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Home My WebLink About2020 Parks Annual ReportPARKS REPORT Commissioners: Dave Strub, Chair Cathy Moore-Arcand, Vice Chair Nicole Schmid Roger Clarke Mat Rauschendorfer Ranell Tennyson Shawn Haag Arcand Park Playground (Photo by Ultimate Recreation) Arcand Park Opened The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission opened a new neighborhood park in 2020, now named Arcand Park. The Adelaide Landing residential development was first conceptualized in 2016. Construction of this new neighborhood park in the Hugo system was made possible through park dedication. The Parks Commission accepted 7.7 acres of land and $1,128 per unit in fees for the residential development of 324 homes. The park was master planned in 2019 and envisioned to serve the adjacent neighborhoods, as well as Adelaide Landing, with more recreation amenities offered than typical Hugo neighborhood parks. Features of the park include a sizable playground, a large-capacity park shelter, two pick- leball courts, basketball half-court, open play field, and an off-road paved trail network. Neighborhood Selects Playground In the spring of 2020, residents were invited to vote on four playground options. Through two virtual meetings and social media, valuable input was gathered from residents. A playground was selected that featured a zipline, climbing net, toddler play area, swings, and slide structure was selected from Ultimate Recreation, a vendor not used in Hugo parks before. Park Named in Honor of Former Property Owners Residents also submitted their ideas for a name for the new park. The City Council selected “Arcand Park” in honor of Arthur Arcand, the former owner and farmer of the property. A grand opening was held on October 7. The warm, sunny weather allowed for great participation in the celebration and appropriate social distancing. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE COMMISSION 2020 Goodveiw Avenue Trail Study The City of Hugo was awarded a $10,000 Active Living Partnership from Living Healthy Washington County, through the Statewide Health Improvement Program. With the funding, studying the feasibility of a priority trail corridor along Goodview Avenue was made possible. The study was authorized by May 4 Parks Commis- sion meeting. The road has wetlands on both sides which were delineated. This informed the trail concepts presented by WSB and Associates at the August 19 meeting. The concepts included an alternate on-road route on Geneva for the northern segment versus a trail on Goodview. For the southern segment, trails on both sides or a wider trail on the west side of the road were presented as options. The Commission’s preference was presented at their September 16 meeting of an 8’ wide trail with 5’ wide boulevard on the west side of the entire corridor. Cost estimates were provided. The Commission voted to accepted Goodview Avenue Feasibility Study but did not recommend construction at this time. Covid-19 Response As the Covid-19 pandemic arose in spring 2020, use and attention to Hugo’s parks and trails system grew. However, the majority of the programs and special events that the City offers were cancelled, including the Tour de Hugo. As people were instructed to stay at home and away from others, outdoor recreation became a safe outlet for many. Use of Hugo’s network of trails and sidewalks increased. Additional attention was paid to Hugo’s playgrounds. While a few cities opted to “close” playgrounds, Hugo’s playgrounds remained open. The Mayor Tom Weidt put out this message to Hugo’s park users in March and it has continued to be impactful through the end of 2020: Within our parks, areas such as playgrounds, picnic tables, sport courts, and the skate park can be difficult to use safely and follow the CDC’s recommendations. Many residents are choosing to avoid these areas all together. There are some residents that may be upset that parks have not been closed. There are other residents that would ignore any order to not use them. Every time you choose to go somewhere, pause to think about the risks that you are taking for you and your neighborhood. If you choose to proceed, be sure to follow the Governor’s guidelines. Everyone is counting on you to use good judgement. As I have said before, take seriously the direction to stay at home and practice social distancing with those around you. Please do your best to be a good neighbor. Share what you can, help them when you can, and we will make it through this as safely as possible. JD 3 Project The Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) started a ditch maintenance project in 2020 that impacted several city-owned properties, trails, and parks. As the Drainage Authority, RCWD is required to maintain a network of Judicial Ditches. This includes JD 3 which goes through the Victor Gardens neighborhood and Clearwa- ter Creek Preserve adjacent to City trails. JD 3 also extends north near Oneka Parkway through Frog Hollow Park and beyond. The work included removal of vegeta- tion and trees to allow for a mainte- nance corridor, excavation of the channel, and culvert replacement. Construction is on going and addition- al restoration is anticipated to happen in 2021. Signage Placed in Hugo Parks in Spring 2020 Ditch in Clearwater Creek Preserve Ditch near Frog Hollow Park Andrew Olson Memorial At the July 15 meeting, the Parks Commission approved a memorial to be installed in Oneka Lake Park in honor of Andrew Olson. Olson passed away unexpect- edly in February 2020. Logan Jensen requested the memorial in honor of his late friend and fellow Boy Scout which includes a tree, bench, and plaque. Public Works Facility Under Construction at Irish Avenue Park The existing Public Works Facility is in need of expansion. Following a feasibility study, the Council directed staff to look into construction of a new facility at Irish Ave- nue Park. A site plan was drafted in early 2020 with construction starting in fall 2020. The facility will be located on the southern portion of the park and provide a future park access off of County Road 8. Neighborhood meetings were held to discuss the plans during which there was interest in master planning Irish Avenue Park. The Parks Com- mission continues to receive updates on the project. Site Layout Options for Lions Park Lions Park Moving Forward The City Council and Parks Commission reviewed a Feasibility Study for Lions Park at a workshop on June 29. The study included minor changes to the master plan to ensure that the park aligns with the Hugo Gardens development and antic- ipated road improvement projects. Updated cost estimates of construction were presented and the Council and Commission discussed funding options. The Feasibility Study was adopted by the Council at their July 20 meeting. A remote community workshop was held on October 7, with a few participants joining the zoom meeting and in-person at City Hall. An online survey tool was used during the meeting and was made available online in the weeks following. Design development of the park kicked off in the fall with the formation of stake- holder committees made up of volunteers from Hugo Commissions and residents. WSB and HCM Architects were selected to help with the design. One committee was formed to design the large playground and youth play areas. A second com- mittee was charged with designing the large multi-purpose pavilion which is intended to accommodate large community events, multiple small gatherings at a time, performances, and more. Committee meetings were held on October 29 and November 24. All meetings are being held remotely via zoom. An additional meeting will be held in January 2021. Following approval of a schematic design, construction documents will be drafted and bids are anticipated to be awarded in the spring of 2021. Construction is likely to start in early summer 2021. Lions Park Pavilion Design Concepts Contact Us (651) 762-6300 Hugo City Hall 14669 Fitzgerald Avenue North Hugo, MN 55038 Staff Liaison: Shayla Denaway (651) 762-6342 Visit us on the web at www.ci.hugo.mn.us Development Projects Oneka Commons Sketch Plan At the January 19 meeting, the Commission reviewed a sketch plan for Oneka Commons, located south of CR 8. As of the end of 2020, the developers have not indicated that they will be moving forward with the mixed-use project. Hugo Gardens At their May 20 meeting, the Parks Commission accepted park dedication for 84 apartment units in in seven buildings located west of Lions Park called “Hugo Gar- dens”. The park dedication fee of $87,414 was calculated with consideration of the 2.11 acres of land previously dedicated in the LaValle Fields PUD. Cosntruc- tion on the roads and utilities started in fall 2020. Oneka Lake Reserve At the July 15 meeting, park dedication was approved for Oneka Lake Reserve that included .65 acres of park land and $26,400 in fees. The developer proposed to construct amenities on the small park, located off of 150th Street, including a gazebo, small playground, picnic tables, and sidewalk track. Construction was not started in 2020. Hugo Garden Apartment Renderings