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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/16/1989CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA CALL TO ORDER MARCH 16, 1989 6:30 P.M. MOUNDS VIEW CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS IX. REVIEW OF FEBRUARY 16, 1989 MINUTES IV INTRODUCTION OF MR. GREG MACK, RAMSEY COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR ail" 1pl6u�t r 6A AGENDA ADDITIONS Ary VI. �. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT VI. COUNCILMEMBER'S REPORT VII. OAKWOOD PARK IMPROVEMENTS VIII. SILVER VIEW PARK PICNIC SHELTER IX. ADJOURNMENT MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW COUNTY OF RAMSEY STATE OF MINNESOTA February 16, 1989 6:30 p.m. Mounds View City Hall Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:33 p.m. by Chairperson Wayne Burmeister. ROLL CALL Commissioners present: Silvis, Long, Stevenson, Starr and Burmeister Staff present: Director Saarion and Administrative Assistant Linke APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Silvis, seconded by Commissioner Long to approve the January 26, 1989 minutes as written. Motion carried; 5 ayes, 0 nayes. AGENDA ADDITIONS Director Saarion invited the Commission to attend the March 3 Goal Setting Session to be held at the Shoreview Holiday Inn from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. The Commissioners will have this opportunity to share parks and recreation goals at the session. Commissioner Silvis stated that he was in favor of a dedicated tax levy for park maintenance. Commissioner Stevenson felt that the City needs to assign one or two park maintenance workers specifically to parks tasks to improve consistency in park maintenance. The Commission also indicated that their 1989-90 goal would be the improvement of Oakwood Park. Commissioner Silvis also added that another goal is the expansion and upgrade of the trail systems within the City. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT None COUNCILMEMBER'S REPORT Councilmember not present. FORESTER'S REPORT Forester Wriskey was unable to attend due to the death of his father. Parks and Recreation Commission February 16, 1989 minutes Page two SNOW SPECTACULAR Director Saarion reviewed the turn -out for Snow Spectacular. She stated that due to limited publicity because of the lack of snow, it was not well attended. Perhaps the event is better held in January . Staff, however will continue to offer the event. REVIEW OF 1988-89 SKATING SEASON Director Saarion stated that rinks will continue to be open through "Winter Break". After that time, Public Works will continue to plow and sweep, but park buildings will not be open. Staff also indicated that there were some problems at Woodcrest during the Irondale "Ice Age" week with broomball teams parking cars all over the park, and some abuse to the shelter. Solutions to this problem will be pursued. PUBLIC MEETING WITH OAKWOOD RESIDENTS Director Saarion requested comments and proposed changes to a letter and short questionaire to be sent to residents surrounding Oakwood Park. After Commission discussion and changes, the Commission approved the letter and questionaire. Staff stated that the letter would be sent prior to the public meeting to be held in March. UPDATE ON "FESTIVAL IN THE PARK" Director Saarion informed the Commission that the "Rockin Hollywoods" 50's and 60's band had been contracted to perform at the "Festival in the Park" scheduled for September 17, 1989. She also stated that the Council had approved $3,500 - $4,000 for fireworks. Letters to organizations have been sent out requesting help and offering suggestions for fundraising activities at the Festival. SLIDE PRESENTATION Slide presentation of winter activities. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Commissioner Silvis, seconded by Commissioner Starr to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, May S ari�onD i rector Parks, Recreation and Forestry MS/SL DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, RECREATION AND FORESTRY March 8, 1989 Ci q Of v [Qw RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA 2401 HIGHWAY10 MOUNDS VIEW, MINN. 55112 784-3055 Dear Parks and Recreation Commissioners: The March 16 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting is the one that the residents living around Oakwood Park have been invited to attend. I am hoping that we will have a great turn -out. I have kept the agenda purposely light so that plenty of time can be spent on brainstorming and discussions regarding Oakwood Park improvements. Also, Mr. Greg Mack will be visiting at the beginning of the meeting to introduce himself to the Commission. Unlike his predessors, Mr. Mack is very interested in becoming an active listener to the needs, interests and wants of the city parks and recreation affairs throughout the county. This is a great opportunity to meet and discuss county -wide parks and recreation issues with Mr. Mack. Again, if you are unable to attend the meeting, please call and notify me at 784-3055. Sincerely, Mary Saarion, Director Parks, Recreation and Forestry MS/SL Enclosure r February 27, 1989 Dear Mounds View Resident: Ci 4 of V RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA 2401 HIGHWAY 10 MOUNDS VIEW, MINN. 55112 784-3055 Oakwood Park is due for improvement in 1989 according to a long- range parks plan. As you well know, Oakwood Park has been stripped of everything but a small youth athletic field. The Parks and Recreation Commission will soon begin planning Oakwood Park re -development. WE NEED YOUR INPUT. For this reason, you are invited to attend the Thursday, March 16th, Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please complete the enclosed questionnaire and return it to City Hall before March 16th. In this way, your interests and ideas will be known. Sincerely, Wayne Burmeister, Chairperson Mounds View Parks and Recreation Commission WB/mf Enclosure OAKWOOD PARK IMPROVEMENT QUESTIONAIRE 1. Please