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Home My WebLink About2021-02-09 PACKET 06.B.MECottage Grove if -here Pride and Prosperity Meet Meeting Date 11/18/2020 Department Parks and Recreation Agenda Category Consent Agenda Title Park Naming City Council Action Request Staff 1. Name future park and open space land within the Recommendation Posavad development area as mapped, "Still Ponds Park and Open Space." 2. Name future park and open space land within the Summers Landing development area as mapped, "Strawberry Fields Park and Open Space." Budget Implication Not applicable Attachments Council Memo -Park Naming.tif 12.64MB Park Naming Policy.tif 2.01 MB Park Naming Attachments B and C.tif 55.97MB 7H Cottage Grove here Pride an6 ?,05perity Meet To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Director Cc: Jennifer Levitt, City Administrator Date: November 12, 2020 Subject: Park Naming Introduction/Background Staff has been working through the park naming process with the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission for two future park sites shown below. The park naming policy (Attachment A) is a thoughtful approach to making sure due diligence takes place when identifying a name for our public parks. As such, this report includes the memorandums and background material (Attachments B & C) that was supplied to both the Parks Commission and the Advisory on Historic Preservation Commission. The Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission unanimously chose the names Still Ponds Park for site A and Strawberry Fields Park for site B. The rationale behind each naming is summarized as: 1. Site A: Gladys Posavad and her husband George Posavad purchased the family farm in 1947. Gladys' maiden name was Still. Her parents William and Caroline Still occupied the farmhouse for several years. The water feature on the property is planned to be a prominent feature of the park. It was a man-made pond created by the family for the original intent of watering cattle. Combining those historical elements of the land resulted in the name Still Ponds Park. To note, this name was recommended by the Posavad family during the original list generation for Commission review. 2. Site B: Summers Landing development area played a significant part in Cottage Grove history when it was operated as Strawberry Fields. People traveled from near and far for generations to pick strawberries in Cottage Grove. These fields were also the basis for the historic Strawberry Fest that takes place in the community each year. It is anticipated, the park will have some level of a strawberry based theme to support the name. The Advisory Commission for Historic Preservation also reviewed the naming options. Although they unanimously recommended Strawberry Fields for site A, they recommended Glacial Lake Park for site B. Both the Parks Commission and Posavad family agreed that reference to a glacial lake for this property was not an accurate reflection of the man-made pond. As such, staff recommends the name Still Ponds Park. Staff Recommendation 1. Name future park and open space land within the Posavad development area as mapped, "Still Ponds Park and Open Space". 2. Name future park and open space land within the Summers Landing development area as mapped, "Strawberry Fields Park". -- i� Aa rJ, M, r ,�,ry 7F �. 0 � ;:piti � i �• �• F- _ Ida '� - P+„ T `!A `SI Paul Park i� tYrSF.S 0 CCottage Grove im- jEkI F� . N I. Introduction The selection of a proper name for a park, park facility, and/or open space is a thoughtful process which requires careful analysis by many people. This procedure has been adopted by the City of Cottage Grove to provide the proper guidelines for any naming or renaming of said amenities. II Procedure The following procedure will be used for the naming of parks, park facilities, and open space: 1. Staff, Council, Advisory Body, or Cottage Grove resident recognizes and requests the naming of a park, park facility, or open space. 2. Staff will prepare and submit the request to the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission for review. 3. The Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission will discuss the merit of the name(s). If there is a list of potential names, they may be added to or eliminated from the list at this time. No formal recommendation will be made at this meeting. 4. At the subsequent Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission meeting, staff will provide any information requested by the Commission. If there is a list of names, the list should be narrowed to three at this meeting. No formal recommendation will be made at this point. 5. At their next meeting, the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission shall debate the merits of the remaining name(s) and make a final recommendation to the City Council. 