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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-07-14 Park Board MinutesEDINA PARK BOARD 7:30 p.m. my 14, 1987 -dina City Hall MEMBERS PRESENT: Joan Lonsbury, Don Wineberg, Jim Fee, Andy Montgomery, Marilyn Wooldridge MEMBERS ABSENT: Bob Christianson, Bill Lord, James Moe, Jean Rydell, Mac Thayer STAFF PRESENT: Bob Kojetin, John Keprios, Stacey Kness, Richard Anderson Park Tour began at 7:40 p.m. 1. Stopped at the new Edina Gymnastic facility located at the 5201 Eden Circle warehouse building. Art and Pam Katzman, past presidents of the EGA, conducted a tour for the Park Board and explained the facility. The building is privately owned, and EGA rents 10,000 square feet of the building with a five-year lease at approximately $5.50 per square foot. EGA also built their own bathroom facility within their area, so the bathroom for the other tenants in the warehouse facility is not overcrowded. EGA has approximately 500 kids in their summer session, and during the school year they have approximately 800 children in the program. 800 is approximately the breaking point for the total number of kids that can use the facility. There are ten part-time coaches, 2 are full-time year round coaches. Peggy Fifield, the head coach, and her assistant are the two full-time coaches. Seventy percent of the participants are Edina kids. EGA's income is approximately $200,000 a year and expenses, with wages and building rental, is approximately $200,000. They feel they are a self-sufficient organization. The EGA has just recently repaid the $15,000 loan from the City that they had taken for new equipment when they reorganized the Gymnastic Association three years ago. They have an eleven -member board with two-year terms. They have incorporated bylaws, and they moved into their building on June 15, 1987. Mr. and Mrs. Lund have just recently been elected the new presidents of the EGA. Art Katzman indicated to the Park Board that they still are interested in the Braemar Sports Complex. Mr. Katzman has been on the Sports Complex Committee for the past two years. 2. Drove by Garden Park, 5520 Hansen Road. 3. Drove by Birchcrest Park, 6016 Hansen Road. 4. Stopped at Normandale Park, 6501 Warren Avenue. Normandale Park is still under construction. The fill has been hauled and partially graded. The playground equipment has now been installed and sand put under the equipment. Curbing around the sand and a new parking lot with new curbing has not been completed but should be finished some time this summer or fall. 5. Drove by Heights Park, 5520 West 66 Street. - 1 - 6. Stopped at McGuire Park, 69th and McGuire Road. The only large tree in McGuire Park has been removed due to Dutch Elm Disease and has left the park looking wide open. There are other small trees within the park. The Park Board was met by neighbors that were concerned about McGuire Park and would like to be considered for some new equipment and upgrading of the park. Mr. Kojetin explained that McGuire Park was the first park in the middle 70's to have a concrete curbing and sand installed around the playground area. McGuire Park also received new equipment at that time. The neighbors would also like to have more trees in the park since they lost the one large elm tree. 7. Stopped at Lewis Park, Dewey Hill and Cahill Road. Mr. Kojetin explained the construction of the new hockey rink. This will be the new design used in the remodeling of other hockey rinks. This type of rink is also being built at Weber, Normandale, and Walnut Ridge Parks. Lewis Park is the most used hockey rink by adults and young adults in the City. With the location and soil condition, an experiment is being conducted where a plastic fabric material was installed to help stabilize the poor soil condition. On top of the fabric 12" of granule material was installed, and finally, asphalt is placed on top. It is hoped that the asphalt will enable the rink to be flooded faster in the winter time. It is also hoped that skateable ice will be able to be made within one week once the ground is frozen. It is also a location for roller blade hockey and boot hockey players now using the tennis courts. They will cause less damage than what they would have on all the tennis courts. There has even been some comment as to starting a roller blade league, so the rink will be used 12 months of the year rather than just two months in the winter time. 8. Stopped at Arneson Acres Park, 4711 West 70 Street. Mr. Kojetin toured the Arneson Acres house with the Park Board and showed where the new wing would be added in the front of the house. He also explained the present proposed construction of removing the stairwell and making one large room extending into the garage. This plan includes adding a vestibule where the garage doors are now and new windows along the west side overlooking the gardens. Mr. Kojetin pointed out different features of the master plan including where the pond would be located, some of the evergreen trees that will be relocated, and the new ginkgoes that have been planted. He also pointed out where the large, splashy flowers beds would be located on the hill just below the patio by the house. Mr. Kojetin indicated the estimated first cost of the remodeling of the home would be around $35,000. Mr. Kojetin also indicated that he had a conversation with a member of the Rotary Club who has been assigned to looking into some kind of a donation to the Arneson Acres home for a portion of the new construction and possibly putting their name on that portion in the building. 