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Memo:Park Dedication,01/30/07 Page 5 of 6 the improvements to be installed totals approximately$38,440.This value falls $17,258 short of the value that would be required under the new system for this development. Nordenstua on Sibley The proposed development would result in 13 new residential units,with an expected residential population of 28 residents. The total park dedication fee would be $13,728, or equivalent to 0.429 acres of public park land. 13 units x 2.2 people per household= 28.6 new residents 28.6 residents x 0.015 acres(per capita share)= 0.429 acres 0.429 acres x$32,000 = $13,728 park dedication fee—OR— 28.6 residents x$480= $13,728 park dedication fee Again, the developer has set aside recreational facilities for use by residents within this development,but these would not be publicly-owned facilities, and so would not be available for use by area residents. Public vs. Private Recreational Facilities Developers may argue that they have satisfied the park dedication requirements by providing facilities for use by their residents, but maintaining them in a private manner and restricting access to the residents of that development.While the short-term goal of providing facilities for new residents has been satisfied in the very basic sense, there are a number of issues that arise when recreational facilities are made private rather than maintained by the public. With private recreational facilities, access is restricted to a subset of the City's residents. The facilities are not available to the general public,which in some cases can result in trespass issues or create community tension if those private facilities are surrounded by developed, populated areas. Facilities provided within a development may not provide a range of recreational opportunities for all of its residents. For example, a particular development may provide housing for young families, young couples, and retired couples, all of whom have different recreational demands, but the development may only provide trails and a picnic area.This development may be serving the recreational needs of some of its residents,but because of the range of households within the development,the other residents may find themselves traveling to other parts of the city to use a playground with their kids or to play organized sports with other young adults. In short,while a developer may have a target market for the sale of their units,we cannot predict the long-term composition of the residents in a particular development, nor can we predict their recreational needs and expect those needs to be satisfied entirely within that development. This is not to say that there is not a need for private facilities. There are certainly cases where private facilities may make more sense, as in the case of a golf course, where the capital investment is quite large compared to the local residential use of the facility. 14084 Baxter Drive, Suite 7 1 Baxter, Minnesota 56425 1 218.828.3064 1 www.communitygrowth.com