Loading...
1b. Conversion of Lake Ann Ball Field 3 to a Little League Field CITY OF CHANHASSEN 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Administration Phone: 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 Building Inspections Phone: 952.227.1180 Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.1110 Park & Recreation Phone: 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Phone: 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 Planning & Natural Resources Phone: 952.227.1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 Web Site www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us ib __UMlM MEMORANDUM TO: Todd Hoffman, Park & Recreation Director ~ FROM: Jerry Ruegemer, Recreation Superintendent DATE: ~. November 17, 2008 SUBJ: Changing Lake Ann Field #3 from a Multi-Use :tacility to a Designated Youth Little League Field PROPOSED MOTION: "The City Council approves conver$ion of Lake Ann Ball Field #3 from a multi- purpose field to a dedicated youth Little League field." Approval of this item requires a simple majority vote of those City Council members present. The City of Chanhassen takes great pride in providing first class athletic facilities to the youth and adults of our community. As our community population grows, we have an increasing need to provide additional or sports specific facilities. The Little League Baseball program has experienced substantial growth and the Chanhassen Athletic Association (CAA) has approached the city requesting that we convert Lake Ann field #3 from a multi-purpose field to a youth baseball field. For many years, Lake Ann field #3 has been used primarily by CAA for boys baseball during the spring and summer seasons. For the first time this past fall, the CAA girls' softball program used this field two times per week for their program. If the decision is made to convert this field, a different location for girls softball will need to be identified. In order to convert this field, it will be necessary to erect a fence at a distance of 225 ft. and replace the ag-lime infield with a grass infield. The biggest project expense will be the outfield fence. Discussions have taken place between staff and fencing contractors to look at cost savings. It has been determined that the existing outfield fence posts and 8 ft. wire fence can be reused. Changing the infield to grass can occur after the summer season concludes in July so that there would not be any interruption during the baseball season. Chanhassen is a Community for Life - Providing for Today and Planning for Tomorrow Mr. Todd Hoffman November 17, 2008 Page 2 The following is an estimate of expenses as it relates to fencing, sod and irrigation: Fencing Irrigation Sod for infield Total $4,000 $ 500 $ 500 $5,000 The Chanhassen Athletic Association is willing to contribute to the project costs. The city is being presented with an opportunity to address a specific need for a growing segment of our youth sporting population. The timing is good because the primary user of the field has been youth baseball and, with minor modifications, a second official little league field will be ready for use by next spring. PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION REVIEW (11-25-08) The Park & Recreation Commission considered whether to convert Lake Ann Ball Field #3 from a multi-purpose field to a designated Little League field at their November 25th meeting. The commission discussed staff's recommendation and heard from the audience, which only included a representative from the Chanhassen Athletic Association. Initially it was estimated that the conversion would cost approximately $8,500. However, after furtherreview, it was ,determined that the existing fence posts and 8 ft. fence could be reused. Additionally, the Chanhassen Athletic Association stated that they will contribute $5,000 toward the project and it is staff's intention to complete the conversion within this amount. Following discussion, the Park & Recreation Commission recommended that the City Council approve converting Lake Ann Ball Field #3 from a multi-purpose facility to a designated youth Little League field. The CAA will present their $5,000 donation at a future City Council meeting. ATTACHMENTS 1. Field Layout 2. Letter to Athletic Associations 3. Park & Recreation Commission Minutes dated November 25, 2008 Lake Ann Field #3 CITY OF CHANHASSEN 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Administration Phone: 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 Building Inspections Phone: 952.227.1180 Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.1110 Park & Recreation Phone: 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Phone: 