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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-02-00 Park Board PacketJanet Canton From: John Keprios Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 1:11 PM ro: (randyameyer@aol.com); Benjamin Fox Pobuda (Lpobuda@comcast.net); Daniel Peterson (danlnan@aol.com); George Klus; Jeff.Sorem@wellsfargo.com; Joseph Hulbert (clarencebeeks@hotmail.com); Michael Damman; Rob Presthus (rob.presthus@gmail.com); Todd Fronek (tfronek@yahoo.com) Cc: Ed MacHolda; Janet Canton; Scott Denfeld; Jennifer Bennerotte; Deb Mangen; Gordon Hughes Subject: February Park Board Meeting Cancelled Attachments: PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS.doc; Pamela Park Task Force.rtf Hello Park Board Members: Due to a lack of pressing agenda items, the February Park Board meeting is cancelled. There are, however, a few things I'd like to inform you about. Pamela Park Task Force I have formed the Pamela Park Task Force (list of members attached) for the purpose of identifying a list of short and long-term park improvements proposed for Pamela Park and get input from stakeholders and resident neighbors regarding those improvements. The goal is also to prioritize the list of desired park improvements. I have also attached a file showing the current proposed park improvements. It is my goal to ultimately have a reasonable plan in place to present to the Park Board and then conduct a large scale neighborhood input meeting at a future Park Board meeting. Our first Task Force meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 29, at 6:00 .in. at City Hall. ALI PROPOSED Pamela Park Task ROVEMENTS.doc (3 Force.rtf (16... Nine Mile Regional Trail We have scheduled our first Open House to gather feedback on the proposed alignments for the Nine Mile Regional Trail. The first Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Please click on the following link to view the flyer and map about the Open House. http://www.ci.edina-.mn.us/'PDFs/I -22-2009-fam.ily-rec%20opeii%201ioLiselro2Oflyer.pdf The second Open House is scheduled for Monday, March 9, 2009, in the Council Chambers. New Park Board Members It appears as though we will not have our two new Park Board members appointed by the City Council until the March meeting. Family Qpen GM Night *ur second Family Open Gym Night is scheduled for Friday, February 20, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in e Edina Community Center City Gym. On a personal note, our fellow Park Board member Ray O'Connell is recovering from successful hip surgery at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. He is expected to be released later this week. Wishing him a speedy and full recovery. eel free to contact me with any questions. Thanks, John Keprios, Director Edina Park & Recreation Department 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 Voice: (952) 826-0430 Fax: (952) 826-0385 jkeprios@ci.edina.mn.us "We Create Community through People, Parks and Programs" 0 Pamela Park Task Force Members: 1. Steve Barrett, Edina Youth Softball Association 2. Collin Brinkman, Edina Soccer Club 3. Steve Fox, Edina Lacrosse Association 4. Bruce Johnson, Edina Girls Fastpitch Softball Association 5. Luanne Kuna, Resident Neighbor of Pamela Park 6. Scott Lambert, Resident Neighbor of Pamela Park 7. Jack Mertes, Edina Football Association 8. David Nelson, Resident Neighbor of Pamela Park 9. Bill Swoap, Edina Soccer Association Professional Architects/Consultants: Roy Anderson, Architect Anderson/Johnson Associates, Inc. Tammy Magney, Architect ATSR Staff: John Keprios, Director Edina Park and Recreation Department Ed MacHolda, Assistant Director Donna Tilsner, Recreation Supervisor 0 PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR PAMELA PARK 1. 2009 BATTING CAGE & PITCHING TUNNEL Description: For the year 2009, there is a proposal to add one additional batting cage and a pitching tunnel adjacent to the existing batting cage. The additional batting cage would share a common fence on the south side of the existing batting cage. The enclosed pitching tunnel would be placed to the south of the additional batting cage, again sharing a common fence. Need/Justification: The three softball fields at Pamela Park are used by the Edina Varsity girls fast pitch softball team, the Edina Girls Fast Pitch Softball Association and the Edina Youth Softball Association (girls' slow pitch). Another batting cage is needed to meet the demand for a safe area for batting practice and training. Pitching tunnels are needed as a safe venue for girls' fastpitch players to practice pitching so it can be done without risk to the public and other players and also deters players from throwing practice pitch balls into the field fencing, which ruins the fencing. 