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ITEM 2- PROJECT NARRATIVE <br /> <br />1. The City plans to construct a variety of trails, picnic spaces, a fishing pier, and a small parking lot on <br />25 acres of land located along the shoreline of Oneka Lake, named Bernin Park. In 2001, the City <br />purchased 24.26 acres of land from the Bernin family who operated a Christmas Tree farm on the <br />property through the early 2000’s. The property was purchased with assistance from a MN DNR <br />Natural Area Grant. The Bernin estate terminated the lease in fall 2022 and sold to the city the <br />adjacent .5 acre residen�al lot. <br />The site contains a variety of natural resources including a seven-acre sedge meadow wetland, <br />approximately 1,500 feet of shoreline, and mature wooded areas. The park is located adjacent to the <br />MN DNR Boat Access on Oneka Lake and the proposed ameni�es would support its use. Immediately <br />west of Bernin Park is Oneka Lake Park, an ac�ve-use neighborhood park with a playground, picnic <br />shelter, and small play field which would be connected by proposed trails. <br />The Bernin park property was purchased in order to create a passive use park suitable for trails, <br />fishing, bird-watching, dog walking, canoeing and more, and will expand public access to Oneka <br />Lake. Motorized vehicle use and firearm use is prohibited. This park will complement the ameni�es <br />at Oneka Lake Park and will serve both the broader community, as well as the more immediate <br />neighborhoods which are rapidly expanding. <br />A new residen�al development of 219 homes is under construc�on to the north of Bernin Park that <br />dedicated 30 acres (3.89 acres of upland) along Oneka Lake and will include a trail along the berm to <br />connect to Bernin Park. Residen�al development is likely to con�nue north and should include <br />expansion of the parklands and trails to protect the shoreline and provide recrea�onal <br />opportuni�es. <br />2. A combina�on of bituminous and aggregate ADA-compliant trails will be constructed in Bernin Park <br />to support a variety of trail users. Preserving the exis�ng trees and protec�ng the wetlands is a high <br />priority. Tree and vegeta�on removal will be minimized by primarily loca�ng trails in exis�ng path <br />clearings and former farm roads. The property features a wooded berm along the shoreline which <br />will be maintained and u�lized in several loca�ons to provide scenic overlooks of the lake. The trails <br />will provide access to the parking lot, evergreen forest, wetland area, exis�ng walks at Goodview <br />Avenue, and Oneka Lake Park. The paved trails also include an internal looped route and provide <br />ADA access to the proposed site ameni�es and fishing pier. An accessible fishing pier is proposed to <br />be constructed to support not only recrea�onal fishing, but kayak use, and to allow for beter views <br />of the lake. As a shallow lake, the shoreline of Oneka Lake is vegetated making shoreline fishing and <br />small watercra� access difficult. The pier would improve recrea�onal use of Oneka Lake. <br /> <br />3. Park users will primarily be from the surrounding neighborhoods. The passive park will be easily <br />walkable from Neighborhood Park Service Areas 9 and 10 which have a combined popula�on of <br />1,900 residents. It is highly likely that the park will also be a des�na�on for those seeking outdoor <br />recrea�on from other areas of Hugo and beyond. The development of a small parking lot and <br />mul�ple trail connec�ons will allow for improved access for those who drive or bike to the park.