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1e Curry Farms Park Plan le. MEMORANDUM CITY OF CHANHASSEN Administration Phone: 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 SUBJ: Todd Gerhardt, City Manager Todd Hoffman, Park & Recreation Director -7!/ May 16, 2005 ~. Approval of Modifications to the Curry Farms Park Master Plan TO: 7700 Markel Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassen,MN55317 FROM: DATE: Park & Recreation Phone 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 The construction of a new playground at Curry Farms Park presents the city with an opportunity to improve the existing site conditions at the park. On April 26, 2005, staff presented a recommendation to the Park and Recreation Commission regarding modifications to the park's master plan. These modifications had previously been reviewed and discussed with the neighborhood during an April 6th meeting held the Scott and Karen Dewing residence. In addition to this discussion, a site visit to review the proposed modifications was held on April 21st. This site visit resulted in an even better plan for the relocation of the playground, preserving a large green area for field games. The Park and Recreation Commission conducted a site visit on the evening of April 26th to inspect the park and discuss the proposed changes to the park master plan. Building Inspections Phone: 952.227.11BO Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax:952.2271170 Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax 952.227.1110 Recreation Center 2310 Couller Boulevard Phone 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 RECOMMENDATION Planning & Natural Resources Phone 952.227.1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 "Commissioner Murphy moved and Commissioner Dillon seconded a motion that the Park and Recreation Commission recommend that the City Council approve the following modifications to the master plan for Curry Farms Park: Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 I. Relocate the new playground to higher ground near the location of the current third base. 2. Eliminate the ball field, remove aggregate infield and backstop. Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously." WebSile www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us ATTACHMENTS 1. Park & Recreation Commission staff report dated April 25, 2005. 2. Meeting Notice to Curry Farms Neighborhood. 3. Master Plan Map. 4. Excerpt from the Park & Recreation Commission Minutes dated April 26, 2005 The City 01 Chanhassen . A growing community wllh clean iakes, quality schools, a channing downlown, IhriVlng businesses, winding lrails, and beaulilul parks. A gœal place 10 live, work, and play ~ MEMORANDUM CITY OF CHANHASSEN 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassec, MN55317 FROM: Park and Recreation Commission Todd Hoffman, Park & Recreation Director d TO: DATE: April IS, 2005 Administration Phone: 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 SUBJ: Curry Farms Park, Approve Modifications to Park Master Plan Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.1110 Curry Farms Park is an interesting case study on the outcomes of developing a neighborhood park in an area of wet and unstable soils. The original park master plan included a tennis court, ballfield, sliding hill, playground, sand volleyball court and trail system. Due to poor soil conditions the tennis court was eliminated from the plan, a sink hole developed in the ballfield, a sand volleyball court originally constructed was removed, and the park trail alignment has been modified. Additionally the site of the existing playground was modified resulting in a conflict of uses between it and the sliding hill. Building tnspections Phone:952.22711BO Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 Park & Recreation Phone: 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 In planning for the pending new playground installation, staff is recommending the following additional modifications to the Curry Farms Park master plan. Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Phone: 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 I. Relocate the new playground to higher ground near third base. 2. Eliminate the ballfield - remove aggregate infield and backstop. Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 This modification provided a superior site for the new playground and improves the sliding hill by providing an adequate run-out area. Staff reviewed these proposed modifications with neighborhood residents present at the Curry Farms Park playground selection meeting. The overwhelming consensus was that the new location should be utilized. One resident was opposed to the new location due to the positioning of the structure closer to his backyard. Planning & Natural Resources Phone: 952.227.1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 RECOMMENDATION Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 Staff recommends that the Park and Recreation Commission recommend that the City Council modify the Curry Farms Park master plan to reflect the following changes: WebSile