Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Trails Master Plan | Austin,MN

Comprehensive

Parks, Recreation, and Trails Master Plan

City of Austin, MN

Acknowledgements

MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL

Steve King - Mayor

Jeff Austin - Council Member-At-Large

Mike Postma - Council Member

Rebecca Waller - Council Member

Paul Fischer - Council Member

Laura Helle - Council Member

Jason Baskin - Council Member

Joyce Poshusta - Council Member

PARK AND RECREATION BOARD

Jason Sehon, Director of Parks, Recreation & Forestry

Laura Helle, City Council & Executive Committee

Cece Kroc, School Board Representative

Preston Bain, Executive Committee

Ed Schmitt, Chair & Executive Committee

Nicholas Johnsen, Vice Chair

Michael Bambrick, Jr.

Justin Heskett

PREPARED BY:

This document was prepared by MSA Professional Services, Inc. with assistance from the Park & Recreation Board, City Council, and residents of Austin, Minnesota.

Project No.: 17014001

Executive Summary

INTRODUCTION

Austin’s new Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Trails Master Plan analyzes current and projected population changes, community feedback, geographical data, and existing conditions to generate overarching goals and objectives. Park and trail-specific recommendations then break these goals into actionable steps, bolstered by lists of funding opportunities and potential partnerships. In short, this document is a toolbox to aid the City of Austin in enhancing its outdoor recreational opportunities for years to come.

AUSTIN AT A GLANCE

The City of Austin is the largest city in Mower County, located in the southeast corner of Minnesota, and has a population of approximately 26,174 (2020 Census). More information about Austin’s existing conditions can be found in Chapter 2 and Chapter 4.

• Population is expected to grow 15.2% between 2015 and 2035, or 0.75% annually.

• About 27.2% of the City’s population is considered youth (less than 20 years old), with another 30% made up of retirement-age residents (55+).

• Not including Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, the City currently has nearly 400 acres of parkland (16.1 acres per 1,000 residents, which is well within the acceptable range of parkland for a community Austin’s size). The Nature Center more than doubles that acreage.

• The City manages or maintains approximately 22 miles of biking and hiking trails – well above the acceptable range for comparable communities.

COMMUNITY INPUT

Public engagement efforts included online community surveys, public input meetings, and a pop-up event. The results are discussed at length in Chapter 4 and Appendix A, but the following overarching themes emerged:

• Todd Park and Jay C. Hormel Nature Center were the most popular parks; most residents would rather drive to a big park with many amenities than walk to a neighborhood park.

• Large emphasis on improving parks’ accessibility, safety, and cleanliness.

• Most popular recreational activities/facilities were walking, playground equipment, picnic shelters/ pavilions, and biking/mountain biking.

• Most-suggested recreational amenities to improve were playground equipment, restroom facilities, walking/biking trails, and swimming pool.

• Most-suggested new amenities were pickleball courts, caneball courts, and swimming beach.

GOALS

Concentrate Austin’s resources towards improving prominent parks

Enhance connectivity and accessibility between Austin’s parks and between adjacent communities 1 2 3 4

Ensure that parks and facilities are accessible and safe for residents of all ages and abilities

Preserve the civic and environmental significance of Austin’s existing green space

PARK RECOMMENDATIONS

All recommendations can be found in Chapter 5. High-priority recommendations include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Add wheelchair-accessible swing set to playground area at Bandshell Community Park;

• Construct a ramp leading to bandshell stage and pave sidewalk leading bandshell ramp/stairs;

• Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material at Bandshell Community Park;

• Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material at Horace Austin Park;

• Add a curb cut to path leading to basketball courts at Rotary Centennial Park;

• Expand the playground at Rotary Centennial Park;

• Replace playground sand with poured in place (PIP) surfacing at Todd Park;

• Install portable toilets on the north edge of far north parking lot at Todd Park.

TRAIL RECOMMENDATIONS

This document recommends the following new trails or trail connections throughout Austin. Additional recommendations for safe crossing locations and bike lanes can be found in Chapter 5.

• Implement the proposed path from Bustad Park along the Cedar River to 21st Street SW.;

• Implement the proposed path from 14th Street NW (near the bridge over I-90) around the Riverland Community College baseball fields to 8th Avenue NW;

• Implement the proposed trail connection between Main Street N and the path on 3rd Street NE;

• Add a paved path leading from Shirley Theel Memorial Park north to the proposed trailhead at 8th Avenue NW;

• Add a trail connection (perhaps road markings) along 16th Avenue SW to establish continuity between the paved trail at Bustad park and the path leading north to Bandshell Community Park;

• Add a trail connection between the pedestrian tunnel under I-90 (near Wildwood Park) and the path in front of Hormel Foods.

SYSTEM RECOMMENDATIONS

• Improve park safety by posting rules in each park and online, dedicating law enforcement resources to patrolling parks and responding to park-specific situations, and installing blue beacon emergency posts;

• Regularly maintain parks’ bathroom facilities, playgrounds, sidewalks, and landscaping;

• Review and modify the City’s Subdivision Regulations to reflect the prioritization of existing park facilities, such as requiring the dedication of open space rather than parkland) or emphasizing a parks fee in lieu of dedication.

IMPLEMENTATION

Implementation strategies include identifying/applying for grants administered by the MN DNR*, collaborating with local volunteer programs, and working with State agencies to receive additional funding.

*See pages 98-99 for a list of potential grant opportunities.

CHAPTER 1

I ntroduct I on

Introduction

THE IMPORTANCE OF PARKS, RECREATION & TRAILS

The benefits of parks go far beyond simply being spaces where people can recreate. Parks contribute to the physical and mental health of individuals and provide public safety, environmental, economic and social equity benefits to our communities.

Public parks are a unique amenity because they have the potential to be accessible to anyone in the community, regardless of age, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity. Though we often find that disparities exist in the distribution and quality of parks and recreation amenities, many parks and recreation departments across the U.S. are now rethinking how to engage and provide benefits to residents who do not currently have access to parks. If parks can be more inclusive, they have the potential to function as a nucleus of neighborhood activity, where residents can gather for social events, recreational activities, and meetings about local issues, increasing social interaction and creating an overall sense of community.

PLAN PURPOSE

The City of Austin recognizes the importance of its parks and trails and is committed to providing for the recreational needs of current and future residents. This document envisions a connected system of parks, open spaces and trails throughout Austin, deeply intertwined with the City’s natural resources, geography and neighborhoods. This plan is intended to aid the City of Austin in the following ways:

• Establishes a long-term vision for Austin’s recreation system. By incorporating feedback from community residents, department representatives, and decision-makers, this plan helps ensure that resources are used effectively and that implemented projects best reconcile public benefit and financial/temporal feasibility.

• Aids in prioritization and budgeting for Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) development process. CIPs determine how a city’s capital budget is allocated for public infrastructure improvements over several years. While this document presents much of the same information – estimated budget, timeline for implementation, and project details – it merely serves as an advisory document for Austin decisionmakers assembling the CIP. The City’s expectation is that this document will identify high-priority, financially feasible projects to be added to the CIP each year.

• Maintains the City’s eligibility for public park and recreation grants. Some granting funding applications, such as State and Federal grants, require a public engagement process and adopted plan. This plan document provides necessary background information, community feedback, prioritization, and budgets to aid in the completion of these applications.

• Summarizes extensive public feedback. For community members to feel a sense of ownership of their public amenities, it is crucial that they see their priorities reflected in the finished products. This planning process involved rigorous public engagement through a variety of collection methods; the resulting plan summarizes this feedback for the City’s future reference (as it prioritizes and implements projects) and to allow community members to see how their suggestions influenced City policy.

• Support and supplement Austin’s Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan, the City’s primary guiding document, offers broad goals and policies for the improvement of Austin’s park system. This document supports these recommendations by identifying specific, actionable steps within each park to achieve the larger vision.

PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Recreation, bicycle, and pedestrian planning are essential components of long-range community planning in Austin. For this project, the City contracted with MSA Professional Services, Inc. to facilitate the community engagement and document writing processes.

Early in the planning process, the project team created an online community survey to gather citizen feedback on desired public park, trail and recreational facilities. The process also included a popup engagement event at the Mower County Fair. This meeting was held to obtain input from Austin residents and visitors on desired park and recreation improvements (Refer to Appendix A for survey results and Chapter 4 for a summary of the County Fair event). A public hearing was also held prior to plan adoption. The plan content and format have been tailored to fit the needs of Austin.

Specifically the plan provides:

• Information regarding demographic trends,

• An inventory of existing park and recreational facilities,

• An analysis of parkland and recreational needs and demands,

• General policy direction regarding park, recreation, open space, bicycle, and pedestrian facility planning and maintenance,

• Recommendations for new and improving existing park, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and

• Implementation strategies.

This plan identifies conceptual locations and recommendations for different types of parks, trails, natural areas, and recreational facilities. In nearly every case, more detailed planning, engineering, study, budgeting, and discussions will be necessary before decisions are made to improve recreational facilities.

East Side Lake Park

The Benefits of Recreation

Parks are often the most important and highly prized components of any community. They are sources of civic pride and are essential to the physical, economic, environmental, and social health of communities and their residents. Good planning is essential to a community’s recreation system as it provides a means to meet the needs and wants of the community. As a plan is developed, it is important to keep in mind the variety of benefits that parks and recreation add to the community.

Health

When residents and visitors have access to parks, trails, and recreation facilities, they exercise more and are generally healthier and happier. Additionally, increased exposure to natural areas has been linked to improved physical and mental health. Parks and trails encourage healthy, happy, active lifestyles and improve overall quality of life throughout a community.

Cultural & Social

Parks have important social benefits. In a time when social media defines the interactions of many people, parks and recreational centers are places to meet, catch up with family members and friends, and feel like part of the larger community. As a focal point of neighborhoods, parks help develop connections between residents by providing a venue for community building gatherings like school trips, festivals, and celebrations. Significant natural features often have facilities and events for the enjoyment of all community members.

$ Property Values

Numerous studies have shown that close proximity and access to parks, trails, and open space has a positive impact on residential property values. Commercial property values can also be increased with proximity to recreational amenities, creating potential for these sites to act as catalysts for future growth and development. Access to recreational amenities helps fuel growth and investment in local economies.

Beautification

Parks contribute to aesthetics of a community. Parkways, tree-lined streets, gardens, views of water bodies, public art, trails, and landscaped areas around town are all things that contribute to creating beautiful places to live, work, and play. Visitors often remember a place by its access to beautiful natural areas, contributing to a positive community image. Improved linkages should also connect community parks to other community nodes. Attractive, safe and well marked linkages make essential contributions to a community’s livability and viability.

Additional Benefits

Community Health

According to the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), when individuals use green spaces, they have fewer health issues, improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduced stress –which leads to a lower incidence of depression and a greater ability to face problems. According to a report by the NRPA titled “The Economic Impact of Parks,” “Diabetic individuals taking 30-minute walks in a green space experienced lower blood glucose levels than spending the same amount of time doing physical activity in other settings. Thirty minutes of walking in nature resulted in larger drops in blood glucose than three hours of cycling indoors.”

Ecological Health

While parks, forests and trails provide opportunities to improve the health of residents, they also contribute to the greater ecological health of the City. Parks are often tied together with environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands, floodplains, surface waters, or significant woodlands which can include trails. These areas provide food and shelter for local wildlife and natural stormwater retention. Individual parks can provide important “rooms” of natural resource activity; however, they become even more functional when they can be linked together by environmental corridors, or “hallways.” Wildlife, plants, and water all depend on the ability to move freely within the environment from room to room.

Economic Prosperity

Leisure time is an important component of everyone’s lifestyle and increasingly people are choosing locations to live based on quality-of-life factors such as recreational amenities. The ability to retain or attract new residents generates direct economic benefits for the City. For this reason, having a great park, recreation, and trail systems contributes directly to economic development.

According to a study completed by the National Recreation and Parks Association and George Mason University, 72% of the 70 communities studied use parks and recreation images in their economic development materials. The study notes that parks and recreation contribute to economic development through business attraction, business retention and expansion and talent attraction. In addition, if a park system is designed with connections to regional destinations, it can serve to bring in additional visitors. This additional tourism can be a significant benefit to local businesses. The City’s plan will align with regional and State plans to promote outdoor recreation in the greater area.

East Side Lake Park

Connections

Connecting parks and recreational facilities to each other and the general population via trails is important to encourage safe, alternative modes of transportation. These paths can provide an important alternate means of traveling for those who prefer to bike for health or environmental reasons and for those who lack other means of transportation due to age, income or disability. Shared-use paths also provide important connections to public transit. According to the National Household Travel Survey conducted by the Federal Highway Administration, 85% of transit trips begin and end with walking and nearly one in six walking trips is made for the purpose of accessing public transit.

Impact of COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw increased usage of trails and parks that encouraged use to redesign common areas and improve pedestrian and bicycle flow to maintain social distancing. Along with the design of park and recreation spaces, we are anticipating the way in which parks are funded is going to shift moving forward –there will likely be a more diverse set of funding sources and partnerships for park and recreation projects. A final anticipated impact is the fact that parks and recreation departments are going to be prioritizing health equity and social justice in parks and programming.

Bandshell at Bandshell Community Park

“Gigantor” Robot Slide at Todd Park

CHAPTER 2

A ust I n ’ s E x I st I ng c ond I t I ons

About Austin

LOCAL & REGIONAL CONTEXT

Austin is the largest city in Mower County, in the southeast corner of Minnesota. It is about 110 miles south of the Twin Cities and 40 miles southwest of Rochester. Mower County is bordered on the north by Dodge and Olmsted Counties, on the east by Fillmore County, on the south by the Minnesota-Iowa border, and on the west by Freeborn County.

TRANSPORTATION & CIRCULATION

I-90 is the major highway that runs east-west through southern Minnesota, connecting Austin to Rochester and Albert Lea. Austin lies about 20 miles east of the intersection of I-90 and I-35, which connects Des Moines to Minneapolis. US-218 runs north-south through Mower County, intersecting with I-90 in Austin on its way to Iowa.

Many of Austin’s parks and community spaces are connected by a network of trails. Numerous paved bike trails offer recreational opportunities and connect downtown Austin to parks around the City.

DEMOGRAPHICS

This section describes some of the historic and projected demographic trends for Austin as it pertains to population, age composition, housing, and school enrollment. This includes data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), which is reported as a rolling average over a 5-year-period. Because ACD data are only estimates and contain a margin of error, they may not always represent the conditions as accurately as Census data. However, this data is generally more reliable at the County and State levels.

Population

According to the U.S. Census, Austin’s total population was 26,174 in 2020. From 1980 to 2020, Austin’s population decreased by 13.7%, contrasting Minnesota’s percentage growth of 40%. However, the City is expected to gain 3,803 residents between 2015 and 2035, representing a 15.2% increase over a twentyyear period. This projection is similar to the growth expected for Mower County (14.1%) and Minnesota (11.9%). New or enhanced parks and recreational facilities will be necessary to continue meeting the needs of Austin’s population.

Age Composition

Age composition is an important consideration in park and recreational planning, as needs and desires of individuals will vary based on their interests and

Figure 1: Age Composition of Population (ACS)

physical abilities. Figure 1 summarizes the age composition of Austin’s population in 2020 (ACS). About 27.2% of the City’s population is considered youth (less than 20 years old), with another 30% made up of retirement-age residents (55+). This number is expected to grow as the Baby Boomer population continues to age, matching trends seen across the nation. Austin’s median age is 37.9, about equal to that of 2010 and the current State median (38.1).

Race and Ethnicity

According to the 2020 Census, the majority of Austin’s population is white (68%), followed by “some other race” (9%), persons of two or more races (7.8%), Asian (7.6%), Black or African American (6%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (1%). Approximately 16.8% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. Compared to the 2010 Census, Austin has grown considerably more diverse; in this decade-long span, the percentage of white residents has decreased 18.8% and nearly all other groups’ populations have doubled or tripled in size. The population of persons of 2+ races has had the largest increase, from 2.4% in 2010 to 7.8% in 2020, followed by the population of Asian individuals (2.4% to 7.6%).

Housing

Based on 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates, there are approximately 10,097 households in the City, 30% of which include at least one child under 18 years. Austin has lost 302 households since 2010; however, the number of households with children has increased 2.4% in the same time period, indicating that more families remaining within the City are having children. The average household size in 2020 was 2.43 individuals, which is more than 2010 estimates (2.32). If Austin follows nationwide trends, this number could begin to decrease as a result of smaller family sizes, increases in life expectancy, and increases in single-family households.

Austin’s watertower and Westcott Sports Complex (operated by Austin Public Schools)

PHYSICAL CHARACTER AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES

Water Resources

The two largest bodies of water in Austin, Mill Pond and East Side Lake, are man-made and largely reserved for recreational purposes. Mill Pond is owned by the Minnesota DNR and offers multiple access points for fishing. The latter is flanked by East Side Lake Park, which contains a fishing dock and boat launch; non-electric motorboats are required to abide by established quiet hours and all boats must travel counter-clockwise around the lake.

The largest river that runs through Austin is the Cedar River, a 338-mile-long tributary of the Iowa River. The Cedar River State Water Trail runs directly through Austin into Iowa, offering optimal opportunities for canoeing/kayaking and fishing. It also serves as a boundary for many of the City’s parks, some of which contain water access points. Connecting streams within Austin include Turtle Creek, which branches out northwest from downtown, and Dobbins Creek, which branches northeast.

While Austin’s water resources provide ample recreational opportunities, they also threaten development and redevelopment patterns. Within the City, major floods have occurred at least once a decade since 1978, destroying property and interrupting the City’s function. As a result, most river-adjacent property has been bought out and converted into parkland. A floodwall project was completed in 2014 and property buy-out activities are still ongoing.

Flora and Fauna

Austin’s largest wildlife preservation area, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, offers over 500 acres of natural prairie, forests, and wetlands. It contains four distinct forests: Streamside/Floodplan Forest (silver maple, basswood, and ash), Upland Hardwood Forest (oak, walnut, hickory, elm, and maple), Historic Oak Savanna (mixed oak, black cherry, and aspen), and Pine/Spruce/Hemlock Forest. Nearly two-thirds of the Nature Center is comprised of combined prairies.

Austin has earned the Tree City USA award for 43 consecutive years, which recognizes commitments to urban forest management and development. The City supplies extensive educational materials for those interested in cultivating trees, resulting in a lush public realm.

While there are no Wildlife and/or Aquatic Management Areas located within Austin’s boundary, there are multiple within a few miles of the City: Schrafel, Cedar River, Mentel, and Schlotter. These areas are owned by the Minnesota DNR and provide designated land for hunting, wildlife observation, recreation, and conservation. Visitors can expect to see small game, deer, and water fowl.

Minnesota GreenStep

Austin is a Minnesota GreenStep City, which is a voluntary challenge, assistance, and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. The free program is based upon a menu of 29 optional best practices. Each best practice can be implemented at three different levels using a list of specific actions. The different categories the best practices fall under are Buildings, Land Use, Transportation, Environmental Managment, and Economic and Community Development. This Plan’s park recommendations will include some of the best practices from this program. Recently, the City of Austin began utilizing electric-powered equipment for park maintenance (e.g. UTVs, mowers, and trimmers) in accordance with GreenStep’s best practices.

RELEVANT PLANNING DOCUMENTS

Austin, Minnesota Comprehensive Plan

Adopted in 2019, this Plan guides the desired development patterns for the City over the comprehensive planning period. It also gives guidance to accommodate projected population, household, and employment growth; the projected land needed to serve residential, business, and industrial uses in the City; and the City’s agricultural and natural resource base. Its “Parks & Open Space” chapter outlines

multiple goals and policies for the advancement and improvement of Austin’s city-wide park and trail system, as well as calculates future parkland needs by 2035.

Trail Plan

Created in 2015, this map illustrates existing, future, and in-progress trails within and around City limits. It identifies potential connections to the Shooting Star Trail (east of the City) and the Blazing Star Trail (west towards Albert Lea), as well as Safe Routes to School Plans for local elementary and middle schools.

5-Year Capital Improvement Plan (2021-2025)

Approved in December 2020, this CIP lays out numerous projects within the City, with some aiming to improve safety, accessibility, and beauty within the parks system. Projects range from increasing ADA compliance around permanent park structures, adding batting cages to existing ball diamonds, and funding ongoing aesthetic and structural maintenance.

Vision 2020

Started in 2011, this citizen-led movement created ten priorities for the City to accomplish by 2020. These include, but are not limited to, expanding the biking/walking trail system, maintaining waterways, increasing community pride and spirit, and making downtown Austin a destination point in the area.

CITY-OWNED FACILITIES & EXISTING RECREATION PROGRAMS

The following contains information about City-owned parks, trails, and recreation programs. Descriptions and specific recommendations for each park are found in Chapter 5. The park classifications used in this plan are modified definitions used by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), described in Appendix B. The map with Austin’s existing parks and trails can be found in Appendix C.

Mini Parks

Mini parks are typically found on small lots (less than two acres) within a residential neighborhood or undeveloped plots in denser areas. They sometimes have seating areas like benches and picnic tables.

• Honor Guard Park

• Worlein Park

Neighborhood Playgrounds

Neighborhood playgrounds predominantly serve the needs of children aged 5-15 and should be walkable from adjacent residential areas. They often provide open green space, courts, shelter facilities, and play areas. Desirable size is between 2 and 4 acres.

• Cullen Park

• Decker Park

• Murphy Creek Park

• Northwest Park

• Orchard Creek Park

• Sherman Park

Neighborhood Parks

Neighborhood parks are areas for multiple – and sometimes intensive – recreational activities such as field games, court games, playground equipment, skating, group gathering, and more. Desirable size is between 3 and 10 acres.

• Bustad Park

• Early Morning Lions Park

• Galloway Park

• Kaufman Park

• South Grove Park

• Sutton Park

• Whittier Park

• Wildwood Park

Community Parks

Community parks are intended to serve many neighborhoods and often contain natural areas, water features, trails, recreational facilities, and/or picnic areas. Desirable size is between 3 and 10 acres.

• Bandshell Community Park

• Driesner Park

• East Side Lake Park

• Lafayette Park

• Rotary Centennial Park

• Shirley Theel Memorial Park

Community Play-Fields

Community play-fields serve the active needs of several neighborhoods and often contain more amenities than a park, such as pools or established fields for sporting events. Desirable size is more than 5 acres.

• Horace Austin Park

• Todd Park

Nature Preserves

Nature preserves are typically established to conserve forest lands, marshlands, floodplains, prairies, wildlife habitat, bluffland, and other areas having cultural, scenic, or natural importance. Desirable size varies, depending on function.

