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Forest Lake commission favors planning two neighborhood parks for Hidden Creek area
Summary
City staff reviewed the Hidden Creek South concept plan and park-dedication math; developer John Dobbs urged building a neighborhood park now using existing and future dedication funds. Commissioners gave verbal direction favoring two neighborhood parks and asked the developer to return with two refined concept plans.
Forest Lake city staff and developers discussed early concept plans for the Hidden Creek South phases and asked the Parks and Recreation Commission for nonbinding feedback on park locations and programming.
City Planner Ken Roberts summarized the Headwaters PUD history and the Hidden Creek additions, noting the larger PUD was approved in 2006 and the new phases would add roughly 170 single-family lots. Roberts said developers estimate 40–50 developable acres for the new phases; city park-dedication calculations therefore indicate roughly 4–5 acres of dedication would be required, or the equivalent in cash at the current fee of $2,500 per lot.
Roberts warned that stormwater ponding areas cannot be counted toward required park acreage under city code, and that site layout — especially adjacency to Headwaters Parkway — raises access and safety concerns. “Having driveway and parking immediately accessing Headwaters Parkway is not the best idea,” Roberts told the commission, recommending access be routed from side or neighborhood streets when possible.
Developer representative John Dobbs told the commission Capstone and the landowners were prepared to accelerate park construction rather than wait for later phases. Dobbs said the project already includes about 3.14 acres dedicated and that the development has dedicated $92,500 in a previous phase and expects to dedicate $120,000 in the next phase; he proposed using some existing fees and dedicated land to build a neighborhood park “now” rather than deferring construction until much later.
Commissioners questioned whether dedication fees are earmarked for the specific neighborhood. Staff clarified that park dedication fees go into the city’s park system fund and are not automatically reserved for a single park unless a separate donation is made; the commission retains discretion to direct funds toward a local project. Commissioners weighed tradeoffs between a single larger community park and multiple neighborhood parks, citing walkability, stroller access, safety across Headwaters Parkway and the challenge that land once released cannot be recovered.
The commission provided verbal direction that it prefers planning two neighborhood parks in the Hidden Creek area (roughly 5–6 acres each in concept across phases) and asked the developer to return at the next meeting with two revised concept plans and cost information for staff review. The developer agreed to provide additional drawings and an example address of a completed project for the commission to visit.
Next steps: staff will coordinate revised concepts and bring them back for additional comment and a possible recommendation to the city council; no binding approvals or zoning actions were taken at this meeting.
