HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-01-04 City Council Work SessionAgenda
City Council Work Session
City of Edina, Minnesota
Edina City Hall Community Room
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
5:30 PM
I.Call To Order
II.Roll Call
III.Fred Richards Park Master Planning Process
IV.Administrative Procedures: Boards & Commissions
V.Administrative Procedures: Update City Policies
VI.Administrative Procedures: Council Correspondence Practices
VII.Adjournment
The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the
public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing ampli)cation, an
interpreter, large-print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861
72 hours in advance of the meeting.
Date: January 4, 2017 Agenda Item #: III.
To:Mayor and City Council Item Type:
Reports / Recommendation
From:Ann Kattreh, Parks & Recreation Director
Item Activity:
Subject:Fred Richards Park Master Planning Process Discussion
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
None. Discussion only.
INTRODUCTION:
Terry Minarik and Brad Aldrich from Confluence will be present to provide an update and to receive feedback
from the City Council as we begin the public engagement part of the Fred Richards Park master planning process.
The meeting agenda is as follows:
A. Vision Plan Overview and Application to Fred Richards Master Plan – 5 minutes
a. Brief review of Fred Richards Vision Plan
B. Master Plan Process, Schedule and Items Completed – 5 minutes
C. Proposed Public Engagement Process – 5 minutes
a. Review stakeholders and proposed public engagement process
D. City Council Vision and Guiding Principles Listening Session – 15 minutes
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Fred Richards Vision Plan
Fred Richards Master Plan Schedule
Fred Richards Stakeholder's List
Presentation Jan 7, 2017 Work Session
CITY OF EDINA
10/01/14
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
VISION MASTER PLAN
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
VISION MASTER PLAN
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Prepared By:
Schoenbauer Consulting, LLC
5054 Drew Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55410
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Introduction and
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW
OF PUBLIC PROCESS
On April 22, 2014 the Edina City Council retained Schoenbauer
Consulting, LLC to undertake a repurposing study for Fred Richards.
This report summarizes the findings of the first step in the planning
process and establishes a broad vision and baseline development
program for the site. The main goal of this step is to establish the
parameters for "highest and best public use" of the property, which will
be used to guide development of a detailed master plan.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
The general public, neighborhood residents, various stakeholders, and
special interest groups were invited to participate in an open public
process to ensure that pertinent planning issues were discovered and
addressed by the study. The public process included:
• Public meetings — where all interested parties could provide input
and perspectives
• Site walks — to give residents a chance to discuss site-specific issues
and concerns
• Interviews, phone calls, and email exchanges —with defined
stakeholder groups, special interest groups and nearby developers
• Social media — using the City's web-based public access portal to
gather additional information on community opinions
Public input into the planning process was insightful and central to
establishing a core vision for the property as the City moves forward in
making important decisions about repurposing the site.
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FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CONSULTANT
TEAM
The consultant team appreciated the opportunity to work with the City
of Edina in undertaking an open public process for this challenging
project. The team especially acknowledges input from the many
residents and stakeholder groups that were involved. Their individual
and collective insights and perspectives were instrumental in drawing
reasoned conclusions.
The consultant team also thanks the Park Board and city staff. Their
commitment to an open public process ensured that all opinions were
duly considered. Their understanding of the larger planning context
and how the site fits into the larger city picture was also of high value.
Sincerely,
Jeff Schoenbauer, Schoenbauer Consulting, LLC
Principal-in-Charge / Project Manager
Schoenbauer Consulting, LLC
5054 Drew Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55410
jaschoenbauer@gmail.com
612.578.1975
In collaboration with:
Genus Landscape Architects
325 East 5th Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
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FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Table of Contents
BACKGROUND AND PROJECT GOALS I - 2
Overview/Background 1
Steps in the Repurposing Process 1
Project Goals
SETTING, TRENDS, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH 3 - 8
Overview 3
Planning Context and Park Setting 3
Park Use Trends and Facility Demands 4
Public Outreach Findings 6
Safety and Security 8
VISION MASTER PLAN 9-22
Overview 9
Creativity and Uniqueness a Core Value 9
Balancing Active Uses with Preserving Natural Areas
and Sense of Place 9
Vision Master Plan Overview 10
Parkway Corridor 12
Regional Trail Corridor 13
Internal Park Trails, Promenades and Boardwalks 14
Community Activities and Events Area 15
Adventure Play Area 16
Field Games Area 17
Open Parkland Area I 8
Naturalized Buffers 20
Repurposing the Maintenance Building 22
Urban Agriculture Area (Alternative) 22
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS 23 - 26
Overview 23
Interrelationship and Collaboration with
Pentagon Park Redevelopment 23
Technical Conditions and Challenges 25
Cost Projections for Repurposing Site 26
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FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
The 42 acres of open space land provides a unique park opportunity for the City.
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FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Background and Project
Framework
OVERVIEW/BACKGROUND
STEPS IN THE REPURPOSING
PROCESS
On March 18, 2014, the Edina City Council accepted staff and Park
Board recommendations to cease the golf operation. On April 22,
2014, the City Council authorized undertaking this repurposing study,
which was to be forward looking and would not focus on revisiting the
decision to close the golf course.
This study is the first step in the process of repurposing the Fred
Richards site for public use, as the following illustrates.
STARTING POINT: CITY COUNCIL DECISION TO CLOSE TILE
COURSE
STUDY Focus
Note: Between steps I and 2, the
City will consider study findings
as part of park system planning
effort. This evaluation may result in ---1"
refinement of this plan as city-wide
needs relative to this park are
further considered
STEP 1: CREATE A SET OF PRINCIPLES AND VISION FOR THE
SITE
Based on findings from this public process, Park Board and City
Council set parameters for "highest and best public use" of the
property.
STEP 2: PREPARE A DETAILED MASTER PLAN FOR THE SITE
Consistent with the findings of step 1 and City Council directives.
STEP 3: DEVELOP FUNDING PACKAGE
Depending on the type and scope of final master plan outcomes, may
or may not require phasing.
STEP 4: UNDERTAKE CONSTRUCTION
Includes preparing construction documents, bidding project, and
construction.
As illustrated, the public process is purposefully robust and allows the
community numerous opportunities to refine outcomes through each of
the outlined steps.
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FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
PROJECT GOALS The purpose of the study was to engage the public to gather
information and ideas about repurposing the Fred Richards site to
position the City Council to make an informed decision about its future
use. Key principles established for the study include:
• Maintaining an open and transparent public process
• Seeking creative ideas and options
• Providing context and background information to aid the City
Council in analyzing and considering repurposing opportunities
The consultant spent considerable time gathering background
information and listening to various stakeholders and members of the
community. Specifically, the team's charge was to:
• Understand the community issues and perspectives associated with
repurposing the site
• Provide a public conduit for generating ideas
• Define viable options for City Council consideration
• Undertake baseline development cost evaluation
• Provide perspective related to findings from the public process
• Recommend a plan of action for the City Council to further
consider
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FRED RICHARDS SITE
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Seting, Trends, and
Public Outreach
OVERVIEW
PLANNING CONTEXT AND
PARK SETTING
The following considers the setting for the park, local recreational
trends and demands for facilities to meet community needs, and public
input into the process. Collectively, these findings shaped planning
outcomes and the vision for the park.
The Fred Richards site is located in the southeastern part of the city, as
the following park map illustrates.
1. Alden Park
2. Arden Park
3. Arneson Acres Park
4. Birchcrest Park
5. Braemar Park (Courtney Fields)
6. Bredesen Park
7. Browndale Park
8. Centennial Lakes Park
9. Chowen Park
0. Cornelia School Park
11. Countryside Park
12. Creek Valley School Park
13. Edinborough Park
14. Fox Meadow Park
15. Garden Park
16. Heights Park
17. Highlands Park
18. Kolath Park
19. Lake Edina Park
20. Lewis Park
21. McGuire Park
22. Melody Lake Park
23. Normandale Park
24. Pamela Park
25. Rosland Park (includes disc gall course)
26. Sherwood Park
27.91. John's Park
28. Strachauer Park
29 Tingdale Park
30.1 Lea Todd Park
31. Frank Tupa Park
32. Utley Park
33. Van Valkenburg Park
34. Walnut Ridge Park
35. Weber field Park
36. Williams Park
37. Wooddale Park
38. York Park
39. Yorktown Park (includes skate park)
OPEN SPACE AREAS
40. Lincoln Drive Floodplain
41. Garden Park Addition
42. Krahl Hill
43. Moore Property
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FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
As a starting point for the public process, baseline considerations
included:
• Repurposing of the site is a very unique opportunity for a developed
city
• General consensus that the site will become a park
• Size, location, and opportunity suggest the park falls under a
"community park" classification, with this process being used to
define how the site is best developed to meet community needs and
fit into the local park system
• Outcome needs to be of high public value and serve a cross-section
of residents (neighborhood and larger community)
Other key considerations include:
• Any park development needs to be compatible with, and
complementaiy to, the adjoining land uses
• Connected, but not intrusive, to adjoining properties
• Accommodate the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail
• Be sensitive to environmental issues (e.g., Nine Mile Creek
watershed and stormwater management concerns)
If done well, the general consensus is that the park will instantly
become an important and perhaps cornerstone component of the local
park system.
PARK USE TRENDS AND
FACILITY DEMANDS
The Park Board provided insights into city-wide and site-specific park
trends and facility demands. Overall, the common theme was to create
a unique park experience focusing on getting children and families
outdoors more, along with providing a pleasant place for nearby
business employees to use during work days. Serving the park needs of
the entire community versus a select group or neighborhood was also
important to the Park Board.
Key considerations and observations include:
• Sports fields — addressing the need for field space, especially
related to field games like soccer and lacrosse; focus should be on
youth age groups; lighting is probably not needed
• New forms of recreation — be open to emerging forms of
recreation, like Futsal, that would appeal to different age groups
• Urban agriculture — expanding on the community garden theme
• Outdoor adventure and creative play — providing unique and
adventuresome play areas that go beyond typical play equipment;
perhaps with a focus on natural play and/or outdoor adventure
• Attract hard to reach groups — emphasize a welcoming
environment and facilities that appeal to the 15 to 18 year age
group, a notoriously challenging group to engage
• Develop the park for all seasons — including winter activities,
such as cross-country skiing, ice skating and snowshoeing; includes
access to a warming house
• Accommodate groups — by providing areas for group gatherings
and staging events; repurpose clubhouse to accommodate flexible
group use; consider additional modest-sized shelters or structures
for group use
4 FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
• Integrate the regional trail — establishing trailhead amenities;
establishing a "bike library" which makes bikes, trikes, and other
peddle-power vehicles available for public use; perhaps include
bike shop and/or offer repair classes
• Buffering — it is as important to buffer views from both inside and
outside park
• Provide adequate but not excessive parking — includes meeting
day-to-day parking needs; also includes collaborating with
Pentagon Park developer to meet peak parking needs (i.e., evenings,
weekends, and events) with off-site shared parking facilities in
select locations
• Be cautious about overbuilding — larger scale features such as
community center, indoor athletic facilities, competitive pool, youth
center, etc. are not well-suited for this park
Over the years, the City has undertaken a variety of park and
recreation focused surveys to help inform planning decisions on a
system-wide basis. Since these surveys have a community-wide and
not site-specific focus, caution is needed in applying these findings to
individual parks. To that end, integrating the findings of these surveys
and this study into the larger system-wide planning effort the City is
undertaking (mid-2014/early 2015) is an important recommendation
by the Park Board. This will allow the City to fully understand
how Fred Richards fits into the larger system and help fine-tune the
development program for the park within that context. (The steps in the
repurposing process defined on page 1 purposefully accommodates this
approach.) Of considerable importance in fine-tuning the master plan
is accommodating pertinent demographic changes across the city and
how that may affect final development decisions.
