All posts in the topic Powderhorn Park New Development (Short link)
Summary
- There are 9 posts — by 8 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by leigh combs at Nov 20 21:01 UTC
The Park Board plans to add two new soccer fields and a covered picnic
gazebo at the north end of Powderhorn next year. I am concerned for I
am member of the PPNA Housing and Land Use Committee and this land use
proposal has yet to go through our committee. I have many questions.
Parking. Do the neighbors at the north end of the park know about
this? It seems like parking is already tight, even problematic there.
City requirements are 40 parking places for an athletic field but the
Park Board doesn't have to go through the City process. Even so, where
are the extra cars supposed to park? Also this will have an impact on
neighborhood driving and biking as those streets are already congested.
Need. Had a brief conversation with a Powderhorn Park staffer and, per
park staff, there is a need for more soccer facilities in our immediate
area. Powderhorn has a large group of Latino/Hispanics who gather in
"the bowl" to play soccer most evenings, weather permitting. There is
also a group of Somalis that gather at Powderhorn for soccer. At the
same time, the Park staff struggles to schedule field time for the MPRB
park teams, typically 5-7, that need the fields. So it looks like we
need more soccer facilities in this part of town. BUT, the Powderhorn
Park staffer did not know if Stewart, Corcoran, Sibley, and Phelps had
the same demand. Instead, I was urged to ask MPRB district staff. This
is a key point - we need to keep all our parks strong with somewhat
equal distribution of resources while not overburdening any particular
neighborhood with a large number of park users that might be a burden.
More info is needed..
Picnic Gazebo. The park staffer told me that some folks called looking
for a sheltered picnic facility at Powderhorn and the need was unmet. I
asked how many days a year that would be and he was not prepared with an
answer (no fault to him). He wasn't around when Powderhorn had an
unfortunate experience with an open concession stand. We are an
economically mixed neighborhood - not far from Lake Street. So these
structures, at night, tend to be used for drug dealing, prostitution,
and public urination. And worse. When the Support the Courts
Foundation pledged to cover new tennis courts with ivy, they were asked
not to so neighbors could see into the courts at night (to prevent drug
dealing, prostitution, and public urination. Taking a kid to the park,
or just walking as an adult, and dodging dirty condoms and the stench
and stickiness of recently discharged urine is really a bummer.)
Personally, I want to know about MPRB police/security and enforcement
plans to prevent these activities at a covered picnic shelter at Powderhorn.
Sustainability. We actually have a lot of picnic tables at Powderhorn,
most in good shape, that date back to the WPA. Probably eligible for
historic designation. Their history and vintage is unknown to most.
Couldn't we repair and restore these? For a covered picnic table,
couldn't the neighborhood raise money for a temporary tent cover and let
Powderhorn staff rent it out to cover a group of the old WPA tables? As
a fundraiser for the park?
A locally-provided temporary picnic table tent would violate the new
Park Board policy (not adopted by the Park Board Commissioners as far as
I know) that to erect a tent cover in a public park, it costs a permit
fee PLUS you have to rent your tented cover from a certain corporation
that is in partnership with the Park Board. Well, screw this! Hang up
tarps from the trees (& don't damage the trees). My block did this a
couple years ago for National Night Out - and we used boulevard trees
owned by the Park Board. We covered a section of a street and it
worked. Folks can do the same with a few picnic tables.
Bring in your own camping gear or buy it at a discount store. If you
want to rent gear, shop around for the best price. It really sucks that
the MPRB has made the process of covering a few picnic tables so
cumbersome that now, the taxpayers are asked to build a new covered
picnic table in a park full of picnic tables, to make it easier for an
unknown number of folks. Could we see a business plan for how many
times this proposed covered picnic shelter would be rented out vs what
it will cost as visual clutter, police calls, and nuisance to the
neighborhood? Could we see an alternate plan for reusing the servicable
historic resources that Powderhorn already has?
Another alternative for the Park Board is to send folks to other parks.
We (and all state taxpayers through Met Council grants) just spent
millions redoing Waubun Park between Minnehaha Falls and the Mississippi
River. Most of the time, most of these new deluxe covered picnic
shelters are not rented out. Also, the traditional picnic facility at
Minnehaha Falls has been closed on weekdays. Possibly, it might be
re-opened on a permit basis to handle requests for covered picnic
facilities. Seems like this would be cheaper than new construction that
has the potential to cause a crime-nuisance problem.
Environment/Water Run-off. What do the new fields and picnic shelter
mean in terms of pesticides, herbicides, and runoff for our little Lake
Powderhorn? What about the wildlife in our park?
