Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 03/12/2020

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older adults. • Support interconnections for wildlife watching opportunities (e.g. Minnesota's birding trails).]-mn DNR PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES CAN BENEFIT BY PARTNERING WITH THEIR FELLOW PARK AND RECREATION AGENCIES IN NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS TO PRESENT A UNIFIED IMAGE OF A DESIRABLE PLACE TO LIVE (source) [Pearson family farms, kitchen table, scouts, rum river arts, athletic association] [community pride, supports local] [Section x will talk more about partnerships] [Importance of partnerships within Ramsey] [Talk about tournaments ARAA] Encourages Investment Opportunities for outdoor recreation can attract new business, talented workers as well as keep established businesses competitive. Small business owners have cited quality of life as a key reason for choosing a location (Crompton, Love & Moore, 2007). Park, recreation, and open space amenities are among the most important components of quality of life. High quality of life makes it easier for businesses to attract and maintain a highly educated professional workforce (Crompton, 2007a). Furthermore, providing and promoting quality outdoor recreational opportunities can be a more sustainable way of attracting and retaining businesses than offering tax or other cash incentives. Companies that relocate to an area for tax incentives alone will likely continue seeking out other tax incentives and move on when they are able. High -quality outdoor recreational opportunities cannot be so easily replaced (Minnesota Legacy). Property Values As a general guideline, researchers have found nearby parkland increases home values 5%-15%, depending upon proximity and quality of the park. Trails have a similar effect: researchers estimate homeowners are willing to pay an additional $4,000-$9,000 to be located within a thousand feet of a trail. Minnesotans value open space, leading a Wilder Research analysis to conclude: "the additional future tax revenues generated by residential properties near an open space may be sufficient to pay the debt service on funds borrowed to acquire and/or develop a park."Overall, the message is clear: Minnesota's economy benefits when we invest in parks and trails (MN Parks & Trails). "The property value added by park areas is separate from the recreational use value gained; property value goes up even if the resident never visits the park." "For example, a 2009 report from the National Association of Realtors found the premium for homes near parks can extend three blocks and start at 20 percent for those homes directly adjacent (declining as distance from the park increases). The 5 percent premium is the increase in a home's value due to its proximity to the park system alone. The measurement controls for characteristics of the house as well as other locational characteristics such as proximity to transportation networks and central business districts. Holding all other factors constant, The Trust for Public Land assumes that parks alone increase property values by 5 percent. Other studies have found that value can be measured at distances up to 2,000 feet. Second, these estimates only capture a 5 percent marginal value for parks, though studies have shown higher premiums. One study in Austin, Texas, found that direct adjacency to greenbelts increased average home value by 5.7 or 12.2 percent, depending on the greenbelt. Other studies have found that parks can have up to a 20 percent premium. Therefore, these estimates provide a lower bound estimate of the "true" impact of parks on property values." (Colorado Trust for Public Lands) PARK SYSTEM PLAN 141