www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us I. Relocate the new playground to high ground near third base. 2. Eliminate the ballfield - remove aggregate infield and backstop. ATTACHMENTS I. Neighborhood Notification Letter 2. Rough Draft of Proposed Changes The Cily 01 Chanhassen . A growing community wilh clean lakes, quality schools, a channing dowctown, thllving businesses. winding lrails, and beautllul parks. A gœal place 10 live. work, and piay. Dear Curry Farms Park Neighbors: The plans for your new playground are scheduled to arrive at City Hall on Tuesday, April 5. I look forward to meeting with you at a special meeting. Wednesday, April 6, 2005 at the Karen and Scott Dewing home 6541 Devonshire Drive 7:00 p.m. I will bring copies of all the proposals for you to review as you select new playground equipment. An additional topic of discussion will be the future location of the new equipment. In the past three weeks, I toured Curry Farms Park with representatives from six playground equipment manufacturers. Although the tours were conducted with each representative individually, it was the consensus of the six representatives that locating the new playground in the same location as the old playground would be a mistake. The elevation and saturated soils found in this location will only exacerbate maintenanèe challenges associated with wet soils. The two primary concerns are frost heaving and the saturation of the wood fiber resilient surface. The city's Park Superintendent and Park Foreman agree with this assessment. We would like to propose that the new playground be located in one of the few "high and dry" places in the park - the outfield of the existing ball field. This would require the removal of the backstop and aggregate infield area. Sufficient green space to playa game of ball, toss a Frisbee or fly a kite would remain. In addition the sliding hill located near the parking lot would be greatly improved. Please be prepared to discuss this proposal on Wednesday evening. If you get a chance, please take a walk through the park prior to our meeting. Following the neighborhood meeting I will forward your recommendation to the Park and Recreation Commission for their consideration. Sincerely, '~;r~ Todd Hoffman Park and Recreation Director c: Park and Recreation Commission g:\parklth\2005 playground projectS\cuIry fanns\Curry Farms Park Neighbors.doc z o ~ ~ ;; ~ -~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o z --./ o o ~ ~ ~ . I ' ,/ I " . I//j/¡ß'M /1/ ~/ -1::' fill/II III;!¡,/ ¡¡I/ // ~_---/fr¡ /1//1/1 /;;1/1/ /1 ,.,/ -.----- /1 \ 1//1///"///111// ----_/ ò /I¡.ï/I 1//1./// ---- } / /¡jN I(//¡/I//;::'--- -' /1;1/ I/~ 11///,,::/--::::'::- I ~~///I. 'Í/,f~I/¿-//- lilli/Iii 'ilfl/ I (,/"/'11' /II/I/¡ I I~J///I,~// W/,S{I It"I!/III,111/; ///II¡///I /111 -fH ','r¡ 'ff I' ¡rlll/'llflllll I, 111/,'11(11' !III\'I III" 111dtl, ¡IIII\I, ¡II\'\II \1\1\\\1 \'1111\ \\\\\\\1 \1',\\1\ \I' .______-Î,III\\\ 11\\\11\ 1\\111\, \111\11\ 11'\11\' \,\,\\\\ \\\'\ '-' \\,\, " \, "', ------- "~,'\ '''''- \;"'" ,\,...... ,~~ ,,'.......' '\. ..."" ....... ) \ \ '" I \ \." ~;:::::;~~ J__) )/ {?;~3-~ - J,II-__~ r [l1 lIIIII'''-- I' rl rl-1l " I -i ,/ "îll-II 1/ r : t \ \I : I \ Ii \1: ¡ 111\\11111 , II' I \\111111: \\ 1'\ \ \lli" ¡¡I, ,\' IiI i d\'\\ Jill --...~-d}1 I I'I111'11' '--==<' I II I" rJI ,/ r " " \ \ . \ \ \ \\ \ \ \ / , , I I I , I //// / --7 --r-/ , , . BolaiDcton Koeller Gf'OUP me. Maate,Plan Curry Farms Park City of Chanhassen, Minnesota c...._ _u- hi. LoM 1'I.....1q ..<I -.. 12:1 MGrtb$roIstno\.aoite100 _..,..Ib,IIII"'H~t._I-III6. 81~-S3II-_ SHEET 1C111 ""._.__ _...~. ........~__~ ""_.......,_ ....T.."'.I'~f'I, ..__..",~AlHI.ø ""''''''''....... " CURRY FARMS PARK. APPROVE MODIFICATIONS TO PARK MASTER PLAN. Hoffman: Chair Stolar, members of the commission. Tonight we're asking for a modification or a recommendation to the City Council to modify the present Curry Farms Park master plan. Curry Fanns Park is an interesting case study in what happens when you build a park on unstable and wet soils. You were there this evening at basically 6:00. Curry Farms Park was developed in 1987, concurrent with the development of the residential neighborhood there. It was definitely a wetland type soils piece of property. Probably snuck in just before some of the more stringent wetland laws were put in place for not being able to do such things and construct a park setting and other public facilities on top of those types of soils. I was here at the time in 1987, just started with the city and was not managing park development at the time so I don't have the specifics, but if you dig a hole in Curry Farms Park in a couple different areas you'll just bring up cattails. Old forgotten cattail stumps that are still down underneath the area. That's definitely the case in the right field of the first base line of the ballfield there. So the parkland has undergone some modifications already. The original park plan or park master plan had a tennis court, I don't know, Terry want to grab the overhead. Very beautiful park as far as a natural resource area. We were down there tonight and saw the