Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 02/08/2018

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1) Park and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting Minutes dated November 9, 2017. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chair Bennett, Commissioners Bayer, Trappen, Andrusko and Leistico. Voting No: None. Absent: Commissioner Sis and Commissioner Tchuinkwa. 5. COMMISSION BUSINESS 5.01: Approve Greenway and Recreation District Maps as Working Documents for Park Planning Parks & Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood indicated the Trott Brook Boardwalk project, is a currently missing link in the Greenway. He recalled that this Boardwalk project was previously recommended by the Commission to begin construction in August 2018. Mr. Riverblood presented a map of the Trott Brook Boardwalk area, highlighting the boardwalk is beyond the Brookfield subdivision, in the area of parkland received by the City in 1994/1995. The proposed Boardwalk will also include a pull -off parking area, which will allow people to access the Trott Brook Boardwalk as well as the Trott Brook trail. Mr. Riverblood reviewed the history of the Greenway and the trails that connect everything together. In 2002, the potential greenways were mapped in the City of Ramsey. These are areas with natural features and are largely contiguous. The Trott Brook greenway, then, rose to the top because it is the largest area of contiguous natural resources in the City. The City subsequently applied for and received a $500,000 grant for conservation and trail easements from willing sellers. Most recently, the Council has approved plans and specifications for Trott Brook earlier this week. The Greenway connects to the larger community but also connects to desirable destinations: areas of retail, the community parks, the high school, and the library. Mr. Riverblood noted that even as the City is in the midst of the 2040 Comp Plan, it is important to remember the context of the community involvement surrounding the 2030 Comp Plan. He emphasized how important this long-term planning is, as it is the mechanism by which the City moves things ahead and gets things done. He recalled a number of the park and rec goals completed as a result of the 2030 Comp Planning. Mr. Riverblood provided a brief history of the conception of the City's Recreation Districts back in the early 1990s. Recreation Districts are basically larger neighborhoods, the boundaries of which are large county roads or streams that are not comfortable for young people to cross. He continued that the City of Ramsey does not have the resources to create and maintain community parks everywhere, throughout the city, so the goal is to create connectivity to these community parks, so there are not tiny parks scattered everywhere, but have high -quality community parks accessible. Mr. Riverblood noted also that the February agenda for the Park and Rec Commission includes approving the County's plan to realign the Central Anoka County Regional Trail and connect greenways to retail, modes of travel, and parks themselves. Park and Recreation Commission/January 11, 2018 Page 2 of 5