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Page 4 <br />Because of economic reasons as well as the availability of land, it is likely <br />• that organized sports facilities will be located in the rural areas of Elk River. <br />Having these facilities in the rural areas is more likely to avoid conflicts with <br />existing land uses, and also provides additional recreation opportunities to <br />the rural areas of Elk River. <br />23~ails <br />The City's priority when considering a trail system for Elk River must be the <br />safe movement of pedestrians. The trail system will be viewed as a collector <br />system for moving people. It is felt that quiet residential streets can be used <br />to gain access to this trail system. The trail system will be a combination of <br />widened road shoulders, sidewalks, and detached trails. In the rural areas, <br />widened shoulders will mostly be used. In the urban area, typically <br />sidewalks and detached trails will be used. <br />Trails will also provide recreational benefits. The trail system will connect <br />parks and be looped where possible. Areas like Woodland Trails Park will <br />have trails that are solely for recreational purposes. The needs of hikers, <br />rollerbladers, and bicyclists, as well as horseback riders and snowmobilers <br />will be considered. <br />t <br />• It is important that our trail system ties in with other community's trails. <br />Examples of this include providing corridors through Elk River that allow <br />snowmobilers access to the trail system in the Sand Dunes and connecting to <br />a Mississippi River trail that is planned to go all the way to the City of <br />Hastings. We have already met with the City of Ramsey, and will meet with <br />other communities to gain their input. <br />The final recommended version of the trail system will consider the economic <br />feasibility of building and maintaining these trails. Map #4 is a very <br />preliminary view of what the trail system may look like. <br />Area Wide Parks <br />Area wide parks will be developed in areas where we can take advantage of <br />natural amenities and land is available. Area wide parks must also be <br />located in areas that will be of interest to a wide segment of the community. <br />Land identified on the park plan for an area wide park may never become <br />available for acquisition. Therefore, the revised Master Park Plan may or <br />may not show them. These parks will result from taking advantage of <br />. opportunities as they arise. <br />PP-sr/bz <br />