• Jay C. Hormel Nature Center

Sporting/Recreation Facilities

• Riverside Arena

• Packer Arena

• Marcusen Park

East Side Lake Park

Bandshell Community Park

• Austin Municipal Pool

• Riverland Community College Baseball Diamonds

Other Facilities

• Sole Fide Observatory

• Community Garden

Trails

Austin has over eight miles of walking and biking trails, as well as routes connecting the City to nearby communities. There are currently six established paths within City limits, with plans to expand path coverage and connectivity in the future. The Shirley Theel Memorial Park Path is a half-mile route located within the park of the same name, in Austin’s southwest corner. The Mill Pond Path circles Mill Pond, found just off of North Main Street, and serves as the trailhead for the Todd Park, Cedar River, and East Side Lake Bike Trails. The Cedar River Trail is 2.1 miles in length and winds through Driesner Park and Bandshell Community Park along the Cedar River; the East Side Lake Trail runs northeast to East Side Lake then down to Driesner Park, where it connects to the Cedar River Trail. The Todd Park Trail is 2.4 miles in length and continues north from downtown to Todd Park; the Wildwood Park Trail is 1.25 miles in length and extends from Todd Park to Wildwood Park.

The Shooting Star State Trail, operated by the Minnesota DNR, is a 29-mile paved bike route that runs from LeRoy and Austin, traversing Lake Louise State Park and the communities of Toapi, Adams, and Rose Creek. Cyclists can access the trail on the City’s eastern edge. A proposed trail on the City’s western edge also aims to connect Austin to the Blazing Star Trail, which currently runs 6 miles from Albert Lea to Myre-Big Island State Park.

Community Enrichment Programming

Community enrichment is offered by the Austin Community Learning Center and the City of Austin Public Schools through the “Community Education” program. The program offers a wide array of activities including health and wellness classes, arts and crafts tutorials, and day trips to nearby destinations. Recreational activities offered have included (but are not limited to) yoga, CrossFit, Tae Kwon Do, and pickleball.

FACILITIES NOT OWNED BY THE CITY

While semi-private or privately-owned facilities may be open to the general public, the City has no control over its maintenance or usage.

• Mower County Fairgrounds Soccer Fields

• YMCA at ACRC

• Austin Country Club (private facility)

SCHOOL FACILITIES

Schools can also fulfill local park needs in communities, as they provide many of the same facilities found in neighborhood parks like playground equipment and athletic fields.

• Packer Dome/Wescott Field

• Paulson Tennis Courts

• Playgrounds at Banfield, Southgate, and Neveln Elementary Schools

• Tennis courts at Neveln Elementary School

CURRENT COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Austin River Recreation Park

The City of Austin is considering a project that would convert a segment of the Cedar River into a river recreation park – the first in Minnesota. The project would be located between the south pedestrian bridge on Mill Pond and the Oakland Ave bridge, filling the current recreational gap between Horace Austin Park and Early Morning Lions Park. If completed, it will accommodate numerous water-oriented activities like kayaking, paddle-boarding, tubing, fishing, and wading.

In March 2023, Austin’s City Council approved funding for a feasibility study to determine whether the Cedar River could support a whitewater park. The study includes $10,000 in grants, which, along with other private investments, will pay for resources that could aid in project implementation.

In August 2023, the City partnered with Recreation Engineering and Planning (REP) to complete the feasibility study and develop a conceptual design for the river recreation park. According to the study document, the proposed design aims to:

• Appeal to the widest-cross section of users possible, including visitors of all abilities, preferred activities, and experience levels;

• Enable fish passage and improve aquatic/riparian habitats;

• Maintain the surface level of Mill Pond; and

• Provide ADA accessible trails for viewing, river access, fishing, walking, and casual biking.

Based on the conceptual design, REP generated a planning-level cost estimate of approximately $10 million (actual construction costs may be between $7 million and $15 million). This would include dam modification, drop structures, riverbank terracing, trail improvements, and other site modifications. The plan recommends further site design/ analysis and a geotechnical investigation to identify bedrock elevations in the project area, which would help solidify the cost estimate.

Right: Full conceptual design (source: REP)

Below: Perspective view of conceptual design (source: REP)

Mountain Bike Skills Course

The Southern Minnesota Bicycling Club (SMBC), a local nonprofit cycling organization, is spearheading a project to develop an off-road, single-track mountain bike skills development area near the existing Schindler’s Way mountain bike trail. The latter trail was built in 2015 in collaboration with the City of Austin, Hormel Foods, and the SMBC; it has become the main training area for Austin’s middle school and high school mountain biking teams and a host location of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association races.

According to the proposal, this new skills course will “offer riders of all experience levels the ability to practice valuable skills including bike handling, balancing, jumping, and corning/turning in a safe, fun, and controlled environment.” The course could include features like berms, rollers, jumps, skinny rails, and drop-ins (see pictures below). Like other sustainable bike trails, this course would be implemented in such a way to minimize trail erosion and maintenance needs, as well as use natural materials whenever possible to blend into the surrounding landscape.

The course would be divided into three areas based on skill level, with the “beginner” skills area closest to the Schindler’s Way trailhead and paved trail to encourage engagement from through traffic. Pending land use approval by Hormel Foods, the proposed areas will be located in the southern section of the large open field across from Todd Park and on both sides of the trailhead.

While this project would not be located within City-owned land, this Master Plan may be amended –following acquisition of Hormel Foods’ and City approval, design development, and fundraising – to reflect this expansion of Austin’s outdoor recreation opportunities.

Todd Park

Proposed skills course location

Downtown Austin

Berm

Skinny rail

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PARK REGIONS

COMPREHENSIVE PARKS, RECREATION, AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN PARK DISTRICTS

CITY OF AUSTIN

MOWER COUNTY, MINNESOTA

This Park Regions map was devised during the planning process to organize Austin’s parks and aid in identification during engagement activities. The Central/River Park Region, marked in red, encompasses an interconnected network of green space throughout central Austin that often does not have clear boundaries between parks; therefore, viewing this network as one entity helped simplify the process of drafting, prioritizing, and identifying funding for improvement recommendations.

CHAPTER 3

g o A ls A nd s tr A t E g IE s

Goals and Strategies

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this Plan is to guide the development of parks, recreation, open space, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Austin. Goals are presented here as desired outcomes. Strategies include both actions and policy rules to achieve these goals.

GOAL 1: CONCENTRATE AUSTIN’S RESOURCES TOWARDS IMPROVING PROMINENT PARKS

Strategies:

• Ensure that amenities in prominent parks have consistent open hours and consistent maintenance.

• Develop and maintain “destination” facilities for sporting activities, such as fields and courts.

• Consider removing underutilized amenities in neighborhood parks to reallocate maintenance costs to prominent park improvements.

• Continue to maintain grounds and basic playground equipment of neighborhood parks while looking to promote broader utilization in prominent parks as appropriate.

GOAL 2: ENSURE THAT PARKS AND FACILITIES ARE ACCESSIBLE AND SAFE FOR RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES

Strategies:

• Encourage ongoing citizen participation in the planning and development of park and open space facilities.

• Provide ADA-compliant, barrier-free access in all new or improved park facilities, play areas, and sports field areas.

• Continue to pursue City/school/sports organization development projects to help expand community outdoor recreational opportunities in a cost-effective manner.

• Ensure that parks and recreational facilities are well-lit, have clear sightlines, and safe adjacent crossings.

GOAL 3: PRESERVE THE CIVIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF AUSTIN’S EXISTING GREEN SPACE

Strategies:

• Provide undeveloped open spaces that assist in the conservation of ecologically sensitive areas.

• Coordinate local efforts with other public agencies and private partners to protect valuable natural resources through donations, procurement of easements, acquisitions, and purchase of development rights; make these lands available for passive recreation where appropriate.

• Manage vegetation in natural areas by removing and controlling non-native, invasive spaces.

• Maintain and improve Austin’s waterfronts for safe recreational use and utilization by natural wildlife.

GOAL 4: ENHANCE CONNECTIVITY AND ACCESSIBILITY BETWEEN AUSTIN’S PARKS AND BETWEEN ADJACENT COMMUNITIES

Strategies:

• Improve wayfinding within and around trail system, as well as increase visibility of trailheads.

• Continue to plan and implement school connection trails throughout Austin.

• Facilitate safe crossing across high-speed roadways, such as I-90 and Oakland Place.

• Continue to expand Austin’s network of interconnected, non-motorized trails to promote connectivity between parks, neighborhoods, and public amenities.

• Continue to participate in regional park/trail planning initiatives, including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Sunrise at Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Source: Steven Conradt

CHAPTER 4

A n A lys I s of n EE ds A nd d E m A nds

Analysis of Needs and Demands

This chapter presents an analysis of how well Austin’s existing parks and recreation facilities satisfy current needs. The adaquacy of the City’s park and recreation systems are evaluated using the following methods:

• Quantitative Analysis – A comparison of existing parkland acreage and population projections versus parks and recreational agencies across the U.S., including a review of the amount of parkland available to City residents.

• Geographic Analysis – An analysis of the geographic distribution of park facilities within the City.

• Qualitative Analysis – A summary of public input regarding City parks and recreational facilities gathered through the community input survey, County Fair pop-up event, and feedback from community organizations that use the City’s parks.

• Regional and State Insights – A summary of the demand trends in recreational amenities at the regional and state level.

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

An analysis of existing recreational land area is provided to determine if the recreational needs of residents are being met. This analysis is limited to an evaluation of City-owned parkland and does not include trails located outside of these parks.

Park Acreage Level of Service

Level of service analysis is a standard evaluation of park acreage across most park agencies. Level of service is calculated as total acres of parkland provided per 1,000 residents. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) developed a set of standards over two decades ago for the amount of parkland a community should strive to obtain. Recently, NRPA has shifted away from the use of park standards because there is no single set of standards that accommodates the uniqueness found in every community across the country. Instead, NRPA now collects information from Parks and Recreation departments across the U.S., such as residents per park, budgets, staffing, and park amenities. This data is organized by jurisdiction size so communities can see metrics typical of their peers.

Austin currently has 965.3 acres of parkland, with 570 acres coming from Jay C. Hormel Nature Center alone. According to NRPA’s 2022 Agency Performance Review, for agencies with populations between 20,000 and 49,000, the lower quartile is 5.4 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents and the upper quartile is 17.2 acres. Including the Nature Center, Austin offers 35.4 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents –

Total Park Acreage Surplus/Deficit (in acres)

Figure 2: Park Acreage Surplus & Deficit Calculations

considerably higher than the upper quartile. When all acreage from the Nature Center is removed from the calculation, Austin still offers 16.1 acres per 1,000 residents, which is well within the acceptable range of parkland for a community Austin’s size. Whether including or excluding the Nature Center, the City has a high level of service in regards to park acreage.

Figure 2 summarizes the current and projected supply and demand for total parkland acreage based on the City’s population and the upper quartile limit of 17.2 acres per 1,000 residents. Population projections from 2025-2040 were taken from Austin’s Comprehensive Plan (adopted in 2016), so estimated numbers may not reflect Austin’s exact population. The total supply of parkland in the table has been rounded from 395.3 (acreage excluding Jay C. Hormel Nature Center) to 500.0 acres to accommodate the spaces in the Nature Center that are reserved for passive or active recreational activities (namely walking trails). This way, surplus/deficit calculations will not consider conservation-oriented acreage in the Nature Center as space with recreational potential.

With this adjustment of park acreage supply in mind, even as Austin’s population continues to increase through 2040, there will always be a surplus of parkland as the City continues to seek the upper quartile limit of acceptable level of service (17.2 acres per 1,000 residents). This analysis suggests that the City may not need to acquire additional parkland through the year 2040 to maintain this high standard. Acquiring additional parkland in areas with expected future development, such as the northern edge and area adjacent to the Municipal Airport, may be needed to maintain park accessibility within walking distance; however, it is not necessary to solely maintain the acreage level of service.

Outdoor Facilities

Figure 3 compares the suggested number of outdoor facilities in each category to the current number of facilities in Austin. The suggested number was calculated by taking Austin’s 2022 population (26,174) and dividing it by the median number of residents per facility (from the 2022 NRPA Agency Performance Review). Based on these calculations, there are gaps in City-owned court sports facilities (tennis and pickleball courts) and golf facilities (courses and driving ranges). However, City residents can utilize tennis courts operated by the Austin School District and drive five miles north to the public Meadow Greens Golf Course. The only facility type in the table with no semi-public alternative is pickleball courts.

Figure 3: Outdoor Facility Gap Calculations

Indoor Facilities

Opportunities for indoor recreation are as important as outdoor recreation. This is especially true considering Minnesota’s winter months, when it can be challenging or less desireable for people to go to local parks and trails. The City directly manages two indoor ice skating facilities, Riverside Arena and Packer Arena, and collaborates with several community organizations that utilize indoor facilities. The City partners with Austin Public Schools for community education programming (e.g. health and wellness classes, arts and crafts tutorials, and day trips); many of these classes take place at the Community Learning Center. The school district also manages Packer Dome, which is available for rent when not in use by school-sponsored teams. The YMCA at ACRC (Austin Community Recreation Center) is a prominent recreational facility within downtown Austin, offering youth sports teams, workout equipment, and childcare.

Data from NRPA’s 2022 Agency Performance Review shows that 64% of all agencies nationwide have recreation centers, 60% have community centers, 41% have senior centers, and 31% have nature centers. The City manages Jay C. Hormel Nature Center and its indoor Interpretive Center, and partners with other organizations to fill other indoor space needs.

Trails

The City manages or maintains approximately 22 miles of biking and hiking trails. The 2022 Agency Performance Review shows that in communities with 20,000-49,000 residents, the median miles of maintained trails is 8.0 miles; the lower quartile is 4.0 miles and the upper quartile is 18.0. In addition to City-managed trails, Austin is also connected to the inter-city Shooting Star trail. Austin’s residents are well-served by trails compared to peer communities.

GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

Park Proximity

NRPA, in partnership with the Trust for Public Land and the Urban Land Institute, promotes the 10-Minute Walk Campaign (https://10minutewalk.org), which advocates for “a great park within a 10-minute walk of every person, in every neighborhood, in every city across America.” In many communities, this principle is a helpful tool in evaluating the spatial relationship between parks and residents.

Using the 10-Minute Walk framework, the Park Service Areas map in Appendix C indicates approximate areas of the city that are within a ten-minute walk of a park (approximately 0.5 miles), as well as a fiveminute walk (approximately 0.25 miles). This map shows that a large majority of the City is well-served by existing parks, with the exception of the northern-most and western-most points and the residential area directly west of Austin Municipal Airport. However, the latter contains Ellis Middle School, I.J. Holton Intermediate School, and Neveln Elementary School and their associated recreational grounds.

As outlined in Chapter 3, the City of Austin plans to prioritize improvements in prominent parks in order to create recreational destinations for residents throughout the community. Because of this, the 10-Minute Walk principle may not be the most applicable measure of park access and experience.

Facility Distribution

An analysis of the distribution of specific amenities within the parks was also performed. The Park Facilities Distribution Map in Appendix C shows:

• There are currently no City-owned tennis court facilities in Austin. Both public tennis facilities in the City are owned by the Austin School District, with the Neveln Elementary School courts located on the east side and the Austin Tennis Courts located centrally.

• Most neighborhood parks throughout the City contain at least one ball diamond. Todd Park to the north and Marcusen Park (located within Lafayette Park) offer designated competition facilities with bleachers and amenities.

• Austin’s two indoor ice skating facilities, Packer Arena and Riverside Arena, are located within a block of each other downtown. There are two parks that contain outdoor, seasonal skating rinks –

Galloway Park and Kaufman Park – meaning that residents outside of downtown have to commute to a city-owned skating facility.

• The City’s only volleyball courts are located in Todd Park and Early Morning Lions Park; both are for sand volleyball so they are only open seasonally.

• Most of the City’s walking/biking trails are concentrated in downtown Austin (through the parks lining the Cedar River) and the northeastern corner (in Todd Park and Jay C. Hormel Nature Center). Future plans to expand the trail network should consider the western half of the City for enhanced connectivity.

• The Austin Dog Park is the only fenced-in, off-leash pet exercise area in the City. Other public offleash areas are either centrally-located (Whittier Park and Lafayette Park) or located in the north or east (Northwest Park and East Side Lake Park). More off-leash areas could be added in the south or west.

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

Park planning and visioning allows communities to better serve their residents’ needs and priorities. Inclusive, innovative and engaging community outreach was a foundation to this planning process. The project team incorporated different opportunities for engaging Austin’s community members, with flexible options for participation. We understand that not everyone has the time to attend City meetings or is comfortable voicing their opinion in front of others in a public setting. Providing different strategies and tools for receiving input allows everyone a chance to become actively involved in the discussion.

Mower County Fair Pop-Up Engagement Event

On August 12, 2022, MSA and Austin Parks and Recreation staff set up a booth at the Mower County Fair to spread awareness of the online survey and gather ideas for potential improvements in Austin’s parks, trails, and recreational offerings. Numerous City residents and visitors stopped by the booth to share their ideas and participate in engagement activities. These activities included placing green and red stickers on a visual preference board of potential amenities and jotting thoughts next to images of existing City recreational destinations. Some reemerging themes from the pop-up include:

Discussing the visioning exercise board at the Mower County Fair Pop-Up

• Dredge and clean up the waterfront in East Side Lake Park

• More biking trails throughout City

• Offer more recreational opportunities for teens and young adults

• More indoor recreational facilities to use during the cold winter months

• Add a dog-oriented splash pad at the Dog Park

• Make playgrounds/amenities more ADA accessible

• Clean up the splash pad and shallow pool at the Austin City Pool

• Schedule more bandshell events that accommodate young children’s routines

Survey

As part of the planning process, a survey was distributed to gauge residents’ preferences, opinions, and feedback on Austin’s park facilities and recreational opportunities. In total, the survey received 634 responses. About two-thirds of respondents said that they have lived in Austin for more than 15 years. Almost one-third of respondents were between the age of 35 and 44, and approximately 68% were between the ages of 25 and 54; the next largest group was those aged 55-64 at 9.46%. While those under 18 years old and over 75 were under-represented in this survey, the project team was able to gather more of their feedback at in-person engagement events like the Mower County Fair pop-up and the open house. 57.7% of respondents said that they have children under the age of 18 living in their home.

The survey is a key component of analyzing recreation needs and demands in the city, and the following is a summary of responses and findings.

General Use

Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents preferred Todd Park and Jay C. Hormel Nature Center to other parks within Austin; Bandshell Community Park received the next highest number of votes with 8.2% of respondents. Over half of respondents said that they would rather drive to a big park with many amenities than walk to a neighborhood park, compared to the 38.3% that preferred the opposite.

This sentiment is also reflected in respondents’ rankings of fund-allocating options. “I prefer the City focus on several prominent parks for major improvements and maintain all of the City’s parks” ranked the highest with an average score of 3.42 out of 4; “I prefer the City focus on smaller improvements in all the parks and maintain all of the City’s parks” ranked second with an average score of 3.03. Multiple respondents asserted that they were opposed to the City selling its undeveloped parkland, instead suggesting to convert such land into conservation prairies and pollinator gardens.

The most common activities or facilities respondents participate in at City parks included:

• Walking (61.8%)

• Playground Equipment (51.4%)

• Picnic Shelters/Pavilions (37.1%)

• Biking/Mountain Biking (34.9%)

Park Amenities

While specific park recommendations are discussed in Chapter 5, there were multiple recurring suggestions throughout Austin’s park system. These amenity categories are reflected in Figure 4. Numerous respondents expressed concern towards the existing state of the City’s playground equipment, suggesting that the majority of the equipment be maintained or replaced due to continuous use, lack of maintenance, and/or vandalism. Additionally, respondents called for the sand bases in all of Austin’s parks to be replaced with rubber pads to increase accessibility and safety. Enhanced wheelchair accessibility and variety of play options for toddlers and young kids also came up frequently.

Minnesota

Ball Diamonds

Park Landscaping

Fitness Stations

Volleyball Courts

Fishing Spots

Parks Furnishings

Picnic Facilities

Pickleball Courts

Splash Pad

Canoeing/Kayaking Areas

Swimming Pool

Walking/Biking Trails

Restroom Facilities

Playground Equipment

# of Votes

Figure 4: “Which existing recreational amenities would you like to be improved or expanded?”

Austin Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Trails Plan Survey

Many respondents also suggested additional park furniture and restroom facilities. Park visitors would benefit from additional trash cans, bike racks, charcoal grills, and drinking fountains in all of Austin’s parks since they would encourage safe, sanitary, and comfortable usage of the recreation spaces. While some parks have permanent restroom structures or portable toilets, more structures and frequent maintenance would enable more park usage for longer durations.

Recreational Facilities

Austin has numerous parks of varying sizes, many of which contain recreational facilities like ball diamonds and basketball hoops. As with Austin’s playground equipment, respondents called attention to urgent maintenance needs at many ball diamonds, disc golf course holes, volleyball courts, and outdoor skating rinks. These needs are outlined in Chapter 5.

When asked what recreational amenities should be added to City parks, common answers included:

• Designated pickleball courts

• Designated curling ice

• Indoor recreation options (e.g. mini-golf, indoor batting cages, climbing wall)

• Dedicated caneball/sepak takraw courts

• Fitness stations

Recreational Programming

Nearly half of respondents said that a member of their household participated in City-sponsored recreation programs in the last year. Of these programs, Open Swim, swimming lessons, Open Skate, and soccer were the most popular; 31% of respondents also reported regularly attending Austin Bruins games. The sports clubs with the highest reported participation were Youth Hockey, Youth Baseball, and Youth Soccer. However, when asked if the City’s current variety of recreation programs meet the needs of their households, 43.9% said “no” or “unsure”; the most common reasons included:

• Middle-of-the-day youth leagues are difficult for working parents who have to transport their children.

• There are not enough sports offerings for young children, teens and young adults, and adults.

• There are not enough age-appropriate ball diamonds for baseball practices.

• City-sponsored leagues are cost-prohibitive.

When asked to identify new potential City-sponsored activities, top responses included:

• Wider variety of sports league offerings for all ages (e.g. pickleball, basketball, football, disc golf, fishing, trap shooting, caneball).

• Inclusive sports leagues (adaptive sports, neurodivergent-friendly).

• Sports-based summer programs/day camps.

• Women-only sports leagues.

• All-ages family activities, especially those engaging for toddlers.

• Plant identification and preparation courses (in tandem with Austin’s community garden).

Water Recreation

47.8% of respondents reported that they do not interact with bodies of water in Austin (namely Mill Pond, East Side Lake, and Cedar River); many cited water pollution as an urgent concern and deterrent. Before amenities can be added to Austin’s waterways, they said, these water bodies should be cleaned and dredged to encourage more amenity usage in the future.

For those that utilize Austin’s water bodies, canoeing/kayaking and fishing were the most popular activities. Respondents suggested many ideas for how to enhance Austin’s waterways for recreation and enjoyment, including:

• Splash pad(s) that are free and open separately from Austin’s public pool.

• Canoe/kayak/paddleboat rental at Mill Pond and East Side Lake.

• Designated public water access for canoes and kayaks.

• Designated beach and swimming area.

• Restock Mill Pond and East Side Lake with fish.