Within the system-wide context, the development program as currently
envisioned for the site does in fact address many of the top priorities
defined in the various surveys. For example, the 2006 Community
Attitude and Interest Survey focusing on parks and recreation identified
walking and biking trails as being very popular, as is creating and/or
protecting natural areas and wildlife habitat. The amenities envisioned
for the park that focus on families and youth sports are also consistent
with survey results. For example, development of outdoor athletic
fields was supported by a majority of households.
The 2013 City of Edina Survey related to use and rating of park and
recreation facilities found 79 percent of household members reported
using the trail system during the past year, with 84 percent reported
using neighborhood parks. Nearly half (48 percent) of household
members reported using the larger community playfields during the
past year.
The 2014 Grandview Resident Survey finds that residents are veiy
supportive of projects that foster a stronger sense of community.
Residents also think the City should create more recreational
opportunities, as well as cultural and arts opportunities for people of all
ages and incomes.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAIVILLIES & DOING BUSINESS 5
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
PUBLIC OUTREACH
FINDINGS
Site walks were used as a means to
better understand specific concerns of
adjacent residents.
The public process was open to all individuals and groups to ensure
that everyone with an interest in the park had a chance to voice their
perspectives. The public outreach process included:
• Open public meetings (including comment cards)
• Resident-focused site walks
• Online comment forms for repurposing Fred Richards
• Speak Up, Edina!
• Direct emails (to staff)
• Interviews with the Pentagon Park developer
• Interviews with a cross-section of nearby apartment and local
businesses
The following captures the overall themes and sub-themes that came
out of the collective process and helped shape the development
program for the site.
COMMON THEMES FROM THE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROCESS
Participants uniformly agree that the site is an important community
asset, with the vast majority feeling turning it into a park is the best
way forward. There is absolutely no interest in selling the property for
development or using the site for stormwater management associated
with the commercial redevelopment south of the park.
Although individual perspectives vary, creating a well-designed
community park that serves all residents best describes how the
majority of residents envision the site being repurposed. A number of
sub-themes also emerged through the public process, including:
• Provide a diversity of uses — offering a friendly and
accommodating social environment that is inviting to all residents,
with a particular focus on families and children's activities ("kid"
friendly)
• Create a park that is unique and innovative — go beyond typical
features to make the park more interesting and different than a
typical park; design for year-round use
• Enhance natural qualities of the park — including the appearance
of ponds and using more natural buffers
• Manage vehicular and pedestrian access — to ensure ease of
access and limit disruption to established neighborhoods
SPECIFIC ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS
Residents in the surrounding neighborhoods have varying opinions
on how the property should be repurposed, although there is fairly
uniform agreement that a park is the most appropriate end use. As
would be expected, residents also have specific and quite reasonable
concerns that need to be duly considered as the planning moves
forward. Most notable of these include:
• Adequately buffer adjacent properties — to minimize sense of
encroachment and invasion of privacy; using a naturalized buffer is
generally preferred
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 6
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
• Prevent parking and vehicle access from disrupting the
neighborhood — which essentially means providing park access and
parking on the south side
• Locate active use area (game fields, play structures, etc.) away
from residential areas — such as on the south and east sides of the
property; use trees and vegetation to help screen these areas
• Keep the regional trail on the south side to extent possible —
focus on lower-volume and slower paced park-like trails within the
park
• Limit pedestrian access from the north to select locations — most
likely from the cul-de-sac at the end of Kellogg Ave.
• Bury power line along the north property line — to improve the
aesthetic for the park users and homeowners
• Limit lighting to critical areas — do not provide field lighting,
and make sure that lighting associated with roads, parking lots,
and buildings on the south side of the park are not disruptive or
excessive
Understandably, residents on the north
side of the site are concerned about
buffering between the park and private
properties.
PERSPECTIVES FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AND PENTAGON PARK
DEVELOPER
Interviews with local businesses and Pentagon Park developer
reinforce or build upon the themes already described. For example, a
nearby daycare provider would definitely use a community park, with
having access to play equipment, splash pad, trails, community garden,
nature-based activities, and even a simple grassy area for active play
being very desirable. Adding more natural areas would be great for
field trips.
Businesses also see much value from the park. Simple, well-designed
features like trails, sitting areas, and picnic areas are important for
lunchtime and breaks. The park aesthetic itself would lend itself to a
pleasant place to go to think and work informally with coworkers in
an out-of-office setting. Having easy access to small meeting spaces
within the park would be beneficial.
Having access to active recreational facilities is also important to a
growing number of employers as part of their wellness focus. Seagate,
for example, has employee programs for walking, running, soccer,
ultimate Frisbee, yoga, and boot camp, to name a few. The Pentagon
Park development team also expects future employers and employees
will use the park for personal and corporate wellness efforts. Easy
access to the regional trail and trailhead facilities enhances bike and
walk-to-work commuter programs.
Under the right circumstances, local businesses expressed an openness
to collaborate on developing outdoor fitness facilities for mutual
benefit. One example of this is putting a fitness course along a trail
within the park.
(Note: Additional discussion related to the Pentagon Park development
is provided on page 23.)
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 7
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
AREAS OF CONCERN AND CRITIQUE
Overall, the public process proved invaluable to identifying issues and
defining opportunities, and ultimately shaping the vision master plan.
For the most part, participants where respectful of each other, City
staff, and elected officials, and participated in good faith in providing
input.
In the context of good faith, residents found it important to document
areas of dissatisfaction — most of which related to the closing the golf
course. Key points of feedback include:
• Dissatisfaction with the process and timeframe associated with
closing the golf course, with many feeling it was rushed and did not
allow for real public debate
• Mistrust about the City's intent to allow the Pentagon Park
developer to use the property for stormwater management
• Concern that the City really intends to sell the property for
commercial development
• Lack of concern for those most affected by changing land uses,
especially homeowners that have a lot invested in their properties
and are concerned about impacts that reuses, parking, and access
will have on them and the neighborhood
• Lack of clarity on how the City plans to fund any new park
development
It also needs to be stated that some nearby residents simply do not
accept the fact that the golf course should be closed and feel the City's
approach here and in general is ill advised. Hopefully, this process (and
the steps going forward) will help alleviate these concerns and build a
higher level of trust between all participants.
SAFETY AND SECURITY According to Edina Police, there is very little crime going on in local
parks — with no robberies, assaults, or weapons violations being
recorded. Edina Police feel parks are safe for residents and visitors.
Other related research draws similar conclusions. For example,
research on trail-related crime conducted by Schoenbauer Consulting,
LLC in 2010 yielded the following results:
• Respondents (law enforcement officers) consider trails to be safe,
with the vast majority (87%) reporting that trails account for less
than 5% of all unlawful activity in their jurisdiction, and nearly
50% saying that it is less than 1%
• Trespassing on adjacent property is considered low incidence, with
issues of more serious crimes against persons or property being
very infrequent
Police often cite parking lots as their biggest concern, where
occasionally theft from cars can be an issue wherever the opportunity
for a quick getaway exists.
While people's concerns about the security deserves due consideration,
parks and trails are actually considered quite safe by police agencies
and account for a relatively small percentage of unlawful activity and
safety problems.
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FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Vision Master
Plan
OVERVIEW
CREATIVITY AND
UNIQUENESS A CORE
VALUE
BALANCING ACTIVE
USES WITH PRESERVING
NATURAL AREAS AND A
SENSE-OF-PLACE
The vision master plan is the first step in translating public input into
an actual development program for the park. The following describes
desired end uses and related physical features envisioned for the park
as an outcome of step 1 of the repurposing process. The goal is to set
forth a cohesive storyline for the park so that residents, Park Board and
City Council have a point of focus for continued refinement as part of
the next steps in this process.
Discussions during the public process often centered on the desire
for a creative and unique design outcome for the park. Irrespective of
individual opinion on many site issues, this perspective is clearly a
shared and core value of participants.
This step in the process focused on defining the core vision for the site
(i.e., community park) and describing the basic design intent associated
with the individual functional uses. The detailed master plan phase
(step 2) is where much more specific and detailed attention is given to
finding creative ways to achieve the vision and creating a compelling
high quality park experience. With this in mind, the goal with the
forthcoming descriptions is to establish a baseline for discussions to
come as the design process moves forward.
To further inform the next step in the process, a variety of photos and
character sketches are provided to highlight design approaches and
themes. While the final design for Fred Richards will be refined under
the next step, these are provided to reinforce the importance of quality
design in translating the individual elements described in this report
into a truly inspired public amenity that will serve the community well
for many decades to come.
The vision master plan strives to balance active recreational uses to
meet community needs with preserving open space and the site's
sense of place and aesthetic qualities. While providing a variety of
recreational and educational opportunities is a fundamental goal,
showing restraint in the size and location of the built footprint is also
an important public value. Under this plan, approximately 35 to 40
percent of the park is envisioned for active recreational uses, such
as field games, play areas, and community gathering spaces. The
remaining 60 to 65 percent is set aside for more passive, or "quiet,"
forms of recreation, open space, ponding areas, and buffers. Examples
of passive uses include park trails, sitting areas, informal-use lawn
areas, and wildflower gardens.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 9
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OPEN PARICUu D AREA —
CASUAL RECREA ONAL USE 1
cARKWAY
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
STRIVING TO BALANCE ACTIVE USES WITH PRESERVING NATURAL AREAS AND A SENSE—OF—PLACE
The vision master plan strives to find the right ... while still preserving natural open space
balance between meeting community needs and the park's sense ofplace.
for active recreational facilities ...
VISION MASTER PLAN
OVERVIEW
The vision master plan describes a cross-section of features and
amenities envisioned for the park to meet current and anticipated
park and recreational demands. The following graphic illustrates the
conceptual location of the major use areas and development features
envisioned under the vision master plan.
10
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Under the plan, each area of the park addresses specific types of
active and passive recreational uses to meet the needs of families and
individuals. Active recreation refers to team sports or other activities
that involves the use of playing fields and play areas. Passive recreation
refers to the more personal and often "quiet" activities such as walking,
observation, kite flying, yoga, and so forth. Taken together, the
recreational features will provide a well-rounded palette of activities
for families and individuals to enjoy.
The more active recreational uses are envisioned on the southern and
eastern sides of the park, largely adjacent to the proposed Pentagon
Park redevelopment area. This orientation offers several key benefits:
• Concentrates the more active uses where parking and vehicular
access can be best accommodated, including the shared use of
parking associated with future commercial development on the
south and east side of the park
• Takes advantage of an existing larger open space, which is not
available on the western side where the property is narrower and
broken up by existing wetlands
• Leverages the repurposing of the clubhouse and maintenance
facility to support active use facilities (i.e., group gathering space,
restrooms, storm shelter, etc.)
