Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-07-13 Parks & Rec Comm PacketAgenda Parks and Recreation Commission City Of Edina, Minnesota Edina City Hall - City Council Chambers This meeting will be held in person and electronically using Webex software. The meeting will be streamed live on the City's YouTube channel, YouTube.com/EdinaTV or you can listen to the meeting via telephone by calling 1-415-655-0001 access code 177 273 0664 Tuesday, July 13, 2021 7:00 PM I.Call To Order II.Roll Call III.Approval Of Meeting Agenda IV.Approval Of Meeting Minutes A.Minutes: Parks & Recreation Commission June 8, 2021 V.Community Comment During "Community Comment," the Board/Commission will invite residents to share relevant issues or concerns. Individuals must limit their comments to three minutes. The Chair may limit the number of speakers on the same issue in the interest of time and topic. Generally speaking, items that are elsewhere on tonight's agenda may not be addressed during Community Comment. Individuals should not expect the Chair or Board/Commission Members to respond to their comments tonight. Instead, the Board/Commission might refer the matter to sta% for consideration at a future meeting. VI.Reports/Recommendations A.2021 Work Plan Discussion B.2022 Work Plan Development Discussion VII.Chair And Member Comments VIII.Sta. Comments A.City Council Updates B.Informational Items C.Upcoming Meetings and Events IX.Adjournment The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing ampli4cation, an interpreter, large-print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Date: July 13, 2021 Agenda Item #: IV.A. To:Parks and Recreation Commission Item Type: Minutes From:Perry Vetter, Parks and Recreation Director Item Activity: Subject:Minutes: Parks & Recreation Commission June 8, 2021 Action CITY OF EDINA 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.edinamn.gov ACTION REQUESTED: Approve minutes from the June 8, 2021 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting. INTRODUCTION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Minutes: Parks & Recreation Commission June 8, 2021 Draft Minutes☒ Approved Minutes☐ Approved Date: Minutes City of Edina, Minnesota Edina Parks & Recreation Commission VIRTUAL MEETING June 8, 2021 7 p.m. I. Call to Order Chair Ites called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. II. Roll Call Answering roll call were Commissioners Nelson, Willette, McAwley, Good, Haas and Ites Absent: Commissioners Doscotch, Strother, Student Commissioners Sorem, Mork and Nahlovsky Commissioner Miller arrived at 7:10 p.m. Staff present: Staff Liaison Perry Vetter, Assistant Director Recreation & Facilities Tracy Petersen and Administrative Coordinator Janet Canton III. Approval of Meeting Agenda Motion made by Nelson to approve the meeting agenda. Motion seconded by Haas. Roll call vote. Motion carried. IV. Approval of Meeting Minutes Motion made by McAwley to approve the April 13, 2021 and May 12, 2021 minutes. Motion seconded by Nelson. Roll call vote. Motion carried. V. Reports/Recommendations A. 2021 Work Plan Discussion Chair Ites debriefed the Commission on the joint work session with the City Council. Updates were given on the following initiatives. Initiative #1 – Review and comment on proposed plan to identify barriers for participation and reach communities of color through different modes and feedback. Staff Liaison Vetter indicated this remains at the staff level. He noted on June 1 the Council authorized staff to join the Just Deeds program. He indicated staff is working on identifying the racial covenants that are one City owned, primarily park properties. The June 15 City Council meeting will have additional information on the removal and process of those racial covenants. Regarding the first initiative, the City’s Race and Equity Coordinator, Heid Lee and himself met with one of their peer cities and have received the framework of the approach being used in that city. Initiative #2 – Create presentation to share information about Parks & Recreation facilities, services, and systems with up to six community groups. Commissioner Nelson indicated this was shared at the Joint work session with the City Council. She noted there was not a lot of feedback but thought the Draft Minutes☒ Approved Minutes☐ Approved Date: Council was onboard with the way proposed to share the information. The material needs to be created still and will need to meet with the Communications Team for additional information. Initiative #3 – Report and provide recommendations on alternative funding sources for park related improvements including parks, facilities, and enterprise upgrades. Commissioner McAwley explained this was updated with the City Council. She noted there was a menu of options that were looked at for alternative funding. Everyone on this initiative have been assigned some research projects on three or four of the menu items. Follow up will be done in September/October, in time for the budgeting process. She thought there should be a group meeting twice a month between now and the September/October timeframe. Initiative #4 and Initiative #5 – Study and report on options to categorize underutilized park amenities/areas and identify park amenity needs and Study and report evaluating options for determining benchmarks (park amenities, operations, service areas) the commission started studying in 2020. Commissioner Good recapped the two initiatives and noted there was no particular progress made on either initiative. B. 2022 Work Plan Development Discussion Director Vetter reviewed the 2022 Commission Work Plan Calendar. Chair and Member Comments  Commissioner McAwley thought Items 2 and 3 from this year will probably be important to remain on the workplan for 2022 and will be ongoing especially with the initiative coming up on the sales tax.  Commissioner Haas indicated something he would like to discuss is accessing certain parks of the City. The need for better access and accessibility to these community parks. There could be discussions with the Planning and Transportation Committee about how to make it possible to access some of these community parks besides by car. Better pedestrian and bike access via pathways throughout the City. Identify some things to be included in future infrastructure projects. He suggested better signage or way finding. Commissioner Good suggested a way to use the Clover Ride to route through some of the parks.  