Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 05/13/2004

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COMMISSION BUSINESS Case #1: Ramsey Town Center, Parks, Trails and Open Space Discussion Civil Engineer II Linton explained the Ramsey Town Center LLC had submitted a parks, trails and open space proposal. He noted Staff had analyzed the proposal and prepared the report for the Commission's review. Civil Engineer II Linton explained the proposal provided land and cash to create basic park spaces. There were spaces reserved in the parks for the signature elements identified as priorities by the Parks Commission at their planning meetings with the developer and landscape architect. The signature elements were identified in the proposal. However, the funding vehicle was not specified. Civil Engineer II Linton stated the Commission should make a motion to approve/modify/reject proposal per discussion and motion should include recommendation to Council. Principal City Engineer Olson indicated three primary parks were involved in the initial proposal: North Park, Town Center Park and South Park. In addition, there were two other parks included as part of that proposal: Downtown Commons Park and Civic Square Park. The proposal was to dedicate the land for those parks and also contribute $4.2 million of infrastructure improvements related to park and land dedication requirements. Principal City Engineer Olson provided a copy of a memo from staff to the Commission that discussed amenities within each of the parks and the preferences identified the previous year, with the swimming hole being the highest priority. Concerns were traffic, staffing and expense. One of the things staff had done was to ask that North Park begin as a skeletal park, considering it would be three or four years before development occurred and the development would move from east to west in the residential portions of the project. In addition, the proposal was above and beyond the requirements of any other subdivision and was a monumental project for the City. Principal City Engineer Olson stated staff had asked that a trail be placed around the outside of North Park and improvement dollars be placed toward an amphitheater. Walking paths and picnic shelters were also included. Two pavilions with bathrooms, open space and garden space were included in the proposal and mobile turf with irrigation would be used due to soil issues within the City, which was not noted in the proposal. The objective was to make sure all of the areas were irrigated. Principal City Engineer Olson noted he gave the Commission an amendment to the parks proposal, stating the Commission had seen improvements that were concept plans identified for Civic Square Park and Downtown Commons Park..The initial cost estimates were in the range of $6.4 million for Civic Square Park and $900,000 for Downtown Commons Park. There was concern about financing those parks considering the development had contributed more than was required of a subdivision. Staff went to the bargaining table and Town Center LLC had provided a generous offer, suggesting that with each new house obtaining a building permit an additional $1,500 would be given toward the cost of the park. This offer provided over $3.6 million from the residential portion only and did not include the retail building permits. It was not artticipated that everything would be paid; however, the amount needed from the City was dramatically decreased. Park and Recreation Commission/April 8, 2004 Page 2 of 21