Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAbout07-21-04 Park Commission MinutesMedina Park Commission Meeting Minutes July 21, 2004 Page 1 of 5 I. Call to order 7:00 pm A. Commissioners present — Randy Hughes, Robin Reid, Tom Gregor, Gerry Dykhoff B. Absent — Theresa Richey, Brad Kvanbek, Galen Bruer C. Also present — Chad Adams, Josh Doty, Jim DiInman, Carolyn Smith II. Additions to agenda Josh Doty noted that a discussion of the Charles Cudd development has been added to the agenda. III. Approval of last meeting's minutes Commissioners requested that the minutes be amended so that the "Also present" item includes the residents from Independence Beach who attended the meeting. a) A motion was passed to accept the amended June 16 minutes. IV. Old Business A. Boat Ramp at Independence Beach/Lakeshore Park 1. City Planner Josh Doty distributed copies of the guidelines for boat ramp construction recommended by the DNR. Winter durability is a concern. Several commissioners noted that constructing the ramp of smaller, pre - poured concrete planks would make it easier to re -position the planks in the spring if they've shifted over the winter. The larger slabs would be much more difficult to move. a) A motion was proposed and passed to request City staff to proceed with obtaining bids on constructing the ramp per the DNR guidelines, and for staff to go ahead and make a recommendation to the City Council for approval. B. Children's Play Area at Independence Beach/Lakeshore Park 1. Josh Doty reported that after last month's meeting, when the Commissioners asked that the proposed location of the play area be moved further from the street, staff revisited the site and determined that the play area could be installed on the higher ground, further from the road, but this would require modifications in the layout proposed by Earl. F Anderson. Medina Park Commission Meeting Minutes July 21, 2004 Page 2 of 5 2. Josh Doty circulated copies of a letter from Independence Beach resident Brad Sim, who lives at 2969 Lakeshore Ave, adjacent to the park. Mr. Sim expressed some concerns about the proposed changes at the park, and about communication between the Commission and the neighborhood. He feels that neighbors have not been provided with enough information about the plans. He asked if the conditions which were in place when the park land was donated were still being followed. He is concerned about trees being cut down, the hill being flattened, drainage problems, and the appearance of the play structure. He also thinks that the actions of the resident who took it upon himself to clear some of the trees and brush from the park should not have been criticized by the Commissioners and City staff. Mr. Sim's comments were discussed. Staff reported that there are no City records of the conditions that were placed on the land donation, which occurred several decades ago. Commissioners noted that although some of the things Mr. Sim mentions have been discussed, none of the plans have been finalized. There are no plans to remove trees, although it may be necessary to remove one of the smaller trees to accommodate the play area. There are no plans to grade and flatten the hill. The play structure design has not been finalized. Park Commissioners agreed with Mr. Sim's opinion that the bright colors of the proposed play structure are out of character for the neighborhood. Commissioners requested that staff instruct Earl F. Anderson to re -do the design in more natural (i.e. browns and greens) colors. It was suggested that the next City newsletter contain a detailed report of the plans for the park improvements. Commissioners asked staff to instruct Earl. F. Anderson to re -locate the play area to the higher ground away from the road (as agreed at the June meeting), to alter the colors of the play structure, and to minimize the need for tree removal. Confirming the motion which passed at the June meeting, staff is authorized to go ahead with presenting the proposed design to the City Council, after the requested changes have been made. Staff reported that the City Council has discussed the park clean-up issue, and Mayor Zietlow stated that the Boy Scouts might be available to help with buckthorn removal. Josh Doty was asked about the possibility of removing the junk which has accumulated on the hillside leading down to the lake. He stated that disposal is still problematic, given the lack of information about ownership of the small lots along the shoreline, where some of the abandoned items are located. Medina Park Commission Meeting Minutes July 21, 2004 Page 3 of 5 V. New Business A. City Park and Trails at the proposed Charles Cudd development. 1. Charles Cudd company is proposing to donate a sizable section (about 6 acres) of the proposed development to the City of Medina for a park. The section of land is woods surrounded by marsh, and is virtually an island. Cudd suggests building a floating bridge for access by foot (only). There would also be an adjacent parking area, and a children's play area which would be owned and maintained by the residents association. 2. Park Commission members suggested that due to the natural state of the property, that the City accept the land, but leave it undeveloped as a nature area for the time being, and hold it in reserve for more formal park improvements in the future. 3. Park Commissioners specified that by accepting the land, we are not obligated to develop it further at this time, but on the other hand, there would be no restrictions against adding park improvements at some future date. 4. Park Commissioners asked that an easement be designated to allow future vehicle access, and that the easement not go through the children's play area. 5. As for trails, the Hackamore/Arrowhead trail was not given high priority in the Trail Study, but that was before the plan for the area changed to accommodate more housing. Given the amount of new housing to be built and the opportunity to put in a trail in conjunction with the road improvements which accompany the development, Commissioners favored going forward with trail planning now. 6. Jim Dillman noted that a decision will have to be made regarding which side of the road the trail is on. On the Hackamore section, the trail has to be on the south side because the road is the border with Corcoran. On Arrowhead, the west side of the current road has a narrow strip of woods that needs to be protected. The issue is complicated by the lack of an accurate survey of the City's easement along the road. 7. Park Commissioners recommended that an easement for a trail be requested, but that the decision about trail location be deferred until the surveying work is completed. Medina Park Commission Meeting Minutes July 21, 2004 Page 4 of 5 B. Report on the June 15th Regional Trail Meeting 1. City Council Member Carolyn Smith attended the meeting, which was also attended by Loretto residents, representatives of the Three Rivers Parks district, and other interested parties. The discussion was very general and no conclusions were reached. There are differing opinions as to which side of County Rd 19 the trail should be located on. Loretto has some new development on the west side, but south of Loretto the east side of the road would be logical due to the existing paths already in place in Baker Park. 2. The Three Rivers Park district has applied for a grant to develop a trail. City Administrator Chad Adams pointed out that it is unlikely anything will be done for several years on the Medina portion of the trail; the Corcoran section will be built first. 3. Future meetings will be held to continue these discussions. C. 2005 Budget and Capital Improvements 1. Chad Adams reviewed the park and trail -related portions of the proposed 2005 operating budget and the capital improvements budget. In 2004, capital improvements included the Hunter Drive trail and the park improvements at the Independence Beach/Lakeshore park as well as the Community Building project. 2. Possible 2005 park improvements under discussion include the basketball court and auxiliary parking area at Hamel Legion Park, a horseshoe pit at Maple Park, and a picnic shelter at City Hall. Carolyn Smith and Park Commissioners asked staff to obtain a diagram showing the proposed location of the basketball court and parking area in relation to the new Community Building. 3. Now that the Community Building project is underway, priorities for 2005 will shift to establishing trails. Completing the Sioux Drive trail is one possibility. D. Donor Wall Discussion 1. Gerry Dykoff reported that he has consulted with the Community Building architect regarding compatible materials (color and appearance) for the Donor Wall. Materials for the building have not yet been selected; as soon as those decisions have been made, the design for the Donor Wall can be completed. Medina Park Commission Meeting Minutes July 21, 2004 Page 5 of 5 a) A motion was proposed and passed approving the proposed plan for the Donor Wall and authorizing Gerry Dykoff to go ahead with the Donor Wall proposal and to present it to the City Council for final approval when appropriate. E. Bench Costs Discussion 1. This topic was postponed until the next meeting. VI. Adjourned — 9:26 p.m. VII. Next meeting — Due to primary election activities, the next Park Commission Meeting has been rescheduled to September 22.