Director Vetter reviewed the local option sales tax with the Commission.  Commissioner Good indicated one of his concerns is by the time they get to the Park Master Plan; someone will say those are pretty stale plans and need to be redone. He hoped that can be avoided.  Commissioner Good explained by tying both of the Park Master Plans to the local option sales tax, the components in there that the Commission thought were valuable, like mountain biking at Braemar are now tied to that plan and in essence pushed it out realistically three years. He noted that was a concern of his.  Commissioner Good thought it might be good to spend some time looking at the Comprehensive Plan and even all the way back to their Strategic Plan a few years before that and see if there are any items that might be worthwhile to have as specific work items in the 2022 plan. Draft Minutes☒ Approved Minutes☐ Approved Date: VI. Chair and Member Comments  Chair Ites indicated in the Wall Street Journal there was a front-page article about communities struggling with E-Bikes in some communities. He reviewed what the article talked about and wondered if they have seen increased traffic on the City trails with E-bikes. He wondered what the Commissions thought was on maintaining the flow between people that use the E-Bike as a riding tool and those that are walking or riding bikes. Mr. Vetter explained the City has not had a lot of feedback on E-bikes yet with the exception of the regional trail. He thought where issues will occur are on multi-use trails where they are not dedicated for bikers and joggers. A lot of the regional and distance trails are going to have that congestion and issue.  Chair Ites Indicated the golf club youth program started this week and there were 1,400 youth in the program. He congratulated the director on one of the largest programs in the Midwest. The director indicated there were still 900 kids still on the waiting list that concerned. He wanted to give a shout out to the staff at the golf course.  Commissioner Nelson thought it was great about the youth golf program and she would like to challenge the Commission on ways to expand the youth golf beyond summer. She brought this up to Braemar Golf Course as well. She thought there was a big opportunity for activities to be expanded for kids in golf. VII. Staff Comments Director Vetter updated the Commission on the following items:  City Council actions and activities.  Facilities Division is helping Braemar Arena on a new voice evacuation fire system.  Edina Aquatics Center will be opening on Friday, June 11.  Braemar Golf Course dome was reopened for several days to use the virtual golf simulator.  Summer programming has picked up in the City.  Centennial Lakes has summer concerts going on.  Farmers Market will begin on Thursday.  Sunday is the Annual Parade of Boats.  Art Center Camps and programming at the Senior Center are in full swing.  Tobacco Policy was included in the packet. VIII. Adjournment Motion made by Good to adjourn the June 8, 2021 meeting at 8:06 p.m. Motion seconded by Nelson. Roll call vote. Motion carried. Date: July 13, 2021 Agenda Item #: VI.A. To:Parks and Recreation Commission Item Type: Report and Recommendation From:Perry Vetter, Parks and Recreation Director Item Activity: Subject:2021 Work Plan Discussion Discussion CITY OF EDINA 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.edinamn.gov ACTION REQUESTED: Provide available updates to the 2021 Parks and Recreation Commission Work Plan. INTRODUCTION: Discuss and provide any updates to the 2021 Work Plan. ATTACHMENTS: Description 2021 PARC Work Plan Approved by Council December 1, 2020 [Do not modify fields except progress reports] Commission: Parks & Recreation Commission 2021 Annual Work Plan Initiative #1 Initiative Type ☒ Project ☐ Ongoing / Annual ☐ Event Council Charge ☐ 1 (Study & Report) ☒ 2 (Review & Comment) ☐ 3 (Review & Recommend) ☐ 4 (Review & Decide) Review and comment on proposed plan to identify barriers for participation and reach communities of color through different modes and feedback. Deliverable Comment on the plan Leads Strother (Lead), Miller, McAwley Target Completion Date Q4 2021 Budget Required: 2021 department funds are available to support various marketing materials to promote the events and opportunities to gather feedback. Staff Support Required: Coordinate with R&E Coordinator. Progress Q1: Parks and Recreation staff are working with the Race and Equity Coordinator to provide a draft plan for commission review. Currently staff is working on the Just Deeds initiative and upon identifying public park properties impacted, will transition back to identifying a barrier reduction plan. Progress Q2: Progress Q3: Progress Q4: Initiative #2 Initiative Type ☐ Project ☒ Ongoing / Annual ☐ Event Council Charge ☐ 1 (Study & Report) ☐ 2 (Review & Comment) ☐ 3 (Review & Recommend) ☒ 4 (Review & Decide) Create presentation to share information about Parks and Recreation facilities, services, and systems with up to six community groups. Deliverable Presentation for community groups and summary report to council Leads Nelson (Lead), Good, Haas, Nahlovsky (S), Ites Target Completion Date: Q4 2021 Budget Required: 2021 department funds are available to support various marketing materials to promote the events and opportunities to gather feedback. Presentations, info sheets, marketing materials. Staff Support Required: Communications support required for informational press kit, materials for presentations either for in person or electronic. Communications made aware. Progress Q1: Commissioners have reviewed a presentation outline that can be customized to target groups and also broad topical areas. They are discussing one of the six sessions would be virtual to manage through the pandemic restrictions and also to encourage equity in participation. The virtual session may follow the Town Talk format. Currently working on presentation content. Progress Q2: Progress Q3: Progress Q4: Approved by Council December 1, 2020 [Do not modify fields except progress reports] Initiative #3 Initiative Type ☒ Project ☐ Ongoing / Annual ☐ Event Council Charge ☐ 1 (Study & Report) ☐ 2 (Review & Comment) ☒ 3 (Review & Recommend) ☐ 4 (Review & Decide) Report and provide recommendations on alternative funding sources for park related improvements including parks, facilities, and enterprise upgrades. Deliverable Report to City Council Leads McAwley (Lead), Haas, Willette, Ites