Trails and Mobility

46% of respondents reported walking or running 3 or more times per week, and 12.6% reported biking for exercise the same frequency. Many respondents said that they would love to see more walking and biking paths throughout Austin, especially in the southwestern and northwestern part of the City. Others said that the City should prioritize increasing connectivity between existing trails; they reported abrupt trail endings and unclear connections to other trailheads. Additionally, they suggested adding an enhanced wayfinding system to Austin’s trails and parks, with arrows and maps to direct pedestrians and cyclists to nearby trails.

Safety was an overarching concern in most responses. Many respondents said that they do not feel safe on City roads due to a lack of protected, well-marked, or even existent bike lanes; they often have to cross busy traffic to reach trailheads and amenities. They also pointed out the safety issues with crossing I-90 and other busy, fast-moving roadways.

Open House

On April 20, 2023, a Community Open House event was held at Jay C. Hormel Nature Center to collect input on the drafted park improvement recommendations. Multiple interactive stations were set up to allow visitors to learn more about the project and offer feedback on their own time. One station allowed attendees to vote on their favorite park regions and general improvement categories (accessibility, playfields, trails & connections, etc.); another station prompted attendees to vote on their preferred specific park improvements at some of Austin’s “destination” parks. Other stations illustrated the quantitative analysis from earlier in this chapter, shared information about the Whitewater Project and mountain biking courses, and updated visitors on the project’s objectives and progress.

Minnesota

At each voting station, there was clear support and enthusiasm for adding amenities for caneball, volleyball, and pickleball. At the general park/improvement category station, these amenities were written in by attendees and received more votes than the initial categories; otherwise, “trails & connections”, “Nature Center”, and “playfields & recreation” received the most votes. At the specific park recommendation station, the most popular recommendations were as follows:

• Todd Park: “Install caneball court” (311 votes), “Install non-sand volleyball courts” (225 votes), “Level soccer fields” (51 votes).

• Bandshell Community Park: “Construct ramp leading to bandshell stage, pave sidewalk leading to ramp/stairs” (10 votes).

• Horace Austin Park: “Replace Cedar River dam with whitewater park, add fish ladders” (34 votes), “Plan educational pollinator/rain garden in grass east of playground” (13 votes).

• Jay C. Hormel Nature Center: “Dredge Dobbins Creek to accommodate canoe/kayak rental program” (13 votes), “Install accessible outdoor restroom facility along trails” (12 votes).

• East Side Lake Park: “Create swimming beach along east edge of East Side Lake” (35 votes).

• Rotary Centennial Park: “Install designated pickleball courts” (279 votes).

STATE INSIGHT

Insights from the Minnesota Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), 2020-2024 The Minnesota SCORP includes four strategic initiatives, each with a set of strategies to provide further structure. These four initiatives provide statewide priorities for outdoor recreation:

• Connect people and the outdoors. This priority will be accomplished by focusing on creating a welcoming environment, access, awareness, quality, programming and special events, and partnerships.

• Acquire land and create opportunities. This priority will be accomplished by focusing on strategic acquisitions, and development and redevelopment.

• Take care of what we have. This priority will be accomplished by protecting the public’s investment in existing infrastructure and natural resources, and maintaining the quality of natural resources.

• Coordinate among partners. This priority will be accomplished by ensuring enhanced, integrated, and accessible information for outdoor recreation users; enhanced coordination at the regional and site levels; enhanced coordination among the four legacy funds; and enhanced coordination with other agencies, organizations, and non-profits.

Great attendance at the Open House!

CHAPTER 5

r E comm E nd A t I ons

Recommendations

The analysis discussed in Chapter 4 reveals the need for improvements to existing facilities and additional trail connections. It should be noted that some of the recommendations may require cooperation with others, including (but not limited to) the citizens of Austin, local civic and business associations, and State agencies. In nearly every case, more detailed planning, engineering, study, budgeting, and/or discussion will be necessary before decisions are made to improve parks or construct new recreational facilities.

The recommendations of this plan are divided into four major sections: (1) existing park facilities; (2) new parks facilities; (3) trail improvements; and (4) additional improvements.

The timeline for completion of recommendations is noted within each table of recommendations. High priority items should occur in the next 1-3 years (2026), Medium priority items should occur over the next three to five years (2028), and low priority items may not be completed within the next five years; however, initial planning activities may occur to bring these items closer to completion. Due to budgetary constraints, it is unlikely that all of the recommendations within this chapter will be implemented in the next five years. Maintenance and improvement projects will be prioritized on an annual basis by City staff in conjunction with Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board and City Council.

EXISTING PARK FACILITIES

The following pages contain spreads dedicated to each existing park in Austin. Each spread includes general information, facilities (and approximate install dates), and recommendations for improvements to existing parks. These improvements were generated through engagement with City staff, the Parks and Recreation Board, public feedback, and on-site observation. The parks are divided into sections based on their classification (see Appendix B for the Park and Open Space Classifications created by the National Recreation and Park Association) then organized alphabetically within each section. The sections are as follows:

Miniature Parks

Neighborhood Playgrounds

Neighborhood Parks

Community Parks

Community Play-Fields

Nature Preserves

Special Purpose Parks and Sporting Facilities

Honor Guard Park

This miniature park is located in northeast Austin, at the intersection of Hormel Drive and 8th Street NE. It honors military service members and their families, containing a walking path, a flagpole with surrounding benches, and commemorative plaques.

Park Amenities

• Bike/Biking Trail

• Sitting Area

• Flagpole

RECOMMENDATION

No recommended improvements at this time.

Engagement Feedback

No specific feedback was received for this park.

Immediate (0-2 Years) Short-Term (2-5 Years) Long-Term (5+ Years)

Worlein Park

Perhaps the smallest in Austin, this miniature park is nestled between Main Street North and 1st Drive NW. It has benches surrounded by landscaping and public art installations.

Park Amenities

• Benches

• Public Art Installations

RECOMMENDATION

No recommended improvements at this time.

Engagement Feedback

No specific feedback was received for this park.

Cullen Park

This neighborhood playground is located in Austin’s south end on Turtle Creek, near Bustad Park. It is accessible from 11th Avenue SW. It has a small playground and picnic tables.

Park Amenities

• Playground Equipment

• Picnic tables

RECOMMENDATION

No recommended improvements at this time.

Engagement Feedback

No specific feedback was received for this park.

Immediate (0-2 Years) Short-Term (2-5 Years) Long-Term (5+ Years)

Decker Park

This neighborhood playground is on Austin’s east end, in a residential area near the intersection of I-90 and US-218. It is accessible from 7th Avenue NE, 19th Street NE, and 6th Avenue NE. It contains a basketball court, playground equipment, picnic tables, and open green space.

Park Amenities

• Playground Equipment

• Basketball Court

• Picnic tables Engagement Feedback

• Renovate basketball court

• Fix burn holes in playground equipment

• Add play area for younger children to fill gap in age-appropriate areas in this city quandrant

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Repave basketball court and replace hoops

Add tot lot to playground area

Add tot lot to playground area

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Repave basketball court and replace hoops

Murphy Creek Park

This neighborhood playground is located in a residential area in Austin’s west end, at the intersection of 24th Avenue NW and 25th Avenue NW. It has a gazebo, playground equipment, basketball hoops, and open green space.

Park Amenities

• Gazebo

• Playground Equipment

• Basketball hoops

RECOMMENDATION

No recommended improvements at this time.

Engagement Feedback

• Fix broken equipment in tot lot

Immediate (0-2 Years) Short-Term (2-5 Years) Long-Term (5+ Years)

Northwest Park

This neighborhood playground is located in a residential area in Austin’s north end, just south of I-90. It is accessible from 12th Avenue NW, 12th Street NW, and 15th Avenue NW. It contains a ball field, playground equipment, and open green space.

Park Amenities

• Pavilions

• Picnic Tables

• Playground Equipment

• Ball Field

• Dog Exercise Area

Extend sidewalk along west side of 12th Street NW to 13th Avenue NW

Engagement Feedback

No specific feedback was received for this park.

Replace aging playground equipment

Extend sidewalk along west side of 12th Street NW to 13th Avenue NW

This neighborhood playground is located in Austin’s southwest corner, at the edge of a residential neighborhood. It is accessible from 26th Street SW and 16th Avenue SW. It has a gazebo, playground equipment, and open green space.

Park Amenities

• Gazebo (with electricity)

• Playground Equipment

• Pond

Orchard Creek Park RECOMMENDATION

No recommended improvements at this time.

Engagement Feedback

No specific feedback was received for this park.

Sherman Park

This neighborhood playground is in northwest Austin, adjacent to Riverland Community College. It is accessible from 6th Avenue NW and 7th Avenue NW. It has numerous recreational activities, such as basketball and tennis courts, a baseball field, and seasonal skating rink.

Park Amenities

• Restrooms

• Basketball Court

• Tennis Court

• Picnic Shelter

• Playground Equipment

• Ball Field

• Walking/Biking Trails

RECOMMENDATION

Restripe basketball court

Replace bathroom building with small pavilion

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Add additional benches and picnic tables throughout park

Add light poles throughout park

Engagement Feedback

• Clear discarded waste on hill west of baseball field

Immediate (0-2 Years)

(2-5 Years)

(5+ Years)

Short-Term $200k-500k

Long-Term

Long-Term

Long-Term

$50k-200k

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Replace bathroom building with small pavilion

Add additional benches and picnic tables throughout park

Add light poles throughout park

Restripe basketball court

Bustad Park

This neighborhood park is located in a residential area in the southern end of Austin, on the corner of 8th Street SW and 14th Avenue SW. A walking path runs through the park to nearby Turtle Creek. Bustad Park also contains a ball field, playground equipment, picnic tables, and open green space.

Park Amenities

• Playground Equipment

• Ball Field Engagement Feedback

• Replace run-down equipment

• Improve overhead lighting

RECOMMENDATION

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Install vault toilet along walking trail

Install dog waste receptacles along walking trail

Add tot lot to playground area

Pave sidewalk leading from 8th Street SW to playground

Install light poles along walking paths and play

Pave sidewalk leading from 7th St SW to playground

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Add tot lot to playground area

Install dog waste receptacles along walking trail

Install light poles along walking paths and play areas

Install vault toilet along walking trail

Early Morning Lions Park

This neighborhood park is located in east Austin in the Central/River Park Region, connected to Dreisner Park. It is accessible from 1st Avenue NE, 8th Street NE, Oakland Avenue, and the Cedar River Bike Trail. It is sponsored by the Early Morning Lions Club of Austin. It contains seasonal sand volleyball courts, playground equipment, restrooms, and picnic areas.

Park Amenities

• Pavilions (with electricity)

• Picnic Tables

• Playground Equipment

• Restrooms

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Sand Volleyball Courts

Engagement Feedback

• Loitering and suspicious behavior makes park feel unsafe, especially at night

Replace swing sets (2)

Based on feasibility study, complete design for safety lighting and connections to whitewater park/Cedar River

Add light poles around parking lot/buildings

Clear trees and prepare park to be accessible and connected to whitewater park (if applicable)

Replace swing sets (2)

Clear trees and prepare park to be accessible and connected to whitewater park (if applicable)

Add light poles around parking lot/buildings

Based on feasibility study, complete design for safety lighting and connections to whitewater park/Cedar River

Galloway Park

This neighborhood park takes up a city block in central Austin, surrounded by 2nd and 3rd Avenue SW and 9th and 8th Street SW. Its convenient location makes it a great neighborhood resource, containing seasonal skating rinks and playground equipment.

Park Amenities

• Ice Skating Rink

• Warming House

• Playground Equipment

• Backstop Engagement Feedback

• Clean graffiti and run-down equipment

• Loitering makes park feel unsafe

RECOMMENDATION

No recommended improvements at this time.

Kaufman Park

This neighborhood park is located in a residential area in Austin’s southeast corner, between 8th Street SE and a railroad track. It has playground equipment, a seasonal skating rink, and picnic tables.

Park Amenities

• Ice Skating Rinks

• Warming House

• Picnic Shelter

• Plaground Equipment

• Backstop

• Water Fountain

Engagement Feedback

• Maintain run-down equipment

RECOMMENDATION

PRIORITY

Immediate (0-2 Years) Short-Term (2-5 Years) Long-Term (5+ Years)

Replace aging/broken playground equipment Medium Short-Term $50k-500k

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material Low Long-Term

Pave path from sidewalk to playground area Low Long-Term

Convert ice rink to soccer area in warm months Low Long-Term

Convert ice rink to soccer area in warm months

Replace aging/broken playground equipment

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Pave path from sidewalk to playground area

South Grove Park

This neighborhood park is located in a residential area in Austin’s south end. It is accessible from 21st Avenue SW, 9th Street SW, 22nd Avenue SW, and 4th Drive SW. It contains basketball courts, ball fields, and open green space.

Park Amenities

• Pavillions

• Picnic Tables

• Playground Equipment

• Basketball Courts

• Ball Field

• Grills

Engagement Feedback

• Add more picnic tables and/or covered gathering areas

• Update basketball court

• Update tennis courts

• Add playground equipment for older children

Pave

Restripe lines on basketball court

Expand and repave picnic areas

Add restroom facility

sidewalk leading to basketball courts

Sutton Park

This neighborhood park is located on the corner of Oakland Place SE and 12th Street SE, on the east side of Austin in the Central/River Park Region. It is primarily open green space with playground equipment.

Park Amenities

• Pavilion

• Playground Equipment

RECOMMENDATION

Add

dog waste receptacles to walking

Engagement Feedback

No specific feedback was received for this park.

Add more dog waste receptacles to walking trail

Repair fire pit

Whittier Park

This neighborhood park is located in central Austin in the Central/River Park Region, across Cedar River from Driesner Park. It is accessible from County Highway 29 and Oakland Avenue East. It contains walking trails, seating areas, and green space. Because of its location on the Cedar River, there is also a shoreland restoration prairie with an accompanying walking trail.

Park Amenities

• Shoreland Restoration Prairie

• Dog Exercise Area

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Benches

Add additional benches and dog waste receptacles to walking trail

Engagement Feedback

• Improve overhead path lighting

Add additional benches and dog waste receptacles to walking trail

Wildwood Park

This neighborhood park is located in Austin’s north end, just north of 1-90 and across the Cedar River from Oakwood Cemetery. It has playground equipment, a ball field, and green space with prairie grass.

Park Amenities

• Playground Equipment

• Ball Field

• Walking/Biking Trails

RECOMMENDATION

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Engagement Feedback

• Clear wasp nests throughout year

• Update playground equipment

(0-2 Years)

(2-5 Years)

(5+ Years)

Add light posts to walking path

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Bandshell Community Park

This community park is one of the largest in Austin, located across the Cedar River from Lafayette Park in the Central/River Park Region. It is accessible from 1st Street SW, 9th Place SW, County Highway 23, and the Cedar River Bike Trail. It has many community amenities, including a bandshell, dog park, pavilion, and playground equipment.

Park Amenities

• Bandshell (with electricity)

• Pavilion

• Picnic tables

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Sledding Hill

Add wheelchair-accessible swing set to playground area

Construct ramp leading to bandshell stage, pave sidewalk leading to ramp/stairs

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Install bike fix-it station near Veterans Pavilion

Complete feasibility study and design for pond restoration and educational feature

Create pond restoration project with educational element

Engagement Feedback

• Add shade to audience seating area by bandshell

• Add ramp leading to stage

Install bike fix-it station near Veterans Pavilion

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Add wheelchair-accessible swing set to playground area

Complete feasibility study and design for pond restoration and educational feature Create pond restoration project with educational element

Construct ramp leading to bandshell stage, pave sidewalk leading to ramp/stairs

Driesner Park

Driesner Park is located in central Austin in the Central/River Park Region, adjacent to Sutton Park and Rotary Centennial Park and across Cedar River from Whittier Park. It is accessible from Oakland Place SE, 10th Drive SE, and the Cedar River and East Side Lake Bike Trails. It contains a frisbee golf course, ball field, playground equipment, and plenty of walking and biking trails.

Park Amenities

• Frisbee Golf

• Ball Field

• Pavilion

• Playground Equipment

• Picnic Tables

• Walking/Biking Trails

No recommended improvements at this time.

Engagement Feedback

• Add permanent or portable restroom

• Replace tee pads in disc golf course

East Side Lake Park

This elongated special purpose park is located along the eastern edge of East Side Lake in the Central/River Park Region, flanked by Oakland Place NE and US-218. Its lakefront access makes it a prime spot for fishing and launching boats. It has multiple amenities, including restrooms, playground equipment, a pavilion and gazebo, boat landing, and dock.

Park Amenities

• Gazebo (with electricity)

• Restrooms and Water Fountains

• Playground Equipment

• Pavilion

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Boat Landing

• Dock

• Parking Lot

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Connect playground to parking lot with short paved sidewalk

Add tot lot to playground area & replace 5-12 playground

Add picnic shelter to north end of East Side Lake

Engagement Feedback

• Fix safety issues with fishing dock

• Clean East Side Lake and stock with fish

• Add picnic shelter to north end of lake

• Trim grass around spots of lake to accommodate shore fishing

Connect playground to parking lot with short paved sidewalk

NAdd picnic shelter to north end of East Side Lake

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Add tot lot to playground area & replace 5-12 playground

Lafayette Park

Lafayette Park is the largest park in Austin, located across the Cedar River from Bandshell Community Park in the South Park Region. It is accessible from Main Street SE and 8th Avenue SE. It has numerous community amenities, including a baseball stadium (Marcusen Park), a frisbee golf course, and group meeting areas.

Park Amenities

• Frisbee Golf

• Restrooms

• Ball Field

• Pavilion (with electricity)

• Picnic Tables

• Playground Equipment

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Marcusen Park

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Engagement Feedback

• Regularly maintain bathroom facility

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Rotary Centennial Park

picnic shelter, playground equipment, and basketball courts.

Park Amenities

• Picnic Shelter

• Playground Equipment

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Basketball Courts

• Parking Lot

Pave path from sidewalk to playground area

Complete feasibility study and design for new pickleball courts (4-8)

Add one (1) full court basketball court

Engagement Feedback

• Consider adding pickleball courts

• Maintain basketball courts and replace hoop rims

Complete feasibility study and design for new pickleball courts (4-8)

Add curb cut to path leading to basketball courts

Expand playground

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Pave path from sidewalk to playground area

Add one full court basketball court

Shirley Theel Memorial Park

This neighborhood park is located in a residential area in Austin’s west end. It is accessible from 27th Street SW and 25th Street SW. In addition to soccer and baseball fields, it also contains the half-milelong Shirley Theel Memorial Park Path, which winds around the perimeter of the park.

Park Amenities

• Picnic Shelter

• Playground Equipment

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Soccer Field

• Ball Field

Engagement Feedback

• Loitering makes park feel unsafe

• Update baseball fields, consider converting to age 12+ field with permanent pitcher mound

• Add drainage to fields

• Add nets to larger soccer goals

Add safety lighting throughout park

Horace Austin Park

Located just off of Main Street, Horace Austin Park has numerous amenities for residents of all ages. It has a pool, playground equipment, and covered gathering spaces. Because of its location on Mill Pond, it also has a dock for fishing and a boat landing. It is located in the Central/River Park Region.

Park Amenities

• Picnic Shelter

• Playground Equipment

• Mill Pond

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Gazebo

• Water Fountain

• Plaza

• Dock

• Boat Landing

• Parking Lot

Engagement Feedback

• Maintain or replace playground equipment

• Dredge Mill Pond for better fishing/ boating, stock with fish

• Better drainage at skate park

• Update/expand skatepark

• Add lighting to Mill Pond trail

RECOMMENDATION

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Make repairs to existing skatepark features

Complete drainage plan for skate park

Install light poles near playground

Add benches to perimeter of playground

Install adult fitness equipment in grass east of playground

Replace Cedar River dam with whitewater park based on results of feasibility study Other/Pending

(0-2 Years)

(2-5 Years)

(5+ Years)

Install light poles near playground

Add benches to perimeter of playground

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Make repairs to existing skatepark features Complete drainage plan for skate park

Install adult fitness equipment in grass east of playground

Replace Cedar River dam with whitewater park based on results of feasibility study

Todd Park

This community playfield is one of the largest in Austin, boasting numerous recreational amenities like multiple ball fields, sand volleyball courts, and the Todd Park and Wildwood Park Trails. It is located in northeast Austin and is accessible from 11th Street NE and 21st Avenue NE. Wolf Creek, a tributary of the Cedar River, also runs through this park.

Park Amenities

• Pavilions (with electricity)

• Picnic Shelter

• Playground Equipment

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Ball Fields

• Sand Volleyball Courts

• Restrooms

Engagement Feedback

• Loitering makes park feel unsafe

• Enhance connectivity to surrounding areas and/or downtown Austin

• Update and maintain restroom facilities

• Replace safety net for playground inside north complex

• Add road barrier near “don’t go past this point” sign near restroom building to prevent driving over grass

• Level and label soccer fields

• Baseball fields: replace batting cages, improve dugouts, add warning tracks, level fields, update fences

• Maintain robot slide

• Add additional informative/wayfinding signage

Fields

RECOMMENDATION

Install additional wayfinding signage throughout park

Create designated caneball court off of north parking lot

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

Add accessible playground features

Add tot lot to playground area

Install portable toilets on north edge of far north parking lot (seasonal)

soccer fields

Update field 10 batting cages

Improve dugouts at fields 10 and 11

Update/replace worn fences at hightraffic fields

Add warning tracks to high-traffic fields

Level high-traffic ball fields

(0-2 Years)

(2-5 Years)

(5+ Years)

Level high-traffic ball fields

Update/replace worn fences at high-traffic fields

Add warning tracks to high-traffic fields

Update field 10 batting cages

Improve dugouts at fields 10 and 11

Create designated caneball court off of north parking lot

Add accessible playground features

Add tot lot to playground area

Replace existing playground surfacing with appropriate surfacing material

soccer fields

Install portable toilets on north edge of far north parking lot (seasonal)

Install additional wayfinding signage throughout park

Level

Jay C. Hormel Nature Center

Located in Austin’s northeast corner, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is a 570-acre nature reserve with restored prairies, hardwood forests, wetlands, and streams. It has numerous activities for visitors of all ages, including an Interpretive Center and auditorium, an observation tower, and over ten miles of hiking trails.

Park Amenities

• Interpretive Center

• Auditorium

• Observation Tower

• Covered Benches

• Walking/Biking Trails

• Kayaking/Canoeing Equipment

• Cross Country Skiing Trails

Engagement Feedback

• Consider adding mountain bike trails

• Add accessible outdoor restroom facilities

• Consider canoe/kayak/paddleboard rental

• Add outdoor pavilion

• Add designated bike paths

In 2019, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center conducted its own master planning process to document existing conditions, community engagement results, amenity improvement recommendations, and implementation strategies. Please consult the JCHNC Master Plan for more detailed, park-specific information. In general, recommendations included:

• Wayfinding signage and interactive informational elements

• Underutilized trail removal

• New paved tails, natural trails, and boardwalks

• Maintenance needs such as repainting structures, installation of new railings, and replacing old bridges

• Amenities such as a new ampitheater, low ropes course, improved parking lot, and primitive group campsite for local troops and cyclists.