check those facilities listed below that you prefer at Oakwood Park. Then, prioritize those that you have checked (with #1 being highest priority and so on). Thank you. Picnic Shelter Picnic Tables and Grills Horseshoe Pits Playground Equipment Exercise Course Sandlot Volleyball Court Softball Field Soccer Field Tennis Court Hardcourt Surface Area (Basketball Court) Bicycle/Foot Path Landscaping Benches Drinking Fountain Other: 2. It has been noted that parking on Oakwood Drive during youth athletic games becomes very dangerous. The two-way parking allows only single lane passage. Also, it is difficult to see children and residents do not appreciate crowded front -yard parking. Therefore the options are: Option #1 - Allow parking only on the park side of Oakwood Drive, Quincy Street and Hillview Road. This means that "No Parking" would be allowed on the south side of Oakwood Drive and west side of Quincy Street. The disadvantage to this is that parking for residents' company would have to be across the street. Option #2 - The second option is to allow parking on the south side or across the street from Oakwood Park. The disadvantage of this is that residents have cars parked along their front yards and children must cross the street to get to their cars from the park. What option do you choose for improving the dangerous parking situation at Oakwood Park? Option #1 [ l Option #2 [ l MEMO TO: MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS FROM: MARY SAARION, DIRECTOR 0 PARKS, RECREATION AND FORESTRY DATE: FEBRUARY 16, 1989 SUBJECT: QUARTERLY REPORT: AN OVERVIEW OF PART-TIME OR SEASONAL EMPLOYEES IN PARKS, RECREATION AND FORESTRY The many activities offered through the Mounds View Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department are possible only because of the interest and commitment of over 218 part-time employees. These employees are from all walks of life from college professors, teachers, college students to persons with special talents and skills, high school students, accountants and social workers. One common characteristic of all these people is that they enjoy working with other people. They enjoy sharing their skills, knowledge and interests. These employees devote hours and hours of unpaid planning, preparation and training time. Many positions require yearly certification fees and training time commitment. What does the City have to offer these people? 1. An opportunity to share their interests and skills. 2. A leisure recreational outlet. 3. An opportunity to influence and benefit people's leisure lives. 4. Extra spending money. 5. An opportunity to expand ones skill or interest. 6. An opportunity to play a part of a son or daughter's athletic participation. 7. An opportunity to experiment being in the leadership/teaching role to better understand ones future career choices. 8. Satisfaction knowing that you helped people enjoy an activity because of the leadership or teaching commitment that was provided. Here is an overview of the 1988 part-time/seasonal employees: - 23 employees were high school students - 68 employees were college students -a- - 77 employees were persons holding full-time positions in professional, technical or trade areas - 48 were volunteers, mostly parents of children participating in youth athletics. A typical volunteer donates approximately six hours per week or over 50 hours total during an eight week season to youth activities including NYSCA certification, practices, games and special events. MS/MF Park Noter A newsletter of the Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks 1621 Beechwood Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 698-4.543 Volume 3, Number 1 February, 1989 Burlington Northern , The proposed Burlington Northern recreational trail, a six mile abandoned railroad right -of way passing through "Swede Hollow" connecting downtown Saint Paul and the river wig Corridor Issue Remains an extensive trail system heading both North and East remains an unresolved controversy. Unresolved During the hotand dusty summerof'88 the potential availability of the abandoned Burlingtor Background: line as a recreational trail stired considerable enthusiasm among park and trail users. The corridor seemed such a natural that state, county, and city trail planners all assumed it would eventually become "the missing link" in the St. Paul -Ramsey County trail system. Since nc money was budgeted for purchase, plans remained largely just that ... plans. Although there was some sense of urgency, that sense of urgency turned into frantic action when the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDO'I) began filling an area to build a land ridge through the corridor rather than construct abridge over the area. MNDOT considered the land bridge to be an economical alternative because of lower construction and mainte- nance costs. I supporters including the City of St. Paul Parks Division called foul. They clain roper procedures were used by MNDOT in deciding to fill the area and insisted nped trailway MNDOT intended to leave through the area was inadequate and unaesthi dangerous. MNDOT agreed to alter their design, provided St. Paul picked up the tab, l ion dollars. Elected Officials Join the Bruce Vento, long a trail advocate, entered the debate with additional information: since ti highway project is 90% federally funded and Federal- Aid Highway funds can be used for Fray viable recreational corridor, MNDOT could seek federal funding for the project rather iha utilize scarce St. Paul parks funds. , Representative Phyllis Kahn addressed Transportation Commissioner Len Levine, nding $1.07 (million) from the city and not taking advantage of available fel mrsement programs, it gives the appearance that MNDOT is purposefully or thri ,ntion thwarting the intent of both the federal highway program and the Minnesota lature. It is important for you to pursue acceptable alternatives both to facilitate this le link and to avoid, the appearance of