6. The recommendation will then be placed on the next regular City Council meeting. If City Council does not approve the recommended name, they will return the issue to the Commission with direction and the process will begin anew. III. Park, Park Facility, and Open Space Naming Criteria Listed below are the criteria used to determine the naming or renaming of Parks, Park Facilities, and Open Spaces. 1. The name of the subdivision associated with the Park. 2. The name of the neighborhood in which the park is located. 3. The street name adjacent to or closely identified with the park. 4. The name of a local interest point, or local focal point near the park. 5. The name of an event or historical occurrence associated with the park, or area. 6. The name of a person who dedicates a major part or all of the land for the park. 7. The name of a person of significant stature within the community. He/she must adhere to at least one of the following credentials and complete a waiting period of at least six months from the conclusion of service or time of death: a. At least ten years of local service to the community b. Shown outstanding assistance or support of the local park system c. Major financial donor to the park system d. A historical figure or family VIII. Final Determinations The City Council reserves all rights in the naming or renaming of all parks, park facilities, or open spaces. Cottage J Grove If -here Pride and QCOsperity Meet To: Advisory Commission for Historic Preservation From: Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Director CC: Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission Date: September 15, 2020 Subject: Posavad Development Park Naming Introduction/Background The future housing development area currently referred to as the Posavad Property is located north of 65th Street and west of Highland Hills boulevard in the northwest corner of Cottage Grove. A future park has been identified for this site and is need of a name. In accordance to the naming policy, the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission spent three consecutive meetings determining an appropriate park name. At the September meeting, the Commission recommended City Council authorize Still Ponds Park as the name. Further, the Commission suggested the lake be officially named Lake George or Lake Posavad given the fact that George Posavad dammed the waterway (with MN DNR approval) to transition the land from a slew to a lake. To aid Commissioners in their thoughtful analysis of choosing a park name, staff provided the following documents which provide some insight to historical uses of the land. 1. Park Master Plan 2. Natural resources inventory of the site 3. Washington County Historical Society report on the homestead (house still exists today but has been modified several times). 4. Family biography of George Posavad who purchased the property in 1947 from lumber baron O.V. Cowell. 5. Pictures of George Posovad Jr (current landowner) with results of first duck hunt at 9 years old on the property with his grandfather's 410 shotgun. 6. Pictures of George and Vereen (current landowners) on their horses in the pasture on the site. John is a navy veteran. I had the privilege of meeting personally with the family and discussing the history of the land. The following talking points from John Posavad may also provide some helpful insight when considering a name for the property. • Property was purchased by my grandparents in 1947: George Sr. and Gladys Posavad • My great grandparents (Gladys' mom and dad) moved into the original farmhouse: William and Caroline Still • My great grandparents, grandparents, and parents farmed the land - mainly corn and soybeans but they also had fields with raspberry's, strawberry's, pumpkins, squash, potatoes, onions, carrots, and beans plus an apple orchard. • Besides farming the land, they had livestock including cows, sheep, chicken, and a couple horses • My parents planted the pine trees while dating in high school/college: George Jr and Verene Posavad • My dad (George Jr) used proceeds from farming the land to pay for his college • My parents (George Jr and Verene) lived on the farm after being married and planned to build another house on the land but that did not happen • Other family members to live on the property in the "new" house (south side of 65th) include Robert & Heidi Posavad and Daniel Posavad • Original homestead was by Cowell (not part of our family) Staff Recommendation Authorize Still Ponds Park as the name for the future park and open space located within the Posavad development. LEGEND 0 0 o PRovosm TRAIL 7,400 LF. - - — OPTIONALTRAIL 500 LF. - - - EAISTINGTRAIL 1,170LF. Realms@ OPTIONAL BOARDWALK STRUCTURE 540 LF. O MINOR TRAIL NODE 7TOTAL FEATURFs: BENCH O OP71ONALMINORTRAILNoDE 1TOTAL FEATURES: BENCH MAJOR TRAIL NODE 3TOTAL aO R FEATURES: BENCHES, BIKE RACK, INIFAPRETNE SIGNAGE, WASTE REPTACIE •i > r - �� \\ •red. � 1 � � '� 0 O 000 rN 0 'N ., w�`` fro f, T •' �� BDARD-"OVERLOOK O IN—(7n.) CDNIFEROUS 0 'OR_ Q •I `a - 'm`10e Pf _TREE STAND 0 Q' 19 D0. �0.