7.1 PRSR 03-08-2023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 7 ELK RIVER PARKS & RECREATION 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% April May June July Aug Sept Oct Rectangle Fields - Weekdays Used by Others Used by Youth Lacrosse Used by Boreal Used by Tackle Football Used by Flag Football Not Used 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% April May June July Aug Sept Oct Rectangle Fields - Weekends Used by Others Used by Youth Lacrosse Used by Boreal Used by Tackle Football Used by Flag Football Not Used RECTANGLE FIELDS The rectangle fi elds (football, lacrosse, soccer) are slightly underutilized in Elk River during the spring and summer. While the graphs above show limited use, that is somewhat helpful for resting fi elds. It is also worth noting that unlike diamonds, which see heavy pressure for only one season, the rectangle fi elds are used consistently from fi rst thaw to late fall. The additional use is detrimental to the conditions of the fi elds, particularly at OKAC as lacrosse and football are harder on larger areas of the fi elds (soccer causes localized “hot spots” but does not impact the entire fi eld like lacrosse and football). Growth in fi eld demand is expected. Lacrosse participation is recovering strongly. Boreal Soccer is a regional club and as such, uses fi elds around the north metro. The club was started in 2020 and based on trends, it is likely to expand signifi cantly over the upcoming years. To some extent it has probably limited its requests for fi elds as the city navigated the recent construction process. As they grow, soccer will likely bring additional demand beyond the limited current use. The data shown is also for spring/summer and one of the larger users is a fall user in youth football, both with tackle and fl ag football. While tackle football participation has dropped below the levels from 2015-2018, the numbers appear to have stabilized somewhat. At the same time, fl ag football has expanded rapidly. Lacrosse and football are both heavy users of the school fi elds as well, particularly for practices. One of the primary issues with the city’s current fi eld situation is that there are very few rectangle fi elds if something happens to one of them. If there is an issue, the city’s capacity becomes much smaller. The few fi elds are also dispersed, so it is not feasible to host tournaments for football, lacrosse, or soccer. This is a challenge for these programs who would like to bring competitions to Elk River and use these events for fundraising. Nationally, demand for rectangle fi elds continues to grow rapidly and Elk River also is in the back half of the pack when compared with peer communities. RECOMMENDATIONS • Consider the development of 4 fi elds over the long term (by 2035) to accommodate growing and future demand. • Continue to limit access after weather events or long winters. With only 3 fi elds in the city’s system, having one go off line due to being torn up would cause signifi cant issues. • Explore bringing amenities to the fi eld at YAC similar to what has been constructed at the ballfi elds. If the expansion occurs, it may be better to focus investments on support facilities in that area. • While Kliever is a reasonable overfl ow location for occasional needs, the parking and support facilities suggest the city should not rely on it for regular programming. Preferred 25% fi eld rest and recovery Preferred 25% fi eld rest and recovery This late summer pause between seasons is the most challenging period to re-establish turf