foot dragging and obstructionism...." PARK NOTES goes to press there has been no indication that MNDOT intends to po leral funds. If those funds are not received, only the State Legislature can spare St. idents the financial burden. Walkways to get Fresh Sidewalk, bikeway, path, greenway, linear parks, ...shopping mall? Walkways are among Look subtle amenities of the Metro area which often escape notice, except when not props lighted, obscured with unsightly litter, or left unshoveled. Craig Evens, President of Long Lake Regional Park Be a Real Friend If this were funded on a pay-as-you-go basis the tax increase on a home valued & $68,000 would be$7.54, on a$100,000 home would be $16.42 ie: the value of a movie, popcorn and cola for two. This proposal calls for the state to continue to fund operational and maintenance costs and regional tax payers to fund acquisition and development. "We don't know what funding plan will ultimately prevail. For the sake of our wonderful parks system it is important that we do not continue the status quo. Now it is watch -it -go, not pay-as-you-go. Construction of the new picnic pavilion at Long Lake is underway and is scheduled for completion by summer. The pavilion, to accommodate up to 300 people, will be equipped with full kitchen facilities. Secondary usage will include day camping with storage space and accommodations for groups to utilize for a base of operations. The building is situation on a hill about one half mile from the beach and will be connected by a hiking path. The final Phase for Long Lake includes a creative play area and ball fields adjacent to the picnic area. If Metropolitan Council funds are received this phase will be completed in 1990. Long Lake is located within New Brighton and Mounds View. It is bounded by county Road H, Old Highway 8, I-694, and Long Lake. Become a Friend! Imagine that the determined finger of Uncle Park is pointed at you saying, "I Need YOU". If you have not already become a member, decide now to help preserve, protect and enhance our St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks. A basic membership is $10 with supporting memberships at $20, $25 or ? Please mail your check to: The Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks, 1621 Beechwood Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116. Your contribution is tax deductible. The Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks 1621 Beechwood Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 Return Address Requested Mary Saarion Park & Recreation Director Mounds View City Hall 2401 Highway 10 Mounds View, MN 55112 Non -Profit, Org. U.S. Postage Paid St. Paul,MN Permit No. 3413 2 Walkways Center, Washington, D.C. wants to change that. He wants urban walkways to be not only safe, but pleasant and well used. Evens visited Minneapolis and St. Paul recently to talk with officials about improving the usability of this resource. He offered to act as a coordinator in promoting trails and walkways here. He indicated he chose the Twin Cities because of the existence of apathway system around the Minneapolis lakes, a system he believes will make it easier to promote other walk ways. Businesses Support Plan The SL Paul Downtown Council has a plan of its own. They have coordinated efforts with downtown businesses and the City in designating Wabasha Street as a major walkway. According to Don Rutman of Rogers Jewelers, "In May the Downtown Council will unveil Wabasha Street as a major walkway. Wabasha links the State Capitol, science museum, retail core, Kellogg Mall Park and the Mississippi riverfront. I think the thousands of city walkers will be delighted with our new streetscape improvements. Downtown businesses have been involved in planning the project and are sharing in 40% of the costs. We are also developing a plan for walkway maintenance. No one wants to stroll amongst the litter. But an amble down a clean, bright, perhaps flower lined street? That sounds nice." Banners, to be installed in March on the tall light poles will announce civic events. Other elements of the new streetscape include an information kiosk, events calendar, business directories and public art. Decorative lighting will be installed on Wabasha and 5th and 6th streets between St. Peter and Wabasha to help link Rice Park with the center of downtown. Flower baskets are slated for the decorative light poles starting in May. Wabasha may not compete with the skyway in February, but come May? A coalition of government agencies, residential and commercial developers, conservation groups and sports groups recently formed a unique group, the Wetlands Group to address the unique problems all of these groups face when dealing with wetlands in the seven county metro area. Wetland Group Forms Wetlands are nothing special, really. A wetland is a bog or marsh that is flooded or temporarily flooded from time to time and has water -tolerant vegetation and habitat for waterfowl and other species seldom seen on higher ground. Although there are more than 93,000 acres of wetlands complete with their abundance of plants and wildlife in the Metro area it is estimated that as many acres have already been lost to development. In years past, wetlands were viewed as unproductive breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Areas better filled in and built upon. Now highway planners, developers and naturalists agree, filling every sliver of wetland has disastrous implications for the environment. Paul Burke, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, indicated that the Wetlands Group will provide a forum to exchange information on wetlands locations and value early in the planning process so that public interests can be represented in the decision making process. The Service is currently in the process of inventorying metropolitan wetlands and calculating the rate of loss. This information will help the Wetlands Group balance the relative values of wetlands and development. Some wetlands are protected by state regulation. The classification of the wetlands as well as the regulations that protect them were established when much less was known of the true value of wetlands. Those wetlands which are currently protected are a small minority of the total number of acres in the seven county area. Park Notes is published quarterly by the Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks. Editors are Peggy Lynch and Jeanne Welgum. For additional information call (612) 698-4543. 