Agenda - Council - 07/08/1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I CASE # APPLE RIDGE PARK By: Ryan R. Schroeder, City Administrator Background: At the June 24, 1997 meeting, Council approved the preliminary plat for the 127 lot Apple Ridge Subdivision (with contingencies). At the same meeting, Council authorized acquisition of an 83-acre parcel for community park purposes about 2,000 feet north of Apple Ridge. A further motion was to direct staff to negotiate with the developer of Apple Ridge for land for a tot lot up to six acres in size. This tot lot would serve Apple Ridge, as well as the 59-1ot Hall Anderson and 32-iot Hall Dover subdivisions. The public discussion leading up to that direction was that the future community park was too distant for younger children, thus something smaller for a tot lot needed to be provided in close proximity to these subdivisions. The following subdivisions have been developed since 1991, without developed parks as part of the subdivision (listed by number of lots created): Amber and Willow Ridge (157); Wood Pond Hills (136); Chestnut Ridge (85); Brandseth (45); Fox Knoll (68); Juniper Woods (73); Sunfish Lake Estates (25). Each of these subdivisions instead have developed transportation or recreational trails intended to provide access to neighborhood or community parks. The following subdivisions have been developed with parks as part of the plat (these parks often intended to provide park opportunities for some of the above noted subdivisions): Ramsey Commons/Meadows, Sunny Ponds ((123) Solstice Park); Cedar Hills/Chestnut Hills/Pond/Windemere Woods/Sunfish Square ((374) Emerald Pond Park); Rivenwick ((96) Riverdale Park). As the crow flies, the distance to the new community park from the furthest reaches of Apple Ridge or Hall Dover is about 3,000 feet. This distance is exceeded in several areas of the community between neighborhoods and park spaces (including many newer subdivisions). In the I980 Comprehensive Plan, a small neighborhood park is identified just east of 163rd Lane, east of the Menkveld's Country Park subdivision. In the 1991 Park Plan, this neighborhood park is changed to a Community Park utilizing the land which Council just authorized for purchase. There is no other future park identified within this park district. In the 1977 Comprehensive Plan, the definition of a tot lot is: 1) a play area for pre-school children; 2) approximately 1,000 to 5,000 square feet; 3) located within a quarter-mile of homes served; 4) useful only in high density housing areas. A neighborhood park according to this same plan is from 4 to 10 acres in size and located within approximately one mile from any home. Given these definitions the identified park parcel (that being the 6-acre parcel on the northeast side of Apple Ridge) is too distant from the existing neighborhoods to fit the definitional distance for a tot lot. It would also be redundant of the community park using the distance criteria of "within a mile" in that the community park is within 3/5 of a mile of the most distant existing or proposed lot. ql