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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks Packet 12.20.23Page 1 of 2  Parks Commission Agenda  December 20, 2023    Agenda  Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission   Meeting of December 20, 2023  Hugo City Hall, 7:00 pm      7:00 pm  1.  Approve Minutes from September 20, 2023 Meeting  7:05 pm  2.  Approve Minutes from November 15, 2023 Meeting  7:10 pm  3.  2023 Annual Report  7:40 pm  4. 2024 Goal Setting   8:10 pm  5.  Adjournment                        Page 2 of 2  Parks Commission Agenda  December 20, 2023    Background  Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission   Meeting of December 20, 2023  Hugo City Hall, 7:00 pm    Approve Minutes from September 20, 2023 Meeting  Staff recommends approval of the minutes of the Parks Commission meeting of September 20, 2023.   PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED MINUTES.      Approve Minutes from November 15, 2023 Meeting  Staff recommend approval of the minutes of the Parks Commission meeting of November 15, 2023.   PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED MINUTES.      2023 Annual Report  Staff will present the 2023 Annual Report of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission.  PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED REPORT.    2024 Goal Setting  Staff recommend that the Parks Commission draft goals for 2024 for recommendation to the City Council.  THE 2023 GOALS ARE ATTACHED AND DRAFT 2024 GOALS.        THE PARKS PLAN CAN BE FOUND AT:  https://www.ci.hugo.mn.us/2040compplan        Page 1 of 3 Parks Commission Minutes November 15, 2023 Minutes Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission Meeting of November 15, 2023 Present: Meredith St. Pierre, Valerie Boyd, Ranell Tennyson Absent: Emily McGinnity, Cathy Moore-Arcand, Mat Rauschendorfer, Jim Compton, Sr., Staff Present: Shayla Denaway, Parks Planner Max Gort, Associate Planner Chair St. Pierre called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. 1. Approval of Minutes from the September 20, 2023 Meeting This action has been tabled due to the Parks Commission not having a quorum. No motion. 2. Glacial Hills Regional Trail Open House Parks Planner Denaway spoke about the open house held earlier in the evening on November 16, 2023. The Glacial Hills Regional Trail (GHRT) is a planned regional trail under the jurisdiction of Washington County to connect several destinations including Hugo, Big Marine Park Reserve, William O’Brien State Park, and Marine on St. Croix. Denaway stated that the timeline for the GHRT’s construction is at least a decade out, since it is one of the few regional trails that does not have a master plan. The purpose of the open house was to engage public interest in identifying the potential alignment of the trail. Originally, CSAH 4 had been identified as the most viable alignment to connect the destinations in the trail vision, but there has been some desire to connect the trail to more scenery. The largest group that attended the open house was from the equestrian community, requesting that horse facilities be prioritized in the trail planning. Denaway said she’d encourage the trail planning team to focus on having a mix of uses on the trail corridor, similar to the multimodal characteristics of the Gateway State Trail. 3. Keystone Woods WMA Denaway presented background on the Minnesota DNR’s process of acquiring land to create the Keystone Woods Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The 1,820 acres of land, some of which is in Hugo, was part of the Kelley Land and Cattle Company until its ownership by the Trust for Public Land, which will donate the land to the DNR. Denaway stated that the new WMA will be a “pilot project” which is intended to maintain the same uses as other WMAs, but also attract new user groups by enhancing the visitor experience with amenities. The draft improvement plan includes maintaining some current farm roads as trails and accessible paths, creating four entrances with two featuring enhanced parking lots, a Page 2 of 3 Parks Commission Minutes November 15, 2023 proposed fishing pier, restoration of prairie and wetlands to take place over a 10-year period, invasive tree removal, and hardwood seeding. Chair St. Pierre stated that hunters will need to enter a lottery to be able to hunt, similar to other popular WMAs. Whether the City of Hugo will provide a formal response to the master plan is to be determined. 4. Updates Denaway presented updates on several park projects, including: 121st Street Property: The City has maintained a piece of property that extends the 121st Street right-of-way to the shoreline of Bald Eagle Lake, providing public walk-in lake access. The City had heard concerns from neighbors and users about washout and erosion with the unimproved piece of land, which has since been replaced by heavy, erosion resistant gravel. The posts that prevent vehicles and snowmobiles from driving onto the property have also been replaced. CSAH 8 Trail: A trail has been constructed along CSAH 8 to connect the newly constructed Rice Lake Reserve 3rd Addition development to the former Public Works Building near Hanifl Fields Athletic Park, creating a much safer trail connection to the park for residents to the west. Hardwood Creek Regional Trail: Washington County is following up on the feasibility study for the southern connection of the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail from 120th Street to Falcon Court. The City of Hugo will be writing a letter of support in their application for funding for the trail’s construction. Bernin Park The property has been staked and flagged for tree surveying. The City is projecting construction plans for the park to be drafted by Spring 2024. North Star Wetland Bank and Trails WSB is currently drafting the prospectus document for