3 Park Usage Up 13,154,600 people visited aregional park during 1988. That total, according to a Metropolitan ouncil survey, is up 10 percent from 1987. On average, park use increased 7 percent annually rv tween 1974 and 1987. From 1982 to 1988 annual visits in the regional parks increased by er 4 million visitors. Minnesota's 4 million residents use a regional park just over three mes each year. existing regional park system encompasses approximately 45,000 acres in 29 parks, V reserves and four regional trail corridors. The Metropolitan Council, through th+ ropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission coordinates planning and financing of th+ anal parks system in partnership with ten implementing agencies: the cities of Blooming Minneapolis, and St. Paul; and the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennipen isey, Scott, and Washington. 90% of regional park users live in the metropolitan area. Park Financing is `Acquisition, development and maintenance of the regional park system has slid from the f the agenda where it was with the passage the Metropolitan Parks Act in 1974 to a posit Growing Problem 3f benign neglect," said Peggy Lynch, Executive Director of the Friends of the Parks w1 eviewing the history and future of funding options for the system. 1974 the Metropolitan Council was authorized to sell $40 million in bonds each bienni regional park acquisition and development. During the last 15 years the purchasing po, that $40 million has dropped by 50 percent because of inflation. But that is not the ws Nem. Since 1981 the average appropriation per biennium has been $14.5 million not.' Ilion. Although the Metropolitan Council asked the 1987 legislature for $31 million pital improvement funding despite an actual need for $50 million, the legislature au thori. ly $9.5 million. (An additional $6 million was allocated for the acquisition of the new L hnetonka Regional Park.) Acquisition Slows n 1975 the regional park system contained 40,000 acres. From 1975 to 198014,000 ac Cres were acquired. Since 1981 less than 1,000 acres have been acquired. The Met rstimates a need to purchase 10,800 additional acres by the year 2000. arks are not static. Use, over use and changed life styles necessitate improvements Capital Improvement acilities. Today capital improvement needs total $190 Million. Some examples: Needs omo Park Zoo $5.7 million onservatory $7 million omo Park redevelopment 19.3 million halen Regional Park path separation $1.5 million Vfississippi Gorge Regional Park $2 million 'dden Falls/Crosby Park $6 million _ illydale-Harriet Island Regional Park $33 million urlington Northern Trail cost unknown. t present funding rates it will take nearly 20 years to complete the improvements at Com cl ark alone! Alternative Funding housing for the homeless, drug education, aids, and airport noise have pushed parks from e funding lists, the need to seek reliable funding is necessary to avoid the deteoriation of the ark system. "Park acquisition and development must be considered a basic service an imply stated, a basic service deserves a basic funding source." According to Bob Piram Director of St. Paul Parks and Recreation. ne proposal being "floated" as a trial balloon is a property tax. The Metropolitan Counci stimates it will cost $250 million over a ten year period to complete the regional park system i MEMO TO: MARY SAARION, DIRECTOR PARKS, RECREATION AND FORESTRY FROM: RICK WRISKEY, FORESTER DATE: MARCH 9, 1989 SUBJECT: CUTTING OF PUSSY WILLOWS AT SILVER VIEW PARK It appears that a group of at least five people (some on snowshoes) spent six hours last weekend cutting pussy willow branches in the area northwest of Scotland Green (Silver View Park) . These were not your bouquet only type folks. Based on what I saw, my guess would be that they are selling the branches for forcing to florists, etc. A complaining resident said they had bundles. I told her to call the police the next time it happens. The cutting shouldn't hurt the given trees much. I would think that all this is a matter of principle. There were also old cuts, so it's been going on for years. Just thought you would want to know. RFW/SLL Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development Ms. Mary Saarion 2401 Highway 10 Mounds View, MN 55112 RE: Celebrate Minnesota 1990 Grant City of Mounds View Dear Ms. Saarion: Office of the Commissioner 900 American Center 150 East Kellogg Boulevard St. Paul, MN 55101-1421 612/296-6424 Fax: 612/296-1290 February 27, 1989 I am very pleased to inform you that your community application for a Celebrate Minnesota 1990 Grant has been approved for funding. This application was one of 84 to be selected for an award. Everyone involved in the preparation of this application can justifiably be proud of a job,well done. Our Community Development staff will soon be extending a grant offer of $4,084.00 to the City of Mounds View. They will be providing you with additional information about your grant award and will do all they can to help you achieve your goals. For additional information contact Louis Jambois at 612/297-3172. Finally, let me extend my congratulations to you for developing an outstanding project which will assist in preparing your community for your local 1990 celebration. Our Celebrate Minnesota 1990 staff looks forward to your continued success and to publicizing your celebration activities. You will be contacted regarding road signs and other benefits. CM/7-CP Sincerely, David