Park & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting Date: April 1, 2024
To: Park & Rec Advisory Board Members
From: Charlie Fredericks, Streets and Parks Manager
Title
Follow-up Discussion on Future Disc Golf Course Location and Clarification of Recommendation to Council.
Body
Action Requested:
Discussion on next steps for providing a clear recommendation to Council regarding a disc golf course park amenity. The Board will eventually either need to recommend an alternative disc golf course location or recommend no location at all.
Summary Report:
1. Clarification of next steps regarding a public disc golf course in Northfield and the motion made in March to rescind previous approval of a temporary disc golf course in Hauberg Woods Park:
a) The PRAB motion made at the March 2024 meeting was to "strike down the proposal to add a disc golf course to Hauberg Woods and to discuss other options for a disc golf course."
b) The group of volunteers from the Cannon River Valley Disc Golf Club has ceased all work in Hauberg Woods indefinitely. Work has been paused since approximately February 12th and will not continue.
c) There is currently no pending City Council action or agenda item, pending a clear recommendation from the PRAB for an alternative location or no location at all.
d) When the PRAB has determined an alternative location or to recommend no location at all, the item will then be brought to Council for their approval. Until the PRAB has made that clarification, no Council action will take place; all work has stopped and will not continue in Hauberg Woods regardless of when PRAB makes that decision and subsequent recommendation.
2. Update on staff’s intentions for exploration of alternative locations:
a) Staff have begun exploring potential alternative locations for a disc golf course, and will continue to explore other options that are suggested via public feedback or Park Board recommendations.
b) One location that will be explored as an alternative location for a disc golf course is Sechler Park. This option will be included in public, workgroup, and PRAB discussions throughout the Sechler Park master plan process, which is starting this year.
c) It is worth noting that the Sechler Park master plan will follow a similar public engagement process and timeline as the Riverside Lions Park master plan process, which was finalized roughly one year after public engagement initially started.
d) If Board members would like to explore potential locations other than Sechler Park, they should work with the Chair to coordinate with staff.
3. Additional information regarding previous discussions on existing disc golf courses within Northfield:
a) During a previous meeting, the availability of St. Olaf’s frisbee golf course to the public was discussed. In situations where there is a need to establish an official stance from a private entity, such as our local colleges, staff endeavors to identify the appropriate contact person to provide clarity and subsequently report back. Recently, City staff reached out to the CFO/Vice President for Business and Finance, who indicated challenges in providing a definitive answer due to Spring Break. However, it was conveyed that, at present, the course is considered private and not intended for public advertising. The CFO also mentioned a lack of current enforcement intention regarding this designation.
b) It is crucial for park planning purposes to recognize these private facilities as such and exclude them from any City-wide public needs analysis. Additionally, the display of private facilities on official city resources is not permissible unless specific authorization has been granted, which is not the case in this instance.
Alternative Options:
This is an informational item for discussion.
Financial Impacts:
NA