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PR 02/07/2011 - 29914CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING — FEBRUARY 7, 2011 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Sibell called the February 7, 2011 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Marcy Sibell, Michele Barrett, Mike Heintz, Dave Kondrick, Tim Solberg Others Present: 7ack Kirk, Director of Parks and Recreation Dave Lindquist, Parks Supervisor Layne Otteson, Assistant Public Works Director Paul Danielson, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Eric Fosmo, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. APPROVAL OF DECEMBER 6, 2010 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES MOTION by Mr. Kondrick, seconded by Mr. Heintz to approve the minutes of the December 6, 2010 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR FEBRUARY 7, 2011 MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Barrett, to approve the agenda for the February 7, 2011 meeting as submitted by staff. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 1. STAFF REPORT a. Program Update Mr. Kirk stated that the Program Update includes a report of activities and events in the past month. The ZONE continues to draw some good participation with the middle school age children after school and on Friday nights. Lowering the entrance fee to one dollar per day was a good move to boost the attendance. Mr. Kirk further stated that the Chores and More Program completed 9,559 hours of service in 2010. This was 174% of the goal that was set prior to the year. The new coordinator of the program, Colette Johnson has done a very nice job continuing the excellent service that Terri Brooke had established. Mr. Kirk stated that the ENCORE program is a new program started by Connie Thompson, specifically geared for the 50 to 70 age group. The first event was held in January with 25 people in attendance and included a dinner, followed by speaker. The program entertainment in the future will center around Parks and Recreation Commission Meetin� — Februarv 7, 2011 Pa�e 2 topics of interest to this age group such as pre-retirement planning, law issues, financial advice, travel, hobbies and more. The featured speaker for the February event will be Siah St. Clair, Springbrook Nature Center Director, who will talk about his recent trip to Machu Pichu in Peru. b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Lindquist stated that during the months of December and 7anuary, the maintenance workers were very busy with the outdoor skating facilities. There seemed to be a lot more use of the rinks this year. They also helped the Recreation by preparing facilities for the Winterfest, which turned out to be a very good event this year. In the ne�t few weeks, they will be putting the rink equipment away and starting to prepare the park facilities for the spring season. c. Springbrook Nature Center Report Mr. Kirk stated that the final participation numbers for Springbrook programs in 2010 were very impressive. There were 744 programs conducted with total participation near 24,000. There were over 1,000 total volunteers last year and they provided over 18,850 hours of work. Mr. Kirk further stated that the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation has recently purchased 15 GPS units to provide for some new programs at the center. They also purchased a Smartboard to integrate the nature center activities with the school curriculum. Mr. Kirk stated that a recent aerial survey indicated 17 deer in the vicinity of the nature center. Staff will be looking into the deer management program to reduce that number. d. Winterfest 2011 Mr. Kirk stated that the annual Winterfest was held on Saturday, January 29t'` and it was a huge success with the largest attendance we have seen, estimated at over 1,000 people. The Fridley Lions Club, the American Legion and Fridley Patch.com all helped with sponsorships. Chris and Rob's Chicago Taste Authority donated pizza for the seventy volunteers we had at the event. The weather could not have been better and people really had a great time. e. SNC Foundation SPREE Mr. Kirk stated that the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation will hold their annual fundraising event, the Springbrook Spree, on Saturday, April 9t'` at the Coon Rapids Community Center. It is a very nice event each year and is a good time. He wanted to invite the Commission members to attend. f. Council-Commission Survey and Meeting with City Council Mr. Kirk stated that the annual City Council — Commission survey is being worked on and will be sent out to the Commission members in late February or early March. The responses to the survey question provide staff with valuable input on issues and questions facing the City. He stated that he really appreciated the participation of the Parks and Recreation Commission members with this survey. City Manager Bill Burns has proposed that the Commission meet with the City Council on Monday, May 23ra at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the results of the survey. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Summer Program Format and Fees 2011 Mr. Kirk stated that staff is recommending to keep the summer program format and fees the same as last year. With the difficult economic climate, we believe it may be difficult for the participants to pay more. Our costs have essentially remained the same as last year. Mr. Kirk further stated that all the program information and recommended fees are in the document that was included in the agenda packet. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetin� — Februarv 7, 2011 Pa�e 3 Ms. Sibell stated that she thought it is a good idea and would support that. