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PR 06/02/2008 - 29888CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING — JUNE 2, 2008 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Kondrick called the June 2, 2008 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Dave Kondrick, Michele Barrett, Mike Heintz Others Present: Jack Kirk, Director of Parks and Recreation Dave Lindquist, Parks Supervisor Jeff Shaw, 5854 Stinson Boulevard Jane Shaw, 5854 Stinson Boulevard Roger Wilson, 1588 Gardena Avenue Elaine Bellew, 5691 W. Bavarian Pass Wayne Liepke, 1634 Gardena Avenue Justin Ross, 5697 W. Bavarian Pass Patty Shade, 7866 Alden Way John Haine, 7866 Alden Way Tom Tauscheck, 1624 Gardena Avenue Ruth Tauscheck, 1624 Gardena Avenue Aaron Fontaine, 5663 W. Bavarian Pass Jennifer Jensen, 5667 W. Bavarian Pass APPROVAL OF MAY 5, 2008 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES MOTION by Ms. Barrett, seconded by Mr. Heintz to approve the minutes of the May 5, 2008 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR JUNE 2, 2008 MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Barrett, to approve the agenda for the June 2, 2008 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 1. STAFF REPORT a. Program Update Mr. Kirk stated that the Program Update is included in the agenda packet for review. Please note that Connie Thompson was recently given the Outstanding Senior Service Provider award from the Minnesota Association of Senior Services. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq - June 2, 2008 Paqe 2 b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Lindquist stated that the Park Maintenance Report is included in the agenda packet. Mr. Kondrick asked if the City was continuing to have problems with graffiti on our park structures. Mr. Lindquist stated that recently we have been having a fair amount of problems with graffiti at the Commons Park area. Mr. Kondrick stated that he has been driving around the City looking at our parks and they are in great condition and look very nice. Our maintenance workers have been very busy. c. Springbrook Nature Center Report Mr. Kirk stated that the Springbrook Nature Center Report is included in the agenda packet for the Park and Recreation Commission members information. Mr. Kondrick stated that it was very nice that Mr. Earl Bakken has donated $5000. d. Fridley `49er Days Mr. Kirk stated that the Fridley `49er Days celebration is rapidly approaching and a promotional flyer has been included in the agenda packet. He invited the Commission members to participate in the activities. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Innsbruck Trail Project Mr. Kirk stated that he would give a recap of this project, talk a little about the pending trail grant and the approvals that are necessary and a possible project timeline. He would like to share a preliminary trail route with the Commission and then answer questions that the Commission members or visitors to our meeting may have. Mr. Kirk stated that the Innsbruck Nature Center Park is a 27 acre park that is owned and operated by the City of Fridley. In the 1970's, our naturalist department operated out of a park building on the site and provided the nature interpretation programs. A series of trails was developed and maintained throughout the park. The trails were used by our naturalist staff for programs, as well as by the neighborhood residents and other visitors to the park. The Springbrook Nature Center opened in 1982 and the naturalist operation was moved out of Innsbruck Park. Mr. Kirk further stated that the trails in the Innsbruck Park were not developed with minimum erosion in mind. They are likely extensions of pre-existing deer trails through the area. There are a number of very steep inclines and declines with this trail system and erosion is a constant problem. The City has tried a number of remedies over the years to deal with this hilly terrain and the steepness of the trail in various locations. One approach, a number of years ago, was to put in some large steps and basically some periodic retaining timbers. This worked for a while, but the heavy erosion finally broke apart the step system and created some significant washouts. The City tried a series of switchback approaches to the steep trail sections and they would have worked fairly well, but park users would take shortcuts, which ultimately let to more erosion problems and washouts. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq - June 2, 2008 Paqe 3 Mr. Kirk stated that the City has recognized that the trail system could use some upgrading and had the Innsbruck Park, the Sand Dunes Area, and the Farr Lake Park trail systems identified for project funds in the Parks 5-Year Capital Improvement program. In 2003, the City had a significant portion of its revenue source taken away by the State of Minnesota when the Local Government Aid (LGA) program was cut. At the time, the City of Fridley was receiving approximately $2 million in LGA to support a$12 million general fund budget. The City had to make some severe budget cuts and put a number of projects on hold. Mr. Kirk further stated that the projects in the Parks CIP were all held up completely for a two year period of time. When projects were resumed two years later, there was a revised budget for all of the park projects and we were looking for ways to cut costs for our park system. The City needed to look closely at sustainable projects to reduce the need for long term maintenance concerns. While the City still identified these trails as projects that would be good for the park system, the dollars were not there to complete them as originally planned. We needed to look at possible alternative approaches to make the projects happen. Mr. Kirk further stated that at the August 7, 2006 meeting, then Public Works Director Jon Haukaas presented an idea to the Parks and Recreation Commission to complete a trail project at Innsbruck Park which would accommodate the use of off-road mountain bikes. The trail would become more versatile and by including mountain bikes, there may be some state or federal grant funds to help with the improvement process. As Mr. Haukaas pointed out, the City had