Agenda - Council - 08/13/1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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PLANNING ISSUES MISSISSIPPI WEST REGIONAL PARK FARMF~LD CONVERSION RECOMMENDATIONS There is an immediate need to start healing the park back to an oak-savanna landscape. Native trees planted and cared for now will provide future park and trail users with an essential element in park use - protection from the elements. Park patrons seek out parks that offer protection from the sun and wind. The fields plante~d for wildlife food are an honorable endeavor. However, the proposed park and trail system will benefit more in the long term from re-establishing native stands of trees and grasslands. The Anoka CoUnty Department of Parks and Recreation is currently making commitments to re- establish native landscape communities such as the oak-savanna landscape back into its regional parks. FRONTAGE ROAD The City of Ramsey wants to connect the commercial / residential lands to the east of the proposed park with the commercial land to the west with a frontage road along Highway 10. Mr. Steven Jankowski, city engineer, indicated in a letter June 17, 1996, that a minimum right-of-way of forty-two feet might be needed provided there is no parking and berming be done on park property. RECOMMENDATIONS The City ofRamsey, Anoka County Park and Recreation Department, and the State oflVfmnesota Department of Transportation should work together to provide a frontage road across the proposed Mississippi West Regional Park. The frontage road's impact upon the park is minimized by reducing lane and parking requirements. The addition of earth berms to lessen the visual and noise impact upon the park is a good design tool. The frontage road provides little if any benefit to the park. Land use planning requires properties benefiting from public '~tnprovements to share in the cost of such improvements. Discussions need to determine benefits and costs to all parties. The Anoka County Department of Parks and Recreation needs to review the frontage road design to ensure meaningful improvements to lessen the impact of the frontage road upon future park users. BRIDGE CROSSING A bridge crossing corridor is indicated on the mapping of the proposed Mississippi West Regional Park. As of 1996, there, is no definitive plans for the bridge. MNDOT estimates for construction of a bridge at least 5 - 10 years from 1996. There are other bridge corridors identified by MNDOT. RECOMMENDATIONS The master plan for the park indicates archery, mountain bike course, family picnic, and regional trail in the immediate vicinity of the bridge crossing. All only require low levels of capital improvements. Only family picnicking may require relocation upon construction of the bridge. Even with the pending bridge crossing, the proposed park improvements are compatible with the bridge. Ail the above proposed park improvements are [good first phase improvements. 15