Agenda - Council Work Session - 03/23/2021

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CC Work Session 2. 1. Meeting Date: 03/23/2021 Information Title: Receive Update on Discussions for the Potential Expansion for Loral I Armstrong Delaney Central Park Purpose/Background: This topic report has two components: 1. Report to City Council on the status of discussions on potential expansion of Central Park; and 2. Request for feedback on future land use of the vacant land East of the park Staff recommends that the work session discussion follow this sequence, separating the two subjects. General consensus direction is appropriate on both topics, with future discussions reviewing more detailed plans. Loral I Armstrong Delaney Central Park Expansion On January 14, 2021, the Park & Recreation Commission discussed the potential purchase of approximately 11 acres of raw land east of Loral I Armstrong Central Park for expansion. The present owner, St. Katharine Drexel Church indicated an offer to sell this land to the City. Also, the Owner indicated that there was apparent interest from a residential developer. The Commission's recommendation was direction to Staff to develop a park plan to guide Park Dedication discussions for the future development that accomplished the following: 1. Yield additional athletic field space 2. Improve access and parking for Loral I Delaney Armstrong Central Park Following the Commissions direction to 'ghost plat' the property to see what residential land use patterns might look like, along with Park Dedication/Park Expansion, Staff worked with the Owner to develop a series of land use concepts. Attached are two diagrams of potential land use and residential street scenarios that demonstrate additional park field space with improved public access and parking. It is important to note that the concepts are not the only configurations that may be tenable for park expansion concurrent with the subdivision of land. At the February 1 lth Park & Recreation Commission meeting, five alternatives were deliberated, relative to the original question on the proposed purchase of approximately 11 acres to expand Central Park (for $517,000) these were: • Take no action at this time (formally or informally decline) • Purchase 11 acres without a plan for the land's use • Attempt to negotiate different terms or acreage for a purchase • Attempt to negotiate the dedication of land to be credited against future Park Dedication • Designate minimum expectations and goals for a park expansion to satisfy future Park Dedication obligations, to be met before or no later than the time of the subdivision of land east of the park. By Motion, the Park & Recreation Commission's recommendation to City Council was that, 'the future subdivision of land east of Loral I Armstrong Delaney Central Park include a park expansion consisting of a minimum of two new areas for flex -use athletic fields, additional public access and parking, to be considered as fulfilling Park Dedication obligations'. Future Development of Saint Katharine Drexel Remnant Parcel Also on February 1 lth, the Planning Commission held a Special Work Session which included the subject of residential land use considerations for the St. Katharine Drexel church property. Generally, only 'high level'