Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 02/14/1991

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Goal 2: Goal 4: Goal 5: Goal 7: Goal 8: Goal 9: Goal 1 1: What does this mean? Investment in structured facilities is significant and therefore tends not to be "flexible" (e.g. tennis courts, developed ballfields, tot lots). Investment in neighborhood parks has, to date, been minimal with many of the neighborhood parks remaining undeveloped. Is this the desired intent? The current policy is to not accept undevelopable areas for parkland :dedication. This is further confirmed by Park Dedication Ordinance 89-17. The Commission has recommended acceptance of additional wetland and drainage areas over and above that which otherwise would be required for park dedication. This policy should continue. Land preservation on both sides of Trott and Ford Brooks is difficult to achieve through parks dedication alone. As is obvious from the density of developments, only a limited amount of land can be preserved through park dedication. To the extent possible, land dedication for trail development has been a top priority along the Trott Brook Corridor but not Ford Brook. This may include land on one side of Trott Brook but not both. Preservation of land beyond that obtained through park dedication will have to continue to rely on other policing mechanisms such as ordinances restricting development in the floodplains, PUD's and drainage easements. When easements are obtained, the land itself continues under private ownership. No parkland has yet been acquired in the City. All parks to date have :been received through donation (Central Park), through cooperative agreement (Ramsey Elementary School) or dedication through the development process. This is a sound goal which has not yet been pursued. Currently, there are four areas which have been identified for acquisition: 2, 3. 4. Central Park - expansion to east (approx. 35 acres). Heatherwood Hills (approx. 65 acres). Sunfish Lake Area (approx. 50-60 acres). Misc. trail segments needed to link one section of trail to another. Ordinance 89-17 provides for 7% dedication in areas of Iow density development and provides for a higher percentage of dedication in high density areas. .Ordinance 89-17 provides for agreement to be reached prior to preliminary plat approval. The policy has been to concentrate development at a few of the larger parks in the City. This is not to say that, at some point, neighborhood parks will be more developed in the future. This goal should also recognize that park dedication requirements vary with different density levels and thus, for example, an equal distribution of neighborhood parks will not occur when comparing 10 acre lots to 2.5 acres or urban density areas.