• Limits concerns about disrupting existing residential properties
along the north property line
The more passive recreational uses are envisioned on the northern and
western sides of the park, largely adjacent to the established residential
neighborhoods. With the existing (and perhaps expanded) ponds,
rolling topography, natural and manicured green spaces, this area of the
park is well suited for walking paths, overlooks and observation points,
and other forms of casual recreation (e.g., kite flying, picnicking). A
more passive approach to development also helps provide a distance
buffer between the existing residential area and the more active park
uses.
The design layout for the park includes numerous opportunities to
integrate community art, sculptures and other forms of community
expression for public display. These types of features are important
to creating a unique sense of place in the park that goes beyond the
individual recreational features.
The following provides an overview of the various development
use areas within the park identified on the vision master plan. Each
of these are subsequently defined in terms of the type and character
of the various uses that would be envisioned within a given zone.
Importantly, these descriptions represent a starting point for detailed
design. Continued refinement of the ideas, amenity locations, and
design approach is both expected and encouraged during step 2 in the
process.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 11
Example of a parkway design that
creates a aesthetically appealing edge
to a park.
Community art/
sculpture feature
Informal laivn
Parking bay Parkway with
Regional trail boulevard
Landscaped
green buffer Sidewalk
Comn ercial
development
area
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
PARKWAY CORRIDOR This corridor includes the parkway and associated parking areas to
service the day to day needs of the park. The parkway is an important
feature in ensuring ease of vehicular access to the park from the south
(and east and west), where much of the use traffic will likely come
from. Ease of access from the south is also vital to limiting the extent
to which park users access the park from the north — where there is no
real option to provide parking and local streets are not intended for
heavier day to day traffic. The parkway also allows for shared use of
parking lots with adjacent commercial properties during peak use times
— most namely evenings and weekends.
The parkway is envisioned as a shared benefit amenity with the
Pentagon Park development area, with encroachment into the park
property being limited in order to preserve park space. Heavier traffic
volumes (and truck traffic in particular) should be directed toward
77th Street to preserve the character of the parkway and keep traffic
volumes lower.
The actual design of the parkway will evolve as part of a coordinated
effort with the new developments south of the park. This includes
determining the points of connection with 77th Street. (Note: through
previous action, the City Council determined that a connection to 76th
Street on the east side was not desirable.) The parkway will be built as
phases of Pentagon Park are approved and developed.
Another important aspect of the parkway is its importance in
establishing a "park-like" aesthetic edge along the south property line.
The parkway also plays a key role in creating a much more appealing
buffer between the site and commercial development than is currently
the case. The following graphic illustrates the streetscape character
envisioned for the parkway.
The parkway serves a functional purpose of providing park access and parking. The design character of the parkway is
of equal hnportance in establishing a park-like aesthetic edge to the park, and creating an appealing buffer between the
park and the commercial development to the south. Note that the boulevards and landscaped given beers are envisioned
as important landscape features along with being part of the overall stomwater management plan (Le., bioswales and
raingardens to filter rune).
Onsite parking will be provided to meet day-to-day needs. Peak
use (evenings and weekends) parking needs will be met by taking
advantage of well-placed designated public parlcing areas associated
with the commercial developments on the south side. (These will be
defined as part of future development agreements with the Pentagon
Park developer.)
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 12
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
The vast majority of park-dedicated parking will be accessed from the
parkway. The largest parking lot within the park will be located near
the active use zones. Additional more limited parking will be provided
along the parkway in smaller bays that are integrated into the overall
parkway and park design to be as unobtrusive as possible. A small to
modest size public parking lot may also be needed off of Parklawn
Avenue to service that area of the park.
As a regional facility, the regional trail serves a broad range of local
and non-local users. The trail will be designed to meet regional
standards, which is 10 feet wide and hard-surfaced (typically asphalt
pavement). The corridor plan for the regional trail shows it entering the
park area from behind the Burgundy Place development on the west
side, and exiting along Parklawn on the east side. Between these two
points, Three Rivers Park District is flexible as to where the trail is best
located relative to the future development of the park and commercial
area to the south. The main goal of the District is to ensure the trail
through this area is as pleasant and safe a user experience as possible.
If well-located and designed, the regional trail will be a positive and
important recreational amenity for park visitors and those living or
working in the surrounding area. To minimize the potential for use
conflicts with other park uses and activities, much of the regional
trail will be located on the south side of the park along the parkway
corridor. As the character sketch below illustrates, the goal is to create
a pleasant trail experience while limiting the amount of park space it
consumes. Keeping the regional use traffic on the south side of the park
in this area also helps alleviate concerns about encroachment of the
regional trail on residential properties on the north side.
On the south side of the park,
the regional trail will primarily
parallel the parkway. As shown, , boulevards and green buffers on
either side of the trail help create a
park-like experience with minimal
i impacts on other park uses. All
I crossings with other trails and
promenades will be designed
with visual cues (e.g., pavement
treatments, signage, landscape
features) to minimize conflicts.
Parkway with
boulevard
REGIONAL TRAIL
CORRIDOR
Community park Boulevard
uses Regional trail
Green buffer
On the east side, the goal is for the regional trail to connect with (but
stay on the periphery of) the community gathering, active use, and
field games areas. Staying on the periphery of this active use zone is
important to minimizing user conflicts. (Note: The alignment through
this area is conceptual and will be refined during step 2— detailed
master planning phase.) Trailhead facilities would be integrated into
an overall design for this area of the park. Design features that serve
the park and regional trail include parking, access to restTooms, sitting
areas, refreshments, and bike rental.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 13
Simple park trail
Vatying landscape
features
Naturalized
landscape
Suspended boardwalk
with observation areas
Existing natural Pond-edge vegetation boardwalk with
Ponding seating
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Internal park trails provide a stand-alone park amenity along with
providing access to the various park uses. In contrast to the regional
trail, these trails have a more intimate and curvilinear character.
Although bike use is not prohibited, park trails are designed more
for pedestrian-level and slower-paced use than is the case with the
regional trail. Generally, an 8-foot trail width is envisioned, although
wider segments may be needed in busy areas, such as near the active
use areas. Narrower trail segments may also be suitable to access
overlooks, sitting areas and natural areas.
In general, park trails will be hard-surfaced for accessibility and
durability, but the surface treatment could be different to distinguish
them from the regional trail. In select locations, such as the north arm
and in natural areas, narrower aggregate surfaced trails may be also be
appropriate.
The vision master plan complements the park trails with promenades
and boardwalks that add architectural elements and invite casual
strolling in the park. These features also provide various opportunities
to sit, observe, reflect, and gain access to a variety of activity nodes and
park features. The following character sketches illustrate the general
character of the park trails and boardwalks that would meander through
the park.
Park trail Suspended boardwalk and observation Edge boardwalk and sitting area
platform
As these character sketches illustrate, a combination of park trails and boardivalks are envisioned to provide a variety of
casual trail experiences throughout the park.
Access to the internal park trails will be primarily from the parkway
corridor, south parking lots, and regional trail. More limited trail access
from Parldawn (east side) and Kellogg Avenue (north side) is also
envisioned.
INTERNAL PARK TRAILS,
PROMENADES
AND BOARDWALKS
Private drive
access
Boulevard
New trail
Eliminating the cul-de-sac at the end of Kellogg is a possibility to help
manage pedestrian access and reduce concerns about excessive parking
along the street. Final determination as to the desire and practicality
of this approach will be considered as part of the detail design phase.
(Additional input from affected property owners along Kellogg will be
needed.)
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 14
The existing clubhouse is of good
quality and can be reasonably
repwposed for described park uses.
Community activities and events area Off-site overflow
parking
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 15
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
AND EVENTS AREA
The main design goal of the community activities area is to repurpose
the clubhouse and create compelling surrounding outdoor spaces
to complement it. These indoor-outdoor spaces are envisioned to
accommodate a wide-range of activities and user groups. Examples
include:
• Special events
• Organized group gatherings
• Social gatherings, such as weddings and family reunions
• Theater or music in the park (small scale)
The community activities area is envisioned to be an appealing place
to spontaneously gather, socialize, and simply hang out. In this context,
the aesthetics of the area, sense of place, and viewsheds across the park
are all important to creating a space people want to use all days of the
week. The design theme established for this area will also influence the
design character and quality expectation for the rest of the park.
The clubhouse is envisioned to be repurposed to a flexible-use and
programmable community space for events and group gatherings.
Day-to-day, the restrooms and possibly vending will be available to
park users. In winter, the facility can be used as warming house or
a place to organize for outdoor activities, such as informal skating,
snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The facility will also serve as a
de facto trailhead for the regional trail.
The clubhouse building is of good quality and well maintained.
Architecturally, the aesthetics of the building warrant updating for park
purposes. The color, exterior facade treatments, etc. will all evolve to
be consistent with design themes that emerge for this area of the park,
and the park in general.
Field games area
Flexible-use lawn
gathering space
Outdoor courtyard
and event space
Repurposed
clubhouse
Ponding
Parkway
The outdoor spaces in this area
are of equal importance. Flexible
outdoor spaces for gatherings, casual
socializing, and just hanging out are
imagined. Design features include
arbors, ornamental planting, benches,
etc. Art pieces, sculptures, and other
forms of community expression
are also appropriate design features
as part of an overall high quality
design theme. The graphic illustrates
the general location of the design
components and character of the
community use area.
FOR LIWNG, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
ADVENTURE PLAY AREA
Community
activities and <
events area
The major objective of this use area is to robustly engage youth
and teens in appealing non-programmed outdoor activities. This
includes providing a variety of innovative play and outdoor adventure
components that appeal to age groups from the very young through the
15 to 18 year old age group — the latter of which being a recognized
challenging group to engage.
For the younger age groups, envisioned
play components include theme-based
adventure-type play structures at a community
park-scale. The creativity of the design is key
to making this a park feature that children will
be eager to return to time and again. The vision
master plan identifies the general location
for the play area. Actual features, shape and
size will be determined during detail design
phase, with additional input being needed from
targeted groups. The accompanying photos
are just examples of how wide-ranging the
possibilities are for imaginative approaches to
play areas that goes beyond traditional play
structures.
Character sketch illustrates the general location of
adventure play area.
Field games
area —
Adventure
play area —
Imaginative play can be as simple as
a small raft in a shallow pond (upper
right) to site-specific designs that
fit the overall design theme for the
park (above). Incorporating "active
participation" features (right) is also
an increasingly popular approach to
play areas.
All of these examples highlight the
increasing sophistication of creating
play areas that are fun, stimulating
and educational.
16
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Adding a splash pad for younger children would be another interesting
play feature that expands the recreational value of the play area.
For older age groups, providing a challenging outdoor adventure-based
recreational area space is envisioned. Although not an exhaustive list,
examples of the types of features envisioned include:
• Slacklines
• Bouldering rock and/or climbing wall
• Ropes ladder and/or course, along with cargo nets
• Balance logs or beams
Slacklining is one those unique recreational activities that appeal to multiple generations, and can
serve to bring people of various backgrounds and age groups together to have fun and socialize.
