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1 7 ELK RIVER PARKS & RECREATIONDRAFT <br />0% <br />10% <br />20% <br />30% <br />40% <br />50% <br />60% <br />70% <br />80% <br />90% <br />100% <br />April May June July Aug Sept Oct <br />Rectangle Fields - Weekdays <br />Used by Others Used by Youth Lacrosse Used by Boreal Used by Tackle Football Used by Flag Football Not Used <br />0% <br />10% <br />20% <br />30% <br />40% <br />50% <br />60% <br />70% <br />80% <br />90% <br />100% <br />April May June July Aug Sept Oct <br />Rectangle Fields - Weekends <br />Used by Others Used by Youth Lacrosse Used by Boreal Used by Tackle Football Used by Flag Football Not Used <br />RECTANGLE FIELDS <br />The rectangle fi elds (football, lacrosse, soccer) are slightly underutilized in Elk River during the spring and summer. While the graphs <br />above show limited use, that is somewhat helpful for resting fi elds. It is also worth noting that unlike diamonds, which see heavy <br />pressure for only one season, the rectangle fi elds are used consistently from fi rst thaw to late fall. The additional use is detrimental <br />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 <br />localized “hot spots” but does not impact the entire fi eld like lacrosse and football). Growth in fi eld demand is expected. Lacrosse <br />participation is recovering strongly. Boreal Soccer is a regional club and as such, uses fi elds around the north metro. The club was <br />started in 2020 and based on trends, it is likely to expand signifi cantly over the upcoming years. To some extent it has probably <br />limited its requests for fi elds as the city navigated the recent construction process. As they grow, soccer will likely bring additional <br />demand beyond the limited current use. <br />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 <br />football. While tackle football participation has dropped below the levels from 2015-2018, the numbers appear to have stabilized <br />somewhat. At the same time, fl ag football has expanded rapidly. Lacrosse and football are both heavy users of the school fi elds as <br />well, particularly for practices. <br />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 <br />one of them. If there is an issue with one of them, the city’s capacity becomes much smaller. National trends suggest more rapid <br />growth in demand for rectangle fi elds than diamonds, and the city is also lagging behind many of its neighbors when it comes to <br />the provision of rectangle fi elds. <br />RECOMMENDATIONS <br />• Consider the development of 4 fi elds over the long term (by 2035) to accommodate growing and future demand. <br />• 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 <br />being torn up would cause signifi cant issues. <br />• Explore bringing amenities to the fi eld at YAC similar to what has been constructed at the ballfi elds. If the expansion occurs, it <br />may be better to focus investments on support facilities in that area. <br />• While Kleiver is a reasonable overfl ow location for occasional needs, the parking and support facilities suggest the city should not <br />rely on it for regular programming. <br />Preferred 25% fi eld rest and recovery <br />Preferred 25% fi eld rest and recovery <br />This late summer <br />pause between <br />seasons is the most <br />challenging period <br />to re-establish turf