HomeMy WebLinkAboutDraft Park Commission Minutes August 2016MINUTES
City of Lake Elmo Park Commission
August 15, 2016
Members Present: Chair Weis (Savona Park site visit only); Commissioners Frick, Neunfeldt, Nelson, Ames
Absent: Steele, Hartley, Zeno, and Silvernale
Others Present: Mayor Pearson; Councilmember Fliflet (Savona Park site visit only); City Administrator Handt; Planning Director Wensman; City Planner Becker; Public Works Director Weldon;
Jamie Colemer of Public Works; Rick Packer and Clark Schroeder representing H.C. Golf Course Development (City Hall portion of the meeting only); Savona residents (Savona Park site
visit only) Tom Robinson of 9951 5th St Ln N, Robert Elias of 9999 5th St Ln N, Janell Tierney 9872 7th St N, Adrian Cook of 736 Juniper Ave N, Jessica Ehrlichmann of 9856 7th St N,
Stefany Lorang 9918 7th St N, Carissa and Bob O’Hara of 9957 5th St Ln N, Kelsey & Dan Eshleman of 65 Juniper Ct N, Troy Solnitzky of 9668 7th St N, Kyle Heller of 9684 7th St N, Jason
Jones of 9797 7th St N, Tucker Pearce of 9811 7th St N; Resident Ellen Johnson of 11050 14th St N
Meeting at Savona Park site, 6th St Ln N
The meeting was called to order by Chair Weis at 6:35 PM.
Weis thanked everyone for coming and for their responses to the survey that Tucker Pearce, Savona resident, had distributed. He commented that survey results and community feedback are
very helpful, and it was important now to determine needs versus wants in the park. Pearce then went over the survey results. The survey asked various questions regarding Savona’s future
park and was distributed to 25 Savona residents (survey attached). The survey addressed what residents would like to see in a playground and asked about interest in various park amenities
including a picnic area, basketball court, soccer field, flag football, Frisbee, bocce ball court, horseshoes, gaga pit, tennis court, splash pad, pool, and sand volleyball court.
The survey also posed open-ended questions that let residents give input for what they feel Savona needs in a park and let them ask questions to the Parks Commission regarding the park
in Savona.
Further comments were made regarding walking trails to Stonegate and the 5th Street Corridor. Mention of alternate exercise equipment for adults, the need for phasing of features to
accommodate all ages, and the need for pet disposal sites (and the need for the Homeowners Association to remind residents to always clean up after pets) was made. It was communicated
that the park would most likely be built in phases according to how many homes are occupied. Questions about how that phasing would work and how the phases would be delineated were
asked, and it was responded that that is something that would need to be worked out.
Councilmember Fliflet stressed the need to incorporate amenities that only need a few kids to participate. Planning Director Wensman urged Commission members and residents to keep in
mind the amenities the nearby future Hammes Development would have including picnic table, fishing pier, parking, park shelter, bike rack, grill station, and canoe rack. Commissioner
Frick reminded everyone that standards for parks should be equalized across developments; too much cannot be spent on one development, and there are developments that are adjacent to
parks that have no amenities. Staff commented on the expense and difficulties of maintaining a pool or splashpad. Weis said that at the next Parks Commission meeting, the survey results
and comments from this meeting would be further vetted.
Residents then broke in to smaller groups to speak separately to Staff and Councilmembers regarding the park.
Travel to City Hall to continue meeting
Parks Commission members (Chair Weis could not make it to this portion of the meeting), Mayor Pearson, and Staff reconvened at City Hall following meeting at the future Savona park site
at 7:57 pm.
Approval of Agenda and Minutes
Being that there was not a quorum, there was no approval of the agenda or minutes. This will be done at the next meeting. Further, it was clarified that no formal recommendation could
be made during this meeting. The following is solely informational in nature and was an opportunity to inform commissioners present about the agenda items.
Royal Golf Club at Lake Elmo
Clark Schroeder, Developer Representative, gave history on Tartan Park, explaining that HC Golf Course Development, LLC bought the property formerly owned by 3M Co. this past March.