J. per Commissioner An Equal Opportunity Employer Parks & Recreation Landfills Become Landscapes: The American Park Revolution As a greater number of landfills are closed, American cities and counties are looking more seriously at converting the space into park and recreation areas. ack in the 1960s and 1970s, the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Ill., had a difficult problem: finding badly needed space to locate park and recreation facilities in the densely populated area bordering Lake Michigan. Land values in the city are high, and because of the large pop- ulation, tracts of land big enough to ac- commodate parks never became avail- able. To solve this dilemma, Evanston used a resource usually regarded as a liabil- ity: the municipal landfill. To date, the city, whose 75,000 residents reside on nine square miles, has built three parks on top of closed landfills. This practice not only saved the city the cost of ac- quiring land (which, in Evanston, is not available in any case), but also con- verted an eyesore into an attractive and functional landscape. Evanston, however, is not the only municipality that has faced this prob- lem. Cities and counties across the na- tion are being challenged by a growing demand for parks and recreational fa- cilities, coupled with little or no fund- ing to acquire land for them. Most large wooded areas are located too far from heavily populated areas to be of use to urban residents, yet few urban environ- ments, such as Evanston, have enough land to build new parks in convenient locations. This dilemma is being accompanied 48 By Dan Treadaway, Associate Editor by another difficult problem for local governments: the closing of a large number of landfills. The U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency (EPA) esti- mates that 6,000 landfills will reach their capacity and close by 1992. While both these situations are caus- ing plenty of headaches for local lead- ers, they also present an opportunity to devise creative solutions. Converting closed landfills into park and recrea- tional areas is one solution cities and counties have been using at an increas- ing rate during the past several years. While local governments have been turning landfills into parks for the past 15 to 20 years, only in the past few years have a significant number turned to this option. Because the individual states are responsible for issuing landfill permits, federal agencies such as the EPA have no precise data on how many local parks in the United States origi- nally were landfills. However, many parks and recreation and solid waste disposal experts agree that the number has been large enough in recent years to make landfill -to -park conversion a sig- nificant trend. Converting landfills to parks "has become a very common practice," says Lanny Hickman, executive director of the Government Refuse Collection and Disposal Association. "It's one of the features that will help sell a landfill" to nearby residents who might oppose it. "As a nation, we are producing an ever-increasing amount of solid waste, while at the same time, there is a de- creasing number of sites available for creation of new parks," says Barry Tin- dall, director of public policy for the National Recreation and Park Associa- tion. "Inasmuch as these are trends, secondary uses, such as conversion to parks, follow as parallel trends. I keep hearing enough references made to landfills being converted to parks that. if it is not a trend, it is certainly a highly popular, techAically feasible land use." Don Wirth, Evanston's director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, says a 35 -acre park in the city is the result of a decision made in the 1960s when the landfill under it was opened. The $' million park, built in the late 1970s anc the third in Evanston to be converter from a landfill, features small hills for sledding and tobogganing, a soccer field, basketball and tennis courts, playground, a small shelter with rest - rooms, and a 28 -space parking lot. Wirth says a two -foot clay barrie: was placed on top of the landfill's gar bage to create an impenetrable surface The park's only shelter also is well ven tilated to prevent concentrations o methane gas from forming, a situation that can lead to an explosion. "It would have been impossible fo us to site new parks and acquire th land," says Wirth. "Converting th American City & County/March 198, 0 --- _ ."�_.�:'- = �� -� •'' .•.'.�ry� ;meq+ i l v }r: i a, 71' "`� t'� � ..+5' w - �`ar�M•�!+�'„' •{�+•y��l �Jya.� : L ,• r .. pi III if ION k e � .-� . •'Y{�E t �:� -'�:' .- ..�� .y -.rte- rr [ _ I�3 �y ! .i� +' '�^" �i.. � i - •a��.cul `•'1 r� . �� �. R . �.� r 4 ` ..� Y � y� 4 ��z7A•'�rr •.�kP ..i � '+rX r r x ^� •3 . a�. � �i ■ � 7s • f ]. - - µ �. •+�s }• . r::,� • � f%'�"r }� ,�• . f n� ,� �'iTl•1id 'Y,, landfills into parks was the only way we had to create park and recreation areas." Florida is another area where land- fills are becoming parks at a healthy pace. One solid waste management and engineering company alone currently is working on six landfill -to -park projects in four Florida counties. Miami -based Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan also has recently responded to a request for qualifications for providing the same services for six closed landfills in Jack- sonville, Fla. Additionally, the firm is closing a 130 -acre landfill in Broward County, Fla. Sam Levin, assistant manager of the company's Solid and Hazardous Waste Division, says the first phase of the Broward County project includes closing a sanitary landfill, trash landfill and sludge lagoon, which is a Super. fund cleanup site. The second phase of the project in- cludes building a park on the closed site. Landfill closure includes selection of a capping technique designed to min- imize infiltration of rainfall, while also being compatible with a park. The de- sign includes a landfill gas collection system with special emphasis on recov. ery and sale