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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-18 • CITY OF LAKEVILLE PARK AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MINUTES DECEMBER 18, 1985 Roll call: Anderson, Briscoe, Grenz, Gramstad, Lovelace and Messinger were present. Park and Recreation Director Steve Michaud was also present. Item number two was the approval of the December 4, 1985 minutes. 85-66 It was moved by Grenz, seconded by Lovelace to approve the minutes as read. Motion passed. Item number three was the Park Director's report. Staff reported that the development of ice for the hockey program and public skating program was going very well. The early cold weather allowed the maintenance department to build several inches of ice. There were several miscellaneous repairs to warming houses and facilities still ongoing. Ski trail maintenance and snowmobile trail maintenance is going very well. Ritter Farm Park and Lakeville High School are both in excellent skiing condition. The maintenance department also groomed a trail in Independence Park as requested by the residents. Permission has been secured from the Parkview School to drop a trail on the Parkview property around the Valley Lake. Park area. Staff informed the committee that they would attempt to groom a trail in lieu of the fact that . many snowmobilers are illegally running through that area, which is not conducive to maintaining a good skiing trail. The committee was informed that the ski trail grooming grant for 1986 had been received in the amount of $1,F00.00. Final figures on the snowmobile trail system are about $24,000.00. Of the $24,000.00, $9,000.00 is used for grooming, $3 - 4,000 is used for trail reconstruction and redevelopment and the remaining $10 - 12,000.00 will be for the purchase of bridges to be installed in key locations on the trail. The remainder of the meeting was dedicated to discussing various alternatives, acquisition and development projects for a proposed bond referendum for 1986. The first project discussion was on the Casperson property on Lake Marion. The committee was informed that council will be considering a resolution at the next council meeting to authorize securing an option on the land in order to hold it until a bond issue can be held. As of these writings, council had authorized the option on the land. All papers have been sent to the Lange's in Florida for signatures. Discussions surrounded the amount of money necessary to relocate the roadway to the Casperson property and further development. The committee felt very positively about the acquisition of the property, but there were several comments as to available funding for immediate development. It was suggested that a special fund be established whereby revenues from the sale of on site sand and gravel could • be deposited into the fund which in turn would pay for development. It was also suggested-that park dedication funds could be used if in fact the commercial development booms in Lakeville. • Park and Recreation Committee minutes December 18, 1985 Page -2- Staff explained the proposed acquisition for Valley Lake Park. It is being recommended that an additional nine acres be purchased to be consistent with the approved master plan. Along with the acquisition to complete ownership of the property along the entire boundary of Valley Lake, development would include construction of a pedestrian walkway around the entire length of the lake, grading and landscaping of the entire area, the installation of roadways and parking lots, boundary fencing and the upgrading and purchasing of playground equipment. The next project was Antlers Park. Staff informed the committee of existing contracts and condemnations now underway. At present the Warweg property and an additional 2.9 acres is being condemned by the City of Lakeville. Along with this proposed acquisition development would include the redevelopment of roadways and parking lots in the park which have already been ordered through a change order in the construction of Inds Way; the purchase of three picnic shelters for the beach front; the installation of walkways and trails in the interior of the park; the purchase of playground equipment; reinstallation and purchase of boundary fencing; and miscellaneous landscaping and plantings. There were several comments relative to the inclusion of certain projects in • Antlers Park and to the bond issue that had already been ordered through change orders of existing projects. Staff informed the committee that the funds to pay for those change orders were being taken from the park dedication fund, which is becoming very light. It is being recommended that these issues be tied to the bond issue and only if the issue does not pass, will the projects be paid for by the park dedication fund. The next project was the acquisition of North Park as per the comprehensive plan for the city park system. It has been proposed to purchase 35 to 40 acres in the northwest section of Lakeville to accommodate the existing and future needs for athletic fields. Staff has located at least three 35-40 acre parcels all located at .the north end of Ipava between 165th Street and 162nd Street. Negotiations on potential options on one of those parcels will take place after the holidays. Along with the acquisition it was recommended by staff that minimal development take place in order to utilize the facility, which will be needed in 1986. It is planned that additional softball fields and soccer fields would be the main use of North Park. The next project discussed was the pedestrian bikeway trail from downtown. Lakeville to the High School. Utilizing city of Lakeville labor and equipment, it has been estimated that materials to construct the trail from 207th Street out to Antlers Park would cost approximately $25,000.00. Acquisition of additional easements along the Lake Marion ditch outlet would be in the area of $6,000.00. Total project cost would be in the neighborhood of $40,000.00. The committee places this at a high priority along with the other projects and recommends the total project he included in the bond issue. • Park and Recreation .Committee minutes December 18, 1985 Page -3- There were several comments relative to the potential of a combined bond referendum including the construction of a fire station. All committee members felt very strongly that a combined bond issue at the same time would be detrimental to both the fire station and the park bond issue. Because of the six month option on the Caspersen property, it has been recommended that the park bond referendum occurs sometime late in April and that the fire station issue take place in the fall of the same year. Two other projects that were presented by staff included the upgrading of Aronson .Park and a bike trail from Valley Park to downtown Lakeville. Staff presented a proposed plan for Aronson Park that included the complete grading and development of ballfields, raadways and parking lots on the existing twenty acres that is not developed. The remaining upgrading of Aronson Park included the paving of all roadways and parking lots; the installation of a drainage ditch along Aronson Park's east and southern boundaries plus the upgrading of field 4. It also included fencing field 3, additional landscaping and plantings, the upgrading of the playground equipment and an expansion of the existing building. There was much discussion amongst committee members relative to the cost to grade the undeveloped twenty acres. It has been estimated it will cost at • least $100,000.00 plus. Committee members compared the purchasing of 40 acres at North Park for approximately the same price, whereby they would be receiving 35 to 40 usable acres as opposed to 20 of limited use at Aronson Park. It was the general consensus of the committee that the grading project to develop the 20 acres at Aronson Park was not feasible. It was further suggested by some committee members that selling of the 20 acres and utilizing those funds to develop Aronson Park may be more feasible. The second project discussed. was that of providing a trail from Valley Park to downtown Lakeville and Aronson Park. Much discussion surrounded the county trail proposals, the priorities existing in Lakeville now and the different potential routes of getting to downtown Lakeville. The original plan was to come from Cedar Avenue across through the Foxborough Park Addition over to Woodbury Addition to Highview Avenue heading south following Highview all the way to downtown Lakeville. When considering the cost to construct a trail from Woodbury all the way south on Highview and ,Holyoke down to downtown Lakeville, it seemed not feasible. Some committee members thought it could be a combined project with the county but staff informed the committee that the county would be very much opposed to this. The intent of this trail is to provide the citizens of Valley Park access to Aronson Park, downtown Lakeville and Antlers Park and visa versa. Downtown Lakeville citizens could access to the Apple Valley trail system and further even to the county system, giving a majority of our citizens access to the state trail system. • Under old business, staff passed out some letters received from Eagan concerning the county bike trail system. Staff informed the committee that a second public hearing with county commissioners is being scheduled and staff will inform the committee as soon as possible when dates, times and • Parks and Recreation Committee minutes December 18, 1985 Page -4- locations have been set. Under new business it was felt that a second meeting would be needed to tie up several loose ends concerning the proposed park referendum. Committee members agreed to meet Monday, December 23. 85-67 It was then moved by Messinger, seconded by Gramstad to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM. Respectfully submitted, Gerald S. Michaud,. Director. Parks and Recreation GSM:jr •