10-24-2013 Agenda and Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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1/1 Item No. 8A M E M O R A N D U M To: Parks & Recreation & Forestry Commissioners From: Nick DeBar – Director of Public Works Date: October 24, 2013 RE: Discuss Disc Golf Course Modifications at Silver View Park Over the past few months, the Commission has been discussing issues and concerns with the disc golf course usage its impact on Silver View Park. These impacts include damage to trees and vegetation, soil erosion of banks and ditches, and littering problems. The public was invited to attend the June Commission meeting to learn about these impacts and provide any input into the discussion. Overall, the public input was in favor of keeping the course. Over the course of the last couple years, several of the holes have been relocated or removed to avoid significant trees and to restore areas. Most recently, Hole No. 6 was removed due to the significant bank erosion along the ditch, and Hole No. 4 was removed to construct the new playground. The removal of these two holes seemed to reduce the number of disc golfers using the course, allowing restoration efforts to occur. At the September Commission meeting, Public Works asked if the Commission was interested in revisiting the previous proposal of a disc golf course at Greenfield Park Preserve. Commissioners were not interested in revisiting this proposal but were interested in keeping disc golf in some form at Silver View Park. A major problem with the current layout is the disc golfing traversing and interfering with other recreation activities at the park, whereby creating encroachments and safety issues related to errant discs. The current layout has some level of interference with volleyball, basketball, snow sledding, playground, horse shoes, soccer, hiking, and trail use – all in addition to the environmental concerns mentioned above. Public Works has evaluated the best location for disc golf and recommends constructing a new course in the northwest portion of the park (see attached exhibit). This area is not utilized now and is generally wooded and level ground. Locating the course in the northwest corner will not interfere with any other recreational use in the park. Reconstructing the course will provide the opportunity to have the start and end of the course be located near the same point. It is suggested that the horse shoe pits be relocated to the old playground location and have the existing horse shoe pits be staging for beginning and ending the course. To accomplish this, the course could run up towards County Road I and loop back to the starting point. No motion or action is needed by Commissioners for this item. If Commissioners agree with this concept, a proposed layout and cost estimate will be prepared and reviewed with the Commission at a future meeting.