PRECM 08-01-1979 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGIONAL RECREATION OPEN SPACE MAJOR POLICY ISSUES A Staff Pa-per This is a summary. discussion of major issues that should be addressed by the Metropo titan Council and the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission as the Council revises its Recreation Open Space Policy Plan during the fall of 1979. The paper, prepared by the Council's parks and open space staff, presents issues that the Commission and the Council's Physical Development Committee have been discussing. These issues affect the Council's partnership with the counties, municipalities and special park districts to provide a regional recreation open space system. The intent of this paper is to focus attention of the Commission, the Council, local governments and the public on formulating changes to existing Council policy. The issues discussed here, and others raised in response to this paper, will be used to prepare an outline of the revised Recreation Open Space Policy Plan. GENERAL BACKGROUND The Metropolitan Parks Act of 1874 directs that "the Metropolitan Council, after consultation with the (Metropolitan Parks and Open Space) Commission, municipalities, park districts, and counties in the Metropolitan Area, and after appropriate public hearings, shall prepare and adopt a -long-range system policy plan for regional recreation open space as part of the Council's Metropolitan Development Guide." The law further directs that "at least every four years, the Council shall engage in the comprehensive review of the policy plan, development guide sections, comprehensive plans, capital improvement programs, and other plans in substantial conformance with the requirements of Subdivision l which have been adopted. by the Council." The current Recreation Open Space Policy Plan was adopted by the Metropolitan Council in December 1974. A decision was made to defer review of the policy plan in 1978 (within the four-year time limit) to allow use of the demand/use-r study information that was being collected at that time. This data will influence the amount of regional recreation open space planned in the system, its distribution, and the timing for development of recreational facilities. The 1974 state law authorized the Council to sell up to $40 million in bonds to acquire and develop regional parklands. In addition, in 1977 and 1979, the legislature appropriated a total. of $54.3 million for regional parks, trails and special recreation-use facilities. There are currently 35 regional parks in the Metropolitan Area open to the public. About 12,000 acres of parkland have been acquired since 1974, and more than $13 million have been spent on park improvements since that time. 1