2020.07.06 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public Works Facility – Irish Ave Park Page 3 Parks Commission Update During its last couple meetings the Parks Commission has been discussing the location of the Public Works Facility at Irish Avenue Park. They generally like the proposed location and provided the following comments on the proposed site plan: • Ensure the trails within the park are relocated/rerouted and remain an amenity to the park. • Allow parking at the Public Works Facility for access to the park. o Add a walking path from the parking lot to the access to the park. • Screen outdoor storage areas and provide a landscape buffer around the Public Works Facility from the park area. o They wanted to make sure the view from the park to the Public Works Facility remain as natural as they can. • Agreed there is enough room on the remaining portion of the property to implement the vision of the community park for more active park uses. Public Works Facility Neighborhood Meetings Update The City Council held neighborhood meetings on March 4, 2020, and June 18, 2020, to discuss the Public Works Facility planning. There were several residents that asked questions and provided comments. Below is a summary of the comments: • The passive trails in the area should be relocated and the remaining passive trails to the north should remain in place. • Concerns on traffic along 140th Street (CSAH 8). • Some residents wondered why the City would be planning for the location of the Public Works Facility when master planning for Irish Avenue has not been completed yet. • There were some suggestions to move the building to a different location on the park property. • Encouraged buffers from adjacent properties. There have been suggestions about berms for further screening and buffering. • Some residents have concerns of the use being in the area and some did not want the use in the park. It was explained by the Public Works Director that there were other properties considered for the relocation of the facility. This site made sense because it is centrally located in the City, was a property the City already owned, and allowed for expansion opportunities far into the future for the facility. The Parks Commission will be working on a master plan for Irish Avenue Park this year. The location on the site was intentional to allow the access to be on a County Road that can accommodate more traffic than a local road.