The proximity of the adventure play areas to one another and other
park uses is an important design consideration. Providing adequate
separation between age groups to avoid conflicts is obviously
important. Conversely, the design should still allow for different
age groups to observe the activities of other groups as part of the
socialization aspect of the park experience. Designing these areas for
ease of monitoring is also important, especially when a parent has
children of varying ages and interests using different play features.
Adequately buffering the noise from the play areas is also an important
design consideration.
FIELD GAMES AREA
Youth-orientedfields for sports like
socce4 are in demand across the cibl.
The field games area covers an area of 5 to 6 acres, with the final
acreage being determined as specific community facility needs are
refined through the design process. The final footprint of the field
games area will also be influenced by the shape and size of adjoining
elements, especially the play and outdoor adventure use and the north
arm areas.
The field game area is envisioned as a well-maintained green space
surrounded by trees and ponds. Field access, parking, and restrooms
will all be on the south side of the field games area. Trees and natural
vegetation will be used along the northern edge of this area to buffer
adjacent properties and dissuade people from entering the field games
area from the north side of the park.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 17
Youth-orientedfield games are one of
the best ways to bring families together
in a park setting.
OPEN PARKLAND AREA
The open parkland area is all about
creating pleasant places for people to
be outside doing casual recreational
activities or just sitting in the park
enjoying the day.
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
As a baseline, the field games area is intended to address
youth-oriented sports such as soccer, lacrosse, and perhaps football.
Although not a full solution, providing field space on this site helps
address the unmet demand for more sports fields throughout the
community. For reference, space requirements for standard soccer field
sizes include:
• Regulation full size — 1.75 to 2.0 acres
• Intermediate — 1.0 to 1.25 acres
• Junior size — 0.5 to 0.75 acre
Taking it a step further, accommodating other forms of established or
emerging field activities is worthy of consideration. Examples of this
include:
• Wiffieball (0.25 to 0.50 acre) — alternative to baseball and softball
for smaller field spaces and oriented toward young children and
family or group fun
• Futsal (0.25 to 0.50 acre) — game played on a hard
surfaced, basketball sized court with a smaller, heavier
low bounce ball
• Sand volleyball and footvolly (0.10 acre) — latter is sand
volleyball without using hands
• Puckelball (from Sweden) — basically entails adding
moguls or rolling grade to a soccer field to create a very
unique dimension to playing a soccer ball
Other important design considerations related to the field
games area include irrigation, field grades, and soil type (i.e.
sand/peat or basic topsoil). Although considered, providing
lighting was not widely accepted as appropriate for this
community park setting.
Puckelball is one example of one-off twist to a common
game that would be unique' to Edina, and likely
Minnesota.
Providing quiet spaces for casual recreation and simply enjoying being
outdoors in a beautiful setting is the theme for this area. Passive uses
— such as walking along a well-designed trail or promenade, or sitting
on a bench overlooking a pond — is a prime focus for this area, as is
"quiet" active recreational and exercise uses. Examples of the latter
include places for yoga classes, to toss a frisbee, or fly a kite.
Key elements envisioned for this area include:
• Curvilinear walking trails (that are separate and distinguishable
from the regional trail)
• Promenades with community art, sculptures, and other forms of
community expression
• Sitting areas, with shade structures, arbors, and/or vegetation
• Lawn areas for casual recreation and informal play
• Flexible-use activity nodes and structures for outdoor recreation
(e.g., yoga classes) and casual gatherings (i.e., senior groups, group
picnicking)
The master plan view and character sketches on the next page
conceptually illustrate how design creativity and the use of various
design elements (i.e., promenades, community art, sculptures, etc.)
are important to creating a unique park identify and high quality
community park experience.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 18
- Passive use
parkland
Open lawn for
casual recreation
Activity node/
structure
Park feature/art/
sculpture node
- Promenade
Regional trail
- Edge boardwalk
w/sitling areas
Naturalized
parkland -
Park trails -
Naturalized
buffers -
Park trails
Enhanced
ponding
Flexible-use
activity node with
structure
Promenade with
sitting areas
Open lawn area
for informal
recreation Ponding area
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
The vision master plan
illustrates a diversity of
park use areas, activity
nodes, and features that
can be incorporated
into a final design to
create a compelling and
unique park setting.
\Maw
Open _parkland for Seating area with Internal trail Boardwalk Open parkland
casual uses shade structures across wetlands
As these cross-section character sketches illustrate, the park offers numerous opportunities to create a variety of compelling
outdoor spaces to meet defined community needs and provide a diversity of park experiences.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 19
,...1n 11.0.7.047.21• A.1,211
In select locations, such as the far west
end or north arm, using narrowet;
aggregate szufaced trails may be an
appropriate alternative to paved park
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
As the overall vision master plan illustrates, the western part of the
open parkland area is envisioned as a naturalized passive use area
with a limited palette of developed features. Key features in this area
include ponds, expanded natural areas, and simple walking paths with
sitting areas and observation areas — the latter of which being placed to
take advantage of expansive views across the park.
Expanding the existing ponding areas is envisioned to enhance the park
aesthetic and habitat for wildlife, along with improving stormwater
management and better managing flooding concerns associated with
the Nine Mile Creek watershed. (Note: this relates to addressing
City of Edina water management concerns, and does not address any
stormwater management issues associated with the Pentagon Park
redevelopment. The latter is the responsibility of the developer.)
The north arm area of the park is currently an undefined
and undeveloped space. Uses envisioned for this area
are consistent with the larger open parkland area to
the west, albeit focused on neighborhood play space
and quiet walking trails. Features such as a butterfly or
wildflower gardens or colorful prairie exhibits would
add interest and provide a pleasant place to walk or sit
and observe nature. Smaller open lawn areas would
provide space for informal neighborhood use. Specific
improvements envisioned for this area include:
• Continuation of the internal park trails — perhaps a
bit narrower and soft-surfaced for those seeking a
more casual, natural trail experience
• Adding to and improving buffering between the
park and residential properties
• Addressing poor drainage and grade issues to
make the central part of this area more usable and
less prone to maintenance issues; perhaps use rain
gardens to help manage stormwater in a more
appealing manner
• Providing open lawn areas for casual outdoor play,
with a neighborhood use focus
• Providing a smaller, neighborhood-focused play
structure (would complement, not duplicate, the
larger adventure play area)
(During the planning process, developing the north
arm for urban agriculture was considered as a potential
alternative use. This is considered in more detail on
page 22.)
Naturalized
• buffers
around
periphoy of
north arm
Buttedly/
wildflower
gardens
Open lawn area
for neighborhood
Pla.v
Park trails
Naturalized
buffers —
NATURALIZED IL UFFERS Naturalized buffers are envisioned along the entire northern property
line to create an appealing edge to the park and demarcate the park
from adjacent residential properties. The buffers will be designed to
mutually benefit park users and adjacent homeowners. From a park
user's perspective, the goal is to preserve the park's sense of place
while walking along a trail, and to avoid feeling like one is intruding
into someone's backyard.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 20
Private property Property line
Viewshed fi om property
Private property Property line
Viewshed from property Viewshed front park Park trail
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
From a homeowner's perspective, the goal is to maintain a sense of
privacy while still providing select views of the park. Although a costly
initiative, burying the power line running along the north property was
supported by residents. Using vegetation to reduce the extent to which
lights from the Pentagon Park area can be seen should be part of the
buffer design.
The following character sketches illustrate several options in terms of
buffer treatments, which would be used based on actual circumstances
and homeowner input.
Dense natural buffer to more fully screen
private properties from park development
As these cross-section character
sketches illustrate, the goal is
to adequately buffer adjacent
properties from park activities for
mutual benefit. The exact design
treatment along the property
line will vaty depending on
site-specific circumstances and
preferences.
Managed natural buffer to allow for select
views into the park from private properties
As the cross-sections illustrate, maintaining separation between
residential property lines and built features, like trails, is important for
park users and homeowners. In general, 50 or more feet is a common
baseline for minimum separation, but the exact distance is situational.
Grades along the property line, density of vegetation, elevations of
adjoining houses and decks, etc. all factor into final design decisions
and separation requirements.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 21
URBAN AGRICULTURE
AREA (ALTERNATIVE NORTH
ARM USE)
The urban agriculture idea builds von the
well-established community garden theme.
Additional examples and ideas can be found
at:
• foodtank.com/news/2014/02/capital-city-
farming-10-urban-agriculture-projects-
in-washington-dc
• csmonitorcom/World/
Making-a-difference/Change-
Agent/2014/0603/12-agrihoods-aim-to-
make-farm-to-table-living-mainstream
• designntrendcom/
articles/11 703/201403 14/argitopias-are-
popping-up-all-over-the-place.htm
• jonesvalleyteachingfarm.org/our-stoty/
our-impact/
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
REPURPOSING THE
MAINTENANCE BUILDING
A variety of options are available for repurposing the existing
maintenance building. Using the building for storage, maintenance,
and restrooms is a clear option. Providing space for other uses — such
as bike rental, storage, and maintenance classes — also needs to be
considered as the detail design for this area takes shape.
Using part of the building for an indoor-outdoor adventure play area
offers some potential to expand play options. (Note: This approach
needs more consideration as part of the City's system-wide parks
planning effort to determine need and viability.)
As with the clubhouse, the maintenance building is of good quality
and in good repair. Here too the architectural aesthetics of the building
warrant updating for park purposes. The color, exterior facade
treatments, etc. will all evolve to be consistent with design themes that
emerge for the clubhouse.
As previously noted, developing the north arm for urban agriculture
was considered as an alternative use in lieu of open parkland. The
following outlines that discussion.
The urban agriculture idea builds upon the community garden
program that has taken root in many communities around the country.
A community garden is essentially where a city provides small plots
for residents to grow produce for personal consumption. The urban
agriculture program takes this to the next level in which growing
produce can be for personal consumption, resale at farmers markets
(which could be held in the park), sold locally, or used for cooking
classes. Adding an educational component, such as how to grow
produce, is also commonly integrated into the urban agriculture theme.
Providing a space and/or structure for healthy eating cooking classes
builds upon this theme. Accommodating organized farm-to-table
events within the park is also an opportunity.
Specific elements and facilities related to this use area include:
• Fenced agricultural field area —2 to 4 acres
• Shed and shelter structure for storing equipment and organizing
activities
• Utility service — water, electricity, etc.
Taking this one step further, the shed and shelter structure could be
upgraded to three-season shelter that could provide indoor/outdoor
space for classes, farm-to-table events, and general group use.
L.4
;-;
• FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 22
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Implementation
Considerations
OVERVIEW
INTERRELATIONSHIP
AND COLLABORATION
WITH PENTAGON PARK
REDEVELOPMENT
There are a variety of implementation considerations that will impact
the repurposing of the Fred Richards site from a golf course to a
community park. The following outlines the most predominant of these
at a vision master plan level. Each of these, plus other considerations,
will have to be more fully vetted and addressed during the detail master
planning step in the process.
The City and Pentagon Park development team have been working
together for some time on a redevelopment plan for the commercial
area south of the park. The development team has also been engaged
in this planning process to ensure mutual understanding of issues and
desired outcomes associated with repurposing the Fred Richards site.
Discussions with the development team suggest a common vision
of repurposing the Fred as a high-value community park is both
achievable and mutually beneficial. This common vision is even
reflected in the developer's overarching theme of "wellness" for the
Pentagon Park redevelopment. The City's own tag line of Edina being
a place for "living, learning, raising families and doing business"
reinforces the importance of the private development area and public
park be designed as complementary aspects of the larger community
form.
