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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-07-12 Park Board PacketDraft Minutes☒ Approved Minutes☐ Approved Date: Click here to enter a date. Minutes City Of Edina, Minnesota Park Board Edina City Hall, Council Chambers May 10, 2016 I. Call To Order Chair McCormick called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. II. Roll Call Answering roll call were Chair McCormick, Members Miller, Nelson, Good, Meyer, Dahlien and Student Members Lohani and Crist. Staff present: Staff Liaison Ann Kattreh, Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Susan Faus, Administrative Support Specialist Janet Canton, Art Center General Manager Michael Frey and Braemar Golf Course General Manager Joe Abood III. Approval Of Meeting Agenda Motion made by Good to approve the meeting agenda. Motion seconded by Nelson. Motion carried. IV. Approval Of Meeting Minutes Motion made by Miller to approve the April 12, 2016 minutes. Motion seconded by Dahlien. Motion carried. V. Community Comment None VI. Reports/Recommendations A. City Council Work Session & Work Plan Update Chair McCormick reminded the Park Board that the work session with the City Council will be held on Tuesday, June 7 at 5:30 p.m. to go through the Park Board’s work plan. She added that attendance is required at the work session. Chair McCormick asked for one key coordinator for each item on the work plan. She explained the coordinator will work with the staff liaison to make sure that the meetings and minutes are recorded properly. She asked the Park Board to determine what key items they would like to get the City Council’s input on. The following was determined: Draft Minutes☒ Approved Minutes☐ Approved Date: Click here to enter a date. #1 Inclusive Playground at Rosland Park – Member Nelson will be the coordinator #2 Fred Richards Master Plan - Member Good will be the coordinator #3 Park Signage Replacement – Member Miller will be the coordinator #4 Grandview Facility Planning – Member Nelson will be the coordinator #5 Cost Recovery – Student Member Lohani will be the coordinator #6 Marketing and Communication – Chair McCormick will be the coordinator #7 Engaging External Resources – Member Strother/Member Gieseke will be the coordinators #8 Pollinator Garden – Chair McCormick will be the coordinator #9 Multi-year Playground Renovation Plan – Member Dahlien will be the coordinator #10 Water Bottle Sales – Park Board Members Chair McCormick noted there may be a couple of other items the City Council may want to discuss such as the winter programming at Braemar Golf Course and the Weber Woods. It was determined the Park Board will start with the larger initiatives: Grandview, Fred Richards Master Plan and the Park Signage and then will go in order of the other items. B. Grandview Facility Feasibility & Operational Analysis Final Report Staff Liaison Kattreh recognized and thanked the members of the task force and consulting team for all their work. She then gave a brief history of what has happened to date with the Grandview Facility study. Victor Pechaty from HGA gave a power point presentation on the final draft that represents the conclusion of the feasibility study for the potential community center public facility on the Grandview site. Jeff Bransford from Pros Consulting indicated he has been working with HGA and Sutton & Associates to develop the operating and maintenance cost estimates for the facility that Mr. Pechaty described. He then went through the feasibility study. Staff Liaison Kattreh asked each Park Board member to provide specific review and comment so that it can be added to the City Council’s packet for their May 17 City County meeting. Each Park Board member present gave their feedback with regard to the Grandview site. C. Braemar Golf Course Final Master Plan Staff Liaison Kattreh gave a history of the Braemar Golf Course project when the process for it first started in July of 2013. Draft Minutes☒ Approved Minutes☐ Approved Date: Click here to enter a date. Joe Abood, Braemar Golf Course General Manager, gave a power point presentation on the final master plan for the renovation of the regulation course. Staff Liaison Kattreh informed the Park Board that at the May 17 City Council meeting they will be asking City Council for their approval to put the golf course renovation out for bid. The Park Board asked questions and had a discussion. Student Member Crist left at 8:58 p.m. VII. Correspondence And Petitions None VIII. Chair And Member Comments Chair McCormick again reminded the Park Board members there is a work session with the City Council on Tuesday, June 7 at 5:30 p.m. She noted that it is a mandatory meeting for attendance. IX. Staff Comments Staff Liaison Kattreh gave the following updates: • There was a very successful groundbreaking today for the pickleball courts at Rosland Park; those courts will be completed in July. • The Robertson Cup event will be held at Braemar Arena this weekend. • There is exterior remodeling going on at the Braemar Golf Course clubhouse; work is being done on the roof, siding and patio. • The outdoor croquet lawn games and paddleboats are now open at Centennial Lakes Park. • On Thursday, May 12 the Art Center has an Art for the Garden Gallery Show; the event is from 5 to 8 p.m. and the show will run through June 16. • On May 16 there will be a dedication to the Don Nyrop Northwest Airlines Commemorative sculptures at Centennial Lakes Park. X. Adjournment Motion made by McCormick to adjourn the May 10, 2016 meeting at 9:10 p.m. Motion seconded by Nelson. Motion carried. The following Staff Report is intended to update the Park Board on several new and exciting things happening at the Braemar Golf Course facilities. Logo Like the existing course, Braemar’s logo and visual identity has become “dated.” Among Old Logo other things, a new logo and visual identity would signal to residents and golfers that Braemar has transformed. In addition, there does not appear to be strong support for keeping the existing logo in this era of change. In 2015 focus groups were held and a survey administered to get residents and golfers’ opinions on existing and possible future branding. Regarding the current logo, the majority (42 percent) had no strong feelings about it. Thirty-three percent felt negative or very negative while just 26 percent felt positive or very positive toward the logo. The majority did not know what the Gaelic words in the logo meant or why there is a belt in the current logo. The existing logo was developed to tie back to Braemar, Scotland and the Farquharson clan in that area. While residents and golfers do not understand the current logo, they made it clear in the 2015 surveys and focus groups that Braemar’s history is important to them and they want to see it reflected in the golf course’s brand. Braemar Golf Course is named after Braemar in Scotland, the site of the Braemar Castle and Braemar Golf Club. At the time Edina’s golf course was being developed, then City Manager Warren Hyde traveled to Scotland, met with the landowner and Clan Chieftan, Captain Farquharson, and informed him of Edina’s chosen name for its golf course. In order to strengthen the twinning of the two July 12, 2016 Park Board Joe Abood, General Manager Braemar Golf Course Braemar Golf Update Information / Background: STAFF REPORT Page 2 Braemars, a stone from Braemar Castle dating back to the 17th century was sent as a gift from Farquharson to the City of Edina. It was encased next to the cart path on the way to the first tee. One of the most visible and powerful expressions of a brand is its logo: the name, colors, symbols and font. A logo shapes people’s perceptions; it must be unique, special and enduring. It must be recognizable and people must identify with it. A logo is an easy way to assist people – golfers, in this case – in being brand ambassadors. Staff began work about a year ago on developing a new logo for Braemar Golf Course that fits within the city’s existing branding standards. Early versions depicted an oak leaf; the course has many mature oaks and the upcoming renovation will create even more oak savannahs. However, public reaction to initial concepts was lukewarm and staff eventually came to the conclusion that oak leaves are not unique to our course or community since oak trees are native to Minnesota. Jon Flor of Dave’s Great Ad Shop was hired to help with the project. After a few months of work, an uncomplicated logo emerged that is unique, special and enduring – one of the Braemar castles. It meets the city’s branding standards for logos; it is circular, includes the green color and uses the font Minion Pro. Staff believes the logo embraces the course’s history and attachment to Braemar, Scotland, and establishes the brand as “royalty” among municipal golf courses. New Logo Grand Opening Grand Opening events for the Academy 9 Par 3 Golf Course and Driving Range turf area will be on Aug. 2 and Aug. 4. Aug. 2 events will include a VIP golf outing and a Media golf outing. Aug. 4 events will include a Junior, an Adaptive and League Invitational golf outings. Annika Sörenstam will give an hour long exhibition on Aug. 4. Below is a schedule of events. While the Park Board is invited to all events, we would particularly ask that you participate in the VIP golf event on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016. We also request your attendance at the Annika Sörenstam exhibition on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016. Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016 9 – 9:55 Registration Group 1 - VIP’s 8:45 – 9:15 Photo Op – Grass Tee on Driving Range 9:15 – 9:55 Driving Range Opens for Warm-up 9:55 – 10 Call to carts STAFF REPORT Page 3 10 - noon Shotgun Group 1 12:15 – 1 Lunch and Awards Group 1 1 – 1:55 Registration Group 2 - Media 1:15 – 1:55 Driving Range Opens for Warm-up 1:55 – 2 Call to carts 2 – 4 Shotgun Group 2 4 – 5 Dinner and Awards Group 2 Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016 6:30 – 7:15 Registration Junior Invitational 7:30 - 9:30 Shotgun Junior Invitational 9 – 9:45 Registration Adaptive Invitational 10 – 11 Annika Sörenstam 10 – 10:05 Introduction 10:05 - 10:30 Exhibition w/ MC Hosting and asking questions, and audience questions 10:30 – 10:40 70-Player Simultaneous First Drive (Sponsored by Callaway) Callaway Tour Player 10:40 – 11 Autographs 11:30 – 12:30 Awards and Cookout Junior Invitational 11:30 – 1:30 Shotgun Adaptive Invitational 1:30 – 2:30 Awards and Cookout Adaptive Invitational 3:30 – 5:30 League Invitational Tee Times 5:30 – 7:30 League Invitational Scoring, Prizes and Cookout Braemar Master Plan Bids for the Braemar Master Plan Project were opened on June 23. Six golf course contractors submitted qualified bids for the project. Mid-America Golf and Landscape out of Missouri was the lowest qualified bidder. Mid-America’s bid of just over $5.1million will allow us to accept additional alternates. Construction will begin as planned in October of 2016. The golf course is planned to re- open after construction and grow-in in the summer of 2018. $7,500,000 total project estimate per May 2016 pro forma ($5,117,079.05) Mid-America Golf & Landscape ($588,757.06) Potential alternates ($230,000) Project Manager / Shaper / Equipment & Fuel ($395,000) Architect STAFF REPORT Page 4 ($100,000) Engineering ($100,000) Golf Course accessories ($425,000) Grow in ($250,000) Contingency 5% $7,205,836.11 Total project estimate including low bid July 12, 2016 Park Board Ann Kattreh Parks & Recreation Director Braemar Winter Recreation Update Information / Background: At the May 17 City Council meeting, the City Council authorized staff to proceed with a financial and trail feasibility study for cross-country ski trails and snow tubing at Braemar Park. On May 18 SEH, Morton Trails and RRC began work on the feasibility studies. Noah Brautigam from Morton Trails immediately began working onsite designing the trail. The Morton Trails proposal includes a 3km trail with machine-made snow. At the June 7 City Council/Park Board Work Session, Dave Belin, RRC Associates, presented a preliminary financial feasibility report. Paul Pasko from SEH presented the trail alignment proposal along with a detailed description and photographs of the Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Hyland) cross-country ski trails and snowmaking infrastructure. Morton Trails believes that there is potential for a first-rate trail system at Braemar Park. Noah Brautigam provided the following description: Assuming that some small amount of excavation is possible, it should be possible to make all of the trails skiable and fun, with a range of terrain for different skill/comfort levels. The lower trails that loop around the mellow tubing hill, up the existing cart path, and around the knoll back to the parking area, will be very good beginner terrain for skiers and possibly snowshoers. Once skiers begin to climb up the hillside into the forest, a great intermediate trail will loop around the northeastern knoll before descending back down to the top of the tubing hill or possibly to the most northeastern tee box. From the highest point of the intermediate loop, skiers have the option to descend along the ridgeline on a fun, twisting, and high-intermediate to advanced trail that will take them all the way to the southernmost knoll of the forested hillside east of the golf course. The trail as it is currently laid out in concept is at least 3km, with approximately 30% beginner, 20% intermediate and 50% advanced terrain. This trail network will serve the community of Edina, as well as surrounding areas, with first-rate skiing and winter sports. It also has the potential to host great local events for all ages and ability levels. STAFF REPORT Page 2 At the June 21 City Council Meeting, the following additional information was presented: Pro Forma Without Snow Tubing One option briefly discussed at the City Council Work Session was the opportunity to add Nordic skiing, but not snow tubing. While staff and the consulting team believe that it would be a popular option for families and drive additional revenue and visitors to the park, it is possible to separate the operations, although the Nordic-only option would require additional subsidy. For some operational expenses the allocation of expenses to Nordic is higher and for other expenses it is lower. It turns out the total operating expense for Nordic-only is about 50% of the total operating expense for the combined operation, even though each line item expense was allocated individually. The short season for Nordic skiing only never reaches operating profitability, while the long season is barely in the red by years four and five, but never reaches positive cash flow. Braemar Golf Course Operational Support These pro formas include operational support from the golf enterprise which is estimated at approximately $50,000. This creates a hybrid of an enterprise and general fund operation. Staff does not recommend including the winter recreation area as part of the golf enterprise budget but, instead, part of the Parks & Recreation general fund budget. If the $50,000 in Braemar Golf Course staff time that is utilized for the winter recreation area is coded from the golf staffing budget to the winter recreation staffing budget, the winter recreation area would operate cash flow negatively and would require tax subsidy to operate, similar to the outdoor ice rinks. RRC provided financial pro formas factoring both 10-week and 12-week seasons. Historical weather information shows that on most years the winter recreation area could be operational by Dec. 20. Interest in outdoor winter recreation begins to diminish when weather begins to warm up at the end of the winter, when the natural snow melts and snow turns to rain. A closing date would likely fall in the range of the end of February to the middle of March. STAFF REPORT Page 3 Nordic Skiing Only Pro Forma Nordic Skiing and Tubing Pro Forma SUMMARY - SHORT SEASON 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 Nordic Revenue $50,438 $54,073 $58,602 $62,597 $64,035 Tubing Revenue $69,240 $72,031 $74,802 $77,550 $80,272 Total Revenue $119,678 $126,104 $133,403 $140,147 $144,306 Operating Expenses $119,430 $121,819 $124,864 $127,362 $130,546 Operating Cash Flow $247 $4,284 $8,539 $12,785 $13,761 Operating Margin 0.2%3.4%6.4%9.1%9.5% Depreciation $18,576 $18,948 $18,948 $19,326 $19,326 Net Cash Flow -$18,329 -$14,663 -$10,409 -$6,541 -$5,566 Net Cash Flow Margin -15.3%-11.6%-7.8%-4.7%-3.9% SUMMARY - LONG SEASON 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 Nordic Revenue $57,495 $61,386 $66,331 $70,616 $72,356 Tubing Revenue $81,480 $84,801 $88,099 $91,372 $94,616 Total Revenue $138,975 $146,187 $154,430 $161,988 $166,972 Operating Expenses $134,359 $137,046 $140,473 $143,282 $146,864 Operating Cash Flow $4,616 $9,141 $13,958 $18,706 $20,108 Operating Margin 3.3%6.3%9.0%11.5%12.0% Depreciation $18,576 $18,948 $18,948 $19,326 $19,326 Net Cash Flow -$13,960 -$9,807 -$4,990 -$620 $782 Net Cash Flow Margin -10.0%-6.7%-3.2%-0.4%0.5% STAFF REPORT Page 4 Tax Impact The tax impact of a $3 million bond sale would be approximately $450,000 annually or 1.5% in addition to the proposed 4.9% increase in the 2016-2017 budget. For a median single-family home valued at $457,300, the additional tax would be approximately $20 per year. This rate is an estimate only and actual impact may go up or down slightly based on final project costs, interest rates, repayment term of the bond, etc. Budget Estimate The $3 million construction estimate is only a preliminary estimate based on a per kilometer price as compared to similar facilities already bid or constructed. Hyland winter recreation area has 5km of machine- made snow and cost approximately $5 million to construct. This cost estimate includes design and feasibility studies, construction and bid documents, construction observation, trail clearing, steel irrigation pipe, steel pipe corrosion inhibitor, computer controlled pumps, control cabinets, snowmaking equipment, grooming equipment, electrical for controls, trail lights and snowmaking on the trail and a potential small pump control building. Our current well building will be utilized for pumps and controls if size and access for equipment installation and maintenance are adequate. Why Now? The renovation of Braemar Golf Course and downsizing the course from 27 to 18 holes convert current hole #21 on the Clunie 9 to park land and creates access to the wooded hill on the east side of Braemar Park. The ideal time to construct this trail and snow making infrastructure is while the golf course is under construction. In order to construct the trail, water pipe, electrical and pump infrastructure efficiently, two golf holes, #10 and #11 on the east edge of the new golf course would be utilized for equipment installation and trail clearing removal during golf course construction. If the project is stopped, the Nordic trail could be constructed in future years with construction access only on the north end of the trail, but it would be significantly more expensive and more difficult than having access on both the north and south ends of the trail. The new hole #10, adjacent to the existing city well would be impacted with future construction of a winter trail with machine-made snow. Additionally, it would be a benefit to the golf enterprise and the Tin Fish restaurant to have a winter recreation area operational during the year when the golf course is closed for renovation. The golf enterprise receives 12% of the Tin Fish gross revenues. The Edina High School Nordic ski program may also lease space in the lower level of the clubhouse, raising additional revenue for the golf enterprise. City Council Direction At the June 21 City Council meeting, the City Council directed staff to continue to move forward with the feasibility study, conduct an Open House in July and add a Public Hearing to the schedule in September. The City Council also had a robust discussion about how this project fits into the overall capital spending priorities for the city. At the August Park Board meeting, the board will receive a final feasibility study report and will be asked for a recommendation for the City Council for the Sept. 7 meeting. At the Sept. 7 STAFF REPORT Page 5 City Council meeting, the council will be asked to direct staff to continue to move forward with construction and bid documents or to stop work on the project. The following schedule reflects the directives from the June 21 City Council meeting: Project Timeline Summary – Revised since June 21 City Council Meeting Feasibility Study – Sound, Snow Overspray June/July and Financial Study Public Open House July 13 Park Board Review Aug. 8 Complete Study Aug. 19 City Council Public Hearing – Request Sept. 7 for plans, specs and bid doc preparation City Council Bid Authorization Nov. 1 Bid Project Nov. 2 – Dec. 2 Open bids Dec. 2 Bid Award Dec. 20, 2016 At a prior Park Board meeting there was a discussion about how this proposal fits into the newly completed Parks, Recreation & Trails Strategic Plan. The following direct and indirect references are contained in the plan. Parks, Open Spaces and Trails Implementation Framework  Strategy 4.2.2 - Provide infrastructure to support winter uses and trails into existing parks for a variety of skills and mobility uses that will bring more residents to parks in winter months.  Strategy 4.2.3 - Emphasize year-round opportunities at Braemar Park to cross pollinate with existing activities. Explore mountain biking trails, snow making for ski trails, biathlon training infrastructure and additional winter uses. STAFF REPORT Page 6 Parks, Recreation & Trails Strategic Plan Key Recommendations Natural Resources & Sustainable Parks  #3 - Provide greater access to natural areas for passive recreation and interpretation Parks, Open Spaces & Trails  #6 - Provide more specialized facilities, dog parks, frisbee golf, etc. Recreation Programs  #1 - Provide a variety of programs that meet community needs and interests and maintain the highest level of excellence  #3 - Provide more community building/socialization programming Parks, Recreation & Trails Strategic Plan Guiding Principles  Promote community health and wellness by engaging all residents in our parks and programs.  Provide excellence and innovation in parks and recreation services to meet the needs of the community.  Develop creative funding opportunities and programming partnerships to ensure excellence in facilities, programs and financial stewardship for future generations.  Advance environmental stewardship and conservation to preserve and protect natural resources and build excellence through sustainability.  Connect residents to park facilities and their programs. Open House – July 13 Park Board members are invited and encouraged to attend the Open House on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at the City of Edina Public Works facility, 7450 Metro Boulevard. The latest feasibility study information will be presented including sound and snow overspray studies. A mailing went out to almost 3700 addresses in the SW quadrant of Edina, articles appeared in the Star Tribune and Edina Sun Current and the city utilized Nextdoor, City Extra and Social Media to promote this open house. http://www.startribune.com/local/west/385301841.html Action Requested Staff is not requesting any action on this item tonight. Staff will present a brief update on the process. This report is for information only. From: To: Cc: Subject: Date: Josh, Chad Miliner "Joshua M. Ahlberg" Scott H. Neal; Ann Swenson; Kevin Staunton; Robert Stewart; Mark K. Nolan; James Hovland; groovysdoghouse; Mary Brindle RE: Sidewalk on Valley View Road Friday, June 10, 2016 8:08:51 AM Thanks for the comments. Just to clarify, one is not related to the other because they have separate funding sources. Sidewalks have a dedicated and specific source from PACS. Parks projects are funded in a variety of ways not from PACS. Thanks Chad Millner, Director of Engineering 952-826-0318 I Fax 952-826-0392 cmillneraEdinaMN.gov I www.EdinaMN.gov ...For Living, Learning, Raising Families & Doing Business From: Joshua M. Ahlberg [mailto:josh.ahlberg@gmail.corn] Sent: Friday, June 10, 2016 7:52 AM To: Chad Millner Cc: Scott H. Neal; Ann Swenson; Kevin Staunton; Robert Stewart; Mark K. Nolan; James Hovland; groovysdoghouse; Mary Brindle Subject: RE: Sidewalk on Valley View Road Hi Chad and team, Thanks for context - it's helpful to understand the driving factors behind the project. I do have one question though... May I ask why are we discussing funding projects like cross country ski paths and redesigns of golf courses when the most basic pedestrian needs (in my opinion) haven't yet been satisfied in the community? I agree with the council that these are great community enhancements, but overlooking projects like sidewalks to make way for what I see as nice to haves seems nonsensical. I would also note I have no way to use those resources without a sidewalk in front of my home. Thank you once again for your help. - Josh Ahlberg 6825 Valley View RD 612.458.4817 On Jun 10, 2016 7:19 AM, "Chad Millner" <cmillner@edinamn gov> wrote: Kristen, Thanks for the comments. We also agree on the importance of a sidewalk along this segment of Valley View Road. This segment of road will have some challenges in the installation but I'm confident we can find a way. We are planning a neighborhood meeting this fall to begin discussions with property owners to hear what is important to them so that we can start designing a sidewalk such that we don't limit what's available when the street is reconstructed. These items include parking lanes, bike lanes, sidewalk location, boulevard width, retaining walls, tree removals, etc. We are also in the process of creating our Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). This plan begins to detail our projects specifically over the next two years but also begins to look ahead 5-years. We are including money for a sidewalk along Valley View Road for 2017 - 2019. The year is still being determined based on current projects being bid right now. This sidewalk will be expensive because it will require large retaining walls and tree removals are of concern. This may require us to build it in stages similar to what is occurring on Interlachen Blvd. Please stayed tuned for the neighborhood meeting and continue to be an advocate for this sidewalk. We know not everyone has the same support for sidewalks as you do. Thanks, Chad Chad Millner, Director of Engineering 952-826-03181 Fax 952-826-0392 cmillner@EdinaMINI.gov 1 www.EdinaMftgov ...For Living, Learning, Raising Families & Doing Business From: groovysdoghouseCacomcast.net [mailto:groovysdoghousePcomcast.net] Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2016 6:40 PM To: Mark K. Nolan; Chad Millner; James Hovland; Mary Brindle; Kevin Staunton; Robert Stewart; swensonann1 Subject: Sidewalk on Valley View Road Dear Mayor, City Council and Engineering Department Reps: I read with great interest the article in the Trib on Sunday titled, "Sidewalks get some love in Edina". The article suggests that sidewalk requests are rare and are willingly approved. "The council, which has an official policy of encouraging walking and biking in the city, didn't waste any time acting on the request." ..."City planners and engineers scarambled to fit the sidewalks into already-planned summer street construction projects." Mr Millner "said city officials were happy to accommodate the residents. 