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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK June 20, 2007 0 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304. (763) 755-5100 FAX (763) 755-8923 . WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US Open Space Commission Meeting Agenda June 20, 2007 Andover City Hall Council Chambers 7:00 p.m. I. Call to order 7:15 p.m~ Jim Olson 7:30 p.m. Bruce Perry 0 7:45 p.m. Gretchen Sabel 8:00 p.m. Howard Amborn 8:15' p.m. Deric Deuschle 8:30 p.m. Jody Keppers 8:45 p.m. Sara Iablonecki 9:00 p.m. Winslow Holasek 9:15 p.m. Kim Kovich 2. Discussion 3. Adjournment 0 0 ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP JUNE 20,2007 MINUTES OPEN SPACE COMISSION INTERVIEWS The Workshop of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Mike Gamache, June 20, 2007, 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Don Jacobson, Mike Knight, Ken Orttel, Julie Trude Councilmernberabsent: None Also present: City Planner Courtney Bednarz Others The Council reviewed the candidates before the interviews. It was indicated the terms would be modified from the Community Center terms and they would be staggered. Typically a term is three 0 years. Councilmember Trude thought it would be helpful to have an open space column in the newsletter. She stated the Council would probably want to meet with the Commission a couple times throughout the year. It was noted the Commission would probably meet once a month to begin with and increase when needed. Councilmember Jacobson wondered if they would need to set up this group as a non-taxable charitable association so they can accept donations. Councilmember Trude stated the land would be donated to the City, which is already a non-taxable entity, so the individuals would get the deduction for the land. run Olson Mr. Jim Olson discussed his background and objectives as to why he wants to be on the Open Space Commission. Mr. Olson thinks it is a good idea to try to preserve some of the area they have left and he wanted to make sure they spend the two million dollars wisely and get the most for the money. He noted he is on the Pheasants Forever Committee and they acquire land and write bonds for land purchases. 0 Councilmember Knight asked if they have had any trouble getting matching grants. Mr. Olson stated they did not. He explained what type of companies match their funds. Councilmember Trude wondered what would be some of the factors he would be looking at for a tract ofland. Mr. Olson stated he would look for larger parcels that would be worth saving. He 0 Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - June 20, 2007 Page 2 thought the first thing the Commission should do is take an inventory and find out who would be willing to work with them on getting land. Councilmember Orttel wondered why they should look to the north of Constance for land. Mr. Olson stated the reason he would look north is because there are larger tracts ofland. Councilmember Knight asked what Mr. Olson considered the best possible use. Mr. Olson stated it depends on the land. He did not see any high development in the land. He thought the intent was to leave things the way they are. They might enhance it but not try to make a park out of it for sports and such. He thought it would be more of a passive park. Councilmember Jacobson wondered how the Commission would answer someone to the south regarding buying land in the north. Mr. Olson thought they would need to look at all the land and see where they could find land in the south. Councilmember Jacobson wondered what he felt about trail ways in the south part of Andover. Mr. Olson stated he would consider it if there were larger parcels ofland to connect but he would 0 not use the money to just build trails because he did not think that was the purpose of this. Mr. Olson wondered what kind of time would be required. Councilmember Jacobson thought they would have one or two meetings a month. Mayor Gamache stated they would start out at one time a month and probably increase it when needed. Bruce Perry Mr. Bruce Perry discussed his background and objectives as to why he wants to be on the Open Space Commission. Mayor Gamache stated they have been working with the Trust for Open Land and they focus on land around water. He wondered if there was any open land by the Rum River. Mr. Perry did not think there was really anything along the river worth buying. Councilmember Jacobson wondered what kind of ideas he would have in the southern part of Andover regarding open areas. Mr. Perry thought most of the southern area is built up and he did not want to fill in low-lying areas to make them buildable. Mr. Perry stated they may be able to look at a greenway easement along the rivers. He thought the Cedar Creek Watershed District could help them look into something like that. 0 Councilmernber Trude wondered what would be some