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 Planning & Natural Resources Phone: 952.227,1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 Web Site www.cLchanhassen.mn.us November 17,2008 Mr. Mark Williams Tonka Babe Ruth 1655 Lake Lucy Road Excelsior, MN 55331 Dear Mark: The City of Chanhassen is committed to providing quality athletic facilities for youth and adults in our community. Establishing and maintaining our athletic facilities has always been a high priority. As our community continues to grow, so does our need for additional sport specific facilities. One age group that has seen a large increase in participation is Little League baseball. Since only a small number of baseball fields cunently existin our city parks, the city is considering converting field #3 at Lake Ann Park to a youth baseball field. Currently, field #3 has been designated as a multi-purpose field and has primarily been used by youth baseball and youth softball. The Chanhassen Park & Recreation Commission would like to invite your organization to a public meetiIlgtodiscuss this proposal on Tuesday, November25 at 7:30 p.m. at Chanhassen CityHall in the City Council Chambers, 7700 Market Boulevard. If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to share your comfuents, please e-mail me at jruegemer@ci;chanhassen:rrm.usor call meat 952-227 -1121 Sincerely, Jeny Ruegemer Recreation Superintendent JR:k Chanhassen is a Community for Life - Providing for Today and Planning for Tomorrow Mr. Mark Williams Tonka Babe Ruth 1655 Lake Lucy Road Chanhassen, MN 55317 Mr. Todd Neils Chanhassen Athletic Association 990 Saddlebrook Curve Chanhassen, MN 55317 Mr. Greg Zimprich St. Hubert's 2861 Timberview Trail Chaska, MN 55318 Ms. Jessica Santjer Chapel Hill Academy 306 West 78th Street Chanhassen, MN 55317 Ms. Therese Douglass Minnetonka Girls Softball 3980 Vandan Road Minnetonka, MN 55345 Mr. Pete Jones Tonka MVB Baseball 4300 Chimo East Deephaven, MN 55391 Mr. Paul Mattiacci East Tonka Little League 18904 Hanus Road Minnetonka, MN 55345 Mr. Mike Mattson Chaska Area Youth Baseball Association P.O. Box 444 Chaska, MN 55318 Park and Recreation Commission - November 25,2008 Ruegemer: 5:00 o'clock. Hoffman: 5:00 o'clock here at City Center Park. And the following morning on Sunday the 6th is the Breakfast with Santa at the Chanhassen Recreation Center sponsored by the Rotary and the City of Chanhassen. So watch for those events and look for that ribbon cutting in the spring out at Liberty on Bluff Creek. Daniel: And one more? Hoffman: That's three Mr. Chair. Daniel: Oh! Okay. VISITOR PRESENTA TIONS: None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Scharfenberg moved, Campion seconded to approve the verbatim and summary minutes of the Park and Recreation Commission meeting dated October 28, 2008 as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 to O. PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER CHANGING FIELD #3 AT LAKE ANN PARK FROM A MULTI-USE FACILITY TO A DESIGNATED YOUTH LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD. Public Present: Name Phone Number Todd Neils Chad Erickson 952-401-8950 952-470-5118 Daniel: Looks like we have some guests here and public here to consider changing Field 3 at Lake Ann Park from a multi-use facility to a designated youth Little League field. Jerry. Ruegemer: Thanks Chair Daniels. Just wanted to talk about that tonight. We do have two representatives from the Chanhassen Athletic Association tonight and Mr. Todd Neils is here and Mr. Chad Erickson are here. We'll go through the staff report. In looking, we've been kind of an evolving department and facility provider here for a number of years. We've looked at Lake Ann through, been in our system for a lot of years. It's time to kind of take a look at you know the numbers that we've had in certain segments of our population and community in athletics and this field at Lake Ann has been used as a multi-purpose field, you know back a number of years was adult softball primarily. Then when Fields 4,5 and 6 came on line, we pretty much shifted all the adults over to the longer fields. This primarily became kind of a youth multi- purpose field that we played you know girls softball on and primarily has been used for boys baseball. In the last oh probably 3 to 5 years primarily it's been baseball for that. And through the years we're always taking a look at suggestions made by our local athletic associations. 