of methane in the landfill gas. The methane also will be used to generate electricity for the park. Levin says when the park is com- pleted, it will feature equestrian activi- Making'an investment in unicipal tree maintenance budgets are up against some stiff competition. Police, fire, -street improve~ p" merit and municipal utility programs are just a few of the services that agencies must fund. In the face of this competition, eight California cities Burlingame, Encinitas, Milpitas, Orange, Redondo Beach, Riverside, Santa Ana and Sunnyvale — conducted street tree inventories to find out exactly what they were budgeting for. The massive amount of information confirms what the tree managers of these cities already suspected: street trees are a valuable city asset deserving serious consideration in the an- :' nual budget. Many cities have policies that acknowledge the contribu- tion. of trees to the quality of life. "Without a good tree population, the aesthetic value of the city itself diminishes greatly," says Milpitas Parks Supervisor Dorn Driggs. En- cinitas and Sunnyvale are including tree preservation as part of their municipal policy statement. Sunnyvale Parks Su- pervisor Doug Mello agrees that trees are a valuable city as- set..."Trees take precedence over sidewalks and sewers,," he says. in the past, placing. a do[€ar value on trees was an elusive goal_ The time required to grow a tree and the fact that large trees vi:. ruaily are impossible to replace made the task diffi- t ,: cult;'The methods used today to estimate tree value Rave 6egust to produce some positive results for urban forestry A_'incl are beginning to be recognized by the judicial system. '_Street tree value, similar to- that placed on street infrastruc- ture, schools and park facilities, can have an impact on tree maintenance budgets. "Dollars influence decision-mak- ing," says less Garcia.. Street and Park Tree Superintendent for Orange. With an information management perspective, the dollar value of each city's street tree population can be deter- mined- etermined- The method developed by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers has become a standard for determin- ing tree value and is the method used for each of these cit- ies. This method considers the species, size, condition and Iocation of each tree inventoried. The total value of the street tree resource varies from al- most 54 million in Old Towne Orange {a special historical district) to more than $200 million in Riverside. The for- mula considers all trees inventoried to be favorable species in fair condition.. The components of a tree population have a direct im- pact on the overall value. The average value of individual trees is about $1,700. In the eight communities, individual s0 ties, and nature appreciation and edu- cational activities. Included are areas for picnicking and open recreation; trails for horseback riding, walking, bi- cycling, jogging and fitness training; areas for fishing and boating; and sce- nic overlooks from one of the highest points in South Florida. While converting landfills to parks is revered for eliminating unsightly land- fills and making wise use of space, it also can spur economic growth in a floundering community. This was the case in Southwest Char- lotte, N.C., where the city, along with a local engineering firm, Woolpert Con- sultants, transformed a municipal land- fill into the York Road Renaissance y :x. Municipal Tres tree values ranged from $730 in Milpitas to $2,242 in Riv- erside, which has far more mature trees than any other city surveyed. Milpitas, on the other hand, probably has the youngest tree population. Cities such as Milpitas have the potential for large in creases in tree value. Currently, its tree resource is valued at almost $7 million. If the value of individual trees were to increase to the average found in the survey, the total value . of its tree resource would. be $16 million. Trees are expected to increase in value from 5 to 15 percent each year simply due to growth. :. Sunnyvale annually spends about $30 per tree on mainte- nance- This investment maintains a resource valued at $900. Slightly more than 3 percent of each tree's value is spent on maintenance,while the resource value grows a minimum of 5 percent annually due to growth and maintenance. In Santa Ana, the difference in the amount invested in tree mainte- nance and the return on the investment is more dramatic. About $25 is spent on each tree for maintenance. The value of the average tree in Santa Ana is about $1,500. The $25 invested returns $80 annually- This is a 220 percent turn- around on the tree maintenance dollar_ Scheduled maintenance is the key to: obtaining sheet tree resource value increases. Tree growth is controlled in such a way as to provide vigorous healthy trees_ Such trees can be expected to increase in value_ �'� `:.:• .,, =:,;_ -_, :•.•The tree resource stabilizes from consistent and effective management. The number of removals and replacement plantings is small and evenly distributed from year to year. Tree maintenance is routine with little need for unscheduled or emergency work- When this point is reached. value in- creases will be smaller. But even small increases would likely match the tree maintenance budget. Instead of "making money" for the city, the tree maintenance department - "breaks even.".. . The ability of the municipal tree resource to increase in ' value rather than depreciate makes it unique among city as- sets- "A tree maintenance budget needs to seriously address =; the value of urban trees because it is an asset that cannot be ' replaced," says Ken Dyer, Redondo Beach parks superin- tendent. "A building can be destroyed and replaced in kind. but a tree cannot." ❑ ' This article was written by Clay Martin of Golden Coast Environmental Services, Irvine, Calif. American City & County/March 1989 Community Park. The park includes an 18 -hole golf course with driving range, putting greens and clubhouse, a 