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Chapter 3: The System Today 18 TodayFinally, a small but growing minority population in Elk River may bring additional <br />desires and uses to the parks and recreation system. <br />Peer Communities Assessment <br />As part of the evaluation process, Elk River’s parks and recreation system was <br />compared with parks systems in Cottage Grove, Red Wing, Rosemount, Inver <br />Grove Heights, South St. Paul, Andover, and Shakopee. These peer communities <br />were chosen for their similarities to Elk River including: <br />• Urban/Rural mix <br />• Riverfront <br />• Population (Current and Projected) <br />• Geographic Size <br />• Environmental Assets <br />When compared with other communities, Elk River fares well in terms of the per <br />capita number of total parks, the number of neighborhood parks, and the amount <br />of acreage devoted to parks per capita. The city also offers unique facilities for <br />activities such as mountain biking, biathlon, and high quality cross country skiing <br />that are not found in most of its peer cities. <br />Conversely, Elk River’s paved trail system is smaller than the trail system in many <br />of its peer communities. Elk River also relies much more on the school system for <br />athletic facilities and courts than peer communities. <br />A chart of the data can be found in Appendix A. <br />Neighborhood Park Access <br />The majority of neighborhood residences within Elk River’s urban service area <br />are within a half-mile of either a neighborhood park or a community park with <br />neighborhood park features (such as a playground). <br />The most significant area lacking access to neighborhood park facilities is between <br />the railroad tracks and the Elk River/Lake Orono. This area is already developed, <br />and there is very limited land available for a neighborhood park. <br />Access to the neighborhood park facilities in Meadowvale Heights Park and <br />Orono Park could be improved if connectivity across the railroad tracks and <br />across Highway 10 could be improved. <br />See the Neighborhood Park Access Map on the following page for more detail. <br />Page 86 of 240