4 Parks and Trails The City of Mendota Heights boasts a variety of recreational and open space opportunities. Few cities can claim access to regional trails, riverside and lakeside parks, scenic bluffs and a nature preserve among their recreation facilities. These facilities represent unique features in a park system that helps to shape the character of Mendota Heights beyond the ordinary. They offer a visual identity to the city, in addition to contributing to the quality of life for those who live here. Mendota Heights has 771 acres of parks and open space, which includes City parks, active and passive recreation areas, along with other state and private parks and open spaces. The 33 miles of city trails and bicycle facilities located adjacent to roadways or meandering through the bounty of open space in the community offer an excellent opportunity for exercise and relaxation. Opportunities are available for walking, bicycling, bird watching and nature hikes. In addition to parks, the City is also home to three golf courses: Mendakota Golf Course, Somerset Golf Course, and the Mendota Heights Par 3 golf course. Goals and Policies GOAL 4.1: Provide a park system that is safe, accessible, and equitable in its offerings to all Mendota Heights residents and visitors. Policies: 4.1.1 Create and maintain a park system that provides the optimum amount of active and passive open space for the enjoyment of all Mendota Heights residents. 4.1.2 Provide facilities and programs that allow people of varying abilities to participate. 4.1.3 Build, maintain and retrofit park facilities and equipment to be safe for all users. 4.1.4 Plan and build safe connections for pedestrians and bicyclists within and between park facilities and major destinations in the community. 4.1.5 Strive to make all facilities and programs open and welcoming to people of all ages and diverse backgrounds. 4-1
GOAL 4.2: Provide a park system that assures high quality facilities, buildings, grounds, trails, amenities, and natural settings. Policies: 4.2.1 Keep the park system up-to-date in terms of facilities, activities and programs that are responsive to the community s needs and wishes. 4.2.2 Support the park system adequately for the facilities, activities and programs offered. 4.2.3 Provide bicycle amenities in parks and along trails. 4.2.4 Provide a sustainable funding stream and operate the park system in a fiscally sound manner, including taking advantage of available grants. Goal 4.3: Use the park system as a means to enhance and sustain the environment of each neighborhood and the city as a whole. Policies: 4.3.1 Provide facilities, programs and opportunities in the park system that bring people together and create community. 4.3.2 Protect and enhance the environment by promoting native species and pollinator friendly plantings, preventing and removing invasive species, and reducing salt on roads and sidewalks. 4.3.3 Protect and enhance native wildlife by considering their needs and habits in our stewardship of park property and facilities. 4.3.4 Ensure that stormwater is managed in park facilities in a manner that protects and preserves water quality and the ecology of the watershed. 4.3.5 Strive to make all park facilities, equipment and construction projects and materials environmentally friendly and sustainable. 4-2
Goal 4.4: Cooperate with Dakota County and surrounding communities in park and recreation facilities and programming. Policies: 4.4.1 Support the Dakota County 2030 Greenway Corridors Plan/Vision. 4.4.2 Continue to cooperate with South St. Paul, West. St. Paul and other neighboring communities on park and recreation programs and facilities. 4.4.3 Encourage the preservation of open space by private property owners and the City. 4.4.4 Explore new opportunities and continue to work cooperatively with School District #197, St. Thomas, Visitation, Fort Snelling State Park, and other entities to provide maximum recreational opportunities and avoid duplication. 4.4.5 Improve and expand safe bicycle and pedestrian connections to City parks and other community destinations. Previous Development Previous Comprehensive Plans and Park Plans have guided the City in the development of its park system. As development has occurred, parkland has been dedicated to provide residents with recreational opportunities. Since the adoption of the 1979 Comprehensive Plan, the City has made improvements to all parks and has developed the following new parks: Copperfield Ponds, Hagstrom-King, Kensington, Mendakota, Sibley, Valley View Heights, and Victoria Highlands. The location of these new parks closely resembles Plan recommendations and reflect the City s commitment to providing park services to all residents as opportunities arise. Not only has the City made improvements and developed new parks, it has also made efforts to maintain and protect existing open space. The City purchased the 17-acre Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course after the private owners proposed to develop the property into approximately 30 single family lots. The City also joined with other public entities and purchased the 25.5-acre Pilot Knob area, which will be retained as open space. Protection of the Pilot Knob area as an important Dakota site has been identified as a critical issue for many residents in the city. 4-3