��' ..0 O ,• n e ai, •Di T.1. W4Cp0 -" r. .,ro o f•I � � I,.. o . • PETEIITxaarsoN j PARK gi .,lilHIM I 1I,p� F f LN.S I o, °<PrlaeeDCottage 1soI aoo LENK MFOY"POSAVAD PARCEL PARK PRELIMINARY TRAILS PLAN -CONCEPT S E WITH OPTIONALTRAIL CONNECTIONS SITE 5 SUMMARY (8 communities, 214.7 acres) Vocation Site 5 is located northeast of Highway 61 and north of the 65th Street South. Vandforms, Soils, and Geology Site 5 is level to moderately sloping, consisting of well drained, medium textured soils, the majority of which are thin loess and eolian sand over sand and gravel. A unique geologic landform found on this site is a small glacial lake, which is occupied by community 5A an open water/emergent marsh. Local Value The average local value is 2.1 with the highest value four and the lowest value zero. Natural Resource Values Site 5 includes three separate areas: a deep, open water marsh with an adjacent oak forest and conifer plantation; a narrow ravine with rock outcroppings and oak forest, and a small isolated wetland in the middle of agricultural land. The quality of these areas varies from moderately good to poor. Overall, Site 5 is given a moderate natural community integrity value. Wildlife habitat for Site 5 is particularly significant near the wetland for waterfowl, shorebirds and other aquatic species, but due to the small size of the site, the assigned wildlife habitat value is moderate. There are no records of rare species on this site; therefore, the rare feature value is low. SITE 5 COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS Community 5A Community 5A is a good quality deep -open water marsh with an emergent marsh fringe. Although cattails dominate the emergent marsh fringe, a good diversity of other species are present including arrowhead, softstem bulrush, boneset, and several fern species including marsh fern and sensitive fern. Mudflat areas are vegetated with pinkweed and nodding beggers-tick. The fringes of the wetland contained red oiser dogwood and willow species. No surveys of submerged or floating leaf aquatic plants was made due to the depth of this wetland. Disturbance Incicaters: Some reed canary grass on wetland fringes. Upland areas adjacent to wetland contain buckthorn. Overall, moderate diversity of wetland plants with minimal invasion of exotic species. Natural Resources Inventory 64 Community 5B Community 5B is a young, dry oak forest dominated by pin oak, black cherry and box elder. This community has patchy coverage of "armed shrubs" including buckthorn, prickly ash, raspberry and prickly gooseberry. The ground cover is dominated by such species as virgiana creeper, enchanter's nightshade and white snakeroot. Within this community several small, grassy openings of kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome with canada goldenrod are also present. Disturbance Indicators: Buckthorn is present throughout this community and in many places is starting to choke out native trees and shrubs. The presence of buckthorn, other thorny species, nonnative grasses and low diversity of ground cover fortis suggest that this community was probably heavily grazed in the past and is now succeeding to a forest/woodland community. Community 5C Community SC is a red pine plantation with a fairly dense, uniform, stocking of 5-9 inch DBH trees. Few other tree, shrub or ground cover species were noted in this community. Community 5D This community is an old field containing introduced grasses such as timothy and smooth brume. Common forbs include Canada goldenrod, stiff goldenrod, bergamont and various species of aster. Scattered red pine and aspen are also present. Community SE This mixed emergent marsh community is dominated by reed canary grass. Other, native graminoids, typical of mixed emergent marsh are also present, but are either low in numbers or occur in only a few clumps. Some of these emergents include; lake sedge, soft -stemmed bulrush and prairie cordgrass. The center of this wetland, which is usually inundated during the spring -early summer was, during midsummer, a mudflat with nodding begger's ticks and pinkweed. The fringes of this wetland contain a mixture of young oak and shrubs such as hawthorn, buckthorn and red oiser dogwood. Disturbance Indicators: This wetland is completely surrounded by row crop agricultural land uses with only a very narrow buffer. Runoff containing sediment, fertilizers and pesticides has likely contributed to the decline of this wetland. All areas of this wetland are dominated by nonnative species such as reed canary and buckthorn. There is, however, a