The following outlines the key provisions of the City's resolution
granting rezoning of the Pentagon Park redevelopment area, along with
some key points of focus that came out of this process.
RESOLUTION GRANTING PRELIMINARY REZONING TO PUD
FOR THE PENTAGON PARK REDEVELOPMENT AREA
A resolution granting preliminary rezoning to PUD and an overall
development plan was approved by the City Council in March of 2014.
The rezoning resolution extensively covers the findings and conditions
of approval that will guide the development. Key provisions of the
resolution include that the land use proposal will:
• Be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan
• Meet the intent of the PUD, with the site guided as "Office
Residential" (which is a transitional area between higher intensity
districts and residential districts); primary uses include offices,
housing, limited service uses, limited industrial, parks and open
space
- Create a more efficient and creative use of the property; this
includes better vehicle and pedestrian connections, enhanced green
space and ponding, a mixture of land uses, improved architecture
and sustainability, and shared parking with the park
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 23
FRED RICHARDS REPLTRPOSE STUDY
Under the resolution, the proposed project must also meet the pertinent
goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan, including:
• Design public open and green linkages that bring both amenity and
positive image to neighborhoods, corridors, and business precincts
• Design public streets to serve not only vehicles but also pedestrians,
people with mobility aids, and bicycles
• Create walkable streets that foster an active public life; streets
that are energized by their proximity to a vibrant mix of
activity-generating uses
• Preserve and make accessible natural areas and features as part of a
comprehensive open space network
• Within larger redevelopment sites, promote a fine-grained and
interconnected network of local streets and paths, encouraging
pedestrian circulation and providing a choice of access points
• Encourage infill/redevelopment opportunities that optimize use of
city infrastructure and that complement area, neighborhood, and/or
corridor context and character
• Stay committed to the "podium" height concept, with podium being
defined as the part of a building that abuts the street, or provides the
transition to residential neighborhoods, parks, and other sensitive
land uses; the intent with the concept is to create a consistent street
wall envelope and a comfortable pedestrian environment
KEY POINTS OF Focus FOR CONTINUED COLLABORATION
With respect to the Fred Richards site, continued collaboration between
the City and developer on infrastructure development and design of
buildings and streetscapes is imperative. Key points of focus going
forward include:
• Designing the parkway to provide ease of access to the park and
development area, with the roadway being located on the southern
edge of the park with minimal encroachment into park acreage; the
aesthetic qualities of the parkway's streetscape should complement
the design themes and character established for the park
• Building facades in the new development should provide a
aesthetically pleasant backdrop as viewed from within the park and
along the parkway; this includes an appealing architectural style,
ample trees and vegetation, and limiting lighting impacts on and
across the park
• The park site and Pentagon Park development will independently
manage their own stormwater — although this does not preclude
seeking mutually beneficial stormwater management outcomes (as
determined by the City to be in its best interest)
The provisions of the City's rezoning resolution along with the
key points of focus listed above provide a clear direction and set
of expectations on the interrelationship between the park and the
Pentagon Park development area to the south. The importance of the
design for these two areas being of high quality and complementary
cannot be overstated. Doing so is imperative for the park to retain a
compelling sense of place.
FOR. LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 24
Although well-maintained and visually
appealing, the poor soils across the
park will have to be addressed as part
of any park development.
Through insightful design, the aesthetic
value, water quality and overall
function of the site wetlands and ponds
can be much improved.
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Aesthetically, the Fred Richards site offers a very appealing setting for
a community park. Unfortunately, development of the site brings with
it some significant technical challenges that will have to be addressed.
Most pressing of these is dealing with poor site soils, protecting
wetlands, and addressing stormwater management issues that go well
beyond the site itself.
With respect to site soils, peat and clay predominant across the site.
These soils are prone to saturation and general instability, making
it more difficult and costly to build structures and otherwise keep
the park in top form. Even keeping the golf course in good playable
shape required extensive use of soil-stabilizing fabric underlayment
across much of the site. Going forward, accommodating site soils will
undoubtedly be a factor in design decisions pertaining to the type and
location of site features. Practical limitations on site grading will likely
be one of the most pressing issues as development plans take shape.
With respect to wetlands, all of the current ponds and waterways
found across the site are protected under wetland conservation laws.
Depending on type and quality, any relocation requires mitigation,
even if done onsite. Depending on independent value assessments,
mandated replacement ratios can range from 2 1/4 up to 9 acres for
every 1 displaced wetland acre. From a practical and philosophical
standpoint, every attempt needs to made to avoid displacing the
existing ponds and wetlands.
Water management issues associated with the larger Nine Mile
Creek watershed further complicates onsite stormwater and wetland
protection issues. Succinctly stated, there is a need for additional
stormwater management capacity throughout the watershed — including
the Fred Richards site. This relates to both water quality and water
volume. The increasingly routine occurrence of flooding across parts of
the golf course illustrate that this issue is not going away and that this
site needs to be part of the broader stormwater management solution.
If done well, increasing the surface area of ponds within the park
would be beneficial in several important ways. First, increasing the
size and scale of the ponding areas would obviously help address the
stormwater management issues previously defined.
Second, and of perhaps greater importance to the park user, a
well-designed expanded system of ponds and wetlands could further
enhance the aesthetic qualities of the park. Well-shaped and located
ponds can provide additional "edges" to work off of when designing
trails, providing sitting areas, and creating different spaces within the
park.
Third, well-designed ponds and wetlands can dramatically increase the
value of the wildlife habitat within the park. For example, providing
wider naturalized buffers along the ponds over what is currently the
case would greatly improve habitat quality and quantity. Typically, a
higher quality buffer needs be 30 to 60 feet wide, depending on the
site-specific circumstances.
TECHNICAL CONDITIONS
AND CHALLENGES
(INCLUDES NINE MILE
CREEK WATERSHED RELATED
CONSIDERATIONS)
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 25
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FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
Taken together, the potential benefits of adding ponding as part of an
overall design can be significant — both at the park level and larger
watershed level. For reference, the following graphic illustrates the
extent to which existing ponds and wetlands have been expanded as
represented on the vision master plan shown on page 10.
The blue areas represent expanded ponding relative to existing ponding and wetland areas. Note that the final shape
and size of ponds will be determined during the detailed master plan phase of the project.
COST PROJECTIONS FOR
REPURPOSING SITE
The forthcoming cost projections provide a range of potential costs
associated with repurposing the site from a golf course to a community
park. The projections are based on a combination of site-specific
development issues and professional judgments based on developments
of similar characteristics. The projections are based on 2014 dollars,
which will require inflation adjustments over time. (Also note that
2014 was a volatile year in project bidding for similar work (i.e., bids
have been coming in higher than expected), with a fair amount of
uncertainty remaining in the marketplace going forward.)
At the vision master plan level, the level of plan detail combined with
market uncertainties pose inherent limitations in projecting potential
costs. The intended use of the cost projections is to aid the City in
developing an overall funding and implementation strategy, including:
• Defining the magnitude of the investment needed to develop the
park
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 26
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
• Comparing the relative cost of a basic level of development with
that of a more robust approach that more fully achieves the vision
as set forth in this plan
• Prioritizing and budgeting for capital improvement program
COST ESTIMATING CATEGORIES
For budgeting purposes, the cost estimate is broken down into
categories. Several categories are associated with city-funded
development, and several categories relate to work completed by
others or the city acting in partnership with others. Others include the
Pentagon Park developers, Three Rivers Park District, and Nine Mile
Creek Watershed District.
City-funded development categories include:
• Baseline park development package — includes the core elements
of repurposing the park from a golf course to a community park;
generally, this includes the community activities and events area,
adventure play area, and basic field games area; open parkland area
development is limited to trails and a limited palette of other site
amenities, such as sitting areas
• Open parkland area enhancements package — includes the
major development elements in this area, such as the promenades,
boardwalks, developed activity nodes, art and sculpture, etc.; also
includes some enhancements to the community activities area
• Field games area enhancements package — includes upgrading
the fields from topsoil surfacing to sand-based fields and related
elements, such as underdrainage
Partnership or by-others funded categories include:
• Parkway package — includes the roadway and related streetscape
elements; the presumption is that the Pentagon Park developer will
be the lead and primarily responsible for this work
• Regional trail package — includes the regional trail and related
development; the presumption is Three Rivers Park District will be
the lead and responsible for this work
• Pond expansion, stormwater management, and water quality
improvements package — includes expanding ponds and related;
City may be responsible for costs, but as part of a larger Nine Mile
Creek watershed planning strategy
COST ESTIMATE RANGES
The following summarizes the cost ranges associated with each to the
listed categories. Cost ranges are provided due to pricing and quantity
variabilities associated with this level of planning. Cost ranges include
15% add-on for testing, design and survey fees, along with 2% for
geotechnical testing and permitting.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 27
FRED RICHARDS REPURPOSE STUDY
City-Funded Development Categories:
Baseline development park package $2,966,000 to $3,559,000
Open parkland area enhancements package $2,897,000 to $3,476,000
Field games area enhancements package $ 713,000 to $ 855,000
Total $6,576,000 to $7,890,000
Costs associated with partnership or by-others funded categories are
more broadly considered since others play a lead or partnership role
in developing design solutions. For planning context, it is expected
that the parkway package will be in the $2 million plus range. The
regional trail package will be in the $500,000 plus range (although this
will be highly influenced by the need for bridges and dealing with soil
conditions).
Pond expansion, stormwater management, and water quality
improvements package is highly variable and dependent on overall
size of the ponding expansion. For budgeting purposes, $1 million is a
reasonable starting point, with many factors influencing the final costs
for this type of work.
Also note that setting aside a 10% to 20% cost contingency is
recorrnnended for each of the above categories to guard against
unknowns in final design outcomes and changes in the bidding
environment at the point of development.
FOR LIVING, LEARNING, RAISING FAMILIES & DOING BUSINESS 28
Fred Richards Park Master Plan | Process Schedule
Schedule of Phases
Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Key Outcomes
Phase 1 | Project
Initiation
Project Kick-off Meeting - Mid Project
Meeting Project initiation, preliminary
data collection and wetland
delineation.Data gathering, base mapping
Wetland Delineation
Phase 2 | Research,
Analysis + Inventory
Understanding the Research Understand site conditions,
gather city staff input and
assessments.
Environmental Review and Assessment
Site Visits & Inventory
Phase 3 | Community
Outreach and
Participation
Visioning + Guiding Principles
Confirmation Confirm/ adjust Guiding
Principles from previous studies,
develop and deliver community
engagement plan for all
residents.
Project Website Materials - Online
Resources
Key Public Engagement
Phase 4 | Schematic
Design
Preliminary Park Concepts Develop concept design options
that meet Guiding Principles
and gather feedback on design
options from stakeholders and
general public.
