Athletic Fields Designed Near Nokomis, Urban Ag Proposed Near
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Lake + Minnehaha Unique business makes Community Oven Open Streets cider out of foraging tops Eagle Scout planned for July 23 for fruit accomplishments PAGE 5 PAGE 7 PAGE 12 July 2017 Vol. 33 No. 5 www.LongfellowNokomisMessenger.com 21,000 Circulation • Athletic fields designed near Nokomis, urban ag proposed near Hiawatha Open house held as changes require modifi cation of Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park by park board By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN there as well. With the focus of nearby “It would be great to have the Bossen Park on softball, some resi- men’s and women’s teams practice dents feel that leaves room for other together,” noted Freeze Captain An- sports such as Australian Football drew Werner, a Nokomis resident, and soccer at Nokomis Park. but it is diffi cult to do now because The current project at Bossen of how the fi elds are arranged. “The is placing four premier baseball/ sport is community-based,” he ob- softball fi elds in a pinwheel forma- served. “A lot of families come out tion looking out, with another two and watch, too.” Plus, they’d like to fields on the south side and two see the club grow. large open fi eld areas on the north. The groups need fi elds that are When the Nokomis-Hiawatha larger than soccer fi elds, such as two Regional Park master plan was ap- soccer fields side-by-side, to play proved in March 2015, it didn’t in- a game. The Gaelic team can’t use clude a specifi c layout for the ath- Minneapolis Parks and Recre- the fi elds as they are now due to the Minnesota Freeze men’s team captain Andrew Werner discusses athletic letic fi elds, in part because planners ation Board employee Siciid Ali number of potholes, unlevel surfac- fi eld confi gurations with fellow football and hurling players during an open knew that the Bossen Field project (left) discusses possible changes es, and gopher holes. house on Thursday, May 25, 2017. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen) was about to get underway, point- to the Nokomis-Hiawatha Master ed out MPRB Director of Strategic Plan with Nokomis resident Alan Urban ag area at Hiawatha Planning Adam Arvidson. Schneider, who has helped with Another change being considered cy Amendment funds. Meanwhile, “Four of the top fi ve most visit- However, the fields at the Naturescape Gardens over the to the master plan was driven by Minneapolis seeks to avoid using ed parks in the regional park system Nokomis are currently in very poor years. He is concerned that park a community desire to be able to neighborhood tax dollars for capi- are in Minneapolis,” said Arvidson. condition, and MPRB held an open staff is mowing too much of the harvest fruit in the park, explained tal improvements in the 19 regional He’s frustrated that the state legis- house on May 25 to ask for com- natural gardens near the trails. He Arvidson. park facilities within the city. lature has excluded these popular munity input on the athletic fi elds also hopes that planners continue to The current plan calls for nat- Arvidson observed that 47 mil- areas from bonding bills. as it prepares to fi x them. leave space for pick-up soccer games uralizing the landscape along the lion people a year use the metro-ar- MPRB will likely consider the The two proposed plans for in the park. (Photo by Tesha M. east side of Lake Hiawatha and ea regional parks, while 10 million changes to the Nokomis-Hiawatha Nokomis aim to preserve large Christensen) eliminating much of the grassy visit state parks. The second most Regional Park plan and public com- open spaces for a variety of sports, lawn. The proposed change would popular regional park in Minnesota ments at its July 19 meeting, which remarked Arvidson. replace the naturalized landscape is the Chain of Lakes Park in Min- will begin at 5pm at 2117 W. River Concept A includes seven Others asked for lighting on the with an urban agriculture area that neapolis with 5.5 million visitors Rd. N. adult-size softball fields of which fields. Additional input was taken would include foraging in a wood- each year. two are in the far south of the par- through an online survey that was land environment. cel, three high-school-sized soccer open through June 23. If this is approved, citizens 2017 Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Plan (Athletic Fields) fields, and an Australian football would still be prohibited from fi eld in the center. Football players hope harvesting at the site until the park Concept B configures the to use the fi elds more board changes its anti-foraging or- fields differently and has six soft- dinance, which was recommended ball fi elds, three soccer fi elds and an A group of Minnesota Freeze Aus- tralian Football, Gaelic football, in the Urban Agriculture Plan ap- Australian football fi eld in the cen- proved in 2014. The park board is