'We always want to move forward - making things safer and more connected, encourage health and wellness." Three years ago I wrote raising my safety concern of the area of Valley View Road leading up to the high school, I pointed out that my parents built my house in 1968 and for pretty much my entire life I have heard residents in the area question why there is no sidewalk on this route as it is recognized as an unsafe road. I moved into the house in 2013 with my children and feel that it is not safe for them to walk to/from school. I also questioned why it was decided to first put a sidewalk on the lower end of Valley View Road up to Mark Terrace (not within the school walking zone) and install an expensive round-a-bout in an area that doesn't see the traffic I would think would be necessary to justify that expense. Also at that time, a second sidewalk was added on Valley View Road in front of St. Pat's (there was already one on the other side of Valley View Road at that location), yet from lower Mark Terrace up to Gleason there is no side walk. It makes absolutley no sense that for over 40 years Gleason Road, Antrim and Valley View Road in front of the school and down to Tracy Avenue have had sidewalks, but Valley View Road leading from Braemar up to Gleason has not, yet some children are considered "walkers" in this section for school. Furthermore, as the highways surrounding this section of the city become more and more congested, people are cutting through Edina and during rush hour Valley View Road is especially dangerous with a high volume of fast moving cars. After reading the article, I am left with the impression that all we have to do is ask - which I thought had been done by myself and other residents. Last Fall residents of this area submitted a Petition asking for a sidewalk on Valley View Road. If that wasn't a clear enough indication of our request for a sidewalk in this area, I am again asking now. Will you please approve a sidewalk from lower Mark Terrace up to Gleason Road on Valley View Road? I don't believe it is fair - or safe - to hold off on this necessity any longer. Thank you, Kristen Rice 6916 Dakota Trail 952-941-4355 Heather Branigin From: Johnson, Gary <gjohnson@apog.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:29 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snow Making at Braemar Dear City Council, I am an enthusiastic supporter of adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar. MN winters are long and cold and cross country skiing as a fantastic way for Edina residents of all ages to get outside and exercise. In addition, the trail construction at nine mile creek will make skiing at the high school no longer practical. Please support this proposal. Gary Johnson Gary R. Johnson Apogee Enterprises, Inc. Vice-President & Treasurer "Distinctive Solutions for Enclosing Commercial Buildings and Framing Art" 4400 West 78th Street, Suite 520, Minneapolis, MN 55435 Tel: 952-487-7542 l gjohnsonPapog.com www.apog.com The information contained in this e-mail message and any attachments is proprietary and intended only for the confidential use of the designated recipient named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error please notify us immediately at the e-mail address listed above. Thank you. 95 Heather Branigin From: Ruoqi Chen <rqchen@hotmail.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:30 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Fwd: [Edina Nordic Ski Team] New ski trails proposed at Braemar Park with snowmaking - ACTION NEEDED I vote for the snowmaking proposal Have a Great Day! Ruoqi via iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Coach Anne Hinrichs <donotreply@email.teamsnap.com> Date: May 13, 2016 at 9:19:13 AM CDT To: yonghuachen@hotmail.com, Leonardc20096@isd273.org, rqchen@hotmail.com Subject: [Edina Nordic Ski Team] New ski trails proposed at Braemar Park with snowmaking - ACTION NEEDED Reply-To: Coach Anne Hinrichs <a.hinrichs@msn.com> el Dear Edina Nordic Families, Action requested: if you are in support of this, please contact your city council representative immediately via email mail@edinamn.gov Be sure to write a sentence or two about why you support this. This is an urgent message regarding an upcoming City Council vote. We are hoping you can indicate your support of this issue by sending an email immediately. The vote is this coming Tuesday, May 17! Please read this email and take action immediately if you are in agreement. The City Council is considering adding snowmaking and trail grooming at 91 Braemar. If the vote passes, this would give us an excellent opportunity to be able to ski some place other than, or in addition to EHS. We are definitely in favor of having more options than we do currently. Today we are able to make snow and ski several kilometers of trail at EHS. This will change significantly after the 2016-17 season. • Nine Mile Creek trail is under construction and this will dramatically affect our ability to hold ski practices at the high school. A bridge will be added crossing highway 62 taking out important hill trails by the water tower. We currently enjoy 5km of trails at the high school, but the regional trail will cross our ski trails many times, and when the trail is plowed, our ski trails won't be skiable anymore. • A new accessibility path will be build from the parking lot of EHS to the lower fields. This will be plowed in the winter, so we will not be able to ski in the area by the tennis courts anymore. Additionally, we will be losing some of our ski space (tennis court area, restored prairie hill, and behind the bunker). • We all know that we are currently very lucky to have several key volunteers who do our snowmaking at EHS. This is hard work that could be taken over by the City of Edina at Braemar Park. • It is very difficult to obtain permission to hold practices at Hyland. Currently we can plan on about 1 practice slot per week. For these reasons, it would be nice to see Braemar add snowmaking and some Nordic trails. If you are in agreement, please send an email to the following address immediately: mail@edinamn.gov Your email will be sent to all of the City Council members automatically. Explain how this will impact your family and the community - - having more winter recreation opportunities right here in Edina would be great! 92 From Skinnyski.corn: (Submitted by Craig Jarvinen) Edina Snowmaking Proposal April 12, 2016 Edina is considering a snowmaking operation at Braemer Park. Early plans call for a [2.2 - 2.25km] snowmaking loop to be completed by December 2017. Review more details below by clicking on these links: - Proposal Background/Timeline - Winter Park at Braemer - Statement of Qualifications Watch for another email soon from us regarding roller ski rental pick up, summer training plans, and Mesabi dates (it's at the very end of our long winter break this year!). This email is from Coaches Andy Turnbull, Craig Jarvinen and Anne Hinrichs. You may see it again as we are hoping to also send it to our old gmail list. Thanks for taking action immediately! You are receiving this message because you are a member of the Edina Nordic Ski Team. 93 Log In To Your Account If you prefer not to receive email from Team Edina Nordic Ski Team. update your communication preferences. TeamSnap World HO, 2040 14th Street, 1st Floor, Boulder, CO 80302 Heather Branigin From: Paul Zdechlik <paulzdechlik@usfamily.net> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:36 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar CC ski trails Hello, I would like to voice my support for new CC ski trails proposed at Braemar. Currently the EHS has a 5k groomed trail that will be broken up significantly due to the upcoming EHS and 9-mile creek trail construction. Not only would this be great for the over 200 Nordic skiers on the EHS team, but more for the community at large. We have used the trails as a family of 5 in the winter and see several other out there as well. We need more affordable ways of exercising in the community, especially in the winter. Wellness only makes this city better!! Please vote yes for these CC ski trails! Paul Zdechlik 90 Heather Branigin From: Michael Huttner <huttnermn2@comcast.net> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:37 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Ski trails at Braemar - Yes! We strongly support the plan for the city of Edina to create and maintain ski trails in the winter at Braemar golf course. Please vote yes to make this happen. More ski trails would benefit our schools' students. Our Nordic ski team would have a local practice area and not have to compete for trail time at Hyland Park. All our city residents would have another place to cross-country ski. The Braemar club house would get more business and revenue in the winter. It is a win - win situation. 89 Heather Branigin From: Jiang, Mingxiao, Ph.D. <mingxiaojiang@medtronic.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:46 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar add snowmaking and some Nordic trails Good morning, I would like to support Braemar add snowmaking and some Nordic trails. It benefits Edina school kids and residents. Thank you! Mingxiao [CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY NOTICE] Information transmitted by this email is proprietary to Medtronic and is intended for use only by the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is private, privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient or it appears that this mail has been forwarded to you without proper authority, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this information in any manner is strictly prohibited. In such cases, please delete this mail from your records. To view this notice in other languages you can either select the following link or manually copy and paste the link into the address bar of a web browser: http://emaildisclaimer.medtronic.com 88 Heather Branigin From: Zhong.Yi@usbank.com Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:47 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snow Making and Trail Grooming at Braemar Dear City Council Member: I am writing you to support the motion to add snow making and trail grooming at Braemar Park. My family has several members in Edina High School Nordic Ski Club. This will benefit them tremendously. Thank you for your support. George Yi US Bank - Enterprise Due Diligence Systems (EDDS) Phone: 612.973.8377 Email: zxyi@usbank.com U.S. BANCORP made the following annotations Electronic Privacy Notice. This e-mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Instead, please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and then immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 87 Heather Branigin From: Sara Jones <shjones05@gmail.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:48 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: I Support Ski Trails at Braemar Dear City Council Members, I understand that on May 17th you will be voting on whether to create and maintain new Nordic ski trails at Braemar. I encourage you to support this measure, which will enhance our community's recreation options. My family has been involved with the Edina Nordic team for many years (as skiers, captains, coaches, parent volunteers). It's been great to have trails available at the high school and I understand that some of the changes to the Nine Mile Creek trail and changes to the grounds of Edina High School will limit some of those trails. We need ski trails for the Edina Nordic team to practice on because it's very, very difficult to get practice time at Hyland Park. The team serves nearly 200 students from grades 7-12 (it's a no-cut sport, which is great for encouraging participation in healthy winter activity). It provides instruction for brand-new skiers for a lifetime sport and provides an incredibly healthy sport option for all of the students on the team from beginners to the highly-competitive. In addition, the trails would be open to the whole community (as the existing high school trails are), providing a healthy and fun family winter recreation option. This will make use of Braemar in the winter, making it an even better community resource. Please support Nordic ski trails for the winter enjoyment of our community. Sara 86 Heather Branigin From: Katie Crosby Lehmann <katiecl@live.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:49 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Edina Nordic trails We have three kids in the Edina schools and are very active outdoors. Edina needs to continue to provide outdoor trails to keep and grow the population of families. The Nordic trails at Braemar are an excellent idea. Please vote for them. Thanks. KCL Sent from my iPhone 85 Heather Branigin From: Chad Schwinghammer <chad@theschwings.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:55 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snow making / Nordic Skiing at Braemar I'm writing to voice my strong support for the proposal to add snow making and trail grooming equipment at Braemar. I live directly on Nine-Mile Creek and have witnessed first hand the construction of the Great Wall of Edina bike trail and resulting destruction of considerable natural habitat and the taking down of many trees. I have voiced my objection to this trail on many occasions, but I've lost that fight and will learn to live with the freeway running through my back yard. However, when I learned about the adverse impact of the bike trail on the Nordic trails behind EHS, I had to speak up again. The City of Edina at large and Edina High School in particular would benefit from access to groomed nordic ski trails. It would be a great amenity for all residents and would allow the continuation of the great tradition of the EHS Nordic team. Please approve the proposal to add this equipment at Braemar. Thanks, Chad Schwinghammer 5513 Valley Lane 84 Heather Branigin From: lijun.zou@usbank.com Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:56 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: New ski trails proposed at Braemar Park with snowmaking Hi City Council, I'm in support of the new ski trails. My daughter tried Edina Nordic Ski Team for the past winter and she loves it. But They could only get very limited practice time at Hyland Ski Park. Based on her feedback, a new ski trail will help them with more practice time greatly. I also have adult friends who like nordic ski. I'm sure they will like this new trail too. Please vote Yes on Tuesday, May 17! Thanks, Lijun Zou U.S. BANCORP made the following annotations Electronic Privacy Notice. This e-mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Instead, please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and then immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 83 Heather Branigin From: Darren Ruschy <Darren.Ruschy@aonbenfield.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 9:59 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snow making at Braemar for cross country skiing Dear City Council Member: Winter recreation in Edina has a long, successful history. From wonderfully maintained outdoor rinks to roads and paths plowed for running, few cities in our climate do it as well. Adding snow making for cross country skiing at Braemar would greatly enhance outdoor activities for my family and others in Edina and surrounding areas. As a cross-country skier myself, I cherish well-kept trails. Adding more access to trails in Edina is a huge step forward for me, my family and several other families in Edina. Add to that the use of the trails by the Edina Cross-Country ski team and you have a win-win scenario. This is a no brainer. Please vote yes on Tuesday, May 17. Darren Ruschy 5509 Doncaster Way Edina, MN 55436 612-840-6070 82 Heather Branigin From: Brian Kompelien <brian@ensembleplan.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:02 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: vote Yes for nordic trails and grooming at Braemar, thanks! Greetings: My daughter Emily Kompelien skis with the Nordic team and has done so for the past several years. The team is a huge benefit to her athletically and socially. With the success and growth of the team, I urge you to consider Braemar trails to support the team! Thank you for your work on this. Brian Kompelien Brian Kompelien, ChFC Ensemble Planning, LLC 5001 Chowen Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55410 P :: 612.978.1911 F 612.313.7560 WWW. ens emb I ep 1 an . c om Wealth Manager of and Securities 8z. Investment Advisoly services offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. I cannot accept any trading instructions sent via email as they may not be executed in a timely manner. Opinions expressed are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. All economic and performance information is historical and not indicative of future results. 81 Heather Branigin From: Erica Austrums <eaustrums@aol.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:07 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: In favor of snowmaking and Cc trails at Braemar. I am favor of snowmaking and cross country nordic trails at Braemar to support our High School Nordic ski team and to encourage fitness in our community. Erica Austrums Edina resident 80 Heather Branigin From: Dave Horan <davehoran03@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:09 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Possible Braemar Nordic Trails I wish to express my strong support for the idea of creating cross country ski trails at Braemar that would include grooming and snow making. As a cross country skier for the past 35+ years, the availability of trails in Edina would be fantastic. Braemar seems ideally suited for this with great terrain, ample parking, buildings for warmth and gathering and Tin Fish. This could be a great addition to our already great parks system!! Thanks for your consideration. Dave Dave Horan 4215 Lynn Ave 952-334-0872 Sent from my iPad 79 Heather Branigin From: Craig Jarvinen <jarvinen@aol.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:13 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: ski trails at Brea mar I would like to voice my strong support for the project currently being considered for Braemar Park that includes the creating of new trails and snow making for cross country skiing and tubing. This is a great idea! The trails are needed for the high school ski team — a very big team, 3rd largest sport in Edina, and one of the largest ski teams in the entire country! The team is losing practice space at the high school due to school construction and the 9 mile creek trail. There are no other practice spaces available to the team. Hyland park is available, however, only about one practice slot per week can be obtained. Edina needs more trails — Edina is way behind other communities in the Metro area having so few trails of any sort. I'd like to see the Edina go further and re-open the outdoor shooting range that once operated near the current indoor range in Breamar Park. Opening this range would allow for biathlon (combine cross country skiing and shooting). Biathlon is an Olympic sport and is extremely popular in Europe as a spectator sport-crowds of 50,000 are common in Russia and all across Europe. Biathlon is growing in the United States. Shooting sports are growing quickly-Edina recently added a trap/skeet team. There are no biathlon ranges in the core metro area. Adding biathlon would likely add another 50 skiers to the Edina Nordic team. Biathlon is not included in the winter recreation at Braemar proposal, but could be added in an expansion down the road. Please vote yes for winter recreation at Braemar Park! Thanks, Craig Jarvinen 4351 Parklawn Ave. Unit 6 78 Heather Branigin From: Tim Karlen <Tim.Karlen@ceresenv.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:15 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar CC trails I am an Edina resident currently living at 6704 Samuel Road. We have owned three houses all in 55439 since 1996. We strongly support the cross country ski proposal at Braemar. We see the investment being made in research and re- construction of the golf experience there and believe the new restaurant facilities would likely benefit from an off- season activity centered there. Our children are in the Nordic program at Valley View and EHS and that would be an easily accessible location for kids and skiers of all ages. Thank you, T.IK Tim Karlen, SPHR Director of Talent Acquisition & Human Resources Ceres Environmental Services, Inc. http://www.ceresenvironmentaLcom 3825 85th Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55443 tim.karlen@ceresenv.corn 1-800-218-4424 77 Heather Branigin From: Cally L. Chermak <CChermak@dermspecpa.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:19 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Hi, Please help our Edina high school Nordic ski and groom trails with snow production at Braemar this winter. My husband and I along with our three children ( including my daughter on the ski team) will also use them. Thanks, Cally Lawler Chermak Notice: This email may contain privileged or confidential information and is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this information is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this electronic transmission in error, please reply immediately to the sender that you have received the message in error, and delete it. Thank you. 76 Heather Branigin From: Brian Kemp <bdkactman@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:31 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snow Making Proposal I am an Edina resident in the Cornelia area. I am writing to express support for the proposal to add snowmaking at Braemar. Our daughters have been active in Nordic Skiing at the high school for the last several years, including serving as captains of the team. The combined boys and girls teams at the high school represent one of the largest teams at the school with —200 or more skiers for the last 4 years. This is an indication of the interest in the community. I also know several adult residents who are ardent Nordic skiers. This proposal would serve both the adults and the youth in the community. It is especially important as the trails at the high school (which are maintained by the coaches and parents of the team but are open to the community) will impacted by construction at the school and the Nine Mile Creek trail. Adding this to Braemar will help ensure continued access to skiing for all members of the community and the continued success of the high school teams. Thank you for supporting this proposal. 75 Heather Branigin From: Sami Peterson <spspeterson@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:46 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snowmaking at Braemar City Council Vote City Councilman/woman, As an alumni of the Edina Nordic Ski Team (pre-snowmaking era), having a real place to practice is highly beneficial for the team--they're better than they have been in years. Additionally, they will be losing a lot of their facilities over the next few years, which could be bad for the school system's ski program growth. Not only will this snowmaking be beneficial to the team, but could bring additional people and families to Braemar, and be a good recreational activity for residents in the city of Edina. It would be nice to see Braemar add snowmaking and some Nordic Ski trails. Best, Sami Peterson 74 Heather Branigin From: Neal Blanchett <nealjblanchett@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:50 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar ski trails Dear Mayor, Council members, and staff, I am writing to strongly support ski trails and snowmaking at Braemar. I ski often at Braemar, and I have really enjoyed the skate-skiing trails groomed the last few years; I would love to see more. Braemar has excellent terrain-rolling but not too steep. That makes it a great place to learn for anyone, but also a fun place to go fast for more advanced skiers. It's a great fit for Braemar, adding winter recreation to summer golf to make it a year- round gathering place. Edina is quietly growing a vibrant Nordic skiing community. The EHS Nordic team is consistently one of the largest teams, at or approaching 200 student-athletes. Nordic skiing is one of the best winter cross-training sports-Nordic athletes have also excelled in soccer, track, cross-country, cycling, and more. In addition Nordic skiing is a great family winter outdoor activity. The sport is large in Minnesota and growing-trails at Hyland, Wirth Park, and the Minneapolis lakes are busy with skiers. The Nordic team has maintained 5 kilometers of trail near the high school, but the new Nine-Mile Creek trail cuts off significant chunks of that network, so the team needs new trails desperately. Nordic skiing is a wonderful sport, similar to running, as you can be casual or competitive, it's a lifelong sport, it gets you outdoors in the winter, you can do it on your own or in a group, and it's one of the very best total- body exercises. It is part of an active lifestyle that families look for when choosing where to live. Braemar is a great location for it. I strongly support trails, grooming, and snowmaking at Braemar. Thank you, Neal Blanchett 4737 Hibiscus Avenue Edina 55435 73 Heather Branigin From: Clayt Tabor <clayttabor@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:51 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Edina Nordic Skiing Trail Options Edina City Council: Next year, we will have two daughters at Valley View Middle School who will both be participating in Nordic Skiing. The Nine Mile Creek Trail will seriously impact the team's ability to hold practice on the current trails at the high school where parents and volunteers work tirelessly to make snow and groom the trails. Having to leave Edina to scrap for time at other venues, such as Highlands in Bloomington, increases expenses and time commitments for all involved. Edina has a first class Nordic program and the coaches, players, and parents are extremely dedicated. These teams are chock full of impressive student athletes, just the type of kids we all wish others would emulate. We urge you to add additional snowmaking and trail grooming in other areas of Edina, such as Braemar. Respectfully, Clayt & Julie Tabor 6024 Grove Cir Edina, MN 55436 612-306-8226 clayt.tabor@gmail.com 72 Heather Branigin From: Julie Baron <JBaron@treancorp.