Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 05/14/1998

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UPDATE ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL RIVER AND RECREATION AREA (MNRRA) PROCESS Case #2 Background: Hoisington Koegler Group Inc., the planning finn working on the Comprehensive Plan, is also working with City staff to address several issues as part ofa MNRRA Planning Grant. The issues include coming into compliance with state laws in the Critical River Area and Community and Trail Planning as it relates to the river. On April 30, 1998, a meeting was held to receive comments on potential river and adjoining uses. The meeting was advertised in the Ramsey Resident and by special mailing to those residents and businesses in the Critical River Corridor. A summary of that meeting is attached. Observations: As the second to the last paragraph of the April 30, 1998 meeting summary indicates, much of the meeting was unintentionally focused on property owner rights and concerns for "untrustworthy" government. The following is how the Park and Recreation Commission is expected to be involved int he two planning processes. Park Commission Comprehensive Plan Participation The Park and Open Space issues associated with the Comprehensive Plan are scheduled to be before the Park and Recreation Commission at the regular June meeting. If there are specific issues the Commission would like to see addressed in the Plan, those should be identified prior to June. One item that will be included is a recommendation on the amount of park, trail and open space needed for the future. This recommendation is expected to be specific and include categories such as: x number of acres of Community Park, x number of neighborhood parks per capita, etc. Park Commission MNRRA Participation As stated, the MNRRA plan will be integrated within the Comprehensive Plan. The schedule for both plans to be available in draft form is early July. This schedule is why the Commission is expected to approve the Park and Open Space concepts in June. Because of the concern of residents for future trail development along the Mississippi, a special Park and Recreation Commission meeting may need to be held in June. The purpose would be to reassure residents, to the extent possible, that their concerns can be taken into consideration in trail design and siting.