HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo to PRNRC-Rinks-August 2007City of Lakeville
Parks and Recreation
Memorandum
To: Park, Recreation, and Natural Resources Committee
From: Gerald S. Michaud, Director of Parks and Recreation
Date: August 16, 2007
Subject: Distribution of hockey and pleasure skating facilities
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Introduction:
Lakeville’s growth, although sluggish at present, will continue through 2030. Anticipated fully developed population is projected to be 80,000 plus residents. Presently there are approximately
53,000 residents. With construction of a third indoor skating facility, space for a fourth, and a hockey association with 2,000 plus youth skaters, it seems obvious that skating is
here to stay.
As a result of a third indoor arena, the City is also attempting to develop a learn-to-skate program and a figure skating program which will add to the general public’s interest in skating.
As a general observation, it appears safe to assume additional outdoor skating facilities will be needed as the community continues to grow. The questions under consideration are: how
many additional skating facilities will be needed and what types of facilities and their locations. Other considerations include facility cost, paving or not paving, permanent or portable
warming houses, and City maintenance capabilities.
Existing facilities:
Presently the City maintains 12 boarded, lighted hockey rinks and 12 lighted pleasure skating sites. Generally, the City has a pleasure skating site adjacent each boarded rink facility.
McGuire Middle School is the only site with two boarded rinks and no pleasure skating facility. There are two pleasure skating sites without adjacent hockey rinks; they are Foxborough
Park and Village Creek Park. Of the 12 boarded, lighted hockey rinks, six are paved for summer use. The Lakeville park system presently has eight permanent warming houses and five portable
warming houses. Attached please find a copy of our 2006-2007 facility listings as it appeared in the City’s Winter/Spring Recreation Program brochure.
Historical facility distribution:
The Parks, Trails, and Open Space System Plan establishes policies and standards for all parks, their location, park classification, and associated facilities. At present, most skating
facilities are located in the park classification: neighborhood parks. Neighborhood parks typically have a service radius area of three-quarters of a mile. This standard can be affected
by several factors, such as, major roadways through the service area and safe accessibility
by residents within the service area itself. Not all neighborhoods parks have skating facilities due to their proximity to other existing skating facilities. An example would be Village
Creek, which is within the service area of McGuire Middle School with two hockey rinks. At Village Creek, the City did plan for and install a smaller, lighted pleasure skating facility
and the associated support facilities to accommodate a temporary warming house.
Existing/Future distribution of skating facilities:
Historically, cities such as Burnsville actively developed hockey rink facilities during their growth years only to make numerous cutbacks as the population and skating demand slowed.
Nearly 30 rinks were built during Burnsville’s growth period, compared to its current 16 rinks existing today. Removal of neighborhood skating facilities was a very unpopular and problematic
policy change at that time. There are several standards that are used by communities that determine facility needs. The two most common standards are population based or service area
distance. A spreadsheet showing skating facility information on eight comparably sized cities is attached for your review.
The attached survey indicates a population based standard of one hockey rink per 3,000 people to one site per 6,000 people. The service area distance standard shows a hockey rink located
every mile to two miles. At Lakeville’s current population of 53,000, we have a 1 to 4,400 population ratio of existing hockey rink sites. The distance standard at existing sites is
one mile. See attached map of current sites and service areas.
At a fully developed population (85,000) and using the current population standard of 1 per 4,400 people, the City of Lakeville could develop approximately seven additional rink facilities.
Using a 1 to 5,000 ratio, Lakeville would develop five additional rinks and using the 1 to 6,000 ratio, the City would need only two additional hockey rink sites.
Using the distance factor of one rink per mile, staff estimates several additional hockey rinks may be developed depending upon a more defined distance standard policy. See attached
map future neighborhood park sites.
As you can see, there are many factors to take into consideration when making decisions on future skating site facilities. Staff looks forward to the committee’s discussion.
Attachments:
2006-2007 facility listings from Recreation Program brochure
Spreadsheet on eight comparably sized cities
Map of current sites and service areas
Map of future neighborhood park sites
Spreadsheet showing rink attendance