Austin Dog Park

This special purpose park is one of few public parks in the City of Austin that allows off-leash dogs. It is adjacent to Bandshell Community Park and Rotary Centennial Park in central Austin. The Dog Park is accessible from a parking lot at the end of 2nd Street SE and the Cedar River Trail.

Existing Features

• Dog Exercise Area

• Benches

• Shelter (with wind screen)

• Parking Lot

• Walking Trail

Add additional waste bag receptacles

Add dog play amenities (e.g. agility course elements)

Engagement Feedback

• Add overhead lighting

Austin Municipal Pool

Located within Horace Austin Park in downtown Austin, the Municipal Pool is a popular public amenity that is open in the warmer months. It has a lap pool, diving well, toddler swim area, splash pad, and water slides.

Existing Features

• Lap pool

• Diving well

• Toddler swim area

• Splash pad

• Water slides

• Restrooms

• Benches and lounge furniture

Complete analysis and design for renovating baby pool to be zero-entry

Engagement Feedback

• Extend daily open hours and adult swim times

• Make splash pad free and open separately from pools

• Update bathroom facilities

• Add small child waterslide

• Repair chipped paint in baby pool

• Make baby pool zero-entry

Immediate (0-2 Years) Short-Term (2-5 Years) Long-Term (5+ Years)

Riverside Arena

This indoor ice arena facility is located at 501 2nd Ave NE, between downtown Austin and the Cedar River. It is the home rink of the Austin Bruins and can seat approximately 2,300 spectators. It is also open year-round for rentals.

Existing Features

• Ice rink

• Bleachers

• Concessions

• Restrooms Engagement Feedback

• Floods/leaks each spring

• Update locker room facilities and concession stands

• Offer year-round open skating

Replace cameras throughout the facility Medium Short-Term <$50k

Packer Arena

This indoor ice arena facility is located at 601 7th St NE, across the Cedar River from Riverside Arena. It has hosted figure skating and ice hockey events, as well as roller derby and archery. The rink space is available for rental between November and February, and can seat 200 spectators.

Existing Features

• Ice rink

• Bleachers

• Restrooms Engagement Feedback

• Improve heating in bleacher area

• Keep ice longer into the spring to finish out youth hockey season

Add cameras throughout the facility Medium

System Recommendations

NEW PARK FACILITIES

Park acreage calculations in Chapter 4 established that additional parkland acquisition and development is unnecessary to maintain Austin’s high level of service through 2040, even as the City’s population is expected to grow. Additionally, discussions with City staff and the Parks and Recreation Board amplified the City’s desire to concentrate its resources on existing park and trail improvements, rather than the expansion of the park system.

If the City of Austin wanted to consider adding new park facilities in the future, strategically positioning green space in areas with expected future development would be advisable. These areas include the northern edge of the City’s limits – off of 4th Street NW – as well as land directly adjacent to the Municipal Airport.

MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS

New Trails

The City of Austin already has an extensive, well-maintained trail network through much of its downtown, especially within its centralized parks. Input survey respondents acknowledged this, as well as recommended developing additional trails in southwest and northwest Austin. Each suggested trail recommendation is shown in the map on the next page.

• Implement the proposed path from Bustad Park along the Cedar River to 21st Street SW.

• Implement the proposed path from 14th Street NW (near the bridge over I-90) around the Riverland Community College baseball fields to 8th Avenue NW.

• Implement the proposed trail connection between Main Street N and the path on 3rd Street NE.

• Add a paved path leading from Shirley Theel Memorial Park north to the proposed trailhead at 8th Avenue NW.

• Add a trail connection (perhaps road markings) along 16th Avenue SW to establish continuity between the paved trail at Bustad park and the path leading north to Bandshell Community Park.

• Add a trail connection between the pedestrian tunnel under I-90 (near Wildwood Park) and the path in front of Hormel Foods.

Trail Amenities

In addition to new trails and improved connections, survey respondents also requested more amenities for cyclists throughout Austin. This includes additional bike racks in each park and near downtown destinations, benches and picnic tables along trails, and bike fix-it stations (free, all-in-one posts with maintenance tools and air pumps, pictured at right).

Safety

Cyclist and pedestrian safety was a major concern of most survey respondents. Many people do not feel safe on City roads due to a lack of protected, well-marked bike lanes; many existing paths

even require crossing busy roadways to reach other trailheads and amenities. The following suggestions for safety improvements were generated by the community input survey and on-site observation.

Bike Lanes

The following streets appear to be wide enough to fit a protected bike lane, in which bollards or concrete barriers protect cyclists from vehicular traffic. While these streets may lose a parking lane on one side, these barriers will help cyclists feel more sheltered and empowered to get around without driving. In addition to bike lanes, intersections along these routes will need to be evaluated to ensure that cylists are safe when crossing busy roadways.

• Extend bike lanes on 1st Avenue SW and W Oakland Avenue (running east and west respectively) to connect western Austin to Early Morning Lions Park and Whittier Park.

• Add bike lane running along Main Street N to connect Horace Austin Park to nothern paths. This will also keep cyclist traffic from obstructing the narrow sidewalk on the bridge across Mill Pond. Alternatively, consider expanding the eastern sidewalk on this bridge to allow more space for pedestrians and cyclists.

• Add a bike lane running along 14th Street NW to connect Riverland Community College to Oakland Avenue and downtown Austin.

Safe Intersection Crossings

Within Austin’s parks and trails system, increased safety interventions at high-traffic intersections may alleviate anxiety surrounding crossing busy roadways and clarify locations of adjacent trailheads. The map on the next page identifies crossing points that require evaluation to determine whether additional safety features are necessary. The following are a few safety feature options that could be added to these intersections.

• Traditional crosswalk lines, if they are not already painted into the intersection.

• Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHB): overhead signals that turn red when pedestrians are crossing, then flash when the coast is clear. Pictured in the top image at right.

• Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB): highlighter-colored, flashing signs that draw drivers’ attention to pedestrians in the crosswalk. Pictured in the bottom image at right.

Trail from 14th Street NW to 8th Avenue NW

Trail from Shirley Theel Memorial Park to 8th Avenue NW

Trail from Shirley Theel Memorial Park to 8th Avenue NW

Trail connection between I-90 tunnel and Hormel Foods

Trail connection between Main Street N and 3rd Street NE

Trail connection along 16th Avenue SW

Recommended Bike Lane

Recommended Trail

Previously Proposed Trail

Safe Crossing Needed

Existing Trails

Existing Parks

Maxar

Additional Recommendations

GENERAL PARK RECOMMENDATIONS

Park Atmosphere

Reponses from the community survey indicated that many parks users feel unsafe in Austin’s parks due to suspicious activity, harassment, and crime. While improving park safety will require the collaboration of many local and governmental entities, the following small-scale actions can be taken to start improving parks’ overall atmospheres.

• Post rules in each park, including open hours, prohibited activities, an emergency number to call, and a link to the City’s website. Larger parks such as Todd Park may require more than one sign.

• Add a park rule FAQ to the City website with a full list of park/trail rules and relevant City ordinances. See https://www.minneapolisparks.org/park-care-improvements/park_police__safety/ for examples of questions to include.

• Dedicate law enforcement resources to patrolling the parks and responding to park-specific situations that may arise. Create a designated phone number (and post on park rule signs) that separate park emergencies from other 911 emergencies.

• In larger parks, consider installing blue beacon emergency posts, which feature a help button that connects directly to the police department.

• Install more overhead light posts throughout Austin’s parks and walking trails.

Regular Maintenance

One of the most common improvement suggestions from the input survey was general maintenance, whether cleaning bathroom facilities, replacing worn playground equipment, clearing leaves and wasp nests, erasing graffiti, or patching sidewalks. While the recommendations listed in this chapter may help elevate the parks’ functionality, regular maintenance will make Austin’s parks more inviting and safe. A considerable amount of funding should be set aside to enable ongoing maintenance of existing park facilities and trails. The City should also continue to expand its electric-powered maintenance equipment program to ensure that these ongoing activities are sustainable and environmentally conscious.

As Austin’s park system continues to grow and improve, the City should consider utilizing an app, online form, or text message system for residents to submit maintenance issues. This allows City staff to continually monitor park conditions and for park users to play an active role in the improvement of their community. Example digital issue reporting tools include TextMyGov, SeeClickFix, and GOGov.

FEES IN LIEU OF PARK DEDICATION

The City’s Code of Ordinances includes regulations regarding parkland dedication requirements. Within the corporate limits of the City, subdividers are required to dedicate sufficient land to provide park, recreation and general open space to meet the anticipated neighborhood needs of residential and development areas, as such park development is determined necessary or desirable by this plan. Section 11.066 of the City’s subdivision standards requires that 50+ lot developments must dedicate land acreage at a rate of 0.008 times the number of proposed dwelling units.

If parkland dedication is not possible or preferred due to the land configuration, togography, or proximity to planned or existing parks, a subdivider may satisfy the requirement for provisions of such

park, recreation and general open space by payment of a fee in lieu of land. Currently, developers in Austin have this option to pay a fee to the City in lieu of land dedication. Section 11.066 outlines a formula to calculate this fee payment: A (required acreage as calculated using the 0.008 x number of proposed dwelling units above) x V (cash value of the property to be subdivided).

Since the City of Austin has prioritized enhancing existing parks and not developing new parkland, which would strain existing financial and staffing resources, requiring fees in lieu of dedication could be essential in generating funds to achieve this vision. Other options could include:

• Require the dedication of open space rather than parkland, which alleviates the City from the necessity of frequent improvements and maintenance.

• Reduce the percentage of parkland that needs to be dedicated with each new development, which prevents the creation of empty lots that need maintenance.

Figure 5 compares Austin’s land dedication requirements to peer communities in the region. Each community calculates land dedication acreage slightly differently: Austin and Albert Lea tie their requirements to the number of dwelling units being created by the proposed subdivision, Rochester uses the projected number of residents, and Mankato uses gross area of the parcel being subdivided. Nearly all communities, including Austin, determine the “In Lieu Of” fees by multiplying the required acreage by its market value.

Fees in Lieu of Land Dedication

For 50+ unit subdivisions: D x 0.008 = A (D: # of dwelling units, A:

For 50+ unit subdivisions: A x V = M (V: cash value for acre of propery being subdivided, M: in-lieu fees)

Amount equal to the fair market value of the acreage determined above

Amount equal to the gross value of the subdivision multiplied by the dedication percentage determined above

Amount equal to the fair market value of the acreage determined above

Parkland Dedication & In Lieu Fee Comparison

Figure 5: Comparison of Land Dedication Requirements with Regional Peer Communities

RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING/ENRICHMENT

Community input survey respondents indicated insufficient recreational and/or enrichment programming for community members of all ages. Many cited a lack of variety in program offerings, limited accessibility for folks of differing abilities, inconvenient meeting times, and cost-prohibitive fees. Respondents also pointed out that the current website for information and registration is confusing and hard to navigate; consider overhauling this page within the City website to more clearly advertise program offerings and streamline the registration process.

To fill existing gaps in recreational programming, consider offering the following options:

• Free family activities, especially those that engage young children.

• Sport-based summer programs for children with working parents, whether full-day camps or leagues that meet after standard working hours.

• Programs that utilize Austin’s abundant green space, such as Yoga in the Park, wild plant identification classes, senior walking clubs, and geocaching.

• Additional sports league offerings for all ages, such as pickleball, baseball, basketball, hockey, disc golf, volleyball, and cane ball.

• Classes and leagues for differently-abled residents, such as adaptive sports and autism-friendly programs.

• Free activities for low-income families with free transportation and food provided.

• Fitness classes and additional live music events at the bandshell.

CHAPTER 6

I mpl E m E nt A t I on

Implementation

INTRODUCTION

This chapter summarizes tools and mechanisms that the City can use to fund implementation of the park, trail, and recreation recommendations discussed in Chapter 5. This chapter also outlines the process for plan adoption and plan amendments.

TOOLS AND MECHANISMS TO FUND IMPLEMENTATION

As Austin seeks to enhance its recreational amenities, the need to increase funding to meet the basic maintenance and operational costs also grows. While it is often difficult to fund major capital improvement projects all at once, there are a variety of funding sources to assist with up-front capital costs.

Grant Programs

An important source of funding is grant programs offered by state and federal agencies. Figure 5 provides a summary of common state and federal park and recreation grant programs. The table is not an exhaustive list of grant programs, but rather those that are typically used by jurisdictions to supplement acquisition and development of park and recreation areas. Other grant programs may exist and information regarding funding details shown in Figure 5 should be verified prior to seeking grant funding.

Community Fundraising & Volunteer Groups

Community groups and civic organizations are sometimes willing to organize fundraising efforts to assist with costs, programming, and upkeep. Organizations like the Lions Club can help support specific parks on an ongoing basis. They may also be able to organize volunteer labor to assist with small development projects such as trail creation, maintenance, or playground installations. Local business and corporate support should also be sought. Both non-profit and for-profit organizations can be rewarded for their support with acknowledgment on a plaque or sign at the site.

501(c)3 Foundation

The City of Austin can set up an endowment fund as an additional means of providing continual financial support for park development. An endowment fund is a self-sustaining account in which assets are invested. The annual disbursement amount of the fund is a set percent of assets, generally smaller than the accrued interest amount, which allows the value of the fund and assets to grow over time. A park endowment fund can provide a means for residents to provide ongoing donations to the City’s park system with the certainty that the money donated will only be used for the advancement of recreation in the community. Gifts to an endowment fund are tax deductible under federal and state law.

Transportation Improvement Program

The City of Austin should work with MNDOT to include recommendations of this Plan and/ or future committees in annual updates of the Transportation Improvement Program, to facilitate access to federal and state funding support. In particular, the community should request that connections to the Shooting Star and Blazing Star Trail get included in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), as these trails will help safely connect Austin to neighboring communities.

Minnesota Bonding Bill

State agencies and local municipalities can request funding for public infastructure projects through Minnesota’s bonding, or capital investments, bill. The primary purpose of these General Obligation (G.O.) bonds is to aquire or improve fixed assests such as land and buildings. To qualify, projects must be pubically owned, serve a public purpose and mature in no more than 20 years.

The Legislature operates on a 2-year cycle, the bonding bill is typically developed in even years. However, there is no requirement that it be passed in even years only. The bonding bill requires a 3/5th supermajority in the State Senate and House of Representatives to be signed into law by the Governor.

Funding Programs

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) - https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/lawcon/index.html

Natural and Scenic Areas Grant Program

Provides matching grants to local units of government and school districts for up to 50% the cost of acquisition of natural and scenic areas. Eligible projects include fee title and/or permanent easement acquisitions. Funding priorities for this program are detailed in the State Outdoor Recreation Program (SCORP), including: endangered and threatened species protection, outstanding geological or physiographic features, water quality protection, high-quality scenic areas, and more.

Outdoor Recreation Grant Program

Provides matching grants to local units of government and school districts for up to 50% the cost of acquisition, development, and/or redevelopment of local parks and recreation areas. Only one park may be included in an application; however, more than one application can be submitted. This program can fund the development/ redevelopment of internal park trails, picnic shelters, playgrounds, athletic facilities, boat accesses, fishing piers, swimming beaches, and campgrounds. $300,000

Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) Grant Program - https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/grants/habitat/cpl/index.html

The CPL Grant Program funds conservation projects that restore, enhance, or protect forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitats for wildlife in Minnesota. Reimbursable matching grants are provided by the Outdoor Heritage Fund. 10% of matching funds from a non-state source is required to encourage community partnerships.

$500,000 Changes each year. See website for more information.

Figure 6: Minnesota Natural/Recreational Grant Programs

Funding Programs Maximum Award Application Due Date

Federal Recreational Trails Program - https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/grants/recreation/trails_federal.html

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) provides funds to states to develop, maintain, and rehabilitate recreational trails and related facilities; projects that promote environmental awareness and safety education pertaining to the use of recreational trails are also eligible. Trails can be both motorized and non-motorized. Funding is provided by the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Equipment grants require a 25% secured match, and a 25% cash or in-kind match for eligible elements of the project proposal is required.

$150,000 for trails; $75,000 for equipment February 22 MN DNR

Regional Trails Grant Program - https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/grants/recreation/trails_regional.html

The Regional Trail Grant Program was created to assist local governments in the development of regionally significant trails and trail connections outside the seven-county metropolitan area as defined in Minn. Stats. 473.121 Subd. 2. Priority is given to projects that develop trails of significant length and highlight unique landscapes and cultural sites. Funding is provided by “In Lieu Of” lottery proceeds and is subject to appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature and Governor. Grants are reimbursable up to 75% of eligible project costs, and a non-state cash match of at least 25% is required.

$300,000 March 31

Local Trails Connection Program - https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/grants/recreation/trails_local.html

The Local Trails Connections Program was created to assist local governments develop relatively short trail linkages between desirable locations and places where people live; the program does not fund the development of significant new trails. Funding was provided by “In Lieu Of”lottery proceeds. Grants are reimburseable up to 75% of eligible project costs, and a non-state cash match of at least 25% is required.

No Child Left Inside Program - https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/no‐child‐grants/index.html

In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature created the No Child Left Inside Grant Program to create outdoor environmental, ecological, and other natural resource-based education and recreation programs for youth. $900,000 in additional funds was provided by the legislature in 2021 and more is expected to be announced in following years.

PLAN ADOPTION & AMENDMENTS

This plan will be adopted following the procedures highlighted below:

Park & Recreation Board Recommendation

Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board shall meet to review the plan and make a motion to recommend plan adoption to the City Council.

Plan Adoption or Approval

This plan and any future amendments will become City policy when the City Council passes, by a majority vote, a resolution to adopt. The City Council may choose to revise the plan after it has been recommended by the Parks and Recreation Board.

Plan Updates

Since this plan is intended to be a “living document”, it should be frequently revisited to ensure that the recommended projects and action steps align with the City of Austin’s vision and capacity for implementation. The City should establish a consistent annual schedule to consider minor plan amendments as new projects emerge, as detailed below:

1. Note any park maintenance requests, suggestions, or incoming initiatives that the City receives from residents throughout the year and determine if they are already included in the Master Plan.

2. Before the budgeting process begins, the Parks Director (in collaboration with the Parks and Recreation Board) shall check the status of projects listed in the Master Plan, removing any that have been completed, adding any relevant projects from the following step, and reprioritizing projects as needed.

3. The Parks Director shall send a revised version of the plan to the Parks and Recreation Board for review and approval annually.

4. After the plan amendment has been approved, the Parks Director and Parks and Recreation Board shall work to identify potential parks and recreation projects for recommendations to be included in budgeting decisions for the coming year (or years, if necessary).

ACTION PLAN

The Park and Recreation Board has prioritized certain recommendations for each park in Austin. These are explored park-by-park in Chapter 5. The tables on the following pages compile all recommended improvements into lists to provide easy access to desired improvements by park. High-priority items should occur in the next 1-3 years (2026), medium-priority items should occur over the next three to five years (2028) and low-priority items may not be completed within the next five years; however, initial planning activities may occur to bring these items closer to completion.

High-Priority Recommendations

Note on Funding

The “Potential for Funding” and “Potential Public Funding Sources” columns are not comprehensive and can be subject to change as grant programs change and Austin’s implementation needs become more concrete. Some projects may only be eligible for funding when packaged with other, system-wide campaigns; others may only be eligible if there is an ADA compliance component. Additionally, this table does not list private funding sources such as foundations, sponsorships, private organization grants, etc. Further research towards funding strategies should be completed before moving forward with any park or trail improvement project.

H.7

Medium-Priority Recommendations

Low-Priority Recommendations

APPENDIX A

C omplete p ubl IC I nput D ata

Public Input Survey Results

1) What is your age?

2) Do you have children living in your home that are under the age of 18?

3) How long have you lived in the City of Austin?

4) Please place a point at an intersection near your residence in Austin.

5) How often do you...

Bike from Home to Work/Stores/Services

Walk from Home to Work/Stores/Services

Walk/Run for Exercise Bike for Exercise

6) How close is the nearest park or trail to your home?

7) What is your favorite park to visit in the City of Austin?

8) When visiting City parks, which activities/facilities do you/your household most commonly use?

9) Do you have any concerns about personal safety or accessibility in any of the City’s parks?

10) If yes to the previous question, please specify the name of the park(s) and the concern.

• Just the damage that ungrateful human beings do when they want to wreck the nice play equipment.

• Lion s and galloway

• Shirley Theel park is very sketchy, lighting isn’t good if it’s in the evening.

• “The parks are sometimes vandalized making them unsafe for kids. And it’s hard to know what’s in the sand until you step on it. I wish we had more parks with rubber like Lion’s and the new Shirley Theil park. I also would love at least one enclosed park complex. I’ve been in many parks out west that have one entry and are walled around a really fun, large play area. I worry less about kids running into roads or strangers approaching. “

• My family and I usually choose to play at school playgrounds, like Banfield or southgate. I feel like they are much cleaner and safeties to play at!

• Todd park, there’s been a lot of older men driving around taking picture of moms with there children. Because of this I refuse to bring my children. I do not want to become a static of my children getting stolen from me for sex trafficking or some person wanting a good time.

• Lots of crime. Women and children do not feel safe with the homeless men and drugs in several of the parks.

• However, it is VERY important to keep up on the safety of bike/walking trails. My mother fell while walking on the Eastside Lake bike Trail. She now requires a major foot surgery. It sounds like after her complaint they did fill the hole immediately but I would hate for this to happen to someone else. This was a life-changing fall.

• Our family spends many hours at Austin’s parks between softball, baseball, and other activities. Most of our parks are not safe during practices/games for families to watch/play near in the event of line drives, foul balls, etc. — but especially at a busy place like Todd Park. Most of the Summer the net around the playground was not up. Many balls went into the playground area. If the issue was a damaged net, it may be worthwhile to have a backup net so the playground is never without. This not only benefits Austin’s youngest fans, but also teams visiting.

• Athletic field maintenance has lacked over the last 20-30 years.

• People that hang out and just watch kids play and they have no kids with them and some people do drugs and just stare and some have some inappropriate language that gets used

• In our location there is not a good way to get to the rest of the bike path system. We have one very short section in our neighborhood and then we have to navigate across 4th St to get to the rest of the system. I would like my children to be able to get across that road safely if they want to eventually bike without parents/adults.

• Juvenile Delinquents

• The light by the park is not on so it is dark at night. People use thia to their advantage and hang out after dark smoking, driving ATVs through the park, and drinking

• Sherman park looks a little sketchy these days.

• I work in home care and my client is in a wheelchair. I like the fact that Albert Lea is making a adaptive playground. I think this is something that would benefit austin greatly. My client loves to swing but it’s hard to transfer him in the swings that are available.