Target Completion Date Q4 2021 Budget Required: Funds not required. Staff Support Required: None. Progress Q1: Group will continue to review which funding alternative methods would be applied to each park, facility or enterprise area. Each member has been assigned an area of research to determine if that method is viable for Edina. Members are also reviewing research done in other communities through National Recreation and Parks Association publications. Progress Q2: Progress Q3: Progress Q4: Initiative #4 Initiative Type ☒ Project ☐ Ongoing / Annual ☐ Event Council Charge ☒ 1 (Study & Report) ☐ 2 (Review & Comment) ☐ 3 (Review & Recommend) ☐ 4 (Review & Decide) Study and report on options to categorize underutilized park amenities/areas and identify park amenity needs. Deliverable Report to Parks and Recreation Department Leads Doscotch (Lead), Good, McAwley, Nelson Target Completion Date Q4 2021 Budget Required: Funds not required. Staff Support Required: Staff liaison. Progress Q1: Group has met and discussed the relationship of this work group to initiative #5 and currently developing a timeline for completion, deliverables, assignment or responsibilities and set next meetings. This initiative requires additional dialogue with staff to ensure deliverable is worthwhile to department. Progress Q2: Progress Q3: Progress Q4: Approved by Council December 1, 2020 [Do not modify fields except progress reports] Initiative #5 Initiative Type ☐ Project ☒ Ongoing / Annual ☐ Event Council Charge ☒ 1 (Study & Report) ☐ 2 (Review & Comment) ☐ 3 (Review & Recommend) ☐ 4 (Review & Decide) Study and report evaluating options for determining benchmarks (park amenities, operations, service areas) the commission started studying in 2020. Deliverable Report to Parks and Recreation Department. Leads Good (Lead), Sorem (S), Mork (S), Doscotch Target Completion Date Q4 2021 Budget Required: Funds not required. Staff Support Required: Staff liaison. Progress Q1: Group has collected benchmark data as part of 2020 work plan. Has used both internal Edina and National Recreation and Parks Association benchmarking and best practices. Established a foundational draft of 9 recommended benchmarks, that correlate to the NRPA benchmarks to compare to like cities. It will also be important to monitor the ability to address developing park services that match both current and future demographics to assets and programs. Progress Q2: Progress Q3: Progress Q4: Parking Lot: (These items have been considered by the BC, but not proposed as part of this year’s work plan. If the BC decides they would like to work on them in the current year, it would need to be approved by Council.) Date: July 13, 2021 Agenda Item #: VI.B. To:Parks and Recreation Commission Item Type: From:Perry Vetter, Parks and Recreation Director Item Activity: Subject:2022 Work Plan Development Discussion CITY OF EDINA 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.edinamn.gov ACTION REQUESTED: None, continue discussion on generating the 2022 Parks and Recreation Commission Work Plan. INTRODUCTION: At the June 8, 2021 meeting commission members began discussing potential topics of interest for the 2022 work plan. The plan should be finalized by the August meeting and recommended via motion. Chair Ites will present the proposed work plan to the City Council for consideration in early October. ATTACHMENTS: Description 2022 Commission Draft Work Plan Comprehensive Guide Plan - Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter Template Updated 2021.06.08 Commission: Parks & Recreation Commission 2022 Annual Work Plan Proposal Initiative # Initiative Type ☐ Project ☐ Ongoing / Annual ☐ Event Council Charge ☐ 1 (Study & Report) ☐ 2 (Review & Comment) ☐ 3 (Review & Recommend) ☐ 4 (Review & Decide) Initiative Title DRAFT Deliverable Leads Target Completion Date Budget Required: (Completed by staff) Are there funds available for this project? If there are not funds available, explain the impact of Council approving this initiative. Staff Support Required (Completed by staff): How many hours of support by the staff liaison? Communications / marketing support? Liaison Comments: City Manager Comments: Progress Q1: Progress Q2: Progress Q3: Progress Q4: Parking Lot: (These items have been considered by the BC, but not proposed as part of this year’s work plan. If the BC decides they would like to work on them in the current year, it would need to be approved by Council.) Evaluate, continue or expand 2021 #2 - Create presentation to share information about Parks and Recreation facilities, services, and systems with up to six community groups. Next steps on 2021 #3 - Report and provide recommendations on alternative funding sources for park related improvements including parks, facilities, and enterprise upgrades. Wayfinding, connected enterprises Clover ride to include Rosland Park Ensure masterplan relevance (ex: with mountain biking) Items from the Strategic Plan Accessibility expansion around playgrounds Staff Items: Philanthropic Wish List/donation process Potential all Commissions: Tree Ordinance Edina Comprehensive Plan Park, Recreation and Open Space Chapter Draft 6-1 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter Highlights The following six points guided the development programs, goals and policies presented in this chapter of the Comprehensive Plan Update. 1. Edina has committed to a minimum of 15 percent of its land area to be used as parks and green space. (As of the most recent census, we are right at this threshold.) Future standards will need consider “hardscape” environments as represented in the Greater Southdale District Plan. 2. All Community and Special Use parks will have an updated Master Plan to guide use, growth and future development. Every Park MP will include an approach to best maintain, improve and promote its natural resources. 3. Connecting our neighborhoods via a Grand Rounds concept and in coordination with the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. 4. Be intentional on the use of benchmarking to assess progress against strategic objectives. 5. Explore alternative funding models to support future growth and accomplishment of our Mission. 