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Mr. Kondrick, to approve the staff recommended summer program format and fees for 2011. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. b. Edgewater Gardens Park — Proposed Underground Infiltration System Mr. Kirk stated that he recently met with City Public Works Director/Engineer Jim Kosluchar and Assistant Public Works Director Layne Otteson about a potential project that may affect Edgewater Gardens Park Increased freight and potential rail traffic on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe lines, including any expansion of the Northstar Commuter Rail or Northern Lights Express, may require the addition of a third rail line to be installed. With the new rail line would come some requirements for handling the storm water in the area and Edgewater Gardens Park may be a preferred location to provide an irifiltration system. Mr. Kirk further stated that Kimley-Horn and Associates are the engineering consultants for Anoka County working on this project. Paul Danielson and Eric Fosmo of Kimley-Horn are with us this evening and would like to explain the project, what is being proposed and get some feedback from the Commission members. Paul Danielson stated he would like to give some background information on the project. As Northstar Commuter Rail and other railroad projects come into fruition, there is a desire for additional capacity for both freight and passenger service on the BNSF tracks. With potential increased rail traffic, a third rail line would be required from the Northtown yards area up to what is known as Coon Creek 7unction, which is near Highway 610. That is the place where the current two lines split with one head track heading toward Big Lake and the other track north toward Duluth. Mr. Danielson further stated that a multi-agency agreement was made between MN Dot, BNSF, and the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority to get the third main project moved forward and ready for possible federal stimulus program funding. Projects that have received funding were to be shovel ready, so the stimulus funding can create jobs for economic growth. While the other agencies are taking on parts of the project such as track design and utility locations, Kimley-Horn has been asked to handle the improvements that would be needed to make the track work One of the improvements that may be needed in certain areas is some retaining walls and related drainage issues. They have worked with City of Fridley engineering staff on possible drainage solutions for this area. The project did not make it through the first round of stimulus funding, so right now this is an unfunded project. The desire is to continue to get all pieces of the project together in anticipation of future funding availability. They would like to get the drainage plan approved by the City and related water shed districts. Mr. Danielson stated that they had hoped they could do the water infiltration in the BNSF right-of-way. The problem with that is that BNSF does not want to take on any maintenance that the irifiltration system may require and they use their right-of-way area for maintenance vehicles to service the tracks. This caused the consultants to look off-site to handle the water irifiltration. That is when he approached Jim Kosluchar (City of Fridley Public Works Director) and asked if there was City property that could possibly accommodate the water irifiltration system. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetin� — Februarv 7, 2011 Pa�e 4 Mr. Danielson stated that Mr. Kosluchar had relayed to him that with the street reconstruction projects, the City often needed to come up with irifiltration areas in the City and that was sometimes challenging. The most obvious spot to consider for this was the Edgewater Gardens Park, because it was right ne�t to where the e�sting Mississippi Street lift station needed to be relocated. They have done some calculations as to what their capacity need was for the third main project, as well as providing additional capacity for future city street reconstruction projects. They are trying to find a win-win situation for this project and the City. This would impact some City property, but in exchange for this the City would benefit with having a filtration area to serve future local projects. Mr. Danielson stated they have a couple of possible options in their proposal for the filtration system at Edgewater Gardens Park One option is to use a part of the park that is closer to Mississippi Street and the other is a more linear solution along the e�sting path in the park The first option would impact more trees in the park They could go with either option, they really need some area that will allow for the necessary water treatment. Ms. Sibell asked if land south of Mississippi Street was considered as an option for this water infiltration system. Mr. Danielson stated that there are multiple watershed districts in the City of Fridley and the boundary of the area that is most impacted by this project is in the Rice Creek Watershed district north of Mississippi Street. They are trying to find an area that is in the Rice Creek District. Mr. Danielson stated that as far as using park land for this project, once the work is done you should not notice much difference to the land. It will be low impact to the park and you may only notice a couple of manhole access points. Mr. Heintz stated that he would understand that the area being impacted would be constructed back to its prior condition and ready for park use. Mr. Fosmo stated that once the project