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Shorewood staff to issue RFP for Parks Master Plan; commission discusses scope and South Shore Park
Summary
Shorewood staff will issue an RFP on Feb. 12 to hire consultants to update the Parks Master Plan; the commission discussed focusing on active park areas, conceptual plans for South Shore Park, possible timing changes for Cathcart Park, and budget and engagement considerations.
Parks and Recreation Manager Czech told the Shorewood Park Commission on Feb. 11 that staff will release a request for proposals (RFP) on Feb. 12, 2025, to hire consultants to lead an update of the City’s Parks Master Plan and produce conceptual plans for South Shore Park.
Manager Czech said the work will rely on existing city documents and emphasized a primary focus on active park areas while giving a smaller focus to natural areas. He told commissioners the RFP would be released Feb. 12 and that proposals are expected in mid-March, with a status update to the Park Commission at the March 25, 2025 meeting.
Commissioners asked for consultant attention to the City’s repair-and-replace timelines and discussed whether to delay planned work at Cathcart Park until the consultants’ findings are available. Commissioner Garske said he would like consultants to address repair/replace timelines; Commissioner Hirner asked that the master plan include a review of the woods and native-plant or restoration elements referenced in recent buckthorn-removal work.
City Council Liaison Gorham raised the question of how much consultant time should be spent on the skateboard park and South Shore Park and suggested the commission be engaged on consultant selection and interviews. Manager Czech said he expects the Commission to be involved throughout the process and that the RFP is intended to update the Master Plan for all city parks and to generate conceptual plans for South Shore Park.
Commissioners discussed funding constraints, the possibility of phasing Park Tours differently to increase public engagement, and whether a sound barrier or other frontage treatment along Highway 7 should be considered when planning South Shore Park; Gorham said a Highway 7 project with MnDOT is underway and that a sound barrier would likely be city-funded and not part of MnDOT’s immediate work. Manager Czech said staff would provide more detail as proposals arrive and that consultant selection would follow.
Next steps: staff to release the RFP Feb. 12, evaluate proposals in mid-March, and return to the Park Commission with proposal summaries at the March 25 meeting.
