NOKOMIS-HIAWATHA REGIONAL PARK master plan March 2015 MPRB would like to thank these people / organizations for their involvement in this plan: The City of Minneapolis Hennepin County Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Neighborhood Organizations including: The Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association | The Nokomis East Neighborhood Association Hale Page Diamond Lake Community Association | Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group Members of the Community Advisory Committee: Master Plan Project Manager: Patricia Amo Amy Greeley Shannon Korrer Daren Nyquist Adam Arvidson Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Bryan Barnes Ryan Holweger Jeanne LaBore Kevin Schaekel 2117 West River Road North Minneapolis, MN 55411 Richard Chantry Mary Lynn Kadrie Erin Lauderman Robert Srichai Phone: 612-230-6470 Sandy Colvin Roy (Chair) Cammie Kimmes Chris Lautenschlager Kyle Werremeyer Email: [email protected] www.MinneapolisParks.org Bob Fine Dave Kornecki Luis Morales Images in this document are courtesy of MPRB, Friends of Lake Nokomis, and Steffanie Musich. This plan was adopted by the MPRB on March 4th, 2015. NOKOMIS-HIAWATHA REGIONAL PARK MASTER PLAN: MARCH 2015. The Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association | The Nokomis East Neighborhood Association TABLE OF CONTENTS Hale Page Diamond Lake Community Association | Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group Section 1: Planning Framework.........................................................................2 Section 2: Park Background.................................................................................6 Section 3: Needs Assessment and Demand..............................................12 Section 4: Park Development............................................................................22 Section 5: Operations & Management.........................................................44 Section 6: Implementation..................................................................................48 Appendix NOKOMIS-HIAWATHA REGIONAL PARK MASTER PLAN: MARCH 2015. Table of Contents Theodore Wirth’s 1934 Lake Nokomis and Lake Hiawatha Park Master Plan PAGE 1 NOKOMIS-HIAWATHA REGIONAL PARK MASTER PLAN: MARCH 2015. SECTION 1: PLANNING FRAMEWORK Introduction and Purpose of the Master Plan Within the urban context of friendly neighborhoods, busy streets, and bright lights, Minneapolis Parks offer expansive havens of fresh water, lush green retreats, and miles of uninterrupted recreational trails. Bordering leafy parkways, these trails connect the places where people gather to picnic, sail, play, and escape in a truly integrated open space and recreation system. Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park is a key link in this system. In 1914, work began to reshape Lake Amelia into what has become present-day Lake Nokomis. Land donation, acquisition, and dredging established more than 200 acres of parkland around a 200-acre lake. To the north, Lake Hiawatha – with enough surrounding land to fit a new golf course – was acquired 7 years later, and the first plan for the combined Lake Nokomis and Lake Hiawatha Park was created by Theodore Wirth in 1934. The 1934 Plan has remained the guiding scheme outlining improvements for the two-lake park—until now. This document provides a much needed update to the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park Master Plan. Today, the park encompasses approximately 660 acres of land and water, including Lake Nokomis, Lake Hiawatha, and part of Minnehaha Creek. Popular for its sailing, picnicking, beaches, and trails, it is one of the most visited parks in Minneapolis and in the seven-county metropolitan area. The purpose of the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park Master Plan is to provide a long-term vision for improvements to park facilities, recreation, landscape, trails, and shorelines. Hiawatha Golf Course, which is not considered for improvements or change within this document, was specifically excluded from the master planning process. The Master Plan otherwise studies the existing conditions of the park, assesses community needs in relation to park use, and proposes specific improvement projects. This is envisioned as a 25-year plan, with implementation in three broad timeframes: Short-term (up to 6 years), Medium-term (6-12 years), and Long-term (12 or more years). Study and development of a new master plan will be needed again in 25 years to reassess the conditions, vision, and necessary improvements of the regional park at that time. A significant public process informed the development of this Master Plan. Additional details outlining this process are found in Section 3. The plans and recommendations included here underwent thorough review by public participants, an