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 11:17 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemer Snowmaking Dear Council, I am writing in support of the city's endeavor to add a snowmaking operation at Braemer Park. This would truly make Braemar a winter recreation destination. Also, with EHS losing its trails due to the new construction and Nine Mile Creek Trail, it will be invaluable to the schools Nordic team which introduces scores of students to this life-long winter activity. Regards, Julie Baron, CPA (inactive) 'CFO I Trean Corporation 100 Lake Street W I Wayzata, MN 55391 '952.974.2249 I -.:,952.974.2240 III jbaronPtreancorp.com This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of the message is not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify the sender immediately by return email and delete the message and any attachments from your system. 71 Heather Branigin From: Brandt, Andrea (RIS-MIN) <andrea.brandt@lexisnexis.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 11:27 AM To: Edina Mail Cc: Craig Brandt Subject: nordic ski trails at braemar PLEASE consider creating Nordic ski trails at Braemar next winter. We live between Creek Valley and EHS. My son is on the Nordic Ski team and will be impacted by the upcoming construction next year. But, I ski too there with my husband and friends. I would be thrilled to be able to ski at Braemar. It's a gorgeous piece of property. It would bring business to the Tin Fish/club house in the winter. I did the moonlight-snow shoe event last year at Braemar and it was a blast. Please consider creating and maintain xx ski trails. Thank you!! Andrea Brandt 6524 Nordic Drive Edina, MN55439 The information contained in this e-mail message is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above. This message may be an attorney-client communication and/or work product and as such is privileged and confidential. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. 70 Heather Branigin From: Hokemeir-Seim, Kathleen <kathleen.hokemeir-seim@medtronic.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 1:03 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar - We support Nordic Ski Trails at Braemar Dear Edina City Council, We are in support of adding Nordic Ski Trails and snowmaking at Braemar. This would be a huge benefit to the Edina Nordic Ski Team. The team is a gem for Edina. It involves 3 schools (both middle schools and the high school) and involves a large number of kids. Our son has had a great experience with the team and it really helps to ease the transition to the high school for kids that start the team in middle school. Please support additional trails at Braemar for the kids. Thank you! Kathleen Kathleen Holcemeir-Seim HR Business Partner I Human Resources Medtronic Neuromodulation 7000 Central Avenue NE, RCE385 I Minneapolis, MN 55432 I USA Office 763.526.6317 I Fax 763.526.6375 kathleen.hokemeir-seimPmedtronic.com medtronic.com I Facebook I Linkedln I Twitter YouTube LET'S TAKE HEALTHCARE FURTHER, TOGETHER [CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY NOTICE] Information transmitted by this email is proprietary to Medtronic and is intended for use only by the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is private, privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient or it appears that this mail has been forwarded to you without proper authority, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this information in any manner is strictly prohibited. In such cases, please delete this mail from your records. To view this notice in other languages you can either select the following link or manually copy and paste the link into the address bar of a web browser: http://emaildisclaimer.medtronic.com 69 Heather Branigin From: Zdechlik, Mary J <mary.zdechlik@optum.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 1:38 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Please support adding Nordic ski trails to Braemar! Hello! Please support adding Nordic ski trails to Braemar! We need more winter activity options for all ages in Edina to stay active and fit in the winter months! The ski trails are great at the Edina HS, but those are being reduced for a few reasons, so adding trails to Braemar will get used often! Thank you for your consideration! Thank you, Mary Zdechlik 4425 Judson Lane Edina, MN 55435 This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately. 68 Heather Branigin From: Anne Hinrichs <a.hinrichs@msn.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 1:38 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Please support snowmaking and grooming at Braemar! Dear City Council members, I know you are voting next week about the possibility of adding snowmaking and Nordic trail grooming at Braemar. I hope you will support this initiative. I am one of several Edina Nordic ski coaches and I have two daughters on the team. We have a very large program, 198 skiers were registered this past season (7th _ 12th grade boys and girls). Until now we have been able to ski right at EHS. Due to several changes in the Nine Mile Creek trail and the EHS expansion, this opportunity will soon be lessened significantly. We would welcome the opportunity to ski at nearby Braemar! Although Hyland Park Reserve has trails, teams are only given approximately one practice time slot each week. We typically train 5-6 times each week. In addition to the Edina Nordic team, there are many other Edina residents that would utilize these Braemar ski trails. It would be a great way to get people to see Braemar and Tin Fish as year round destinations! Nordic skiing is definitely gaining in popularity and appeals to a broad spectrum of people. I know it is difficult to know where resources should be allocated. Edina clearly considers our youth as a priority. Keeping our youth active and outside is beneficial to their physical and mental health. Clearly we are doing something right when we have so many students sign up for Nordic. Please support our efforts to have nearly 200 adolescents getting some fresh air on skis after school! Thanks! Anne Hinrichs p.s. This past season was the most successful season we've had in about 30 years! Our girls' team (top 7) went to the State Meet and finished in 9th place. We also had 2 boys qualify for State as individuals. On the other end of the spectrum we taught 97 beginners how to ski this year! It's a diverse, enormous and successful program! Please support us by giving us a place to practice. Thank you! 67 Heather Branigin From: Lise Crosby <LCrosby@Reviva.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 1:52 PM To: Edina Mail Cc: Slater Crosby Subject: Ski Trails at Braemar Dear City Council Members — We would like to urge you to vote YES regarding adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar for 3 reasons. 1. Adding ski trails at Braemar will only improve winter outdoor fitness options in Edina and give the entire community a place to cross country ski and potentially bring more business to Tin Fish/restaurant during the winter months. 2. Our entire family are Nordic Skiers and our middle daughter, Sophie Crosby has been on the Nordic Team at Edina High School for the past 4 years. It is our understanding that the EHS Trail will be limited in the future due to Nine Mile Creek Trail construction. The EHS Nordic team needs better practice options and trails at Braemar would be the perfect solution, especially since practice time at Hyland Hills is very difficult to obtain. 3. Slater has been involved in snowmaking and trail maintenance for the current EHS Trail and it requires a lengthy time and energy commitment on the part of volunteers. These tireless volunteers are probably more than ready to give up middle of the night snowmaking shifts and turn over the snowmaking and grooming to professionals. Please vote YES to adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely Lise and Slater Crosby 6828 Valley View Rd Edina The content of this e-mail (including any attachments) is strictly confidential and may be commercially sensitive. If you are not, or believe you may not be, the intended recipient, please advise the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and destroy any copies. 66 Heather Branigin From: Kassandra Kuehl <kassandrakuehl@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 2:16 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Nordic Trails and Snowmaking To Whom It May Concern, My name is Kassandra Kuehl and I am an Edina resident. I currently reside on Gallagher Dr. and my daughter Samantha is a 9th grader at Southview Middle School. I am writing to you today in support of the proposed Nordic skiing trail grooming and snowmaking at Braemar. My daughter is a member of the Edina Nordic Skiing Team and these efforts would help the team immensely. Below my signature on this email, I have outlined some of the very specific ways that these efforts would make a tremendous impact on the team (this outline is taken from a group email discussion between team parents). As this team is the largest team sport at Edina High School (and also boasts a significant number of middle school participants), these efforts would benefit a significant number of Edina families now and into the future. In addition, it is worth pointing out that the diverse opportunities that families have here in Edina are why many of us have flocked to this city and certainly why our particular family has remained here. If it is at all possible to add to these opportunities by making these trail grooming and snowmaking possibilities available, this effort will simply be another reason for Edina families to remain happy, healthy and present in our lovely city. Thank you for your consideration, Kassandra Kuehl The EHS Nordic Team is currently able to make snow and ski several kilometers of trail at EHS. However, this will change significantly after the 2016-17 season. • Nine Mile Creek trail is under construction and this will dramatically affect our ability to hold ski practices at the high school. A bridge will be added crossing highway 62 taking out important hill trails by the water tower. We currently enjoy 5km of trails at the high school, but the regional trail will cross our ski trails many times, and when the trail is plowed, our ski trails won't be skiable anymore. • A new accessibility path will be built from the parking lot of EHS to the lower fields. This will be plowed in the winter, so we will not be able to ski in the area by the tennis courts anymore. Additionally, we will be losing some of our ski space (tennis court area, restored prairie hill, and behind the bunker). • It is very difficult to obtain permission to hold practices at Hyland Currently we can plan on about 1 practice slot per week. 64 For these reasons, it would be nice to see Braemar add snowmaking and some Nordic trails. 65 Heather Branigin From: Kelly Streit <kellymstreit@gmail.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 2:23 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Trail at Braemar I am writing in support of adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar. I think this is an important benefit for our community and our HS Cross Country team. A side effect of the wonderful expansion of the high school is the loss of trails for our nordic ski team. It would be great if this could by made up by adding trails to Braemar. I moved to Edina 5 years ago and one of the things I love are the myriad of outdoor activities available all year round. I hope it continues. Please vote in favor of the trails. Thank you! Kelly Streit 5421 Kellogg Ave. 63 Heather Branigin From: Jen Kompelien <jen@opendynamics.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 4:13 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Supporting snow-making at Braemar Hello— Just writing in to show strong support for snow-making at Braemar next winter. I've just learned that new construction on trails/high school will ruin our EHS Nordic trails which we've appreciated so much for the last few years. It's difficult for us to get assigned more than one or two practice sessions at Hyland per week so I'm not even sure what the kids would do. This growing Nordic program has been an incredibly positive experience for both of my kids and I'd hate to see it ruined. Also, both teams have gotten so strong with another shot at State next year if they can get the training they need. Thanks for your consideration- please vote YES on snow-making at Braemar! Jen Jennifer Kompelien Open Dynamics, Inc. www.opendynamics.com p 952.920.8045 jenobendynamics.conn accelerating business growth and development voice of client I strategic planning I team development 62 Heather Branigin From: ELIZABETH MARTY <jlizmarty@msn.com > Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 4:14 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snowmaking at Braemar Hello, This is one Edina family in favor of snowmaking at Braemar Park to enable cross-country skiing. We have a daughter at Edina High School on the Nordic ski team, and this plan would help solve many of the issues the team will be facing after the 2016-17 season. Many of their current options for training will be gone after the 2016-17 season due to construction and expansion of the Nine Mile creek trail. This will also provide a great opportunity for Edina families, including ours, to get out and enjoy the MN winter! Thank you, Jon & Liz Marty 61 Heather Branigin From: Yonghua Chen <yonghuachen@hotmail.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 8:58 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Nordic Trail Dear Council Members, Please approve the proposal to add the Braemar Nordic Trail. It would be wonderful for families and athletes to work out and train in our own city trail. Thank you! Chen family, 6028 Erin Terrace 60 From: To: Subject: Date: Kathy Simon ,lames Hovland Proposal for snow making and trail grooming at Braemar Friday, May 13, 2016 11:58:56 PM Hi Mr. Hovland, Please consider approving funding to support the proposal to have snow making and trail grooming at Braemar. This would be a wonderful asset to our community. Additionally, similar for the ice arena to be used by the important Edina HS hockey teams (80 kids for both boys and girls varsity and JV), the ski trails at Braemar could be used by the Edina HS Nordic team which has well over 200 kids on it. The team is losing their training area at the HS due to all the construction changes being made to the grounds. With our sporadic winter weather, the snow making is imperative to offer skiable conditions for the whole winter. Similar to Edina putting in a fourth sheet at Braemar which offered an outdoor rink with refrigeration, Edina could really benefit from adding the snow making for ski trails at Braemar. Tin fish needs the winter business too!! Thank you, Kathy Heather Branigin From: Gene Kay <genekay@ergoadvocate.com > Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2016 9:33 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Please support the Braemar Park Winter Sports plan Dear council members, I'm writing in support of the Braemar Park revitalization plans that include the addition of snowmaking and winter sports, and I want to encourage you to vote in favor of these plans. I am a Three Rivers Parks Commissioner, a long-time volunteer with the Loppet Foundation and the Wirth Winter Sports venue, and I married into a big Edina family. As you know, Three Rivers Parks has been a leader in this area and we have seen tremendous interest and participation in our winter sports activities including nordic skiing and tubing. Likewise, the Loppet Foundation has seen significant growth in healthy outdoor winter activity as a result of their snow making installation as well. We are seeing people of all ages out there - from the youngest Minnesota Youth League skiers to the most senior Masters skiers in their 80's and 90's. Perhaps the most enthusiastic group of participants is the high school skiers and Edina has one of the largest high school teams in the state. Getting this demographic off their phones and out into the parks is a huge win for all of us. A few years back I spoke with the mom of one of these your skiers skiers and she was commenting on how her son completely changed his lifestyle to include healthy eating and an early bed time as a result of his participation on the high school ski team. Please vote to reconfigure Braemar to become a more inclusive, multi-use, year-round facility. Your community will love it and you will experience a great improvement in the quality of life in Edina. It will also make a nice off-season compliment to the new Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail now under construction! Sincerely, Gene Kay Three Rivers Parks Commissioner Gene Kay, MS CPE Certified Professional Ergonomist Director of Ergonomics ErgoAdvocateNelocityEHS Ergonomics W: 952-960-1917 59 Heather Branigin From: Jill Bruns <usjbru@coloplast.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 8:29 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Please approved vote to have trails groomed at Braemar I am in agreement with passing the vote to have Braemar add snowmaking and some Nordic trails. 1. It will give the ENS Nordic Ski Team the ability to use the trails and to have a second option for ski practices. 2. The hard work of volunteers at ENS could be taken over by Braemar which would provide a great support to the ski team and to skiers in the community. Jill S. Bruns Quality Systems Coordinator Coloplast Manufacturing US, LLC Mail to: USJBRU@Coloplast.com 612-302-4999 Direct Coloplast Manufacturing U.S. 1601 West River Road North Minneapolis, Minnesota 55411 (612) 588-4685 http://www.coloplast.com Disclaimer: This Coloplast e-mail may contain confidential information and is intended only for the addressee. You may not disclose such confidential information. If you have received this e-mail by mistake, please notify the sender and delete this mail. Heather Branigin From: Amy Cichanowski <amycich@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 9:27 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: support of winter rec at Braemar To Whom it May Concern- We would like to voice our support for the City of Edina to invest in Braemar as a Winter Recreation Area. The Minnesota Youth Ski League (MYSL) is a volunteer organization that offers children between the ages of 4 and 14 and their parents the opportunity to learn, develop and enjoy cross country skiing skills together. The League is a collection of neighborhood clubs, administered by a Board of Directors, offering leader training, festivals, and outreach programs which builds interest in cross country skiing. Programs emphasize fun, fitness and development of a life-long love for outdoor activities, (especially cross country skiing!), as the primary focus of this family organization. The MYSL has over 20 years of experience and currently has over 2000 kids skiing each winter. With snow conditions being a concern, this past winter was the first in our history where we had to cap enrollment due to permit availability. We are very excited about the potential of the Braemer facility, which is ideal in location, amenities and terrain for youth cross-country skiing. An Edina MYSL club could easily become one of our premier clubs with 100-150 participants skiing weekly in the winter and partnering with the Edina High School ski team (to provide junior coaches and a path for kids to continue skiing when they are older). We find that getting young kids out skiing with their families is the best way to instill the importance of outdoor recreation to the next generation. We have low barriers to entry with an inexpensive club membership ($40-$45) and options for equipment rental. We have clubs at most ski trails in the metro (and the state). We have a strong network of support and know how to build successful clubs. Having the Braemer location as a option for a new MYSL Club and as a potential backup site in low snow years is a fabulous amenity for hundreds of young skiing families in our community. Sincerely Amy Cichanowski vvww.mysl.orq Amy Cichanowski amycich@gmail.com Executive Director Minnesota Youth Ski League PO Box 18659 Minneapolis MN 55418 www.mysl.org Heather Branigin From: Craig Brandt <craig.brandt@snyderattorneys.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 11:55 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Nordic ski trials at Braemar As an Edina resident I strongly favor developing cross country ski trails with snowmaking at Braemar. The Edina Nordic ski program is booming. Both these athletes and the community at large would benefit from developing X/C ski trails at the Braemar facility, which is underused in the winter. Please support this initiative. Craig Brandt 6524 Nordic Dr. Edina Heather Branigin From: Shand, Tracy <tshand@maharam.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 11:57 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar HI! Please consider voting for snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar. If the vote passes, this would give us an excellent opportunity to enjoy more winter recreation opportunities right here in Edina. Thanks! Tracy t shand Heather Branigin From: Laura and Jim Rubin <URubin@msn.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:02 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snowmaking at Braemar!!! As a parent of 2 kids in Nordic skiing at Edina, I would love to see more snow making! The proposal to add snowmaking at Braemar is a great one! My son, PJ, just lettered as a 9th grader. He is rowing this summer as a complementary sport so he will be strong for this upcoming winter. He and his teammates also will be doing LNR roller skiing this summer to prepare for skiing. More options for snow would greatly benefit RI and his hardworking teammates this winter! They have big goals! I have a 7th grader who skied last winter and hope that my 5th grader will ski in the future. My 11th grade daughter also skied one season. Thanks for the consideration!! Laura (and Jim) Rubin Heather Branigin From: Robert Syring <rsyring796@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:03 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snowmaking at Braemar Hello, My name is Bob Syring and I live in Edina (4117 Kipling). I would strongly support the proposed snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar. As a father, Nordic youth ski coach and a competitive skier I think this type of facility would greatly enhance our utilization and enjoyment of the Braemar land and facilities in Edina during the winter months. I know that my young skiers and my family would make regular use of those trails, especially in low snow years. Thank you for your consideration. Bob Syring Heather Branigin From: slebakken@gmail.com on behalf of Sue Lebakken <sue@lebakken.com > Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:06 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Ski trail and snowmaking at Braemar - Yes! To all city council members, We are writing on behalf of our freshman daughter who is an Edina Nordic skier. With ski time at a premium in all of the current parks, and Edina high school's limitations due to the upcoming construction, we strongly encourage you to vote on adding trails and snowmaking at Braemar. This would greatly benefit the Edina Nordic team and the overall ski community that are all fighting for practice time for their skiers. The ability to make our own snow and have a guaranteed place to practice would be invaluable to the team as they aim for the state title. Regards, Sue and Craig Lebakken Heather Branigin From: Amanda Cofield <cofield1@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:10 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: New Ski Trails at Braemar To Whom it May Concern: I am in support of adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar. My son is active with the Edina Nordic team. We would enjoy more ski options within Edina. Please contact me with any questions on why we support this. Thank you, Amanda Cofield 952-288-5637 Heather Branigin From: daniel and cheryl dulas <dulas001@msn.