Chaska shows community feedback, narrows choices for Southwest Park; staff aims to balance sports, nature and play

Chaska presents Southwest Park plan update Chaska City staff presented a summary of phase‑2 community engagement on the proposed Southwest Chaska Park to the City Council on Aug. 18, reporting roughly 3,500 unique website visitors, more than 4,500 total visits and about 1,100 completed surveys. The presentation, given by Marshall (city staff member), summarized three conceptual themes — sport, nature and play — developed from earlier outreach and tested with residents. Marshall said the concepts were intentionally “aspirational in the planning process” and meant to show how different elements could fit on the site. Staff described broad agreement across the three concepts but noted different audiences favored different features. "Nature play area scored the highest, followed by splash pad, open grass and lawn area, rectangular soccer fields," Marshall told the council during his summary of the ranked items from the survey. Open comments also repeatedly asked about inclusive playground elements, year‑round usability and parking and access around large gatherings. What residents said and why it matters The phase‑2 outreach ran July 10–Aug. 6 and included in‑person intercepts at Fire & Ice and River City Days, a project website with three concept plans, focus groups and email outreach. Staff said online respondents most commonly named nature play and water play as priorities; the top 10 ranked amenities (by average score) included nature play, splash pad, open lawn, rectangular soccer fields and food/purchase options such as food trucks or concessions. Council members and staff discussed tradeoffs that will shape the preferred plan. Some survey respondents expressed skepticism about skate parks and about locating an off‑leash dog area near heavily used family spaces. The "sports" concept drew repeated requests for additional soccer and baseball infrastructure — including all‑weather turf — while the "nature" concept drew support for trails, canopy experiences and a food forest. Staff also noted mixed reaction to concepts that showed solar panels on covered parking. Next steps, costs and schedule Staff said it will work with consultants at Confluence to translate the three concept sketches into a single preferred concept that blends community priorities, site constraints and capital/operating costs. Staff described the next steps as drafting a preferred concept, reviewing it in a joint council/park & recreation commission work session in October, seeking a Park & Rec recommendation in November, and then advancing detailed cost estimates and grant‑seeking. Separately, staff indicated the project is being planned within a preliminary affordability target; staff said the project has been targeted at roughly $15–17 million (staff attribution was not tied to a single quoted speaker in the transcript). Marshall told the council he expects the next phase of work to move toward a preferred concept and then to construction sequencing: “grade next summer and fall, and then most of the build would be 2027.” Outstanding issues and council direction Council and commission discussion focused on: maintaining a rural look along adjoining roads and the project’s impact on municipal operations; the proper placement of recreational features to balance year‑round use (sledding, ice activities, cross‑country skiing) and summer play (splash pad, amphitheater); sidewalk and parking planning; and long‑term maintenance costs (turf replacement, restroom operations). Staff flagged several items that must be resolved before final design: cost‑estimate refinement, choices that affect long‑term operations, grant and partnership opportunities, and an analysis of how landscaping and berming will protect the “key community entrance” viewshed along Bavaria/County Road 41. Council members encouraged staff to pursue grants and partnerships — for example with sports associations for upgraded fields — and to emphasize inclusive, universally accessible features. A draft preferred concept will return for review at the October joint session; Park & Rec is scheduled to weigh in in November. Community relevance and next steps Because the site is hilly and adjacent to the "big woods," staff said the preferred concept must balance grading and preservation. Marshall warned that constructability and stormwater infrastructure will drive cost and schedule. Staff will prepare cost and phasing options and continue outreach as the preferred concept is developed.