Many questions - and so far you are hearing only mine. We need a
community meeting on this. We need the Park Board to get in touch with
PPNA, the soccer users including rec teams, the Hispanic/Latino user
group, and the Somali user group, the park kids and their parents. I
am willing to work on organizing such a meeting as a member of the
PPNA land use committee and also, the local water quality citizen
committee, Save Our Lake. But I really think it is up to the Park Board
and our elected officials - Carol Kummer, Scott Vreeland, Annie Young,
Mary Merrill Anderson, Tom Nordyke - to take the initiative on this.
The Park Board citizen participation ordinance calls for forming a
citizen advisory committee for park board development and
redevelopment. Adding two soccer fields and a covered picnic gazebo to
Powderhorn Park certainly qualifies as new development. The
neighborhood group, PPNA, is willing to be part of that process and to
work with you. We need the Park Board take the lead on citizen
participation for Powderhorn Park.
Sincerely,
Shawne FitzGerald
Powderhorn
i did not have time to read the whole post
but wanted to respond - i
live on the north end of the park and have for over 12 years.
The Park Board as a whole - is unbelievable in their inability or lack of
understanding the value in communicating with the people.
Parking sucks and it sounds like it will get even worse...
hey park board!!~! - practicing some basic community organizing here and
in the future with issues that affect people - would make your jobs easier...
let the people decide.... and you could even possibly have'a ground swell of
support... from the people....
peace
leigh combs
Powderhorn Park
I'm trying to picture just where these fields would be. Would this
be a conversion of a portion of the space currently used for baseball/
softball fields, football, soccer, model rocket launching and kite
flying? Otherwise I can't imagine where there would be an area of
level, treeless ground with enough square footage to fit one, much
less two, soccer fields - even using the minimum recommended size of
roughly 100 by 50 yards. Parking would also be a problem. Unless
use of the fields were restricted to only those willing to walk, bike
or take a bus.
As to the covered picnic shelter/s: they would require far less space
but would quite probably present security and livability issues for
the surrounding neighborhood. I don't want a repeat of a brief
period (in the late eighties or early nineties, if I remember
correctly) when the MPD had helicopters with spotlights "patrolling"
the park at night.
I'd rather see sidewalks and steps repaired. The bandstand/stage
structure on the west side could also stand an upgrade from its WPA
days. Then there're additional steps that could be taken to improve
the water quality in the lake and mitigate destructive runoff from
the streets around the park. Would any funds generated by the scheme
du jour be kept "in-house" to keep the skating rink and warming house
at Powderhorn up and running? Upgrade the kitchen (and other)
facilities in the Powderhorn Park building?
I applaud the MPRB for its efforts to tailor its facilities and
offerings to match changing needs. I only wish I could do the same
for their recent methods to do so. Side-stepping public input,
scrutiny and oversight is loathsome. Ignoring rules and regulations
that have been in place for decades and then hiding behind simplistic
claims such as "money's tight" or "it's privately funded" is
frightening.
"Re-tasking" existing athletic fields is one thing. Carving entirely
new ones is another.
Dick
34xx 10th Av S
We are a better park system when residents and park users are informed and involved with what is happening in the parks. I love the enthusiasm and sense of ownership that Powderhorn neighbors have about their park. I will make sure that there is good communication about this issue. Park staff and I are on the same page about this. There will be public input before we would build a soccer field or a new picnic area. There is not funding or an approved plan for either yet. We are in the very early stages of talking about this. I have spoken with Kari Neathery (PPNA) about scheduling a meeting to discuss not only this issue, but about priorities in the park and perhaps how we could get additional resources to do some of the things that folks see as things we need to do in the park. I would like to schedule a meeting in Dec. related to these questions, concerns and suggestions. After a baby was injured by a gang related shooting, we held a public meeting to discuss safety in and around the park. It was an interjurisdictional gathering with some positive steps to address this and other issues. At that meeting park staff discussed their idea about how the Northeast side - top of the bowl- could be designed to better meet the needs of the community and be a safer place. The suggestion was that we could try to find funding for a youth soccer field (two small soccer 6 fields) that, there was also a suggestion to improve the picnic area next to field. It was my impression that folks were generally supportive of that idea at that meeting, but we didn't take a vote or discuss the next steps at that meeting. We have improved the lighting there, but all other improvements are not decisions that have been made yet and issues that I would like to discuss. I would be glad to continue the conversation by email or in community meetings. Thanks, Scott Vreeland Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioner District # 3 (612) 721-7892 **************Get movies delivered to your mailbox. One month free from blockbuster.com (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212639737x1200784900/aol?redir=https://www.blockbuster.com/signup/y/reg/p.26978/r.email_footer)
I think that Mr. Vreeland's understanding of the issue(s) shows how a little
information or the wrong information can lead to assumptions on the workings of
the Park Board.
