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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMay 11, 2011N66W. 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. • ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 • (763) 755 -5100 FAX (763) 755 -8923 • WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US Andover Open Space Advisory Commission Meeting Agenda May 11, 2011 Andover City Hall Council Chambers 7.00 p.m. 1. Call to Order 2. Site Visit - Aasness property through White Pine Wilderness 3. Return to City Hall 4. Resident Forum 5. Approval of Minutes —April 13, 2011 © 6. 2011 Site Selection Process 7. Naming Recommendation - White Pine Wilderness 8. Update - Maintenance of Open Space Sites 9. Other Business a. Next meeting 10. Adjournment U REGULAR ANDOVER OPEN SPA CE AD VISOR Y COMMISSION MEETING May 11, 2011 MINUTES The Regular Meeting of the Andover Open Space Advisory Commission was called to order by Chairperson Gretchen Sabel at 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Commissioners present: Drago Flores, Val Holthus, Jody Keppers, Kim Kovich, Bruce Perry and Suzanne Van Hecke Commissioners absent: Jim Olson Also present: City Planner, Courtney Bednarz SITE VISIT- AASNESS PROPERTY THROUGH WHITE PINE WILDERNESS A site visit was conducted with the property owner. RESIDENT FORUM No one wished to address the Commission 0 APPROVAL OFMINUTES April 13, 2011 Motion by Kovich, Second by Perry to approve the minutes. Motion passed 6 -0 ( Keppers, Holthus present). NAMING RECOMMENDATION - WHITE PINE WILDERNESS Commissioner Kovich suggested the site be named `Winslow's Woods' to honor former Open Space Commissioner and original Town Board member Winslow Holasek. Chairperson Sabel suggested staff contact the Holasek family to determine if that would be acceptable to them. The Commission agreed that this suggestion should be made to the Council. 2011 SITE SELECTION PROCESS Mr. Bednarz summarized discussions with property owners over the last month and asked the Commission to discuss the site they visited this evening as well as other potential open space sites as they work to refine the short list for recommendation to the Council. Chairperson Sabel stated that she thought the Aasness property was much nicer than she anticipated. ® Regular Open Space Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes — May 11, 2011 Page 2 Commissioner Kovich stated that the lowland along the east side would not be very useful. Chairperson Sabel commented that the owner had stated he may not want to sell the westerly 20 acres as he hunts that land. Commissioner Kovich suggested the Commission consider the entire 40 acre parcel and not just the easterly 20 acres as much of that area is wetland. Commissioner Keppers stated this could be an opportunity for partial purchase and partial protection under a conservation easement. Chairperson Sabel agreed that a conservation easement may be able to address the priorities of both the landowner and city. Commissioner Flores stated that the site would be a nice addition to White Pine Wilderness and that it offered both open and wooded areas. He expressed some concern that the open area of the site had 10 not naturally revegetated being it was last farmed 15 years ago. Commissioner Holthus asked how the Commission viewed planting and restoration as it evaluated sites. Commissioner Keppers stated that there may be opportunities through grants but they needed to be realistic, given tight budgets, that funding may be limited. Chairperson Sabel stated that the Commission had looked to protect areas with natural features first and their focus on the two sites acquired so far has been to maintain what is there. Commissioner Kovich stated that they wouldn't have to clear invasive vegetation out of this site and that it would come back naturally. Commissioner Perry stated that the only access would be from the south through White Pine Wilderness. Commissioner Flores stated there is a `wow' factor with the transition from the open area of the site to the wooded area. Commissioner Keppers stated that it would be an opportunity to enhance the experience from the site to the south with the different features of this site. Commissioner Kovich noted the Anoka County estimated market value of the entire property was less than what had been paid for the White Pine Wilderness site. © Regular Open Space Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes — May 11, 2011 Page 3 Chairperson Sabel stated that if the property owner were to accept the value of the property it would be within their budget. Commissioner Keppers suggested that they consider a conservation access for the westerly 20 acres with public access negotiated. Commissioner Holthus asked how a conservation easement would affect the value of the property. Mr. Bednarz stated that the value would need to be based on what use the property could be put to under the terms of the agreement. If development rights were permanently removed the value would need to be adjusted accordingly. Commissioner Flores stated that they would need to discuss the cost with the property owner to determine if they could reach agreement. Commissioner Keppers asked how hunting regulations would apply to the site as open space. Mr. Bednarz stated that the park regulations the city had applied to open space sites prohibit hunting. ® He added that hunting is otherwise permitted on the site with both a bow at 2.5 acres and a firearm at 10 acres under the current hunting regulations. Commissioner VanHecke stated that hunting that close to the open space could cause a conflict with the people visiting the site. Mr. Bednarz asked the Commission if the site should be added to the list and discussion with the property owner should begin. The Commission agreed that the site should be considered further. The Commission moved on to discuss other open space sites. Commissioner Kovich stated that they have not been successful in finding access to the Selmer property through the adjoining sites. Chairperson Sabel asked how a county ditch would affect a potential open space site. Mr. Bednarz stated that the Anoka County Highway Department is responsible for maintenance of all county ditches, primarily to prevent flooding of property that is outside of the floodplain. He added that there is limited funding to maintain the ditch system throughout Anoka County. © Commissioner Sabel asked if the Legacy Funding workshop indicated that there would be funding available for acquisition. Mr. Bednarz stated he thought that was unlikely, based on their experience in applying in the past for a regionally significant site like Martin's Meadows, but that they would continue to try. © Regular Open Space Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes — May 11, 2011 Page 4 Commissioner VanHecke asked whether the site owned by Meadow Creek Christian School should be considered further. She noted that there was a parking lot in the adjacent park to the south. Chairperson Sabel stated that there were few natural features due to the fact that most of the site had been cleared for farming. Commissioner Kovich stated he thought the site would best be used for development. Chairperson Sabel stated that it may make more sense for a park or ball fields than for open space. Commissioner Kovich reminded the Commission that there was a fixture roadway planned from White Pine Wilderness through the Aasness site. Mr. Bednarz confirmed that a road was planned to provide a second access to the development area via Hanson Boulevard. UPDATE - MAINTENANCE OF OPEN SPACE SITES © Mr. Bednarz provided an update to the Commission on the maintenance of the two open space sites noting that parks maintenance staff had been actively working on both sites. OTHER BUSINESS Chairperson Sabel asked for ideas for the newsletter. Commissioner VanHecke stated that she liked the previous article with maps that showed how to get to the sites. The Commission agreed that these should be included in the next article. Commissioner VanHecke noted that the edited version of the open space segment on QCTV was much shorter and contained different pictures than the original. Mr. Bednarz stated he would try to obtain the unedited version from QCTV. Commissioner Keppers stated that he enjoyed his time on the Commission and stated that they should be proud of their accomplishments. He added that he would be happy to help in the future as well. The Commission thanked Commissioner Keppers for his service to the city and wished him well. Motion to Adjourn Kovich, second by Perry. Motion passed 7 -0. The meeting adjourned at 9:12 p.m. Respectfully submitted, © Regular Open Space Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes — May 11, 2011 Page 5 Courtney Bednarz u U