HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.02.18 Parks and Rec MinutesFarmington Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission
Minutes from the May 2, 2018 Special Meeting
Members Present: John Moore, David McMillen, Laurie Suchanek and Dustin Johnson
Members Absent: Neil Ramdhan
Other’s Present: John Anderson, Winkler Land Company, LLC; Bart Winkler, Winkler Land Company, LLC; Jody
Peters; SunThisWeek Newspaper and Parks and Recreation Director Randy Distad
I. Call Meeting To Order
Chair Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Quorum was present.
II. Approval of May 2, 2018 Meeting Agenda
Moved by McMillen and seconded by Moore to approve the meeting agenda. All persons in favor (APIF). Motion
carried.
III. Approval of April 11, 2018 Regular Meeting Minutes
The meeting minutes were approved with no revisions noted.
IV. Presentations
There were no presentations.
V. Business Items
A. Approve Sapphire Lake Development Preliminary Plat
Distad shared information about the discussions that city staff have had in several meeting with the Winkler Land
Company, LLC (Developer). He informed Commission members that the meeting tonight is to determine a park location
and how much land should be dedicated for a park in the development. He made the Commission aware that the
Developer has only identified the green way as the area to be dedicated as a park. He shared flood plain and wetlands are
not accepted as park land. He made the Commission members in the past that city has given park dedication only for a 10
foot wide area where the trail is located and not the green space around the trail because it does not provide an opportunity
to build amenities in these areas and could be perceived as left over land the developer could not build on, which the city
wants to avoid. He reviewed the staff proposed park location and that staff is recommending additional land be dedicated
as a park in the southeast area of the development that abuts the flood plain and wetland area where a greenway with a
proposed trail is shown. He shared there are two main criteria the Commission has used to determine a neighborhood
park location. The first is to have street frontage so the park is visible and not hidden behind homes. The second is that
neighborhood parks should be 5 acres in size in order to allow a diversity of amenities to be built in the park along with
providing space for natural areas.
Anderson shared the Developer is planning to deed the flood plain, wetland and green space where the trail is located as
part of the park. He said the green space around the trail could be used as a park and some amenities could be built in the
green space.
Suchanek stated that she doesn’t think the green space around the trail should be given park dedication credit. She felt it
was left over land the developer could not build on. She further felt it would not function as a neighborhood park because
there is not enough space to build typical neighborhood park amenities.
McMillen felt locating the park in the northeast corner may pose some issues with the traffic that will occur at the
intersection of Spruce and the future Biscayne Avenue and especially the traffic speed that will occur on Biscayne Avenue
if it is going to be a Dakota County road.
Johnson shared he would like to see the park moved more west towards the area of where the trail shown between the lots
is located. He felt it would align and connect better with the park area to be dedicated in the southeast area of the
development.
Moore felt the park should be located on the three lots that have the largest green space behind it where the trail is shown
and this way, the neighborhood park can become larger than it is being proposed by staff. He felt it would still be a good
alignment and connection to additional parkland being taken in the southeast area of the development.
Winkler thought the three lots that Moore proposed would work best because it does allow for a larger park when
combining it with the green space behind the three lots.
The Commission determined it would make separate motions for each of the recommendations it makes for the sidewalk
locations, trail locations, park location, the acceptance of park land and the additional land to be dedicated as a park.
Moved by Suchanek and seconded by McMillen to recommend moving the sidewalk on Street A to the other side so there
isn’t double frontage of the lots on the west side of Street A and keep the remaining sidewalk locations as shown on the
preliminary plat. APIF. Motion carried.
Moved by McMillen and seconded by Suchanek to approve the location of the trail as proposed by the Developer on the
preliminary plat. APIF. Motion carried.
Moved by Suchanek and seconded by Moore to recommend a short trail connection be added by Street D in order to keep
the trail in the Prairie Waterway connection to future development to the north. APIF. Motion carried.
Moved by McMillen and seconded by Suchanek to show a short trail connection across the floodplain and wetland area to
connect to additional park land to the southeast of the development, so it can be built sometime in the future. APIF.
Motion carried.
Moved by Moore and seconded by McMillen to approve the following:
accept 5 acres of parkland in the development as a neighborhood park and take any remaining park land as cash
in lieu
dedicate lots 37-39 as park land and combine these three lots with the green space behind them and give park
dedication credit for the entire area
APIF. Motion carried.
Developer thanked the Commission for their work and shared the preliminary plat will be revised to reflect the
recommendations made by the Commission.
VI. Adjournment
Moved by McMillen and seconded by Suchanek to adjourn the meeting. APIF. Motion carried. The meeting was
adjourned at 8:37 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Randy Distad
Parks and Recreation Director and Recording Secretary