identified a need of approximately $27,000 to improve the Innsbruck trail and a budget session with the City Council revealed little support to spend that amount of money on the project. He was looking at an alternative that would improve the trails. Mr. Kirk stated that the discussion of a new trail at Innsbruck included addressing the constant erosion problem and providing a sustainable alternative. Once the trail was completed, it would be available for use during normal park hours throughout the year for various types of users. While mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners would use the trail mostly from spring through the first significant snow in the fall, snowshoers and hikers might continue to use the trails during the winter months. Mr. Haukaas also had some preliminary discussion with the Minnesota Off- Road Cyclists organization (MORC) to provide on-going maintenance assistance with the trails in the park. Mr. Kirk stated that this idea was supported by the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City Council, so staff worked with MORC to put in an application for a federal trails grant to help with funding of the project. A grant application was completed and submitted with a total project budget cost of $30,000. If successful, the grant would be for $15,000 and the City of Fridley would need to cover that with a match of $15,000. The project budget would allow $3,000 for design work and mapping, $2,000 for brush clearing, $22,000 for trail construction and $3,000 for trail signage and a possible entrance kiosk. In the summer of 2007, the City was contacted by the Minnesota DNR office and informed that we were preliminarily approved for a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) grant to fund this project. In order to receive final approval, we needed to complete paperwork on a number of required approvals. These approvals included an endangered species environmental review, an environmental assessment statement review, water and wetlands compliance review, and a cultural heritage review. We were informed that some of these review processes could take 4 months. Mr. Kirk further stated that when the FHWA receives all of the paperwork and approves the overall project we would be presented with a contract to sign with Minnesota DNR. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq - June 2, 2008 Paqe 4 We received the last of the approvals in the past month and now have everything submitted to the state DNR. He is expecting to hear on final approval in the next couple of weeks. We could then proceed on the project. Mr. Kirk stated that when a trail is built to be sustainable in a hilly terrain, it is built to follow the contours of the hills and not go up and down a steep grade. The off-road bike trails use native soils, so we will not being putting in asphalt. The trails are built on a side hill with a five percent slope to allow for drainage. The width of these trails is kept at a minimum. The original idea for this trail in Innsbruck would have it be a single direction trail, meaning that all users would walk or bike in the same direction. This would be controlled by the proper signage. Mr. Kirk stated that in order to get this trail project completed, some of the work that would need to be done would include laying out or flagging the proposed trail route, clearing out some brush, constructing the trail and installing appropriate signs. Mr. Heintz asked if the contractor doing the construction would use small vehicles for that work. Mr. Kirk stated that small vehicles could be used and the trail bed construction actually uses a walk behind piece of equipment. Mr. Fontaine stated that he has noticed recently some new trails have appeared in the park. Were those put in by City officials or have they been made by people forging their own paths. Mr. Kirk stated that have been created by people walking in the park and not put in by the City. Mr. Wilson asked if something could be done about the buckthorn that is growing in the park. There was a project several years ago that removed buckthorn, but it has grown back very thick in the park. Mr. Kirk stated that removal of buckthorn is very labor intensive and must be done on a regular basis to be effective. There is not an easy solution to the problem. Mr. Lindquist stated that some chemicals are effective with the buckthorn, but there is concern about using certain chemicals in the parks. The only way to effectively deal with buckthorn is to regularly remove it, at least on an annual basis. Ms. Tauscheck stated that there are some new environmental education signs that were put into the Innsbruck Park in the last couple of years. What will happen to them when a new trail is installed? Mr. Kirk stated that the signs would remain in the park. They may need to be moved to a different location on the trail. Ms. Tauscheck stated that the trail looks to have a single access point off Arthur Street. Is that correct? Also, will the City be repairing the small parking lot for the park? Mr. Kirk stated the plan is for a single entrance point on the park and the City will be repairing the parking lot. It will be done by our Public Works department workers and depending on their work load, it may not be done for a year or two. Mr. Ross stated that he understands this to be a shared path between bikers and walkers. He also understands the trail to be narrow. He is concerned when someone needs to pass another user and also the bikes moving at a faster rate of speed. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq - June 2, 2008 Paqe 5 Mr. Fontaine suggested that signs be erected near the trails to explain trail user etiquette and proper protocol for using the trail. He also suggested a maximum trail speed limit for bikers. Mr. Kondrick asked if the residents would be opposed to a wider, say 5 or 6 foot wide, trail be installed rather than the narrower one being discussed. Mr. Tauscheck stated he thought that would create problems and possibly cause bikes to move faster through the area. Mr. Tauscheck stated that this is supposed to be a nature preserve and asked what the ultimate goal of bringing in bicycle paths is. Is it the City trying to increase usership in the park or to bring in people from outside of the community to use the park? What is the reason for this? Mr. Kirk stated that when this project was initially proposed, there was a perception that this park area was underutilized and allowing another group of users, the bikers, to enjoy the park could increase the park use some. There was never an intention to bring in large numbers of people or large groups to the park. Also, by partnering with the bicycle group, it would allow the City to qualify for a grant to make the trail improvements and the bike group agreed to help with on-going maintenance. This is still a nature area in our community and it is the intention of the City to keep it as such. Mr. Tauschek asked if the City would be bringing in people from all over the State for weekend bicycle rallies at the park. Mr. Kirk stated that was not going to be approved and the City would not allow large group events there. This is not going to be a large trail and will have the most appeal to bikers in the community and immediate area. Ms. Jensen said she wanted to respond to the question asked by Mr. Kondrick about wider trails. She thinks that would be a bad idea because we would end up with someone out there on an ATV or a motorized vehicle. She would be opposed to a wider trail. Mr. Shaw said that you can always widen the trail later, but it is more difficult to try to reduce the width in the future. Mr. Wilson asked if the grant had any restrictions or stipulations that specified what would be done if the bike trails project does not work out. Mr. Kirk stated that with accepting the grant, the City would be required to maintain bike trails for a specified period of time. He thought that it stated twenty years. Mr. Fontaine stated that this is one very long single direction trail through the park. Has there been any thought given to connecting certain segments of the trail to make for some shorter routes for those who may not want to follow the entire long trail? Mr. Kirk stated that the original plan was to have one single trail, but if it is practical to provide some shorter segments, that could be looked at when the trail is laid out. Ms. Shaw stated that for walkers it would be better to have some shorter segment options instead of one long continuous two mile trail. Mr. Shaw stated that there are several entrances to the park now, not just the one entrance off of Arthur Street as proposed in the new trail plan. Is there any possibility of other entrances with this plan. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq - June 2, 2008 Paqe 6 Mr. Lindquist stated that there is some concern about the entrance to the park off of Stinson Avenue. It is almost impossible for the City to maintain any type of entrance trail in that area, so he would not recommend an entrance to the trail system at that site. Ms. Shaw asked if it might be possible to have two-way traffic for hikers, but require a single direction for the bikers. It doesn't seem like the walkers would have conflicts with the two way movement. Mr. Kirk stated that is something they could look into as well. Ms. Jensen stated that she thought that multiple access points to the park trail would be harder to maintain and that if park users took the time to go to the one designated access point, they would likely be at the park for positive use. The multiple access points may very well be used by people for activity we don't want in the park. Mr. Kondrick stated that he agreed with that and would not support multiple access points. Mr. Tauscheck stated that he did not want to be the only skeptic here, but how do we know the bicycle club will do what they say they are going to do. How often are they going to be at the park doing the maintenance of the trail? If they don't follow through on their end, what recourse does the City of Fridley have? Mr. Kirk stated that while MORC could potentially pull out of the agreement with the City after a period of time, it is in their best interest to continue the working relationship. The organization (MORC) has successful partnerships with other governmental units and not one has reported that the organization has bailed out on them. They have a long term interest in seeing additional off-road trails developed and the partnerships help this process along. Mr. Tauscheck stated that this whole project does not make a lot of logistic common sense to him. There will be narrow, one-way trails to be shared by bikers and walkers. He is concerned that increase use will turn this into the Mall of America or party central like it was many years ago. He would like to see it remain a nice natural area for people to walk instead of a multi use facility. Mr. Kondrick stated that this grant provides us with an opportunity to make some improvements at this park. It will offer opportunities for many people in Fridley. That park is a gem in our community that is not being used. This project will help make the park better. Mr. Kondrick thanked all of the neighborhood residents for coming to the meeting this evening. b. Craig Park Mr. John Haine, 7866 Alden Way, stated he was interested in an update on the tennis courts at Craig Park. The neighborhood had presented a petition to the City requesting that the courts be kept at the park for the foreseeable future. They are just fine as they are for neighborhood use. Mr. Kirk stated that the City has received the petition and the City Council would like the courts to remain at this time. The Parks and Recreation Commission should review the status of these courts at some time in the future and make another recommendation for action. Mr. Kirk further stated that the nets have been put up at the Craig Park courts. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq - June 2, 2008 Paqe 7 Mr. Haine stated that they have been keeping track of use of the past two weeks and 35-40 people have used the court in just the odd times that they have been able to watch the court. Mr. Kirk stated that was great that people have been using the courts. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Barrett to adjourn the June 2, 2008 meeting at 8:33p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE JUNE 2, 2008 MEETING ADJOURNED.