moderate diversity of wetland plant species in low numbers. Natural Resources Inventory 65 To listen to more into about this property Call 777-HOME and enter PLS ID# 1120 Washington County _J Rare Historic Country • 3+ Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms • 2800-3000 Sq: Ft. • 1.9 Acres • Lot Size 200x413.5 $250,000 `The Old Homestead" built by lumber baron O.V. Cowell in 1862. Great for single family or ideal for bed & breakfast. This south Washington County home was described in Easton's 1909 history as "the old homestead." It was built by lumber baron O.V. Cowell in 1862. The oldest part dates back to 1852 and has log beams. Built in Grecian style with small pillared front porch, the hcl'i-ne features a walnut staircase, two fireplaces, a large living room with wainscoting, formal dining room with Delft chandelier, chair rail and plate rail, den with wainscoting and fireplace, sewing room, study, kitchen with center island, breakfast room, three baths and three bedrooms including a master suite with two chandeliers, sitting area, vaulted ceiling, french doors and private bath. Main floor laundry, Williamsburg wallpaper, new furnace, new pump and updated 200 amp electric service. Almost two acres of privacy with lilac hedge and large trees. 1n the country, yet close to freeway and downtown St. Paul. This home would be great for a single family or ideal for a bed and breakfast. This one of a kind home may be seen by qualified buyers, by appointment only. Now previewing. For appointments, call John orJoan at459-6015. Page 10 ,St. Paul Postal Er�rployees Credit Union... Your fall -service nrorlgnge lende, Posavad Family Biography of Land • Property was purchased by my grandparents in 1947: George Sr. and Gladys Posavad • My great grandparents (Gladys' mom and dad) moved into the original farm house: William and Caroline Still • My great grandparents, grandparents, and parents farmed the land - mainly corn and soybeans but they also had fields with raspberry's, strawberry's, pumpkins, squash, potatoes, onions, carrots, and beans plus an apple orchard. • Besides farming the land, they had live stock including cows, sheep, chicken, and a couple horses • My parents planted the pine trees while dating in high school/college: George Jr and Verene Posavad • My dad used proceeds from farming the land to pay for his college: George Posavad Jr. • My parents (George Jr and Verene) lived on the farm after being married and planned to build another house on the land but that did not happen • Other family members to live on the property in the "new" house (south side of 65th) include Robert & Heidi Posavad and Daniel Posavad • Original homestead was by Cowell (not part of our family) it rl 1010- s NJ,4,j-r-v' C MCottage e Grove If -here Pride and P,,59erity Meet To: Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission From: Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Director CC: Date: September 15, 2020 Subject: Summers Landing Development Park Naming Introduction/Background The Summers Landing neighborhood is located west of Hadley Avenue and north of 95tn Street in the southwest quadrant of Cottage Grove. A future park has been identified for this site and is need of a name. Attached with this memo is the City's Park Naming Policy. Upon recognition of need for a park name, the first step was to prepare a list of potential names for Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission review. That list was provided to the Commission in August was not amended. In September, Commissioners were tasked to narrow the list to three names or less. The current list of names being considered is: Strawberry Fields Park Strawberry Park Summers Landing Park At the subsequent meeting, a final name will be chosen for recommendation to City Council. To aid Commissioners in their thoughtful analysis of choosing a park name, staff has provided the following documents which provide some insight to historical uses of the land. 1. Park Master Plan 2. Natural resources inventory of the site To note, the property this neighborhood now rests on was notorious for its strawberry fields that drew regional appeal. The strawberry fields left in the late 1980's but was still farmed by the Swanlund family until housing development occurred in the 2010's. Staff Recommendation Discuss merit of park names and provide a recommendation to City Council. SITE 19 COMMUNITY LEGEND COMM. # COMMUNITY ACRES RANK VALUE 19A Old Field 136.2 NA 1 19B Dry Prairie 14.2 B 6 19C Open Water/Emergent Marsh 4.1 D 4 19D Lowland Hardwood Forest 12.5 D 3 19E Brushland/Prairie 13.6 NA 3 Total: 180.6 City of Cottage Grove Natural Resource Inventory SITE 19 1100 0 110o Feel Bonest Rosene =ng-aL rove � Anderl mhmwda Assod; Engineers & Arch k:\48\48369\c0ttage5.apr January, 199£ -- , . '�� --- x i`I x.. -i• •- -� - .S�Y-;L-1,4 - I.