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:14 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snowmaking and Trail Grooming at Braemar Dear Mayor Hovland and Edina City Council members, I support the snowmaking and trail grooming proposal at Braemar Park being discussed at the City Council meeting tomorrow night. This proposal will provide additional winter recreational opportunities for Edina residents, and importantly, will benefit Edina High School students who participate on the Nordic ski team (a team of about 200 students, a non-cut sport). With the construction at the high school, this coming season's ski practices at EHS will be limited. Since it is difficult to secure practice times at Hyland Nordic Ski area (we currently have one practice slot per week), having the option of conveniently-located Braemar Park for ski practices. This will enhance the team's ability to teach new skiers and build the team, as well as enable the coaches to train and prepare the more experienced Nordic skiers for State. Note that last season, the EHS girls' varsity team qualified for the State Meet, and two boys qualified for individual spots at State. In summary, I am in favor of the proposal, and thank you for your thoughtful consideration. Warmly, Cheryl Dulas 4609 Bruce Avenue Edina, MN 55424 Heather Branigin From: Mosborg, Carri A <Carri.Mosborg@allina.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:18 PM To: Edina Mail Cc: 'Anne Hinrichs' Subject: Snowmaking & Trail Grooming at Braemar Dear Edina City Council Members: I am writing to say I wholeheartedly support this proposal and hope that it is approved. While a death in the family made it necessary for us to move from Edina to Bloomington last summer, my daughter still attends Edina High School (junior this year) and participates in varsity track, cross country and Nordic. She was one of the team members who competed at the State Nordic meet last year (you may know that it was the first time the Edina girls team had qualified for State in several decades). I am newly aware of the amount of ski trails near Edina High School that will be lost as a result of construction at Nine Mile Creek, etc., and that is worrisome. New trails and snowmaking at Braemar would be a wonderfully positive addition to the community and help keep our teens involved in healthy activity/competition. Thank you for your consideration and all that you do! Carri Mosborg Executive Assistant • Allina Health Group Phone: 612-262-5204 • Fax: 612-262-4091 • carri.mosborg©allina.corn Mail Route 10307 • 2925 Chicago Avenue • Minneapolis, MN 55407-1321 Executive Assistant to: Earl Beitzel, Vice President, Finance & Business Development Tim Grote, Director, Facilities Management Finance Directors: Kim Dembsky, Steve Drake, Bob Peterson, Diane Soderstrom Coordinator for: Primary Care Operations Meeting (PCOM) x n••nn This message contains information that is confidential and may be privileged. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the addressee), you may not use, copy or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail and delete the message. Heather Branigin From: michelle horan <mhoran00@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:19 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: snow making at braemar I love to cross county ski and I support snow making equipment for cross country ski trails at Braemar!!! Michelle Horan Heather Branigin From: Steven Howe <showe@HNTB.com > Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:26 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Cross Country Ski Trails at Braemar I am writing to support the proposal that is being considered to provide snowmaking and cross country ski trails at Braemar. There are nearly 300 nordic skiers in the middle school and high school Nordic programs that would use this facility all winter. These skiers are currently skiing on man made snow created by an all volunteer group near the high school. The high school trails will be interrupted by the new nine-mile creek multi-use trail making it much more difficult to retain in the current location. Nordic ski trails are an amenity that can and are enjoyed by a large cross section of our residents. Snow making and grooming make them a predictable amenity that allows everyone to enjoy them. As a resident of Edina, I highly encourage the council to support this proposal. Steve Howe 5169 Abercrombie Drive Edina, MN 55439 This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are NOT the intended recipient and receive this communication, please delete this message and any attachments. Thank you. Heather Branigin From: Frenkel, Ellen <ellen.frenkel@medtronic.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:40 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: nordic @ braemar Please support the establishment of Nordic ski trails at Braemar!! Thank you [CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY NOTICE] Information transmitted by this email is proprietary to Medtronic and is intended for use only by the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is private, privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient or it appears that this mail has been forwarded to you without proper authority, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this information in any manner is strictly prohibited. In such cases, please delete this mail from your records. To view this notice in other languages you can either select the following link or manually copy and paste the link into the address bar of a web browser: http://emaildisclaimer.medtronic.com Heather Branigin From: Sarah Hage <sarahhage@usfamily.net> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:45 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: snowmaking and grooming at Braemar Dear City Council: I hope you vote to support adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar. As a family who enjoys cross-country skiing, our closest groomed public venue is at Woodland Nature Center in Richfield. We would LOVE to have something closer, as I'm sure many other families would. Also, I have a daughter on the Edina high school nordic team. They are very limited in the availability to ski nearby. The (very short) trail they've made on the school grounds will also be greatly affected by future construction with Highway 62 and Nine-Mile Creek. Hyland only allows the team to practice there about once a week. It's great to have healthy winter exercise choices. Please vote tomorrow for the added snowmaking and trailgrooming at Braemar. Thank you. Sincerely, Sarah Hage 4608 Woodland Rd W Heather Branigin From: Rong Zheng <rongzheng@hotmail.com > Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:57 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Support adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar Dear Sir/Madam, Our family supports adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar as haying more winter recreation opportunities right here in Edina would be great! Thanks Rong Heather Branigin From: Braun, Karl 0 <Karl.Braun@CliffsNR.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:59 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Comment re - Winter Braemar GC Utilization - May 17, 2016 Meeting I currently use the Braemar GC in the winter for XC skiing when the snow conditions are good enough. I enjoy the fact it is free and I can take my dog. Although I do not relish the thought of loosing the ability to take the dog, well maintained dedicated XC trails with ample man-made snow that are wide enough for both diagonal track and groomed skate skiing would be well used by both the general public and high school XC ski team. The current construction changes to Edina High School are eliminating XC ski practice areas for the XC Ski Team. Currently, the Braemar winter trail accommodates mostly walkers and some XC skiers. The trail gets groomed depending on snow conditions. The trail is not very good for traditional or diagonal stride because there is not set track, but given occasional grooming, it is mostly OK for skate skiing despite people walking on it. A trail that benefits from man-made snow would need to be only for XC skiing — i.e. no walking on it — there is no point to make snow for a walking trail. Thus an alternate walking path would have to be made, or area for free-field (no path) walking needs to be available to accommodate (serve) the community members who enjoy walking the course in the winter months (there are quite a few). I was somewhat skeptical of the viability of man-made snow for XC skiing until I saw it effectively and very successfully deployed at Highlands. I'm sure it is quite expensive to install and operate a snow making setup but Highland gets heavy use and makes XC skiing possible even during warm winters. I am for investigating the addition of snow-making at Braemar but would like to see plan details made public before going forward. The current situation of it being relatively low cost to groom natural snow and free for public use is hard to beat. Yet it has potential to become a reliable XC ski facility for the high school and public. Regards, Karl Braun 5833 Jeff Place Edina, MN 55436 This electronic message and any attachments included with this message are for the exclusive use of the individual or entity to which it is intended to be addressed. This message may contain information that is privileged or confidential and thereby exempt and protected from unauthorized disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication, or the use of its contents, is not authorized and is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication and are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete the original message from your e-mail system. Heather Branigin From: Nancy Sinykin <nsinyk@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 1:23 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar vote for snowmaking and trail grooming We would like to support the vote for snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar Golf Course. Could you please pass this on to the City Council. The students in Edina will benefit greatly. Thanks, Nancy & Rich Sinykin Heather Branigin From: Jane Wang <janewang.cao@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 1:50 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Ski trail at Braemar Hello, This email is to support adding a ski trail at Braemar since the EHS ski trail will be unavailable soon. My son is an 8th grader. He really enjoyed the nordic ski in the past season which was his first season. He told me that he could do better next season. I hope the city could give him and other kids the opportunity to exercise and improve their skills as a group everyday. This would help build up these young men/women physically, mentally, and provide social opportunities. I had to say if they don't have these social opportunities, a lot of them will be submerged into their virtual social world with their computers/phones which is what I really concerned. Thank you, Wenjuan Wang Heather Branigin From: Erica.J.Klausen@wellsfargo.com Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 1:57 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: snow making for the Breaemar Please strongly considering this great opportunity of snow making for our community. I think the current skier and the gigantic student body we have involved in this sport is a great opportunity for us. As a skier I love to encourage our community to take on any new health activities that promote involvement and fitness. This is only a benefit as we as tax payers would like to see something productive being done with our money. Erica Klausen Heather Branigin From: Gibbs, John <John_Gibbs@cable.comcast.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 1:59 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Snowmaking at Braemar Mayor Hovland and members of the City Council: I have had occasion to review the plan and considerations for nordic trail snowmaking at the reinvigorated Braemar. Having been involved with nordic facilities policy at Three Rivers as the elected Commissioner from for District 5 (Bloomington, Eden Prairie and SE Richfield) I have seen the positive outcomes from the Nordic efforts at Hyland and really believe that snowmaking at Braemar will be well utilized, a special feature in attracting high school youth to the activity and well worth serious consideration. At Hyland, the investment has been an unqualified success and I am convinced that Braemar facilities would be well used. John Gibbs Cell: 651-324-0874 Heather Branigin From: Lisa Hollensteiner <hollensteinerlisa@gmaiLcom> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 4:21 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar snowmaking Hello-I am writing in support of snow making at Braemar. The team has over 200 members, and I understand have had to turn away some students. Our town and schools should support the infrastructure needed to support our teams. The football and soccer teams have fields, and likewise, the ski team should have snow covered trails. Hyland can only accommodate our team about once a week, which leaves many days where the team still needs facilities. The Nine Mile Creek trail is wonderful, but will unfortunately interfere with the current ski trails. Please pass funding for snow making at Braemar. Thank you. Lisa Hollensteiner Heather Branigin From: Paul Arbisi <arbis001@umn.edu > Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 7:27 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: support of proposed snow making at Braemar Edina City Council, I am writing in strong support of adding snowmaking to the proposed 2.5Km Nordic ski trail at Braemar. As a 22 year Edina resident, avid nordic skier and runner, and a former parent coach of the Edina High School Nordic Ski team, I can not emphasize enough the importance of providing the opportunity for Edina residents of all ages to ski at Braemar. Given the uncertainty of Minnesota winters, having the capacity to make snow at Braemar will assure continued utilization of the park throughout the winter months and promote health and wellness for Edina residents of all ages. Regards, Paul A. Arbisi 4632 Arden Ave Edina, MN 55424 Heather Branigin From: Jennifer <jenriff@hotmail.com > Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 8:58 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar snow making This would be just another way to ensure our family is outside and active year round. Please do this! Jen Riff 7116 lanham lane Edina mn 55439 Sent from my iPhone Heather Branigin From: joshriff@gmail.com Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 9:00 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar snow making I am an Edina resident and in support of the Braemar snow making efforts. I moved to Edina 8 years ago when I was recruited to Target from Tucson and did not plan on staying long due to the long winter. Since moving here I have fallen in love with winter sports and through the phenomenal Minneapolis parks department such as wirth park has made Minneapolis a wonderful place to live. I am committed to making my three children outdoor enthusiasts and having access to winter sports at braemar would be a wonderful addition. I support snowmaking efforts Joshua Riff, MD 7116 Lanham Lane Edina MN 55439 Heather Branigin From: Elizabeth Burnett <eburnettmail@gmail.com > Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 9:31 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Nordic ski trails at Braemar Dear City Council members, Please vote in favor of adding ski trails at Braemar. We are huge fans of cross-country skiing, with two children on the EHS Nordic team and another soon there. In addition, we love to ski recreationally as a family. Cross-country skiing is such a terrific winter activity for all ages, all abilities. Having ski trails accessible to the community would be a huge asset to Edina. We truly appreciate your support on this issue. Sincerely, Elizabeth Burnett and Adam Mans Abby, Henry, and Peter Mans Heather Branigin From: mendelco@aol.com Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 9:32 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Nordic Trails at Braemar To whom it may concern, We support the adding of snow making capabilities at Braemar for the following reasons: • Nine Mile Creek trail is under construction, and this will dramatically affect our ability to hold ski practices at Edina High school. A bridge will be added crossing highway 62 taking out important hill trails by the water tower. We currently enjoy 5km of trails at the high school, but the regional trail will cross our ski trails many times, and when the trail is plowed, our ski trails won't be skiable anymore. • A new accessibility path will be build from the parking lot of EHS to the lower fields. This will be plowed in the winter, so we will not be able to ski in the area by the tennis courts anymore. Additionally, we will be losing some of our ski space (tennis court area, restored prairie hill, and behind the bunker). • It is very difficult to obtain permission to hold practices at Hyland. Currently we can plan on about 1 practice slot per week. For these reasons, it would be nice to see Braemar add snowmaking and some Nordic trails. Thank you for your consideration, Nancy and Rob Mendel Heather Branigin From: Tom &Tara Wagner <tntwagner@hotmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 9:35 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Winter snow-making and Nordic ski trails - vote yes Dear Edina City Council Members: I am an Edina High School Nordic Ski Team parent (volunteer) and former U.S. Nordic Ski Team member (1990-93). I am writing you to ask you to consider voting "YES" to snowmaking and ski trails at Braemar. Edina is an exceptional community to live in largely due to the diverse opportunities we have here. Nordic skiing is one of those diverse opportunities to offer an enjoyable outdoor activity to our residents during the winter months. It is an activity for those who are young and old, competitive and non-competitive, and that almost everyone can do. Nordic ski trails at Braemar also would make use of the golf course that otherwise sits dormant during the winter months. As a young Nordic skier I recall having to drive 2-4 hours on weekends to find enough snow to ski on, only to have to drive back home for a week of dryland training (running) before returning to snow again the next weekend. We also have a unique opportunity within our community to support our young aspiring Nordic skiers that ski for the high school team. Nordic skiing is currently a "no-cut" sport at Edina. While the teams are competitive they also offer the ability for a beginner to join the team and learn to ski. Almost all of the high school skiing is currently done on volunteer-made ski trails below the high school and over to Creek Valley elementary. Those trails will be cut up by the construction and installation of the Nine Mile Creek trail system as well as the construction at the high school. Those factors will essentially make the current Nordic trail system unworkable. Without these or other trails the opportunity to have —200 skiers on the team will be greatly diminished. I thank you for your time and hope you consider voting "YES" in tomorrow's city council meeting. Respectfully, Tom Wagner Edina resident, Parent, and Nordic ski team volunteer coach Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Heather Branigin From: Liz Abt Ellenberger <lizabte@comcast.net> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 9:42 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Thumbs up for snowmaking at Braemar! I'm a late-onset skier, spurred on by my Nordic skiing sons. What a great lifelong sport. Unfortunately we can no longer count on snow from the sky in MN winters. Please consider snowmaking at Braemar. Its an excellent off-season use of that real estate. And would keep residents health & happy. Thanks, Liz Abt Ellenberger 6929 Dakota Trail Sent from my iPhone Heather Branigin From: T Wagner <taramwagner@gmail.com > Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 9:52 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Proposed Nordic ski trails at Braemar Golf Course-vote YES Dear Edina City Council Members: I am an Edina High School Nordic Ski Team parent and am writing to you to ask that you consider voting "YES" to snowmaking and ski trails at Braemar. As a self taught skier and avid outdoor enthusiast, I believe that having a ski trail at Braemar would highly benefit our community during the winter months. Nordic skiing is an activity that can be enjoyed by various ages and abilities and is an excellent family activity. Thank you for your consideration in voting "YES". Sincerely, Tara M. Wagner, DDS Edina Resident, Parent and Nordic ski team volunteer Heather Branigin From: Jonathan Engman MD <engm0003@umn.edu> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 9:54 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Winter Planning Dear Edina City Council Members: I am an Edina business owner, resident and parent of 2 middle school kids. I am writing to ask you to consider voting "YES" to snowmaking and ski trails at Braemar. Edina is an exceptional community to live in largely due to the diverse opportunities we have here. Nordic skiing is one of those diverse opportunities to offer an enjoyable outdoor activity to our residents during the winter months. It is an activity for those who are young and old, competitive and non-competitive, and that almost everyone can do. Nordic ski trails at Braemar also would make use of the golf course that otherwise sits dormant during the winter months and drive business to the restaurant that is currently there. Almost all of the high school skiing is currently done on volunteer-made ski trails below the high school and over to Creek Valley elementary. Those trails will be cut up by the construction and installation of the Nine Mile Creek trail system as well as the construction at the high school. Those factors will essentially make the current Nordic trail system unworkable. Edina has had the unique opportunity to have its own nordic skiing trails due to the dedication of volunteers involved with the Edina Nordic Ski team. Without these or other trails the opportunity to have —200 skiers on the team will be greatly diminished and our kids will be losing out on the opportunity to learn a sport that encourages healthy living. Thank you for your time and I hope you consider voting "YES" in tomorrow's city council meeting in our continual effort to make Edina outstanding for our residents. Respectfully, Jon Engman Edina resident, parent and Edina business owner. Heather Branigin From: Elizabeth Ashbrook <beth.ashbrook@comcast.net> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 10:51 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar snow making I support Braemar making snow & ski trails. We have 3 kids at ehs who enjoy Nordic skiing. The team needs a place to practice. Regards, Beth & Steve Ashbrook. Heather Branigin From: Danberntson@gmail.com Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 3:37 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Contact Us form submission Name: Dan Berntson Organization: Website: Address_1: 6728 point dr Address 2: City: Edina State: MN Zip_Code: 55435 Email: Danbemtson@gmail.com Phone: 952-279-6589 Referrer: google Message: To Edina City Council Re: Braemar Winter Park My family strongly supports the development of a cross country ski trail at Braemar. Each winter I ski five or six days a week and would enjoy using a trail at Braemar because it's close than Hyland Park in Bloomington or Worth Park in Minneapolis. I have skied st Braemar in past years as a helper for the Edina High School ski team and would enjoy access to the beautiful winter terrain again. Please vote in favor of developing the ski trail in Edina. Respectfully, Dan Berntson Heather Branigin From: Deb Carlson <debjcrlsn@gmail.com > Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 5:28 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Nordic trails and snowmaking at Braemar Dear Council Members: I am writing to encourage you to vote in favor of trail grooming and snowmaking at Braemar. As a family with an EHS Nordic athlete, we think this will significantly enhance the training options for the team. In addition, this gives Edina residents a local opportunity for skiing as well. Thank you for your support of these efforts. Sincerely, Deb Carlson Heather Branigin From: Jay Rudi <j.rudi@comcast.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 6:29 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Edina City Council --Snow making at Braemar To Edina City Council, I support the addition of snow making equipment to allow nordiacross country skiing at Braemar. As Minnesotans, winter activities are important for the health of our citizens and add to our wonderful quality of life in Edina. I hope that you will support this addition to our community. Thank you. Jay Rudi 4708 Valley View Road, Edina, MN 55424 Heather Branigin From: sshowe@comcast.net Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 7:06 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Proposed Braemar ski trails Good morning, I am writing in support of the proposed Nordic ski trails and snowmaking at Braemar. Not only would the middle school and high school Nordic ski teams have a home, the local Nordic community would have a location to enjoy as well. The construction at the high school will be taking away a large part of the current Nordic team trails. . Shelly Howe Heather Branigin From: MaggieE-mail <mmbraun6@comcast.