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PRM 01/05/2015 CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING – JANUARY 5, 2015 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Solberg called the January 5, 2015 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Tim Solberg, Greg Ackerman, Michele Barrett, Dave Kondrick Others Present: Jack Kirk, Director of Parks and Recreation Julie Jones, Planning Manager APPROVAL OF DECEMBER 1, 2014 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES MOTION by Mr. Kondrick, seconded by Mr. Ackerman to approve the minutes of the December 1, 2014 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SOLBERG DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR JANUARY 5, 2015 MOTION by Mr. Ackerman, seconded by Mr. Kondrick, to approve the agenda for the January 5, 2015 meeting as submitted by staff. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SOLBERG DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 1. STAFF REPORT a. Program Update Mr. Kirk stated that the Program Update for this meeting includes information for the past month. The nature center Discovery Dinner in December featured Becky Masterman from the University of Minnesota Bee Squad talking on honey bees and native bees in Minnesota. There were 28 people that participated in this activity. The nature center staff and volunteers were also involved in the Audubon Society Christmas bird count at Springbrook. There were 20 participants who took to the woods, prairies and areas around Springbrook to gather data on birds and report the findings to the Audubon Society to help track bird populations around the country. Mr. Kirk stated that several of the winter adult athletic leagues have started or are getting ready to begin. The indoor programs such as the Volleyball and Basketball leagues started in early December. The Broomball and Boot Hockey leagues have teams registered and we expect to begin league play in early January. Mr. Kirk further stated that the annual Senior Holiday Party sponsored by the Fridley Lions Club was a big success again this year with 266 seniors attending the dinner event. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - January 5, 2015 Page 2 b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Kirk stated that a report on park maintenance activity in the last month has been provided by Jeff Jensen and was included in the agenda packet. The Park Maintenance employees got a great start on ice rink preparation in early December, but the subsequent warmer weather took care of any progress they had been making. When the weather got colder, the workers were able to get the ice ready and our rinks are now open in the neighborhoods. Our one warming house at Commons Park opened for the season on st December 31. The Park Maintenance employees have been doing park checks, trash pick-ups, and maintenance in the shop area on the days they cannot work on the ice rinks. c.Springbrook Nature Center Report Mr. Kirk stated that a report of Springbrook Nature Center activity has been provided by nature center Director Mike Maher and was included in the agenda packet. The fall-winter programming is underway working with students at the Fridley Public schools and a number of other schools in our area. We have a new seasonal naturalist named Victoria Thompson who will be working primarily with our Fridley school students. Mr. Kirk further stated that the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation has been working closely with Fox Advancement Company on fundraising for the SPRING project. They now have gifts and pledges totaling $524,918 since November 1, 2014. d.SPRING Project Committee Mr. Kirk stated that the SPRING Project Committee continued its work in December by meeting with our architectural firm to discuss the programs and services that will be operating in the new and remodeled interpretive center building. Ideas were shared on what was needed in the various areas of the building and what rooms needed to be adjacent to each other. th Mr. Kirk further stated that a planning charrette took place on December 19 with the SPRING Project Committee, Springbrook Nature Center staff, the architects, landscape architect, and the exhibit design firm. Various building plans were discussed and modified during the session and lots of progress was made in the design of the building. The group will be meeting again this week. The Parks and Recreation Commission is represented by Mike Heintz and Dave Kondrick on the SPRING Project Committee. e.Winter Festival th Mr. Kirk stated that the annual WinterFest event will be held on Saturday, January 24 at Commons Park and the Fridley Community Center from 12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m. There will be hay rides, ice games, dog sled rides, a medallion hunt and many indoor activities to entertain the entire family. The Commission members and their families are invited to attend. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Transit Oriented District Master Plan – Islands of Peace Park Mr. Kirk stated that the City Council recently approved a master plan for the area around the Islands of Peace Park, Stevenson Elementary School and the Commuter Rail Station. He wanted the Parks and Recreation Commission members to have updated information on this project. Julie Jones, Planning Manager for the City of Fridley, will doing this presentation. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - January 5, 2015 Page 3 Ms. Jones stated that the City has been working with a consultant over the past two years to develop a master plan for a portion of the Northstar Transit Oriented Development Overlay Zoning District. This effort has been funded by a Metropolitan Council Livable Communities TOD Grant. There were public open houses in November to gather input on the plan and reviews by the Planning Commission, Fridley HRA and City staff. Staff and the consultant on the project have now finalized the Master Plan. They believe that the real center piece in this plan is the Islands of Peace Park, which is operated and maintained by Anoka County Parks. Ms. Jones stated that they wanted to create a master plan for this area because they expect that these parcels will develop over time in a piece by piece fashion. When the development is all done, they want to have a well-coordinated project with street and trail connections to the transit station. Ms. Jones stated that the design grant did not cover anything related to park re-design, but they see the park as being key to the multi-family redevelopment of this area. To create some demand for higher value housing in the area, you really need to integrate the park into that development. It will help to provide some more amenities in that park which will attract people to live in the area. Ms. Jones stated that the City partnered with Anoka County and hired the Hoisington Koegler group to work on a plan for Islands of Peace Park. They have concentrated on creating trail loops within this park area, with multiple distances to travel. Ms. Jones pointed out on the master plan where the high density housing would be located. She also pointed out where some medium density housing would also be located. Current industrial and commercial areas would remain as such in this new master plan. The plan has created a new parkway through the area, which should prove to be a plus for development. Ms. Jones further stated that the plan really emphasizes a new and more inviting entrance to the Islands of Peace Park. Visibility into the park and inviting roadways will be key features of the plan. Ms. Jones stated that the next step is for her to do a final report to the grant agency and then for the City to look at funding opportunities for the trail and park amenities. Mr. Kondrick asked if the Metropolitan Council was supportive of this new master plan for the TOD area. Ms. Jones stated that she believed that they were as Anoka County did get the revised park plans approved by them. Mr. Kondrick asked if there might be some monies available from the Metropolitan Council to help with this project. Ms. Jones stated that there could be some livable communities money available that might relate to this project. She thought the money might be more likely to come from the DNR, State or Federal programs. Mr. Ackerman stated that implementation of this overall master plan would be a great thing for the City. Ms. Jones stated that they are hopeful that as some new development starts to take place in this area that it will encourage more new development to follow. Mr. Kirk stated that no action was needed by the Parks and Recreation Commission on this item, but they felt it was important that the Commission members knew about the plans and what potentially could be happening in this area. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - January 5, 2015 Page 4 b. Park Property Special Use Permit Application Mr. Kirk stated that this item was discussed at the last Commission meeting and staff has brought back a proposed permit application form incorporating the guidelines that the Commission wanted to include. It would be the staff recommendation that we try this special park use permit for this next year. Mr. Kirk stated the guidelines for the permit include a proper certificate of insurance being provided by the renter, a defined section of the park that can be used, identification of utilities before putting in support stakes and specifically getting special items approved in advance by City staff. The renter would also need to acknowledge responsibility for covering any damage to the property and submit an appropriate damage deposit. The person responsible for the event would need to be in attendance and supervising the activity. Mr. Ackerman stated that he looked over the proposed application for the park special use permit and thought it was very well done. Mr. Solberg asked if we had identified the parks that this special use permit would most likely apply at and is there a map that could specify the area that can be used. Mr. Kirk stated that staff will provide an aerial photo of the park with the approved area for special use being identified. MOTION by Mr. Ackerman, seconded by Ms. Barrett, to approve the staff recommended park property special use permit application. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SOLBERG DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. c. Adult Softball Tournament – Spring Lake Park Panther Classic Mr. Kirk stated that Spring Lake Park High School Softball has requested of the Fridley Community Park softball fields for a tournament on May 16 – 17. The tournament would likely use all six fields. Staff would recommend approval of the application at the specified rental rates, but there is one area of concern. The Metropolitan Council will be doing a major sewer line project in the area this next year and it may affect one of the back two softball fields. We don’t expect that it will be started by the time of this tournament, but we would want to let them know that it is possible that one field could be affected. City staff would work with Spring Lake Park Softball to make appropriate arrangements if the field was not available. Mr. Ackerman asked if this tournament will conflict with other use of the Community Park ball field. Mr. Kirk stated that this is the first tournament to be approved for the year and there should not be a conflict on the schedule. MOTION by Mr. Kondrick, seconded by Mr. Ackerman, to approve the softball tournament request by the Spring Lake Park High School Softball for use of Community Park for a tournament on May 16– 17, 2015 at the regular facility fee and complying with all regulations set forth in the tournament application. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SOLBERG DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - January 5, 2015 Page 5 4. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Ms. Barrett, seconded by Mr. Ackerman to adjourn the January 5, 2015 meeting at 8:16 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SOLBERG DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE JANUARY 5, 2015 MEETING ADJOURNED.