Preliminary Park Concept Review
Preliminary Parks Concept Presentation
- Council
Community Input Workshops
Phase 5 | Prepare a
Preferred Park Master
Plan and Cost Estimate
Preferred Master Plan Integrate feedback into 1
preferred master plan for Fred
Richards with cost estimates.Preferred Cost Estimate
Phase 6 | Final Master
Plan
Final Master Plan Present final plan to Park Board
and City Council for approval.Presentations
Key Meetings
Park Board Meetings Workshop | Dec. 13
Joint Workshop | April 4
Master Plan Review Workshop |
June 13
City Council Meetings Workshop | January
Joint Workshop | April 4
Master Plan Review Workshop |
June 20
Master Plan Approval | July
Community
Engagement Meetings 5-7 meetings | Jan - April
Team/ Staff Meetings Kick-off Meeting | Oct. 26
Wetland Delineation | Oct. 17-21
Walk the Park with Staff | Nov. 4
Fred Richards Stakeholders
Dan Erhardt Cedars of Edina
Community
Manager
Kim Hoffman Parklawn Home
Community
Manager
Brittney Martinez Edina Park Apts
Community
Manager
Cliff Akins Premier Properties Property Manager
Lois Wagner Heatherton Condos
Resident/Condo
Board Member
Christine Nelson Parklawn Condos
Resident/Condo
Board Member
Peter Choukalas
Lake Edina
Association Resident
Steve Curry South Cornelia Resident
Art Terwilliger South Cornelia Resident
Angel Luther South Cornelia Resident
Sarah Lenhardt South Cornelia Resident
Elizabeth Ogren
Pedal & Roll for
Parkinsons Resident
Derek Johnson South Cornelia Resident
Kevin Duban Burgundy Apts Resident
Marie Sullivan South Cornelia Resident
David Hellerman South Cornelia Resident
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Kristina Smitten
Hillcrest/
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Scott Tankenhoff
Hillcrest/
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Western Life
Insurance
Edina HS
Cornelia
Elementary
Boe Carlsom
Three Rivers Park
District
Randy Anhorn
Nine Mile Creed
Watershed District
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Adminstrator
Dawn Martin Edina Soccer Club
Sally Arndt Edina Lacrosse
Shane Stumm
Edina Soccer
Association
Mary Kuehl
Edina Girls Athletic
Assocation
Gary Wells Public Works
Brian Olson Public Works Director
Dave Goergen Public Works
Ross Bintner Engineering
Engineering
Services Manager
Jessica Wilson Engineering Water Resources
Tara Brown Admin Sustainability
Tom Swenson Pars and Rec
Braemar Golf
Course
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Bill Neuendorf Admin
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Bob Prestrud Park Maintenance
Eric Boettcher Park and Recreation
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Susan Faus Park and Recreation Assistant Director
Ann Kattreh Park and Recreation Director
Scott Neal Admin City Manager
Tom Shirley Park and Recreation
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Date: January 4, 2017 Agenda Item #: IV.
To:Mayor and City Council Item Type:
Reports / Recommendation
From:Lisa Schaefer, Assistant City Manager
Item Activity:
Subject:Administrative Procedures: Boards & Commissions Discussion
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
None.
INTRODUCTION:
Staff would like City Council feedback regarding the following boards and commission practices:
Video-taping schedule of Advisory Board/Commission meetings for 2017,
General discussion regarding Boards and Commissions,
Changes for consideration including:
Park Board name & membership,
Attendance policy, and
Board of Appeals & Equalization term limits.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Staff Report: Video-taping Board & Commission Meetings
Staff Report: Boards and Commissions Practices
Memorandum: School Board Representation on the Park Board
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Jan. 5, 2017
Mayor & City Council
Jennifer Bennerotte, Communications & Technology Services Director
Videotaping meetings of advisory boards and commissions
Provide direction on videotaping meetings of advisory boards and commissions in 2017.
Information/Background:
The Communications & Technology Services Department regularly reviews its work and the reach of
its communications. A recent review of online viewership of videotaped meetings suggests that the
City may not be receiving a return on its investment in the staff time spent videotaping some
meetings of advisory boards and commissions.
Following is a breakdown of all of the City of Edina Council, Board and Commission meetings that
the Communications Division records and televises:
City Council Meetings
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 12.2 staff hours
Total online views: 6,256
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 513
Planning Commission Meetings
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 9.11 staff hours
Total online views: 1,179
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 130
Transportation Commission Meetings
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 7.7 staff hours
Total online views: 160
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 21
Park Board Meetings
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 7 staff hours
Total online views: 230
REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 2
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 33
Arts & Culture Commission Meeting
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 4.5 staff hours
Total online views: 2
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 0.5
Community Health Commission Meeting
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 4.75 staff hours
Total online views: 11
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 2
Energy & Environment Commission Meeting
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 11 staff hours
Total online views: 37
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 3
Heritage Preservation Board Meeting
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 4.5 staff hours
Total online views: 18
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 4
Human Rights & Relations Commission Meeting
Approximate staff hours per meeting: 6 staff hours
Total online views: 26
Views per staff hour through Dec. 27 – 4
City Council meetings receive the largest number of online views out of all of the televised City
meetings. Because we cannot track television viewership, it is difficult to gauge how many residents
watch the meetings live and on replay on Comcast and CenturyLink. However, it is recommended
that we continue to televise and promote City Council meetings on both cable television and online.
Planning Commission meetings also receive notable viewership online, but not at the level of City
Council meetings. It is recommended that we continue to televise and promote Planning
Commission meetings on both cable television and online.
Quarterly videotaped meetings on the Transportation and Park Board meetings are not very
successful based on online viewership. While we have several residents who have expressed their
appreciation for the meetings that are televised and have asked for all of either Park Board or
Transportation Commission meetings to be televised, the numbers do not suggest that these
meetings currently have a significant appeal to residents. This could be due to the quarterly
broadcast schedule that we currently follow. Televising a meeting every three months may cause
viewers to be unsure of when they can watch the meetings, and may lead to lower viewership
numbers. However, these meetings may not have the broader appeal that City Council does to
residents. Staff sees three options for moving forward:
REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 3
- Televise all Park Board and Transportation Commission meetings each month in 2017 to
determine if viewership will increase.
- Because of the number of park projects currently under way, televise all Park Board meetings
each month in 2017 to determine if viewership will increase. Discontinue televising
Transportation Commission meetings.
- Discontinue televising Park Board and Transportation Commission meetings altogether,
while continuing with audio recordings for future reference.
Board and commission meetings that are televised once a year include the Arts & Culture
Commission, Community Health Commission, Energy & Environment Commission, Heritage
Preservation Board and the Human Rights & Relations Commission. Viewership for these meetings
online is nearly non-existent. This is likely due to both a lack of resident interest and a lack of
understanding of when meetings will be televised. Residents cannot be expected to understand
when and why these boards and commissions will be televised. Communications staff believes we
should discontinue televising annual meetings of these five boards and commissions, and continue
with audio recordings for future reference. Significant actions or activities of advisory boards and
commissions could be included in “Agenda: Edina,” which has strong online views. Through Dec. 27,
“Agenda: Edina” had 43,408 online views, averaging 2,170 views per staff hour spent producing the
twice-monthly programming.
January 4, 2016
Mayor and City Council
MJ Lamon, Project Coordinator
Board and Commission Practices
Information / Background:
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
The City of Edina has a total of 101 volunteers who serve on Edina’s ten Advisory
Boards/Commissions. Most of Edina’s Boards/Commissions are composed of 9 voting members and
2 students. The Energy and Environment Commission (13 members) and Park Board (12 members)
are the two with a larger membership base.
Board or Commission Adult Members Student
Members Total Members
Arts and Culture Commission 9 2 11
Board of Appeals & Equalization 5 0 5
Community Health Commission 9 2 11
Construction Board of Appeals 5 0 5
Energy and Environment
Commission 11 2 13
Heritage Preservation Board 9 2 11
Human Rights and Relations
Commission 9 2 11
Park Board 10 2 12
Planning Commission 9 2 11
Transportation Commission 9 2 11
TOTAL = 101
STAFF REPORT Page 2
Following is the membership of Boards/Commissions of comparison cities.
City Boards Total Members
St. Louis Park 1. Board of Zoning Appeals (5)
2. Charter Commission (13)
3. Environment and Sustainability Commission (13)
4. Fire Civil Service Commission (3)
5. Human Rights Commission (10)
6. Parks & Recreation Commission (8)
7. Planning Commission (8)
8. Police Advisory Commission (12)
9. Telecommunication Commission (7)
79
Average = 8
Maple Grove 1. Arbor Committee (11)
2. Citizens Advisory Committee (19)
3. Lake Quality Commission (12)
4. Planning Commission (7)
5. Parks and Recreation Board (7)
6. Transit Commission (8)
64
Average = 10
Plymouth 1. Charter Commission (15)
2. Environmental Quality Committee (7)
3. Parks and Recreation Commission (7)
4. Planning Commission (7)
36
Average = 9
Minnetonka 1. Charter Commission (9)
2. Economic Development Advisory Commission (9)
3. Park Board (8)
4. Planning Commission (7)
5. Senior Advisory Board (11)
44
Average = 8
Woodbury 1. Adult & Investment Commission (8)
2. Economic Development Commission (9)
3. Parks and Natural Resources Commission (10)
4. Planning Commission (9)
36
Average = 9
Burnsville 1. Ames Center Advisory Commission (7)
2. Economic Development Commission (7)
3. Parks and Natural Resources Commission (8)
4. Planning Commission (5)
27
Average = 6
Eagan 1. Planning Commission (7)
2. Airport Relations Commission (7)
3. Parks Commission (7)
4. Energy and Environment Commission (7)
28
Average = 7
Eden Prairie 1. Conservation Commission (8)
2. Board of Appeal and Equalization (5)
3. Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission (9)
4. Heritage Preservation Commission (11, 4 are
students)
5. Human Rights and Diversity Commission (13, 6
68
Average
(removed
students) = 7
STAFF REPORT Page 3
are students)
6. Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources
Commission (13, 6 are students)
7. Planning Commission (9)
PARK BOARD
On December 20, 2016, the Park Board sent an Advisory Communication to City Council regarding
the reserved school district seat on the Park Board. The Park Board has requested the elimination of
the requirement for a school board representation on the Park Board.
In previous conversations Council has talked about Board/Commission name changes in respect to
the Park Board. The Edina Park Board does not function similar to Park Boards like Minneapolis and
St. Paul and at times the name has caused resident confusion.
The following research was conducted to identify the name of similar boards/commissions in
comparison cities.
City Board/Commission Name
Minnetonka Park Board
Wayzata Parks and Trails Board
Bloomington Board of Park Commissioners
St. Louis Park Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission
Golden Valley Open Space and Recreation Commission
Eden Prairie Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission
Plymouth Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC)
Eagan Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission
Chanhassen Parks and Recreation Commission
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Several Boards/Commissions have their regularly scheduled meetings on Tuesdays which is the
same night as Council work sessions. When a Board/Commission member has a conflict on the
night of their regular scheduled meeting and joint work session with council, attendance reflects the
member to have missed two meetings. Board/Commissions are provided the meeting date in
advance, but the joint meeting dates can change depending on work plan priorities. City staff feels it
is important to encourage attendance at the joint work session, but in cases when two meetings are
held on the same night, attendance could reflect one missed meeting.
City Code
Per Section 2-86. – Attendance requirements.
STAFF REPORT Page 4
(a) Purpose. To assist boards and commissions in fulfilling their purposes and duties and to
ensure that they are not prevented from doing so by the repeated absence of their members, the
council hereby establishes an attendance policy for members serving on boards and
commissions.