6. Establish a goal to have park facilities within a maximum distance of one mile from each Edina resident Edina Parks and Recreation Department Vision and Mission The Parks and Recreation Department’s vision and mission are stated in the 2015 Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan. This policy plan document can be accessed by clicking on the hyperlink below. https://www.edinamn.gov/315/Park-System-Strategic-Plan The Major Challenge Like many communities, Edina is witnessing demographic changes. Changes that occurred between 2008, when the last comprehensive plan was written, and now are only a glimpse of what is expected to occur over the next 10 years. In order to ensure that the City’s park system will continue to meet the needs of residents, the City will need to continually provide sensitive and appropriate responses to changes in social, demographic, technological, economic, political and environmental trends. The magnitude of these changes will demand flexibility in planning practices to appropriately respond to rapidly changing needs. Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-2 Introduction The City of Edina operates one of the most well-regarded parks and recreation systems in the metropolitan Twin Cities. Edina is a fully developed first ring suburb of Minneapolis with a park system that continues to be improved with targeted additions and innovative operations. The park system, comprising the City’s physical park lands, recreation areas, and trails, along with numerous programs and collaborations with local youth sports associations, greatly contribute to a high quality of life. The Vision of the Edina Park and Recreation Department (EPRD) is “To strive for excellence in our parks, recreation and trails system to provide Edina a high quality of life by nurturing the health and well- being of our people, our community, our environment and our economy.” In fulfillment of that vision, the EPRD’s Mission Statement is “To create parks, facilities, and programs to foster a healthy and inclusive community. We accomplish this through creative leadership, collaborations, environmentally sustainable practices and the responsible use of available resources.” Inventory and Current Conditions The National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA) periodically publishes “Park and Open Space Standards and Guidelines” for municipal park and recreation agencies to assist in comprehensive planning. The NRPA suggests that the “national standards” be used only as a benchmark guideline, because each community has its own unique profile in regards to demographics, total acreage, terrain, climate and a host of other affecting factors. Nonetheless, Edina currently exceeds the national standard guideline for acres per 1,000 residents. The NRPA suggests a national standards guideline of 25 acres per 1,000 residents. This standard would include all local, county, and state-owned property within the community. There are currently no county, state or federal park lands in Edina. All 1,565 acres of park land and open space are owned and maintained by the City of Edina. The City’s 1,565 total park and open space acreage computes to 30.2 acres per 1,000 residents (based on the 2016 Census population of 51,804). Currently, the EPRD oversees 43 parks and open spaces totaling more than 1,565 acres and operates nine facilities, which include: • Edina Aquatic Center • Edina Art Center • Braemar Ice Arena and Sports Dome • Braemar Golf Courses • Braemar Golf Dome • Centennial Lakes Park • Edinborough Park • Arneson Acres Park • Edina Senior Center Figure 6.1: City of Edina Parks and Facilities Map Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-3 Park amenities at these facilities include baseball and soft ball diamonds; football, soccer, and lacrosse fields; basketball, tennis, pickleball and bocce ball courts; outdoor skating rinks; playground equipment for young children, including an adaptive playground; a community garden; and both winter warming houses and summer picnic shelters. The Department also maintains over eight miles of scenic pathways for bicycling, walking, jogging, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and mountain biking. Regional Parks and Trails and the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan As stated in the Goals and Policies and section of this chapter, it is a goal to make connections to parks and trails to ensure that Edina residents have convenient access to recreational facilities and services. These include regional park and trail facilities both outside and within the City. The 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan adopted by the Metropolitan Council in February 2015 is the metropolitan system plan for regional recreation open space, and there are regional public parks and facilities in the Twin Cities area that serve Edina residents. For example, Three Rivers Park District owns and maintains regional parks and trails throughout suburban Hennepin County, such as the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail in addition to seven park reserves, 12 regional parks, five special recreation features, and 15 other regional trails. The Minneapolis Park Board’s Grand Rounds trail system (including the Chain of Lakes Trail) and the Three Rivers Park District’s Cedar Lake LRT Regional Trail are regional facilities that are outside the City of Edina but can be accessed by Edina residents. These regional parks offer a variety of recreation opportunities. For example, Three Rivers Park District parks offer snowmobiling, horseback riding, boating, archery, camping, canoeing, downhill skiing, nature centers and historic farm facilities. The 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan does not identify regional park and recreation facilities directly in the City of Edina, with the following two exceptions: Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail – Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail is a 15-mile multi-use trail that spans the Cities of Hopkins, Minnetonka, Edina, Richfield, and Bloomington. It also connects to the Lake Minnetonka LRT, Minnesota River Bluffs LRT, Cedar Lake LRT, North Cedar Lake, and Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trails as well as the planned Minnesota River State Trail, Dakota County Big Rivers Regional Trail, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Bloomington Visitor Center, and Fort Snelling State Park. Much of the trail was completed and opened for use in 2017. The Edina segment of the trail was completed in spring 2018. From the west, it currently enters the City of Edina from Hopkins over the Bren Road/Londonderry Road Bridge Interchange at