• Any of them. Questionable people.

• Lions Den- Lots of people wandering around that don’t look like they should be there.

• Todd park is the main Ballpark, and is pretty dangerous to walk/bike to, I only drive there. The accessibility for the youth programs held there is pretty poor.

• Graffiti, glass/needles in the sand, people that don’t treat the parks with respect.

• Lafayete

• All of them

• Dark, not will light

• Shirley Thiel, lots of unsupervised children that are disrespectful, rude and not nice to others.

• “All within City of Austin!”

• Lions park always seems to have a lot of random adults hanging around. They aren’t there with any kids, just sitting around watching everyone. I would NEVER let my kids go to that park without me

• Some parks are in what seem to be shady areas so it makes you feel uneasy.

• There are a lot of concerns about drug users in and around the parks

• Galloway

• There are no parks that are fit for toddlers to play on.

• There are certain parks that I avoid due to criminal activity, including loitering adults that are doing drugs, such as Todd Park and the park by Queens.

• People let unleashed dogs run in the park. Especially LaFayette. Also disc golf has ruined the parks for any other activities as it is unsafe when they are throwing

• Broken bottle/trash, old broken swings

• Potholes

• Kaufman- run down

• In most of the city parks I feel safe. When it’s a more secluded park I definitely have my guard up. Lafayette has made me nervous sometimes because I have seen some drug deals go on there.

• Shirley Theel - drug use at park while kids are present

• There are lots of sketchy individuals that hang out at Todd park. Many people report theft at the Austin municipal pool, I do not send my kids there anymore as a result.

• Wildwood park is full of wasp nests, the playground equipment is sub-par with all the other parks in Austin.

• I don’t tend to go to parks very much anymore. Late morning/Mid day seems to be the best. Early afternoon/toward evening is the worst. Easy side lake park- when we went there was 1 car in the parking lot and several people out on the dock doing what appeared to be drugs or something inappropriate- this was shaded by trees and one could not see it unless out on the water (we were) or walking on the dock. I believe the trees might be trimmed back now but we haven’t been back since. Other parks tend to have very spaced out seating/pavilion from the play ground. I like to be close/near my children so I can watch for suspicious activity/people- not be across the park.

• There have been many times when we have found the parks full of trash,needles in the sand, and a person passed out in the bathroom.

• “Homeless people hanging out at the park..possibly using/selling drugs in bathroom..feels sketchy LIONS park.”

• “Homeless people in Lions & Driesner Park. Lack of clean bathrooms at parks Many parks are not handicap accessible Sidewalks in the parks need a lot of repairs or are in unnecessary locations”

• Shirley Theil

• “We live on a road where it is narrow and the speed limit is 40. There is not a safe way to be able to my children ride their bikes or for us to go on family walks whiteout being super careful while trying to do these activities. The closest park is Southgrove, which could use some Other equipment for older children to use and more picnic tables and covered areas for families to use. “

• Todd park. Afternoons and evenings seem to have unfriendly people that dress in gang related clothing.

• Have the people that work at the pool been trained to deal with sexual offensive against another person (like a boy touching another Boy). because My Son was touch and he is don’t want to go swimming in the pool no more. Just wondering.

• Some parks that are off the main roads are a little frightening. Not having or keeping curfews and letting people be there destroying property after hours.

• Some of the playground equipment is well worn at the park by the library.

• I don’t always feel comfortable at Kaufman and Galloway because they seem run down and I see and hear lots of misbehaving and crude language. Graffiti seems to be a problem in many parks

• Litter, drug paraphernalia is frequently flu around

• Homeless under bridges near parks

• People using drugs in areas where children play and tossing the needles in the sand and throwing broken bottles in the sand. I have unfortunately experienced both.

• Just mostly keeping them clean and safe. Cleaning up spray paint and dealing with inappropriate behaviors.

• There are definitely some parks that seem “unsafe” based on the people that hang around. Trash and potential for

unsafe or inappropriate discarded items. Issues with some unsupervised children with behaviors (swearing, bullying). I’ve also heard of homeless indecency events, drunkenness, etc. All at various parks.

• Certain parks have older kids that hang around being inappropriate for younger children.

• The Murphy Creek park has had a broken bubble on the 0-3 yrs play structure for a while and is a falling hazard for little kids.

• Playgrounds being clean. Playgrounds are also n out too inclusive for kids with disabilities and handicaps. Sand is the worst

• “Mill Pond, Todd Park, Galloway Park Due to size and location they draw people looking to do illegal activities vs using parks as they were intended”

• The park by the CLC late at night is not safe too many homeless people there

• Mill Pond or walking on the trails, especially in los traffic areas. Have seen areas where it appears someone is “living”

• Garage, glass, restroom facilities unclean

• Some of the trails are cracked and make walking or biking hard with my disability

• Evening/night hours after parks close- people, music, cars, smell of Marijuana and vapes in/near pavilion. Shirley Theel Park.

• I have seen questionable people and activities at parks in this city. We have to be selective of time and days we visit parks.

• Fishing Dock Boards are not safe

• I’m concerned about the safety of my kids biking around Austin. There are very limited trails for them to access places that they visit - baseball fields, parks, the swimming pool, their schools.

• There is not alot of equipment for disabled kids and also the wildwood park it would be nice if there was more fun for the kids there

• There are lots of beers bottles and used condoms at Todd Park. People park cars for hours and days. It looked like someone was living in one for awhile.

• Seems like crime has increased at parks. Definitely would never go alone.

• Handicap access

• “Shirley Thiel- Mowing, vandalism, crowds of people that hang out there Sherman- mowing, people that gather there “

• Galloway - scetchy people hang out there and do and sell illegal drugs. I don’t allow my kids to go there

• Shirley Thiel. Theft

• Can get very dirty and filled with trash. The sand feels yucky in some of the parks.

• Todd park, laffet park kids being in a group and disrespectful

• Cameras in parks would be a beneficial asset for safety.

• Needles at the municipal pool park.

• When walking around mill pond I am sometimes hesitant around the skate park area. Have heard of people being robbed in the area between the Rec Center and Hormel.

• “Bike trail south of 24th Ave NW lacks accessibility for bikes due to a gate placed by the Village Cooperative. If there was an access point outside of the gate, that would improve the connection of our neighborhood to the bike trails in the remainder of town.

It would also be fantastic if there was an opportunity to connect the bike path by Murphy Creek with Todd Park. It is about a three mile ride or walk to reach Todd Park from our home, but only one mile as the crow flies.”

• Galloway is better now, but before the playground equipment was replaced there were dangerous metal snags on the equipment where children could have easily been cut. This park still suffers from dangerous litter at times-- broken glass in the mulch where children play makes us not want to come back.

• “Municipal pool. Lifeguards don’t pay attention nto kids. Pay more attention to the friends they know. Leave the pool unattended when kids don’t get out fast enough for break. They also didn’t have first aid equipment the last week the pool was open. And there were multiple times I saw kids get hurt, including hitting their heads and no one assisted or checked on these children, even when in certain instances, they watched it happen

• Galloway Park - safety issues

• “Todd Park playground by soccer fields--there is always a picnic table under the spinning thing and little kids get pretty hurt when they fall.

In general, would love to see a fully wheelchair-accessible playground, like the one in Bemidji by Paul Bunyan. Lots of trash on the hillside west of Sherman baseball field. Younger kids were climbing in the weeds to find foul balls and kept finding big trash (smashed computer monitor, tires, other large/sharp junk)”

• Occasionally I encounter folks at the bike path & picnic shelter (Lions Park) and/or or the gazebo (park by library/ pool), who have equipment like that they are camping/homeless. I am uncomfortable staying and playing when I have small children with me.

• parks have large amount of goose poop broken glass.When it is mowed dont mow over beer cans they are in pieces in grass . ESpecially by library park.

• Have restroom available nearby.

• “Unleashed dogs have been a problem in several parks I have visited. Finding dog waste regularly in NW park, witnessed dog fights/dogs being allowed to run on playground equipment, people say, “”oh he’s friendly, he won’t bite”” when you speak up. I have one child that is terrified of dogs after being knocked down as a toddler by a pit bull. We also witnessed a dog fight at a T-ball game (one dog had been unleashed) and an unleashed dog killed by a car right down our block.

I don’t have a problem with leashed dogs that are properly supervised and cleaned up after. But sadly many are not responsible and do not follow city ordinances. Clear signage in parks may help. “

• Lately we have noticed suspicious activity later in the evening. A lot of times there are teenagers and what seem like college age kids hangi g around certain parks in the playgrounds and dont respect parents and younger children there. Once called the police to report teenagers acting roudy and not allowing children to play. Their response was that is a public area and could not do anything about it. We have not been back to that park ever since. This was at the bandshell park.

• My only concern is cleanliness, for the most part they have been pretty good, but it’s not uncommon to come across broken glass or beer caps in the sand, sand that many kids including my own tend to run in bare foot

• For older people that are unable to walk long distances but don’t own a wheel chair or mobile chair it is hard for them to get out onto the paths of the beautiful parks. The nature center has started to address this but they are limited and it’s almost impossible to get wheels if it isn’t reserved 4 days ahead of time. Maybe we could build on the idea started there, increase the electric carts for people to use so more of those with disabilities can easily enjoy the parks.

• People doing drugs at the park and having people staying at the park.

• Any park - population is changed in Mower County and it is not feel as safe as it once may have been

• Whittier Park could use more lighting on the path as walking in the evening can feel dangerous.

• Accessibility to many of the soccer fields is difficult for anyone with mobility issues.

• Any and all Austin parks. There is an increased threat of random violence and crime in Austin due to the increased drug availability and the multi-cultural clashes, combined with high poverty and now ever increasing costs of living.

• The parks and equipment are safe. Every now and then there’s people that cause uneasy feeling in the locations. Nobody specifically, but way more comfortable when in group settings.

• My kids no longer want to go to some parks becasue of a group of people using drugs all day long. They are terrified and nothing is done about this. As a parent I am terrified what my kids will find at the parks.

• Some parks, such as Kaufman and Lions, have a lot of criminal activity and children and adults who are violent. There is garbage left at these parks often, and my family and I do not feel safe being at many parks due to these concerns. We would also love to enjoy the skate park, however, this park has become completely unusable due to the criminal activity and violence.

• Some areas of the bike trails.

• Galloway park has kids hanging out there doing less than good things. Didn’t send my kids there by themselves.

• I think in general I am a person that has safety concerns due to suspicious people using hidden areas of our park trail system.

• “Lion’s Park-homeless population, drug transactions, bathroom use-drugs, adults washing themselves in the sink with very little clothing, approaching kids trying to interact Swimming Pool-adults that approach young girls, take photos, inappropriate comments, unsupervised bathrooms and changing areas-kids beating each other up or bullying others.”

• “Todd Park: It’s a large area and sometimes I feel like there are some people doing drug deals there “

• Won’t walk bike trails alone or be anywhere after dark.

• Sometimes worried about getting robbed; you never know.

• Todd park after dark

• Some of the trees need to be cut up, we’ve seem people sleeping under pine trees.

• “Shirley Theel is located next to an apartment complex with a ton of drug use and crime. We’ve had our kids assaulted numerous times and no longer use this park.”

• Tunnels under I90 (east of the Cedar River) and Oakland Ave. (by Queens) are too narrow/dark and nasty. I use them but it is unpleasant. We need more alternatives for safely crossing I90 by foot or bike.

• “Lions Park, dirty Park by the city pool is dirty, lots of glass and needles found in the sand”

• Bike trails need to be maintained on a regular basis for skateboarding and rollerblades

• Being a mom with young kid and teenage girls I don’t feel safe going to the parks by myself or just letting my kids go

• The parking lot lighting is sketchy.

• Todd and Lions park. Certain people think they own the parks, and start fights.

• All parks have been overrun by homeless, and drug addicts.

• “Lots of drug dealing at Galloway Park. Kids/Adults beating up other kids/adults at parks. Has been happening a lot lately. Have found used needles in parks also. “

• “Northwest - we have found broken glass near playground equipment and in the grass near equipment.

Horace - there were older kids sitting on top of playground equipment. Swearing and yelling (angry remarks) at another group of older kids walking by. “

• The park by Queen of angels always has homeless people there or people sleeping in slides, on picnic tables, or in their cars. Some walk around the playground area and just stare at you and the kids and it is very uncomfortable.

• “Safety, no one monitors the park or restroom near the parks. I don’t take my kids to public parks, we always go to use a school playground

Banfield or southgate is the only parks we visit in Austin. Due to feeling safer there”

• Mill pond trail after dark.

• I feel like safety is becoming an issue at our parks with random attacks, language and drugs.

• Large groups bullying kids/families

• Todd Park, Lions Park, Sherman Park

• Scheduling ballfields is a total mess and often double booked, and when addressed, most of the time its shrugged off. Everyones time is important so I wish it was taken seriously.

• After dark

• Todd

• The lions park has some dangerous playground spots where kids could fall. Honestly all of our playgrounds are way outdated.

• There are often people doing illegal things or acting in a way that worries me.

• Lions park often does not feel safe for me as a female or my children to be at alone. I no longer go there without my husband or another friend.

• My husband uses a wheelchair and needs restrooms available at the parks in order to spend time there due to his condition. We are limited once the bathrooms are closed for the season.

• “Lions

Todd Galaway”

• At the band shell,hypodermic needles in the sand. Sexually Graphic graffiti at the robot park. Also, the trash cans come out too late and I put away too early in the season. It would also be nice if the public bathrooms could be open longer into the fall.

• Bandshell Park, drug use

• There was blood in the bathroom at tod park

• There are no lights at the dog park. This results in making it very difficult to use it during the winter. And there’s no walking trails inside. My mother with disabilities can never join us because of that.

• I have found needles in the sand at Todd Park.

• Murphy Creek - kids dump out the garbage cans and make a mess of the park for others to use. have seen drug use as well

• Bully’s and nasty ass bratty kids taking over parks and not letting certain people in. Sometimes based on color

• Lions park, Todd park

• There are no adaptive parks in the city of Austin. Many children are being excluded from being able to enjoy a playground due to their disabilities.

• I live on 14th ave sw for over 16 years and our park has NEVER been updated. As our neighborhood grows with children would be nice to have some newer equipment.

• The bandshell has had some criminal activity.

• Dog Park - Lighting

• Many of the parks there have been personal safety of letting the younger ones go to the park. There are worries of them getting beat up for being at the “wrong” Park. Galloway and the parks by marcussen

• There are too many confrontations from groups of people in Austin. I dont take my grandkids to parks as much as I use too. A lot of parks are being trashed and vandaliized.

• In the winter the trials stay wet and are not fun to run on if they are not kept clear during the winter. Also, the Geese down by mill pond can be very nasty and like to hiss at you when they are in a big flock. In the spring and summer I will avoid them.

• I’ve heard stories at various parks where children are bullied/attacked by other non supervised children. I’ve also had experience with theft of items while at a local par.

• I do not allow my children to go to any city parks. They are not cleaned up or safe for children. We go to the Nature Center or the elementary parks

• “Some of the playground equipment is in bad shape, people vandalize them, there is garbage around even though there are garbage cans. We have been at playground and have had to leave due to other children, the language they use, bullying, etc. Most of the time kids do not have parents to watch them. I also do not feel safe alone with my kids in many of the parks or on trails that are not easily visible to the public.”

• Drugs and fighting

• Bustad Park has no lights at night. There are a lot of people that know this and use it to their benefit. Lots of smoking,

drinking, drugs and motor vehicle racing being done at the park after it gets dark. It is absolutely not safe at night to be in.

• Decker, Galloway, Todd, Kaufman

• Shirley Thiel- becomes controlled by the residents children of the apartment building right by it. This is our closest park, but I rarely go there if it is busy because I worry about safety

• Gallaway, Lions and Todd Park

• i feel being a autism awareness town we should have a better handicap park!! ive seen so many awesome parks online that are great for wheelchairs not sure austin has one..

• Too many kids fighting at parks. And no sidewalks in southwest behind ford town

• “I have seen videos and heard from others about “gang” related activities.. trying to take over saying it’s their parks and being violent! they aren’t well kept… “

• All of them.

• We don’t really go to Todd Park unless it’s busy with an organized event like soccer or softball where there are a lot of people. It can sometimes feel unsafe if we’re alone .

• Kids are beat up at Kaufman

• All of them. I no longer fell safe in Austin Parks, especially if I’m alone.

• Busted park is falling apart. It needs to be upgraded and lights put it for night time.

• All of the parks. Very few parks have toddler friendly equipment

• The bandshell does not have a ramp to the stage and limits the type of performances and performers who can use the stage.

• Todd Park

• Shirley Theel. Kids bullying other kids. Todd Park. Homeless people.

• Many parks have damaged parts to their park.

• “Lions park Todd park”

• Theel. The pavilion appears to have some illegal activities from time to time. Some folks are aggressive and inappropriate ie yelling sexual things at women and children

• Austin Dog Park. People taking large dogs into the small dog area, so I cannot take my small dog in. Very rude about this, seem to be regulars who think they own it.

• I hear stories of the fighting at the parks and it makes me scared to take my kids there. Especially Todd park.

• There have beenamy incidents at Todd Park where we use to take all 5 of our children. We’ve seen videos and experienced things first hand as well.

• Vandalizan, people taking over parks, littering.

• Numerous parks in town have been vandalized, and Numerous amounts of crowded areas turning into violent situations, involving children. Lots of racism remarks.

• There are some parks I will not take my 2 yr old too. We will not go to either park by queens the ones by dresser nor will we go to the one behind ford town (his favorite one!) Because we are concerned for safety

• “I would like the City of Austin to have an accessible park not just handicap swings at select parks. It would be ideal for this to be in a centralized area if town, maybe make an existing park area completely accessible. I know of 2 parks that have the rubber ground (in addition to school playground at Sumner) however most of the equipment located there is not for kids with special needs (i.e. at the northern Todd Park playground near the soccer fields) which was recently replaced with lots of climbing toys. Our oldest daughter who passed away would have loved to utilize this type of park and our family would be interested in a collaborative effort of community organizations to see this come to fruition in the future. The Austin community has alot of high need individuals of all age ranges and for there to be a place of welcome would be well appreciated. Sincerely, Kelsey Dundas “

• Crime is high in Austin. Many parks aren’t well lit

• My step daughter is in a wheel chair. Austin has NO park with a path to a swing for a person in a wheel chair or a child who uses a walker or arm crutches to get to the swings. They are all sand, wood chips, or rock. The whole play ared doesn’t need to be hard, there just needs to be a path.

• Definitely concerns in the evening on the bike trails and some of the parks at dusk and beyond

• There has been unaddressed violence at multiple parks in town. Todd, Lafayette, Lions plus others. Makes me nervous to take my child to any of them

• Todd Park is a beautiful place and I would never go there without a group of people because I have heard of people getting jumped there and people driving through the park slowly as if they are looking for someone. Also adults are often parked and you can smell Marijuana. I would love to be able to take my daughter there to walk and play and bike but I do not feel safe. Same thing with the bandshell park. That playground is so nice for little kids but I would never take my daughter alone.

• No concerns but have known of incidents happening to others that should not be tolerated. Unsure of what parks

these incidents happened at.

• Sketchy neighborhoods near bandshell park,

• I would feel unsafe walking alone in any of the parks in Austin.

• Fights

• Mill pond after dark.

• I have seen some disturbing videos about groups of adults and children yelling and getting into fights at the parks. These are public places. Though I have never had any of these altercations they do worry me with wanting to expand my family.

• Based on the recent videos posted I worry about my kids at the park-playing on the playground. I also worry about needles at the parks and how they have gotten vandalized.

• Austin seems to have a greater amount of transients/homeless that like to hang out in parks and on trails; would be nice if there was a community police or city patrol on the trails

• Galloway park seems to have a lot of vandalism and gang issues, especially toward night time. Also, the bike path surrounding the Mill Pond seems to have random graffiti in random places.

• I’m still fairly new to the area, and I often walk alone since I don’t know many people yet. I sometimes feel nervous when walking in areas that are secluded, or in areas where there are groups of people that may be engaging in questionable behavior, where there is no one else around that could help if I got in a bad situation. This has happened in the Skate Park in Horace Austin Park, and when I’ve walked from home to the store or to trails around where I live. I’ve walked in J.C. Hormel Park, and also feel nervous walking alone there sometimes.

• Many times I’ve had to leave parks around town because of dangerous play equipment or broken/sharp objects.

• History of fights, Drugs, Thief from Cars etc.. at Todd park

• Safety at Todd park

• My family enjoys many parks in Austin, but there have been a few times at Skinner’s park where school-aged fights have been arranged and we have had to leave for the safety of my children (ages 5 and 2).

• Todd Park and Mill Pond are not safe to walk when it’s dark. There has been problems with mugging and defacing property.

11)

12) What other water-based activities would you like to have access to when utilizing Austin’s parks?

• “A splash pad at a park would be awesome. Rather than just at the pool. Also, city rentals for water activities might be nice (kayaks for ex).”

• “We have kayaks and we travel out of town to use them, we wish there was more access to the rivers here to stay in town!

If there is, there is no signs or public knowledge that there is any public access. Signs would be nice to have on where to go, and maybe where not to go “

• Swimming

• A decent lake or beach area

• The pool open during the weekends and maybe a beach and have the lakes be cleaner

• Kayaking

• Water work out classes

• Paddle Boating, Boats that residents can use.

• “Better swimming areas, still don’t trust the water quality. I am also not sure if it’s even safe for my dog to swim in. A path going around the lakes a la Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. “

• It would be nice to have a splash pad that is available at all times like Albert lea. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a nice place to cool off in the summer.

• Another splash pad besides the pool like the one Albert Lea has.

• Clean water before doing anything

• Clean up the east side lake ppl will use

• I would love to have a city beach. We often drive to nearby towns like Albert Lea or Glenville to spend the day at their beach.

• I wish there was better fishing access.

• Content as of now

• The bodies of water within Austin are nasty and polluted , East side lake needs to be cleaned and dredged badly, I snorkel and scuba dive but not around here, cedar River has lots of garbage and bikes thrown in

• Canoeing/kayaking the Cedar River, similar to what is offered for Dobbins Creek at the JC Hormel nature center

• Canoeing and kayaking on cedar river

• Kayaks

• “A fenced in area up to water at the off-leash area by Eastside to let dogs freely interact with water without concerns about nearby walkers and road.“

• More splash pads in different parts of town.

• Tubing

• It’s been fun using the kayaks and canoes with my daughter that the nature center has provided.

• Swimmimg!

• It would be great to have easier access to turtle creek and similar waterways, and it would be great if we could use Mill Pond and East Side Lake more purposefully. Rentable kayaks, paddle boards, etc. someday it would also be nice if the water in East Side Lake was clean enough to swim in and use as an actual lake

• Pedal boats

• A place to go swimming with a beach would be fantastic!

• Would love to have a beach here in town rather then have to drove to Albert Lea.

