Planning Projects
The Latest: The design team is meeting the first week in September to discuss the prioritizations provided by the CAC, how they will be incorporated into the preferred design work and to lay out the remaining steps for the project. A formal update on next steps will be sent out to project page subscribers after the design team meeting.
All CAC meetings are public and anyone interested in the creation a long-term plan for the Hiawatha Golf Course Property is welcome to attend. Snacks, refreshments, and passive children's activities are provided. Please contact Cindy Anderson at 612-230-6472 or canderson@minneapolisparks.org to request language, access or interpretation accommodations.
If you have questions or comments about the project can be submitted here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/lake-hiawatha
Previous Action
At the July 25, 2018 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) of Commisioners meeting, commissioners approved a modified Resolution 2018-230 after the Hiawatha Golf Course Property Master Plan CAC requested clarification on the parameters of the new master plan for the property.
After a lengthy public testimony period and board debate, commissioners voted 6-2 to approve the modified version of Resolution 2018-230. The modified resolution directs the CAC to only consider a reduced pumping scenario and bring forward a solution that includes, at a minimum, a flood-resilient and ecologically-driven nine-hole configuration for a golf course on the property.
The modified Resolution 2018-230 also included Board direction to the CAC to reflect in the master plan appropriate methods of recognizing the role of Hiawatha Golf Course and the history of black golfers in the Minneapolis park system.
Please visit the project page for more information and to sign up for notification of upcoming meetings.
The Latest: A Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage grant is funding restoration of almost 4,800 linear feet of shoreline along north and northeastern shore of Lake Nokomis. This area of shoreline was selected due to increased erosion that has occurred along much of this area.
This project was identified as part of the 2015 Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Plan, which calls for increasing naturalized areas to improve water quality, stabilize shorelines and increase habitat. New native vegetation will extend from the shoreline to within four feet of the walking path.
Initial work involves tree removal along the edge of the shore. Many trees in the area were not planted intentionally and are either invasive species or diseased. MPRB Forestry professionals assisted in the tree removal selection process. Balancing the shoreline canopy through selective tree removal and pruning will allow sunlight to reach new plants so they can develop and help protect the shoreline, as well as promote better growth of the remaining dominant trees.
Following tree removal, the area will be treated with an herbicide to prepare the seedbed area along the shoreline for the new upland buffer vegetation. Herbicide application will follow safe industry guidelines and follow Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board policy by using non-glyphosate based products.
Shoreline grading is scheduled to begin by mid-September. Two City of Minneapolis storm water outfalls will also be repaired as part of this work. That project should be complete by mid-September. New native vegetation is expected to be planted by late September, with final restoration complete in the fall.
About this Project:
Shoreline enhancements will improve habitat for both aquatic and upland animal species. It will stabilize erosion, seek to remove invasive plants, and create a functional continuum of shoreline zones. Plantings will accommodate fluctuations in water level, allowing for resilience to changing water level conditions in the lake. Improvements will be constructed primarily along the north shoreline of the lake.
This project has received regulatory approval. The United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) and the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) have completed review of the Lake Nokomis Shoreline Enhancements project. SHPO concluded the proposed improvements have no adverse effects to the Grand Rounds Historic District and USACE permitted the project for proposed bank stabilization measures.
Currently the project is out for public bid and construction is expected to begin this summer.
Project Design
The proposed design uses three different planting zones along the shoreline.
The Emergent Wetland Zone starts at the ordinary high-water level (OHWL) and extends into the lake. Once established, new aquatic plants will reduce wave energy to help reduce erosion. A temporary fence will be installed to help plants establish.
The Shoreline Buffer Zone lies between the OHWL and wetland boundary. It will be planted with a seed mix that's compatible with shoreline environmental elements.
The Upland Buffer Zone starts at the wetland boundary and extends away from the lake until four feet from the paved trail. It will be planted with a seed mix that's compatible with upland environmental elements. The four-foot strip will be mowed grass. Another temporary fence will also protect new planting areas and connect to the emergent wetland fence.
A variety of access points will still remain so park user can still access the lake.