The golf course is currently being remodeled and is expected to open June or July of 2017 to include a year-round restaurant and bar with larger, more open banquet seating. He mentioned
the developer has allowed Lake Elmo baseball to utilize the baseball fields on the property this summer. A Planned Unit Development Concept Plan application for a 300-310 unit development
surrounding the golf course has been submitted, and the Planning Commission gave initial feedback on it at its August 8th meeting. The developer will incorporate this feedback, along
with feedback obtained from the Parks Commission, at the public hearing for the Concept Plan that will be held on August 22nd.
Rick Packer of HC Golf Course Development, LLC then spoke, giving more information on the housing development. He explained that no parks are proposed within the development, but 74
acres of private open space will be provided, the golf course will be made public, and homes would have access to a youth course, fitness facility, and pool through Homeowners Association
fees. The development will also have trails interconnecting the homes and the lots to the golf
course. Some trails will be made public; access to them is currently being addressed. Fees in lieu of park land will be paid.
Commissioner Frick asked about the wetlands on the northeast corner of the parcel. Packer stated that this wetland will be filled to create the 20 year floodplain. Commissioner Ames
asked about trail connectivity to 10th Street; he mentioned that this would help with access to Oakland Junior High School. Packer replied he is aware of the need for trails along CSAH
17, 20th Street, and 10th Street. The developer is negotiating with Terry Emerson to create connectivity to 10th Street. There was further discussion about the current trails on the
property; it is likely that these area not up to public standards and work will most likely need to be done on them. Commissioner Nelson asked what the parkland dedication fees would
be. Planner Becker explained that because the zoning of the property was not yet determined, the exact percentage of land that needs to be dedicated was unknown, as required parkland
dedication is based on zoning. The value of that determined percentage of land would be appraised, and the developer would be required to pay that appraised amount. The developer has
also offered to donate park equipment that is currently in the park including lighting and other amenities. The exact details of this are unknown at this point.
Hammes Park
Planner Becker explained that the Development Agreement for the Hammes Development was being brought to Council the following evening. A condition of their Preliminary Plat was that
a play structure be included in the development. The play structure’s former location had been in Goose Lake Park, but the Parks Commission had determined to relocate the structure
to a different location for desire to minimize the removal of significant trees in the area and its proximity to Keats Avenue. Two different locations were proposed near the center
of the development.
Staff was looking to the Commission to revisit the need for a play structure. At the time Hammes was granted Final Plat approval and the Parks Commission last discussed this development,
Savona’s park location was not yet determined. Now knowing where Savona’s park would be located, which is within a third to half mile of the latest proposed play structure locations
within Hammes, the Commission was asked if it was still necessary that a play structure be included within Hammes. There is trail connectivity from Goose Lake Park and the development
to Savona Park that would provide residents access. The Commission was also reminded that Hammes has already dedicated 5.7 acres of land for Goose Lake Park. The Development Agreement
specified that the developers shall deposit the remaining parkland dedication fee of $107,554 and would be credited for specific improvements made to the park. Further research was
needed, but there was possibility that the play structure location may require the developer to dedicate more land to the City, which would then reduce or satisfy their parkland dedication
fee, and the City would be made to pay for such improvements.
The Parks Commission came to the consensus that a play structure within Hammes Development was still desired, as walkability to such an amenity is important for parents with young children
pushing strollers. They added that it would be ideal for the structure and property on which it is located to be HOA-maintained. The Commission also reiterated that they would like to
be kept informed on details of the amenities being installed in Goose Lake Park. They want to have a say in the quality and layout of the structures. Public Works Staff would also like
to be involved. Planner Becker commented that this would also be reviewed by our Landscape Consultant.
Update (this information was found after, and not discussed at, the meeting but should be clarified): By looking through former versions of Preliminary Plat, Staff has found that a lot
in one of the proposed locations for a play structure was eliminated and delineated to include draintile, indicating that this lot was posed to be created to include the play structure
and that it would be HOA-maintained.
September Meeting Agenda/Staff Reports
Again being that there was not a quorum, the September Meeting agenda was not discussed nor were Staff Reports aside from a reminder that there would be a joint Council/Parks Commission
meeting on Tuesday, September 13th at 6:30 pm.
Meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Emily Becker, City Planner