TH-169. From the east, it enters the City from Richfield at the cul-de-sac of Xerxes Avenue just south behind Fire Station 2. In 2020 the Park District anticipates it will construct a safer and more direct connection under TH-169 that will pass Figure 6.2: Alternative Alignments for the CP Rail Regional Trail Source: Three Rivers Park District Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-4 through the Nine Mile Creek watershed. Canadian Pacific Rail Regional Trail (CP Rail Regional Trail) – This proposed regional trail was first identified in the 2030 Regional Parks Policy Plan (adopted in June 2005 as the Southwest Hennepin Regional Trail West). The regional trail generally follows the existing north/south, Canadian Pacific Railroad alignment in the City of Edina. Once constructed, it will link the Hyland-Bush-Anderson Park Reserve in Bloomington to the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail in Edina. From Edina, the future trail will connect regional trails in Hopkins, St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, and Crystal. In 2019, Three Rivers Park District completed a regional trail study and master plan for the south Edina portion of the CP Rail Regional Trail. Figure 6-2, on the previous page, shows the preferred alignment through this area along Bush Lake Road, Dewey Hill Road, and Cahill Road. City Park Inventory The following are individual park locations and acreage totals. Mini-Parks - 12 Parks – 21.12 Acres A Mini park is characterized by a size of approximately 2 acres or less and is designed to serve primarily the needs of pre-school age children, although it may provide facilities designed to serve the recreation needs of other age groups. Edina’s Mini-Parks typically do not have scheduled athletic facilities. Mini parks are typically used to address limited or isolated recreational needs. Service Area - ¼ Square Mile. Table 6.1: Mini Parks Park Address Size Quadrant Birchcrest 6016 Hansen Road 1.61 Acres NW Browndale 4510 Browndale Avenue .82 Acre NE Chowen 5700 Chowen Avenue .93 Acre NE Grandview Square 5213 Grandview Square .60 Acre NW Kojetin 4201 W. 44th Street 2.69 Acres NE Lake Edina 4400 Parklawn Avenue 3.10 Acres SE McGuire W. 69th & McGuire Road 2.00 Acres SW Melody Lake Sherwood 5501 Melody Lake Drive Sherwood Rd. & Edenmoor 4.18 Acres 1.53 Acres NW NW St. Johns W. 60th & St.Johns Avenue .94 Acre NE Tingdale W. 59th & Tingdale Avenue .67 Acre NW York Park 5448 York Avenue 2.05 Acres NE Neighborhood Parks - 12 Parks -112.85 Acres Neighborhood parks are designed to serve primarily the needs of children six to fourteen years of age. Tennis courts, softball diamonds, basketball and ice skating facilities are commonly provided in neighborhood parks. Some of Edina’s neighborhood parks have one or more scheduled athletic facilities, such as outdoor hockey rinks and/or fields for soccer, football, baseball, and softball. Neighborhood parks typically range in size from approximately two acres to twenty acres. Service Area = 1 Square Mile. Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-5 Community Playfields – 8 Parks - 253.68 Acres Community playfields typically range in size from approximately 20 to 60 acres. These parks are designed to provide facilities for diverse recreational activities for young people and adults, although a section is also typically set aside for smaller neighborhood children. All of Edina’s Community Playfields have one or more scheduled athletic facilities, such as outdoor hockey rinks and fields for soccer, football, baseball and softball. Service area - 9-16 square miles. Table 6.2: Neighborhood Parks Park Address Size Quadrant Alden 6750 Belmore Lane 5.12 Acres NW Arden 5230 Minnehaha Boulevard 17.75 Acres NE Cornelia School 7124 Cornelia Drive 10.75 Acres SE Countryside 6240 Tracy Avenue 9.01 Acres NW Fox Meadow Blake Rd. & Fox Meadow Lane 3.84 Acres NW Heights 5520 W. 66th Street 4.00 Acres SW Normandale 6501 Warren Avenue 10.06 Acres SW Strachauer 6200 Beard Avenue 4.50 Acres NE Utley 50th & Wooddale Avenue 5.73 Acres NE Wooddale W. 50th & Wooddale Avenue 4.70 Acres NE Yorktown W. 73rd & York Avenue 3.42 Acres SE Todd Park 4429 Vandervork Avenue 33.97 Acres NW Table 6.3: Community Playfields Park Address Size Quadrant Creek Valley W. 64th & Gleason Road 10.00 Acres SW Garden 5520 Hansen Road 18.74 Acres NW Highlands 5200 Doncaster Way 44.05 Acres NW Lewis Dewey Hill & Cahill Road 21.04 Acres SW Pamela 5900 Park Place 62.00 Acres NE Van Valkenburg 4935 Lincoln Drive 41.76 Acres NW Walnut Ridge 5801 Londonderry Road 44.24 Acres NW Weber 4115 Grimes Avenue 11.85 Acres NE Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-6 Community Parks - 4 Parks - 549.05 Acres The community park is usually a large park of more than 100 acres, or a smaller park containing special community facilities. Table 6.4: Community Parks Park Address Size Quadrant Braemar SW Corner of Edina 500.00 Acres SW Centennial Lakes 7495 France Avenue 25.00 Acres SE Kenneth Rosland 4300 West 66th Street 22.05 Acres SE Edinborough 7700 York Avenue South 2.00 Acres SE Special Purpose Parks - 7 Parks - 287.11 Acres The special purpose park provides a single or specific form of recreation. Service Area is citywide. Table 6.5: Special Purpose Parks Park Address Size Quadrant Arneson Acres 4711 West 70th Street 15.00 Acres SE Bredesen Vernon Ave. & Olinger Boulevard 206.00 Acres NW Richards 7640 Parklawn Avenue 39.65 Acres SE Southdale Gateway SE Corner of Edina 9.97 Acres SE Tupa 4918 Eden Avenue 1.00 Acre NE Williams West 50th & Browndale .34 Acre NE Grandview Square/ Senior Citizen Center 5280 Grandview Square 5.15 Acres NW Weber Woods 40th Street & France 10.0 Acres NE Summary of Parks and Natural Resource Parks - 7 Parks – 1,575.94 Acres Table 6.6: Park Summary Park Type Acres Natural Resource Areas (19 areas) 352.13 Mini-Parks (12) 21.12 Neighborhood Parks ( 12) 112.85 Community Playfields ( 8) 253.68 Community Parks (4) 549.05 Special Purpose Parks (7) 287.11 Total Parklands & Natural Resource Areas 1,575.94 Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-7 The following are parkland acreage totals per park classification. Table 6.7: Total Acreage by Number of Park Facilities Component Character SVC Area # of Parks Total Acreage Natural Resource Areas Vary in size Varies 19 352.13 Mini-Parks Less than 2 acres ¼ sq.mi. 12 21.12 Neighborhood Parks Serve children (ages 6 to 14) 1 sq.mi. 11 78.88 Community Playfields Serve recreational