2. 2009 ELECTRONIC SCOREBOARDS Description: There is a proposal to add an electronic wireless scoreboard just outside the outfield fences of fields one and three. Need/Justification: The Edina Girls Fast Pitch Softball Association and Edina Girls Varsity and Jr. Varsity Girls Fast Pitch Softball Programs are requesting electronic scoreboards to enhance the program for players and spectators. 3. 2009 RELOCATE HOCKEY RINK AND LIGHTS Description: The Edina Park and Recreation Department is planning to relocate the hockey rink approximately thirty feet to the west of its existing location. Need/Justification: The existing hockey rink is worn and in need of new boards and light fixtures and standards. The current location of the hockey rink is too close to existing trees that have a shallow root system that is detrimental to the hockey rink surface. The current location of the hockey rink also hinders the proper alignment for the nature trail that was added long after the hockey rink was established. 4. 2010 SHELTER BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS Description: This project would add the keyless entry system hardware to the exterior doors. The keyless entry system allows doors to lock and unlock electronically at a programmable time. The Park and Recreation Department is seeking additional input from the Pamela Park Task Force regarding further desired shelter building improvements for the existing structure. Need/Justification: It is important to keep the restroom facilities at the shelter building accessible and available to the general public and during scheduled activities. It is cost effective and efficient to add the keyless entry system to the Pamela Park shelter building exterior doors. The doors can be programmed to automatically lock and unlock during programmed times. 5. 2010 NEW STORAGE BUILDING Description: This project calls for the addition of a storage building (approx. 20' x 30') near the batting cages for storage of athletic equipment, portable outfield fencing and playground program supplies. Need/Justification: There is a shortage of available storage space to serve the storage needs of the various youth athletic associations and Edina Varsity and Junior Varsity girls fast pitch program and the summer playground program. 6. 2011 NEW ATHLETIC FIELD Description: This is a proposal to add another rectangular shaped athletic field with lights to serve primarily (but not exclusively) the sports of football and soccer, lacrosse and, rugby. As shown on the enclosed map, this natural grass field is proposed to be positioned northwest of the existing rectangular athletic field with lights. This is a smaller grass athletic field (smaller than a regulation football field) that will likely be used as a practice field, which is how the area is currently used. Need/Justification: The number one identified need for youth athletic programs is the need for additional scheduled field time for the multiple sports (football, soccer rugby, lacrosse and ultimate Frisbee) that all compete for the same rectangular athletic field. The demand for these fields has grown significantly over the past decade or more for a variety of reasons. Youth are exposed to organized athletic opportunities at a much earlier age than ever before and opportunities for girls in athletics have also grown significantly. The existing open space is currently used as a practice field; however, the area is uneven and unsafe. 7. PERMANENT OUTFIELD FENCING FOR FIELD #2 Description: If the new proposed rectangular athletic field is developed, then the softball field #2 would no longer need to remain unfenced for football practice. Permanent black vinyl fencing could be installed which would eliminate the need to use portable fencing. This also eliminates the need for significant additional on-site storage for portable fencing. Need/Justification: Outfield fencing is desired by girls' fast -pitch and slow -pitch softball players for their game venues. Permanent fencing is more desirable than portable fencing for obvious reasons. 8. 2011 WEST PARKING LOT RENOVATION AND EXPANSION Description: The west parking lot renovation includes removal of existing asphalt surface, developing a new sub -base, installing a new wear -course of asphalt followed by a finish coat of asphalt. A plan has been drawn by Anderson Johnson Associates that shows an expansion opportunity to add 37 more parking stalls to the west lot. Need/Justification: By the 2011, the west parking lot will be in need of total renovation. 9. 2011 SOUTH PARKING LOT EXPANSION Description: The parking lot on the south end of Pamela Park is proposed to be expanded and redesigned to accommodate the increased demand to serve the new rectangular athletic field. The redesign will include striping of the parking lot to make more efficient use of existing parking. 