Parks Packet 12.15.21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Background Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission Meeting of December 15, 2021 Hugo City Hall, 7:00 pm Approve Minutes from November 17, 2021 Meeting Staff recommends approval of the minutes of the Parks Commission meeting of November 17, 2021. PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED MINUTES. Oneka Trail Feasibility Study Lions Park and a new WBLAS Elementary School are under construction. A pedestrian connection between Lions Park, the school, and the existing trail along Oneka Parkway is desirable. The natural open space owned by the City and School District is substantial, but the majority of it is wetlands. At the meeting of April 21, 2021, a proposal from WSB was approved to study the feasibility of trails in this area for $16,000. It included mapping the approved wetland delineations of the various parcels, delineating remaining wetlands, as well as preparation and evaluation of conceptual trail alignments and a concluding report. Candace Amberg from WSB will present the concept plans. THE CONCEPTS AND WETLAND MAP ARE ATTACHED. Sunset Lake Property Review At the meeting of October 18, 2018, the Parks Commission approved park dedication of .93 acres with the Preserve on Sunset Lake adjacent to the city's .7 acre property on Sunset Lake. The Parks Plan states that "providing access to and protect Hugo's water resources including wetlands, lakes, and streams is encouraged to build a connected, multi -function parks system". At the time of the development approvals, there was neighborhood interest in those parcels being developed into a park. Both the Parks Commission and the City Council included planning the future park in their 2019 goals and a proposal was approved from WSB to plan the park. Concepts were revised by the Commission in August, and a neighborhood meeting was held at the September 18, 2019 meeting. At the neighborhood meeting, residents commented about over fishing, what people would use the property, preventing on -road parking, trash problems, reducing the number of parking spots available, preventing winter access, and other concerns. There were conflicting opinions shared about what road the property should be accessed from and the type of amenities to be offered in the park. The Parks Commission continued discussions at additional meetings and staff was directed to prepare traffic counts and fishing info. At the meeting of February 19, 2020, the Parks Commission reviewed traffic estimates prepared by WSB and information provided by the DNR. The Commission unanimously directed staff to scale down plans and look into cost estimates for a reduced parking lot. The March 2020 meeting was cancelled due to COVID 19. In 2021, a letter was received from a resident requesting use of the property. Staff provided a re -cap of previous discussions at the Commission meeting of March 17, 2021. The Commission directed staff to Page 2 of 3 Parks Commission Agenda December 15, 2021