9. Time was not available to go to Weber Park, but Mr. Kojetin explained that the 42nd Street Players (formerly the Edina Community Theater) are now storing all of their props and clothing removed from the Community Center in the spring in the maintenance portion of the Weber building. They have indicated that they would like to build a loft in the maintenance garage area of the building to store all of their props and clothing. They would then use the lower portion to lay out a stage on the floor similar to Edinborough, so they could practice in the Weber building and then put on performances in Edinborough. 10. Returned to Edina City Hall. - 2 - Joan Lonsbury called the meeting to order at 9:10 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JUNE 9, 1987 MEETING Due to the lack of a quorum, the minutes will be approved at the August meeting. II. FORESTRY REPORT Mr. Richard Anderson, City Forester, handed out the 1986 Forestry Report and gave a verbal report on the 1987 Dutch Elm program. As of June 303, 1986, there were 53 trees condemned. On June 30, 1987, 192 trees have been condemned. Out of that 192, 13 are oaks, 8 are other trees, and 171 are elms. Because of the new contract program of tree removal with private contractors, within two weeks the majority of diseased trees have been immediately removed. Mr. Anderson indicated that Tim's Tree Service, who has been doing the majority of the boulevard tree removals, has done an excellent job. Tim's Tree Service also has contracts with Golden Valley, Crystal, and Robbinsdale. Tim's Tree Service has been working about 14 to 16 hours per day in removing trees which has helped in our immediate removal of trees in Edina. Because of the tremendous increase of Dutch Elm Disease trees this year at this date over 1986, we have exhausted almost all of our contracted money and probably will go over budget by the end of the year if we continually have the increase of Dutch Elm Disease in the City. Mr. Anderson stated that the mild winter and the drought are causes of the high survival rate for the Dutch Elm beetle which spreads the disease. Mr. Anderson indicated when a tree is diagnosed for Dutch Elm Disease, he will try a soil barrier to kill the roots, a girdle on the tree, and if 10 percent or less is infected, eradicate that portion immediately to lessen the spread of the disease. These actions have helped in some instances. Minnegasco is working in the Country Club area and (to some degree) is saving some of the elm trees. They have to trench down the street and up to each home to install new gas mains. This cuts the roots which is the best way of controlling root grafting and the spread of Dutch Elm Disease. Mr. Anderson told the Park Board about a current tree removal problem involving an uncooperative neighbor. III. CENTENNIAL AND ARNESON ACRES REMODELING UPDATE The next February Centennial Committee meeting will be held in September. All committee members are to bring their plans. Andy Montgomery asked about his Medallion Hunt assignment and if a medallion already exists. Mrs. Lonsbury said he. will have to create his own medallion. Mr. Kojetin stated that the Centennial Committee will be making a brochure showing a rendition of what the new Arneson Acres home will look like after adding on the second wing of the building. This will be used in a promotion by the Centennial in raising of funds for the Centennial and the Arneson Acres home. IV. OTHER Mr. Kojetin handed out a report on Canadian Goose Control in the Metropolitan area. There was a discussion regarding purchasing trumpeter swans to place in heavily goose -populated lakes to keep them away. Mr. Kojetin updated the Park Board on the previous City Council meeting. The Council is working with the staff on the 1988 Work Program within the community. It was suggested at the Council meeting that a Task Force for Park and Recreation Department - 3 - be formed. The Council passed the smoking recommendations. The Council suggested that the smoking policy for the Edinborough Great Hall be investigated to possibly have the same rules as the Braemar Room for rental parties. Mr. Kojetin asked the Park Board to think about allowing smoking in certain designated areas in the park. Mr. Wineberg said if we make the rules and then back off, there will be a problem. Mr. Fee asked how the no smoking rule will be enforced at a 500 -people function; the smokers will smoke anyway. Mr. Kojetin also asked the board to think about types of teen dances at Edinborough going late in the evening and the noise levels. The Daughters of the American Revolution voted to put their inscribed 200 -year rock in Tupa Park. Mr. Kojetin will bring more information back when he has it. Mr. Wineberg suggested they place the rock at Arneson Acres Park since it is also an historical site; the traffic around Tupa Park drives by so quickly the rock wouldn't be seen as much. Most of the board agreed with Mr. Wineberg. Mrs. Lonsbury commented on the cattails at Cornelia Park. She is going to go over the DNR's head to discuss this problem. Mr. Montgomery commended Mr. Kojetin on the Fourth of July fireworks display at Lake Cornelia Park. Mr. Kojetin said all the fireworks were made by Minnesota people. Mr. Wineberg stated that Braemar Golf Course is being considered as the site for the Mens' Amateur Open in 1992. At the next Park Board meeting there will be a recommendation to host the Open. Mrs. Lonsbury will write a letter of thanks to John Valliere for the Inspection Tour on July 7. She will also write a letter to the President of the University of Minnesota to comment on the possibility of the Park and Recreation Department Leisure Studies program being eliminated from the University programa along, with the Dental Department and the Veterinary Medicine Department. The meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m. - 4 -