of the characteristics of the good land they would want to preserve. Mr. Perry stated he was not sure but he would not want to buy only wetland areas. Mayor Gamache stated the Commission would need to look at the land and what is surrounding 0 Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - June 20, 2007 Page 3 it to determine if it is worth keeping as open area. Councilmember Orttel stated the Commission will need to deal with the people wanting the Commission to buy an empty lot in their neighborhood. Mr. Perry stated they would need to find out the needs of the neighborhood. Councilmember Orttel thought the Commission would need to pick out the land they would want to purchase and stick to it and try to purchase it. Mr. Perry wondered if the Council planned to give the Commission some guidelines. Mayor Gamache stated they will. Councilmember Knight stated they will also be using other cities procedures for this. Gretchen Sabel Ms. Gretchen Sabel discussed her background and objectives as to why she wants to be on the Open Space Commission. Councilmember Trude wondered what Ms. Sabel thought were characteristics of open space. 0 Ms. Sabel stated the Task Force talked about having open space all around the City. She thought the open space should be spread around. Councilmember Jacobson asked how they would spread around open space in the neighborhoods. Ms. Sabel stated this would be hard to do. She would like to work with the Conservation District on preserving greenways and open space. Councilmember Orttel wondered how they are going to leverage the two million dollars. Ms. Sabel stated they will need to work with other groups on developing open space. They need to look at low-level developments. Councilmember Jacobson wondered what would be the first step they would take if she was on the Commission. Ms. Sabel stated they would need to work on a group goal and see where everyone is at and then from there begin to look at this. Councilmember Knight wondered how Ms. Sabel saw open spaces. Ms. Sabel stated the task force talked about trails and if they were viable open spaces or not. Councilmernber Orttel thought they would be used as connections only and not as open space. Councilmember Orttel wondered if they should designate land early on hold off. Ms. Sabel stated she talked with Kameron Kytonen regarding this and they discussed different features in 0 different parts of the City and how they would look at it for open space. She thought a lot of people would want to protect water areas along with tree areas. Councilmember Trude did not think the Council will give the Commission much guidance because that would make the Commission more community lead. Mayor Gamache thought the Commission would give the Council monthly updates for questions and answers. 0 Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - June 20, 2007 Page 4 Howard Amborn Mr. Howard Amborn discussed his background and objectives as to why he wants to be on the Open Space Commission. Councilmember Jacobson asked what Mr. Amborn thought open space meant to him. Mr. Amborn stated to him it is anything that is vacant and not occupied. Councilmember Trude wondered what type of open space he would consider valuable for future generations. Mr. Amborn stated if they are going to save space, they have to preserve it now. Councilmember Trude thought he was indicating open space was for future park land, which it really is not. Mr. Amborn did not see it necessarily that way. Councilmember Trude wondered how he saw open space. Mr. Amborn stated he did not know for sure because he has not seen good traffic patterns in the City. He stated he has not been around the City enough to decide what he would want. 0 Councilmember Orttel wondered what his feeling is on how they would leverage the two million dollars. Mr. Amborn stated he has not thought about that. Councilmember Knight asked when he thought of open space what comes to mind. Mr. Amborn stated anything that is not occupied would be considered open space to him. Councilmember Knight asked how the residents would use open space. Mr. Amborn thought most people would want a park but there are also industry, schools and trails and it all depends on how creative they want to be. Mr. Amborn wondered if Andover is working with any other communities on this. Mayor Gamache stated they have not discussed this with the surrounding communities and it may be a good idea to do this. Deric Deuschle Mr. Deric Deuschle discussed his background and objectives as to why he wants to be on the Open Space Commission. He stated he is on the Elm Creek Watershed Commission and works for SEH as a biologist. Councilmember Jacobson wondered what Open Space meant to him. Mr. Deuschle stated open 0 space can mean many things such as park land, play areas, etc. He thoUght of open space as being left alone and preserving land instead of manavng it; they