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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06142005 Hastings Parks and Recreation Department 920 W. 10th Street Hastings, MN 55033 Phone 651-480-6175 Fax 651-437-5396 www.ci.hastings.mn.us Natural Resources and Recreation Commission Agenda Tuesday, June 14, 2005 6:00 Pl\1 Meeting to be held at City Hall in the Community Room 1) Call to Order: 2) Roll Call: J 3) Approval of Minutes fl.-om May 2005: 4) Setting Agenda: 5) Open Mike: 6) Topics of Discussion: 7) Introduction of new NRRC member 8) Fall Softball Operation 6:00 PM 6:05 PM 9) Joint meeting with Park and Recreation Committee of Council 10) Old Fueling Dock 6:20 PM 11) Next meeting: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 12) Adjourn: o All times are approximate Meeting to adjourn early to prepare for 6:30 neighborhood meeting. REF: NRRC/NRRC agenda for June 2005 City of Hastings NRRC Minutes May 10,2005 6:00 pm 1) Roll Call at 6 pm, Commissioners Brown, O'Melia, Popp, and Vaughan and Parks and Recreation Director Bernstein. Absent: Commissioners Christenson and Vieth and Superintendent Smith. 2) Commissioner Brown acted as Co-Chair in Commissioner Christenson's absence. 3) Approved April meeting minutes. Motion O'Melia, second Popp, passed unanimously. 4) Lake Isabel: A meeting was held on May 2,2005 which was attended by Director Bernstein, City Administrator Dave Osberg, the East Hastings Homeowners Association and the Parks & Recreation Committee of Council. The Homeowners Association is seeking improvements to Lake Isabel and this was discussed on a council level. Scope of the project is fourfold: dredging, drawdown, a fishing pier and handicapped access. Commissioner Popp mentioned that it is most efficient for the drawdown and dredging to take place at the same time. 2 years is the optimal time for the drawdown and Council Member Hazlet had recommended at the May 2nd meeting that this process begin next year. Commissioner Popp also added that the water can be pumped into the Vermillion River and that the DNR is willing to submit the application for this so that the fee will be waived. It was decided that Director Bernstein will send a letter to the Homeowners Association to verify their support of the drawdown. Commissioner O'Melia voiced concern that this same study had been done 25 years ago. It was decided that Director Bernstein and Commissioner Popp will both search for the old file so that it can be reviewed. MOTION: Commissioner Vaughan motioned to table this issue until fmiher discussion can take place. Seconded by Commissioner Popp. Passed unanimously. ) 5) The Commission next interviewed a candidate for the vacancy in the Commission. 6) Plan Review - Pine Ridge: Director Bernstein infOlmed the Commission of a decision to be made to collect park dedication fees or land in lieu of a cash dedication. Cash dedication would be approximately $125,400 vs. land approximately 2 Y2 acres in size. Concerns were raised that children from the new development would have to. cross high traffic roads in order to reach parks if no land was accepted. Director Bernstein clarified that the cash dedication money can only be used for infrastructure - to develop or redevelop existing parks only within the ward the money is accepted in - in this case Ward 3. The only exception to this is if the money is used. for something with regional implications, for exanlple, repairs to the Arena or to Vet's Park. Concerns were also raised by various Commissioners as to where the land would be located if that alternative was accepted, since the developer has already begun excavation on the site. MOTION: Commissioner Vaughan motioned to accept land in lieu of a cash dedication, subject to l\1RRC approval of the offered land donation. Seconded by Commissioner O'Melia. Passed unanimously. 7) Band Shell at Levee Park: Director Bernstein inf0l111ed the Commission of a proposal by Council Member Riveness to possibly place a band shell on the rivelfront. A possible location for this would be at the end of Ramsey Street, as this would utilize the natural slope of the hillside. There would be no impact on the Veteran's Memorial. Commissioner Vaughan mentioned that this may be a good oppOliunity to see what the cOimimnity would like to see recreation ally on the riverfront as well. MOTION: Commissioner O'Melia motioned to continue researching the band shell and/or other activities to enhance the recreational oppOliunities of the levee and riverfront and to encourage more community dialogue on this issue tlu'ough a community meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Vaughan. Passed unanimously. o 8) Updates. Director Bemstein handed out department happenings. 9) Skate Park: The fence at the skate park has had to be repaired 8 times already this spring due to vandalism. Signs have been hung around the perimeter stating that ifthe vandalism continues, there will be no other altemative but to pull the tier two equipment. If that should happen, the resulting tier one park will be open to the public with no entrance fee, no paid supervision and limited equipment. Director Bernstein also mentioned that if the park can remain open, as is, at Vet's Park, he would like to go before Council with the proposal to hire two evening supervisors of the entire park which should also help quell any disturbances. Hank Long from the Hastings Star Gazette has also been notified of the situation. This situation will also be discussed at the June 14, 2005 neighborhood meetings that are being plamled. MOTION: Commissioner Brown motioned to approve Director Bernstein's plan of action. Seconded by Popp. Passed unanimously. 