Acknowledge Elmcrest Park's Building as Local Match for Minnesota DNR Trail Grant Application Along T. H. #47

In the early spring of 2011 City Council authorized by resolution, the application of several trail grants, one of which was a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Trail grant from Central park, south to Alpine Drive and another for a trail along T. H. #47 from the Trott Brook Cemetery (the Fox Park neighborhood), south to connect to Elmcrest Park.

Staff submitted both grants to the DNR before the March 31 deadline. Thereafter, the State of Minnesota budget issues continued to play out - culminating in a 'shut down' of government.  The resultant biannual budget that was agreed to included a formulaic local match change for the trail grant program; resulting in the DNR calling for a re-submittal of the grant applications, which are now due before October 31, 2011.

In preparing the the $100,000 trail grant application, staff has included an improvement that was identified in the 2011 Parks Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), and is proposed by staff and the Park and Recreation Commission for Council consideration again for 2012 - which is the park building for Elmcrest Park.

The reason for this is multi-fold and includes the following (no order):

• Persons that are familiar with regard to longer distance trail users (like trail grant application reviewers) know that services like restrooms, drinking fountains are valuable to people - and therefore an application with the proposed park building with restrooms should be viewed favorably by the DNR.
• The project has been a present-year project within the CIP for several years.
• Having an application that has a higher local match to the $100,000 in DNR money should also score better.
• Elmcrest Park serves as a trail head for snowmobiler's in the winter, and restrooms are also of value to these park patrons as well.
• Northern Lights Soccer has now committed to BOTH performing the interior daily building maintenance AND a modest cash contribution for the building's construction.

Staff does feel that this trail along the busy highway with minimal shoulders would be a valuable addition to the city for many reasons - including providing residential biking and walking connections to the commercial node at 167th Avenue.  Additionally, increasing the parks usability to the youth athletic association for tournaments also brings more sales opportunity for existing and future business at !67th Ave and T. H. #47 (as well as strengthening this same area for proposed residential land use).

The total project cost estimate is approximately $988, 000, (about $140,000 less if the  wetland north of 167th Ave on the west side of T.H. #47 can be filled, rather than the construction of a boardwalk).

As the grants are due next week, City Council is asked to acknowledge by consensus whether or not to include Elmcrest Park building within the grant application or rewrite it out the of the proposed project.  Because of the many synergistic layers to the trail, park building and commercial node development opportunities - staff recommends including the building in the grant application, and moving forward with planning for the building.

Northern Lights Soccer made a presentation to the Park and Recreation Commission earlier this month on the need for Elmcrest Park's building and has been notified that this trail grant opportunity, including the discussion of the park building will be discussed at this work session.  It is anticipated that a NLS representative may be available for questions.

Attached is draft grant application, together with the proposed trail location map.

This work session topic report does not require funding - however acknowledging that if a trail grant application is made to the Minnesota DNR includes reference to a building for Elmcrest Park, there is an expectation that the city would move forward accordingly, if awarded the grant.  The trail grant award can also be rejected.

The funding would come from a combination of city Trail Fees, the Park Trust Fund, and Northern Lights Soccer (for a portion of the building's construction and operation).

Based upon discussion, by consensus, acknowledge that staff will apply for grant funding for a significant trail along T. H. #47 - with or without a park building at Elmcrest Park as part of a local match.