just need to leave it alone and protect it as undeveloped. He stated they could use part of the open space as trails. Councilmember Orttel wondered where he thought they need the open space. Mr. Deuschle thought the best area for open space would be for connectivity. He thought the Coon Creek 0 Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - June 20, 2007 Page 5 Corridor, Rum River, and Ward Lake would be good areas for open space. Councilmember Orttel wondered if they should preselect areas for open space. Mr. DeuscWe indicated they should mark it as open space for the future. There are areas in the City, such as the Rural Reserve that would not be good for development and they may want to keep some of this as open space. Mr. DeuscWe thought they should have minimum size requirements with a vision for what they want for the future. Councilmember Jacobson wondered how he would envision areas in the southern part of the City for open space. Mr. DeusWe stated that would be tougher because there is not a lot of open area left except for wetlands and a few sod fields. He explained some ways they could get credits for wetlands and other areas as an idea for possibly increasing the funds. He did not think the Commission should be here to stop projects; they should work with the developers on finding open space. 0 Mr. DeuscWe thought there would be a better sense of security if there is a plan in place. He thought from a planning perspective, it is easier because open space will be set aside. Generating some advertising may help because people may be more willing to sell some land to the City rather than to a developer. Mayor Gamache stated he likes a lot of his ideas but he wondered ifworking for SEH would be a conflict for him ifhe were on the Commission. Mr. DeuscWe indicated it would not because he would not have any conflict of interest. Jody Keppers Mr. Jody Keppers discussed his background and objectives as to why he wants to be on the Open Space Commission. Councilmember Jacobson wondered what he would bring to the Commission that would be valuable. Mr. Keppers stated his approach would be more toward looking at the value ofland as a part of the urban fabric of the City. Where he works they pay quite a bit of attention to what they build and where they build it. They should be looking at protecting the habitat along with looking at how they increase the quality of life, aesthetics and how they want the area built. Councilmember Orttel wondered iflooking at the City map, they should have a harsh plan or 0 would he prefer to have a loose outlook. Mr. Keppers stated that given the terms of the referendUIIl, it is phrased the City would buy land from willing sellers so he thought the structure of it would have to be fairly loose. He thought in the structure they have in the City, it may be good to develop some general ideas about areas they would like to preserve as open space but he thought it needs to be a seizing of opportunities. 0 Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - June 20, 2007 Page 6 Councilmember Trude wondered how the Commission could deal with residents wanting them to buy land in their area. Mr. Keppers stated in the initial phase they would take in all of the requests to review and see if there is some kind of a pattern. He did not think the City would want to buy up all the wetlands in the City but if there is a cluster of people wanting to sell wetland along a roadway along with a large parcel, then they would want to buy it in order to keep the large parcel open. Mr. Keppers thought the initial stage might make sense if they could get a few parcels and concentrate on one particular area and pull things together to make a demonstration project Councilmember Knight wondered ifhe would be in favor of using eminent domain for obtaining property. Mr. Keppers indicated he would not Mr. Keppers wondered how things would work on the Commission. Councilmember Knight stated a lot of it would be up to the Commission. Councilmember Jacobson indicated the Commission would meet with the Council a couple of times for discussion and planning. 0 Sara Jablonecki Ms. Sara Jablonecki discussed her background and objectives as to why she wants to be on the Open Space Commission. Councilmember Orttel wondered what she thought open space meant. Ms. Jablonecki did not necessarily have a place in mind but she liked to see the wildlife. She wants that natural habitat for them to still exist. Couneilmember Jacobson wondered what she would do for the urban areas in the City that do not have a lot of open space. Ms. Jablonecki stated she would like to preserve the trees that are still in the area. Councilmember Knight wondered if she had any ideas on how they would acquire the land with two million dollars. Ms. Jablonecki indicated she did not Councilmember Jacobson asked what kind of activities she would envision for an open