8.1. SR 12-01-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Improve Existing Parks and Facilities The City has developed a varied park system that mostly meets the needs of the community today. The current park system is also a fantastic base on which to build the park system for the future. Neighborhood parks should continue to be the parks residents choose for daily use. These parks will continue to need attention and investment as use continues to grow, but residents also gravitated heavily to the community parks, making them excellent opportunities for further development into destination parks that attract people from all over the city and beyond. Finally, facilities, buildings, and athletic complexes throughout the system will continue to be evaluated, updated, and expanded to meet the changing needs of residents. Maintain our Park Assets at a High Level Park maintenance received high satisfaction marks from the community. As Elk River grows new parks will need to be developed at the same time that already existing facilities exist will need ongoing upkeep. Since parks represent an investment in the community, maintenance efforts are the best way to protect those investments. Dedicating appropriate resources to park maintenance tends to pay off in the long run, lengthening the life span of capital investments and keeping facilities safe. Though less flashy than the construction of new facilities, park maintenance is the fundamental ounce of prevention that protects the City from having to face a park system in need of a pound of cure. Strengthen Trail Connections Trails are the most desired park feature in Elk River, according to community input. The Great Northern Trail acts as a spine through the community, offering cyclist and pedestrian connections from the north end of Elk River through Woodland Trails Park and reaching almost to the schools area and downtown. Additional connections would increase the value and effectiveness of the trail to the community. Connecting to the schools and downtown as well as to other parks and the rivers would give people safe routes to significant destinations in the city. The trail would also benefit from better connections to other neighborhoods, especially across Highway 169, which represents a barrier to trail usage according to many residents who reported having to drive to the trail in order to use it. By connecting north to Zimmerman and Princeton, the Great Northern Trail would improve as a regional connector and would elevate it from being a nice community feature to being a vital community and regional asset. Draft 1 1 .25. 1 4 Chapter 4: Tomorrow's Parks 30