10) Park Signs: Drawings of the new park signs were handed out to the Commission. The signs will consist of a sandblasted logo and vinyl 3M lettering. The Parks & Recreation Department will construct the posts the signs will be displayed on. Three of these have been ordered at $500/each to make sure that they will work in the parks. ll) New Business: A. June NRRC Meeting/Neighborhood meetings for South Pines and Riverwood Park: Director Bernstein asked the Commission to hold neighborhood meetings on June 14th, which is the night regularly scheduled for the l\1RRC meeting. These meetings will be an oppOliunity to discuss the development of both parks and also the skate park vandalism with residents. The Commission agreed to hold a briefNRRC meeting at 6:00 p.m. that night, to be followed by the neighborhood meetings at 6:30 p.m. B. Joint meeting with Park & Recreation Committee of Council: Director Bernstein asked the Commission if they would be interested in holding a joint meeting with the Park & Recreation Committee of Council in order to discuss a Capital Improvement Plan and any issues that the Commission feels are pressing. It was agreed to invite the Committee of Council to a Capital Improvement Plan meeting on July 12, 2005. ) 12) Old business: None. MOTION to Adjourn. . Next meeting scheduled for June 141h at 6 p.m. Adjourned at ~:1O p.m. Minutes submitted by: Kristin Behrens o ) o Creative Solutions for Land Planning and Design Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. May 31,2005 Barry Bernstein, Park & Recreation Director Hastings Parks Facility 920 West lOth Street Hastings, MN 55033 Re: Options for the skate park in Hastings. Dear Barry: As we have discussed over the last several weeks, is.sues of vandalism and declined usage are of increasing concern at the skate park facility in Veterans Park. This letter contains a bit of the history of the skate park and identifies some options that you can explore in dete1111ining its future. Review of other communities suggests that skate boarding and in-line skating in undesirable places of the community is a perennial problem and providing a skate park as a sanctioned option helps the situation. Most communities find skate parks to be very popular and many metro conununities that do not have a close-by skate park option are experiencing grass-roots efforts to build one. In Hastings' case, a grass-roots effOli to locate and equip a skate park occun-ed in 2000. Five parks (Lyons, Civic Arena, River Flats, Wallin and Veterans) were evaluated for their ability to accommodate a skate park based on seven criteria: · ability to accormnodate an indoor park in the future · ability to construct the park immediately · space availability · land use conflicts · physical constraints · trail connections · site visibility/profile Some of the location options had practical problems that could not be overcome. Some of the locations posed land use conflicts with adjacent neighborhoods that made them challenging. The site in Veterans Park became the only option that was functionally and politically palatable because the land was immediately available and it did not impact sun-ounding neighbors. It was, however, recognized at the time as a location that lacked cormnunity visibility/profile and good, immediate trail cOilllections to the broader community. 123 NOlih Third Street, Suite 100, Milmeapolis, MN 55401-1659 Ph (612) 338-0800 Fx (612) 338-6838 ) o Ban)' Bemstein, Hastings Park & Recreation Director May 31, 2005 Page 2 of3 In addition to the location decision, the group of advocates wanted the skate park to be a tier 2 facility. This designation means that it has a broader variety of challenging equipment for skilled athletes than a tier 1 facility that has lower skill-level equipment. A tier 2 park requires security fencing, controlled entry and an attendant during hours of operation unlike a tier 1 skate park that does not require security or an attendant. The combination of an isolated location at Veterans Park, security requirements and high-skilled equipment that has turned out to exceed the skill of most local enthusiasts are leading to the issues now being experienced. There are several options that can be explored in addressing the skate park. 1. Invest more in the current skate park: The Veterans Park location is well suited to a regional skate park facility. Skate parks can be an extremely popular regional attraction drawing people from a 1 OO-mile radius if they are built to accommodate inclement weather and have the proper equipment to challenge skilled athletes. Transforn1ation of the Veterans.Park skate park into this type of regional attraction would likely require an indoor facility, expanded parking, year-round some level of marketing. A facility like this would probably appeal to a very small local population but it may serve to heighten the skill level of Hastings youth who are drawn to the sport. If the City chose to explore this option, a financial feasibility study would be warranted. 2. Relocate existing equipment to a higher visibility, central location: The current skate park could be moved to a location with higher visibility. This option would require a new pad of pavement, fencing and entry station. This will inevitably be a difficult decision because above-ground skate parks (especially tier 2) are usually not viewed favorably by surrounding neighbors. '3. Close the current tier 2 skate park and build a tier 1 skate park in a higher visibility, central location: Tier 1 skate parks do not require fencing or the presence bf an attendant. As a result, the cost of operation and the temptation of some youth to break in during non-operating hours are reduced. Based on experience in Hastings and other communities, tier 1 skate parks are more closely aligned with the skills of most enthusiasts and thus more popular than tier 2 parks. This option would mean abandoning much of the existing equipment. 4. Build an in-ground skate park facility in a higher visibility, central location: In- ground skate parks (they look like empty swimming pools) are rapidly gaining popularity in Minnesota. They reduce much of the visual clutter and noise common with above- ground equipment. In-ground facilities ~an be designed as either tier lor 2 levels of skill. This option would obviously mean abandoning the existing equipment. 5. Eliminate all skate park facilities in Hastings: If none of the alternatives are viewed to be viable, the City could choose to close the skate park and either store the equipment for a future skate park or attempt to sell the equipment (recognizing that resale value would be a small fl.-action of the original price). As mentioned earlier, grass-roots effOlis are common in metro locations that do not have close-by access to a skate park. It would ) o BarTY Bemstein, Hastings Par-k & Recreation Director May 31, 2005 Page 3 of3 probably not take long after the skate park in Hastings is closed that a new grass-roots effort to open a new one is stalied. These are some of my thoughts on the subject. I hope it helps in Hastings' decision. I am happy to continue to provide assistance at your request. Sincerely, Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. d I I 6~ ve. ~~~~, Bruce L. Chamberlain, ASLA Vice President