Existing City Park Facilities and Types Mendota Heights currently has 756.7 acres of City parks, golf courses, and open space. The city also features part of the Fort Snelling State Park within their boundaries, totaling an additional 771.2 acres. A brief discussion of the three types of parks that typically comprise a local park system is provided below. The descriptions and standards should serve as a guide. Other factors, such as proximity to regional or county parks, financing, or major trends in recreation, will also influence the evolution of the City s park system. Regional and State parks are discussed later in this chapter. 1) Neighborhood Park Neighborhood parks are the basic unit of the park system and serve as the recreational and social focus of the neighborhood. They accommodate a wide variety of age and user groups, including children and adults. They create a sense of place by bringing together the unique character of the site with that of the neighborhood. Mendota Heights should seek to achieve a balance between active and passive neighborhood parks. Neighborhood parks range from 5-30 acres and serve a ½ mile area. Communities often will operate a joint neighborhood park with the school district and elementary schools. The City s neighborhood parks include Friendly Hills, Hagstrom-King, Ivy Hills, Marie, Valley View Heights, Victoria Highland, and Wentworth. 2) Community Park Community parks are designed to meet the recreational needs of several neighborhoods or larger segments of the community. They are intended for ball fields and larger athletic facilities or community gatherings. They can also be designed to preserve unique landscapes and open spaces. They serve a one-half mile to five mile radius. The City s community parks include Kensington, Valley, Roger s Lake, Mendakota, and Sibley Athletic Complex. 3) Natural Resource Area Natural resource areas are areas set aside to preserve significant or unique landscapes. They are often, but not always, properties unsuitable for development with steep slopes, drainage ways, and ravines or wetlands. In addition, there may be locations where local tree protection, shoreland and critical area ordinances, or state and local wetland ordinances restrict development in some way. Natural Resource areas include Friendly Marsh, Copperfield Ponds, Valley Park, Pilot Knob Preservation, and Dodge Nature Center. City parks and natural resource areas are illustrated in MAP 4-1: Parks and Trails. 4-4
State, Regional, and Private Parks and Open Spaces In addition to the City s parks, there are numerous regional, county and private facilities within or near the City s borders. Fort Snelling State Park As noted earlier in this chapter, Fort Snelling State Park is the largest park in Mendota Heights with 771 of its 2,642 acres located in the city. It provides outdoor recreation opportunities and natural resource conservation for the public and is considered part of the regional recreational open space system. Fort Snelling State Park is a recreational state park offering swimming, large group and family picnic grounds, a boat launch, interpretive center and historical areas, trails, and scenic overlooks. Most of the park s active facilities are located on the Bloomington side of the River, requiring most Mendota Heights residents to drive or bike across the I-494, I-35E, and Mendota bridges to access the park. The Mendota Heights portion of the park is left primarily as a natural area as it contains extensive floodplain marsh habitat. Facilities located in Mendota Heights support less intensive uses, such as biking, hiking, cross country skiing, and fishing. The Sibley and Faribault historic sites are also located on the Mendota Heights side of the River. 4-5
Trail Facilities Trails for biking, walking, and roller blading are very popular. There are 28.5 miles of off-road trails and 4.9 miles of wide shoulders and on-street bicycle facilities currently in portions of the City s neighborhoods. These trails are both off- and onroad and serve as important connections for recreational opportunities and travel. Improved trail connections are important in Mendota Heights because many residential areas are divided by highways and arterial roads. Access to the Big Rivers Regional Trail is difficult due to the significant elevation changes. As a result, many areas of the community cannot be easily accessed on bikes, roller blades or foot from other areas of the community. Additional or improved trail connections are needed to provide residents access to City parks and other recreational opportunities in the region. Regional Trails Big Rivers Regional Trail: Developed in 1996 by Dakota County along the old Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way, this trail enables residents to bike, walk, and roller blade along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. This trail serves as an important link to other communities and has greatly improved the awareness and accessibility of the River. River-to-River Greenway: This trail serves as a link from Big Rivers Regional Trail through Valley Park to West St. Paul and to South St. Paul. Local Trails and On-street Facilities Mendota Heights has a network of paved and on-street bicycle facilities connecting different neighborhoods in the city. Most bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the city are off-street six to eight-foot-wide bituminous trails. There are also a few on-street bicycle facilities in the community, along Dodd Road, Delaware Avenue, and Decorah Lane. 4-6
Future Park and Trail Needs Future Park Needs The City of Mendota Heights is committed to developing and enhancing their park and open space system. City Park needs can be determined by evaluating the number, size, and accessibility of parks. It is often recommended a park system contain 25 acres of park for each 1,000 population, which is equal to 1,089 square feet per person. To meet this standard, the City would need to provide 285 acres of parkland (based on the projected year 2040 population of 11,400 persons when fully developed). The City already meets these standards. Future Trail Connections As part of their 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan, the Metropolitan Council identified future regional trail opportunities and priority trail corridors. Providing connections north-south and east-west through Mendota Heights will be critical, as well as, a route along the Minnesota River. There are three planned trail connections and improvements within Mendota Heights. These trail segments are listed below and illustrated in Figure 3-3: Bicycle Facilities and Plan. Planned Paved Trail: Under the Mendota Bridge, along the Minnesota River connecting to the Sibley Historic Site Planned Bike Lane: Along Annapolis Street at the City s northern border (now under construction). Regional and local park and trail facilities are illustrated in MAP 4-1: Parks and Trails 4-7
MAP 4-1: Parks and Trails Map 4-8