• Kayaks...beaches

• “The City of Austin owns many miles of shoreline on the 3 rivers in town. Amenities could be added to highlight and make better use of these great resources.

Canoe/Kayak/SUP Rentals

Tubing

Access sites

Fishing locations -clear and level a small area on the bank. Something similar to Preston, MN trout fishing course. Zero depth entry pool for toddlers-current toddler pool is unsafe for toddlers, if you they fall they are completely under water. Zero depth you could keep them in a depth that is appropriate for their age.

Splash pads”

• Better fishing areas in the rural areas

• “With the small amount of water areas in Austin what you have listed is about the best we can do. I would like to see East Side Lake cleaned up so we feel safe in the water.”

• Jet skis

• What happen to the ferryboat that used to be at the Mill pond that people could ride on.

• Splash pad

• Free splash pad or fountain

• Canoe launch, fishing clearings around bodies of water instead of standing in brushes and rocks. Around the entire body of water since people have to crowd around the few spots made available

• Safe swimming or a beach

• Lake swimming/beach would be nice. Would love to do more canoeing/kayaking but that’s a personal problem with having young kids haha.

• Swimming, if East Side Lake was cleaned up.

• I wish we could actually be IN, swimming/playing, in East side lake without having to worry about health hazards and the gross bottom. Truly missing out on an excellent opportunity for more business and tourism in town because of that.

• Clean up East Side lake so it can be used for swimming and water sports.

• Clean up of East Side Lake for better kayaking.

• A few more access points for canoes and kayaks

• Splash pads or wading pools

• Swimming

• Additional kayak rentals, cleaner fishing areas

• I would like to be able to swim in the lakes and ponds in the area but they’re not safe due to pollution. I would also like to canoe more but transporting my canoe to the lake or river isn’t feasible. There could be secure rental spots to store canoes or kayaks at these locations to easily get them to the water.

• Beach with clean swimming area

• Launching pads for kayaks and canoes

• A public splashpad should be available during the summer at no cost -- if you go to any other major town, they have accessible water features for the kids.

• Paddle boats

• Fishing Dock added to the Ramsey Dam area, place Dock above Dam

• Free splash pad!! Have to go to Albert Lea for the splash pad and beach.

• “- an inflatable water park like Rochesters Foster Arend park.

- kayak/canoeing rentals.“

• Beach

• Wading

• Any way to access for nature viewing and getting closer to them for walks is always good (balancing and improving the natural habitat and feel).

• Swimming would be great.

• A water spout in case we need water for anything

• Those bikes on the water like Rochester has at Silver Lake.

• Paddle boat rental, more kid friendly/handicap fishing areas

• Warming houses in winter

• I would like to see more kayak launch options on the river, splash pad

• More access areas to the river

• Canoe rentals

• Access to clean water for recreation.

• Swimming, canoeing and paddle boating

• More access to canoe/kayak rentals

• We might do swimming, if there was a beach.

• “Splash pad since it can be used by all at no cost

New Man made lake/pond for swimming at no cost

Additional aeration at Mill pond”

• I have dogs not kids. Austin does not seem that pet friendly.

• KAYAK, CANOE, BOARD RENTAL

• “-We just took our youth group tubing using the canoe launches between Dreisner and Lafayette Park. I’m still not sure if that was a totally safe thing to do (is the water clean enough for that? Is there submerged debris that is a hazard for injury?). I don’t know of anyone who has done that before, but it was really fun. I wish I could have had better access to information about understanding if that was an OK activity to use the Cedar River for.

-A free splash pad in a park would be a marvelous addition to our city”

• Kayak rentals easily accessible downtown.

• Kayak rental at mill pond

• Swimming

• Clean up Mill Pond especially the Island area,

• “A safe ice skating/sliding space marked off in the winter would be great!

A wading area with a sandy-ish beach along a creek or lake would also be excellent. “

• Clean water in lakes so children can play in the water

• It would be nice to have a local canoe/kayak/paddleboard rental option in Austin for use on the Cedar River.

• I wish we had a couple splash pads in town, it seems like the only thing missing that our 0-10 aged kids would love

• I would love to see East Side Lake cleaned up and build a beach there.

• I would love for the waterways to be clean enough to swim in or to paddle board on without being worried about the water if I fall in.

• “More awareness of the availability to waterways would be highly recommended. Where can a canoe or kayak be rented? Can a paddle board be rented? Where can you get on/off? Is it safe to wade in the river? Where?”

• “Water tubing?

Stand up paddle board “

• would love to tube/ float down river but that’s more of a water quality issue for me right now

• I would love to see clean water so that we can swim in East Side Lake. It’s a beautiful lake, and it’s not safe to swim in, there’s no beach, etc.

• Wish the Spamtown Belle was still in use

• “They are not safe or clean enough to swim or play in but that would be awesome for all ages.“

• A water park would be awesome for our children to enjoy. Something different.

• Tubing

• Paddle boat

• Beach/swimming

• I know it’s not what you asked but I came here to say a park should be built closer to mandolin place apartments.

• A creek walk

• Swimming

• I would like to enjoy fishing and boating, however, do not feel the waters are clean enough for these activities.

• Decent fishing and clean water. Dredge East Side Lake and build a decent catch and release program with enforcement of game and fish laws. Rebuild the population of smallmouth bass in the Cedar River watershed. Stop placing the pile of snow and street waste next to the river every year. Take care of these items and use them to make Austin a destination.

• Beaches, kayaking, swimming

• Canoe accesses

• Expanded canoeing, kayaking.

• “Whitewater

More kayak/canoe access points Wading Areas to sit/picnic close to water”

• “It would be great if the water was clean enough for swimming in Austin’s waterways, and it’s encouraging to know the mussel project is working towards that. It would be really cool to see local agriculture work towards clean water via prairie strips to help out even more with having clean water for recreational purposes. Currently when we want to go to a beach we need to drive to Whitewater State Park or Owatonna, MN. It’d be nice to have a local, free beach so we didn’t have to drive so far. Again, I realize we need clean water for that, but it’d be great to move towards having healthy enough landscapes to do so. “

• Clean beach with clean water.

• Canoeing

• Not sure - it seems they aren’t that clean so I hesitate to go in them.

• “Paddle boats

Make east side lake a non motorized boating area so the nature doesn’t get disturbed “

• More trails

• Would be nice to clean up mill pond and east side lake and make them into great fisheries.

• Kayaks at Eastside Lake. Now available at the Naure Center so that’s okay too!

• Trails along the water ways

• Currently, my interaction with Austin’s natural waterways really only involves birding. Would maybe do more canoeing, perhaps even fishing, but water quality issues stand in the way.

• “Note: Nice to have at hand Paper and online park maps and where parks are located because the park names don’t evoke particular activities available in each park. Water activities: A slightly camouflaged area to be behind to catch natural behaviors undisturbed?”

• Swimming, and tubing

• Swimming. I still don’t trust the water quality.

• I would like to see a water park that has indoor pools/ slides with a outdoor pool with more activities vs our big rectangle public pool, a place where you can go and pay your fee and play for the day. The ymca/rec center is a fun alternative if you’re able to afford/ jump through hoops to get in for a 2 hour session, it seems they don’t want blue collar people in their facilities.

• More advertisements about rentals for the above activities

• More accessible to get into and out of local rivers for kayaks. And maybe places to rent some?

• I think current access is good

• I think I’d used the ones we have if they were cleaner.

• It would be nice to have swimmable beach.

• duck boats

• We just use the splash pad. When it’s free that is so helpful

• I would like to have more community kayaking events for myself and my 3rd grader.

• I’d like access for my dog to swim.

• Pabbleboats, kahacks ,canoe’s

• More kayaking. Like neighbors that can get together that might not have a kayaking partner.

• pet friendly , a place where you can tube

• A cleaner swimming area so we do not have to go out of town.

• I would love to be able to safely swim, boat, and fish in our waters. As they are right now they are not safe to swim in.

• A nice kayak launch would be nice. My husband and son will have kayaks by next summer so we can all go together as a family.

• I would like to see Dobbins Creek between Hormel Nature Center and East Side Lake cleaned up. It is hard to get from one point to the other in a kayak because there is so much silt and downed trees/branched in the water to navigate without having to get out and walk through the water. I am concerned about garbage in the creek and potentially getting cut.

• Swimming! It would be great to be able to swim in the lake or river. Tuning would also be fun.

• Get the milk carton boat races back. :-)

• More walleye in our water ways

• “Swimming pool if it had better hours Splash pad if it was free and open ad lib like Albert leas “

• swimming

• Would love some more fish stocked at Eastside lake... would help with a donation towards that.

• Paddleboarding

• Cleaner lakes and rivers so we can go swimming. More fishing docks.

• More points of kayak rentals

• Drinking water

• Rental kayaks or canoes.

• More splash pad time and pool time past 4!

• Bigger splash pad

• Better fishing

• Clean beach/sand area

• Paddle board, hammocks, tubing, clean lakes,

• A beach would be amazing if any of the water is clean enough to swim in.

• We used to canoe the cedar but just don’t have time anymore.

• Canoe rental on Cedar River.

• It would be wonderful if East Side Lake was a more usable space for swimming and had a beach.

• Paddle boats rentals. Like Rochester/silver lake

• increased access to canoe/kayak

• Magnet fishing

• I don’t use any currently, but like the ones that are provided.

• Cliff Jumping

• None. We own a boat but kayak most in Austin.

• Swimming

• Paddle boats

• These are all great. Tubing would also be fun if possible. It would be great to have groups to go with. I would be interested in doing these activities, but would feel more comfortable going with a group for safety reasons.

• a swimming beach at mill pond or east side lake, easy access and fun family

• Pleasant viewing, activity watching, tubing

• A swimming beach.

13) Did anyone in your household participate in City of Austin-sponsored recreation programs in the past year?

14) If yes to the previous question, please specify the Parks and Recreation program(s).

1. Open Swim - 105

2. Swimming Lessons - 86

3. Open Skate - 83

4. Soccer - 69

5. Free Track Meets - 62

6. Parks and Rec Basketball - 58

7. T-Ball - 54

8. Learn to Skate - 53

9. Fall/Spring Hockey - 53

10. Dome Baseball - 46

11. Family Fun Night at the Pool - 46

12. Disc Golf - 36

13. Stick Time - 33

14. Learn to Play Hockey - 32

15. Victory Volleyball - 32

16. Peewee Ball - 31

17. Youth Archery - 26

18. Tennis - 25

19. Rolling Rec - 25

20. Open Pickleball - 25

21. 5-Pitch Softball - 19

22. Adult Co-Ed Softball - 17

23. Adult Co-Ed Kickball - 17

24. Track - 16

25. Golf - 15

26. Adult Men’s Softball - 14

27. Adult Women’s Volleyball - 14

28. Adult Co-Ed Volleyball - 14

29. Community Volleyball - 14

30. Aqua Zumba - 13

31. Adult Hockey - 9

32. Sand Volleyball - 8

15) Do you, or family members, participate in any of the following associations or clubs?

1. Attend Austin Bruins games - 197

2. Youth Baseball - 73

3. Youth Soccer - 64

4. Youth Hockey - 63

5. All Star Baseball - 56

6. Youth Basketball - 54

7. Youth Softball - 51

8. Youth Football - 46

9. Disc Golf Club - 20

10. Cedar River Archery Club - 19

11. Youth Wrestling - 16

12. Curling Club - 15

13. Figure Skating Club - 12

14. Cycling Team - 12

15. Legion Baseball -10

16. Snowmobile Club - 5

16) Does the City’s current variety of recreation programs/classes meet the needs of your household?

17) If you answered “no” or “unsure” to the previous question, please elaborate.

• Not enough ball diamonds for baseball practices. There needs to be facilities for the youth 10-13 year olds. Space is limited, double booking fields for practices, our kids suffer due to lack of resources.

• We haven’t done much because kids are young. But we wanted to do soccer, but games on Sunday do not work and all games were on Sunday.

• “The ages for most sports are to high for my kids, I have a 4 and 8 year old and we wished more sports offered to younger ages!“

• Advertise more for volleyball teams so we can get leagues going again post Covid.

• Do not feel welcomed

• Our family would participate in many more activities offered, but we’ve had poor experiences in the past. Coaches/ volunteers not paying attention and on cell phones, not seeming interested or happy to be doing their job, no rhyme or reason to “feedback” at swimming lessons and teachers coming and going throughout the short 2 week lessons, etc. Family passes for the pool would be fantastic for larger families. Access to the splash pad on off hours or a special “toddler hour” for the littlest kids to enjoy the pool/splash pad without big kids. It would also be nice to see more opportunities offered in the dome for athletes that don’t play hockey or basketball. Many baseball players and coaches would love to make more use of the dome, but it’s not affordable or is being used by other cities teams/ groups. It would be great to see the Austin community have first dibs at a more reasonable cost.

• It would be nice if the park and Rec website would like all groups or activities on the main page. I have no idea what is available and when.

• It would be nice if the rolling rec came over to our side of town. We have a lot of kids in our area between Murphey’s Creek townhomes and the new townhomes (Fox Pointe). Middle of the day youth soccer is also hard on working parents.

• It would be nice to have more tennis (for older kids) and violin lesson programs year round.

• I’d like more announcements about some of this stuff and easier to find. Archery would be nice too

• Coed softball use to have so many teams, has really gone down hill. I played for at least 10+ years and quit a couple years due to only playing the same 4 teams.

• It would be helpful to have more evening offerings for some of the activities; or half days. Other communities offer camps for a week from 8-12 or 12-4 and collaborate with some of the school coaches to assist with the camps. One week is basketball, then baseball, then football; then hockey, then volleyball, etc. easier for parents that work to drop kids off for a half day than for an hour,

• “- More activities for toddlers

- Update/clean parks

- Add all inclusive park

- Zero depth pool

- Make splash pad available to use outside of pool hours“

• It’s hard to make time for the adult activities when they are held during work hours. OR poorly advertised, I had no idea we had pickle ball.

• I usually don’t know when things start

• Pool needs a update and offer more.

• Not a ton of time options, or opportunities for working parents to have kids in the activities.

• Some of the times the classes are offered, especially in the summer do not meet the needs of working families. Hard to get kids to places during the day.

• I would say our basic needs at the parks have been met, but things could improve!

• We would love an ultimate frisbee team!

• Could be more

• Austin needs more and improved pickleball courts

• The times for a working family do not work. Of all of the summer activities, my son is at daycare for most of them and unable to attend.

• Better parks for little ones 1-4 year old

• More disc golf in the town. Growing sport.

• I think the amount of programs offered is amazing!!!

• We really haven’t looked in to it.

• Summer activities do not work for the working parent. They are right in the middle of the day and most parents can’t just leave work to transport to event

• We need indoor batting cages

• Would like to see more programs for kids under 5. More programs for adults too.

• It would be fantastic if we could get a pee-wee football for those younger than 5th grade.

• Austin needs more access to pickle ball courts and be able to have tournaments and large group pickle ball activities.

• We are the retirement ahi do walking,biking and pickleball is what we do at this time.

• We would love to have designated pickleball courts. We are also interested in growing the curling club with designated ice so we don’t have to compete with hockey and figure skating for desirable ice time. Curling is a fast-growing sport and it would be great to have a destination curling center like Chaska - brewery/curling/event center combo. SE Minnesota is currently a dry spot for curling facilities and it’s a great way to build culture with a multi-faceted building in a community. We would love to get a youth curling program going and create additional opportunities for community members to try it out especially because it’s a sport that can be played by most regardless of physical abilities. We would also love to see a more “full experience park” with a great area for live music, an operational bar with the ability to sell alcohol, a nice looking playground, splash pad and walking paths. A great example of this is the new Lions Park in Sauk Rapids, MN.

• “Curling is limited to the winter session and don’t have dedicated ice. Also don’t have dedicated pickleball courts year round and no leagues offered. “

• “While curling is offered during the season (winter/spring), ice time is limited due to the time and effort that goes into prepping the ice. There are no opportunities to curl outside of league time. The city should consider looking at other areas, such as Chaska, and the year round facility offered there with dedicated ice and a restaurant attached. The pickleball courts are added to tennis courts, but there is no designated space. It would be great to see a summer evening league for pickleball as well.”

• Designated curling ice and more pickleball courts

• Currently yes, but as my family grows older we may or may not want different options

• More open skate times, and more adult hockey times!

• The community should utilize the indoor pool at Ellis Middle School to allow more indoor winter activities and open swim. It used to be open to the public, not sure why they stopped allowing it.

• Our kids are young still so we are just starting to be involved in activities. I do feel like I am not as informed and it feels like if you aren’t already connected it is hard to get consistent info.

• Don’t have kids old enough to participate yet.

• I want classes or open gym for my autistic son to go. Young children (under 5) don’t have anything we can do.

• The existing programs are very good, but my wife and I currently have to travel to Albert Lea, Owatonna, or Rochester to play pickleball. Austin is the only city on our SE MN, NE IA area without permanent outdoor pickleball courts.

• Pickleball on the current school tennis courts is sub standard.

• “Little volleyball programming for years

Lack of organization for fields for baseball

Shirley Theel sits vacant and unused. Why not use for 12+ baseball?? We only have two diamonds for that age group”

• We need outdoor courts designed specifically for pickleball. I drive 5-7 times a week to Albert Lea to play pickleball. They great courts by their swimming pool.

• We are empty nesters so we generally don’t participate in programs

• More pickleball

• I would like we to see a variety of adult swim times.

• No Pickelball courts. I have to drive to Albert Lea or Rochester.

• My kids are under age 3

• “I have bought a pool pass for years for myself and family grandchildren But not this year

Because went many time last year only to find it closed do to low numbers I paid for a summer of swimming with posted hours

Should be able to swim any of those hours“

• pickleball

• I’d like to see some good outdoor pickleball courts

• “Additional baseball/softball fields that are maintained, upgraded batting cage facilities. Also additional restroom facilities near fields 10-11 are needed!

Nicer picnic area around south Todd volleyball court,weed management and ( net around court to keep ball in)

A combination mini-golf/paid batting cages would be a hit! Our family travels to neighboring communities to pay for these activities - it would be nice to keep $ in our community. “

• I didn’t know any of these things were offered. Personally I think this towns recreation part has a huge accessibility issue when it comes to communication and the people knowing what’s being offered. There needs to be more advertising and easy info about these programs.

• Would like more evening programs in the summer, such as tennis lesson.

• Pickleball = Fastest growing sport in America. Smaller towns are creating spaces for the sport played by individuals of all ages. Our community has been VERY slow to respond. We have been kicked off tennis courts lined with pickleball lines by youth Rex tennis coaches even though there were 6 other courts that could be used, and they only were using 3-4 of them. Poor sportsmanship and poor community spirit.

• Our oldest child has attended T-ball the last two summers and once again, it was disappointing. I understand the

difficulty in hiring coaches, but there was little order to the summer program. Kids ages 3-6 need direction and something to do that is engaging and retains their attention -- standing in line catching pop fly balls in the middle of a sunny afternoon is not a good use of time for anyone. I have avoided other Park N Rec programs as my children (and most children do) need a program with structure.

• More things involving the skate park and skate activities, lessons/ contests

• More curling

• There are a lot of things to see in Austin, but not many things to do, especially between the ages of 18-25.

• My kids are still pretty young for most activities. Looking forward to them in the future!

• “The recreation programs lack a little in quality. The kids seem to enjoy the activities, but the skills they learn are not the quality we’re looking for. At the beginning level, we believe that fundamentals should be taught and reinforced. The beginning rules of the game and how to play the game and how to work with teammates. They should be [getting] prepared for the next level of play. Examples:

Basketball - shooting form and shooting skills; defensive stance; passing the ball; spreading the court.

Baseball & Softball - throwing the ball (w/ accuracy); catching the ball - flies & grounders; defensive positions; game situations - where to throw the ball; batting - swinging fundamentals. We know that the quality of staff is challenging. The staff should be prepared with the quality instruction. There should be a higher level of expectation of professionalism. This is a job for teenagers, but it is also preparation for work ethic into their adulthood.”

• City needs 8-10 pickle ball courts in one location to accommodate area players and possible tournament sponsorship.

• Still figuring it out, been here 1 year and still adjusting due to pandemic caution and age of child (3 yo). Seems at times options can be limited for her age, understandably. Trying to find ways to involve her in community and experiences especially this winter, particularly since not in school or daycare.

• There is not much to really draw people in their mid 40s with no kids. Austin really should have a city RV park with full amenities. This is a big draw to those wanting to get out of the house for a couple of days. We’ve stayed at other city RV parks that provided full 50A, water, sewer and cable for $25/night. Most city RV parks only have 20-30 nice sized spots.

• Don’t do alot of recreational programs

• Swim team /swim programs been in active for some time. Rec pool and outdoor pool is under staffed and under utilized.

• Need to have “learn to activities” before the actual season for a sport starts for kids ages 9 and up.

• “The youth soccer and tennis offerings this summer were very poorly run. Young instructors in soccer too busy talking to each other or jumping into games scoring against team getting beaten by 6-8 goals was very disheartening. Lots of spectator complaints on the sidelines as organizers allowed kids to ‘number off’ and all the talented kids pushed the less talented kids in between them so the teams/sides were consistently lopsided. No direction given to participants to not just chase the ball but to play positions or even any attempts at this. With 6+ older ‘instructors’ in attendance there was definitely opportunity to make participation much more enjoyable for all kids and for those watching games. It was very disappointing. Tennis did not take advantage of all courts available and keep all kids engaged. So much ‘taking turns’ in one court that participants were bored, distracted and it was not a good experience. However, Track program was very well run considering vast ages.”

• I’d like to see some city sponsored pickleball play

• The programs available are great, but access to fields has been difficult. Our coaches don’t get a response in an appropriate time frame on availability of field time. Also, teams are allowed to practice on fields too big for them and older teams are unable to utilize them when needed.

• Would like pickleball courts, enough in one location to have” open pickleball” times

• I would like to see a pickleball league for adults and if possible one for kids.

• We need a pickleball courts complex

• I’m interested in playing Pickleball at outdoor courts made specifically for Pickleball. I currently play at thr Austin “Y” indoors but travel to Albert Lea & Owatonna to play at their outdoor Pickleball courts. I would definitely support Austin’s Pickleball courts when they are built.

• More courts for Pickleball w good surfaces and fences to separate courts

• I belong to the YMCA. Played PB a at Ellis in the past I live 8 miles south on 218. I am in Austin at least 5 days a week.

• I have never explored these options. I didn’t know they existed. I would like to learn more before I can answer yes or no.

• I play pickleball on average twice a week. We need more courts.

• I was not impressed with the T-ball and 5-pitch program. I didn’t feel like there was a lot of teaching going on. Also with the 5-pitch, there was a younger girl helping “coach” and she had short shorts on where when she bent over to catch the ball (Catcher position) you could see her butt. I am not ok with that having two young girls.

• Need learn to programs for hockey before the season starts for 9 and up!

