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Home My WebLink About08-15-2022 Parks and Trails PacketCITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS PARKS COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 5, 2022 5:30 p.in., or immediately following conclusion of preceding Worksession I. Call to Order IL Approval of Agenda 111. Approve Parks and Trails Commission Minutes — July 18, 2022 (1) IV. Department / Con-unission Liaison Reports A. Arborist B. Public Works Director C. Other / Commission Liaison Report V. Visitors/Public Corni-nent 171is is an opportiolitY Aw. the inihlic to address 1he Commission with questions or concerns not on the agenda, Please limit comenents to Move minutcs. Vt. Public Hearing None Vt 1. Old Business A. Mountain Bike Skills Park Proposal Follow-up Discussion (2) VIII. New Business A. 2022 Surnmer Park Prograin Update (3) IX Informational A. Next Meeting: Monday, Septernber 19, 2022 at 5:30, p.m. at City Hall 13. Upcoming Council Meeting. Tuesday, .August 24 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall X Adjourn CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS PARKS AND TRAILS COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MONDAY, JULY 18,2022 1. Call to Order: Chair Chirhart called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.n]. Present: Commissioners Hoeppner, Thiets, Thoreson, and Van Dyke. Also present: Assistant City AdininistratorPinski, Arborist Danielson,, Public Works Director Kegley, and Commission Liaison Councilmember Dougherty, Absent, None Approval of A enda. Commissioner I jorier Hoeppner requested that a discussion oil the meeting start time be added to the Agenda. Chair Chirhart added as New Business Itern B. Conu-nissioner Thiets, seconded by Commissioner Thoreson, moved to approve the Agenda as amended. 5-0. r4roveand Trails Commission Minutes ro_ e�.Prls and Trails Cornmiss—ion-Minutes --June 2_0 2022: Corrunissioner Van Dyke, seconded by Commissioner Hoepprier, moved to approve the Minutes. Carried 5-0. IV. DePartment/CoM!pjssion L aiso�� Reports A. Arborist: Arborist Danielson reported that Minnesota Native Landscapes completed the —first of three weed control visits and the contract documents fbr the DNR Emerald Ash Borer grant have been signed. B. Public Works Director: Public Works Director Kegley reported that that the City ordered a pickleball net and the vandalism at Cover Park was repaired. C. Other/Conimission Liaison Reports: None, V. Visitor/Public Comment: None V1. Public HeqdDg§: None VII. Old Business. A. Mountain Bike Skills Park Proposal Follo w -up Discussion, Resident Neil Swenson spoke to the Parks and Trails Commission about the proposal. He said the skills park was meant to teach new riders mountain bike skills so they could ride the mountain bike trails. They were proposing two options for areas: an initial set LIP for beginners and ultimately add more features with intermediate and advanced options. Assistant City Administrator Pinski reported the feedback she received from her conversations with Mike Adams of Dakota County Parks regarding the Lebanon Hills skills park and Reed Smidt of City of Woodbury regarding the Carver Park skills course. Commissioner Van Dyke questioned whose responsibility it would be to repair vandalism, and Swenson responded that SASCA would be responsible for repair and maintenance of the features. Chair Chirhart questioned the ability to put signage up due to the limitations at the site. Swenson responded that signage Would be required Parks Commission Minutes July 18, 2022 Page 2 of 3 so options would need to be looked into. Commissioner Thoreson questioned the liabilities associated with a skills park. Klay Eckles, a former Public Works Director in the valley, was present at the meeting and responded that Cities are part of the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, and that such an amenity would not be adding a major risk. Thoreson said he wanted to see a detailed design. Eckles responded that they did not want to expend the resources to prepare a detailed design if the City did not support the idea. Mike Wilhelmi of Xcel Energy was present at the meeting, and he said Xcel Energy was not taking a position and that their role was to protect the site which is regulated by the MPGA. Commissioner Thiets asked for a sketch of a beginner skills course. Chirhart asked if the group had looked at other sites. Eckles responded that they had, but Oak Park Crossing Park provided good synergy with the nearby playground and Valley View Park trails. Commissioner Hoeppner noted that park users like the solitude of Oak Park Crossing Park and asked if the two uses, quiet walking and a skills park, could coexist. Commission Liaison Councilmember Dougherty said he walks the paved trails often and did not see any issues with the current mountain bike riders. Public Works Director Kegley noted that the City had a maintenance agreement with SASCA for the existing mountain bike trails, and the City has not had any concerns. Chair Chirhart suggested that the Commission discuss the proposal during their worksession to review the CIP. No action taken. VIII. New Business: A. Schedule Worksession to Review CIP/LongJggp Planning: Commissioner „ Hoeppner, seconded by Commissioner Thiets, moved to schedule a worksession at 5:00 p.m. and a regular meeting following on August 15 with the option to cancel the regular meeting if there was no business for discussion. B. Discussion of Meeting Start Time: Commissioner Hoeppner, seconded by Commissioner Thoreson, moved to recommend the Bylaws be