2001.02.14 Parks Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Parks Commission Meeting 2-14-01 Page 2 of 3 be very careful of too many stop signs because drivers will just ignore them. E. The park will not be lighted. F. A walking path, in the park, will connect to the future trail on Flay Road. This path will connect the facilities in the park. G. The park is planned to expand to the south at the time the land develops. A sketch of possible development was reviewed. More planning, incorporating neighborhood concerns, needs to be completed. H. A play area is planned for the park and the neighborhood would like to install it as soon as possible. The neighborhood is willing to volunteer. The residents would not incur any liability if they do volunteer. I. Play equipment budget is approximately $50,000 installed. Play equipment itself should cost about $30,000. This play area would be about 60 feet x 70 feet in size, depending on the type of equipment selected. The equipment should serve both little kids under 5 and kids older than 5. J. The surface of the play area would be wood fiber, making the entire play area accessible. The commission addressed the concerns of the neighborhood and agreed to recommend that the city council approve purchasing and installing play equipment this year. They all agreed that fencing the newly seeded soccer field would keep people off the new turf and allow for use of the park. The play equipment will be selected with input from the neighborhood and installed with their volunteer help. The neighborhood will come to the March meeting with their ideas. Then a supplier will be contacted and cost estimating and design will be completed. All parties would like the equipment installed as soon as possible. II. Commission Expansion. The City Council agreed to increase the number of Parks Commission members to seven (7) -voting members. The current membership is five (5). New Terms will all start on March 31 and are still 3 year staggered terms. Advertising for new members will happen in the next couple of weeks. III. Park Planning — Everton Avenue Neighborhood Study. The Commission discussed the concept of 1/2 mile radius service areas for neighborhood parks. Four service area circles were drawn on the Everton Avenue Neighborhood. It was evident that the City Hall Park serves the southeast sector and no additional neighborhood parks are required. The land use is existing 10 acre lots and the future Victor Gardens in the second circle in the southwest sector. No neighborhood park is needed in this service area. At this time, no parks are planned for the north half of the study area. The land use will change and many more people will be moving into the area. The two circles on the north side show a need for a neighborhood park in this part of Hugo. The City is acquiring land in this vicinity for a future water tower. This is also the location of significant natural resources in Hugo. The Commission recommended that the water tower site be expanded to include at least 20 acres and a natural resource oriented neighborhood park be developed in that location. The natural resources could be preserved and the new neighborhoods would have a park. This land will be acquired through park dedication, direct purchase or incentives given through in the development process. It was agreed that it is important to save the natural resources in this area. Large stands of mature trees exist in the area and will create a beautiful natural neighborhood park. It was also agreed that the City should pursue the concept of linking the natural resources through wildlife corridors or the development of greenways. This concept will be presented to the neighbors at the next Everton Avenue Neighborhood meeting. IV. Grants. A DNR Grant for the purchase of the Bernin Property was discussed. The City will be applying for a Natural and Scenic Area Grant in 2001. The grant is due March 31. The use of the land was discussed and the Commission agreed that the Bernin Park would be more passive and nature oriented. The high quality wetland and lakeshore are natural areas that should be preserved in Hugo and a natural park will introduce people to the site while not destroying the resource with http://www.ci.hugo.mn.us/Parks—Recreation/minutes/Parks02l4O I.htm 10/3/2007