Rick Kuhlmann
HPDL
Scott Vreeland wrote;
After a baby was injured by a gang related shooting, we held a public
meeting to discuss safety in and around the park. It was an interjurisdictional
gathering with some positive steps to address this and other issues. At that
meeting park staff discussed their idea about how the Northeast side - top of
the bowl- could be designed to better meet the needs of the community and be a
safer place.
The suggestion was that we could try to find funding for a youth soccer
field (two small soccer 6 fields) that, there was also a suggestion to improve
the picnic area next to field. It was my impression that folks were generally
supportive of that idea at that meeting, but we didn't take a vote or discuss
the next steps at that meeting.
Me (Sara):
I attended that meeting. Unfortunately, there was only a handful of
neighborhood residents in attendance. During this meeting Obie Kipper
announced that there is a bit of increased park funding due to Minneapolis
receiving more LGA than anticipated. Apparently he and others at the park board
decided to propose that the Eastern portion of the park (the raised portion
north east of the lake) be formatted to include a new picnic pavillion and a
soccer field. He said the tot lot would remain intact
and the trees would be relocated.
My recollection is that this information was conveyed to the audience not as a
suggestion but rather as an announcement. I would say that the 7 or 8
neighbors who attended that meeting are all completely in favor of improving
the park, but not all 7 or 8 agreed that adding soccer fields/picnic pavillion
would make the most effective and efficient use of whatever little money there
is for capital projects.
I appreciate that Obie Kipper (Minnehaha District Mnaager), Lonnie Nicholas
(MPRB planner for Powderhorn area), and Mary Kay Witek (District Recreation
Supervisor), all MPRB staff, and Scott Vreeland, our commissioner, attended the
meeting and that they want to make Powderhorn Park a safer and more
recreationally appropriate park for the immediate and surroundng n'hoods. All
that neighbors are requesting is to have some reasonable input into the
process.
I do think the neighborhood association should take a greater role in helping
neighbors organize around park issues, but I also think neighbors themselves
should take a greater role. We all say we are concerned about and value the
park, but no one really seems willing/able to step up to the plate and get
folks organized (this includes myself). We are all willing to help out but no
one is willing/able to lead.
Sara Bergen, Powderhorn
I applaud calls for resident inclusion and involvement in any
discussions over adding soccer fields and other improvements at
Powderhorn Park.
Powderhorn Park Latino families must also be included and involved in
any discussions over additional soccer fields at Powderhorn Park.
Powderhorn Park has a very large Latino population. And many love to
play soccer. And many come to Powderhorn Park to play soccer. I know,
because I helped in a small way get a soccer program going in 2006 at
Powderhorn Park. There were be over a hundred kids coming to play
soccer twice a week. Most of these families live right in the immediate
vicinity of the park.
I also know about how passionate Powderhorn soccer fans are, because
every Sunday I was driving Farview Hmong youth down to Powderhorn Park
to play soccer. The games turned into huge fiestas – not only did the
players come, but the parents, the grandparents, uncle Jose visiting
from Morelos. I can tell you that there are not enough soccer fields to
meet the need. Last summer we came down to play a scheduled game at
Powderhorn Park, and the field had so many games going already that we
were forced to play indoors at Stewart Park . At All the surrounding
parks it is the same – not enough soccer fields to meet the demand.
Supporting soccer is important to the Minneapolis Park System, Many
immigrant groups love to play soccer, and immigrants in general use
Minneapolis park programs and resources less than other Minneapolis
residents. At Farview Park three years ago, virtually no Hmong
participated in any programs. Hawthorne Area Community Council got a
soccer field built, and this fall 5 soccer teams and over sixty players,
almost entirely immigrant, played in the Minneapolis Parks League. Over
the winter, 30-50 immigrant kids play indoor soccer every Saturday
evening at Farview Park. Building more soccer fields will help
Powderhorn Park reach out to and involve more Powderhorn immigrant youth.
To get the most information and feedback, and to provide maximum
credibility, Powderhorn Park Latino families need to be at meetings
regarding proposed improvements at Powderhorn Park.
I will see a large number of Powderhorn Latino soccer playing families
this Sunday. I will tell them that the Minneapolis Park System is
considering adding soccer fields to Powderhorn Park. I will also tell
them that Powderhorn latino families need to be at neighborhood
meetings when park improvements are discussed and decided.