needs of young people and adults 9-16 sq.mi. 9 287.65 Community Parks Large parks in excess 100 acres. Serve pre-school-adult active and passive recreational pursuits 4-16 sq.mi. 4 549.05 Special Purpose Parks Provide a special form of recreation City Wide 7 287.11 Total Parkland & Natural Resource Areas 62 1,575.94 Natural Resource Open Space Areas The NRPA defines Natural Resource Areas as lands set aside for preservation of significant natural resources, remnant landscapes, open space, and visual aesthetics/buffering. These lands consist of: • Individual sites exhibiting natural resources. • Land that is unsuitable for development but offers natural resource potential. (Examples include parcels with steep slopes, and natural vegetation, drainage-ways and ravines, surface water management areas (man-made pond areas, and utility easements). • Protected lands, such as wetlands/lowlands and shorelines along waterways, lakes, and ponds. All natural resource open space areas were inventoried and categorized as follows. The City’s quadrants were determined by the two dividing highways in Edina: TH 62 and TH 100. Table 6.8, below, presents results of the inventory. Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-8 Table 6.8: Natural Resource Open Space Areas Northwest Quadrant Acreage Nine Mile Creek Right of Way 148.15 Lincoln Drive Floodplain 17.16 Division Street Storm Water Drainage 18.14 Moore Property (Melody Lake) 4.96 Normandale Rd. (NW Benton & Hwy 100) 2.14 Garden Park Addition 6.70 Glenbrae & Ayrshire 4.30 Krahl Hill 7.75 Pine Grove Road (S and E of dead-end) 4.39 Northeast Quadrant Acreage Littel & Lynn Avenue .46 W. 41st Street and Lynn Avenue 3.10 Minnehaha Creek Right of Way 22.88 Townes Road 1.00 Southwest Quadrant Acreage Nine Mile Creek Right of Way 9.75 Cahill School Backlot 11.05 NE of High School & S of Crosstown 37.29 Dewey Hill Ponds 48.00 Limerick Dr. (dead end W of RR) 3.90 Southeast Quadrant Acreage Bristol & Mavelle 1.01 Total Natural Resource Acres 352.13 Other Maintained Grass Areas Table 6.9: Maintained Grass Areas Park Type Acres Plazas, Triangles, and Circles 5.00 Storm Water and Drainage Areas 60.00 Total Maintained Grass Areas 65.00 Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-9 Trends and Challenges There are numbers of trends that should be considered in the park and recreation planning process. In this post-industrial age of rapid change, constant monitoring will be required to ensure awareness of trends that have a bearing on park programming, utilization, and sustainability. In the case of Edina, the City will need to continually provide sensitive and appropriate responses to changes in social, demographic, technological, economic, political and environmental trends. The magnitude of these changes will demand flexibility in planning practices to appropriately respond to rapidly changing needs. In 2015, the EPR completed a Strategic Plan to guide decision-making, priorities, and plans over the next 10+ years. This chapter of the 2018 Comprehensive Plan is structured around five “Key Development Areas” that were identified and discussed in the 2015 Strategic Plan. With the “Key Development Area” as a foundation, content in the Comprehensive Plan has been structured as goals, policy statements, and action items applicable to policies. Goals and Policies The Goals and Policies section is organized around five sections: 1) Parks, Open Space, and Trails; 2) Natural Resources and Sustainable Parks; 3) Recreational Facilities; 4) Recreational Programs; and 5) Finance and Management. Parks, Open Spaces and Trails Goal 1: Ensure that parks, recreational facilities, and trails are a source of community pride by providing a balance of well connected, active and passive spaces that reflect high quality design principles and maintenance standards and appreciation of the arts; that allow residents to engage in healthy activities and engage in enriching experiences. Policy 1-A: The City will devote a minimum of 15 percent of Edina’s land area to parkland and open spaces. Policy 1-B: The City will work to meet NRPA guidelines indicating a need for 15-20 miles of additional trails in Edina. Edina: A Community of Learning. Edina has a prized education system of high- quality public schools. The Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources chapter of the Comprehensive Plan recognizes the importance of extending the benefits of education to the entire community through parks-related policies and programming and building on both obvious and not so obvious linkages between the City’s parks, public schools, Public Works projects, heritage resources, arts and culture, community health, etc. For example, the parks can be used as classrooms by the public schools to expose students (and their parents) to the importance of pollinator gardens and rain gardens. Moreover, informational kiosks can be installed in the City’s parks that explain how recreational trails and paths are constructed and how stormwater is filtered in retention ponds. Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-10 Policy 1-C: It is the intent of the City to maintain and, when feasible, increase its current park and open space property The City, on a case by case basis, will consider the sale, swap, or disposal of park property, as deemed in the best interest of the City. Goal 2: Encourage and support active lifestyles through use of City Parks and participation in City sponsored recreational programs. Policy 2: The City will, through the EPRD, develop promotional and educational materials about the benefits of an active lifestyle and the relationship between health and parks and recreation. Goal 3: Develop plans based on research and analysis of current trends, input from community members, input from City departments and Commissions, state-of-the art approaches, and best practices to ensure: a) that parks, recreation, and trail needs are documented, b) plans are developed with broad participation from the community, and c) capital expenditures for future investments in parks and recreational facilities and services are justifiable. Policy 3-A: The City will follow recommendations outlined in the 2015 Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan, Vision Edina 2015 and the 2017/2018 Big Idea Workshops as one of its guides for investments in parks, recreational facilities and trails. Policy 3-B: The City will update its Parks Master Plan every ten years (or less) to