appointed Community Advisory Committee (CAC), the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and, finally, were adopted by the Metropolitan Council. Approval and adoption by these entities allows access to future funding for capital improvements. NOKOMIS-HIAWATHA REGIONAL PARK MASTER PLAN: MARCH 2015. S ection 1: Planning Framework PAGE 2 Typo 47 Bethel Fish Lake 28 St. Francis Lake Twin Cities Metropolitan Area 24 Minard Lake 65 Martin 24 26 Lake Linwood Twp Rum River Trail 24 Island Tamarack Lake George Lake Lake Ford VIKING Martin-Island- BLVD REGIONAL River Linwood Lakes Lake Brook George Linwood 5 Rum Lake 22 A Nowthen Deer 22 9 Lake Pickerel 47 55 Oak Grove East Lake Twin Boot Lake Devil Lake 22 Creek East Bethel Lake 17 parks 22 Little Coon Cedar Lake 22 CENTRAL AVE CENTRAL SYSTEM Coon Lake Carlos Avery WMA 8 Bone ROUND LAKE BLVD 18 18 Lake Rum River Forest 2 Central Lake Columbus 35 Lake Netta Mud 1 Lake Goose Lake 95 Rum ANOKA Ramsey Ham Lake Howard Lake Ham 97 5 Andover Lake 19 Round 97 Clear Scandia Lake Forest Lake 3 B 47 65 Lake Central Anoka 7 17 Fish 169 County Trail Lake William O’Brien R 10 k iv e 23 e State Park r e 61 15 Mississip 9 r p C i Central Anoka River Crooked Bunker Hardwood Sand e County Trail Lake c Big Lake i Creek Trail Lake Crow Crossways R Marine 101 Lake Lake Rum River Bunker LEXINGTON AVE 144 Anoka Trail MANNING TRAIL 18 Hills 94 Diamond Randeau Horseshoe 4 Lake R Lake Lake Big Marine i v e r 242 14 Coon 4 Crowley Elm Creek 116 Rice Creek 14 Marine on St. Croix Lake Rogers Creek Oneka Mud Sylvan Mississippi Coon Rapids Chain of Lakes Peltier Lake Lake Lake Dayton Lake 121 River Trail Blaine Crow-Hassan French 169 Coon Creek George Hugo Turtle Lake 1 Trail Watch Lake Hayden EAST RIVER ROAD Lake Lochness May Twp 7 95 Hassan Twp Lake 12 Marshan Henry 81 Champlin 35W Lake Lemans 10 AVE CENTRAL Centerville Square Lake Lake Lake Lake 8 C East Anoka Rice Centerville Egg Rice Square WEST RIVER ROAD Trail Lake Lake Lake Lake FERNBROOK LANE Coon Rapids Dam Circle Pines Reshanau Hanover Lake 61 14 Golden 10 35E 610 65 Lake 19 94 23 Lino Lakes Sunset Rush Creek Cenaiko Baldwin Lake Lake Big Otter 30 Trail Lake Lexington Bald Eagle- Carnelian 118 Lake 55 Lake 30 LANE ZACHARY 610 17 River 10 1 Otter Lakes Rice Lake 30 47 7 Schwappauff Osseo M 11 Little i Lake Brooklyn Park s Shoreview 15 Carnelian s Spring Lake Pine i Spring Lake Maple Grove s Bald Crow s Park Lake Point Greenfield Corcoran 109 i Rice Creek Eagle p North Oaks Dellwood River Weaver p Rice Creek Lake 252 i 10 Lake Haften Shingle Shingle Creek Rice Creek North Trail Turtle Lake WASHINGTON Lake 50 Medicine Trail West Trail HODGSON RD Pinetree 95 St. Croix Fish 101 Lake Gillfillan Birch Lake Lake Stillwater Twp 10 Lake 81 Creek Fridley Pleasant Lake 244 Grant Trail Arden Hills Lake Trail Rockford Eagle Moore Snail Birch Jubert R Lake Lake AVE LEXINGTON Lake Highway 96 Trail Lake i 96 Lake Eagle 94 v 96 k 694 e Anoka County Long D e Sucker Lake Fish r e Lake White Bear Lake Brown’s Regional Park or Reserve 55 r Lake Riverfront Vadnais 9 Gateway Boat Access C Brooklyn Long Lake Lake State Trail Creek Center Heights Goose Lake 694 Gem 100 Lake State Land Lake Sarah NORTHWEST BLVD Sullivan Lake Tony Vadnais-Snail Lake Canoe, Carry-in Access Elm New Stillwater Rebecca 92 10 Schmidt Lakes 12 11 Loretto 169 94 Brighton White Bear Lake Willernie 494 Twin North Hilltop 694 Lake Lily Federal Land Off-Leash Dog Area Lake Rebecca Bass Lake Lakes Silverwood Lake Vadnais 244 Lost Lake Long Lake 19 HENNEPIN Mississippi 65 Island Mahtomedi Lake Lake Johanna Lake 61 New Columbia Silver Long Robina Crystal 51 120 Park Entrance Three Rivers Park District Hope Heights Lake Lake Lake Pine Springs ROCKFORD RD Owasso 694 36 Spurzem UNIVERSITY AVE Columbia Lake 9 Langton Little Kohlman Lake Parkway Lake BEAM AVE Oak Park Heights Independence 9 Clifton Victory Lake Gervais Lake Regional Trail Independence Medina Robbinsdale EAST RIVER ROAD 35W Josephine Canada Plymouth French Bassett Memorial Trail St. Anthony Lake Silver Holy Roseville Lake 36 Lake 5 Name 101 Creek Trail Crystal Parkway Stinson Bennett Lake 12 55 Lake De Montreville State Trail 0 1234 Miles 24 Lake Trail St. Anthony Parkway Maplewood Baker Medicine Parkway Trail Lake Elmo Mooney Olson 14 Lake Trail 36 RAMSEY Lake 17 Baytown Twp Maple Plain Lake Sweeny- 81 Ridgeway Keller North St. Paul Lake Katrina Medicine 100 Twin Jane Parkers Trail 47 Parkway Lake Lake Lake Lakes Above the McCarrons 6 Lake Golden Valley Trail Lake Elmo Lake 6 Falls Lake 5 15 Long Lake t Creek Central Lauderdale 10 Phalen-Keller Elmo s s e t LARPENTEUR AVE Luce Line Medicine Ba Mississippi Lake Trout Brook E 6 Lake Independence Falcon 35E 120 Trail Lake 55 Riverfront Como Trail Lake Phalen Eagle Point Luce Line State Trail Trail Long Lake Gleason Lake Luce Line Heights Oakdale Lake Theodore Wirth Trail