17 - court tennis center and clubhouse, five illuminated softball fields and four lighted soccer fields. Charlotte Parks Superintendent Thomas McDermott says the new park and a new adjacent coliseum are en- couraging economic growth in the once stagnant area. McDermott says the new facilities have attracted a number of businesses and caused land values to in- crease. Woolpert also is working on a mas- sive landfill -to -park project in Prince George's County, Md., just outside Washington, D.C. The county's former 220 -acre sanitary landfill has been closed and transformed into outdoor recreational facilities, bicycle and hik- ing trails and a custom contoured am- phitheater. The project is expected to help revitalize the surrounding area. The firm prepared plans for four for- mer landfill sites in the Ohio cities of Westerville, Moraine, Springfield and Newton. All four projects, which in- cluded athletic fields, picnic shelters, biking paths, basketball courts and A Renaissance in harlo�te outhwest Charlotte. N -C.. has to prevent methane gas from escap- managed to kill two birds with .. ing. It also is monitoring groundwa- one stone. The proverbial stone 'ter around the former landfill site for that the city threw managed not only the next few decades. to rid the region: of its unsightly Almost more exciting to the com- landfill that was dangerously nearing munity than the York Road Renais,- capacity, but also resulted in the sante Community Park itself is the cons"ction of a massive recrea- expected revitalization it is sparking tional park right where the Iandfill in the economy of Southwest Char - previously was Iocated. This over- _..,. lotte. Thomas McDermott, superin- haul, called the York Road Renais- tendent of parks, is very upbeat sante Community Park. not only is ,. about the emerging prospects. "The .-park, in concert with a new adjacent =k coliseum, is doing a fine job of spur- ;;Aul[rjr(fyp]-ring the economy into shape." Ai- r�ready,; hotels and business parks xof ,Merit -Zna have Sprung up around the inlmedI- ' mate area. -"The coliseum has at- ..:. tracted a, tremendous amount of; bringing about a resurgence in the business," he lays. "Land values area's economy, but earned first ,"'have skyrocketed in that area." place in the parks and recreation : -.The fume of Southwest Charlotte -• category of the 1999 Amadcan_City.`} ..looks positive. York Road Renais— & County Awards of Merit- lance Community Park promises to - ,The idea to transform the Landfill.:: attract a slew of businesses and into a park belongs to the Charlotte s'A'dentia[ developments. With this in- :;•, -: Parks and Recreation Department.Nflux::of. people and businesses that ', and dates back to 1981. Actual con- Y` depend'ort• each other for goods and 'struction of the park began. in. 1986 i• 4�services, McDermott sees no early I+rgid and the results are becoming evident to the growth potential for the. ,• now. The park boasts an 18 -hole golf. =�`" man; `the whole thing is working.:- course with driving range. putting•-' together.". he says. "Everythin9 is'ir greens and clubhouse, a 17 -court -" feeding off of itsetf." tennis center and clubhouse, five U-.,- • .,: What had once been a languishing tuminated softball fields and four . region in Charlotte has been turned lighted soccer fields- A completion around and set on its feet due to the date for the latter two features and innovative ideas of some concerned for the park as a whole is set for the .; community Ieaders. York Road Re_ end of this summer. The project will ' Inaissance Community Park has cost approximately $15 million and proven to be a renaissance for this small fees will be charged to park•.,•: section of town. A park replaced a users_ fandfilI, progress replaced stagna- The developers, Wooipert Consul- .: tion, and Southwest Charlotte has tants, were meticulous in their plan- •= become a brand new region, amthet- ning and construction procedurm ically and economically. ❑ Domestic waste, the chief ingredient in the former landfill, measured 30 by ' 80 feet. Consequently, under the This article war written by John Aguilar, tees and greens on the golf course, editorial assistant for American City & the firm installed polyethylene liners County. 52 other features, made a significant con- tribution to sparking economic growth in their communities. Potential problems Although landfill -to -park project i be a catalyst for economic growth and generally have excellent environmental safety records, there are several prob- lems that can develop if strict guidelines are not followed in closing the landfill and constructing the park. One of the most common is the emission of meth- ane gas from the landfill. If the gas be- comes too heavily concentrated in a small area, an explosion can result. "Methane gas is only dangerous when it Even the best landfills may require ongoing maintenance control to counteract settling effects. is contained in a closed structure," says Gary Stewart, an associate partner with Woolpert Consultants and project man- ager for the Chariotte park. "In an open environment, it is not danger- ous." To avoid these problems, most parks converted from landfills are equipped with methane gas collection systems. The gas often is sold to a local utility which uses it to generate electricity. Settling of the garbage in a landfill also can be a Difficult problem, causing the park's ground to shift. Stewart says settling usually is not a problem in pic- nic areas and open spaces, but can do a great deal of damage to buildings and paved surfaces. He advises against con- structing any major buildings or paved surfaces, including tennis and basket- ball courts, directly on top of fill areas. Even the best -designed landfills may require ongoing maintenance control to counteract the effects of settling. Dale Larson, assistant director of Parks, Recreation and Libraries for Phoenix, Ariz., says that buildings constructed on top of fill areas need to be secured with