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 8:00 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Please vote yes to adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar Dear City Council, We are strongly encouraging you to add snowmaking and Nordic trails at Braemar. Our daughter(and youngest of our 4 children), has been a member of the Nordic Ski team for the last two years. The Edina Nordic team is one of the most all- inclusive and supportive teams we have seen in the Edina schools. Their coaches have been dedicated to supporting this program in many ways, including snowmaking at EHS. With the construction and changes at the high school there will not be a place for this all-inclusive team. Please vote yes to adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar for this team. Also, Nordic Skiing is a life time, healthy sport. We enjoy it ourselves and feel strongly that it would be a wonderful addition to our community. Again, please vote yes to adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar for our community. Thank you. Maggie and Karl Braun Heather Branigin From: Jean RehkampLarson <jean@rehkamplarson.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 8:42 AM To: Edina Mail Cc: Mark Larson Subject: groomed trails at Braemar We are in favor of the plan to groom trails at Braemar. The last seasons have been challenging for Nordic skiers to get trail time. Nordic skiing is a lifelong sport - people of all ages enjoy it. When kids start young they take the skill and the love of the outdoors forward throughout their lives. Best, Jean and Mark Larson JEAN REHKAMP LARSON, AIA REHKAMP LARSON 2132 'Nest 43rd _Street, Wrtneapolis, MN 55410 612,205-7275 rehkamplarson,com Heather Branigin From: Suzanne Magner <smagner@loganconsulting.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 9:35 AM To: Edina Mail Cc: Guy Logan; 'Suzanne Logan (suzannelogan@yahoo.com)' Subject: Nordic Skiing Trails/Snow Making at Braemar Dear City Council — Based on the below, we would be in agreement of the need for additional Nordic trails in Edina to not only support the EHS teams, but to support many in the community that enjoy this potentially life-long activity. I believe the boys and girls EHS teams are seeing record numbers of an important no-cut sport for the school and the teams are enjoying success. Always nice to support all sports in the community, especially those that get us out more during our long winters!! Edina has invested a lot of money in hockey, skating rinks/warming houses, Braemar dome, golf dome, golf course, soccer fields, playgrounds, tennis courts, etc., making it a great place to live. Nordic skiing seems to be another opportunity to do this as there seems to be a need to support a sport that appeals to many generations. Thank you - Suzanne & Guy Logan 5806 Olinger Road Edina, MN 55436 From: edina-nordic@googlegroups.com [mailto:edina-nordic@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Edina Nordic Sent: Friday, May 13, 2016 10:19 AM To: edina nordic@googlegroups.com Subject: Edina Snowmaking Proposal! Dear Edina Nordic Families, Action requested: if you are in support of this, please contact your city council representative immediately via email mail@edinamn.gov Be sure to write a sentence or two about why you support this. This is an urgent message regarding an upcoming City Council vote. We are hoping you can indicate your support of this issue by sending an email immediately. The vote is this coming Tuesday, May 17! Please read this email and take action immediately if you are in agreement. The City Council is considering adding snowmaking and trail grooming at Braemar. If the vote passes, this would give us an excellent opportunity to be able to ski some place other than, or in addition to EHS. We are definitely in favor of having more options than we do currently. Today we are able to make snow and ski several kilometers of trail at EHS. This will change significantly after the 2016-17 season. • Nine Mile Creek trail is under construction and this will dramatically affect our ability to hold ski practices at the high school. A bridge will be added crossing highway 62 taking out important hill trails by the water tower. We currently enjoy 5km of trails at the high school, but the regional trail will cross our ski trails many times, and when the trail is plowed, our ski trails won't be skiable anymore. • A new accessibility path will be built from the parking lot of EHS to the lower fields. This will be plowed in the winter, so we will not be able to ski in the area by the tennis courts anymore. Additionally, we will be losing some of our ski space (tennis court area, restored prairie hill, and behind the bunker). • We all know that we are currently very lucky to have several key volunteers who do our snowmaking at EHS. This is hard work that could be taken over by the City of Edina at Braemar Park. • It is very difficult to obtain permission to hold practices at Hyland. Currently we can plan on about 1 practice slot per week. For these reasons, it would be nice to see Braemar add snowmaking and some Nordic trails. If you are in agreement, please send an email to the following address immediately: nnail@edinamn.gov Your email will be sent to all of the City Council members automatically. Explain how this will impact your family and the community -- having more winter recreation opportunities right here in Edina would be great! From Skinnyski.com: (Submitted by Craig Jarvinen) Edina Snowmaking Proposal April 12, 2016 Edina is considering a snowmaking operation at Braemer Park. Early plans call for a [2.2 - 2.25km] snowmaking loop to be completed by December 2017. Review more details below by clicking on these links: - Proposal Background/Timeline - Winter Park at Braemer - Statement of Qualifications Edina Nordic Ski website: http://www.edinaschools.org/nordicski You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Edina Nordic" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to edina- nordic+unsubscribeAgooglegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/edina-nordic. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/edina- nordic/CAPhakapwMGDw9mYgSDFzYXyA8N2kHARSWxNyZRvxJPJqQ2Knw%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. Heather Branigin From: Anne Lindquist <Ifamily7@earthlink.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 11:26 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: In support of Edina Snowmaking Proposal Dear City Council members, As a member of the Edina community and a parent of nordic skiers, I am in strong support of the proposed plan to add snowmaking capabilities and ski trail grooming to Braemar. The nordic ski trails would be an excellent addition to our school and city. Anne Lindquist Heather Branigin From: Jeffrey Kuhs <jkuhs@ahintermediaries.com > Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 12:20 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Edina Snow Making Dear Edina City Council representatives, Please consider supporting the snow making proposal for Braemar. I'm writing this from an airport so it will lack eloquence, but here it goes. We have put our money (and time) where our mouth is We (Edina High School Nordic Team) believe strongly in this effort. We have put our time and money into snowmaking for many years creating a community wide asset. Due to changes at the high school we need a new way forward. • Nordic skiing at the high school allows —200 kids to learn a life-long sport, compete successfully at the highest levels in the state, and many other associated benefits. • There is strong support from the Edina community for the sport and associated trails. • Global weather patterns suggest the need for manmade snow will increase. With an already short season, Nordic skiing at this latitude could be threatened if we have a few consecutive dry/warm years. I'm sure you have heard this all before and understand the issues. Please vote yes on the proposal. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me. Thanks for your consideration, Jeffrey Kuhs (Edina resident and lifelong Nordic skier, parent of EHS skiers) Heather Branigin From: Jay at TeeMaster <jay@teemaster.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 12:34 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Winter Park Project Dear City Council, My name is Jay Adams. I live in Edina at 5801 Bernard Place. I grew up in Edina and have raised my children here. I want to ask that you all vote yes to move forward with the Braemar Winter Park Project. I have been a highly competitive Nordic skier for close to 30 years and over that time the winter weather has been inconsistent and that has made natural snow trail conditions very inconsistent. The man-made snow at the Hyland downhill area became open to Nordic skiers about 10 years ago which was awesome. Then a couple years ago they added the snow making to the Hyland Nordic trails and currently those trails are the best man-made snow trails in the nation. Theodore Wirth Park has also added snow-making with success. As a resident of Edina and promoter of Nordic skiing I have been very discouraged by the rigid rules regarding access to the man-made snow trails at Hyland for youth skiers. The rules virtually prohibit our high school team from practicing there as a team, which I find completely bewildering, but it's the way it is. The excellent volunteers working with the high school team have developed ski trails down below the high school utilizing the fields and hills by Creek Valley but those options are now being eliminated with the new fields and nine-mile trail construction. The Breamar proposal will provide our residents and high school team the opportunity to ski within our community and that will be such a great option for all. I love the Hyland and Wirth trails, but if we can have something of competitive quality and consistency here, our community will be that much better. So please vote yes on the proposal. If any of you would like to discuss Nordic skiing and trail issues further, I do consider myself an expert on the subject as I have over 10,000 kilometers and years of experience on the matter and would love to chat with you about it. Thank you and I am looking forward to seeing this project happen and being able to ski on great new trails at Braemar. Jay Adams 5801 Bernard Place iha@teemastercom 612-701-6573 Heather Branigin From: Jen Rolfes <jenrIfs@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 12:36 PM To: Edina Mail Cc: Ruth Rolfes Subject: Edina City Council: Braemar Project Comments Hi City Council, My name is Jennifer Rolfes. I cross country skied on the Edina High School Nordic team from 2004-2010 and live two blocks from Braemar. I support the project to create trails and snowtubing at Braemar. I wanted to provide a response to the worries of some of the Park Board members regarding traffic and lights. It is true that Elm Creek is often overrun with traffic. There are a number of differences though which lead me to believe that the traffic would not be an issue at Braemar. The nearest location to Elm Creek that makes snow is 17 miles away at Theodore Wirth. In contrast,Braemar is within 5 miles of the snow-making facilities at Hyland Park Reserve. Furthermore, the snow-making loop at Braemar will be smaller than both Elm Creek and Hyland. I believe that as far as cross country skiing is concerned, Braemar will be used principally by Edina residents. Unless construction is planned to make the hill at Braemar bigger, it is far smaller than the snowtubing hill at Elm Creek. This combination of factors leads me to believe that traffic at Braemar will not be out of control. As long as the lights on the snowtubing hill are off by 9 pm on weekdays and 10 pm on weekends, I do not understand the concerns regarding the lighting at Braemar. At present, there are trees between the hill and the closest houses on Gleason. More trees could be planted closer to the road as necessary to help block the light. As long as the lights aren't on late, it shouldn't interfere with sleep in those houses. For the houses located further north on Gleason, the lit hill might not be as aesthetically pleasing as the dark golf course, but it does not interfere with the use of their property. During the summer, when they are more likely to be sitting on their front lawns in the evening, the lights will not be operating. Thank you, Jennifer Rolfes 7675 Woodview Ct Edina, MN 55439 From: Kristin Engman To: Edina Mail Subject: Nordic ski trails at Braemar Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 2:06:30 PM Dear Edina City Council Members: I am an Edina High School Nordic Ski Team parent and am writing to you to ask that you consider voting "YES" to snowmaking and ski trails at Braemar. As a self taught skier and avid outdoor enthusiast, I believe that having a ski trail at Braemar would highly benefit our community during the winter months. Nordic skiing is an activity that can be enjoyed by various ages and abilities and is an excellent family activity. The trails below the high school were excellent for the high school team and also other residents to use and enjoy. Now that they are being taken away due to the bike trail, another option should be presented by the Council. Thank you in advance for your vote as "YES" for the Nordic ski trail at Braemar. Sincerely, Kristin Engman Edina Resident, Parent and Nordic ski team volunteer Heather Branigin From: Jordan Gilgenbach Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 2:29 PM To: Heather Branigin Subject: FW: Nordic ski trails at Braemar Jordan Gilgenbach, Communications Coordinator . 952-826-0396 1 Fax 952-826-03891 Cell 612-363-3564 igilgenbach@EdinaMN.gov 1 www.EdinaMN.gov ...For Living, Learning, Raising Families & Doing Business Original Message From: Kristin Engman [mailto:kristinengman@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 2:06 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Nordic ski trails at Braemar Dear Edina City Council Members: I am an Edina High School Nordic Ski Team parent and am writing to you to ask that you consider voting "YES" to snowmaking and ski trails at Braemar. As a self taught skier and avid outdoor enthusiast, I believe that having a ski trail at Braemar would highly benefit our community during the winter months. Nordic skiing is an activity that can be enjoyed by various ages and abilities and is an excellent family activity. The trails below the high school were excellent for the high school team and also other residents to use and enjoy. Now that they are being taken away due to the bike trail, another option should be presented by the Council. Thank you in advance for your vote as "YES" for the Nordic ski trail at Braemar. Sincerely, Kristin Engman Edina Resident, Parent and Nordic ski team volunteer From: Sara Jones To: Edina Mail; Troy Stein Subject: Braemar Winter Recreation Plans Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:56:03 AM Dear Council Members and Mayor Hovland, I just learned that the Braemar Winter Recreation project is on hold and not in the 5-year capital plan. The plan for Nordic ski trails is vital to the high school ski team's continued success. The construction projects at the high school and other plans for Creek Valley Elementary and the Nine Mile Creek trail will nearly eliminate the ski trails the ski team has worked so hard to build over the last several years. These trails were built by skiers, skiers' families, and coaches through hard work, significant planning, and large investments of time and money from skiers' families. While other teams are getting new and better facilities, the ski team's "facilities" are being decimated. Without Edina trails at Braemar on which to practice, the team will be at an serious disadvantage to say the very least. It's extremely difficult (if not nearly impossible) to get regular practice time at Hyland Park. Busing all the way to Wirth Park is not feasible either. You know how significant and inclusive the ski team is at Edina High School. It is the 3rd largest team the high school has and provides instruction and coaching for nearly 200 athletes from those with no previous experience all the way through our winning varsity teams and individual racers. Moreover, many of its members are some of the best scholar- athletes at Edina High School. This is a team that should be supported and nurtured by the community. Not only the Edina High School team uses the trails built by the team either. Community members regularly use the ski trails. Having trails at Braemar will serve both the team and the community. This healthy option for recreation will be a much-needed community resource in addition to helping one of the most popular team sports at the high school. I don't know whether you have considered modest trail pass fees for community users, but that certainly is a reasonable way to offset some costs of building and maintaining trails. Please support and advocate for the continued inclusion of Braemar trails in the capital plan and beyond! Sara Jones 612-940-2485 From: To: Cc: Subject: Date: t youel Edina Mail tsudeithPolaycore.com; brucefreemanO5Pearthlink.net; Richard Jahnke Mountain Biking at Braemar Monday, June 20, 2016 3:58:21 PM Hi It has come to our attention that a vote is being considered to ban both winter and summer mountain biking at Braemar and to tax the community for a ski trail. The Edina Mountain bike team is growing exponentially and it would seem that it is much to early for such an extreme action without more community notice or input Ted Youel 4228 Oakdale Ave South Edina, Mn Sent from my iPhone From: Ann Kattreh To: Edina Mail Subject: RE: In Support of Mountain Biking at Braemar Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 4:35:41 PM Attachments: jmage005 onci image006.pno Yes, please. Ann Kattreh, Parks & Recreation Director 952-826-0430 I Fax 952-826-0390 AKattreh©EdinaMN.gov www.EdinaMN.gov The City of Edina was named one of the Star Mbune1c Top Workplaces in 20151 TO WORK PLACES From: Lynette Biunno On Behalf Of Edina Mail Sent: Monday, June 20, 2016 3:48 PM To: Ann Kattreh Subject: FW: In Support of Mountain Biking at Braemar Hi Ann, Did you want me to send this to the Council members? Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 I Fax 952-826-0389 jbiunno(aEdinaMN.gov I www,EdinaMN.00v From: Richard Jahnke [mailto:rjahnke(&sunbeltmidwest.com] Sent: Monday, June 20, 2016 3:36 PM To: Edina Mail Cc: t_youel; brucefreeman05(&earthlink.net; Ann Kattreh; Tom Delaney; kpellsworth(&msn.com; ben(&sportresourcegroup.com Subject: In Support of Mountain Biking at Braemar Hi Ann Just wanted to encourage you to send our/ your recommendation to the Tuesday night 6/21/2016 City Council about the critical importance of including MTB biking trails in the Braemar strategic plan. I can't emphasize enough how important this chance is to create a fantastic MTB trail system. But not just for some but, all the riders and parents of the Edina HS MTB bike team. There are many strong advocates for mountain biking at Braemar. I'm sending you information that more clearly outlines our position and gives more details about MTB biking in Edina and a plan of action for creating it. We are extremely fortunate in this metro area to have one of the nation's strongest MTB biking associations. Minnesota of Road Cycling (MORC). MORC who are experts in helping cities develop MTB biking trails. Reid Schmidt, the president has set forth a perfect example with his involvement with the city of Woodbury and developing the Carver Lake trail systems. In summary: MTB Biking at Braemar, uses land currently not in use, MTB the least expensive sport facility and has basically zero maintenance costs, is a tremendous workout for Edina's kids and citizens for better health, can be done at almost any age as a life long sport, will provide 2nd largest MTB high school biking team in state a place to practice, MTB is wildly growing in popularity! Thank you, long time Edina Residents Richard Jahnke, Tom Delaney, Ted Youel and Bruce Freeman Subject: Proposed Edina winter rec area at Braemar--fat biking not considered The city council is considering a winter recreation area at Braemar golf course, dedicated to Nordic skiing and tubing. It's my understanding that fat biking will not be permitted and that the city has not evaluated the interest in fat biking trails. Summer mountain biking also will not be allowed. The recreation area would be fee-based. The city would bond to cover construction costs, with a taxes levied to pay off the bonds. Fees would go to operational expenses. Two 25-feet wide swaths will be cleared to make the trails. I attended a council work session last week and a majority of council members expressed support for the Nordic skiing/tubing recreation area. This seems like a lost opportunity to evaluate fat biking/mountain biking as an additional option. The council meeting is this Tuesday, June 21. If interested, please email the council at mail@edinamn.gov to share your thoughts. Jennifer Janovy http://edina.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/CoverSheetaspx?ItemID=1500&MeetingID=55 From: Shand, Tracy To: Edina Mail Subject: Please vote yes for Braemar ski trails Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 8:59:45 PM HI ! Please vote yes to the ski trails at Braemar. Building ski trails at Braemar is absolutely critical for the very future of the Edina Nordic Ski Team because we are losing most of our current 5km of practice space at the high school. New construction at the high school, going on right now, has already eliminated almost a kilometer of our trails and next summer we will lose two more kilometers and lose our best hills, as the Nine Mile Creek Trail gets built. We have the 31d largest sport at Edina High School, with nearly 200 athletes. We simply will not have enough space for the team to practice anymore. As our climate warms, we can no longer count on natural snow to fall when we need it, and fall deep enough to cover most natural ski trails in the area. Making snow works, but there just isn't enough of it to go around. We only get about 1 practice slot at Hyland Park each week. We can't be competitive with only one on-snow practice a week. Thanks! Tracy Shand t shand maharam, sales minneapolis, mn +1.312.596.7634 +1.800.645.3943 x7634 +1.612.382.1116 m sales coordinator heather ross hross@maharam.com +1.312.596.7626 +1.800.645.3943 x7626 From: Matthew Egger To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Nordic Snow Making Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 8:59:20 PM Dear City Council members, This upcoming year will be my third year on the Edina Nordic program as a sophomore. I am a member of the varsity squad, and I train year-round for cross country skiing; I am very dedicated. Not only would snow-making at Braemar help me develop my potential in the sport, it would also help nearly 200 students get outside to help relieve stress and spend some quality time outside with their teammates in the winter. I urge the council to vote in support of the project at Braemar. Thank you, Matthew Egger From: To: Subject: Date: — Gretchen Johns Edina Mail Please allow trails at Braemar Monday, June 20, 2016 9:00:08 PM Both of my kids go to Edina Highschool and participate in the Nordic Ski Program. For my 8th grade son this is the ONLY sport he participates in and without the trails available at Edina Highschool available this coming winter, I would hate to have him quit sports entirely. Its' a great program-- one of the largest, "non-cut" sports programs for kids in both the middle school and high school. Please help fund Nordic at Braemar.... Gretchen Johns, parent of two kids at EHS. From: Kathleen MULROONEY To: Edina Mail Subject: Trails at Braemar Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:03:32 PM To whom this concerns, I am writing this email in support of developing trails at Braemar that the Cross country ski team and cross country enthusiasts in Edina can use. The team at EHS which also includes middle school skiers, has grown in number and success these past years. The amazing coaches and numerous parent volunteers have spent countless hours over the years developing trails on the high school grounds. Unfortunately much of that effort will be obsolete due to construction. It would be wonderful if the city could develop trails not only the high school and middle schoolers could use but others as well. Thank you so much for noticing the positive addition these trails will have for so many. Thank you, Kathleen Sent from my iPhone From: Kathy Simon To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Nordic ski trails project Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:09:19 PM Hi City Council Members, Please consider approving funding to support the proposal to have snow making and trail grooming at Braemar. This would be a wonderful asset to our community. Additionally, similar for the ice arena used by the Edina HS hockey teams (80 kids for both boys and girls varsity and JV), the ski trails at Braemar could be used by the Edina HS Nordic team which has well over 200 kids on it. The team is losing their training area at the HS due to all the construction changes being made to the grounds. With our sporadic winter weather, the snow making is imperative to offer skiable conditions for the whole winter. Similar to Edina putting in a fourth sheet at Braemar which offered an outdoor rink with refrigeration, Edina could really benefit from adding the snow making for ski trails at Braemar. Tin fish needs the winter business too!! Thank you, Kathy From: Thomas Shaw To: Edina Mail Subject: Ski trails and snow making Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:09:46 PM I am writing in support of the proposed investment in eros country ski trails and limited artificial snow making at Braemar golf course. This durable investment on the part of the City of Edina will increase public access to this healthful family activity, maintain the competative stance of the Edina High School team as it loses trail space to school and public infrastructure improvements around 9 Mile Creek and will add value to the under-utilized golf course during the winter. Similar improvements to Three Rivers Park District parks have led to exponential increases in facility usage and sport participation. It will also provide an additional venue for an expansion of the Minnesota Youth Ski League. Thomas G. Shaw Assistant Coach Edina High School Cross Country Ski Team & Program Supervisor, Cahill School/Edina Historical Society From: Mark Larson To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar ski trails Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:16:53 PM To the council, I am in strong support of the proposed trails for cross country skiing in Edina! I have a son on the Edina H.S. Nordic team and my wife and I would love to use the trails as well. Please support this opportunity! Thanks, Mark Larson Mark Larson Principal Rehkamp Larson Architects From: To: Subject: Date: - Lisa Hollensteiner Edina Mail Nordic Trails Monday, June 20, 2016 9:23:20 PM Dear City Council-Please vote for proceeding forward with the Braemar Nordic Trails! The Nordic Ski Team has 200 kids who need somewhere to ski! The construction is taking up their current ski trails and Hyland only gives then an hour a week. I and many others in the community would love to use them as well. Great to have Braemar in our community and we should utilize it year round. Thank you! Lisa Hollensteiner From: joshriff(@gmail.com To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar ski trails Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:26:47 PM I am writing to encourage you to approve the proposal to build ski trails on the braemar course. When I moved to Edina seven years ago I did so for the sense of community and commitment to our youth. We specifically chose this area for our three children as we put their education ahead of all things else. We also chose Edina as we are an outdoor recreational family. We embrace Nordic skiing to promote health and fitness in our long dark winter months. Having an outlet for our children to ski in high school is important to us. As a tax payer, father, and skiier please vote yes this week. Yours truly Josh riff From: Kat To: Edina Mail; iarvineraaol.com Subject: Braemar Park Snow Making Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:32:40 PM To Whom it May Concern, This message is to voice support for the study and ultimate funding of nordic ski trails and snow making at Braemar Park in Edina. Last winter my daughter, Delaney Drefs, went out for nordic skiing for the first time. It was an amazing experience for her. The Nordic ski team is developing into one of the premier teams in the state of Minnesota. This is a result of dedicated coaches and a practice facility at the high school which allows athletes to train consistently. Unfortunately, the Edina Nordic team will be losing much of the current practice space that they currently use. Construction at the high school will take some of their current trails. The Nine Mile Creek project will take additional prime ski hills when it gets built. In order for the team to continue to develop into a first tier program, they must have access to ski trails which allow them to train. The snow making efforts at the high school have been commendable, but without the use of Braemar, the team may not be competitive. The alternative is 1 practice slot per week at Hyland Park. This is not enough! The Edina School system is top notch. The academic curriculum is some of the best in the country. The thing that sets Edina students apart is their participation in programs such as Nordic skiing. With 200+ students who participate in nordic skiing, it seems that the continued development of nordic skiing trails and snow making should be a priority. Please contact me if you would like to discuss our family's experience in the Nordic skiing program. 