2 Park and Recreation Commission - November 25, 2008 There certainly is a need for this size of a field. This would be somewhat of a mirrored image of Field #2 that's currently at Lake Ann, and so it's time to take a look at that because that certainly is a growing segment of our sporting community at this time. What we're proposing to do, if you look on, I think it's in your packets as well. I have colored photos, if you guys would like to see that. What we're proposing to do is, as the CAA brought up at a previous meeting, and I put together just a little aerial photograph kind of illustrating kind of the scope of the project. So we're talking about currently right now the field, the current fencing stands at 268 feet. What we're talking about doing is proposed to move that in 60 feet, or be a total distance of225 feet. What we'd do then is, in the staff report we're proposing to use the existing poles, or posts that are already existing. Take those out and then re-set those at the new proposed fence distance at 225 feet. We had talked about matching the fence heights to Field 2. That was the reasoning for the 6 foot height for that, but in conversations tonight, it may not be a steadfast rule or regulation by Little League to have a 6 foot fence, or somewhere in that proximity and we may be able to use the existing 8 foot fencing that we currently have. Stolar: Because I think Bennett has 8 foot fencing on a couple of their fields. Ruegemer: So we'll take a look at that but in the cost estimates that I had in the staff report, that was based on moving the current post in to a distance of225 feet, and then re-installing brand new 6 foot fabric and then along with a couple new corner posts and an entry point. Those two new posts for that and those would be concreted in. The rest would be air, put in by air or kind of air driven in versus having individual concrete footings for that so that's a little bit better for frost and is a little bit quicker to put in and that sort of thing as well. So looking at that, you know propose to do a sod infield as well and we'll do that kind of in this proximity right in there. Minor modifications would need to be made with the irrigation system to kind of trench that into the interior of the infield area in this kind of proximity. That cost estimate I think was around $1,000 for the irrigation part of that and roughly around $800 for the sod. And we had talked about last year, not to interrupt the spring and summer seasons, that work could be performed after the completion of the 2009 seasons so those typically are over with by the end of July so anywhere from end of July until we have snow on the ground we can complete the sod work and irrigation work on that infield. And it sounds like the athletic association here tonight would be okay with that process to get that done. I think the most important piece of the project would be to get the fencing in by next, the start up of next year. If the proposal is approved or recommended tonight, we're pretty much on time at this point with frost going into the ground now, but you know that work can be done in 2-3 days next spring to ensure that there wouldn't be any interruptions for the season next year. So it's a fairly easy task to accomplish if that's what the commission would like to do in converting that field so. That's kind of the scope of the project. It's staffs recommendation that we recommend the City Council to approve the project and we move forward on that. Daniel: Excellent. Thank you Jerry. Guys, any questions? Stolar: Just one. The lights that we just installed. Is that going to still be useful where they're at? That far away from the fence. I assume it lights the whole field as it is now. Hoffman: No change in needing the lighting. 3 Park and Recreation Commission - November 25, 2008 Stolar: And what are you going to do with the extra spacing then on the 60 feet there, we'll just leave it open grass and such? Hoffman: Also there's an opportunity in the right field comer to, there's a real drainage problem there we've struggled with for many years. There's a chance to do some work there and also a chance or an opportunity to expand parking. Ifwe move into an enhanced picnic shelter and ballfield concession stand up above this field, it's just right above that comer. We would have the opportunity to expand parking by doing some work on that comer of this field so if this is shorten, we would foresee bringing forward as future plans to do some work. Perhaps a retaining wall and some fill in that comer. Some drainage tile and then if we added a parking lot, so it... some opportunities. The rest of it would just be left as grass. Similar to what you see at Field #2 right now. There is a batting cage that was installed there because we additional room on Field 2. Daniel: I do have one question Jerry. Is it, it looks like you're moving the home plate back about 20 feet or so. Ruegemer: Yeah that's, those are just real rough, we didn't have bases on the