pilings driven into the ground at very high pressures and compaction, m:' 'ng the: structure "almost an island." Another possible area of concern in- volves trees planted on soil covering a landfill. Allen Geswein, an EPA envi- ronmental engineer, says that if a land - American City & County/March 1989 fill is closed with a cap that is not im- permeable, tree roots can penetrate the cap. "The trees tend to die when meth- ane gas suffocates their roots," he says. —, During construction of the second ;vanston park, trees were planted di- rectly into landfill material. "This caused many of them to experience ex- tremely slow or stunted growth, while others remained in generally poor health, or simply died," Wirth says. During construction of its next park over a landfill, extra soil and plant ma- terials were added to protect the trees, which did grow properly. Perhaps the most disturbing potential hazard with landfill -to -park conversion is the possibility that hazardous or toxic wastes were placed in the landfill before it was closed. Ed Repa, deputy director of waste disposal programs for the Na- tional Solid Waste Management Asso- ciation, says that before the 1979 Re- source Conservation and Recovery Act, a lot of hazardous waste was co -min- gled with municipal solid waste, making the transformation of such sites into parks more difficult and expensive. "New engineering technologies have been able to turn hazardous sites into parks and even housing developments," says Repa. "It can be done, but at what cost?" The problem of hazardous wastes is much more significant with older landfills than with those opened Ifter 1979. "With some of the older, poorly run landfills, the end use was not as important a consideration as simply finding a suitable landfill site," he says. "The main thing you have to worry about is what's been put into (the land- fill) before," says Tindall. "Some sites are quite old and pre -date the modern, stricter controls over toxics." He says there are some state parks where as much as six inches of soil has had to be added to the existing cover because of hazardous waste concerns. "There have been some places where recreational uses have been encouraged that are risky," says Tindall. "There are probably public recreation areas and parks that shouldn't be on those (for- mer landfill) sites, but they just aren't jumping out at us as a problem." Public pefeepticns The possibility of hazardous wastes having been buried under the park may be the landfill -to -park issue that con- cerns the public the most. "There is far more public concern (connected with landfill -to -park conversion) over illegal i "The public is happy to see what would otherwise be wasted space put to good use." toxic dumping than any other related issue," Tindall says. He adds there should be broadly understood public assurances that a landfill site is safe for park conversion well before construc- tion. Repa does not believe the guarantee . of a park as an end use for a proposed landfill can mitigate long-standing pub- lic opposition to them. "The NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome is so strong, and people have become so anti any waste facility, that nothing you do will help overcome that, no matter what the proposed end use," he says. Levin says, however, that citizens usually welcome the idea of building a park over a landfill. "This works beau- tifully with the public," he says. "They are happy to see what would otherwise be wasted space put to good use." "These parks have been used just as much as we had expected," says Wirth, "just as any other park in Evanston would have been used. I have seen no documented evidence, nor have I heard any comments about public reluctance to use the parks because they were built on landfills. One reason for that prob- ably was our work with the Illinois EPA, which monitored the parks for a number of years and reviewed all our plans and specifications." A golf course built over a landfill in Phoenix has 110,000 rounds of golf per year played on it. Larson says that fig- ure surpasses that of a private golf course in the city, rated as one of the top in the country. "We've had no problem with public opposition to our park sites built on landfills," says Stewart. "It's not really a cause for public concern anymore be- cause better laws make it harder for landfills to be used. There are strict cri- teria for governments to follow, such as constant checks on groundwater sup- plies." - Stewart says that while the vast ma- jority of landfill -to -park projects are successful and he believes even more projects will be constructed in the fu- ture, great care should be taken when evaluating a landfill with eventual park construction in mind. "By no means should we convert every landfill into a park. Every site should be checked thoroughly on an individual basis. We're not going out and promoting this to communities, but where it does make sense, it should be strongly considered because there will always be a need for park space. "I hope what will eventually happen is that the maximum number of (land- fill) sites possible will be examined for their recreation potential," Stewart says. "The fust test of this potential is whether the present demand is there, or whether local officials are able to pre- dict future demand." "There are some parks out there whose designers didn't plan for meth- ane gas collection," says Hickman. "There are some who had no under- standing of settling. But if they plan ahead, there really shouldn't be a prob- lem with these issues." A combination of rising land values and a growing population and their need for recreational activities, may force more local governments to turn an unpopular necessity into an attractive asset. As stricter regulations and new technology make landfill -to -park con- version more feasible and popular, planning ahead, as Evanston did in the 1960s, is one way cities and counties are participating in the American park revolution. ❑