}, f-: ,jam • f, ,Jx -' +, s •�.• 9 } . f�' �.(tj,�S� v � ` a t..� 1. � 4•. � ' 1 .x:. �. . J� 1 13 �`.li� .'I � .� N+ t LI l.. �.-J- +J ' � �1• .t -1., � �i"_ A� b. i � • � * x a > �• r sc t s '} � sae � �. - f- kf - lftl�i•. z �' �: �° :tT- z1 '} _ li 'i:r '• • • r • e,..�E }• w i IT t �_. 'i'� `r3t.',• .�tr .-r. 3.,i!'$•i�.r Y:.s.a.. � j - a. IL Ail sh tv MOP 1 .1 e� l SITE 19 SUMMARY (5 communities,180.6 acres) Location Site 19 is located east of Grey Cloud Channel and north of 103rd Street South. Landforms, Soils, and Geology Site 19 is level to moderately sloping consisting of excessively drained and somewhat excessively drained soils that moderately coarse and coarse textured; the majority being composed of eolian sand over thin to thick sand and gravel on dolomite bedrock. Local Value The average local value is 3.4, the highest is six and the lowest is one. Natural Resource Values Site 19 is dominated by brushy old fields and several areas of good quality dry, sand -gravel prairie. The overall quality of this area is not high, however, portions of the dry prairie are significant natural communities. For these reasons, the natural community integrity value is moderate. A high wildlife value is due to the fact that this site serves as a corridor between natural areas along the Mississippi River and areas to the north; and because this site contains good quality prairie communities. Residents from this area report numerous sightings of such species as prairie skinks (Eumeces septentrionalis) and two state special concern snake species; fox snake (Elaphe vulpina) and bull snake (Pituophis melanoleucus). These species are associated with dry prairie, dry woodland and rock outcropping areas. Because of these sightings as well as a MNDNR record of a blue racer snake (Coluber constrictor), a state special concern species, site 19 is given a high rare feature value.. The dry prairies on this site (1913) are also listed by the MNDNR. SITE 19 COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS Community 19A Community 19A is an old field with scattered pockets of remnant prairie. The dominant graminoids are smooth brome and canada bluegrass. The forb diversity is fairly high with a total of 25 different native and nonnative species identified within this community. Some of the more common forbs include rough blazingstar, leadplant, flowering spurge, purple prairie clover and flowering spurge. Long -bearded hawkweed, a state special concern species was also identified in this community. Community 19B Community 19B is a good quality dry prairie situated along a steep, southwest facing terrace slope. A good diversity of both native grasses and forbs is present in this prairie. Common graminoids include indian grass, little bluestem, big bluestem, porcupine grass and sand dropseed. Common Natural Resources Inventory 117 forbs include rough blazingstar, flowering spurge, daisy fleabane, white sage, goatsbeard and round - headed bushclover. Long -bearded hawkweed, a state special concern species was also identified in this community. Disturbance Indicators: Woody species invading this prairie include siberian elm, eastern red cedar and smooth sumac. Smooth brome is the primary introduced grass invading this community. Community 19C Community 19C is a low quality open water/emergent marsh wetland. Common graminoids include prairie cordgrass, smooth brome and reed canary grass. Most areas not occupied by grasses are dominated by stinging nettle. Disturbance Indicators: It appears that peat has been mined from this wetland for Baily's Nursery. The dredge spoil from this dredging has been colonized by stinging nettle, a species associated with disturbance often found on recently deposited dredge spoil. Community 19D Community 19D is a low quality lowland hardwood forest dominated by green ash, box elder and red elm with an average diameter of 12 inches. Other tree species include eastern red cedar and young red oak. The shrub layer is dominated by tatarian honeysuckle and near the edges, smooth sumac. The ground cover is fairly sparse with virginal creeper and poison ivy the dominant species. Disturbance Indicators: Deposition of fine sand has occurred within this community resulting in disturbance to ground cover species. It appears that erosion from the surrounding nursery and agricultural fields may be responsible for this sedimentation. in general, nonnative and/or weedy species dominate the shrub and ground cover layers. Community 19E Community 19E is a poor quality dry prairie, which has largely reverted to brushland. This community contains many of the same species found in community 19B but is overgrown with eastern red cedar and siberian elm trees. The prairie grasses and forbs occur throughout this community within small openings. Natural Resources Inventory 118