guide use, growth, improvements, developments, and capital expenditures for all Community and Special Use parks, recreational facilities, and trails. Policy 3-C: The City of Edina has utilized Small Area Plans to provide long-range vision for land use and development in specific areas of the city. The ERPD and PARC will support the successful development and execution of these plans through a proactive engagement process in planning how parks and green spaces fit in these development plans. Natural Resources and Sustainable Parks Goal 1: Protect, enhance, engage, and restore our urban forests, natural areas, and water resources to sustain a healthy, diverse, and balanced natural environment for all to enjoy and understand. Wildlife will be nurtured and protected. Animal and bird populations that are considered a threat to public health or safety, or may be considered hazardous to the environment or infrastructure within Edina, will be proactively managed. Policy 1-A: The City will include a section on how to best promote, improve, or maintain our natural resources in each new Master Park Plan. Policy 1-B: The City will exhibit leadership in the area of sustainability in our park system to support the health of our parks and open spaces. Policy 1-C: The City will develop a wild life management program to reduce wild life migration away from their primary habitat. Recreation Facilities Goal 1: Provide safe, clean, and reliable facilities and program spaces that provide users the highest level of value, which supports their health and wellness, while supporting financial sustainability for the Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-11 City in the future. Policy 1-A: The City, through EPRD, will maximize the use of enterprise facilities primarily, but not exclusively, for Edina residents. Policy 1-B: The City will manage enterprise assets as fee-based revenue generating facilities that support programs and collectively cover all expenses including capital investments, land purchases, and all operating expenses. Policy 1-C: The City will exhibit leadership in matching facility space and utilization with the future needs of our community. Recreation Programs Goal 1: Develop, provide, and manage recreation programs to support the community’s need for health and wellness, individual skill development, and community connectivity in a safe and enjoyable environment. Policy 1-A: The City will develop recreation programs that emphasize Edina as a learning community. Policy 1-B: The City will develop recreation programs that exhibit a balance of inclusion across generations, skills, economic conditions and seasons. Policy 1-C: The City will develop recreation programs will include aspects of art, culture, health, sustainability and also support unstructured recreation. Policy 1-D: The City will prioritize program development that focuses on enhancing health and activity for all ages, while providing special consideration for our youth population. Finance and Management Goal 1: Provide and encourage use of parks, trails, facilities, and programs that deliver on the community’s expectations for a safe and enjoyable experience while keeping the infrastructure of the system in a quality state. Policy 1-A: The City, through EPRD, will provide a high level of park maintenance to achieve all aspects of our EPRD vision. Policy 1-B: The City, through EPRD, will form partnerships when appropriate to provide new services or facilities to Edina residents. Policy 1-C: The City will remain open to unique ideas and opportunities to enhance financial leverage to capitalize and operate the park system. Policy 1-D: The City, through EPRD, will demonstrate its commitment to inclusion and diversity across a broad range of the Edina community. Policy 1-E: When planning and making improvements, EPRD will consider impact to the brands of both the City of Edina and its park system. Policy 1-F: EPRD will build strong connections with established neighborhood organizations to best understand and serve specific needs in those areas (nodes). Edina Comprehensive Plan 6. Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Chapter – Approved 08-18-20 6-12 Policy 1-G: To ensure transparency, accountability and sustainability of Edina assets, ERPD staff will work with the City Manager to renew long term business plans for the park system’s our Enterprise facilities every third year. The structure, content, and oversight of these plans will be at the sole direction of the City Council in coordination with the Edina City Manager. Policy 1-H: The EPRD will use benchmarking to assess progress against our Vision. Policy 1-I: EPRD will maintain a focus on its Comprehensive Plan by including a 2018 Comp Plan self-audit in its work plan every third year. 1995 Revised Inventory Guidance In 1995, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and the Academy of Park and Recreation Administration (APRA) revised the suggested classifications for parks, recreation areas and open spaces. The key changes were the inclusion of park-school sites, athletic fields, private park/recreation facilities, natural resource areas/preserves and greenway classifications. This new classification system states that there are essentially two types of park and recreation land: • Privately owned land that contributes to the public’s park and recreation system. • Publicly owned land. Examples of privately owned land that contribute to the public’s park and recreation system would include: • Edina Country Club • Interlachen Country Club • Church-owned properties • Southdale YMCA • The meadows in White Oaks neighborhood • Power line easements • Other miscellaneous privately owned vacant space These privately-owned spaces and facilities provide the public with valued park and recreation services and benefits. Date: July 13, 2021 Agenda Item #: VIII.A. To:Parks and Recreation Commission Item Type: Other From:Perry Vetter, Parks and Recreation Director Item Activity: Subject:City Council Updates Information CITY OF EDINA 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.edinamn.gov ACTION REQUESTED: None, informational only. INTRODUCTION: City Council Updates - by Scott Neal June 15, 2021 Authorized the purchase for supplemental playground equipment for Arden Park Adopted Resolution No. 2021-48 to accept an Innovations for Aging grant funding. Date: July 13, 2021 Agenda Item #: VIII.B. To:Parks and Recreation Commission Item Type: Other From:Perry Vetter, Parks and Recreation Director Item Activity: Subject:Informational Items Information CITY OF EDINA 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.edinamn.gov ACTION REQUESTED: None, informational only. INTRODUCTION: Attached are items of note for the July meeting. ATTACHMENTS: Description Informational Items - July 2021 July 13, 2021 Park and Recreation Commission Perry Vetter, Parks & Recreation Director Informational Items Information / Background: Braemar Ice Arena • Braemar arena hosted the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club annual competition June 26 and 27. 