(b) Removal. Any member of a board or commission established by the council shall be deemed
to have resigned as a member of the board or commission under the following circumstances:
(1) The member, regular or student, fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings, or for
a member, regular or student, of the planning commission fails to attend four consecutive
regular meetings.
(2) The member, regular or student fails to attend at least 75 percent of the scheduled
meetings in any calendar year, whether regular or joint work sessions with the council. For a
member, regular or student, whose term begins during a calendar year, attendance in that
calendar year is measured as at least 75 percent of the scheduled meetings following the
beginning of the member's term.
Staff suggests removing joint work sessions with the council from the 75% requirement.
BOARD OF APPEALS AND EQUALIZATION TERM LIMIT
The Board of Appeal and Equalization has terms established as six, one-year terms (six years). The
Planning Commission has term limits established as three-three year terms (nine years). All other
Edina Boards and Commissions have consistent term limits established as two, three-year terms (six
years).
Staff recommends changing the Board of Appeal Equalization term limits to two, three year terms to
be consistent with other Boards and Commission.
Date: January 4, 2017 Agenda Item #: V.
To:Mayor and City Council Item Type:
Reports / Recommendation
From:Lisa Schaefer, Assistant City Manager
Item Activity:
Subject:Administrative Procedures: Update City Policies Discussion
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
None.
INTRODUCTION:
The Neighborhood Policy was approved by the City Council in 2013 and the Video Production Policy was
approved in 2009. Both of these polices need to be updated.
Staff is requesting feedback regarding potential changes to these policies and the process for future revisions.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Staff Report: Neighborhood Association Policy
Video Production Policy Proposed Revisions
January 4, 2017
Mayor and City Council
MJ Lamon, Project Coordinator
Neighborhood Association Policy
Information / Background:
The Neighborhood Association Policy including neighborhood boundaries and names, was approved at the
April 16, 2013 City Council meeting. This program was branded “Neighborhood
Connections.” Since its inception, nine neighborhoods have been recognized by the City.
However, there are currently seven recognized neighborhoods because in the Spring of 2016 two
neighborhoods did not renew their status.
Staff believes that part of the low participation is in part due to the rigorous application and re-certification
process. Early in the program there was a plan for Neighborhood Connections to include City-funded
grants. It made sense to put more stringent requirements around the use of public funds for neighborhood
associations. It was later determined that the grants did not provide a substantial benefit to the City. In
addition, the increased use of “Next Door” has made it easier for neighborhoods to get timely
neighborhood-specific information without being formally recognized.
Staff believes the program still has the ability to provide value for both the City and the residents.
Neighborhoods/residents are informally organized which is the original intent of Neighborhood
Associations. However, staff believes the current policy creates unnecessary barriers for neighborhoods to
be recognized at the City-level. This provides a challenge to staff when attempting to make authentic
neighborhood connections. City staff recommends revising the policy/program to remove those barriers,
and increase the informal non-monetary benefits that recognized associations receive.
Things that will change:
• Remove barriers to becoming a neighborhood association recognized by the City and create a
formal procedure to becoming “registered” with the City.
• Encourage, but not require, bylaws.
• Move registration process to the Neighborhood Liaison instead of City Manager.
• Adjust communication support and promote the use of Next Door.
• Remove Annual Workshop and Annual Award.
Things that will NOT change:
STAFF REPORT Page 2
• City will not disburse funds for neighborhood associations.
• The City will only recognize neighborhood by the boundaries and with the names as developed.
• The City will only recognize one neighborhood association in the established boundaries.
• Continued commitment to engage neighborhoods.
• Provide neighbors support to organize and form a neighborhood association.
• Maintain benefits of being a Neighborhood Association registered with the City.
• Continue neighborhood support via the Neighborhood Liaison.
☒City Council Approved: 4/16/2013
☐City-Wide Revised: Click here to enter a date.
☐Department
City of Edina Policy
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Definitions
Neighborhood: A geographic area defined by the City that exists as a sub-area within the City as a whole.
Each property within the City resides within a single Neighborhood.
Neighbors: People or legal entities who own or occupy property within a Neighborhood.
Neighborhood Association: A voluntary Neighborhood-based organization, recognized by the City, and in
compliance with this policy.
Purpose
The City encourages the voluntary formation of Neighborhood Associations for the purpose of
facilitating communication between residents, City staff and officials, fostering interaction between
individuals on issues of common geographic concern and building a better community through
cooperative action.
In keeping with this philosophy, the City will seek to notify and consult with Neighborhood Associations
on matters of Neighborhood interest. For example, Neighborhood Associations will be notified when:
• Significant Neighborhood projects are being discussed or proposed such as street
reconstruction, park development or redevelopment or land use planning.
• A mailing goes out to residents in the Neighborhood related to a City matter or public hearing.
• A developer requests a Neighborhood meeting for the purpose of sketch plan review.
• The City is seeking to organize a Neighborhood group for resident input.
Expectations
The following expectations exist with respect to Neighborhood Associations:
• Neighborhood Associations will be included in the public input process but will not be assumed
by City officials to speak on behalf of all Neighbors and will not limit the ability of any person or
entity, including non-recognized Neighborhood groups, from participating on their own behalf.
Communication with the Neighborhood Association will not replace the City’s traditional
methods of direct outreach to residents.
• Neighborhood Associations are strictly voluntary and no neighbor will be required to
participate. Each Neighborhood Association will determine its own priorities and desired level
of activity.
• Neighborhood Associations will not assume the role of an administrative or legislative body.
Neighborhood Associations have no legal authority to enact or enforce property design or
maintenance requirements.
• Only one Neighborhood Association may exist in each Neighborhood, as identified in the official
Neighborhood map.
Bylaws
In order to be recognized as a Neighborhood Association by the City, Neighborhood Associations are
required to adopt bylaws that include the following minimum standards:
• An outline of the Neighborhood boundaries as defined by the City;
• Membership criteria allowing any Neighbor over the age of 18 the right to belong and to vote.
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• A statement that the Neighborhood Association will not discriminate based on race, color,
creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status, disability, status
with regard to public assistance, familial status or national origin in connection with
employment, housing and real property, public accommodations, public services, credit and
education;
• One annual meeting with notice to all addresses within the geographic boundaries,
• Procedures for the election and removal of leadership ; and
• Method of determining quorum and how votes are taken and recorded at annual meetings.
Changes or amendments to the bylaws shall be provided to the City staff liaison.
Recognition
A group of neighbors intending to form a recognized Neighborhood Association or seeking recognition
of an existing Neighborhood organization must notify the City staff liaison. The recognition steps are as
follows:
• Upon request, an educational meeting may be conducted by the City staff liaison regarding steps
to organize.
• The organizing committee notifies, in writing, all Neighbors of the opportunity to vote on
becoming a recognized Neighborhood Association and the proposed Neighborhood Association
bylaws. Upon request, the City will pay for and coordinate this initial mailing.
• Upon an affirmative vote, the Association formally applies for recognition and submits a
completed recognition application and minutes from the meeting during which the neighbors
voted to seek recognition and a copy of the current or proposed Association bylaws.
• The City staff liaison will forward the application materials to the City Manager for review and
approval. The City Manager will notify the Association and City Council of his or her decision
with regard to recognition in writing. Associations can appeal the decision of the City Manager
to the City Council.
Removal of Recognition
The City Manager has the authority to remove recognition from a Neighborhood Association if the
Association fails to comply with any requirement of this Policy. Prior to the removal of recognition, the
Neighborhood Association will be given written notice of non-compliance and a period of 60 days to
achieve compliance. If the City Manager removes recognition, the Neighborhood Association and City
Council will be informed of his or her decision in writing. Neighborhood Associations may reapply for
recognition without prejudice.
Funding
Membership fees, when established by the bylaws of a Neighborhood Association, shall be voluntary and
shall not preclude any neighbor from participating in the Neighborhood Association. Neighborhood
Associations may charge fees for events or activities that do not include voting on Association business.
The City shall not serve as the fiduciary agent for a Neighborhood Association. Any Association which
raises money outside of a city-sponsored grant or program is responsible for complying with applicable
state and federal laws. If funds are disbursed by the City for use by an Association, the Association may
be required to provide documentation of appropriate use. Failure to do so will result in removal of
recognition.
City Staff Liaison
The City will assign a staff liaison to recognized Neighborhood Associations. The role of the staff liaison
will be to:
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• Provide information about the role and organization of Neighborhood Associations, both
generally and in direct consultation with residents;
• Receive and process applications for recognition;
• Ensure that the recognition requirements are met and notify the associations and City Manager
of any shortcomings;
• Maintain City records related to Neighborhood Associations;
• Work with the Communications and Technology Services Department to facilitate the
communication activities outlined in this policy;
• Develop and maintain a City speaker list and contact speakers upon request from a
Neighborhood Association;
• Educate City staff on the role of Neighborhood Associations and how to fully engage
Neighborhood Associations as a valued resource;
• Refer issues brought forward by Neighborhood Associations to appropriate staff; and
• Advise the City Council on issues related to Neighborhoods or Neighborhood Associations and
draft or revise related policies.
It is not the role of the City staff liaison to organize a Neighborhood on behalf of a proposed
Neighborhood Association or to advocate positions on behalf of Neighborhood Associations.
Communication Support
The City shall not serve as the primary communication vehicle for Neighborhood Associations. The
City’s Communications and Technology Services Department will provide basic communication support
to Neighborhood Associations to ensure that residents are aware of their existence within the
community.
Basic communication support from the City includes:
• Website Page: The landing page will include the neighborhood boundaries and notable features,
Neighborhood Association bylaws, regular meeting place and time of Neighborhood Association
meetings, Neighborhood Association contact information, and links to the Neighborhood
Association website or other online resource.
• Initial Mailer: Upon request, the City will pay for and coordinate a Neighborhood-wide postcard
mailing notifying residents of a meeting to vote on the potential formation of a recognized
Neighborhood Association. Content must be delivered to the Communications and Technology
Services Department at least 21 days in advance of the organization meeting date to ensure
timely delivery. Postcard mailings will be addressed to “Resident.”
• Copying: Upon request, the City will provide copying once annually for each association in an
amount equivalent to the Neighborhood’s estimated population (double-sided, on 8.5” by 11”
paper). Associations should anticipate a 2-3 day turnaround for each copying project.
Associations can maximize the copy services provided by the City by using half sheet flyers.
• About Town Listing: Recognized Neighborhood Associations and their contact information will
be highlighted annually in About Town.
Communication with the Neighborhood Association will not replace the City’s traditional methods of
direct outreach to residents. Any communication facilitated by the City is subject to the City’s
communication policies and ordinances. As a result, the City will not facilitate any communication that is
inconsistent with its policies general operating principles, or the City Code. Examples of communication
that would be inconsistent with City policies include items that are discriminatory or politically partisan
in nature.
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Neighborhood Boundary Changes
The City has defined boundaries for each Neighborhood. Neighborhood Associations may propose both
technical corrections and Neighborhood boundary changes.