• T-ball ‘instruction’ is a joke. Having kids line up 10-15 deep and having them go through the line to catch one pop fly ball and go to the back of the line, is not worth the time to be there. Whole program needs some work, how about actual organized instruction or skills. Kids are young, but it’s just a free-for-all. Had one child go through it, will not enroll the others when old enough. Train seasonal staff.

• I was unaware of half of these programs and clubs. How about a little bit of Community Access or information to these programs that are easy to find and access. That would be helpful.

• We chose not to utilize the programs available but will when we have kids.

• The programs are cost prohibitive.

• Pickleball leagues would be well received. More courts would also be beneficial

• I don’t have kids

• Need better pickle ball courts

• “-Indoor rec in the winter is lacking. The ACRC has improved access immensely, however here are some things our family has wished for in the winter: use of a gym for indoor ultimate frisbee, foosball tables that can be used by the whole family, ping pong tables that can be used by the whole family -Access to bike trails near Banfield is poor. We have to ride on streets up to the library, or along busy 12th Street for a long stretch to get to trails. Both of these options are scary with young kids because of heavy traffic or needing to cross several busy intersections. Also, well into the summer many of the side roads are still gritty from winter road treatments that make it difficult for children to ride bikes on the roadside. The sidewalks are also unreliably ramped at many intersections-- either no ramp, or the ramp exit is directed toward heavy traffic. All of these factors together make the bike trails largely inaccessible from the neighborhood surrounding Banfield/The Fairgrounds.”

• Would like to see dedicated curling ice. Difficult to make times work with Hockey at Packer arena.

• I would like access to kayaks at the water’s edge.

• There are almost no programs or activities for younger children, toddlers and preescholers aq

• We need a pickleball league or more options for the volleyball leagues.

• Would possibly be interested in more adult programming. Would like to participate in water aerobics at the AMP in the summer but it is not well advertised so I always miss out.

• I guess I don’t really know what the recreation programs are that are available or where to find them

• It would be nice if there were more opportunities for individual activities or small group. I have children that have high social anxiety, so most of the activities have too many people around for them to want to try them out.

• Walking program or stretching, yoga, etc. for older folks. Perhaps painting in the park, park based book club, opportunities for retirees to interact with APS students.

• Would love if Austin had an event similar to Wind Down Wednesday or Thursdays Downtown. I realize this would take collaboration between other organizations.

• More indoor pickleball courts for winter use and more bike trails/paths would be nice.

• My older children participated when younger, and my youngest is too young yet. I’ll reevaluate programming when he’s older.

• I use a walker to get around, so usually am just enjoying parks visually

• “It would be great to have non competitive team sports, or intramural sports for teens. Having a structure to organize and get them committed to participate in volley ball, basketball, baseball, softball and tennis. Some kids don’t want huge time commitments and can’t afford to travel for tournaments but enjoy the sport (financially and time wise). We need indoor tennis courts like in Owatonna. It would grow the sport and make it available to a wider range of kids. It would be an asset to our town to attract people to move here if they were considering it for Hormel, Mayo or the schools. “

• I think Austin would benefit from a Trap Shooting Program for younger ages.

• There is a large desire from community members for more Pickleball resources.

• Need to have a volleyball section near the soccer field

• Our family doesn’t seek out information about City rec programs, nor do we really ever see/hear about them.

• Was unaware of these clubs and they seem like a great idea, but the YMCA would be so beneficial if I could afford it on my one income as a single home-owner working full time.

• “Youth baseball and softball when at the north fields 10 and 11 have no bathroom access. When kids have two games they have no time to use the bathroom. Parents miss a large amount of game to walk to a far away bathroom. Would you want your kids resorting to peeing behind trees? Also, hockey is ridiculous. You sign you child up to play their age/ level to help prepare them and learn then they are segregated based upon what the coaches volunteering want. So many kids are playing down and not being challenged. This has to stop in 3 on 3. “

• Need more free activities for low income families

• The disc golf club is Austin kind of does it’s own thing. It is not associated with the City of Austin like baseball, kickball, etc. are. Since I just do disc golf at the moment, I am unsure what all the city has for programs.

• Gymnastics, tennis, and figure skating would be great programs for youth.

• Winter Adult softball league in the Packer dome would be cool.

• See above regarding lake and river.

• we have limited free time but soon will be retiring early and will be looking to participate more.

• “Our family would like to see:

1. Adult soccer (including women, not just men)

2. Adult archery

2. Skateboarding classes “

• It would be nice to receive flyers about community events for babies, toddlers, or children under the age of 4. It is hard to find a place to locate all this information

• Better pool hours with a longer season and more classes.

• We don’t participate in those

• I am not really sweater off what is offered

• “Once your kids are grown up, there isn’t much to do other than use the walking paths. Classes would be nice perhaps?”

• I’m not not sure.

• Our grandson is with us from time to time, he plays as much hockey as he can. He is a senior goalie this year. He wishes to skate at the lagoon because of the different feel of the ice. We need the Lagoon totally cleared off, but hockey should not be played st the lagoon for safety reasons

• There’s a city cycling team, as in bicycling??

• More access to pickleball courts

• We want volleyball court

• “Please offer more practical Skills such as learning how to fish using old fashion tools, learning how to find your ways without GPS(Cardinal directions) or learning how to make fire and other survival skills. “

• “More warm indoor winter activities.

We were sold a bill of goods about “community access to the dome” As far as adult folks having access to arrange pick up games of sports or even throwing a ball is a no go. Walking the perimeter was and unwelcome disappointment….”

• Nothing for little little ones… we have a toddler and all programs are for older kids

• I didn’t know there were so many clubs, and I’ve lived here for 10+ years. It’s very cliquey

• Young girl Soccer team would be nice

• I would like to enroll my son in gymnastics but there isn’t a class in the fall which seems weird to me.

• “It would be so nice to offer things to younger kids!

Like little league football/baseball or basket ball!

Like kindergartners and up!”

• Wish summer swimming lessons were in 1 week blocks

• I think there could be more geared toward middle school and high school aged kids.

• “Greater/easier access to canoeing and kayaking. Lighted skating rinks that are kept up beyond initial flooding. More access to both arenas for pick up hockey and skating. It’s a huge waste to have the facilities go unused so often.“

• Scheduling is a nightmare on all aspects of the sport programs. Summer its ballfields, during school school activities/ times are we not taken into consideration when scheduling times

• better pickleball spaces. also seen in other communities have beanbag toss cement bases at parks.

• It’s hard when there isn’t much for students with disabilities and young prek kids.

• We would like to see a bigger variety of programs and programs during the evening. My kids can’t participate in a lot of programs because I work during the day.

• I wish swimming lessons could be offered during the year.

• Our kids are quite young, and we work during the day and the kids are in daycare, so evening and weekend pool and splash pad use are most common for us but hours are limited. We want to do more as the kids get older and don’t need quite as much direct help.

• My daughter (3rd grade) is very interested in science. The schools are so busy with reading and math that there isn’t much time for science, even with her gifted services. With the Hormel Institute in town, it would be nice to see the City partner for Girls in STEAM or STEAM in general for her age group to build capacity before the middle school slump in girl’s achievement in math and science strikes.

• “Gymnastics Dance Crafts Yoga”

• “More pickle ball

Preteen tennis

Youth tennis not during the middle of the day during August”

• My family uses the Y for gymnastics and indoor swimming but find the facility management has really changed the accessibility of the facility for the community. It seems less accessible for youth. In addition, we are a family of springboard divers. We offered this suggestion when the Y was building the new facility and it was not apparently something they wanted to pursue. (Putting in diving boards.) We spend money in Rochester to travel there multiple times per week for diving board use and training at their Rec Center. We are not the only local family that does this. Big missed opportunity for a sport that has grown in popularity due to some great local divers.

• I find the classes often fill up. This requires me to develop and organize my own classes such as nature photography (my Nat Geo wildlife photographer former colleague) and survival skills (scout master friend). Fortunately with my museum programming background I can do that for our family and homeschool community.

• My kids are grown and out of house

• There are things my kids would love to do and I just can’t pay for it and that breaks my heart Ballet and football and hockey are what they are hoping for.

• Hours of some summer programs are difficult to attend for households with both parents working during the day

• “Need to be offered more often than once a year for 6 weeks. Also- P&R hockey is discriminative towards gender and functions under the politics of Austin Youth Hockey. No other P&R activity is based off of gender and already formed teams. This has been a huge concern of mine and I have brought it to the table multiple times and completely blown off. “

• We’d like to see more classes or short term camps on a variety of things.

• Figure skating gets pushed aside a lot do to hockey taking presidence

• I usually do things independently since I do not have kids or a family yet.

• They may meet our needs but the city does a horrible job at getting information out to families on what activities they have.

• There is quite a selection that is true, but I never get information sent out as to when registration opens or what is coming up so we usually miss out on sign up.

• I would like to see more “FREE” adult exercise classes. It would also be great to have an adult mountain biking club or events.

• Maybe Dungeons and Dragons at the Library

• Summer youth sports are during the day... I have a full time job

• My children are too young

• Its a yes and no answer; we wish there were a few more things for younger ages (1-3 years)

• “Many of the summer programs are tailored to those who do not work or have the summers off. My children would love to play soccer but we can not make 10am or 11am work in a household with 2 full tome working parents and kids that need to attend daycare. This was the same for the golf program. Swimming lessons were good but not always on time. The teachers would come out late. Many times we don’t hear about the programs or they are not well advertised. We tried finding info on victory volleyball without success and gave up. Slots are very limited and fill up fast as well.”

• Swimming lessons after 5 pm would be great.

• Not much to do for teens.

• There could be more public skae and open hockey time. There is no reason that the arena should not be open when the ice isn’t rented out by our local hockey and figure skating clubs. Need to have an arena manager that is there during the day time and night times. They need to find away to utilize ice times more.... night open skates with black lights, music, finding other people looking to do hockey camps in summer time while we have ice when other cities dont. Maybe roller hockey in packer in the summer. Birthday parties for private partys when ice is available all season. Outdoor rinks need liners instead of spending countless hours trucking water to have it melt away. Have a water line ran to the rinks so you don’t have to truck water, have employees working over night to flood rinks. Maybe put concrete under a outdoor rink, now you have a roller hockey rink for summer outdoor fun for kids.

• “The activities here are great. But we need a indoor rec center that is not the ymca. Could use some batting cages with automated pitching machines... and a bullpen area to work on pitching.”

• Wish it was more organized… wish they communicated better with schedules with other coaches or other staff especially for times of these activities.. communicated better with parents

• You didn’t list adult baseball and softball

• The quality of the programs is poor. The “coaching” has never really been present at my sons level/age in the past 3-4 years. Poorly organized, nothing to be learned, just an open skate with his buddies. This is regarding hockey. He stopped participating in other programs years ago because as I said, the quality of the programs is poor. It was boring, nothing was really done to learn the activities.

• Not enough ways of notifying people of the programs. It took us 3 years to realize there were sports in my child’s age group.

• More toddler friendly options

• Cane ball

• Not enough swim lessons options or times

• We want caneball and volleyball court at Todd park

• I’m not sure

• There are some programs we might be more inclined to participate in if the hours were different. My son does soccer because it’s during the day and I’m able to take him, however, t ball is evenings so he can’t do that.

• Lack of volleyball options is significant

• More autism related activities

• Most of the times for children under 5/6 are during the day. We are a working family so I can’t attend any of the rolling rec or community Ed classes

• Indoor soccer

• There is no place for adolescents or children with disabilities to gather and have organized activities. LIFE caters to adults and NOT children. Also- there are no casual organized sports for kids who just want to play and have fun. The kids who don’t live and breath their sport but still want to play. High school seniors and juniora are being cut from AHS athletics because they don’t make there aren’t enough spots on the team, and they aren’t best players on the team. Where are those kids supposed to play? The answer I got was no where. They can’t play with under classmen.

• They do not offer activities for young toddlers.

• Unsure what rec programs are available, is there brochures?

• We don’t really have a lot of interests outside of our own house. Nothing is really attracting us to participate.

• Need the bike trails to be connected to each other. It’s a hodgepodge currently.

• No because everything is very expensive.

• Pickleball league

• I have an autistic son that requires certain activities to do.

• It would be nice to have more options, have a limit of kids, and teach kids more of the skills needed to play the sports. We chose not to participate in Basketball this year because it was way too crowded and not enough space for the kids to have adequate time to learn and play.

• It would be nice if there were indoor swimming during the winter months—other than the Y.

• Not enough swimming

• We used some of these when our kids were young. Just want clean parks

• I signed up for volleyball, but didn’t know anyone, so am a free agent. I got called once to play, but couldn’t come in that day, and since have not received any more calls. I would love to participate in more adult intramural sports. I’ve also been looking for a hiking, running, or cross country skiing group to join, and would love to find something like that.

• We needed swimming lessons this summer, but The Austin pool was a no go due to inappropriate and violent behavior. We decided to go to blooming instead.

• Geocaching would be a great way to add people to the walking trails. Lack of Local sports for girls Grades 5-6. Youth softball non traveling a lot of families can not afford the cost or have the extra time to travel.

• I would like to see Austin become a more dog friendly community. The dog park is unusable as it is.

• Not aware of what they offer have tried to look online but have trouble finding or learning of opportunities

• “Adult basketball Off leash dog play”

• The youth golf lessons program wasn’t available this year. This was disappointing because my children would like to learn how to golf without private lessons.

18) Please identify a type of new recreation program or service that the City should consider offering.

• Whitewater course/Riverfront revitalization

• Pickleball

• More baseball fields or keep them playable. Update the older ones to be more than tball field

• I think the sports that are offered are great, they just need to be offered more often and to more age grouos

• Winter baseball program more than dome ball for experienced players, Winter whiffle ball, pitching machine punch cards

• Updated outdoor pool facility

• Personal safety classes

• Year round tennis for older kids, and affordable violin lessons year round.

• Geo caching

• Roller Skating

• Adaptive sports

• More Basketball, year round

• Free splash pad

• Soccer or other activities for toddlers

• Toddler Activities

• It would be nice to have some art/day camp/little girl classes. I would also love to see more nature center classes.

• Mini golf/ go carts

• More toddler friendly parks, rubber mat parks, splash pads

• Fishing if Eastside Lake could be cleaned up!

• Ninja Warrior for kids

• pickleball (indoors - cold months for sure)

• Yoga/Fall/East Side Lake/other optional!

• I would love to see city-sponsored baseball and softball again.

• A ninja warrior course or gym.

• Some kind of sports based summer programme for kids whose parents are working

• Don’t know right now

• Canoeing/kayaking class

• Weekend / week NIGHT family centered activities

• More baseball

• Garbage cans on bike path, groom in the winter

• Baseball for young kids (not only tball)

• More nature programs / activities for kids 6-8, either at the nature center or walking trails

• In town camping

• Indoor batting cages and or pitching machines with public access

• Anything for kids under 5. They need things to do too.

• Pee wee football 7-9years

• Pickle ball

• Dedicated Pickle Ball Courts

• Pickleball facility. We have quite a few residents driving to Albert Lea to play on official pickleball courts. Last year there on the list in Albert Lea there were 21 Austin residents driving to Albert Lea. Albert Lea also hold a 2 day tournament.

• Speed walking

• Something to look at the stars and planets at night. Some barbecuer so people can use them for when they don’t one or need another one.

• Designated curling ice; designated pickleball courts; hybrid facilities that incorporated at high-level facility with community gathering areas and additional restaurant offerings.

• Adult pickleball league (evening time to accommodate work schedules)

• Outdoor fitness stations, pull-up bar, etc.

• Dedicated curling ice

• More open skate times, and more adult hockey times!

• Open Swimming at Ellis Middle School, regular aqua Zumba, “better than pink” at the middle school and high school level

• Zero entry pool

• Outdoor pickleball facility

• Maybe a pre-lige guarding program in the summer for kids who have tested out of the lessons.

• Bialthalon

• Pickle ball courts

• Open gymnastics.

• Adult & Youth Pickleball

• Dedicated Pickleball courts. Prefirably in Rotory Centenial Park. At least 6 courts. Lighting would be great.

• More pickelball

• Pickleball specific courts.

• Specified pickelball courts. Yoga, Tai Chi and other meditative type group activities

• Pickleball

• Pickle ball

• Pickelball

• pickleball

• Pickleball Instruction

• Bike rental program for families just getting into trail use who don’t own bikes.

• More public and clean restrooms

• Pickleball

• Year-round recreation programs for children considering working parent schedules

• Skate camps

• Yoga in the parks

• Pickle Ball courts - indoor and out

• Outdoor movies , bathroom along trail routes

• Pickle ball complex

• City RV park

• Canoes or kayaks to rent -Cedar River or East Side Lake.

• Pickleball

• More toddle programs during day.

• Believe everything is fine.

• Big indoor playground for the winter

• Lacrosse

• Pickleball l, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking outings

• Pickleball, splash pad, kayaking group, SUP (stand up paddle board)

• Pickleball league

• Pickleball

• More Pickle ball courts

• Pickleball courts

• City Pickleball leagues

• Pickleball gated courts

• Dedicated Curling club, curling ice only

• Batting Cages

• Better pool hours. Morning hours and concession stands

• Wild plants and herbs identification and preparation.

• More family activities and stuff for younger kids (3-7)

• High quality opportunity at no cost and without paperwork (that would be prohibitive to non-English readers/ speakers and/or immigration status)

• Pickleball leagues and more courts

• I appreciate what we have but I used to live in more scenic places. After many years the scenery is a little underwhelming, but overdevelopment isn’t nice either. If we had better access to waterways, I would probably do more water activities.

• RC CARS

• More bussing services

• Chess League

• Dedicated curling ice

• Organized disc golf for kids and for adults

• Group canoe and kayak events.

• I would like to see an expansion of the community garden program, specifically find a more central location.

• Walking Club

• A community swim team/swim clinic would be amazing!

• Pickleball League, Volleyball League options

• Pickle ball lessons or league

• I think it would be awesome if there were a naturist/foraging type program

• Movement for seniors

• A monthly downtown summer event ( or even offered once to get the ball rolling). Food vendors, entertainment, family fun, food.

• Pickleball

• Ebikes for rent similar to the scooters available

• Cane Ball nets in Todd park for the Kareni folks

• Outdoor game time (gym class style games)

• Community garden plots throughout the city and classes in growing/storing food.

• Year-round tennis with indoor tennis courts.

• outdoor pickleball, clean restroom facilities

• Water park

• Trap Shooting, Fishing/Outdoor Classes/Camps/Leagues

• Pickleball

• Valley ball court and cane ball

• volleyball

• more tournament

• Volleyball & cane ball court

• Fishing, canoeing,

• Volleyball near the soccer field

• Cane ball pitch

• Pickleball club

• Roller derbys sound cool, or outdoor maze, botanical gardens, allow chickens and front yard free gardening, teens looking to do good things mowing for free? Kite club? More adult usable equipment at parks or any place where they can be used in free time

• Outdoor sports, rental fishing equipment,

• Putting up fliers up around low income family housing about free activities and possibly providing rides to said activities

• Like a mud run?

• Replacing the tee pads at Driesner Park and putting in tee pads at Marcuson Park would be greatly appreciated by the disc golf community.

• Roller skating.

• Winter Adult softball league in the Packer dome would be cool.

• Competition swimming in winter

• Quality fishing and clean waters.

• Unified sports activities or adapted sports activities so that all abilities/disabiities can participate.

• More bike paths

• I would say build even brighter and stronger collaborations between what is already happening. Leveraging the community center/YMCA in ways that build the community gathering and engagement in greater ways.

• Adult sports teams (especially for women)

• Free indoor walking trail at the rec center.

• Indoor walking/running track

• Adult programming

• Camping overnight and undernight

• Clearing the entire Lagoon for open skating, and open the warming house.

• wall/rock climbing

• Pickleball

• Volleyball and cane ball

• Caneball

• More outdoor gyms at the park.

• Caneball court and volleyball court

• Use of the teen rec room at the ACRC YMCA for ping pong etc. since the teens are not there when we are the during school time. It could be called a Community Rec Room; I am feeling the dome-type restrictions happening here too….

• Pickle ball courts/leagues. More/better dog walking routes

• More activities for ages 12-16

• Neighborhood watch (how to form/informational classes)

• More for young kids

• Kayaking, access to kayaks, maybe transporting them. Like a rental program! Peewee basketball peewee football

• More summer camps for older kids.

• Paddleboarding

• Rentable canoe/kayak equipment near waterways.

• Love to see more bike trails

• beanbag toss

• a playground zip line

• Camping

• With the Hormel Institute in town, it would be nice to see the City partner for Girls in STEAM or STEAM in general for her age group to build capacity before the middle school slump in girl’s achievement in math and science strikes.

• More pickle ball

• Pickleball courts

• Rock Climbing Wall

• Home school programs especially at the nature center. We were turned down for every offering because they work with the schools first. This forces us to go to other places such as Faribault nature center.

• A place where people ad go and social and there is activities. Like Shopko would be a idea

• more options for Ballet, football and hocky

• Is there anything being offered for kids/adults with disabilities - a field that is specially designed for their needs. Golf lessons for kids

• Stop adding more and more - everything costs money.

• A trick or treat trail, or an art or theatre camp. Maybe a princess ball with characters.

• More figure skating opportunies

• more Handicapped equiptment

• Adult winter dodgeball

• Work on connecting the Shooting star trail to the bike trail in alber Lea. Continue making good bike paths for road bike to keep them off the backroads where cars drive fast.

• DnD

• more toddler based activities

• More PM offerings. Offerings for younger girls and boys. We would love a gymnastics program not affiliated with the Y that will actually teach young kids vs letting them do what they want during the session.

• Dog training/socialization courses

• lacrosse

• adult classes like learn to cook or dance or more community learning new thing classes as a younger adult i would love to get to know more people in our community

• Lacrosse, rugby, inline hockey rink.

• They should keep the arenas going all the time instead of charging so much an hour for the hockey youth program . Many times that it’s sitting doing nothing . Instead of keeping our community active and letting kids go out .

• Pickle-ball

• Collaborate with the YMCA so there aren’t 2 competing programs in a town that can’t support them.

• Can the city maybe put in Hunter Safety classes? They are really hard to find around here.

• weight lifting/ fitness

• Cane ball courts

• Boys volleyball

• We want caneball and volleyball court at Todd park

• Caneball (takaw)

• Volleyball and cane ball field.

• Volleyball nets at todd park by soccer field

• Oaxaca basketball

• Family friendly open skate without hockey kids speeding around

• Bike rental similar to what is offered in Lanesboro, MN

• Volleyball

• More programs for special needs children to participate in especially those no longer in elementary school.

• More autism related

• Park and Rec Soccer into individual teams by age, not just grouped by age brackets so kids get to know and play with the same teammates throughout the season.

• Bicycle safety - I see far too many people riding their bikes on the sidewalks instead of the street where they belong. This happens even when there is a marked path on the road shoulder.