was complete, the park would generally look the same as before and could be used for all the same activities. Mr. Heintz asked how the park users would be protected from the manhole covers when playing in the park. Mr. Fosmo stated that the manhole covers will likely be in the vicinity of the lift station or near the asphalt path, so they should not impact the open play area. If desired, the manholes could even be below ground level with soil and grass on top. They would then be dug out when access was needed. Mr. Heintz asked who would be responsible for maintaining the infiltration system. Mr. Danielson stated that the County wants the City to be responsible for the maintenance of the infiltration system. It would likely require a memorandum of understanding or a joint powers agreement on the project maintenance. The maintenance costs for a system like this are not really that significant. Mr. Kirk asked what the limitations or restrictions were for what park areas or amenities can be on top of the infiltration system. Can there be grass only or can there be trees, playground equipment, and picnic shelters? Mr. Danielson stated that he didn't think that you could get a tree to grow on the area after the irifiltration system was in place. Buildings and play structures could not be placed on top of the system. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetin� — Februarv 7, 2011 Pa�e 5 Mr. Kondrick asked, based on their research, if this park was the best area for this irifiltration system project. Is this where you can get the best results to mitigate the water drainage concerns? Mr. Fosmo stated that, yes, this is the best place related to the third rail project. This site has the best chance to provide the most consistent source of water to the infiltration basins. Mr. Lindquist asked if the surface water in the area will cause settling around the underground pipes and containers, causing an uneven turf in the park open play area. Mr. Fosmo stated there should not be a large concern regarding settling in the infiltration system. The ground is usually compacted very well around the structures, which should minimize any settling. Mr. Kirk asked if this project were funded, how long would the construction of the irifiltration system take, or how long would the park be unusable by the neighborhood? Mr. Danielson stated that this would probably be a four-week construction project and then you would have the time for the turf to grow back. Mr. Kirk stated that he favors option 2 because it does not change the character or the use of the park It would have minimal impact on the trees in the park. He further stated that he believed the neighborhood would not be real happy to have their park taken out of commission during the prime time of the year. It would be nice if something could be included in the project to enhance the park and make it nicer in the future. Whether that was play equipment, a picnic shelter or an irrigation system for the park, a new addition to the park would likely make this project more acceptable to the people who live in the area. Mr. Kirk asked Mr. Danielson what action they would like to see taken by the Parks and Recreation Commission at tonight's meeting? Mr. Danielson stated that they would like to (a) know if they can use this park area for the infiltration system and (b) which option does the City favor. Ultimately there will need to be some final design work done, but it would be helpful to know which direction the project should go in. Mr. Kondrick stated that he would favor option 2. He did not really like having to make this choice and does not like the idea of doing this in the park. However, he is a proponent of the Northstar Rail project and wants it to be successful. He would prefer that the project impact the park for only four to six weeks and that an irrigation system for the park be included with this to provide a nicer park for the neighborhood in the future. He also wanted to clarify who would bear the cost for this project. Mr. Danielson stated the funding for the infiltration system would be part of the third main project, so it would be 100% covered by the project. However, the County does not want to cover the maintenance of the irifiltration system in the future. Mr. Solberg stated that he would agree with Mr. Kondrick's earlier comments on favoring option number 2 for this project. He would prefer to have the manhole covers buried as opposed to exposed in the open play area for safety reasons. He asked if the timing of the project can be worked out so it could be done toward the end of the summer and have less impact upon the neighborhood residents ability to use the park. Mr. Danielson stated that since the project is set for the future, he did not know when the infiltration work would need to be completed. He suggested that the Parks and Recreation include the timing of the work as part of any recommendation that would be made. Ms. Sibell asked if they had an estimate of what this irifiltration project would cost if it were completed today. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetin� — Februarv 7, 2011 Pa�e 6 Mr. Fosmo stated that he would estimate in the range of $300,000 to $500,000. Mr. Heintz stated that he was looking at option number one if we are looking at impacting the park the least. That option would only affect the one area of the park, not two, and we could look at putting up some type of structure like a picnic shelter in that location. Mr. Danielson stated that from a cost perspective, Anoka County would not be willing to entertain playground equipment or a picnic shelter as part of this deal because they are working with federal money for this project. They would have a hard time justifying those expenses with the project. Now with an irrigation system, you could make the case that it was part of the needed restoration of the park area. Ms. Barrett stated that she was thinking option 2 was the way to go, with an irrigation system for the park being part of the project. The people of the neighborhood would be able to see an improvement in the park after the project was complete. Mr. Heintz stated that if an irrigation system could be added to help restore the park after the project, he would be okay with option 2. Mr. Danielson stated that he had talked with Jon Olson, the Anoka County Public Services Director, and he indicated that irrigation system was something that might work with this project as long as the maintenance issues were not the responsibility of the County. MOTION by Mr. Kondrick, seconded by Mr. Heintz, to support the concept of an irifiltration system at Edgewater Gardens Park in conjunction with the third rail project on the Burlington Northern tracks as presented by the consultants for Anoka County. The support is for option 2, with an understanding that a construction schedule of no more than four weeks would be preferred and scheduled to minimize impact upon use of the neighborhood park The City would ask that the manhole covers be placed underground or in a location away from the active play areas. The City also asks that an irrigation system be installed in the park at the time of the construction. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. c. Altura Park— Storm Water Ponding Project Mr. Otteson stated that the City has a storm water problem in the Altura Park area. The soils are not the best and have caused some movement of the concrete curbs. Some flat areas are not present and the storm water does not drain away from certain areas on the street. The Engineering Department of the City is proposing to install a small ponding or rain garden project in Altura Park to help this neighborhood deal with the water problems. Mr. Otteson further stated that the storm water would be directed to the small pond or minimal rain garden and held there temporarily. Any excess water beyond what could be held in the pond/rain garden would be channeled through the park to a drainage outlet on the other side of the basketball court. The movement of the water would be arranged so it would not affect the use of the basketball court or the play equipment in the park. Mr. Otteson further stated that when completed, the project will make the park look very nice. When you drive by, you would see flowers or other nice vegetation. The drainage swail in the park would likely not need to be very deep to handle the expected flow of water. If an engineering study of the area in the spring indicated a need for handling a larger volume of water than is currently anticipated, an Parks and Recreation Commission Meetin� — Februarv 7, 2011 Pa�e 7 underground pipe system could be installed. That is not the preferred option because it would be more expensive. Mr. Solberg asked if the neighbors to the park area have been informed of this project and if they are supportive of the plan. Mr. Otteson stated that he has not actually talked to the neighbors about doing something like this. He has had discussions with some of the people affected by the water problems and told them that the City would try to do something to help with the issue. Mr. Solberg stated that he personally thinks what is being proposed is a good solution to the problem and will make the Altura Park area look better. Mr. Kirk stated that from his perspective, as long as the project does not adversely affect the basketball court and the playground equipment area, and it helps the neighborhood storm water problem, he is supportive of this. Mr. Kirk asked Mr. Otteson how many days that the proposed pond for Altura Park will have water standing in a normal weather year. Mr. Otteson stated that every time it rains, the pond will have water in it for a day to a day and a half. After the pond matures and the soil settles more it may have water for two days. If there are plants in the pond/garden, the theory is that the water will irifiltrate faster. It will hold water for a very limited time. Ms. Sibell stated that the City does a good job of letting the adults in the community know why projects such as this are helpful for treating the storm water, but is there something we can do to help educate the children in the community about this type of project. Mr. Otteson stated that there could be an information sign that is put up ne�t to the pond or rain garden explaining how the water is being handled. We could talk to the Rice Creek Watershed District to see if they have any educational information that is being used. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Barrett, to accept the proposal of the City Engineering staff to install a small storm water pond or rain garden at Altura Park. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 3. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Tobacco-Free Parks Policy Chairperson Sibell stated that due to the time and the fact that two members of the Commission need to leave, she suggested deferring this item to the March meeting for further discussion. MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Barrett, to move this item to the agenda of the March Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 4. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Barrett to adjourn the February 7, 2011 meeting at 8:50 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE FEBRUARY 7, 2011 MEETING ADJOURNED.