ter. Both include a 60-space parking and hurling players attended the open house on May 25 to learn currently working on modifying the area and trail cutting across the cen- Vegetation Molestation Ordinance ter of the area. about the two proposals. The men’s Minnesota Freeze teams currently to allow for harvesting within desig- Citizens asked if there could nated areas, according to Arvidson. be a storage shed for groups that hold its Wednesday night weekly practices and Saturday morning In the future, the MPRB intends to play there, as well as a place for include a list online with an inter- bathrooms and drinking fountains. games at Lake Nokomis, and the women’s team would like to be active map showing people where they can harvest food. Some residents are also push- ing MPRB to create a food forest at the Hiawatha Golf Course site, which would not be mutually ex- clusive from an urban agricultur- al area on the east side of Lake Hiawatha, said Arvidson. The golf course property is not included within the Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Plan. Funding tricky The financing of the fields will be tricky, as regional park dollars can’t be spent on athletic fields, which are considered as neighborhood A group of Minnesota Freeze Australian Football, Gaelic football, and park amenities, explained Arvidson. hurling players attended the open house on May 25 to learn about the two Regional park systems tend to be proposals. The men’s Minnesota Freeze teams currently hold its Wednesday nature-based recreational systems. night weekly practices and Saturday morning games at Lake Nokomis, and Neighborhood parks, in contrast, the women’s team would like to be there, as well. (Photo submitted by Min- can’t get state or regional funding or nesota Freeze) access Clean Water, Land and Lega- Concept A is one of two concepts MPRB asked the public for input on. Minnesota DNR supports closing Hiawatha Golf Course DNR favors reducing pumping at the golf course. Residents are split: peace and quiet vs. maximum usage of space. By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN Of the two directions for the Hiawatha Golf Course that were presented to the public on May 18, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) favors the one that reduces the amount of pumping there by 70%. “The DNR would prefer al- ternative B,” stated MPRB Assis- tant Superintendent of Planning Michael Schroeder. “It has multi- ple benefits while we’re reducing the pumping.” He added, “The 70% reduction is considered more sustainable.” The Department of Natural Resources needs to sign off on After discussing two scenarios for the Hiawatha Golf Course, two people the pumping at the golf course from each table shared comments with the entire group gathered at Nokomis property. Currently, MPRB has Recreation Center on May 18. Meeting attendees were split on keeping golf a permit to pump 36.5 million versus discontinuing the pumping and letting the area flood. There were two gallons a year, far less than the competing interests: continuing the peace and quiet of the area versus maxi- 308 million gallons it is actually mum usage of the space. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen) pumping. There is no easy way to summarize the kind of input provided at the April “We’re really focused on re- 20 meeting, remarked MPRB Assistant Superintendent of Planning Michael ducing the pumping while still Schroeder. MPRB put the keywords into a word cloud engine and created changing the outlet of the creek Connaughty. protecting adjacent homes,” re- this graphic to show which phrases were most popular. (Photo submitted) from the south side of the lake Local resident Steve Burt was marked Minneapolis Director of to the west side was a good idea glad to hear about the reduction Surface Water and Sewers Katrina neighbor,” stated one man because of how it would affect in trash planned for the lake. “It’s Kessler. “This project is really who supports retaining the golf the existing habitat and wild- like a receptacle for trash that divisive, pitting neighbor course. “It’s really unfortunate life there. He didn’t support the comes in from every part of the Options either 18-hole against neighbor. It’s that we are being pulled apart by suggestion to put a retreat center city,” he observed. golf course or something else this issue.” where the current outlet is now Some people expressed con- really unfortunate that we for the same reason. cerns about mosquitoes that MPRB has decided against put- Phosphorus load could “We want to see clean water Continued on page 4 ting a 9-hole golf course at the are being pulled apart by and habitat protection,” said site, despite a desire by April drop 191 pounds per year public meeting attendees to try this issue.” There would be no change to the to keep some kind of golf there phosphorus load at the proper- even if the 18-hole course is shut – Resident who supports ty if the 18-hole golf course re- down.