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Home My WebLink About11-22-05 PTRC 1 i ---A EN HILLS PARKS, TRAILS, & RECREATION COMMITTEE/ TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2005 **7:00 P.M. MEETING** ARDEN HILLS CITY HALL 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 AGENDA 1. Call to Order and Roll Call 2. Approve October 25, 2005 Minutes 3. Council Update — Gregg Larson 4. Recreation Update — Michelle Olson . 5. Parks and Trails Update — Tom Moore 6. PTRC Vision Statement II Update — Roger Williams 7. Next Meeting Agenda 8. Adjourn Attachments: October 25, 2005 Meeting Minutes • A quorum of the City Council may be present at this meeting. TO: PT RC FR:Visioning Subcommittee (Roger Williams [chair],Jim Crassweller,Cindy Wheeler,Joani Werner, Rich Straumann, Bill Henry) For the last few months,we have met several times to draft a vision for parks and trails in Arden Hills. In this memo,we present this draft to the PTRC for discussion and,we hope,approval and recommendation to the city council. Our work has been directed to the following charge: The PTRC visioning subcommittee is charged with a)articulating a vision that leads to parks and trails that enhance the health and well-being of Arden Hills citizens,and provide access to natural and recreational resources in the city and the region,and b) recommending strategies for bringing this vision into reality. The draft vision builds on recommendations in the 2001 Comprehensive Plan for Parks, Trails and Open Space. After discussion and revision as necessary, it is hoped that the PTRC will recommend the vision for adoption by the city council. Our work on the vision derived from the following considerations: 1. Interest in parks and trails is strong among Arden Hills citizens. 2. Arden Hills is blessed with a broad array of natural resources,but the lack of adequate public access to these resources limits their value. 3. Expanding access to natural resources in Arden Hills can enhance the well-being of citizens and the value of their property,and increase the desirability of the city as a place to live and work. 4. Arden Hills' trail system is currently disjointed and not conducive to walking or cycling. Further, significant safety issues are posed by the use of increasingly busy city streets as connectors between trails or between residences and natural areas/trails. 5. Arden Hills is at the hub of several significant trails that extend for miles throughout the metropolitan region. However,the fragmented nature of Arden Hills trails severely restricts access to these regional resources. 6. Approaches to developing or improving Arden Hills' parks and trails have been ad hoc. With a real vision for those resources there is greater likelihood of effective planning and efficient use of resources. 7. It is important that there be a unified vision for parks and trails that applies across all areas of the city. Development plans for Arden Hills north of Highway 96-both TCAAP and AHATS-will include specific park and trail elements. Discussion between the city and representatives of the county,developers, National Guard and others can lead to collaborative opportunities for public recreation. 8. The experience of other municipalities in the region that have developed systems of parks and trails can inform decisions about the future of Arden Hills' parks and trails. 9. The city's financial support for its parks and trails has been limited. Clear policies are needed to identify how future park and trail developments will be funded. 10. Developing the financial resources necessary to continually develop, improve and maintain Arden Hills parks and trails will require a new level of political will in the city. A clear vision for parks and trails that has the support of the City Council is essential to developing that will. VISION Parks and trails in Arden Hills enhance the health and well-being of citizens, improve the value of citizens'property,and increase the desirability of the city as a place to live or work. The city's parks and trails compose a coherent network that: ■ Provides land-and water-based recreation,as well as convenient and safe access to parks,trails and recreation facilities in the region. • Encourages non-motorized transportation and commuting. • Supports and encourages access to lakes,marshes and wooded areas, and seeks wise management of the city's natural resources. ■ Provides connection between the portions of Arden Hills south of Highway 96 and new development to the north,as well as among other neighborhoods otherwise separated by roads. • Provides important resources to schools,colleges,employers and other organizations in the region. • Strengthens community among citizens. This vision will only be achieved with the leadership of the city council and the support of the community. That leadership and support is critical to generating the financial resources necessary to develop,operate and maintain Arden Hills'parks and trails. Our work on the vision began with a very expansive view of what could be accomplished. More recently,however, we have come to the conclusion that the vision needed to be well focused in order to garner support from the City Council. To that end,we pared back the elements we had discussed earlier to the critical elements needed in a trail network,specifically two north-south trails and two east-west trails that compose the central arteries of the trail system. While significant portions of these arteries exist now,key portions must be completed if the city is to have a basic trail network. Once the arteries are in place,various neighborhood connections (some of which now exist)will provide access to parks,trails, transportation,schools, shopping and other resources from all areas . of the city. We propose that the Council focus on what must be accomplished to complete the arteries in the next 5 years. The priority segments that must be constructed to complete the arterial system are the following: 1. The railroad underpass on the north side of Tony Schmidt Park. This segment is expected to be completed by Ramsey County in the spring of 2006. 2. Along the west side of Old Snelling,from Co. Rd. E to Hwy 51. This segment is expected to be included in the pavement replacement project planned for 2007. 3. Along the south side of Co. Rd. E from Old Snelling to Connelly. This should include re-design of the traffic semaphores at Co. Rd. E on either side of Hwy. 51 to preclude right turns on red lights. 4. Along the east side of Old Snelling from Co. Rd. E to Hwy 96 and north into the new development. This must include a pedestrian underpass at the railroad crossing,as well as grade separated crossings of both Hwy. 96 and Hwy. 10(considerations that should be included in the re-design of that intersection). In this regard,consideration should be given to a pedestrian crossing of Hwy. 10, at the present site of the public gardens, linking with N.Snelling Avenue. f 5. Along the north side of Lake Johanna Blvd. from West Co Rd. E to Old Snelling. 6. The intersection of Co. Rd. E and Old Snelling must accommodate the intersection of two arterial trails,each changing from one side of the road to the other at that point. As both trail and automobile traffic increases at this intersection,consideration should be given to traffic signals appropriate to expected volume. The vision includes the following design principles for the development of arterial trails: A. Trails should be separated from roadways,at least 8 feet wide, hard surfaced,and designed to accommodate both pedestrians and bicycles. B. The priorities noted above are the core arteries of the system. Connecting trails should be added in the next phase. C. 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