Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-08-08 PACKET 07.B.City of Cotta Grove Minnesota To: Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources From: Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Director CC: Date: July 24, 2012 Subject: Public Landscapes Initiative Introduction The Public Landscapes Initiative program was formally developed in 2006 to provide an opportunity to replant the urban forest where development impacts have occurred. Regular funding of the program has taken place via development assessments as well as general fund infusions. Background The Public Landscape Initiative program is a continuously evolving program. As projects are completed or as the community's direction /growth changes it becomes necessary to update the programs directives. As such, the program is being requested for amendment in 2012. Staff has reviewed, edited and is suggesting the attached Public Landscapes Initiative for the Commission's approval. Recommendation Place on file the Public Landscapes Initiative as amended July 2012. Public Landscapes Initiative; July 2012 The Public Landscapes Initiative was originally developed in 2006 as an outgrowth of the Tree Mitigation program initiated in 2003 and the Development Enhancements Initiative in 2004. The Tree Mitigation program was created to provide an opportunity to replant the urban forest in situations where development impacts had occurred. The Development Enhancements Initiative was the spring board for the Gateway Aesthetic Controls policy, the Gateway District Parks and Open Space Master Plan and the Gateway Corridor Enhancement Project which expands the Master Plan to include beautification efforts along the Highway 61 corridor. The goals of the Public Landscapes Initiative are as follows: A. Community Beautification B. Active management of the urban forest C. Provision of biodiversification of the urban forest D. Reforestation of highly visible community parks, public lands and transportation corridors E. Enhance landscape features of entry points into the community F. Provision of a beautification / landscaping element for community scale infrastructure projects G. Provision of tree planting / landscaping employee team building and community volunteer opportunities Program expenditures are restricted to plant materials and outside contract tree planting / landscaping costs. The Public Landscapes Initiative (fka Tree Mitigation) has two components: 1) volunteer tree planting opportunities in large community parks; and 2) contract or professional staff tree planting efforts in high visibility roadway corridors. For the 2012 budget the fund is receiving a portion of the $30,000 park building/equipment and PLI tax levy. This levy would be intended to be annual with periodic increases for inflation adjustments. The 2011 fund balance was at $193,614. The fund may also receive periodic infusions from donations or tree mitigation exactions from developers. Corridor projects would be anticipated to comprise about 80% of the CIP dollars dedicated from this fund in any given year. Corridor Proiects Corridor Projects are to be located in high visibility developed areas of the community. They are intended to provide for mitigation of denuding of the urban forest that may have occurred through past development activities. These projects are not intended to provide for enhancements within rural or future development areas. Identified projects and their current priority /projected year of development are as follows: A. Hinton Avenue north of 70 Street to the Woodbury border. Project would include plantings in the two medians and along trail on both sides of road as a community gateway project from Woodbury. Priority: 1 Construction Year: 2013 B. West Point Douglas Road between Jamaica Avenue and 80 Street. This would be plantings on the north side of the roadway to soften the look from the Highway. Plantings along the south side of the roadway should be developer funded. There does not appear to be a need to time these plantings with any particular infrastructure project outside of the construction limits of Jamaica. Needs approval and perhaps funding assistance from MNDOT Priority: 2 Construction Year: 2014 C. CG Arboretum on the south side of Hwy 61 north of 80 / Grange. This project would be an arboretum planting project timed upon completion of a storm ponding project in the area. Priority: 3 Construction Year: 2015 D. 80 Street from Jamaica to county road 19. This would be an infill planting. Various locations along the traveling corridors are in need of trees. Priority: 4 Construction Year: 2016 E. 90 Street from CR19 to Jamaica Avenue. Plantings would be along the trailway to emulate the Ravine Parkway aesthetic but timed after development of the area and realignment of 90 Street to intersect with Ravine Parkway west of CR 19. Priority: S Construction Year: 2017 F. Jamaica Avenue from 100 Street to the triangle park to include the highway 61 ramp area. Plantings should be used to enhance, not supplant, landscaping that occured as part of the 2008 roundabout project. Priority: 6 Construction Year: 2018 G. Hardwood Avenue from 80 Street to 70 Street. This would be a trailway planting project (on both sides of the trailway?). There does not appear to be a need to time these plantings with any particular infrastructure project. Priority: 7 Construction Year: post 2018 H. Hadley Avenue from 100 Street to 90 Street. Trailway and possible boulevard plantings to be timed upon reconstruction of Hadley Avenue. Priority: 8 Construction Year: post 2018 I. Hadley Avenue from 100 Street to the BNSF railway bridge. Trailway plantings to be timed upon reconstruction of Hadley Avenue and development of property along Hadley Avenue south of 100 Priority: 9 Construction Year: post 2018 Community Parks It is proposed that for community park projects development occurs in concert with timing of storm water and other park improvements to allow "public landscapes" projects to provide an aesthetic enhancement opportunity to these infrastructure and structure improvements in order to arrive at a projected CIP year. These projects are intended to be of a scale appropriate for City and /or community volunteers. Larger scale projects would be funded through an outside project fund. Identified projects and their current priority /projected year of development are as follows: A. Hamlet Park. It is intended that this project be timed upon completion of the Hamlet south pond expansion project as a landscaping element of that project. Plantings should also be placed adjacent to ballfields for spectator shading. Priority: 1 Construction Year: 2013 B. Kingston Park. This is perceived as an infill planting to provide enhancements in landscaping /wooded areas in a park that has wide expanses of active playfields and therefore a low percentage of treed areas. Infill plantings should also be provided in areas along trailways expanding from Kingston Park. Priority: 2 Construction Year: 2014 C. Pine Tree Valley /Pine Tree Pond Parks. It is suggested that plantings occur to provide shade and colors to the trailway corridor. Priority: 3 Construction Year: 2015 D. CG Trailway Corridor. This is an infill project not dependent upon future corridor infrastructure projects. The intent would be to provide varying pedestrian experiences through the corridor yet not negatively impacting the prairie restoration site. Priority: 4 Construction Year: 2016 E. Oakwood Park. This could be the landscaping element of the storm pond construction and /or the band shell /park shelter construction projects Priority: 5 Construction Year: post 2018 F. City Hall, Public Works, and Fire Stations 1 (Thompson Grove), 2 (80 Street) and 4 (Industrial Park). Fire Station 3 is not located within the urban district and therefore is outside of the scope of this program. Priority: 6 Construction Year: post 2018 Maintenance Plan The goal of the program is to have an 85% survival rate of planted tree stock. Requisite actions toward this goal include: A. Mulch beds as part of every planting B. Contractor warranties for a minimum of one year C. Contractors responsibility for regular watering commitments for one year D. Public Works staff responsibility for regular watering through the third full growing season E. Public Works staff responsibility for fourth and fifth growing season watering during periods of severe drought Public Landscapes 082406 Edited 60708 Edited 72010 Edited 71112