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PLM 04/17/2019 FRIDLEY PLANNING COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 7:00 P.M. FRIDLEY CIVIC CAMPUS, COUNCIL CHAMBERS 7071 UNIVERSITY AVENUE N.E. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Vice-Chairperson Oquist called the Planning Commission Meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Rachel Schwankl, Mark Hansen, Leroy Oquist, Terry McClellan, and Brad Sielaff Mike Heintz ABSENT: David Kondrick OTHERS PRESENT: Scott Hickok, Community Development Director APPROVE MINUTES March 20, 2019 Motionby Commissioner Sielaff to approve the minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Hansen. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, VICE-CHAIRPERSON OQUIST DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS: 1. March 4, 2019, Parks and Recreation Commission MOTION by Commissioner Schwankl accepting the above minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Sielaff. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, VICE-CHAIRPERSON OQUIST DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. OTHER BUSINESS: 1. Recommend Approval of a Joint Powers Agreement Between the City of Fridley and Anoka County. Scott Hickok, Community Development Director, stated as they all know the Locke Park is part of a regional park system that is very important to the City. The land is actually owned by the City of Fridley. The maintenance and ongoing park management of Locke Park is part of the City’s regional system and is done by Anoka County. Fridley Planning Commission Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 2 of 6 Mr. Hickok stated many years ago the City of Fridley set up a lease agreement with Anoka County and the County manages and maintains the park shelters and bathrooms that are in the park. That has allowed the City and County to enjoy it and there is enough land area to add to the City’s regional park system which is important. The City needs a certain number of square feet of land in the regional park system in order to be able to (1) qualify as a regional park, and (2) be able to enjoy the benefits of what a regional park can bring. There are grants available for cities with regional parks and counties with this regional park system, which the City has been able to take part in. Mr. Hickok stated when they went to embark upon the redevelopment of the Columbia Arena site, there was a debate about whether they should do the 11 acres of the Columbia Arena site; 22 acres which is the Columbia Arena site plus the old Public Works facility; or do the 33 acres which would also include a piece of land south of the Columbia Arena that looked and functioned like it was park land but it was purchased by the City many years ago without the strings and caveats you probably have, making it park land. In other words, the City did not take it by tax forfeiture with the purpose of creating a park with it. The City did not purchase it or get it by park dedication for the sole expressed purpose of having it as a park. Mr. Hickok stated the City bought a nice piece of property without the park caveat attachment. What that allowed the City to do is use the entire 33 acres to create what they call a “Civic Campus” or Locke Park Point which includes the Civic Campus, the private development including the patio homes and soon to be townhomes just south of the pond. Mr. Hickok stated in with the redevelopment, the City had a couple important things they wanted to accomplish. The City felt it was important to build a parkway to get to the new developments (the patio homes and the townhomes). That parkway then would become an important piece to the existing single family development to the south, and it would also be an important feature for getting folks into the park. It also would provide an impressive entrance into Locke Park. So the parkway has been designed with nice lighting and landscaping along the way. Mr. Hickok stated that another thing that was important to the City was to include the trail. The Commission may remember that the trail connects to the regional system. It used to be along the southern edge of the Columbia Arena parking lot and then took you out along the frontage road to what would eventually take you to the intersection at th 69 Avenue. Mr. Hickok stated when the Arena was taken down and the reconfiguration of this campus happened, there needed to be some temporary signage put up for folks who might be looking for the trail and not knowing what happened to it. The County took Fridley Planning Commission Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 3 of 6 care of that in conjunction with the City in laying out exactly where the detour would be. A promise was made that when this development was done, that the regional path and connection would be reconstructed. Mr. Hickok stated they will see in the illustration he is showing, there is a plat for the patio homes; and there is the parkway that runs through, east to west. On the south side of that parkway there is the red highlighted area. That is a 15-foot trail easement that is granted to the County, to the park system, and will go to the Council for their ultimate approval. It will then go to the County Board and the Metropolitan Council for approval. Mr. Hickok stated along with that, as they know, trails have maintenance and ongoing costs. Tonight the Planning Commission is being asked to ratify (as the Parks and Recreation Commission did) the JPA (Joint Powers Agreement) and to recommend to the Council to concur with the Park and Recreation to ratify and move it onto the County and the Metropolitan Council for their final approvals. Mr. Hickok stated that although the City owns the land, the County wanted to make sure that constructing the new parkway is not viewed as a subtraction from the square foot dimension of a regional park. As a result, they asked for a substitute piece of property and that would give back the square foot dimension used for the parkway, so there would never be a question about whether the parkway subtracted enough land that it would be a detriment to the regional funding system or the regional park. The Commission will see in green that is the area that was agreed upon. That was not given in fee or title to the County. It was just a redefinition of the park boundary. Mr. Hickok stated where the park boundary would have ended right on the straight edge on the east side of that green shaded parcel, now it takes it a little bit to the west and the new redefined park follows that pattern that runs