drake mallard and a couple of honkers and a hawk flying around. The parking lot where we parked is here, then we walked this trail system and took a look at the drainage patterns here and then we continued our walk around. So this plan I'll talk about it but in general there was a tennis court on the original master plan and that was taken out. The playground originally was slated to go more into the open area of the park. You get to the wet soil it was pushed up against the base of the sliding hill. That caused some conflict with the runoff of the sliding hill with that in it's present location. This trail has been modified. This section of trail was removed. For it's park configuration, this was always filled with water in this portion of the trail. Where the sand volleyball court did not get a lot of use and therefore it just grew a whole lot of weeks in the sand and that was removed. This basketball court was put down there in place of the tennis courts but the exact location a little bit higher than this location. Ballfield was put in and then the giant sink holes started basically in that location. It's been filled twice and probably 6 feet, with 6 feet of material over the two times. The first time we shaped it up and.. . somewhat and that sank. When down to level and then went down again. The second time they were more aggressive. They came in and actually lift some material out, and then piled it up probably higher. 2 or 3 feet and spread it out over that area. Now it's back down to the level and back down again to probably a foot or so... So we moved the right field line more like this and shifted this over in this location. Then with the proposal for the new playground we started taking a look around at investing $40,000 to $50,000 in new playground equipment and it just, I toured 6 different playground representatives down there and none of them were really excited about putting that investment down in the current location of the playground or somewhere else in that, in those wetter soils. This is about 2 112-3 feet higher than this area over here, and you'd have to take the ballfield out, which is one of those trade offs and that is the proposal that we do take the ballfield out and put the playground on top of it. It's unfortunate if that is approved, we need to lose a neighborhood ballfield. Currently we no longer put aggregate ballfields and back stops in the newer park plans. They just don't work that well for long term maintenance plan and so in our newer parks, newer neighborhood parks they don't go in in the first place. But parks like Curry Farms, Carver Beach, Rice Marsh Lake, they have been. In the old days of Chanhassen we would actually schedule games at those parks, Rice Marsh would host a lot of games. Carver Beach host a lot of games, but with the advent of Bandimere and Lake Ann and the Rec Center, we told those neighborhoods, we took a lot of complaints over the years. We said when we get these other larger community parks, we'll take the games out of those sites. That does not mean that there's coaches that use this. There are people that are aware of it and they use it for practicing and it's well used for that. In fact I had a conversation with one of the neighbors up over here and using the park this spring for his softball, and there's other people that use it for soccer practice as well. ... when we met with the neighborhood. We met with them twice. Actually three times. The first night we talked about the new playground and we met at one residence in the neighborhood. The second time we met again and we started talking more specifically about moving the playground onto the ballfield. Then when we met on site last Thursday night, the consensus was that they'd like, if we do do that, they'd like to move it right on top of the aggregate this way so actually you would leave more of an open area here for soccer or ball play, so you'd have a little larger green space in that location. So we met with the neighbors again last Thursday and they were in favor of doing that. Taking out the ballfield. Moving the playground. Moving the playground to a higher location is advantageous for a number of reasons. Primarily you have a dry location for the activity. Frost heave is minimized on the tubes of the playground, and then the woodchip or engineered wood fiber material is not saturated and you saturate that material with that wicking from those wet soils in those lower areas, you're going to see a lot faster breakdown of that particular material. So the action desired is that we would like the commission to consider a recommendation to the City Council to amend the park plan for Curry Farms Park to relocate the playground onto the ballfield and eliminate the ballfield from the park site. And as a part of that, redevelopment of the master plan, we do clean up the other things that have changed in the park as well. Stolar: Thank you. I guess I'd like to first see if there are any commission questions. Also, is there anyone from the audience interested in this particular topic and wanting to make comments? No. Okay. Ann, any questions? Murphy: No questions. Stolar: Kevin. Dillon: There aren't any Little Leagues or anything that play at that field? Hoffman: Not as games, no. Dillon: There are no, just sand lot games? Hoffman: Practices and yep, sand lot neighborhood games. Dillon: You know in your discussion with the neighbors did they talk about much, many games being played at that field, because I lived there. We never really used it that much for that because it was there. Kind of unutilizable with all the water there so. Hoffman: Yeah, on occasion but yeah the right field, in the wet season, the rainy season right field is a pond and.. .but they are using it for practice. It's not to say if they take it off you can't still playa ballgame down there. You just have to play it on grass. Stolar: Jack? Steve? Scharfenberg: Is there any concern Todd with respect to moving the playground over there with sinkage or that, any problem with that and moving it over there? Hoffman: That area's been, has been stable since '87 so we've not seen any problems there at that location. We'll do some soil investigation when we open the site up and if we find something we don't like we may modify those slightly, but so far it's held fast right there. It's just out to that right field line where it really takes that dive. Scharfenberg: Would they do anything with drainage tile or anything from the playground area? Hoffman: Yeah, we would drain tile the playground area, just minimal benefit to drain tiling in that area because it all sits so low. There's really nowhere to get the drain tile to. But they would drain tile that and, because it does sit up that much higher and get it over to those ponds that are on the fringe. Stolar: Paula. Atkins: Does it, I couldn't, I can't remember if you said that the trails would be re-routed a little bit or would they stay the same? Hoffman: The trails were re-routed once. There is a proposal from our Water Resource Coordinator to improve water quality in this drainageway which starts actually to the west and north of here, and then ends up in Christmas Lake. As a part of that, she is considering making this into a water quality pond. And my comments to her, it's Lori Haak. To Lori is that I would like just as soon prefer to keep this trail here so when.. . into that pond and then pipe it back underneath the trail, if she would ever consider that. But if this does go in, they might actually.. .enlarge the whole pond and then you would have to take that section of trail out. Even if you make this one big pond, and then you would have to start to re-route the trail around that pond. There's always changes. In a site like this that's ever changing, or changing circumstances and conditions, and there's always proposals to take those, what's occurring down there and if we cannot mow this area that is sinking, it will turn into cattails in 2 or 3 years. Atkins: And you would let that happen? That would be good. Hoffman: Sure, yeah. From some people's perspective. Some folks might not consider it good. Stolar: Ijust have a question then, given that that may eventually turn into a swamp, a pond, marsh, whatever, are we a fair distance away from that for the playground? Because little kids playing on the playground, is there any barrier that needs to be put between those? Hoffman: Yeah we would want to keep it, well there's no barrier. Chanhassen Hills has got, many of our parks have storm water ponds. There's no barrier. We're going to want it to, we're going to want to keep the playground shifted this way, away from the sink hole. Stolar: Right. For both the stability reason that Steve brought up as well as the safety. Hoffman: Correct. Stolar: Okay. And then the time tables, they're getting, I can't remember what their schedule, we'll talk about that later. Hoffman: Their equipment's going in in June. Stolar: Right, they're the early one. And then we figure we would have the, part of the advantage of doing this is opening up the sledding hill. Hoffman: Correct. Stolar: And that other playground will be able to be removed by that time. This year. It would be intended to be removed this year. Hoffman: Absolutely. As soon as we open the other one up, we'll remove the old one. They are, Curry Farms is the fIrst installation taking place on June IS'" and 19'" I believe is the dates. Stolar: The only thing being, I know the summer gets very diffIcult to do some of these projects and they might have to wait til the fall to pull it out. But that's one of the ones we want to get down quickly. Hoffman: Correct. We'll get down. Stolar: Okay. Any other questions? Okay. Do I have a motion on the recommendation in front of us? Murphy: Motion to approve the modifIcations to the master plan. Dillon: Second. Stolar: Okay, moved by Ann, seconded by Kevin. Any further discussion? Murphy moved, Dillon seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission recommend that the City Council modify the Curry Farms Park master plan to reflect the following changes: 1. Relocate the new playground to high ground near third base. 2. Eliminate the ballfIeld, remove aggregate infIeld and backstop. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 6 to O.