612-805- 2973. Best regards. Kat Drefs/Delaney Drefs - Class of 2020 From: mendelco To: Edina Mail Subject: Nordic Ski Trails at Braemar Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:35:09 PM Dear Edina City Council, We are writing to you to show our support for the ski trails at Braemar. It was brought to our attention that there will be a vote tomorrow night, and we want you to vote YES. We have had two daughters that have competed on the Nordic ski team at Edina High School. We need MORE sports that kids can participate in that are "no cut" sports. It is wonderful that Edina wins so many state titles, but that only includes a fraction of our student body. For Edina to be great, we need ALL students to fmd a place to belong and participate. The Nordic ski team is one of those places. Please make your vote count for both those kids that want to win a Nordic State title as well as those who just want to get exercise in the winter with a great group of kids. Building ski trails at Braemar is absolutely critical for the very future of the Edina Nordic Ski Team because we are losing most of our current 5km of practice space at the high school. New construction at the high school, going on right now, has already eliminated almost a kilometer of our trails and next summer we will lose two more kilometers and lose our best hills, as the Nine Mile Creek Trail gets built. We have the 3rd largest sport at Edina High School, with nearly 200 athletes. We simply will not have enough space for the team to practice anymore. As our climate warms, we can no longer count on natural snow to fall when we need it, and fall deep enough to cover most natural ski trails in the area. Making snow works, but there just isn't enough of it to go around. We only get about 1 practice slot at Hyland Park each week. We can't be competitive with only one on-snow practice a week. We are skeptical that you actually listen to requests from voters. The closing of Fred Richards left us disillusioned with how this city is run and where its priorities lie. Please show us with a yes vote that what is best for our kids (not what is best for developers) is still our 111 priority. Thank you, Nancy and Rob Mendel From: Anne Hinrichs To: Edina Mail Subject: Please vote YES to approve ski trails at Braemar! Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:36:47 PM Dear City Council members, I know you are voting tomorrow about the possibility of adding snowmaking and Nordic trail grooming at Braemar. I hope you will support this initiative. I am one of several Edina Nordic ski coaches and I have two daughters on the team. We have a very large program, 198 skiers were h _ registered this past season (7t12 grade boys and girls). Until now we have been able to ski right at EHS. Due to several changes in the Nine Mile Creek trail and the EHS expansion, this opportunity will soon be lessened significantly. We would welcome the opportunity to ski at nearby Braemar! Although Hyland Park Reserve has trails, teams are only given approximately one practice time slot each week. We typically train 5-6 times each week. In addition to the Edina Nordic team, there are many other Edina residents that would utilize these Braemar ski trails. It would be a great way to get people to see Braemar and Tin Fish as year round destinations! Nordic skiing is definitely gaining in popularity and appeals to a broad spectrum of people. I know it is difficult to know where resources should be allocated. Edina clearly considers our youth as a priority. Keeping our youth active and outside is beneficial to their physical and mental health. Clearly we are doing something right when we have so many students sign up for Nordic. Please support our efforts to have nearly 200 adolescents getting some fresh air on skis after school! Thanks! Anne Hinrichs p.s. This past season was the most successful season we've had in about 30 years! Our girls' team (top 7) went to the State Meet and finished in 9th place. We also had 2 boys qualify for State as individuals. On the other end of the spectrum we taught 97 beginners how to ski this year! It's a diverse, enormous and successful program! Please support us by giving us a place to practice. Thank you! From: Elizabeth Burnett To: Edina Mail Subject: Cross country ski trails at Braemar Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:41:02 PM Dear City Council, I ask you to vote in favor of the ski trails proposed at Braemar. These trails are essential to the Edina High School Nordic ski team, as the team is losing trails to construction and the Nine Mile Creek project. This team is a wonderful asset to the Edina school system, as it is one of the only sports with no cuts. Also, kids from 7th to 12th grade can participate, making it a wonderful opportunity for both middle and high school students to stay in shape while also gaining a lifetime sport. I have two kids currently on the team and another on the way next year, and it's essential to for the team to have the Braemar trails to maintain the vitality of the team. These trails would also be a tremendous asset to the community by providing a convenient, accessible way for citizens of all ages to ski. Let's keep both our kids and adults healthy and active by making these trails available to all! Thank you for your support, Elizabeth Burnett From: Jarvinen To: James Hovland Subject: Braemar Winter Recreatoin Project Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:47:33 PM Good Evening Mayor! I am writing on behalf of the Edina Nordic Ski Team as a coach, as parent of a Nordic skier, as a Nordic skier myself, and as a resident of Edina. Within the last 24 hours, it has come to my attention that the Braemar Winter Recreation project has been put on hold and unless an additional approval is voted up tomorrow, the project will likely terminate. I am very concerned about moving this project forward and I am hoping we might be able to talk before the meeting to figure out some way to make this project attractive to all council members. Could we modify the project, raise other funds, look for more revenue, etc? This project is absolutely essential for the future of the Edina Nordic Ski Team. If it fails, how will we be able to support our 200 athletes every day at practice? Where will we be able to practice? We are the 3rd largest sport at Edina high school. 10% of all Edina High School Students are on this team! This is a very significant sports program. We do not cut, meaning that all students can join if they want. The problem is that we are losing our practice space at the high school due to new school construction and with the development of the 9 mile creek trail. All our hopes are now with Braemar. We will not have any place to practice on snow every day without it. If we can't be on snow, our program will surely suffer and we will give up the huge gains we have enjoyed over the last 6 years. I don't think many will want to join the team if they will only be able to ski on snow one or two times a week, and we certainly will suffer competitively. Please let me know you have some time to talk. Craig Jarvinen 612-747-1677 From: Deb Carlson To: Edina Mail Subject: Please vote yes for the Nordic Trails Project at Braemar Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 9:55:07 PM Please vote yes to support the Nordic ski trails project at Braemar. The loss of the ski trails at the high school over the next year will have a significant negative impact on the continued success of the Edina High School Nordic team. We are building momentum and have an opportunity to see both the boys and girls teams heading to state in the coming years. This is only possible if training can take place regularly on groomed trails. There is a great deal of interest in the sport by other members of the community as well. Investment at Braemar can only be seen as a positive for our community. Sincerely, Deb Carlson Edina Nordic Parent From: To: Subject: Date: Paul Arbisi Edina Mail Ski Trails at Braemer Park with snow making. Monday, June 20, 2016 9:55:47 PM Edina City Council Members, I am writing in strong support of funding for development of nordic ski trails at Braemar Park. I am a 22 year Edina resident and an avid runner, biker, and nordic skier. I served as a parent coach of the Edina Nordic Ski Team when my daughter attended Edina High School and was able to observe how important participation in a life- long sport such as Nordic skiing was to the physical and emotional development of adolescent boys and girls. With nearly 200 middle and high school students joining the Edina Nordic Team each year exercise habits are being laid down that will persist through adulthood leading to heathy and productive citizens. Unfortunately, the climate has become less predictable and access to skiable trails limited due to increasingly common warm and snowless winters. Providing a reliable venue for nordic skiing in the City of Edina is essential in order to promote winter aerobic activity to a wide age range of Edina residents from pre-schoolers to retired grandparents. As someone who exercises outdoors year round and who is approaching retirement age, I look forward to being able to exercise regularly throughout the year by running, biking or skiing on the trails at Braemar. Again, I strongly encourage you to vote to approve development of ski trails at Braemar Park that include snow making. Regards, Paul A. Arbisi, Ph.D. From: Mark Bixby To: Edina Mail Subject: Strong Support for Braemar Park Ski Trail Development Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 10:00:53 PM Dear Edina City Council, As an Edina resident for the past 23 years I want to voice my strong support for development of the Braemar Park ski trails, including snow making. • Our high school ski team needs a place to practice. The team is losing much of its practice area at the high school due to needed construction, but without local trails our ski team will be limited to one on-snow practice each week - not nearly enough to be competitive. Other local areas with snow-making are over-used and our kids cannot get sufficient time on snow. Nordic skiing is the third largest sport at Edina High School with nearly 200 athletes competing each season. • With warming temperatures, snow conditions are not coming early enough and not staying long enough without snow-making. BUT with snow making, we can have great conditions from the start of December (maybe earlier) through the middle of March. • Cross country skiing is a life-long sport that can engage kids even before elementary school all the way through the 8th decade and beyond. It is one of the best aerobic sports known. In this era of increasing obesity and increasingly sedentary life styles, cross country is a great way for our community members to be active outdoors, in the winter, doing something that's good for them, and good for the community. I urge you as our representatives to take this important step in maintaining the vitality of Edina and support Braemar Park ski trail development, including snow-making. Thank you - Mark Bixby 4600 France Ave S Edina (612) 867-4687 From: John Horns To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemer Nordic Center with artificel snow capability Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 10:06:01 PM Hello Edina City Council, Please vote yes for the move to build nordic trails with artificial snow making capability at Braemer park. This resource will benefit the Edina community as well as the broader nordic community in the Twin Cities. Building ski trails at Braemar is also critical for the future of the Edina Nordic Ski Team. The team is losing most of our current 5km of practice space at the high school because of the new construction and the building of the Nine Mile Creek Trail. The Nordic program is the 3rd larges sport at the Edina High School with nearly 200 athletes. We will not have enough space for the team to practice anymore. Because of climate change, we can no longer count on natural snowfall to consistently cover the local ski trails. Making artificial snow works, but there isn't enough of it to go around. Currently we get 1 practice slot at Hyland Park each week. We can't be competitive with this practice schedule. Thank you for your attention on this issue. Think snow! John Horns 6101 Jeffrey Lane Edina, MN 55436 From: To: Subject: Date: Rhoda Bernstein Edina Mail Ski Trails at Braemar Monday, June 20, 2016 10:19:35 PM Hi, I was excited to learn that Edina city council had voted to design and study building ski trails at Braemar Park with snow making. I was disappointed to learn that in the last week or so, other priorities have risen to the top, and the council put a hold on further development of the Braemar Park ski trails until 6/21. I am writing to urge the council to vote in favor of this project. Building ski trails at Braemar is in the best interest of our community. If we are to encourage and promote lifetime year- round activities, having ski trails in our community is essential. Nordic skiing is one of the few winter activities that all ages can enjoy together. It is also absolutely critical for the future of the Edina HS Nordic Ski Program. With construction of the Nine Mile Creek trail, we are losing most of the existing 5km of practice space at the high school. New construction at the high school has already eliminated almost a kilometer of trails and next summer, we will lose two more kilometers and lose the best hills, as the Nine Mile Creek Trail is completed.. The Nordic Ski program is the 3rd largest sport at Edina High School, with nearly 200 athletes. They will not have enough space for the team to practice and we will be faced with traveling to county parks WHEN we can get practice slots. Currently, we only get about 1 practice slot at Hyland Park each week. We can't be competitive with only one on-snow practice a week. For these reasons I ask that the city council expedite planning and funding ski trails with snow making at Braemar. Respectfully, Rhoda Bernstein Rhodabernstein@msn.com 952.393.3773 Sent from my mobile phone.. .please excuse any typos. From: To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Skiing Trails Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 10:46:58 PM Hi council members, my name is Ben Brandt and I'll be a senior next year at EHS. I've been on the Nordic Ski team for 4 years and I'll be a captain in the upcoming season. As you know, most of the Nordic trails that we use to train and practice on will be destroyed by the ongoing construction and athletic facilities being built around the lower fields. Without being able to practice right by our school, having a practice facility at Braemar would help our teams by leaps and bounds. If we don't have this at braemar, the only place that we'll be able to practice at is Hylands in Bloomington where we can only get 1 practice slot per week, we have to pay to practice there, it is 20 minuets away, and it is extremely difficult to get the entire team there. Allowing this referendum to pass would give our team a great practice area where we can continue our state-wide reputation as an extremely successful program. Nordic Skiing is the 3rd biggest sport at the high school with more than 200 people on the team. It would just be impossible for everyone to squeeze into the now tiny lower fields, but having a snow making loop nearby would be incredible for our team. Personally, Nordic skiing has had the biggest impact than anything else on my high school career. I've met all or my friends by skiing through the woods training for upcoming races, and losing this area is devastating for our team and also for me. Skiing by the high school is an incredible thing, to be exercising outside in the Minnesota winter, but construction ruins the whole experience. And while the construction is no doubt needed, I think that a skiing loop at braemar is also needed. Thank you for reading this, and I hope you will take this into consideration before the vote. From: To: Subject: Date: Hello, Nancy Sinvkin Edina Mail Braemar Park Ski Trails Development project Monday, June 20, 2016 10:54:20 PM We are requesting that you vote yes to develop the Braemar Park Ski Trails and snow making. We would like to see Nordic Ski continue in Edina for our students. With over 200 kids involved in the Nordic ski program, it is important that you vote yes. We would like to see the Nordic Ski program continue in Edina. If you don't vote yes, the kids will no longer be able to practice and the program may not continue. Please vote Yes on this project. Our middle school and high school kids would love for this program to continue. Thanks, The Sinykins From: Kaden Family To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar ski trails Date: Monday, June 20, 2016 11:29:50 PM I am writing in support of Edina investing in the development of Nordic ski trails at Braemar. It would be a fantastic addition to our already strong options for community and family recreation. Please vote yes to Nordic ski trails at Braemar! The Karlen family 6704 Samuel Road aokfamilymn@gmail.com Sent from my iPhone From: andvthoigaards.com To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Project Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 11:29:55 AM I am writing you in support of the proposed Braemar Winter Project. While I understand that this is not an inexpensive undertaking it is a project that has the potential to provide year round recreational opportunities in an underutilized portion of Braemar. As a ski coach and skier and Edina resident the availability of ski trails in my community is a great community amenity. There are also potential recreational uses for these trails in non winter months which would also be a benefit. Please consider the long range impact of this project as you meet this evening. Andy Turnbull Coach Edina HS Nordic Ski Team 5437 Halifax Ln Edina 55424 From: Andrea L Brandt To: Edina Mail Subject: Ski trails Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 11:10:05 AM - Please consider voting to support ski trails at Braemar. Our middle son will be a co-captain next year and is very dedicated to the sport. Our oldest son skied on the team, too, before graduating from EHS. Having two kids in this sport, I have been able to appreciate all that this sport provides for kids at such a formative time. Besides incredible excercise, it creates a love and appreciation of the outdoors. Given the huge number of kids in the program, I believe the team contributes to a generation that will learn to love the outdoors and be good stewards of our planet when they are adults. The team needs a place to practice. We are losing our trails at EHS. Please vote to create some trails (and snow making ability) so these kids have a place to ski in years to come. Thanks for reading! Andrea From: Craig Brandt To: Edina Mail Subject: Request for City Council members -- Please support funding for a Nordic ski trail at Braemar Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 11:04:59 AM I am a long-time Edina resident, who has a son that is active on the Edina high school cross country ski team. This team is extremely popular and it provides a healthy, outdoor exercise opportunity for literally hundreds of high school kids each year. The team is thriving and growing. The team HAS for years USED A PRACTICE TRAIL IN AND Around TE HIGH SCHOOL AND Creek Valley school properties, but much of that trail is being lost due to the high school construction project and the new bike trail that is being constructed. I think it would be a very smart move for the health and attractiveness of Edina to its citizens if a cross country ski trail were developed on the Braemar property. What a wonderful and low cost way for the city to promote the health of its citizens by providing such a trail for public use. Such a trail would also be actively used by the Edina HS program. This type of training trail is needed for that program to continue on its outstanding growth path. Such at trail would also allow Edina citizens to benefit from the huge Braemar property during the six months of each year when it cannot be used for golf. As far as I can tell now, that facility is essentially unused for half of each year. I strongly urge the city council to allocate funding for this initiative. Thanks, Craig Brandt 6524 Nordic Drive From: Jan Guenther To: Edina Mail Subject: FW: trials in Edina Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 10:26:36 AM From: Jan Guenther [mailto:gearwest@gearwest.com] Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 10:26 AM To: 'mailto:mail@edinamn.goV <mailtormail@edinamn.gov> Cc: 'mattl@gearwest.com' <mattl@gearwest.com> Subject: trials in Edina The Edina Nordic team has been and can continue to be one of the largest and best ski teams in the metro area. And, the only way for the team to flourish is through dedicated coaching (which it has) AND reasonable access to good skiing and close skiing. Building trails in Braemar will allow the kids to ski! And when kids ski, they stay with the sport and as anyone who studies the statistics of HS skier, you know that the very best students chose to ski. These kids are who the HS wants-- intelligent, focused, and clean of drugs. Their athletic ski interests bring so much back to the school of Edina. Please vote yes for such a healthy and simple way of supporting 200+ kids of Edina. Sincerely, Jan Jan Guenther Owner Gear West Ski & Bike Gear West Alpine & Casual 763-458-5834 From: Jen Komoelien To: Edina Mail Subject: Snow making at Braemar Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 10:04:51 AM Please, please, please support snow making at Braemar. The EHS Nordic team is one of the most positive experiences the high school has to offer for SO MANY kids- 200! We need your support to create a place they can ski given all the changes at the high school that are ruining our trails. Thank you!!! Jen Jennifer Kompelien Open Dynamics, Inc. www.opendynamics.com p 952.920.8045 jen©opendynamics.com accelerating business growth and development voice of client I strategic planning I team development From: To: Subject: Date: Judith Brumfield Edina Mail Mountain Biking at Braemar Tuesday, June 21, 2016 9:48:27 AM Please give serious consideration to developing a mountain biking opportunity in an undeveloped area of Braemar. A growing number of young residents are developing skills in this positive recreational activity. A dedicated area would encourage healthy activity while not interfering with other uses. Judith Brumfield 5301 Pinewood Trail Edina From: Ellen Jones To: Edina Mail; Bob Stewart; Kevin Staunton; Mary Brindle (Comcast; Ann Swenson; James Hovland Subject: Say YES to Braemar Nordic Trails! Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 9:25:12 AM Dear Honorable Mayor James Hovland and City Council: I am writing to ask that you give Parks staff direction to proceed with the Braemar Winter Recreation Area design, feasibility study and bid documents. If Council decides to stop this initiative, it will mean that the 200 member Nordic Ski Team will have no appropriate place to train. The City is allowing Three Rivers Park District with its Nine Mile Creek Trail to destroy the trail system that the Nordic Team spent years developing. The ski team will have no where else to practice once the Nine Mile trail is built, the Nine Mile trail is not skiable! In my six years on the Edina Park Board, I have never encountered the Parks Department relinquishing land used for one sport, without providing a reasonable alternative location. Just a few years ago, the Nordic Team sought and obtained approval by the City to create trails on the parkland by the high school. The Nordic Ski Team invested over $30,000 in snow making and grooming equipment and has given hours serving the community by making snow and grooming the trails that will be destroyed by the Nine Mile trail. That trails network built by the team will be reduced from about 5 km down to about 1 km after the Nine Mile trail goes through. These trails have been open to the public and enjoyed by many Edina residents of all ages. Consider what would happen if you asked football, lacrosse, baseball or soccer parents to level, mow, stripe and irrigate their own practice fields, as Nordic has done to create their training trails? And, after they have created a field, destroy it — leaving them with NO place to practice. What seismic display would be in Council Chambers? I have seen what expressions of protest just changing the hours of practice for swimming and hockey brought out from our community. While Nordic skiers are pretty nice people, who probably won't send you letters full of nasty bits, please don't disregard us because of it. Actually, please consider building the trails because you would like Nordic skiers to come to Edina, you'd like more of us hard-working, non-complaining, physically fit folks in town! If you want even more reasons to pursue next steps for the Braemar Winter Recreation Area, here they are: There is no other place this team can practice. Three Rivers Parks will not allow any team to practice more than one day per week at their facilities. The Nordic Ski Team currently is among the top three largest teams at the high school along with cross country and track. The Nordic Ski Team has over 200 skiers and 11 coaches. It offers a spot on the team for every skill level — with top state finishers most years and also many novices in this non-cut sport. The Nordic Ski Team emphasizes social equity by welcoming all interested skiers with a ski equipment rental program, free for skiers with financial needs and affordable for all first time skiers. This creates a much needed welcoming, healthy after-school sport and recreational activity serving youth in the entire community. Nordic skiing is an endurance sport, needing hills and kilometers to appropriately train. No other city park nor school property offers the combination of terrain and distance as is possible at Braemar. Providing opportunities for residents to recreate all year long is something that makes cities premier places to live. Edina has an opportunity with this project to make Braemar a cluster of winter activity, with each component building off of the other to create a place that creates community. Edina residents have asked for more trails. It is the top item mentioned on the Community Needs Survey. Edina residents have also asked for nature trails. This is another top item on the Community Needs Survey. These trails can be used by the general public and can be used year round. The Nordic community is not asking for an off-season training facility, as is provided by the city for other youth sports with the Braemar sports and golf domes. Nor is it asking for a year-round training facility, as the city provides hockey and swimming with the Arena and Edinborough pool. The Nordic community is also not asking to upgrade and staff warming houses in all local parks and provide groomed trails in these local parks. Some youth sports are truly over served in this city. Nordic is asking Edina if it could just continue to provide at least one place to train IN SEASON. Nordic skiing is a popular, life long sport with skiers of all ages participating and bringing families together for outdoor activity. The current trails at Braemar are in need of maintenance to stop further erosion and maintain their safety. This project will create safe and sustainable year-round trails. Please direct staff to continue with design and feasibility of the Braemar Winter Recreation Area. Sincerely, Ellen Jones From: To: Cc: Subject: Date: Bruce Freeman Edina Mail ted vouet; Ted Youel; Rich Jahnke; Ann Kattreh Nordic ski trails and tubing meeting tonight Tuesday, June 21, 2016 9:18:04 AM I just found out there is a meeting tonight to discuss Nordic ski trails and tubing at Braemar and possibly approve a feasibility study. While I support Nordic ski and tubing, I am extremely concerned and upset that this one initiative for one sport could move ahead while the mtn biking community has been told repeatedly that no work can proceed until there is a master plan for Braemar which is waiting for funding to even start the planning process. However many people you have supporting Nordic skiing, which again the mtn biking community would support and is good, I can easily guarantee we can get twice the number of people at a meeting to support mtn biking at Braemar. I have three major concerns: One, that the city council truly understands the incredible amazing, unbelievable, fantastic, and unusual terrain we have at Braemar for mtn biking. We are so lucky compared to other cities in having this special unique terrain even available for consideration. Plus we want to use terrain that nobody else wants, the sides of hills. Mtn biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and also the absolute very cheapest to create with almost zero maintenance costs. Two, that the mountain biking community is kept fully aware of any new planned use of terrain at Braemar so we can work together to make sure both uses are not compromised. There is a very specific plan ready for consideration of Braemar that creates a circular trail system around the entire park. Three, we the mtn biking community have been repeatedly told that no preliminary planning of any kind can be done until the Braemar master plan process begins which is still waiting for funding to even begin so we are very disturbed that one sport is potentially getting the go ahead while we have to wait. We want to be included in any discussion of land use at Braemar to ensure that one use does not preclude the use of mtn biking. If one sport can jump ahead of us we will be mobilizing our supporters and demanding that we should also be a part of an early feasibility study. A mtn biking trail system at Braemar would be a fantastic community asset at a fraction of normal recreational facilities cost whose maintenance is done solely by volunteers of that community. The mtn biking community demands that we should have a right to state our case before the council to be considered in an early feasibility study along with Nordic skiing. We have not come forward up til now because we have been repeatedly told by Ann Katreh head of parks and rec that no sport can move forward until the Braemar master plan begins, yet here Nordic skiing is being considered ahead of all other sports. Why is that? If we make enough noise will we be able to move forward as well? We will not stand for this injustice and demand that mtn biking be considered along with Nordic skiing to protect the future land use of Braemar for mtn biking. From: slebakkeragmaiLcom on behalf of Sue Lebakken To: Edina Mail. Subject: Nordic ski trails at Braemar Park Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 9:01:47 AM City council members, Edina's high school Nordic team is in desperate need of your time and attention to the addition of ski trails at Braemar Park. Our daughter is entering 10th grade and looks forward to being part of some exciting years with the talented girls' team that is in line for a possible state title in the next few years. But they need a place to practice. The high school construction, warmer winters and competition for snow at Hyland is going to make it tough for the team, the coaches and the parents to find places to practice for the team. Please vote yes to keep the plan moving forward for ski trails at Braemar Park. Regards, Sue Lebakken, parent From: Johnson. Gary To: Edina Mail Subject: Ski trails at Braemar Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 8:49:45 AM Dear City Council, I am writing in strong support of putting snow making capabilities in at Braemar. This is essential for our community. We are losing our trails at the high school. There are over 200 students on the Edina Nordic team. They only get to ski at Hyland once per week. This is essential for the team. And also for the community. Nordic skiing is an inexpensive, family activity. This is a long winter in MN. Our community needs access to these trails in the winter. Please support this. Thank you, Gary Gary R. Johnson Apogee Enterprises. Inc. I Vice-President & Treasurer "Distinctive Solutions for Enclosing Commercial Buildings and Framing Art" 4400 West 78th Street, Suite 520, Minneapolis, MN 55435 Tel: 952-487-7542 I giohnsonPapog.com www.apog.com The information contained in this e-mail message and any attachments is proprietary and intended only for the confidential use of the designated recipient named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error please notify us immediately at the e-mail address listed above. Thank you. From: Darren Ruschy To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar cross country ski trails - please vote yes Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 8:40:23 AM As a resident of Edina, cross-country skier and father of a member of the Edina cross-country ski team, I am asking you to vote yes tonight to move the snow-making trail project at Braemar Park forward. Cross-country skiers depend on two things to enjoy their sport — snow and proper grooming of ski trails. The last two winters have resulted in little natural snow. This resulted in skiers packing the man-made trails at Hyland in Bloomington or Elm Creek Park in Maple Grove. Furthermore, practice time at either of these places is limited to one practice slot a week for high school skiers. Furthermore, the snow making at the High School that the team has relied upon is basically withering away due to the construction at the High School and the extension of the Nine Mile Creek trail. We can do better. By voting yes tonight, you are ensuring good snow and proper grooming for the Edina High School ski team, citizen skiers of Edina and people from surrounding communities. Edina has a long- standing tradition of doing the right thing for its residents. Please continue that tradition by supporting the Braemar Park snow making project tonight. Regards, Darren Ruschy 612-840-6070 From: To: Cc: Subject: Date: Mosborg, Carri A Edina Mail Carri Ann Mosborq; Amanda Grace Mosbora; smosboroftgmail.com; "ahinrichsmsn,com" Ski Trails & Snowmaking at Braemar - YES! Tuesday, June 21, 2016 8:20:36 AM Dear Edina City Council Members: I am writing (again) to say I wholeheartedly support this proposal and hope that it is approved. While a death in the family made it necessary for us to move from Edina to Bloomington last summer, my daughter still attends Edina High School (senior this fall) and participates in varsity track, cross country and Nordic. She was one of the team members who competed at the State Nordic meet last year (you may know that it was the first time the Edina girls team had qualified for State in several decades). I am aware of the amount of ski trails near Edina High School that will be lost as a result of construction at Nine Mile Creek, etc., and that is worrisome. New trails and snowmaking at Braemar would be a wonderfully positive addition to the community and help keep our teens involved in healthy activity/competition. Please vote "yes" to move this project forward. Thank you for your consideration and all that you do! Carri Mosborg Executive Assistant • Allina Health Group Phone: 612-262-5204 • Fax: 612-262-4091 • carri.mosborg@allina.com Mail Route 10307 • 2925 Chicago Avenue • Minneapolis, MN 55407-1321 Executive Assistant to: Earl Beitzel, Vice President, Finance & Business Development Finance Directors: Kim Dembsky, Steve Drake, Bob Peterson, Diane Soderstrom C. Alan Steed, PhD, Clinical Director & Regional Lead Clinician, Allina Health Mental Health and Addiction Services Coordinator for: Primary Care Operations Meeting (PCOM) Primary Care Lead Clinicians Meeting This message contains information that is confidential and may be privileged. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the addressee), you may not use, copy or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail and delete the message. From: To: Subject: Date: Hello! Zdechlik, Mary J Edina Mail Please support Nordic ski trails at Braemar! Tuesday, June 21, 2016 7:57:34 AM Please support Nordic ski trails at Braemar! The city of Edina is in need of more winter sport options, a chance to get outside in winter, great exercise! Because of the construction at HS, they are losing much of their practice area. This is one of the largest sports team at Edina, and teaches kids a lifelong, healthy skill- skiing! Thank you! Mary Zdechlik This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately. From: To: Subject: Date: Laura and Jim RubiR Edina Mail Building Nordic Ski Trails at Braemar Tuesday, June 21, 2016 7:46:12 AM Dear City Council: I understand that the City Council is contemplating building Nordic Ski Trails at Braemar. I want to speak out in support of the idea. We are long time Edina residents with four kids in the school district. We are proud to be living here and are very active in the community and schools. Nordic skiing is one such activity our entire family is engaged in. Three of our four kids have already been active in Edina Nordic skiing and the fourth will start in a couple of years. As parents we also engage in Nordic skiing to stay healthy. Currently there are no good places for our family to Nordic ski in the city of Edina. Adding trails at Braemar would provide families and Edina schools with yet another excellent outdoor activity to enjoy. Please consider adding Nordic Ski trails as another way to distinguish our already awesome inner city suburb! From: Tom Rock To: .Edina Mail Subject: Braemar Ski Trails Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 7:22:56 AM I write in support of the proposal to study the feasibility of constructing ski trails at Braemar. My family has been skiing in the metro area for years, and two of my children have been members of the Edina High School Nordic Ski Team. Adding ski trails to Braemar would be a low cost, low maintenance way to make wonderful year-round use of Braemar golf course and the ski trails would be used by a huge number of Edina residents. In addition, the completion of the Nine Mile Creek bike and pedestrian trail will essentially render the ski trail at Edina High School unusable. Please vote in favor of continuing the study of this very important project. From: Paul Zdechlik To: Edina Mail Subject: Braemar ski trail-please vote yes! Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 5:55:02 AM Hello, Please support the Braemar cross country ski trail. We have two kids on the EHS Nordic team and a 10 year old who loves the sport and wants to be on the team in a few years. The EHS team is over 200 kids and growing every year! Without this new trail being built, there will virtually be no reasonable place to practice. It is hard to find ways to keep kids active during the winter and this ski trail not only supports the team but also the whole community of Edina. As a family of five, we ski in the winter at the high school and it is a great, inexpensive family activity. We often see other families out there as well using the ski trails. Please vote yes. Thank you, Paul Zdechlik From: To: Subject: Date: Katherine Chamberlain Edina Mail Braemar Nordic Ski Trails Tuesday, June 21, 2016 12:21:55 AM City council members, My name is Kate Chamberlain. I am a recent graduate of edina high school, and a three-year member of the edina nordic ski team. Over the years, I have come to love nordic ski, as it is not only a great way to workout and a competitive in a sport, but it has also been a place where I can meet new people and have fun with my teammates. I have enjoyed skiing the edina trails at the high school. There, skiers of all levels have the freedom to ski and be coached on our own trails. Having our own trails has been such a blessing, as it allows for more team bonding than you would expect. Wether its encouraging a teammate to push it to the top of the hill, or starting a game of ice rink boot soccer after practice, having the team all together in one place has allowed me to meet kids of different age levels and abilities actually interact with them, getting to know them and form lasting relationships. Teams who only practice at highlands generally have to separate into groups, and don't get to see people other than those in their ski group. This is ok if you are just in it to win the races, but when you look back on your high school days, do you actually think of the accomplishments you got? Or do you think of the fun you had meeting new people and the lasting relationships that you made? The other problem with practicing at highlands, as my former coaches provably already told you, is that we would only get a practice slot once a week, making it impossible to have a competitive team. I am no longer on the team, I graduated last year. If you didn't build the trails at Braemar, it would only affect me in that I would not have the convenience of my parents house being a short car drive of the trails. However, it would break my heart that my former teammates and future generations of skiers would no longer have the opportunity to bond with their teammates, all 200 of them, in the same way that I had the privilege to. It would also be difficult to see a team that could be great in a few more years instead be stunted because they were deprived of a place to train and develop competitive young skiers. Not to mention that nordic skiing is a great winter family activity that gets people outside in the cold months and is for people of all ages. It's hard to be against it, and being active can only be good for a community. Please approve show making at highlands. Thank you for your time (and hopefully vote). regardless I appreciate what you do, Kate Chamberlain Edina Highschool Class of 2016 Janet Canton From: Lynette Biunno on behalf of Edina Mail Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:52 AM To: 'Kathy Dahlheimer' Subject: RE: For the Attention of Council Winter plans for Braemar. Dear Kathleen, Thank you for your interest in the City of Edina. I have forwarded your message to the Mayor and Council members. If I can be of additional assistance to you please contact me. • Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 I Fax 952-826-0389 IbiunnoEdinaMN.qov I www.EdinaMN.clov From: Kathy Dahlheimer [mailto:kdahlheimerOcomcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:21 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: For the Attention of Council Winter plans for Braemar. Hello...Thank you for all the work you do and for the careful discussion you had last night regarding the plans for Braemar winter area. As a resident who probably will never use this area as well as the golf course I do understand that the concept is no doubt a good one and many families will enjoy. I watched the presentation and was really struck by the statement that they have planned for a 25 incline which they clearly state will be slow and non competitive with neighbors. What? Why would we invest in something that is not competitive? Apparently the incline should be 50 to be exciting for most tubers. As an outside observer this makes no sense. If you proceed (I hope you do not) then at least make it a place that will be in demand. I believe Park Board is really not on board as evidenced from their discussions and I think Kevin Staunton's comments regarding getting a much better picture of how many neighborhood projects will be delayed or just not done due to funds going for this project. While neighborhood warming houses and fields may not be "revenue generators" they are an important component for family life in the city for people of all ages. The price tag of about 3mil is a very educated guess, but how about the maintenance, operational costs, increase in insurance etc etc.? As the mayor said this needs to be vetted in front of citizens and not just the Nordic community. I am sorry the schools are losing their trails but this is much too expensive to not be considered by the community at large. Holding a meeting in July or August or frankly even immediately after summer vacation will not attract many citizens. Also these meetings are not well publicized....many of us seldom see an Edina Sun Current because they don't consistently deliver to all homes. The bulletin boards throughout the city are not really visible and seen by few citizens. I would suggest posting on Next Door for all neighborhoods as that seems to get some people out on matters that they are interested in. Given this will be yet another contributor to tax increases I am not so sure this is a good idea. I assume some research has been done to see how things have gone over at Hyland? The past couple of years even snow making was a challenge. I noted in the presentation they expect to make snow just a few times a year...so does that model imply that 1 in between the snow does not melt? I mean we really need to look at this from the new reality of climate change and our milder winters. As I watched the meeting there was only one council member fully on board with this and the rest although they voted to spend more of our money (except Bob Stewart) were clearly not fully on board. Please carefully look at this in terms of how many residents will use it regularly...not just once or twice per season but season pass type. Thank you for your consideration on this matter. Kathleen Dahlheimer 2 Janet Canton From: Lynette Biunno on behalf of Edina Mail Sent: Friday, June 24, 2016 8:06 AM To: 'Sara Jones' Subject: RE: Thank You Dear Sara, Thank you for your interest in the City of Edina. I have forwarded your message to the Mayor and Council members. If I can be of additional assistance to you please contact me. Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 I Fax 952-826-0389 Ibiunno@EdinaMN.gov I www.EdinaMN.gov Original Message From: Sara Jones [mailto:shiones05@gmail.corn] Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2016 8:57 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Thank You Dear Council Members and Mayor Hovland, Thank you for your consideration and support of the continued planning for Nordic ski trails at Braemar. I know it's not a simple proposal, but I'm confident that, working together, we can figure out a way to make the trails a successful reality. Please let me know if I can be of help. Best regards, Sara Jones 612-940-2485 1 Janet Canton From: Lynette Biunno on behalf of Edina Mail Sent: Friday, June 24, 2016 10:03 AM Subject: FW: X-Country ski trails Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 I Fax 952-826-0389 IbiunnoREdinaMN.qov I www.EdinaMN.qov From: Jonathon Chaffee [mailto:thechaffees@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, June 24, 2016 8:37 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: X-Country ski trails Hello: I realized that the X-Country ski trails by the Edina High School may be gone with the addition on to the school. A lot of people use these trails for skiing and running. Can these trails be groomed on Braemar as another option? My family and community will miss having these trails close to home. Soon we will have no more green spaces which is unfortunate. I am excited to hear of any options for running and X-country skiing. Thank you, Jonathon Chaffee and family 1 Janet Canton From: Lynette Biunno on behalf of Edina Mail Sent: Friday, June 24, 2016 10:04 AM To: 'Schaefer, Ph.d. Mark' Subject: RE: XC Ski Trails Good morning, Thank you for your interest in the City of Edina. I have forwarded your message to the Mayor and Council members. If I can be of additional assistance to you please contact me. Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 i Fax 952-826-0389 IbiunnoEdinaMN.aov I www.EdinaMN.ciov From: Schaefer, Ph.d. Mark [mailto:mtschaefer(acomcast.net] Sent: Friday, June 24, 2016 9:43 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: XC Ski Trails Dear City Council: I support XC Ski Trails in Edina. I have frequently used the high school trails and would appreciate continuing to use them, or having the Braemar option. Thank you, Mark Mark T. Schaefer,Ph.D. mtschaefercomcast.net 1 Janet Canton From: Ann Kattreh Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 9:23 AM To: Lynette Biunno Cc: Janet Canton; lizgenovese@aol.com Subject: Fwd: Braemar in winter Would you please put this in Council Correspondence? Thank you! Ann Kattreh, Parks & Recreation Director 952-826-0430 I Fax 952-826-0385 AKattreh@EdinaMN.gov I www.EdinaMN.gov Begin forwarded message: From: Liz Genovese <liz.genovese@gmail.com> Date: June 26, 2016 at 2:18:27 PM CDT To: <akattreh@edinamn.gov>, <chamber@edina.org>, <edinacouncil@edinamn.gov> Subject: Braemar in winter To Mayor Hovland, Council members and Ann Kattreh: I just caught part of the discussion on cable re: making snow for Braemar Park. I do not understand the priorities here. The City is pouring all kinds of money into all things Braemar and letting Arneson hang out to dry! Arneson is in danger of losing a lot of Austrian Pine. What is the plan to replace with suitable tree stock? Not to mention the development of the Park with a water feature and a nature play area, enhanced south end of the Allee for weddings etc. THe Edina Garden Council has been very active in enhancing the beauty of the Park and want the City to value this Park. It can produce some income but more importantly, it can be a place of refuge and beauty which is as much needed as hockey, baseball, soccer and lacrosse. Liz Genovese, Member Winahbar Garden Club. 1 Janet Canton From: Lynette Biunno on behalf of James Hovland Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 9:36 AM Subject: FW: Mtn biking at braemar and Nordic plan Attachments: Best Braemar Overlook With colored Trailsjpg; MtnBikingInfoforParkBoard12-5.PDF Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 I Fax 952-826-0389 IbiunnoEdinaMN.clov I www.EdinaMN.gov From: Bruce Freeman [mailto:brucefreeman050earthlink.net] Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2016 3:58 PM To: James Hovland Subject: Mtn biking at braemar and Nordic plan Mayor Hovland I was one of the two people who waited until the end of the council meeting on the 3 million dollar plan for x-c skiing and tubing and its related $330,000 consultation fee. Thank you very much for not fast tracking the project and asking for citizen input. I had just found out about the meeting the day before and I attended because I am extremely concerned about the plans' use of the terrain on the east side hills of Braemar because I believe that terrain should be preserved for mtn biking, not that the space can't be shared, but their plan makes that impossible as outlined. I was hoping we could met and talk about the Nordic plan and mtn biking. I have advocated for mtn biking at Braemar for quite a few years now which included a presentation to the park board, testifying at the citizens input meeting about the park system, a front page newspaper article in the Sun and numerous consultations with Ann Katreh. As it stands now, we have been repeatedly told by Ms. Katreh that no plans for any sport using Braemar can move ahead until the master plan is completed which doesn't even start until 2017. So I was extremely concerned and upset when I found out that one sport was possibly getting a fast track and even worse would use critical space that is needed for creating one of the finest mtn biking trails systems in the metro area. Also you should know that I spent the last 15 years as part of the management team running one of the most successful snow tubing operations in the twin cites at Buck Hill ski area so I am very knowledgeable about tubing costs and operations, snow making and all the related equipment. 1 My schedule is very flexible. I live in Edina and could meet you at a time convenient to you but hopefully as soon as possible as we are now organizing to have a massive presence with the Edina Mtn Biking team and all our other supporters at the citizens input meeting on the Nordic plan. We will also be making another presentation to the Park Board at their July meeting. I look forward to meeting with you and explaining what an incredible opportunity we have at Braemar because of the unique hilly terrain to make one of the finest mtn biking trail systems in the metro at a tiny fraction of the cost of the Nordic plan. Thank you for your time. Bruce Freeman 612-812-2180 PS I am sending you some information I gave to Ann Katreh a few years ago and a map I created that shows the general outline of the trail system. For some reason the layout of the file got messed up but you can still read it. Thanks again for reading this before we meet 2 The Ridges at Braemar Mountain Biking Information for Edina Parks and Rec. Dept. Mountain Biking is Riding bikes on narrow single track dirt trails that wind up and down and all around every type of terrain. A fun and exciting lifelong sport for families to ride together, have fun, and get fit. A fast growing sport that has communities and park system building trail systems all across the metro and the state. Wildly growing in popularity because its an outdoor active sport that is exciting, fast moving, a fantastic all body workout, and free once you have a bike. Becoming a high school sport with teams competing across the metro area. Edina High School is planning on forming a team this spring and would love a local trail for practicing and training. Mountain Biking is not.... Done on expensive paved trails, instead riders use narrow, one way single track dirt trails that are constructed at a fraction of the cost and require minimal upkeep. Dangerous, as each rider chooses the speed and the challenge of every trail by the way they ride the trail A sport that attracts the wrong kind of crowd. Most participants are middle aged males with money looking to get fit and have an exciting workout. Why is Braemar such a great place for mountain biking? The Ridges at Braemar will be built on fantastic, hard to come by hilly terrain featuring multiple ridgelines that is similar to the best terrain at Lebanon Hills in Eagan, and Murphy Hanrehan Park in Savage, two of the best trail systems in the metro area.. The trail system would access under utilized and seldom seen park property. The Ridges at Braemar can offer trails designed for all skill levels, have great exciting long downhill runs and super scenic ridgeline runs that could make it one of the best riding spots in the metro. A trail system easily fits into the park boundaries and works well with existing park users. What is the big vision for the area? The Ridges at Braemar if totally built in all possible areas could encircle Braemar Park with West-Ridge Paticing Future ,Swamp wood boardwalk , Exi8tingTkiat rig Walk Way Ai; 1992 'Braemar Golf Course 3 trail sections, two connecting trails, and a skills park. Note: This image represents the basic concept of the areas available for trails. It is not the final design. Nor do the narrow barely visible trails take up that much space. The Park has wooded areas on all sides around the golf course that could be used for trails The East Side Ridge runs along the golf course from Dewey Hill on the north, Gleason on the east and West 78th St on the south. Trail designers envision a stacked trail system with 4 skill levels with green beginner, blue intermediate, black advanced, and red expert. The trailhead could be the small parking lot on east side of golf course entrance. There would be a skills park on the flats just east of the parking lot that is very viewable from passing traffic. The West Side Ridges run on both sides of Braemar Blvd from the baseball fields on the north to the frontage road on the south, the golf course on the east and the ice arena and training center and utility city shed on the west. An advantage of the west ridge area is its lack of residential neighbors. Ideally the east and west ridge sections would be connected with a two way route on the south side that uses an existing gravel roadway and plastic floating boardwalk for most of the distance and a new winding wood boardwalk through wooded marsh area for the remainder of the distance. The smallest potential area for trails is on the North Side of the park and would wind around the northernmost part of the executive par 3 golf course. It could also connect the east and west side ridges. The project could be built in phases over a few years or it could just as easily be built in its entirety in a few months time once it was approved. Who is supporting this effort? Edina Citizens. See their support with e-mails and meeting attendance. Supporters of the trail would also provide extensive volunteer labor to reduce the cost and form the core of the long term maintenance crew MORC Minnesotans for Off Road Cycling. MORC has been in the leadership role of developing the majority of trail systems across the metro. The President of MORC, Reed Smidt will be part of the presentation team and be handling the question and answer session. Edina High School Bike Club. Riders and coaches are trying to get the club organized and competing against other high schools. Young people involved in the sport will be part of the presentation team. Trail designers and trail contractors of Cuyuna Trails in Crosby MN. The top rated trail in the Minnesota. A huge success story in revitalizing the local area. Tim Wegner, the co-lead designer of Cuyuna will be part of the presentation team. How would the tail system get made? Trails are either constructed by professional trail designers and contractors, or large groups of volunteers and/or a combination of the two. The costs if built by professional contractors are approx. $3.00+ - per running foot or approximately $15,000 to $16,000 per mile. We envision the total trail system to be 5 to 7 miles long, so approx. $75,000 to $100,000 if fully funded by the city for a professional trail designer to come in and do %100 of the work. We would like to use the City of Woodbury's experience in building a very similiar size trail system, Carver Lake, and their trail within a small park area that already had many different users and closeby residential neighbors. By being open and cooperative with residential neighbors, writing successful federal matching fund grants for recreational trail building, tapping into non-profits like the Tree Trust and the many biking community volunteers, and critically having a strong advocate and project manager in the park and rec dept., the final hard city cost was a small fraction of the original cost estimate that is similar to ours We know that the city has already released its 2 year capital expenditures report which doesn't include mountain biking, although there is money for biking in general, but we still think the city could easily move ahead in 4 areas: 1. Authorize Initial Trail Design Authorize a fee for initial trail design of the entire area after the Commission selects a designer from an open bid process. This will include a close inspection of the entire terrain that can be used for trails and making an inventory of the area. 2. Begin talking with other park users and neighbors about project. Whatever is normally done when considering a new project. 3. Get bids on construction cost. Once trail design is complete, get cost bids on project using normal methods of selecting contractors on any city project 4. Appoint someone in Parks and Rec. Dept to be in charge of project. So that all the various people involved in the project can work together, develop action plan and start grant writing. In the metro area here is what other communities are doing Minneapolis Theodore Wirth 6 miles blue trails with a black cutoff to skills area.. Eagan Lebanon Hills 12 miles green, blue, black and red stacked trail system. Skills training park. Parking Lot with bathrooms and changing rooms. Savage Murphy Hammerhan Has some ridge sections similar to Braemar. Part of a huge park system. Woodbury Carver Lake A great example of what we could accomplish in Edina with very limited space and multiple park users and intimate neighborhood input. Elk River Hillside Champlin Elm Creek Burnsville Salem Hills Bloomington River Bottoms St. Paul Battle Creek Chaska Oaks Metro Cities and Park Systems have constructed numerous mountain biking trail parks across the twin cities seven county area . Mountain Biking trail systems have minimal impact on the natural environment. The trails are designed to become a natural part of the environment. A good one is kinda like a slightly larger deer trail that follows the natural topography of the area and is partially hidden from view from all the foliage. The fun and exciting trails bring new people into the park, especially rarely visited areas that many people don't even know exist. Initial costs are very low, and can easily be combined with federal grant money and volunteer efforts to be a shining example of prudent uses of community resources. Maintenance requirements are minimal and mostly done by the local biking community. Mountain Biking is a fantastic way to stay healthy. Not only does it provide a robust cardio workout and turns your legs into steel, it tightens up your core, strengthens your back, and improves your balance and fine motor skills. Plus it is so much fun. People love riding the trails, being outdoors, losing themselves in the joy of the moment, and experiencing the pure exhilaration of movement and athleticism that is mountain biking. We would also like to incorporate buckthorn removal efforts during the trail building. The existing environmental situation is quite bad in that almost the entire area is being completely overrun by buckthorn so as the existing oaks, poplar and other trees die out, there are no new young trees to replace them, so eventually there will be only buckthorn left. Our clearing crew volunteers can clear huge areas if the city can help provide removal of cut trees from the site. These buckthorn removal efforts could be concentrated along the ridge tops to create stunning views from the new trails of the golf course, and the surrounding parklands. A rare elevated panoramic view in Edina Parks. Now is the perfect time to get started on a exciting natural addition to the city's Park System, a first class mountain biking trail system that uses seldom visited parkland, begins serious restoration of our magnificent oak forests, and offers proven health benefits to all ages. Behind this project is a large group of enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and entrepreneurial minded supporters who know how to get things done and want to cut the cities hard cost to a minimum, yet provide residents with a first class but very inexpensive long term asset that can dramatically improve participants overall health, vitality, and simple happiness.. Reference Material We believe the that Woodbury's experience in designing and building Carver Lake mountain biking trails is the perfect match for our effort to build a trail system around Braemar Park. Reed Smidt was that critical leader in the Woodbury Parks and Rec dept, that wrote the grant, worked with all the different players, and monitored the daily construction. He will be our featured speaker at the presentation. You Tube Videos "Cuyuna Mtn Biking" " Lebanon Hills mtn biking" "Theo Wirth mtn biking", "Carver Lake mtn biking" Every mtn biking place in minnesota has a Go Pro Helmet cam ride of the trail system plus endless more videos of every place in the metro and outstate mn Trail Maps: Cuyuna, Theodore Wirth, Lebanon Hills, Carver Lake. etc. Topographical Map of Area with a preliminary layout of a possible trail system. Google Earth Overview Marked for Parking, possible trail outline and color coded for phase I, II, and III Site Info and pictures Oak Savanna totally overrun with buckthorn, Soil glacial moraine. Existing walking trail system running down ridgelines that are rarely used. Open Invitation to walk the terrain and ride other cities trail system. Invitation to all members of the board to go riding and see what the excitement is all about. We provide bikes as needed and a tour of any of the great trail systems around the metro so you could really understand the idea better and realize the Braemar area's potential to become a premier training ground for our high school student athletes. Also just to walk the seldom seen terrain that is so special but needs saving from buckthorn. Janet Canton From: Lynette Biunno on behalf of Edina Mail Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 10:47 AM To: 'Brandt, Andrea (RIS-MIN)' Subject: RE: Ski trails at Braemar Dear Andrea, Thank you for your interest in the City of Edina. I have forwarded your message to the Mayor and Council members. If I can be of additional assistance to you please contact me. Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 I Fax 952-826-0389 Ibiunno@EdinaMN.gov I www.EdinaMN.gov Original Message From: Brandt, Andrea (RIS-MIN) [mailto:andrea.brandtPlexisnexis.com] Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2016 10:31 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Ski trails at Braemar Hi, I wrote in already as a parent of child on the EHS nordic ski team. But I am writing again as an adult and Edina resident that loves to ski. I am 49 and started skiing as a child. In the past 5 years, I have purchased new skis/boots and resumed skiing. Sometimes I go to Wirth or Hylands but I usually ski where the nordic ski team practices since we live just down the street. I am sad that will no longer be an option but would happy to go to Braemar if there were groomed trails. I attended an event at Braemar this past winter where Hoigaards brought in snowshoes and we went around the golf course under a full moon and then ate fish fry at Tin Fish. It was nice to see the clubhouse in use as well as the lovely grounds. We should take advantage of this gorgeous property year round. Please consider finding a project to make snow and groom trails at Braemar for the Nordic Ski team and also residents. Thank you, Andrea The information contained in this e-mail message is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above. This message may be an attorney-client communication and/or work product and as such is privileged and confidential. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. 1 Janet Canton From: Lynette Biunno on behalf of Edina Mail Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2016 9:49 AM To: 'Tracy Hartmann' Subject: RE: Nordic ski trails at Braemar golf course Dear Tracy, Thank you for your interest in the City of Edina. I have forwarded your message to the Mayor and Council members. If I can be of additional assistance to you please contact me. Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 I Fax 952-826-0389 IbiunnoEdinaMN.riovj www.EdinaMN.gov From: Tracy Hartmann [mailto:trhartmann@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 9:58 PM To: Edina Mail Subject: Nordic ski trails at Braemar golf course To the council: Our family is in support of cross country ski trails at Braemar golf course. As avid skiers, we currently have to go to Minneapolis or Bloomington and it would be wonderful to have our own city trails. I think a trail fee would be more than reasonable and help offset some costs. There are many users of the nordic trails within not only the Edina athletic teams but also among community members. Please consider this proposal and count another family in support. Thank you, Tracy Hartmann 1 Janet Canton From: Lynette Biunno on behalf of Edina Mail Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2016 4:08 PM To: 'paulacolestock@yahoo.com' Subject: RE: Contact Us form submission Dear Paula, Thank you for your interest in the City of Edina. I have forwarded your message to the Mayor and Council Chambers. If I can be of additional assistance to you please contact me. Lynette Biunno, Receptionist 952-927-8861 I Fax 952-826-0389 Ibiunno@EdinaMN.gov I www.EdinaMN.qov From: paulacolestock@yahoo.com [mailto:paulacolestock@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2016 11:52 AM To: Edina Mail Subject: Contact Us form submission Name: Paula Colestock Organization: Website: paulacolestock@yahoo.com Address 1: 6613 southcrest drive Address_2: City: edina State: MN Zip Code: 55435 Email: paulacolestock@yahoo.com Phone: 6128055508 Referrer: other Message: Yes! Please add fat tire bike paths and mountain bike paths at Braemar. They would be used by the Edina Cycling Team as well as the many avid cyclists in Edina. Thanks, Paula Colestock 2 July 12, 2016 Park Board Susan Faus Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Proposed Rosland Park Playground Replacement Design Information / Background: The current playground structure at Rosland Park was designed and installed in 1996. It is one of the oldest playgrounds in Edina. The city has $375,000 budgeted in CIP funds to replace the playground structures at Rosland and Weber parks in 2016. $200,000 was budgeted for Rosland Park and $175,000 for Weber Park. Rosland Park is one of the most used playgrounds in the city and the primary focus of the replacement is an inclusive playground design. The goal is to make the playground usable by people of all abilities. The proposed design is 100% accessible via wheelchair. The cost for the proposed design for the playground structure and safety surface at Rosland Park is $275,000. Fortunately, the estimated cost to replace the playground structure at Weber Park with a comparable size structure is $100,000. So we are able to use the additional funds to achieve the inclusive playground design at Rosland Park. The original $175,000 was budgeted to include a rubber poured in place safety surface. After meeting with the neighborhood on multiple occasions, it was determined that the residents wanted a wood fiber safety surface instead of the rubber surface. The elements that were considered in the playground design were the actual play features, play value, safety, accessibility and cost. The playground vendor selected to work on the project is Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground. This company sells GAMETIME equipment. Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground designed and installed the playgrounds at Countryside and Chowen parks. This vendor was selected for several reasons: • GAMETIME equipment is listed on U.S. Communities purchasing contract so we are guaranteed the lowest pricing. • City staff has been very pleased with the service and quality of the equipment. • Staff has received very positive feedback from community members on the creativity and play value of the GAMETIME playground equipment. REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 2 Staff worked with the vendor on the initial playground design. On June 14, 2016 staff presented the initial design to Park Board committee members Koren Nelson and Eileen McAwley for feedback. The vendor made changes to the design based on the feedback from the Park Board members; the revised design was displayed at a community open house on June 21, 2016. Members of the community who live 1,000 feet from Rosland Park were invited to share ideas and provide feedback. There are three main industry standard safety surfaces recommended for playgrounds: 1. Engineered wood fiber ( EWF) 2. Envirofill Turf (artificial turf without infill) 3. Poured-in-place rubber surface All three options comply with ADA accessibility standards. The least expensive safety surface is the EWF followed by Envirofill Turf and poured-in place rubber surface. The EWF requires the most maintenance. The wood fiber needs to be raked and additional fill needs to be added occasionally. The useful life for the turf and rubber surface is approximately 15 years. Staff presented the safety surface options to Park Board members Koren Nelson and Eileen McAwley who, based on the project budget, recommended staff to move forward with the Envirofill Turf surface. The approximate cost for the turf surface is $40,000 less than the poured-in place rubber surface. The turf safety surface meets all ADA accessibility standards, allows us to add significantly more play features and stay within the project budget. The inclusive playground design is geared for ages 2-12. The Powerscape play unit is geared for ages 5-12 while the Nature Place unit is geared for ages 2-5. The proposed design offers play features that will be challenging for the older kids yet safe and fun for the younger ages. The following is a list of the main play features that make up the playground structure design: • Merry-go-All • Swings – expression, belt seat and adaptive swings • Backhoe diggers • Buck-a-bout • Sky Run Zip track • Hoop ladder • Double zip slide • River rock climber • Swerve zip slides • Hour glass climber • Double ridge climber • Overhead climbers • Double twin spiral slides • Decorative panels throughout • Ropes course cube net REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 3 Project Timeline: Park Board Committee Review and Feedback June 2016 Re-design by Playground Vendor June 2016 Community Open House June 21, 2016 Re-design by Playground Vendor June 2016 Park Board Final Design Approval July 12, 2016 City Council Approval July 19, 2016 Removal of Existing Playground August 2016 Begin Playground Installation September 2016 Project Completion October 2016 Action Requested Staff requests that the Park Board recommends to the City Council the purchase and installation of the Rosland Park playground as designed by Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground. City Council Updates By Scott Neal May 17, 2016 • Approved contracts to resurface tennis courts at Cornelia and Creek Valley School parks. • Recognized the 2016 National Kids to Parks Day. • Agreed to purchase 9.77 acres from the City of Minneapolis located south and west of the intersection of West 40th Street and France Avenue, otherwise known as "Weber Woods." The cost of the land is $1.072 million. The City hopes to close the purchase on June 30. • Received the Grandview Feasibility & Operational Analysis final report from HGA Architects. The Council agreed to schedule a work session discussion to discuss next steps. • Authorized staff to seek competitive bids for the proposed Braemar Golf Course renovation. Staff will present a recommended contract to the City Council at its July 19 meeting • Authorized a consulting contract with SEH consulting to study the financial and operational feasibility of a proposed winter recreation area at Braemar Park that would include cross country skiing and other winter recreation facilities. The study will begin immediately. June 7, 2016 • Approved the purchase of the Braemar Golf Course HVAC System. • 2016 Student Board & Commission appointments were made. June 21, 2016 • Discussed a proposal to build and operate a new winter recreation area at Braemar Golf Course that would include a snow-tubing hill and an extensive cross-country skiing trail system. The council authorized staff to proceed with the next phase of the feasibility report. There will be neighborhood meetings in the vicinity of the proposed facility on July 13. The City Council will host a public hearing on the matter Sept. 7.