COMMISSION_MINUTES_1979-10-25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGIONAL RECREATION OP:N 57ACc NAJOR POLICY ISSU°_5 A Staff Paper This is a summary discussian of major issues that should be addressed by the Metropolitan Couneil and the Metropotitan Parks and Open Space Comnission as the Council revises its Recreation Open Soaca Polici ?lan during the iall of 1979• The paper, prepared 6y the Council's parRS and open space staff, presents issues ehat ihe Commission and the Council's ?hysicai Development Cammittee have 6ean discussing. These issues affec: ene Council's partnership with ehe counties, munieipalities and special park distric.s to provide a regionai recreation open spaee system. � The intent of this paper is to focus attention of [he Lommission, ehe Councit, loeal governments and the public on formulacinq changes to existinq touncit policy. The issues discussed here, and others raised in response Co [his � paper,. witl be used to prapare an outlinq of tne reviszd Recreation Open Space Pol ity Plan. GENEFt4l BACKGROUNO `4 The MetroQolitan Parks Act oP 7974 directs thac "the N.ecropolitan Cauncil, � after consultacion with the (MetropoliCan ?arks and Ooe� ioace) Lommi;sion, . munieipaiities, park di;triets, and counties ic ,he 1".etrocolitan Area, and � a�ter appropriate puclic iea�ings, shail ore?are and 3GOQC a Iong-renge system .� policy�olan For reaioaal �ecreation epen�;pace as cart o: Cne Councii's �� yetr000litan Develooment Guide." The Iaw further eirae�s :hat�"at least every � four years, the Council shall engage in the comorenenzive review of the pol�i�cy plan, davalopment guide sections, comprehensive plans, aapi w.l improvement ` progrems, and other pl.ans in substantial confornanca wich che requirements of Subdivision 1 which have 6een adopted by the Guncit." � The eurrenc Recreation Open Spaee Poiicy Plan was adw:ad by che MetropoTitsn� � Council in Oecember 1974.' A decision was made co defer review of the poli�cy plan in 1978 (within tM1e four-year Lime limic) ;:a ailow use of the demand/user study information thae was being collected at that tima. This data witl � influence the amount of regional recreation aoen space �lanned in the system, its d�ietribucion, and the timing for developnen; of recreational facilities. The 1974 state law authorixed the Council ro seli uo to 540 million in bonds� � to ac4uire and deveFop regional parklands. In addicion, in 1977 and 1979. the Ieg�isiature eppropA ated a cotal of 554.j million `or regionai parks, �� tra�ils and speciat recreation use facilities. `' There are wrrently 35 regional parks in cne !lecropoti.an Area ooen to the public. About 12,000 acres of park�and have Seen acauired sinee 1574, aed mon chan 5.13 million ha�m btren spnnt on par< inorovener:s sinee Cbat ctme. �