Parks commission recommends Sunfish Lake Park parking expansion; staff proposes about 5 spots plus up to 30 angled spaces in median

The Lake Elmo Parks Commission recommended that City Council approve an expansion of the gravel parking area at Sunfish Lake Park to address repeated overflow parking, staff said.

Adam, a parks department staff member, told commissioners the current gravel lot "can comfortably serve up to about 30 vehicles" and that staff observed vehicles overflowing into drive aisles on busy evenings and weekends. Staff recommended two changes: add about five parking spaces to square up the north corner of the lot, and remove the center median at the north end to create angled parking on both sides that could add up to about 30 spaces in that area. The plan would place rock boulders down the center of the new angled parking to prevent vehicles from driving through the middle, retain a small berm at the far north end for traffic flow and potential signage, and use class 5 gravel for the new surface.

Resident Tony Vancera, who said he lives at 5050 Kirkwood Avenue in Lake Elmo, spoke in favor and described how park use increased since 2013, driven by bike-trail use and events. "I think it's a really great idea. It's, it's about time that there's more parking space," Tony said. He also described local volunteer efforts: after a proposed nature center donation was refused because the city had no parks department, he and others formed a nonprofit and later adopted Sunfish Lake Park to help with maintenance and buckthorn removal.

Staff said the expansion includes relocating portable toilets to the parking-lot end proposed for additional stalls and noted the entrance/exit aisles are wide enough to support angled parking. Adam said he measured the width of the area at approximately 30 feet and that typical vehicle rear access (bike racks, open trunks) would still be possible with the angled layout. Commissioners asked whether the change would trigger review under an existing conservation or natural-area agreement with a land trust; staff said they would double check and recommended a little due diligence to confirm the work stays within permitted areas.

A commissioner moved and another seconded a motion to recommend the parking expansion to City Council. The commission approved the recommendation by voice vote; the meeting record does not include a numeric tally. Stantec continues to perform buckthorn removal at Sunfish Lake Park, staff said, and additional details and drawings were included in the meeting handout.