Agenda - Council - 04/25/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Projects continuing a phased high-priority project or one of relatively high priority that is timed with other public improvement projects to achieve significant economies in cost of construction. • A project providing a specific facility that meets a documented need, is currently not available, or is significantly under-represented in the system where there will be no adverse effect on the natural resource base. • Regional trails that connect to other trails or regional facilities or extend existing trails. • Natural resource restoration, invasive species control and other types of resource restoration and protection projects. • Acquisition of parkland parcels or reimbursement for parkland parcels. • Matching non-state and non-Council funds to develop/rehabilitate recreation facilities or restore natural resource areas is encouraged. • Projects that provide essential facility improvements and natural resource enhancements to allow for the initial public use of a regional park once there is adequate demand and acquisition base to support the development. Early efforts of the Regional Parks System program focused on acquiring desirable tracts of land and incorporating existing park facilities that are valuable to the region. Since the lands in question were being used, or were intended to be used, for some form of recreation, it was recognized that eventually the new lands would require development and the facilities in the older parks would have to be redeveloped through replacement or reconstruction. Regional park implementing agencies are responsible for the development and rehabilitation needs for their units in the Regional Parks System. Each regional park implementing agency ranks its proposed development and rehabilitation projects for possible inclusion in the capital improvement program of the Council. All of the proposed development and rehabilitation projects may be desirable, but some - due to their location, their existing use or intended use - tend to be more valuable from a regional standpoint than others. Adding recreational facilities to Regional Parks System units must not adversely affect the natural resource base that justifies the park or trail's regional designation. Regional park implementing agencies need to balance the carrying capacity of the recreational facilities against the carrying capacity of the park or trail corridor. For regional trails, regional park implementing agencies are encouraged to connect existing trails to other Regional Parks System units, most notably regional parks and park reserves. Regional park implementing agencies are encouraged to negotiate with local communities and landowners to provide fencing or vegetative screening to meet safety and local community concerns. Fencing and screening along new or existing regional trails may be grant-eligible development costs. The Council and the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission will consider such costs when reviewing trail development master plans and trail development funding requests. Excessive screening or fencing beyond a reasonable minimum should be cost-shared with the adjacent landowner since the additional cost provides no benefit to the trail-using public.