Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan

EXISTING PARK CONDITIONS (AND CONTEXT) 1 SWEENEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 2 SHAKOPEE CATHOLIC CEMETERY (AND FUTURE CEMETERY PARCEL) 3 RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD 4 YOUTH BUILDING 5 SEASONAL ICE SKATING (FLOODED LAWN) 6 SEASONAL HOCKEY RINK 7 STORMWATER POND 8 SANDVENTURE AQUATIC PARK (AND NEW SAND VOLLEYBALL COURT) 9 EVERGREEN TREE ROW 10 ELECTRIC POWER LINE TRANSMISSION LINES 14 OPEN-AIR PICNIC SHELTER WITH GRILL STATION 15 GENERAL LOCATION OF SAND VOLLEYBALL COURT 16 RESTROOM BUILDING 17 GENERAL LOCATION OF SPLASH PAD (SHUFFLEBOARD REMOVED) 18 LARGE MOUND 19 18-HOLE DISC GOLF COURSE (THROUGHOUT PARK) 20 TENNIS COURTS (STRIPED FOR PICKLEBALL) 21 STORMWATER POND 22 SHAKOPEE FIRE STATION #2 23 TAHPAH PARK EXISTING PARK CHARACTER AND HISTORY The Shakopee Lions Club has been active in the City since 1917, was chartered in 1962, and is the sponsoring group and namesake of the 50- acre Lions Park. The Lions Club is still incredibly active in serving the public through facilities at the park, and Lions Park has some of the most unique recreational and play features of any park in Shakopee. There are three rentable facilities in the park - two large 150-200 person open-air park shelters and a youth building that can be reserved year- round for activities and events. The shelters have power and grill stations 11 SURFACE PARKING LOT (BITUMINOUS) 12 HALF BASKETBALL COURT (CONCRETE) 13 FUN FOR ALL ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND

and are in good condition. The youth building needs updates and repairs, as the basement floods and the interior could be more aesthetically modern and functional to attract a greater variety of rentals. The park has much to offer for outdoor recreation - seasonal hockey and ice skating rinks, a half-court basketball court, a fun-for-all accessible playground built in 2016, tennis courts that have recently been striped for pickleball, SandVenture Aquatic Park, and a disc golf course are all popular and well-used amenities. The 18-hole disc golf course was established at the park in 1994 and is currently listed on the Professional Disc Golf Association’s website as a permanent course. The course is popular in the City, and is the only public disc golf course available in Shakopee. SandVenture was one of the first sand-bottomed public pools built in the state and is still a beloved community amenity. Opened in 1969, the pool has undergone some upgrades over the decades of its presence in the City. The most recent major facilities upgrade was over 12 years ago, with a more recent, albeit budget-conscious, face lift to the “boathouse”. Though this aerial shows a shuffleboard court, this has recently been re- purposed into a seating area adjacent to the new splash pad that is not shown on this aerial. The shown volleyball court has also been minorly relocated to accommodate the construction of the splash pad. At the time of this document’s writing, an additional sand volleyball court was also added inside the SandVenture fences. Visibility of the park is an obstacle for passerbys to understand and see what the park has to offer. A mature, dense, double row of evergreens blocks the views of SandVenture from Adams Street, and the lack of amenities visible from the intersection of Adams and Vierling Drive does not attract people into the park. Signage is minimal, and the path system lacks multiple looping options. The location of Lions Park is prime. An elementary school occupies the parcel to the north of the park, and the premiere sports facilities within Tahpah Park is just to the southwest. Lions Park is also directly off of the Vierling Greenway, but the trail connections could be reinforced.

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