field so our GIS person just put some white dots on the field itself. The field, we can readjust if we need to but I would assume that the base pegs, home plate and all that stuff would be the same as it is today. Daniel: Oh it is? Okay. I was just curious because I'm doing the math and where it's at right now and not using that as a scale. No, no. I'm just talking about. Ruegemer: That's real rough because 225 feet certainly would be for the fence line, it would be from home plate. Daniel: Okay. Ruegemer: Those are for discussion purposes. Hoffman: Not to scale. Daniel: Anybody else? Steve? Tom? Kelly: Did you get any negative feedback from anyone that you copied on this letter? Ruegemer: I haven't heard from anybody from the list. Yea or nay on that. Either through voice mail or email. Kelly: Okay. Ruegemer: I would assume that the, our audience members would be in favor of that that are here tonight. 4 Park and Recreation Commission - November 25, 2008 Kelly: How about the group that used the field in the fall. Stolar: The girls softball. Ruegemer: That's part of the Chanhassen Athletic Association. Stolar: Todd, have you heard any concerns? Todd Neils: From our softball? Two years ago we made the decision to move softball primarily to Chan Rec to, as it's a community for the girls that are in coach pitch to senior league softball and the fields are appropriately sized and there isn't as much need for fencing. Stolar: Okay. So this thing this last fall, the two times per week you get the.. . Ruegemer: Or some other location, and that was really the first time I think that they played girls softball in the fall. Scharfenberg: Fall ball was this fall, yep. Ruegemer: This past year so. Yeah, that was one of those you know scheduling I think that did happen this year that we could find alternative areas for. Daniel: No conflict Jerry with soccer? Ruegemer: That. Daniel: Was not used for soccer at all? Ruegemer: We can find other locations, yeah for that. Daniel: Okay. Excellent. And I assume Todd, do we need to make a motion? Recommendation to City Council? Okay. For approving this. Anybody like to make a motion? Scharfenberg: I move to approve the project as proposed. Stolar: Second. Scharfenberg moved, Stolar seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission recommends that the City Council approve changing Lake Ann Field #3 from a Multi-Use Facility to a Designated Youth Little League Field. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 to O. Stolar: We didn't ask about what the actual contribution... You did read the small writing that said all of it. Todd Neils: The Chanhassen Little League reiterates it's intent to donate $5,000... 5 Park and Recreation Commission - November 25,2008 Stolar: For the record, thank you. That's nice of you guys. I think this will be a good project for all of us. Todd Neils: Thank you. 2009 PICNIC RESERVATION FEES. Ruegemer: We did review the picnic evaluation at our last meeting and we are going to look at the picnic fees now. Have been getting some phone calls and I have made some reservations already for 2009. For next year. Basically we're kind of quoting the current rates for that but it's my intention or recommendation tonight that we keep the fees the same. Kind of with our economic kind of point that we're at right now, I think it'd be wise to keep the fees the same. We did change the names already in the computer system and that sort of thing as well, so really at this point I just want to make a recommendation that the Park and Rec Commission recommend to the City Council that our fees remain the same in 2009 as they were in 2008, and those fees would be attached, or on the back side of the staff memo. Hoffman: Almost universally across the city fees are staying at 2008 rates in 2009. There are a few exceptions but not very many. Daniel: And I really see no, I mean there really wasn't any, regardless of economic conditions Jerry, I mean the price I think based off of what we discussed last year fell in line anyways and we had good success this year so. Ruegemer: Yeah, the commission really took a hard look at them last year and kind of simplified the whole process and simplified picnic categories, and that certainly made it easier for staff to communicate that information to our customers and it as really both two thumbs up on that picnic categories the way we had it in 2008 so it was a good thing. That's why I really wanted to kind of recommend that we stay the same. Daniel: Excellent. Dan, you have any questions? Campion: None. Daniel: Glenn. Steve. Scharfenberg: No. Kelly: No. Daniel: I'm alright. We should make a motion to approve the 2009 picnic reservation fees. Stolar: So moved. Campion: Second. 6