Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 04/12/2018

Home

Planned Park System Recreation Districts It is both a rewarding and a vexing reality that most residents cherish their park system and, given the choice, would like more parks, especially near their homes. However, city leadership is continually challenged to build and manage a park system that meets those desires, yet can realistically be both funded for construction —and then adequately maintained at a responsible funding level. Currently, the overall amount of acreage devoted to Ramsey's park and open space system is over 1,800 acres, or approximately 10% of the of the City's 28 square miles. Given this large available area, the focus is on using these spaces wisely and connecting them effectively. The gap between the desire for more parks and the stark reality of limited annual maintenance funding, calls for a strategy to plan a system of interconnected parks and trails that are reasonably and equitably distributed within the community. This strategic plan may be achieved by viewing Ramsey's park system as divided into ten `Recreation Districts.' These districts are delineated by major roadways or other barriers and provide a means for more effective planning in determining future park needs at the scale of larger groups of neighborhoods (see map below). A broad overview of the existing park system in Ramsey reveals a number of small, underutilized park spaces scattered throughout rural areas of the community. These low -density (or large lot) developments do not support high use of a neighborhood park system and thus can lead to inefficiencies. Larger scale community parks, which would provide park and recreation opportunities not available within private yards or large lots, would prove a more effective and efficient use of a park and recreation system for these areas, and at the same time serve both rural and urban areas of Ramsey —especially if well connected by trails or greenways. It should be clarified that these Recreation Districts are not only a planning tool, but are an organizing structure of aggregating neighborhoods in order to interconnect them with the `Circle of Ramsey' greenway. This greenway encircles the community, while connecting each Recreation District to each other, as well as to destinations like retail areas, schools, and workplaces. Using the structure of the Recreation Districts, it is evident that there are relatively few developed neighborhood parks in the northern third of the city. This, coupled with the need for additional spaces for a growing youth athletic program, suggests the need for a sixth community park in the north central part of the city. The remaining major emphases in the rural area of Ramsey should be, first to provide trail connections to connect people to larger park facilities and destinations such as Central Park, Elmcrest, and Rum River Central Regional Park and, second, to preserve open space corridors consistent with a more rural land use. This approach is also consistent with the refrain heard throughout the public engagement process of the Comprehensive Plan: strive to find the "balance of rural and urban character." This same approach does not apply to the more urban areas of the city. Higher density development demands more parks that are within walking distance of homes and provide a greater variety of activities. It would be prudent to start more detailed planning for the provision of neighborhood parks in future urban areas as well as looking to fill gaps in existing urban developed areas. As traffic patterns become denser within the urban areas more neighborhood barriers may occur, further accentuating the need for more neighborhood park facilities. Trail, sidewalk, and greenway development is a significant element of future park planning to connect residents to the places they work, shop, and recreate. Therefore, the City must continue installing paved trails or sidewalks along all collector streets concurrent with their construction and also enhance intersections with pedestrian -friendly treatments in the more urban areas. City of Ramsey 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space Chapter Page 7 of 30