Technical Corrections. Technical corrections are minor changes regarding the placement of the boundary
line on the map. For example, a technical correction could entail shifting a boundary line to include the
properties on both sides of a street. Technical corrections impact a small number of properties. To
apply for a technical correction to a Neighborhood’s boundary, the Neighborhood Association must
submit a written request to the City staff liaison along with the minutes from the meeting at which the
organization’s members voted to make the change. The City staff liaison will forward the request to the
Neighborhood Association(s) of any adjoining impacted Neighborhoods for review and comment. The
City staff liaison will forward the request and any comments from the adjoining impacted Neighborhood
Associations(s) to the City Council for review. The City Council has the sole authority to approve or
deny any technical corrections.
Boundary Changes. Boundary changes represent a larger change with respect to the geographic definition
of the neighborhood. Boundary changes have the potential to impact a large number of properties. For
example, a boundary change could entail moving the boundary from one street to another street
located a few blocks away. To promote stability and growth of the Neighborhood Association system,
and in recognition of the significant public process involved in creating Neighborhood names and
boundaries, boundary change requests will only be considered at time of application for initial
recognition, or any time within two years of initial recognition. In addition, any boundary change
request that creates Neighborhood(s) with less than 70 parcels will not be considered. To apply for a
boundary change, the organizing committee must submit the request to the City staff liaison along with a
Neighborhood petition demonstrating the support of a majority of households. The City staff liaison will
forward the request to the Neighborhood Association of any adjoining impacted Neighborhoods for
review and comment. The City staff liaison will forward the request and any comments from the
adjoining impacted Neighborhood Association(s) to the City Council for review. The City Council has
the sole authority to approve or deny any boundary changes.
Neighborhood Name Changes
The City has defined names for each Neighborhood that are listed on the official Neighborhood map.
Neighborhood Associations may apply to change the official Neighborhood name at time of application
for initial recognition, or any time within one year of recognition. After one year, the official
Neighborhood name cannot be changed. To apply for a name change, the Neighborhood Association
must submit a request to the City staff liaison to change the Neighborhood name along with the minutes
from the meeting at which the organization’s members voted to change the name and a summary of
how the Association collected data regarding the name preference of their Neighbors. The City staff
liaison will forward the request to the City Council for review. The City Council has the sole authority
to approve or deny any name changes.
Additional Benefits
Meeting Space
City-owned meeting space available for public use will be offered free of charge for any Neighborhood
Association meetings or events that are free to the public (no charge). If City staff is required to open
or monitor the building, the Neighborhood Association may be charged a recovery fee. City-sponsored
meetings and programming will take precedence over Neighborhood Association meetings, and
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Neighborhood Association meetings may be “bumped” from a City facility with a minimum of 30 days
notice.
Guest Speakers
The City will develop and maintain a list of City staff that can be scheduled as guest speakers by
Neighborhood Associations. City staff may be available to speak on special topics by request. The guest
speaker program is designed for education and information sharing purposes.
Annual Workshop
City staff will coordinate an annual workshop to facilitate the sharing of ideas and best practices
between Neighborhood Associations and to gather suggestions from Neighborhood Associations for
City staff.
Annual Award
Each year the Mayor will give a Neighborhood Association Award during the Annual Volunteer
Recognition Banquet to recognize community building efforts by the City’s Neighborhood Associations.
Nominations for the award will be solicited from all Neighborhood Associations prior to the event.
CITY OF EDINA
COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
VIDEO PRODUCTION POLICY
The purpose of the City of Edina’s audio and visual communications is to provide information
about the City’s government, services and attractions. Content produced by the City is cablecast
on Comcast Channels 16 and 813 in Edina and CenturyLink Channels 236 and 1236 (Edina TV),
government access channels. Content is also streamed via the City of Edina website,
EdinaMN.gov as well as YouTube and other social media.
Content is chosen for production and broadcast based on the interest and value it may have to
residents of Edina. All content is meant to promote the goal of making Edina the premiere place
for living, learning, raising families and doing business.
Priorities For Video Production:
1. Broadcast of meetings of the City Council, Park Board, Transportation Commission,
Planning Commission and designated annual meetings of other advisory boards and
commissions.
2. Production and broadcast of regular City programs such as, including “Agenda: Edina,”
“Beyond the Badge,” “On The Job” and “Public Art Profiles.”", "Enterprise Edina” and
“Agenda: Edina.”
3. Production and broadcast of public service announcements of the City and commercials
for the City’s enterprise facilities. Commercials cannot run on Edina TV, but can be placed
as advertisements on other channels.
4. Filming and broadcast of activities, meetings and events requested by other
governmental units, including Edina Public Schools, Hennepin County and the two
watershed districts serving Edina. Costs of filming and production will be borne by the
requesting jurisdiction.
5. Production and broadcast of public service announcements requested by other
governmental units. Costs of filming and production will be borne by the requesting
jurisdiction.
6. Filming and broadcast of meetings or events requested by Edina-based community
organizations, provided the meeting or event has broad community appeal in the opinion
of the Communications & Technology Services Director and is eligible and appropriate for
broadcast on Edina TV. Costs of filming and production will be borne by the sponsoring
organization.
7. Production of videos for non-profit organizations serving Edina, provided that the video
will have broad community appeal in the opinion of the Communications & Technology
Services Director and is eligible and appropriate for broadcast on Edina TV. Costs of
filming and production will be borne by the sponsoring organization.
General Policies
• The City reserves the right to air all content it produces and/or films on Edina TV. The City
will make all final decisions on air time, frequency of playback and priority of airing.
• Any portions of footage filmed may be used by the City for other unrelated broadcasts
produced by the City.
• All content produced by the Communications & Technology Services Department is
copyrighted.
• Inappropriate content will not be filmed or considered for playback.
Examples of inappropriate content include:
• Programming with a commercial intent, such as that promoting a specific business or
service, unless incidentally mentioned as part of a program or in exchange for a
sponsorship.
• Political campaigning outside of a City-approved political debate or forum.
• Programming containing religious content, unless incidentally mentioned as part of a
program.
• Pornography or offensive materials.
• Programming containing obscene content or language.
Editing and Playback of Meetings and Programming
Meetings of the Edina City Council and designated Boards and Commissions will be rebroadcast
on Edina TV and streamed on the City of Edina website. The playback schedule and duration for
these meetings is set by the Video Production Coordinator with approval of the
Communications & Technology Services Director, and is available from the Communications &
Technology Services Department.
Meetings are recorded and broadcast in their entirety and will not be edited or modified for any
reason, including typographical errors in graphics. Production of the meeting, including
decisions about what camera angle or electronic presentation is shown during the broadcast, is
dictated by the director of the meeting, who is a member of the Communications & Technology
Services Department.
Programming and content outside of City meetings, including regular programming and public
service announcements and special events, is produced and edited by the Communications &
Technology Services Department. Content is dictated by the Communications & Technology
Services Department staff, and is ultimately subject to the approval of the Communications &
Technology Services Director. The playback schedule and duration for this programming is set
by the Video Production Coordinator with the approval of the Communications & Technology
Services Director, and is available from the Communications & Technology Services Department.
To ensure consistency, content from non-government agencies and organizations will not be
accepted for playback on Edina TV. Such content should be directed to Southwest Community
Television for playback on the public access channel.
Video content professionally produced by government units or organizations to which the City
of Edina belongs will be considered for playback on Edina TV by the Video Production
Coordinator, in consultation with the Communications & Technology Services Director.
Examples of organizations to which the City of Edina belongs are the League of Minnesota
Cities, Municipal Legislative Commission, International City-County Management Association,
American Public Works Association, City-County Communications and Marketing Association,
National Association of Government Communicators and the Minnesota Recreation and Parks
Association. Video must be of a like-professional quality, with strong picture and audio quality,
composition, lighting and white balance of content. Editing must be complete and include
introductory slate and credits.
CDVD copies of all meetings, events and content produced by the City of Edina is available for
purchase from the Communications & Technology Services Department. Compatibility with all
DVD players or computers cannot be guaranteed.
Public Use of City-Produced Content
Content filmed and produced by the Communications & Technology Services Department staff
is available to the public for use when a written request is made for specific footage. The City
may charge a fee to recoup the cost of preparing the requested media files. Credit must be
given to “Edina TV” for any content used.
Program Sponsorship
No advertisement will be shown on Edina TV. “Advertisement” means any message or other
programming material that is cablecast, streamed or otherwise transmitted in exchange for
remuneration and that is intended to 1) promote a service, facility or product offered by any
person who is engaged in such offering for profit or 2) support or oppose any candidate for
political office.
“Sponsorship” means any message or other programming material that is cablecast, streamed or
otherwise transmitted in exchange for remuneration and that is intended to acknowledge an
organization’s support of programming on Edina TV.
Sponsorship for future programming will be considered by the Communications & Technology
Services Department as a means to recoup expenses incurred for the production of the
program, and will ultimately be subject to the approval of the Communications & Technology
Services Director.
Sponsors may be acknowledged by up to a 30-second text and voice message at the beginning
of the program. Text may appear over a static presentation of the sponsor’s logo. The voice
message will consist of the following information: “This program made possible in part with
funding provided by (name of the underwriter).”
Edina TV Video Production Services
The City of Edina video production staff is available for video production services to non-profit
organizations or government agencies, provided the event or activity has a broad community
appeal. Examples of approved non-profit or government entities include youth athletic
associations, 494 Commuter Services, 50th & France Business & Professional Association,
Children’s HeartLink, Community Action Partnership for Suburban Hennepin, Edina Chamber of
Commerce, Edina Community Foundation, Edina Education Fund, Edina Public Schools,
Hennepin County, Hennepin County Library, League of Women Voters of Edina, SAVE, Sobriety
High School and VEAP. All such projects must be coordinated through the Video Production
Coordinator with approval from the Communications & Technology Services Director.
Requests for video production services must be made at least seven days prior to the event that
will be filmed. Requests for which staff is unavailable will be denied.
Public Access
Videos not eligible for playback on Edina TV might be appropriate for playback on Comcast’s or
CenturyLink’s public access channel. For more information on Public Access available to
residents of Edina, contact the Southwest Community Television Administrator at 952-826-0344.
Revised January 2017
Date: January 4, 2017 Agenda Item #: VI.
To:Mayor and City Council Item Type:
Reports / Recommendation
From:Lisa Schaefer, Assistant City Manager
Item Activity:
Subject:Administrative Procedures: Council Correspondence
Practices
Discussion
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
None.
INTRODUCTION:
Council correspondence received by city staff is currently handled in the following manner:
If an email correspondence is directed to a specific Council Member, staff forwards the email directly to
the Council Member's preferred email address.
If an email is sent to mail@EdinaMN.gov (Edina Mail), and is addressed to all Council Members, staff
forwards the email to the preferred email addresses of all Council Members. Staff also includes a copy of
the email in the public council packet.
If paper correspondence is addressed to a specific Council Member, staff will either scan and email it to
Council Member's preferred email addresses or hand-deliver it to the Council Member.
If paper correspondence is addressed to all Council Members, staff scan it and forward a copy to the
preferred email addresses of Council Members. Staff also includes a copy in the public council packet.
Minnesota Statutes section 13.601, subdivision 2, states “correspondence between individuals and elected officials
is private data on individuals, but may be made public by either the sender or recipient.” With a change in council
membership, staff want to confirm the council's practice for 2017.