to organize the suggested names to assist with the selection process.
ISSUE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL:
Which name would the City Council like to select for the park in Inwood?
ANALYSIS:
The City received many suggestions for the park and Staff has done their best to group them into two different
categories People/Miscellaneous and Environmental. Staff has provided an explanation for some of the
suggestions, if it was believed to provide extra value for the Council.
People/Misc.
Friedrich:
According to the census the Friedrich family came to Minnesota in 1872 and was recorded in the Oakdale census in
1875. There is a decent amount of information about the family but there is not a lot of information available
specifically related to Louise.
Environmental
There is nothing specific to say about the environmental names that were submitted. They all meet the
requirements of the policy. Dragonfly Park is similar to the name used for the Wildflower/Village Preserve Park,
Firefly Park. But similarity does not disqualify the name.
RECOMMENDATION:
Parks Commission:
The Commission would like to recommend Ivywood Park as their first option or Westwood Park as their second
option for the park in Inwood, and did so by a 4-0 vote.
“Motion to approve ____________ as the formal name for the park in the Inwood Development”
ATTACHMENTS:
• Park Naming Policy
• Friedrich Write Up
• Inwood Park Map
People/Misc. Environmental
Friedrich Park (For Louise Friedrich) Hackberry
Equality Ivywood Park (Park Commission Recommendation)
Westwood Park (Park Commission Recommendation) Dragonfly Park
Diversity Park Eagle View Park
The Neighborhood Park Ivy Park
Hunt Hideaway
Vista View Park
City of Lake Elmo Policy and Procedure for Naming City Parks, Trails,
Recreational Areas, and Facilities
Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to establish a standard procedure for the naming and renaming of parks,
trails, recreational areas and facilities owned and/or operated by the City of Lake Elmo. This policy
will guide name recognition and establish a uniform process. The Parks Commission shall be
responsible for providing a recommended name to the City Council. The City Council will have the
final say for the approved name.
Objectives:
• To name City parks, trails, recreational areas and facilities with the intent of enhancing
the community by provoking a sense of place.
• Ensure that parks and recreational areas are easily identified and located with names that are
consistent with the values and characteristics of the City of Lake Elmo.
• Assure the quality of the title/name, so that it will serve the purpose of the City in a
permanent manner.
• Encourage public participation and input in order to fully represent the best interest of the
community.
Criteria for Submitting a Name:
When a proposed name is presented for review, City Staff will first vet the name against the criteria
listed below. If a name does not fall into one of the categories listed below or is deemed to be
derogatory or offensive in nature, the consideration will be thrown out. It should also be known that
the City will not consider names that are directly named after a specific neighborhood or subdivision.
The Park name shall not:
• Park Names shall not be duplicated.
• The City will not name parks directly after a development.
• For example, the park within Wildflower shall not be called Wildflower Park.
However, rose park, fox glove park, etc. would be acceptable.
Categories for potential park Names:
• An outstanding feature of the area. (example: hill, river, vegetation)
• Geographical location of the park such as a street name.
• Naming after an individual (living or non-living) or organization. The City may require
additional information to further enforce that the individual has significantly contributed to
the improvement of the Lake Elmo Parks system.
• A person (living or non-living) or group who significantly contributed to the
acquisition or development of park/facilities, who provided an exceptional service
in the interest of the park system, or for the community as a whole. When naming
after a person or persons, written documentation of approval by next of kin is
required (if available/possible) as part of the proposal.
• A standard for significant contribution shall consist of providing at least 50% of the
cost to develop or acquire the land.
• The City understands there are other categories that a name could be pulled from and
would not exclude its consideration.
Procedure:
The City has created a process that will provide consistency for naming or re-naming City Parks. In
general a submission will come in, go through staff review and approval, undergo a Parks
Commission review, and end with final approval or denial from the City Council. The City would
like to encourage residents to stay interested and voice their opinions during the meetings when the
name is being considered.
Step 1) At the time that the City is ready to name or rename a park, notification will be put in
the Fresh, City Facebook, and or use other measures as appropriate. The City will
seek name suggestions from the City Council or Commissions, City residents,
Community leaders or organizations interested in proposing a name for a park, trail,
recreational area or facility. The applicant should either request a Naming Policy
form from the City Clerk or download the form from the City Website on the Parks
page. After the form has been filled out it will need to be submitted to the City
Planner to review against the criteria. Once the timeframe for receiving names has
closed, Staff will begin the review process.
Step 2) Staff will notify the applicant if the proposed name has or has not met the
requirements. After a proposed name has been approved by Staff, the applicant will
be informed when the name is going to be discussed by the Parks Commission.
After the Commission discussion, the recommendation(s) will move onto the City
Council for final approval or denial.
Step 3) Once the City Council votes to approve a name, the name of the park shall be
confirmed by passing a resolution.
Renaming:
The intent of naming is for permanent recognition, the renaming of parks and facilities is
discouraged. Though, the City understands that renaming a park, trail, or facility may be necessary to
create more cohesiveness throughout the City. It is recommended that efforts to change a name
become subject to crucial examination so as not to diminish the original justification for the name or
discount the value of the prior contributors. Renaming a park will follow the same procedure stated
above.
Chapter 2 -Farming
was one child born after I was, but that child died at birth, so I was the youngest in
the family of 15 children. Wilhelmina was a wonderful mother to all of the children.
August was mainly a farmer, but he was also a stone mason. He built basements and
walls out of fieldstone. He wasn't very big, but he was a very strong man. I have
wonderful memories of the families of my siblings getting together, and I never
heard any of them ever argue. My nieces and nephews were my age or older. In fact,
I have a niece who is still living and she is 95 years old (Myrtle Vollmer)."
Ray Salus tells an interesting story about the Vollmer family who lived on a farm in the vicinity
of today's Highway 94 and County Road 17 (Lake Elmo Avenue). Walter Vollmer, who has been
gone for many years, told Ray the story when he was a youngster. The infamous bank robber, Cole
Younger, had just been released from the Stillwater prison where he served time for his crime of
robbing the Northfield, Min'nesota bank. Records say this was in the summer of 1901, and Younger
was heading south, most likely home to Missouri. He stopped at the Vollmer farm, asking for a
night's lodging for himself and his horse, but didn't give his name. While there he wrote a letter to
someone, and while he was writing, one of the Vollmer children peeked over his shoulder and saw
him sign the letter, "Cole Younger." As well-known as Younger was in those days, it must have been
a frightening moment for the Vollmer family, but after the night's rest, Younger rode off without
incident.
The Friedrich family
Another large group is the Friedrich family. Louise Friedrich says that the Friedrich family came
to Minnesota in 1872, and Christian Frederick, age 29, appears in the 1875 Oakdale census along
with several other Fredericks, and Friedericks. An elderly couple, most likely Christian's parents,
Samuel and Loise Frederick, also lived in the same house. All of them are listed as coming from
Prussia, which was a separate state at that time in the northeastern part of the German Empire. All
of their last names should be spelled Friedrich, according to Al Friedrich in an interview with this
author. Actually, this is a source of irritation for Al. He says that everyone in Lake Elmo pronounces
their name as "Fredrick," but when he later moved away from the area, he was determined to have
his name pronounced the way it should be and that was Friedrich.
Al, or Alvin Anton Friedrich, was born March 7, 1923 in Lake Elmo on his parents' farm. His dad
was Anton Friedrich, and his mother was Hedwig Siegfried, who was called Hattie. Al's grandfather
was Christian Friedrich who had settled in Lake Elmo on land near what is now 31 st Street that runs
on the south side and adjacent to Highway 5, near the new round-about and the railroad viaduct
on Stillwater Road.
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