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Orono council approves design work for Hackberry and Antoine parks and CR‑6 trail resurfacing
Summary
The Orono City Council voted to authorize design and planning work for Hackberry Park, Antoine Park and a County Road 6 trail resurfacing project, directing consultants to pursue community engagement and phased design to preserve neighborhood priorities and position projects for grant funding.
The Orono City Council on [meeting date] approved consultant-led design work for three 2025 parks-related projects and a trail resurfacing effort, directing staff to advance community engagement and phased designs that would not lock the city into final construction layouts.
City staff member Adam (speaker 2) presented the proposals: a Hackberry Park design phase to address drainage, parking and field-layout questions; a master-plan study for Antoine Park to capture neighborhood input about amenities such as a potential pavilion; and a design for a County Road 6 trail pavement preservation plan. Staff said the design phase for Hackberry is intended to produce a preliminary design suitable for grant applications and to refine costs, and that Bolton & Mink were proposed as consultants for the park projects and the trail work.
Several residents and frequent users told the council Hackberry needs better drainage, safer parking and preservation of its t‑ball fields. Malin Mulvaney (speaker 7), whose home faces Hackberry, urged the council to keep park venues “in the scale of the property size and keep what we have currently,” citing unsafe parking and long‑standing maintenance issues. Council members discussed whether approving design work would lock the city into a specific layout; staff and councilors emphasized that the contracts are for phased design and community engagement and would permit revisions before construction.
Councilor (speaker 6) moved to direct staff to proceed with the Hackberry design work and accept Bolton & Mink’s consulting proposal; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote (recorded as carried unanimously). The council separately approved the County Road 6 trail resurfacing design and a modest Antoine Park planning/design engagement after members asked staff to ensure neighborhood outreach.
Adam noted the Hackberry design work would also position the city to apply for the Hennepin County Youth Sports Facility Grant (staff said awards can reach up to $300,000) and that the Bolton & Mink contracts are not intended to be “lump-sum” commitments that would prevent later changes. Councilors asked staff to incorporate parking and drainage improvements, tree removal priorities, and iterative community feedback during the design phases.
The council’s actions move each project into a design and community-engagement phase; any construction or budget commitments would return for council approval at a later meeting.