north and south and then at a 45-degree angle to the southwest. That is the land that is now inside what is managed by the Anoka County park system and is part of the City’s regional park. In exchange the green was exchanged for the blue, the roadway; and the red becomes the pathway. Mr. Hickok stated the JPA is not unusual at all. It talks about indemnification, insurance, severability; ending the agreement at some point that it’s necessary to end that and how that would happen. Council is not at all unfamiliar with what a JPA is. Mr. Hickok stated he is asking for the Commission to recommend approval of the attached JPA to the Council for their approval. Both the City and County Attorney have reviewed the document and are in agreement. Commissioner Hansen stated he is curious how the trail will lay in comparison to the boulevard? Fridley Planning Commission Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 4 of 6 Mr. Hickok replied, the trail is right up against the curb. They have looked at and evaluated the parkway design which would include possibly lighting between the trail and the back of the curb; and they have determined that lighting will actually be in the medians, double headed lights, LED light fixture in the planted medians, and that the pathway will be tucked behind the curb and maintained. As they maintain that roadway, the trail will need to have snow removal, etc. all at the same time. Commissioner Hansen stated is it going to be slightly wider to accommodate snow removal? Mr. Hickok replied, yes, it will be. The trail itself is meant to be 10-feet wide. It would even accommodate a Park vehicle if it were to drive on it. Commissioner McClellan asked whether the trail will customarily be asphalt? Mr. Hickok replied, yes, the trail will be asphalt to match the trail that takes off then into Locke Park. Commissioner Schwankl stated Article V references Section VIII but she wondered if they meant to reference Section VII. Mr. Hickok replied, yes, that should reference Section VII. Co-Chairperson Oquist asked whether the green area which is going to be most of the park, will that be maintained by the County then? Mr. Hickok replied, yes, it will. Co-Chairperson Oquist asked whether they will be mowing grass and things like that? Mr. Hickok replied, with the contours there is actually a downhill slope towards the creek, which is a natural area. It is best to leave that in its natural state, instead of trying to mow it. Mr. Hickok stated there will be a separate park area that will be closer to the parkway and that with have a children’s play area with equipment. There will also be a big enough area to toss a ball around. Commissioner Schwankl stated there is reference to Exhibits A, B, C, and D. She believes A is probably the map. She asked if Mr. Hickok could speak to them as to Exhibits B, C, and D. Fridley Planning Commission Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 5 of 6 Mr. Hickok replied, the replacement of park land is the land that is the green and blue shaded areas, identified as Exhibit A. Exhibit B is a legal description that is technical language that defines these areas. Exhibit C has to do with the trail closure detour routes. The trail closure route was an agreed upon route to send folks when it was necessary to keep people a safe distance away from the construction. Mr. Hickok stated Exhibit D talks about the ownership and maintenance of Outlot D which is indemnification insurance. According to statute the City has to hold harmless the County from any claims, costs, and expenses. Very typical language in agreement like this where the City is doing work and the County wants to make sure they are indemnified. Commissioner Schwankl stated staff has reviewed them? Mr. Hickok replied, yes, they have reviewed them and he should have attached those. He will make a note that Council will want to see those. Commissioner Sielaff asked Mr. Hickok whether he said that the Locke Park land is owned by the City? Mr. Hickok replied, yes, it is. Commissioner Sielaff asked and the County leases it? Mr. Hickok replied, yes, it does. Commissioner Sielaff asked and the City gets lease payments? Mr. Hickok replied, yes, it is a fairly nominal lease payment between the two agencies. It is more about having them do the maintenance in exchange for allowing it to be part of the larger regional system. It is more about the tradeoff than the actual cash value of the lease. Commissioner Sielaff asked whether there is a reason the City went into a lease agreement rather than selling it? Mr. Hickok replied, he thinks the City does see it as an asset and wants to ultimately control it. There is a provision that allows the City to get out of the agreement if it needed it, for example, if it thought maintenance was not being handled appropriately or funds they were getting through grant sources were not being spent ever on this site, etc. It may cause the City to reconsider whether it wants to continue the arrangement. Fridley Planning Commission Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 6 of 6 Mr. Hickok stated the relationship between the City and County has been very good, and staff does not see that kind of issue. There are things they would like to see in the park where they will have a mutual agreement on and discussions about, such as the new tot lot area, a couple of parking stalls off the parkway, and part of the plan with the plaza behind them as well as the park they want to make it as accessible as possible. Those kinds of things they will work with the County on and make sure they are all in agreement. Commissioner Sielaff asked so if the County wanted to make improvements, it would have to get City approval? Mr. Hickok replied, they do. The County communicates with the City. For example, when the dog park was moved and approved. When the bathroom building was burn downed, they went through the City for permits and had approvals from the Council for the design, etc. MOTION by Commissioner Hansen Recommending Approval of a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Fridley and Anoka County. Seconded by Commissioner Sielaff. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, VICE-CHAIRPERSON OQUIST DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ADJOURN: MOTION by Commissioner McClellan to adjourn. Seconded by Commissioner Schwankl. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, VICE-CHAIRPERSON OQUIST DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:26 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Denise M. Johnson Recording Secretary