Jay Clark
Cooper
I too appreciate the Park Board's willingness to have a discussion with
neighbors of Powderhorn Park and other Minneapolis stakeholders before moving
forward with any plans to alter one of our wonderful parks that serves many
worthy purposes for many different groups of residents and visitors from the
neighborhood as well as park users throughout the city and region. I also
appreciate Jay Clark offering his community organizing services to the local
soccer community, but I believe this issue (a real or perceived lack of soccer
facilities for soccer enthusiasts) should not be reduced to looking at
Powderhorn Park as the only option for solutions. As with any land use
decision, it would be wise to take a comprehensive look at the situation before
rushing to make very drastic changes to serve any one particular interest or
use which could be at the expense of one or multiple other interests or uses.
Like Jay, I understand the passion of the soccer community well. When I picnic
with my family at Powderhorn (we carry our own folding chairs or simply use a
blanket--no need for concrete, shelters or tables for us) one of the many
things we enjoy watching during our picnic is the various sporting events
taking place "in the bowl" of Powderhorn Park. I also had the occasion of
meeting a very enthusiastic Latino youth soccer team the evening before
election night when Karen Clark and I had them over to my building for a get
out the vote literature drop. This particular soccer team was a fine group of
very passionate individuals and they were not just passionate about soccer.
I cannot say if we have a supply problem in the area of suitable soccer
facilities in the neighborhood or in the city, but I do know that steps to add
soccer facilities to the park system are already underway. The Park Board has
recently agreed to to construct a soccer/football facility on some of its land
on Nicollet Island. This facility should be one way to ease some of the soccer
demand at Powderhorn. In addition to the future Nicollet Island soccer
facility there is a very nice private soccer facility in Phillips West that
goes unused a lot of the time. Perhaps a relationship with Urban Ventures
could be explored to allow their fields to be open to Park Board use when they
are not being used for UV's private programs. Would the combination of these
two existing or already planned soccer facilities ease the real or perceived
crunch? I don't know, but my guess is that these two facilities would result
in a bigger impact on meeting the demand than adding a field on the north east
section of Powderhorn Park.
Some might want to accuse me of taking a "not in my front yard" stance on this
issue, but the fact is that Powderhorn Park is the front yard for my family and
the other diverse families living in the roughly 300 residential unit Midtown
Exchange building. We live in the second largest building in the state and it
doesn't include private yards for each of its residents. We rely on quality
public open space to meet our needs and Powderhorn Park is the facility that
meets this essential need. It's not only Midtown Exchange that presents a need
for amply, quality public open space for residents' well being. The greater
Powderhorn and Phillips communities are two of the most densely populated
neighborhoods in the city. We are home to many multi-family buildings that
have very small private yards to share, or no yards at all. My point here is
that there is a strong existing demand for what Powderhorn Park offers in its
current configuration and we should not be moving hastily to make changes
without fully understanding the impacts on all park users.
Another thing to consider is that demographic projections show that we are an
aging community and current economic realities mean we are likely to see more
and more people leaving the far flung suburbs in favor of more dense urban
living where driving all of the time is not required. The Met Council projects
that we will have about 1 million additional residents in the region within the
next twenty years and most of them will be living in the urban core or the
first ring suburbs. All of these developments point to a much grater demand
for quality public open space.
While I love sports and agree that the needs of our sporting public need to be
met, I do not believe that we would be well served to rush to judgment that a
transformation of the north east section of Powderhorn Park is in our
communities' best interests without fully evaluating all of our existing and
future needs--and all of our parks' constituencies--before moving forward. I
look forward to being a part of this conversation.
Matty Lang,
Midtown Phillips
I have and do apppreciate Scott Vreeland's integrity and willingness to
communicate.
For close to 15 years I have lived in an apartment building on the northwest
corner of the park....
on the Northwest end of the park there are a lot of apartments and most of them
do not have a lot
of off street parking - i cannot imagine how the parking would work...
my other concerns are having some open space ....where one could actually throw
a frisbee or fly a
kite.....or just lay in the grass....have a picnicsome even stilt.....run or
run with your dog (on a leash of course)
It is difficult for me to understand how these decisions are made
There are a lot of things that need to be fixed, maintained and updated in the
park....and these do not get attention.
there are a lot of team sports and sporting activities happening in the park -
including soccer.....
In the fall the sound of the Powderhorn football players counting
1....2....3... is the sure sign of fall - it is also a treat
to hear them become more of a team as they count louder, together and with more
confidence....
From spring to fall the sound of the softball / baseball pinging off the bat -
the cheers of the crown tell me what kind of hit it was
soccer clinics for kids.....it brings joy to my heart when in the spring i see
high schoolers throwing the frisbee
I just think we need to think about the capacity of the neighborhood and the
park
let's build on what is already there - without creating more
soccer/baseball/football fields
peace
leigh combs
Powderhorn Park