1999-12-01 Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

To: City of Centerville From: Wayne LeBlanc ' )ate: November 21, 1999 ' Subject: Three City Concerns (and Associated Opportunities) I have three concerns I'd like the City to address. If the City Council agrees, I'd like actions to be sent to appropriate committees and I could track them from there. 1. The easement allowed for trail access to parks is too narrow. The easement access to Acorn Park, for instance is only 20 feet. This is far too narrow to allow any buffer space to neighboring property. All new trail easements should be at least 50 feet wide to a11ow for �roper buffer space. 2. As I understand it, the easement for access to Acorn Park via a small trail on the south side of the park was not implemented according to plan. This access to the park is the only convenient way to get to the park from the south, and, without a trail access available, people will cut tluough other peoples yards to get access to the park. For the City to be credibte, plans need to be implemented as specified. Trail access to Acorn Park from the south should be implemented according to the ori inal plan. There should be follow throu�h and action taken to ensure that all specifications made bv the Ci are � implemented. � The attachment provided may not be the "official" plan but it shows the Acorn Park easement and other l i, good ideas that have not been implemented, for instance, the Lakeland Hills "sidewalk" is only for 6 houses. I 3. The City of Circle Pines has 9.3% of its land devoted to parks (see attachment). The City of Centerville has '� 1.9% of its land devoted to parks. Every attempt should be made to increase public land in the City of � Centerville to 10%. Centerville policy is to collect a fee if land is not dedicated to public use, or to dedicate I 10% of land for open space. It appears that far too often, fees have been collected instead of 10% of land I being dedicated to open space. A consequence of having such a sma11 amount of public land, is that I CenYerville is currently quite pedestrian unfriendly. But opportunities abound for making Centerville I pedestrian friendly. I i Centerville needs to take advanta�e of the �nortunities available now to increase its public land area closer � to 10% and to make Centerville more pedestrian friendly Opportunity 1: The citizens of Centerville do not have access to beautiful Centervilte Lake sitting in the middle of the City. Lakeshore land is "available" at the end of Main Street and also across the street from Lamotte Park. These offer terrific opportunities to provide the citizens of Centerville access to beautiful Centerville Lake. Purchase of this land will improve the 1.9% park land area. Opportunity 2: The attached trail plan would greatly improve pedestrian friendliness and improve the 1.9% land area. And, implementing the atta.ched trail plan is totally feasible. Opportunity 3: Land to be developed in Centerville should be developed with the 10% land dedication being done in 1Q% (or higher) land area. Don't collect fees in its stead. I urge the City needs to address these concerns now, before the opportunities expire. Thank you. �{'// � � 1