05/19/1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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interoffice M E M O R A N D U M to: Mayor McCarty from: Mary Saarion subject: Athletic Facilities in Mounds View date: May 6, 1998 Attached is an inventory of softball/baseball and soccer fields within the City of Mounds View and who the scheduled user groups are (besides general resident use). The City of Mounds View has been fortunate to have had very conscientious park planners including Parks and Recreation Directors, City Councils and Parks and Recreation Commissioners who have put careful planning into diverse park athletic facilities. We are fortunate to have sufficient amounts of athletic fields for our immediate community - with time and space available for other neighboring communities and user groups. There is an abundance of small softball/baseball fields for ages 10 years and under for baseball and 15 and under for softball in Mounds View. These smaller fields are abundant because most of our neighborhood parks are small in size and only accommodate small fields. On the other extreme, Mounds View has located in it's borders two of the larger baseball fields for 14 -18 year olds complete with mounds, long fences and 90' basepaths. These two are located at Greenfield Park and Edgewood Middle School. It is these larger fields that are in high demand. Unfortunately, both fields are close to residential homes which poses a problem of trespassing foul balls and property damage that results. The dilemma is that the larger baseball fields are in high demand but the location of these two fields are in conflict to adjacent residential properties. Because Irondale High School is so close in proximity to Edgewood Middle School, Silver View Park, Greenfield Park and City Hall Park, all have become regular Iocations for Irondale High School teams as home fields and practice fields. In addition, these same athletic facilities have been meeting the needs of youth athletic associations and in-house recreation programs and activities. The facility that the City of Mounds View is really lacking is gym space. Even with the addition of the Community Center gym, there will still be a demand for uses by adult and youth groups including Irondale Basketball Association (both girl and boy programs), Irondale Volleyball Association, adult basketball and volleyball programs and other uses such as line -dancing, gymnastics, floor hockey, karate, open gyms, fitness activities, etc. I believe that Edgewood Middle School could offer many more opportunities for student participation in intramural sports after school if additional gym spaces were available. You see current! IH.S comes over and uses Ed est►oorl Middle ,Ychool nrs or van. i sorts leaving nos ace or middle school intramural o recreation activity after school. While the Community Center gym will be able to provide programs and activities, it will in no way be able to handle the demand for gym space