2020 City of Shakopee Budget

149

Budget Impact: The city council hit a pause on major park development in 2018 as it assesses park construction and location. The only park currently in development is Ridge Creek. This area consists of more than 40 acres of wetlands and nature area and includes the outlet channel for Prior Lake. The current configuration is a ninety degree bend that has caused flooding and is not very natural. In cooperation with Lennar Homes, who donated the land and more than $500,000 towards the park development, the channel area is now buffered with natural appearing retention ponds that are already home to significant wildlife. The concept plans for the new park call for a pedestrian boardwalk through a natural wetland area, pond overlooks to observe the diverse species of birds, a paved bike trail along the current outlet alignment and a new meandering outlet with sediment ponding with a natural appearance. This park will link to other trails and create a major trail connection for the city including a trailhead. Construction is expected to be completed in 2020. Confluence Design is examining the entire park and trail system for capital improvements needs and future park locations. The goal is to reach a balance between user experience, maintenance and revenue creation. Confluence and its partners are examining ways that maintenance of areas can be reduced using different plant materials and in other areas, where a user experience can be enhanced with additional amenities like benches, gardens or restrooms. Future development of the park system will be based on growth, especially in the west end of the city. D.R. Horton’s Windermere development has already built several miles of public trails and at full-buildout, the development will include a series of natural park areas linked by a greenway trail system. The System Plan by Confluence should be completed in mid-2019 and will layout a capital improvement and park development program for the next ten to fifteen years. A committee of sixteen residents, business owners and members of various commissions are providing regular input and feedback. The project will also hold several public outreach meetings in 2019 as concept plans are developed for the system.