25 additional parking stalls are proposed to be added to the south parking lot. Need/Justification: On occasional evenings, there is not enough parking capacity to serve scheduled programs and as a result, park users are parking on the grass. The new additional rectangular athletic field is also expected to require some additional parking capacity. 10. 2013 ARTIFICIAL TURF ON SOUTH ATHLETIC FIELD Description: This project proposes to install artificial turf on the natural grass rectangular athletic field with lights (the South Field). If approved, this project would require some form of protection from vandals from driving on the artificial turf field. Either the field or north and south parking lots would need to be secured with some type of bollard system or fencing. Need/Justification: The demand for youth athletic programs on rectangular athletic fields has grown to a point where there simply are not enough fields available to accommodate the demand. Natural grass fields need to be rested in order to maintain safe and healthy turf. Artificial turf fields can withstand the over -scheduling. If artificial turf is installed on this field, it is vitally important to protect the 40 investment by making the field more vandal resistant. Measures must be taken to deter vandals from driving their vehicles on the artificial turf. 11. (Date TBD) NORTH PARKING LOT EXPANSION Description: This project proposes to improve the flow of traffic into the north parking lot, create more parking capacity where possible and stripe the lot to make parking safer and more efficient. Need/Justification: The existing north parking lot does not have well defined parking stalls, which leads to an inefficient and unsafe parking lot. As a result, park users park unlawfully on the grass. During high peak scheduled activities, there are not enough parking stalls to accommodate the demand. Additional parking stalls will make the lot safer, more efficient and keep park patrons from parking on neighborhood streets. Th.reeRivers PARK DISI RIU Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail Your thoughts on trail routes through Edina are needed! Open House Wednesday, February 11th Drop in anytime between 6 PM and 8 PM City Council Chambers, Edina City Hall Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail will travel through Hopkins, Edina and Richfield, and will connect to the popular Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail in Hopkins and to the Minneapolis Grand Rounds trail network and the Minnesota River Valley in Minneapolis and Bloomington. Regional trails are typically ten -feet wide, paved, and open for use by bicyclists, walkers, runners, in-line skaters, dog -walkers and other non - motorized users. Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail will be developed and operated by Three Rivers Park District. When completed, Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail will be part of Three Rivers Park District's regional trail network. The trail network currently features over 90 miles of trail, and allows for off-road trail use across Hennepin County. The Park District and City of Edina are currently in the process of identifying and assessing potential trail routes through Edina. Within Edina, two of the primary goals of the trail are to connect to the Edina High School campus and the newly created Edina Promenade near Centennial Lakes. There are several routes being considered including alignments adjacent to roads and alignments adjacent to Nine Mile Creek. fou are invited to attend this open house to share your ideas. As a resident of Edina who is actively engaged in recreation, your thoughts on the pros and cons of the alternative routes are needed to help identify a preferred route for the regional trail through Edina. At the Open House, you can review large maps of alternative routes and have the opportunity to write down your ideas and paste them directly on the provided maps. With the Open House format, you can drop in any time between 6 PM and 8 PM. Staff from the Park District and the City of Edina will be available to answer questions. Staff will bring your feedback, as well as feedback from other stakeholders, forward to a larger public open house scheduled for March of this year. The project goal is to have a preferred route identified and approved by the Edina City Council and the Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners by the summer of 2009. An overview map of the various alignments being considered is attached. If you have any questions, please call Kelly Grissman, Three Rivers Park District Planner, at 763-694-7635.