amended for a 5:30 p.m. start time for future Commission meetings. Carried 5-0. IX. Informational: A. Next Meeting: Monday, August 15 at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall B. Upcoming Council Meeting: Tuesday, July 26 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall X. Adjourn: Commissioner Hoeppner, seconded by Cotrunissioner Thiets, moved to adjourn at 7:02 p.m. Carried 5-0. Parks Commission Minutes July 18, 2022 Page 3 of 3 Respectfully submitted, Jennifer Pinski Assistant City Administrator Mountain Bike Skills Park Crossing Park Oak Park Heights, IVIN 5-11-22 As a long term citizen of Oak Park Heights, I am requesting dedication of existing park land East of the playground at Crossing Park be developed into a Mountain Biking Skills Park, Also, approximately $7,500 in materials and rental equipment would be required in order to build the park. Volunteers frorn the StillwaterArea Scholastic Cycling Association (SASCA) would do the installation. The purpose of the park is, to safely introduce riders to mountain biking. Mountain biking is booming in popularity, and this will provide an opportunity for riders to learn at their own pace. The target audience will be from three years old to adult and is nongender specific. Mastery of this course should allow riders to ride on the existing mountain bike trails at Valley View Park, These trails are a great asset to the community. Future development of the skills park to include intermediate and advanced features, could make the Crossing Park a valley destination for mountain biking. This increases the livability of Oak Park Heights, I am attaching a presentation that shows the, location and examples of the various features. Thanks for considering this proposal. I will be happy to answer any questions regarding this development, Neil Swenson MAE [�J q=5 U) X) 0 M M� I 4-0 0: HCl W 0 (3) _0 a) 4-1 CU 0 cn a cu 0 < T -- m I Vill C) 0 cn� 73 E 0 >1 W L.I. CD 14- ..0 o". 4-1 (L) EZ W :3 Lr) LU < > ZD >5 19 D�I is I c M f 19 It M" neiliamesswens n2hotmail.corn City of Oak Park Heights Ms, Jennifer Pinski June 15, 2022 IM309MMM I hope you and the commissioners found our meeting at Crossing Park helpful. We appreciated the opportunity to answer your questions. This letter is intended to clarify some concerns and to share some additional information. These points include: 1. The beginners skills park would not be extensively used by the Stillwater Mountain Bike Team. The typical person to use the park would be someone with less than one year of mountain biking experience. Locating the skills park by the playground allows families to participate in both activities. This is intended to be a community park. 2. Locating the skills park by the Valley View mountain bike trail is synergistic with both activities. On a recent trip to Carver, we noticed about Y2 of the riders "warmed up" on the skills park before riding the trails. In addition, mastering a beginner's skills park should allow more riders the confidence to ride the 3.4 miles of trails at Valley View. 1 1 have never noticed objectionable noises coming from a skills park. Generally, the features make the rider concentrate on biking and developing skills. 4. In today's world, biking and driving etiquette are lacking by some bikers and drivers. There is room for improvement in many riders and drivers. Improving community relations is a job that the coaches take very seriously. Most of our riders do not possess driver's licenses and we are the introduction to the rules of the road. The annual training that the coaches are required to take does stress following laws and utilizing trail etiquette. In addition, the rider to coach ratio is controlled at a maximum of six riders per coach. Generally, the ratio of riders to coaches will be 1:4. This is done to enhance safety and allow for coaching of the riders, 5. For training on the proper way to ride features, we could provide a YouTube link that shows the proper techniques to ride each feature, A sign with a link to either YouTube or the city's site would need to be created. 6. More details of the course layout and features can be shared as requested. A Mountain Bike Skills Park would get more people outside recreating in Oak Park Heights and would enhance Crossing Park, Please let me know if you have any more questions that we can answer. I also would be happy to help lead a tour to some of the other sites that have skills parks, Regards, Neil Swenson Tuesdays @ Autumn HM,5 ParK 10:00 am -12:00P JUNE TTI Personalized JournWs JUNE 14TH Frames JUNE 21$T Bruce the Bug Guy + Bug Craft JUNE 28TH Wendy's Wiggie, Jiggle, & Jam + Croft JULY STIP No Art in the Park JULY 1 T Inspiring young cooks 4- Decorate an apron JULY 19M 1A Fairy Doors JULY 26T'H: Magic 5how w/ Brian PIchards AUGUST2ND Cr0t AUGUST9TH Craft AUGUST 16TH Music in the Valley, + lAarocas and Drums Craft FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE WEISITE HTTPS://WWW.CITYOFOAKPARKliElGHTS.COM CRUISIN' IN THE PARK Rtde-Dn's provided by OPH for children BreKKe ParK HocKey Pink. Thursdays @ 9:30,am - 114J0arn June 9th - August 25th 7� PARK EXPLORERS Come to the park for nature 1herned fun 10:00am - 11: am Sat, June 25th @ Valley V�ew ParK Sat. July 16th @ Valley View parr Sat. August 6th @ Valley Mew Pari. If you have any questions, please contact City Hail at 651-q39-Hq3q or 5urnrner Pori<, Coordinator Annie Gberre5@cltyofoakporkhetght,s,com Ll FAIRIES IN THE PARK Fairy creations made by the cornmunIty, hliddewin the park for guests Of all ages to find. July 22nd - July 31st � On a ParK Tral I @ TBD ParK