ADMINISTRATION - Jim Hafner, Stormwater Manager
Title
ACCEPT CONCEPT DESIGN FOR OPEN SPACE IMPROVEMENTS FOR SITE NO. 7, IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. 14-09
Background
On March 20, 2014, Council awarded a contract to Stantec Consulting Service, Inc. to develop a detailed conceptual plan of improvements (trails and other amenities) for the large, 500-acre open space west of Lexington Avenue and north of 109th Avenue. This design will serve as the base for final design and construction. At the June 5, 2014 Council Workshop, Stantec presented their Concept Design which incorporated the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) comments/recommendations.
Comments from the NRCB and the City Council have been incorporated into the concept design plan. Trail loops have been included and the water feature has been expanded to 9.8 acres with a depth of 6.5 feet. Cost estimates for the trails and other features/amenities have been calculated. Staff will be pursuing possible grants and other funding sources to support the implementation of this project. One source of additional funding will be the sale of wetland credits from the new wetland restoration project approved by Council. These credits will begin to be available as early as 2017.
This project will be implemented in phases beginning in 2015 with projected completion in 2020. Due to cost considerations, not all of the proposed trails and features will be included at this time. However, a sufficient number of trails, loops, parking and other features will be included to provide access and enjoyment for the general public. The trails and features not constructed through 2020 will be retained on a list of future projects for expansion within the open space area.
A table is attached to this item summarizing the recommended phases with the various associated tasks. These proposed phases can be adjusted as needed to fit available funds. This project will be paid for through the Open Space Fund. The current balance of the Open Space Fund is $846,374. It is projected there will be $1,050,000 revenue to the Open Space Fund over the next 7 years from park dedication fees. Again, other funding sources will be pursued to offset the costs of the project.
The Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) recommends that Site 7 be given a name. The name they are recommending is The Blaine Wetland Sanctuary.
Recommendation
By motion, accept the concept design for the open space improvements for Site No. 7, accept the proposed phased improvement plan, and change the name of Site 7 to The Blaine Wetland Sanctuary.