space. Ms. Jablonecki thought trails would be a good idea. She would also like to see green areas in the City. Councilmember Knight stated to start with, the Commission would have to meet enough times to 0 set criteria and he wondered if she had a problem with meeting. Ms. Jablonecki stated she did not have a problem with meeting at any time. Councilmember Trude asked how she would deal with people coming to them to buy property by their home. Ms. Jablonecki stated the Commission would need to review the parcels and decide if they wanted to purchase the land. 0 Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes -June 20, 2007 Page 7 Councilmember Trude wondered if the Commission should have a plan ahead of time. Ms. Jablonecki was not sure. She was not sure what two million would buy. She thought if they were looking at doing walking trails, it would be easier in a larger space but if they were to have land that was natural, they could have smaller parcels. It would also depend on where it was located in the City. Winslow Holasek Mr. Winslow Holasek discussed his background and objectives as to why he wants to be on the Open Space Commission. He stated he could see all types of opportunities for open space such as donations, preservation ofland. Councilmember Orttel wondered ifhe thought they should have a plan or should they leave this open. Mr. Holasek thought they should have an open plan because he could see areas in any part of the City that could be used for open space. He noted they need to be flexible. He thought 0 there might be some areas to the south that could be left for open space. Councilmember Jacobson asked how he thought open space should be used once purchased. Mr. Holasek thought they need to have a plan but it could be kept natural with some wildlife with wetlands and knolls. Councilmember Jacobson wondered ifhe would have time to be on the Commission. Mr. Holasek indicated he would. Councilmember Knight asked ifhe saw open space as strictly an enjoyment place or as fields for recreation. Mr. Ho1asek saw the open space as more of a natural area. because they have fields for recreation in the City and many parks. He stated if they do not save open space, there will not be any wildlife left in the City. Mayor Gamache wondered what his vision for the open space is for the City. Mr. Holasek stated farming is open space in a way but he did not think it would survive in the future so they need to do something now to preserve any open space they can. He thought they need to remain open to opportunities that come up. Kim Kovich Mr. Kim Kovich discussed his background and objectives as to why he wants to be on the Open 0 Space Commission. Councilmember Jacobson asked what he thought open space meant and what did he envision. Mr. Kovich stated open space can be a lot of things. It can be an area with nothing on it. It can be a combination of recreational opportunities or wildlife. He saw this as a limited use. C Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - June 20, 2007 Page 8 Councilmember Trude asked ifhe were on the Commission, what would be some of the things he would put on a list. Mr. Kovich stated they would first need to go to different organizations and see if they could get more money. He has looked at what is available in Andover for conservation areas. He showed the Council a map of the resources in the City. Mayor Gamache wondered what benefits he would have with his background in real estate. Mr. Kovich stated he knew the value of different types ofland and would helpful in getting a good , price for it. Councilmember Knight indicated this group will be breaking ground for the entire City because it has never been done before. Mr. Kovich stated he has been a great supporter of this idea. He thought the Commission should work with the Anoka Conservation District for information and help. Councilmember Trude wondered how he would deal with proposals from individuals asking for the Commission to buy land around them. Mr. Kovich thought the Commission should first set O. down some criteria for the open space and look at the pieces to see if they fit the criteria. Discussion The Council generally discussed the applicants. Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, Seconded by Councilmember Knight, to appoint Deric Deuschle as Chairperson and Gretchen Sabel as Vice Chair of the Commission assuming they accept. Motion carried nnanimously. Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, Seconded by Councilmember Trude to appoint Jody Keppers and Jim Olson to a term of one year, Deric Deuschle and Gretchen Sabel, Winslow Holasek to a term of three years, and Bruce Perry, and Kim Kovich to a term of two years. Motion carried nnanimously. Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, Seconded by Councilmember ~el to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 0 Susan Osbeck, Recording Secretary