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Parks commission reviews HGA master plan, CIP timing as McKnight and Northwood projects await funding
Summary
Commissioners discussed the HGA master plan, the city capital improvement plan and which park master plans to press forward now vs. postpone, noting limited city staffing and large price tags for McKnight and Northwood projects.
The North St. Paul Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the HGA master plan recommendations and how those proposals fit into the city's capital improvement plan and upcoming budget decisions. Commissioners and staff agreed the HGA designs are favored by council but that financing and ongoing maintenance remain open questions.
Why it matters: several parks mentioned in the HGA work — McKnight, Northwood and Polar — are on the commission's short- and mid-term lists. The commission must prioritize limited local funds and coordinate with the city finance director and city manager, who are scheduled to attend the commission's next meeting.
Commissioners said HGA produced conceptual plans and projected costs but not guaranteed final pricing. Cassidy Schwier noted the HGA drawings were primarily projections rather than firm bids. Commissioners emphasized that the capital improvement plan (CIP) and council decisions will determine timing; Sarah (city staff) said the current CIP has some projects pushed out and that McKnight parking money previously set aside was not spent and the CIP can fluctuate year to year.
Commissioners debated whether to begin a new master plan process for Northwood now or defer while the city addresses higher-cost priorities such as McKnight. Several commissioners said they do not want Northwood left off future worklists but acknowledged the city may not have the funds to run multiple large projects in the same year. The commission agreed to bring informed questions and a prioritized list to the next meeting with the finance director and city manager rather than start separate master-plan work without funding in hand.
Next steps: the commission will compile a short list of specific projects and small, high-impact items they could request funding for at the upcoming finance meeting. Staff said the planning commission will review the parks and open-space master plan at its next meeting as a formality before it goes back to council.
Ending: commissioners asked staff to research procurement steps (bidding, contractor selection) and to share timeline expectations so the commission can prepare public outreach and engagement if a playground or larger capital project moves forward.