Questions about this project can be sent to the project manager, Jon Duesman.
Subscribe to the project page to receive updates.
The Latest: No updates at this time.
The Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan Community Advisory Committee (CAC) held its eighth meeting on Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) staff and the CAC recommended several next steps for the project based on extensive community feedback on the preferred concepts.
Most notably, the project conversation about the parkway road will pause while more traffic data is collected. Here are the five next steps endorsed by the CAC:
- Eliminate the proposal to add medians at the parkway intersections with Lyndale Avenue and Nicollet Avenue, which will allow for largely continuous vehicular travel along Minnehaha Creek
- Continue to evaluate designs for the Parkway + Portland and Lynnhurst Focus Areas in terms of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle safety and comfort
- Work to implement immediate improvements at the Parkway + Portland Focus Area to the extent possible
- Initiate additional traffic data collection and explore piloting solutions at the Parkway + Portland and Lynnhurst Focus Areas
- Pause the master plan process to allow time for additional exploration, then reconvene the CAC in September/October
This means there will be no additional CAC meetings scheduled in the immediate future. The MPRB will work with its consulting staff and agency partners to prepare further study this summer. In any case, however, the proposed Nicollet and Lyndale medians are considered off the table. All other project ideas will continue to be discussed.
Discussion of Segments 1, 2 and 3 of the Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan, including several revised concepts based on community and CAC feedback, was on the agenda for CAC Meeting #8 on July 9. Those discussions did not take place. MPRB staff will consider reconvening the CAC during the summer to discuss those areas. (The CAC previously reached consensus for Segment 4). The revised concepts (including those for the parkway road) will be uploaded to the project website soon.
The online survey will remain open for the public to provide ongoing feedback on the preferred concepts and new revisions. Please especially let us know what you think of the modifications to Segments 1 and 2 and the Nicollet Hollow Focus Area. If you have already taken the online survey, you may do so again, even from the same computer.
Once more detail is known, MPRB staff will communicate with the community about the ongoing project studies this summer, immediate improvements and possible pilot projects.
About this Project:
Master Planning is underway for this regional trail. The trail encompasses parkland along both sides Minnehaha Creek between Minnehaha Regional Park and the western city limit.
Over the winter, the project design team reviewed all feedback received from public meetings, events, and online comments, and created draft concept drawings showing potential improvements along the trail. A published version of the Community Engagement Summary can be found on the project page under "Key Documents."
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has published initial proposed long-term plans for improving and managing Minnehaha Creek and the parkway, parkland and trails adjacent to it between Minnehaha Regional Park and the western Minneapolis border. These initial park design concepts were created after considering thoughts, ideas and opinions compiled throughout last summer and fall from public events, online surveys that garnered hundreds of comments, and discussions with partner organizations, MPRB staff and stakeholders.
Park Design Concepts
The Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail Master Plan is sorted into four Segments and eight Focus Areas within the segments. One or two preliminary site concepts have been developed for each Focus Area. Each concept contains ideas relating to:
- Trail and parkway realignment
- Stormwater infrastructure and potential creek re-meanders
- Natural resource management areas
- Creek access points
- Recreational amenities
- Precedent (example) images to demonstrate ideas
Subscribe to the project page to receive updates.
Parks for All: Comprehensive Planning
The Latest: Apply to be a community collaborator! The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Minneapolis Parks Foundation seek community collaborator services from businesses, institutions, nonprofits, and cultural organizations to envision and execute engagement projects of their own planning, designed to broaden the way community engages with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Comprehensive Plan. The Community Collaborator initiative is a paid opportunity for groups across Minneapolis to convene their own conversations about parks and recreation to inform the next 10-years of priorities for the park and recreation system. Proposals will be competitive, and those that are selected will receive funding to implement their idea. Funding will vary from $500-$3000 according to the project idea and proposed budget. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis with three rounds of submission and review in December 2019.
About this project:
The current comprehensive plan covered the period of 2007-2020, this plan will provide priorities and policy direction for the park system for the next decade. This press release provides an overview of the value this planning effort provides. There are a number of ways to engage with this project:
|
