Loading...
6.e MSA Project_Update_9.30.22 City of Scandia, MN UPDATE Page 1 of 4 UPDATE  A Review of MSA’s Commitment to Your Community MSA TEAM: Chris Janson, Principal in Charge cjanson@msa-ps.com Claire Michelson, Project Manager cmichelson@msa-ps.com Emily Herold, Project Planner eherold@msa-ps.com DATE: September 30, 2022 PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN Project Progress As of the end of September, the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan document is well underway. • The Introduction and About Scandia chapter drafts are completed. • The Goals and Strategies chapter draft is completed and awaiting discussion between the project team and Parks and Recreation Committee. • The Analysis of Needs and Demands chapter is almost complete; quantitative and geographic analyses (park proximity, level of service calculations, and facility gap comparisons) are complete, and qualitative analysis (community survey and stakeholder interviews) is in progress. The results of the community input survey will be discussed at length later in this Project Update. • The Recommendations chapter is in progress; each park has its own page with written descriptions/existing amenities and is awaiting specific recommendations following community survey synthesis and discussions with the Parks and Recreation Committee. Next steps include: • Scandia’s Parks and Recreation Committee will review the survey results provided in this Update and offer comments and recommendations to the project team to be incorporated into the Open House materials. • The Parks and Recreation Committee and City Staff should provide MSA with a list and email contacts of stakeholders to hold 25 minute conversations with about parks and recreation. • The Committee and the project team will review the drafted Goals and Strategies. • On October 19, 2022 from 6-8 pm, the project team will hold a Public Open House at the Scandia Community Center (Task 4.4 in the project scope). The Open House will include a brief orientation to the planning process and Master Plan, several interactive stations, and opportunities to provide feedback on the drafted Goals and Strategies and preliminary park recommendations. The project team is currently creating advertising materials (e.g. press PROJECT UPDATE Page 2 of 4 PROJECT UPDATE City of Scandia, MN October 3, 2022 release, letter-sized posters, and City website materials) to send to City staff, as well as planning the interactive stations for the event. • After the Public Open House, the project team will synthesize and utilize the feedback – including feedback from the Committee throughout this process – to finish drafting the Goals/Strategies, Analysis of Needs/Demands, and Recommendations chapters. Community Input Survey Results The community input survey is now closed to allow the project team to prepare for the upcoming Open House. In total, the survey received 100 responses. Key Takeaways: • Overall, survey respondents reported using the Scandia Community Center most often (64%); the next most-favored parks were William O’Brien State Park (49%) and Big Marine Lake Preserve (41%). • The most-frequently used recreational amenities in Scandia were pickleball courts (49%) – currently, the City only has tennis courts outfitted with painted pickleball boundary lines and lowered nets – playgrounds (35%), and benches/picnic tables (33%). • The most-suggested general park improvements were updating and maintaining playground equipment in all parks, adding more restroom facilities – either permanent or portable – and adding fitness stations to parks and/or trails. Multiple respondents also suggested cultivating natural wildlife areas in City-owned parkland, such as pollinator gardens and prairie pockets. • A large majority of respondents expressed interest in designated pickleball courts and additional walking/biking trails. • Many respondents expressed interest in a trail connection to the Gateway Trail. Safety on all trails and bike routes was a primary concern due to the fast-moving traffic on many roads outside of downtown Scandia. “What age groups are represented by your household?” PROJECT UPDATE Page 3 of 4 PROJECT UPDATE City of Scandia, MN October 3, 2022 “What parks and recreation amenities/facilities do you currently use?” “How interested are you in the following park amenities?” PROJECT UPDATE Page 4 of 4 PROJECT UPDATE City of Scandia, MN October 3, 2022 Specific Park Recommendations* *These were solely listed in the community input survey and not yet formally recommended by the project team. Scandia Community Center • Update playground • Add backboard to tennis courts for solo play/practice • Add more landscaping/prairie pockets Hay Lake Park • Good location to add a soccer field Leonard Wojtowicz Skating Park • Rink needs new boards • Reserve a portion of the skate park for roller hockey in warmer months Lilleskogen Park • More native plants/trees to screen walking trail from nearby traffic Wayne Erickson Memorial Ball Park • Field needs irrigation and leveling of the outfield Wind in the Pines Preserve • Trails need maintenance in improve safety and clarity • Improve signage – trails not well-marked and people wander off correct routes Guiding Discussion Questions for the Parks and Recreation Committee 1. How does the City of Scandia accommodate the recreational needs of all age groups? Are there any groups that seem under-served? What amenities can be added to fill in that gap? 2. What preliminary recommendations do you have for specific parks improvements? What aligns (or does not align) with the recommendations generated by the community survey? 3. What is Scandia’s biggest recreational priority and gap? 4. A large majority of respondents are very interested in the installation of designated pickleball courts – is the City interested in exploring this further to meet wants of the community?