184 skaters were registered for the event from 15 different states, represented skaters as far away as Texas and California. • The concession stand opened on June 11 with a limited menu. As we move through the summer months and into fall, the concession stand will resume more normal operations with a full menu and staff. • The DaBeauty League is back and starts on July 14, featuring professional hockey players in a fast 4 on 4 league. Ticket information for both in-person tickets or web streaming information is available at DaBeautyLeague.com. • The city is a recipient of a James Metzen Mighty Ducks grant in the amount of $25,000. The grant dollars will be used to address air quality as part of the replacement of the south arena dehumidification project. Braemar Golf Course • Braemar Golf Course continues to provide an elite golf experience and the course is having an outstanding season as it relates to revenue, programming, participation numbers and customer service. Some highlights year-to-date include: o Total rounds YTD up by 2,992 compared to 2020 o Junior programs offered – 193 o Junior program participants – 1362 o PGA JR League players - 129 (Largest program in region) o 370 private junior lessons taught just in April, May, and June by professional staff. o Bags League June & August sessions- full with 16 teams each o Lawn Bowling June session- has 6 teams; August session full with 12 teams STAFF REPORT Page 2 o Yoga on the Courtyard is popular (Free) with a maximum of 24 students and is scheduled Wednesday mornings from June 9-Aug 11 o Courtyard private rentals are increasing (10 so far this year—corporate team building events, fund raiser bags tournament, youth sports party rentals, birthday party) o Course has recovered well from the heat and lack of moisture and our irrigation pumps have been able to support the dry conditions. o Staff continues to excel at customer service with the public and provide a great overall customer experience from start to finish. Centennial Lakes Park • More than 40 children have participated in fishing clinics this summer so far. Fishing poles are also available for rent. • Concerts continue on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. We also have children’s concerts on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. • July 18 will be a large concert with the First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band with Fife and Drums marching from the Promenade at 6pm. • The Torchlight Concert and Edina Model Yacht Club Lighthouse night will be held on August 8. • Fall into the Arts Festival will be held September 11-12. • The Farmers Market continues every Thursday from 3-7pm until Sept 30. • More than 9,700 rounds of golf have been played on the putting course and 2,200 paddleboat rentals have been sold so far this season. Edina Art Center • Summer camps at the Art Center (main floor only) continue on a weekly basis throughout the summer. • Staff is preparing for the Fall into the Arts Festival scheduled for September 11-12 at Centennial Lakes Park. Additional artist booths have been added due to the lifting of protocols from COVID- 19 and to accommodate the added interest from artists. Edina Aquatic Center • The Edina Aquatic Center officially opened on Friday, June 11. The aquatic center has been extremely busy due to the hot weather. Staff has been doing a great job dealing with the weather, large attendance numbers and many new lifeguard staff. • June 11-July 5 o Member Check-Ins: 18,784 o Daily Admissions: 15,419 o Season Passes Sold: 1,867 STAFF REPORT Page 3 Recreation • Staff is in the process of conducting interviews for the Recreation Supervisor position left open by Tiffany Bushland, who is now the General Manager at Centennial Lakes Park. The goal is to have someone onboard by the end of August. • The Senior Center opened to full capacity on July 1. • Staff has started implementation and training for the new recreation software which will begin being utilized with the upcoming fall/winter Activities Directory. • All enterprise and recreation staff in partnership with the communications department has been working on all new pages for the city’s website “refresh.” Date: July 13, 2021 Agenda Item #: VIII.C. To:Parks and Recreation Commission Item Type: Other From:Perry Vetter, Parks and Recreation Director Item Activity: Subject:Upcoming Meetings and Events Information CITY OF EDINA 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.edinamn.gov ACTION REQUESTED: None, informational only. INTRODUCTION: Upcoming meetings and events. ATTACHMENTS: Description Upcoming 2021 Meetings and Events July 13, 2021 Park and Recreation Commission Perry Vetter, Parks & Recreation Director Upcoming 2021 Meetings and Events Date Meeting Time Location Tues. July 13 Regular Meeting 7:00 pm Hybrid* Tues. Aug. 10 Regular Meeting 7:00 pm Hybrid* Tues. Sept. 14 Regular Meeting 7:00 pm City Council Chambers Oct. 1 Quarter 3 Work Plan Progress Due - - Oct. 5 2022 Work Plan Review w/ Council (Chair only) 5:30 pm Community Room Tues. Oct. 12 Regular Meeting 7:00 pm City Council Chambers Tues. Nov. 9 Regular Meeting 7:00 pm City Council Chambers Tues. Dec. 14 Regular Meeting 7:00 pm City Council Chambers TBD Commission Member Annual Reception - TBD TBD Chair and Liaison Annual Morning Meeting 7:00 am TBD Dec. 31 Quarter 4 Work Plan Progress Due - - * Hybrid meetings - For the first 60 days after the State of MN emergency orders are lifted, public officials can participate in public meetings virtually for up to 3 meetings if advised by a health care professional that they should not be in a public place for personal or family medical reasons. This rule creates the need to hold public meetings in a hybrid version for July and August providing the option for participation by either WebEx for virtual or in person in the Edina City Council Chambers.