the wetland bank, and is maintaining monitoring wells both onsite and a control in Lino Lakes. City Staff will be meeting with Tim Wald, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations at White Bear Lake Area Schools, to discuss the exchange of the property between the school district and the City. Santa Party The Santa Party and Mayor’s Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held at the Peder Pedersen Pavilion on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 from 5:00-7:00 PM. Holiday Party Denaway invited the Parks Commission to attend the City of Hugo Holiday Party on Thursday, December 7, 2023. Page 3 of 3 Parks Commission Minutes November 15, 2023 5. Adjournment The meeting finished at 7:50 PM. Respectfully submitted, Max Gort Associate Planner PARKS REPORT Commissioners: Meredith St. Pierre, Chair Cathy Moore-Arcand, Vice Chair Mat Rauschendorfer Ranell Tennyson Emily McGinnity Valerie Boyd Jim Compton, Sr., Alternate North Star Property and Wetland Bank Plans (above) City Seeks Approval of First Wetland Bank The approval process for the North Star Wetland Bank started in 2022 with vegetation and hydrology monitoring. The project includes restoring wetlands and improving vegetation on properties located west of North Star Elementary School that are owned by ISD 624 and the City. Draft Prospectus Comments Received At the Council meeting of February 6, 2023, the Council approved a proposal from WSB to prepare the draft prospectus, which is a conceptual project plan to be reviewed by the approving organizations (TEP) for preliminary feedback. The Council inquired about White Bear Lake School District support. Staff presented the project to the school board on February 25 and received informal support. The TEP provided input on the draft prospectus and asked for additional monitoring. A scope from WSB for monitoring work in 2023 was approved by the Council May 15. Prospectus Modeling Started A scope totaling $55,026 from WSB was approved on June 12 which included a topo- graphic survey, CAD plans, hydro analysis, a level 2 wetland delineation, and project management. The prospectus application is likely to be reviewed in early 2024. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE COMMISSION 2023 Glacial Hills Regional Trail Master Planning Washington County anticipated master planning the Glacial Hills Regional Trail in 2023-2024. The Glacial Hills Regional Trail has been identified along the CR 4 corridor in County and City plans. The Master Plan process includes gathering extensive public input on the trail. Hugo is a part of the Technical Advisory Com- mittee. A community meeting was held on November 15 to gather public input on poten- tial trail routes. The meeting was well attended and the equestrian community was well represented. Hugo property owners were not directly notified or well represented. Engagement has also included an online survey that received a significant amount of comments. Next steps will include evaluating the potential corridors, and selecting the pre- ferred route. It will also include planning access points and amenities, which will be achieved with additional public input. Bernin Park Master Planning At the end of 2022, the City purchased property at 15320 Greene Avenue from the Bernin family. The family also ended their lease with the City for the 24 acres which had been occupied by Bruce and Ginny Bernin. When the City purchased the property in 2005, the Bernins continued to be stewards of the property and anticipated it becoming a passive park in the future. Council approved a proposal from WSB to update the graphics of the 2004 Master Plan on March 20. On June 27, a neighborhood meeting was held which was well attended. The neighborhood was familiar with the property and the legacy of the Bernins. Minor changes in trail location were discussed. General questions about activities allowed at a passive park were addressed. The master plan was approved by the Parks Commission on August 16 and the Council on August 21. At these meet- ings, a proposal for construction documents was also approved which are being drafted. Bald Eagle Property The City of Hugo owns property off of Everton Avenue and 121st Street. It provides walking access to Bald Ea- gle Lake. On site parking is not pos- sible due to the limited size and slope of the property. The hillside eroded and the City receives complaints from neighborhood property owners who wish to walk down to the lake. In 2018, a partnership with Rice Creek Watershed District was pur- sued to improve the surface and pre- vent erosion, but RCWD did not see a water quality benefit and did not wish to partner. The property has contin- ued to degrade since then. This fall, the Public Works graded the property and placed gravel on the surface. The improved access has been well received by the neighbor- hood. Surveying Trail Corridors Before After Welcome New Members At the start of 2023, the Parks Commission wel- comed Valerie Boyd and Jim Compton Sr. (Alternate). Award of Excellence At the Council meeting of August 6, the City was presented with an Award of Excellence by the Min- nesota Recreation and Parks Association for Lions Volunteer Park and the Peder Pedersen Pavilion. Trail on CR 8 Constructed At the August 16 meeting, the Commission ap- proved reimbursing the developer of Rice Lake Reserve for constructing a new trail on CR 8. The extension connects the new residential develop- ment with Hanifl Fields Athletic Park with an off- road 8’ wide paved trail. New Trail on CR 8 to Hanifl Fields Athletic Park Facility Rental Program In 2023, the City launched online room rentals. With the opening of the Peder Pedersen Pavilion, additional spaces were now available for the community to rent and an improved process was needed. CivicRec was selected as a program to provide online room scheduling. The policy and fees were also updated. Policy changes included requiring a deposit and insurance with rentals that plan to have alcohol. A no-show policy was added. Non-profit requirements were clari- fied and non-profits are allowed to use the Rice Lake Centre for free. In general, priority is given to residents through larger booking windows and significantly cheaper rental fees. In 2023, the Pedersen Pavilion saw 500+ rentals and brought in about $15,000 between January and June. This is approximately twice the revenue and number of rentals than the Rice Lake Centre, Oneka Room and Hanifl Shelter combined. Online rentals, as a city service, have been well received by customers with over half of bookings being made online without staff assistance. There continue to be technological upgrades and policy revisions to fine-tune the process for the public and make it easier for them to use Hugo’s community buildings. The exterior of the Hanifl Shelter was painted and stained. Before (left) After (right) Programs Sledding Party A Sledding Party was held at Oak Shore Park on Saturday, February 11 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. A bonfire, hot chocolate and cookies were provided. Outdoor Concert The City of Hugo partnered with Washington County Library to host a kid-friendly concert in Lions Volunteer Park. The Jolly Pops performed on Friday, August 11 from 3:00-5:00 pm. It was a very humid evening but the event was very well attended. Kidz ‘N Biz Staff served on the planning team assisting the Hugo Business As- sociation in hosting Kidz ‘N Biz on September 30, from 9:00 am to 12:00pm at Oneka Elementary. The Hugo EDA provided a $1,000 sponsorship to support the event. Santa Party On December 6, the Hugo holiday tree was lit by Mayor Tom Weidt and Peder Pedersen in Lions Volunteer Park. Santa visited between 5:00 pm and 7:00pm and attendees were treated to gift bags, cocoa from the Hugo Lions, and carols from Children’s Performing Arts. Donations were collected for the Hugo Good Neighbors Food Shelf. Over 100 kids participated. This was the third annual Santa Party and the second at the Peder Pedersen Pavilion. Jolly Pops Concert at Lions Volunteer Park 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 Santa watches CPA Carolers Mayor Tom Weidt and Peder Pedersen 2023 Goals Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission Approved by the Parks Commission at their January 18, 2023 meeting. •Address trail and greenway connectivity with new developments. •Finalize the North Star Trail Feasibility Study and pursue funding. •Pursue North Star Wetland Bank •Construct passive trails near Oneka Place and Hugo Meadows. •Support Washington County in completing the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail. Develop a network of multi-purpose TRAILS connecting neighborhoods to parks and open space •Provide for the changing recreation needs of our diverse population through partnerships •Seek partnerships with emphasis on the teens and youth to utilize park facilities. •Evaluate recreation programs and plan new events and programs Utilize facilities to provide active and passive RECREATION options for all Hugo residents •Continually inspect existing parks and trails and maintain and enhance as necessary. •Draft a park sign and landscaping replacement plan. •Make improvements to Victor Square hardscapes. •Make access and exterior improvements to the Hanifl Shelter. Manage and optimize all EXISTING PARKS AND TRAILS. •Finalize construction of Lions Volunteer Park. •Plan for construction of improvements to the Bernin properties. •Prepare constructions plans for Clearwater Creek Preserve trail improvements. •Evaluate recognition opportunities at Lions Volunteer Park. Expand COMMUNITY PARKS •Actively utilize the Comprehensive Plan as a planning tool. •Respond to resident input. •Review development applications with respect to the Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan and Park Dedication Policy. Administer the Parks, Trails, and Open Space PLAN and POLICIES 2024 Goals Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission Approved by the Parks Commission at their December 20, 2023 meeting. •Address trail and greenway connectivity with new developments.•Finalize the North Star Trail Feasibility Study and pursue funding.•Pursue North Star Wetland Bankand Trail construction•Construct passive trails near Oneka Place and Hugo Meadows.•Support Washington County in completing the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail.•Support Washington County in Master Planning the Glacial Hills Regional TrailDevelop a network of multi-purpose TRAILSconnecting neighborhoods to parks and open space•Provide for the changing recreation needs of our diverse population through partnerships•Seek partnerships with emphasis on the teens and youth to utilize park facilities.•Evaluate recreation programs and plan new events and programsUtilize facilities to provide active and passive RECREATIONoptions for all Hugo residents•Continually inspect existing parks and trails and maintain and enhance as necessary.•Draft a park sign and landscaping replacement plan.•Make improvements to Victor Square hardscapes.•Make access and exterior improvements to the Hanifl Shelter. •Evaluate neighborhood parks and replace one playground as neededManage and optimize all EXISTING PARKS AND TRAILS.•Finalize construction of Lions Volunteer Park.•Plan for construction of improvements to the Bernin properties and seek funding. •Prepare constructions plans for Clearwater Creek Preserve trail improvements.•Evaluate recognition opportunities at Lions Volunteer Park.Expand COMMUNITY PARKS•Actively utilize the Comprehensive Plan as a planning tool. •Respond to resident input.•Review development applications with respect to the Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan and Park Dedication Policy. Administer theParks, Trails, and Open Space PLAN and POLICIES