• More indoor play areas for toddlers during winter

• Exercise classes at bandshell

• More live music events

• After school causal sports. Less focus on competition and more focus on playing and having a good time.

• Maybe some type of hiking club

• Activities for young toddlers.

• Star gazing,

• More walking paths along the Cedar River on the SW side of town

• Drop in Pickleball games whereby single players can sign up to play. Currently courts are reserved by already established teams.

• Walking paths snow free!

• Free fitness classes

• rentable bikes

• More autism friendly services

• Chess Club, Robotics, leaf pick up

• More swimming

• Hiking, running, or cross country skiing groups.

• More indoor activities in the winter like dodgeball or other non major sport activities. Also, Gagaball pits would be awesome.

• Local girls baseball or softball

• more splash pads, fieldhouse facilities

• Kayaking

19) Which existing recreational amenities would you like to be improved or expanded?

20) Please elaborate on the answers of the previous question.

• “There are no truly accessible parks. Splash pads need to be located in other regions of the city”

• Ball diamonds except Todd park are in horrible shape, not adequate for travel ball teams to practice on or even city ball kids to play real baseball

• Packer arena- heating mechanism; flooding the outdoor rinks and maintaining them properly; weeding and mowing the softball and baseball fields

• Anywhere would be great

• It would be fantastic to see ALL of our ball parks cleaned up and maintained for the youth of Austin. The softball and baseball tournaments that were once held in Austin did so well and brought in many visitors. It is tough to even get teams to come play in Austin now. Fields need care and to be regularly maintained, bathrooms at Todd Park could use updating, port-a-potty needed at field #10 from the start of the season through the end for players, elderly that cannot walk the distance up to the main bathrooms, etc.

• I feel like playground equipment could be updated and make sure you include children with special needs so they can enjoy parks also as normal as a normal child like children that have disabilities like wheelchairs and maybe more baby swings

• The park in our neighborhood often appears to be neglected and there was broken equipment the last time that we were there.

• Bustad Park is used a ton but it super run down. New equipment and lighting would make this park amazing!

• “Improve swimming pool locker rooms. Have dedicated pickle ball courts. “

• It’s telling to me that pickleball is very under represented in this list. Pickleball is a popular activity for middle aged people and definitely for many seniors. The pickleball opportunities at the YMCA are generally spoken for early and quickly by the more advanced/seasoned players. We play at Neveln on poorly marked and poorly maintained courts. An outdoor pickleball facility would be amazing.

• Any park to have adaptive usage

• Splash pad free

• There are not enough baseball fields for our 12 and older boys. It’s very difficult to find fields even to hold practice for them. Running a tournament is almost impossible with the lack of fields.

• Swimming Pool Supervision of Staff

• “I think the swimming pool could be MUCH better. Short hours, short season. No adult swim time. I’ve lived here for 10 years and since I don’t have kids I don’t even know all the school names, let alone the parks.“

• It would be nice to have more parks with restrooms. I would like to see us get a splash pad that is open to the public at all times. The swimming pool bathroom/building would use some updating/deep cleaning. It seems like Austin has many small parks. It would be nice to have a big park that has updated equipment. Most of our big parks have old

equipment or parts of the equipment are old. The lions park is nice, but I don’t feel safe going there because of the people who sit at the picnic tables and watch. I think the problem with that one is that it isn’t out in the open.

• Need more options for diamond sports. Only two field in town are setup for middle school aged baseball players, and getting field time anywhere in the spring is an adventure.

• Baseball fields need better groundskeeping, restrooms need to be unlocked more often, and or man made lake needs major work!!

• More dog friendly walking trails would be nice. More park benches or features to make it more exciting!

• All in City of Austin! Additional picnic tables/furnishings baby/senior seating needs/new playground equipment/fresh/ occasionally rotating..park to park...yearly!

• More open ice for public. Better maintenance of outdoor rinks and more locations possibly. Buy me a boat!

• I actually think that the quality of the facilities and the offering of events is incredible. I live part time in another city and it is honestly so great here between the pool, nature center, library, ymca, spam museum, all the parks

• Finish bike trail that will some day go to Albert Lea, much more desirable than shooting star and don’t put it next to a highway, that’s unsafe riding, make trail scenic

• We would love to have more water access for kayaking. We really like the new one on 12th st by sacred heartZ

• A small child waterslide, Canoeing/kayaking the cedar river in Austin. Dredging of Eastside Lake and Mill Pond to both clean up the water and make it accessible for boating/fishing

• The parks in other cities are far more updated than ours

• Limiting disc golf to one park. Dangerous to walk-in the parks

• “Need to take better care of the parks and baseball fields. Also need more dedicated fields for baseball with grass infields and mounds. They also need adjustable bases for different age groups. Need to spray for weeds. At least on softball/baseball fields. Field 10 at Todd park has a great batting cage that does not get taken care of. Need a new safety net at Todd Park for the playground inside the north complex.”

• More trails even gravel or dirt paths for ride walking

• Roll the outfields at both Todd Park for softball and at Riverland for baseball. They are terrible. It would be nice to add stations on the paths.

• I would like to see the parks cleaner. I know that there are plenty of garbage cans available but people still litter etc

• More sidewalks!!

• Wildwood park. The bike trails are fantastic, and we love the new landing and have used it a handful of times already. But the park equipment is really outdated.

• The safety of the swimming pool is bad- I see however it seems this is in the works. Years ago there was a locker room attendant and a spot for people to put their belongings in a safe spot- it would be nice for this to come back. I refuse to send my boy through the mens room because I hve no idea what goes on in there or who might be trying to cause trouble in there..

• Riverside Arena has reached the limits of its lifespan. The arena continues to show its age and is need of serious upgrades. The arena floods or leaks most Springs, the locker room facilities are sorely outdated, as are the concession stands and all office spaces. Would love to see the city invest in an arena that could house hockey and other city events in the off-season.

• Lthe softball diamonds are horrible. When the girls have no sand in the batter box. We use to have nice ball diamonds now no one wants to come here anymore

• Better way of tracking what pavilions are rented and when fhey aren’t. People have refused to leave when there already set up even if you’ve paid to rent it.

• Ice at Packer arena a little longer in the spring to finish out the youth hockey season

• “Updated and consistent signage with landscaping for all parks. Major parks should get additional landscaping. Improve drainage at skate park. More natural areas in parks and less mowed grass. Generally speaking most of the parks are in good locations, many of them just need a facelift to modernize them”

• Your poor is very poorly maintained and run. The paint has been peeling off the bottom of the baby pool since last year and it’s sharp and not only hurts my toddlers feet but mine as well. Also, kids are most likely ingesting those pieces of paint. Teenagers swing from the splash pad equipment and some doesn’t shoot water correctly anymore. Your lifeguards sleep on the job, I pulled toddlers out of the water recently because nobody was watching them and the lifeguards were sleeping or texting on their phones. For a town of 25k I’m unimpressed with your lack of pool hours and closing if there’s less than 25 people. Be open more than a few hours a day. I’ve seen lots of comments from people saying they won’t even swim there anymore because the pool closes. You’re not even open for that many weeks. My kids love swimming but I can’t keep allowing them to swim in a pool full of chipped paint or getting their hopes up to go swimming and the pool is closed.

• Would love to see lighting at the tennis courts by Walgreens.

• Southgrove

• We currently have to go out of town to find places to play pickle ball. the lack of indoor court time and few outdoor

courts has driven us to leave Austin.

• Fitness stations on the walking paths would help.

• More stuff around town

• You’ve got sign up “Don’t Go pass this point” and almost everyone goes pass it,why can’t you put a block up along there in Todd park so they can’t drive pass the point on the grasses.(by the restroom.)

• AJ of the pickleball courts in town are shared with tennis courts. I’ve asked about using more of the Paulson courts for pickleball but apparently those are the youth schools and they prefer to have those dedicated to tennis. There is a growing pickleball community in town and having outdoor courts dedicated to pickleball would be very well received.

• Adult fitness stations or pull-up bars

• Orchard Creek

• I have a 9 year old daughter that loves to go to parks and play. Lions park

• It is accommodating but very challenging to have curling at packer arena. Dedicated ice facility would help grow the game.in austin immensely

• Warming houses weren’t open this year which made it hard to take littles to outdoor rinks

• I wish vandalism could be monitored closely on parks.

• Adding a zero entry and working on a family rate.

• The swimming pool hours are not conducive to younger kids. The later times are too late and the daytime is during common nap times. Also, I like when the splash pad is freely available and not connected to the pool admission since little kids often don’t really do much actual swimming

• “I feel like there’s a good deal of land around the pool that could utilized for a lazy river. Make on of the sides of the baby pool zero entry so it’s safer for little ones to enter in their own. The cement slab on the south end of the pool is used for nothing but chairs, but their is plenty of room for more chairs elsewhere along the pool--thaybatwa could be utilized for some sort of water feature.

Decker park is in poor repair. The basketball court is crack filled and full of rocks, sand/weed. The basketball hoops are rusty. The landscaping in general at that park is neglected. The jungle gym has burn holes in it. I do like that they added some soccer nets there in the open field.”

• Cross country ski trails need to be designated as ski or snowshoe only. No walking on ski trails, they get ruined too quickly and it takes a while for them to be fixed by groomer. This makes cross country skiing impossible at times.

• I play tennis & pickle ball at both Nevlyn & Athletic field!

• Updated paint and equipment at parks. Be more inclusive and safer for children of all kinds.

• Add 6-8 permanent outdoor Pickleball courts at Rotary Park, east of the restrooms. Some residents complain about the noise and this location doesn’t have any residential dwellings nearby.

• Both South Grove and Skunk Hallow (Sherman) have concrete pads that could be converted to pickleball courts (3 and 2, respectively).

• Ball Diamonds/Restrooms - Fields 10&11 at Todd Park - bathrooms and better dugouts. At the very least port a potty and some sort of back and roof on the dugouts to give shade and support to the players. - mow the lawns!!!!Football Fields all the football fields are rough. Fishing - Angler team would be awesome!! Indoor Arenas - Packer is an ice box this past winter more than not you could see your breath. There has to be some sort of heat source that can be installed.

• “Improve quality of current soccer fields and look to add additional fields for future tournament hosting. Mountain biking at JCHNC”

• Pickleball Courts ideally could be located in area across from Marcassin Park

• Austin needs pickleball. I think an outdoor facility at Marcussen makes sense. It should be a decent distance from houses and just west of the baseball facility would work well. Another possibility is near the restroom/basketball courts but this is closer to the houses. I think 6 courts in one location is better than 3 here and 3 somewhere else. Having water available and restrooms would be a plus. There should be fences in-between the courts. Look at Albert Lea’s setup for how it should be done.

• More benches, picnic tables around trails if you want to stop and rest or have a snack.

• Packer arena really needs heaters over the bleachers like most all other towns have.

• Other cities I recently visited had beautiful and comfortable seating areas near waterways with paved landscaping that offered a nice area to enjoy outdoors in sunny days. Austin could include that around millpond or other river areas.

• Broken playgrounds need to be addressed due to safety concerns, splash pad should expanded to include more seating for parents and be accessible all summer at no cost, we need spaces in town where friends and families can comfortably gather,

• Skatepark renovations or re design

• Would love a free community splash pad.

• Maintaining existing parks with weed control, managing trees, etc. should be the priority. Cut back on mowed grass area and plant more native prairie. Add rain gardens to areas that get soggy.

• “Restrooms - Not many restrooms. For example driesner, most playgrounds, and todd park have either no bathrooms or limited amount.

Mountain biking trails - Can be updated. Outdoor ice skating rinks - Can be updated. Disc golf courses - Can be updated. “

• Restrooms - There are some parks without restrooms that we frequent. Orchard Creek is a long enough walk/bike ride for us that going home to use the restroom is difficult. Sherman Park and South Grove Park are used for baseball games every Monday/Wednesday. Sherman and South Grove only have port-a-potties.

• Rotary Park would be a great spot for a Pickle Ball complex.

• I think many of the parks could use updated play equipment and a lot more trees for shade in heavy use areas. Also many could use more regular maintenance and clean up.

• Drege the lake, stock with fish, more shoreline spots.

• The Pickle ball complex location should include parking and a distance from residential homes. This is due to the sound coming from striking balls, which may annoy neighbors.

• One of the reasons I enjoy running at the nature center is it is supposed to be dog free for the wildlife. More and more people are bringing dogs. There is only one sign for this by the solar panels and it’s not by the main thoroughfare into the park. Some playground equipment is dated or broken as well. The city has been updating some which is great. I think this should almost by cyclical.

• Some are better maintained than others, sometimes there seems to be a little “quantity over quality” approach. Quantity is great, but quality may draw more people (often we are alone, not a problem, i enjoy quiet, but also want daughter to have more encounters too).

• If you build it, they will come!

• Keep people from driving on grass at Todd Park.

• Parks are too noisy. HNC too close to freeway, have to hike 1 mile in to experience quiet.

• “It would be nice to have actual pickleball courts, so you don’t have to spend half the game chasing your ball down three tennis courts. It would also be great to host tournaments and have fundraisers. I would also like to see benches at the soccer fields at Todd Park. Most cities have benches for the home and visiting team. Improving the area at Todd Park’s soccer fields would also allow us to host tournaments. “

• Heat in Packer for the people watching

• More biking trails, at least an outhouse at every park, splash pad available without entering the pool complex

• Access to fields has been difficult. Our coaches don’t get a response in an appropriate time frame on availability of field time. Also, teams are allowed to practice on fields too big for them and older teams are unable to utilize them when needed.

• A portable toilet at every park, a pickleball complex with at least 6-8 courts to allow for open play and tournament,

• Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America. Albert Lea has a really nice facility and I don’t see why we couldn’t have something similar.

• We need something similar to the Albert Lea pickleball complex

• It would be nice if there was snowshoeing trails at other parks other than just the nature center. More bike racks are needed at all parks. I always have to search for them and they often are beat up. It’s also hard to find a safe place to toilet at the parks. The close early when people are still biking.

• Curling ice

• Please put in new pickleball courts. There are a lot of players that play out of town because we don’t have adequate facilities. Plus, you could host tournaments.

• Add more stuff to Galloway Park. Playground equipment, basketball court.

• Get trail connected to blazing star trail

• Need pickleball courts

• “Most parks need some kind of attention. Some more than others. Mowing more in baseball fields woukd be nice!”

• Improved ball diamonds near schools.

• Riverside is aging and needs a facelift.

• All parks

• A walking/biking trail from Lyle to Austin, restrooms that are actually cleaned and done often,that are open year round or close to it. Other: better community access to these programs and clubs with costs as well as financial assistance for lower income families that would like to utilize these types of things but just can’t financially.

• “I’m sure there is already some sort of rotation for upgrading playground equipment, but we have so many parks that it seems that something must always be done. And we can always use more walking/biking trails.”

• It would be wonderful if paved trails were cleared of snow in the winter. If you dont have the staff, it doesn’t even have to be after every snowfall, even twice a month would be incredible. Covid is still a concern, and we resort to more things outdoors in the winter. Last two winters we would drive to the todd park trails that the snowmobiles packed down in order to walk on a trail in the winter. It would be great if east side like trail was cleared throughout the winter.

• You all do great, but the investment seems lopsided. New buildings in some parks but not others. Enhancing more than just the Nature Center. Happy with the Nature Center but it would be great to up the game elsewhere as well. It’s not ideal to go to the Nature Center b/c I have dogs, although I do still visit occassionally. It’s a great place for meetings, very needed, but maybe more classes, fun stuff, art installations in neighborhoods where we can meet our neighbors. Make them a hub. Some parks are kind of sad, I don’t even know their names.

• Build specific pickle ball courts

• Family gatherings

• -We often go to other cities to use their flagship park site for the playground equipment. Owatonna’s main park is amazing. Albert Lea has many large, updated, interesting parks. Most of our playgrounds are quite dated-- the freestanding metal slides with the guard rail hazard at the top of the ladder (why are those even up still? Dangerous and so hot to sit on in the summer months). The best playgrounds in our city are at schools. City parks are in need of update all around. We are regional outliers in this.

• Would like dedicated pickle all courts outside, inside would be nice too.

• South Grove Park - playground equipment was reduced. It would be beneficial to offer more equipment and expand it to include older children. Basketball court could use an upgrade.

• “Bathroom/porta-potty at Driesner?

Fully accessible playground--would be interested in donating toward one.“

• YMCA membership costs can be a barrier

• “Sutton Park used to have teeter todders. Merry go around, bathrooms. The only legal open fire pit in Austin with a police permit needs a new fire pit. I’ve emailed Mark Winkels AHS wood shop teacher to see if his students can maybe rebuild the fire pit. Perhaps some Stewartville limestone and supplies can be purchased by the city of Austin. The limestone would match the existing sitting ring of limestone. I grew on hotdogs during the summer, it was great fun. I did place some rocks in a circle as a crude fire pit. I also sent Mr Winkels (507-460-1800 x0540, mark.winkels@austin.k12.mn.us) a picture of the original fire pit from 60s.

Let’s have more family hot dog fun at Sutton Park!”

• “I think it would be awesome if we could put in a few more outdoor basketball courts in varying parks. For example, Todd park could really use a basketball court.

I’m a big fan of disc golf so it would be awesome to get more funding for the club. I think the recent expansion is awesome but there are still lots of improvements that can be made.”

• It would be useful to many, both local as well as visitors to the area, to have accessible outdoor bathroom facilities at the Hormel Nature Center.

• Nature crntet

• Fitness stations at Shirley Theel

• Stop mowing so much and restore prairie wherever possible. Improve bird and pollinators habitat

• Layfette

• “We appreciate that more portable bathrooms have gone up.

Nature scape play areas or designated climbing trees would be amazing. More updated “”climbing”” type equipment at a few playgrounds.

Bike trail maps at “”junction”” locations would be helpful - like if you’re leaving mill pond, where to hook up with the nature center and Todd Park trail.

Curbs with ramps to make biking easier and more accessible with younger children, especially downtown. There’s no good way to get from our house to the downtown/mill pond without having to stop a bunch of times and walk over curbs. All street corners ramped would make it a lot easier! “

• Pickleball courts or more pickleball lines on tennis courts.

• Would be nice to have additional pickle ball courts marked at Wescott or another location (South Grove park?) Would like to see canoe:kayak/paddleboard rental options in addition to the Nature Center.

• “I don’t think I’ve seen bicycle parking at any of the parks. It would be nice to have a few more fishing piers around East side lake and Mill Pond.

Playground equipment isn’t bad by any means, could just use more of it at the parks.“

• I think we should add more facilities to the Skate Park.

• In general, most parks have lost their appeal because of inappropriate graffiti and/ or vandalism (usually minimal though).

• Some of the fishing spots/canoeing/kayaking areas in town could use some cleaning up. There is a lot of litter along the rivers and creeks in town.

• There are not enough covered picnic areas. Paint mileage on the trails. Put up signs about the various birds found in a particular location.

• Many of Austin’s playgrounds have older equipment. Nothing terrible but updating would be nice. Possibly updating all parks playground equipment every so many years or put in the CIP to keep on radar.

• The condition of the baseball field at Shirley Theel is terrible. The outfield is uneven, weedy & often very long grass.

• The soccer fields need to be maintained more often.... mowing and putting down lines more often. Many of our older

teams fell the fields are too long.

• I would love to see new playground equipment similar to the large park in Fairmont - they have a beautiful park. All of our parks have similar equipment. I would like to see restrooms at more of the parks. I’d like to see more picnic facilities at the parks that do not have them. Finally, our pool should offer family membership - all other area pools do except for ours. A family of five pays $200 for membership, and then the pool is closed half the time due to lack of staff or swim meets. Having the pool closed on weekends for swim meets when working families can only bring their children on weekends is pretty awful.

• We live over by Hormel Nature Center which is an amazing resource. But do have to drive to reach a play ground area for the kids. they can’t ride bikes across I 90. Are there plans for a park in the neighborhood if it isn’t already in the works can I suggest one?

• Perhaps there could be additional cross country skiing trails at neighborhood parks and limit the area where snowmobiles have access. Allowing snowmobiles in parks seems dangerous and interferes with people who may be sledding, snowshoeing or skiing.

• Create opportunities to garden and grow vegetables in all parts of Austin so people can walk to them. The community garden plot by Woodson doesn’t work for people without transportation. Many refugees and immigrants in Austin are knowledgeable about growing vegetables. This could be shared with family and neighbors.

• It would be nice if every park had a shaded or covered table or tables for gathering. It would also be nice if the pool was open longer.

• I find the restrooms to be consistentlt dirty. I would like to see the city invest in the quality of soccer fields with the hopes of sponsoring a tournament

• “Improved upkeep and lights on at the local ice skating rinks, especially Galloway warming house/lights/upkeep. Increase amount of Dog parks. Expand the swimming hours for the pool with more supervision/security in locker rooms. Outdoor fishing programs for youth. Update Skate Park!“

• The community members have expressed the desire for a Pickleball facility.

• Todd park

• Todd Park need court for volleyball and sepak takraw so we don’t have to play on the grass.

• todd park need chi lo court

• Todd Park need volleyball and sepak takraw court so we don’t have to play on the grass.

• Turf caneball court, More volleyball field, better soccer field

• Todd

• “Cane ball pitch at Todd park. Volleyball court at Todd park.“

• Fitness stations at high foot traffic areas near main street or by the clinic, in more parks

• We often use the playground at the Bandshell. It is often not very clean.

• More upkeep at parks and enforcing no drugs which are illegal.

• I want a park closer to mandolin place apartments that you can get to by walking with a baby and a 4 year old.

• Early morning lions bathroom is a mess and lots of picnic tables are in bad condition

• Basketball hoops in more rural areas

• New equipment

• More soccer feild that are in good condition

• Replacing the tee pads at Driesner Park and putting in tee pads at Marcuson Park would be greatly appreciated by the disc golf community.

• Cleanup, security/safety

• “The ice rinks getting resurfaced more often would be lovely. Walking paths more accessible to people in town would be helpful.”

• The locker rooms and showers and bathroom area of thr municipal pool are atrocious.

• Any and all.

• I understand trying to maintain and keep some of the parks clean can be a difficult task due to individuals’ lack of respect of the environment, but maybe having more trash cans available near the park equipment could make it easier for some people to toss their wrappers, cigarette buds, plastic bottles, etc in the garbage can rather than under the playground equipment. I understand that this may not be the answer to those who just toss whatever whereever, but maybe it’ll decrease the amount of trash around the playground. thanks!

• Wildwood

• “I have been a long time supporter of a pickleball complex for the adult pickleball community here in Austin however, I do not believe that pickleball courts should be placed in parks located in residential neighborhoods due to noise that this sport generates. I recently read an article which stated that pickleball is 8 times louder than the average neighborhood noise. I don’t believe most people would want this in their neighborhood. You can’t move your home! In addition, Southgrove park is one of the nicest neighborhood and community

parks in the city. It is used all summer long for a variety of activities ie..families that come for little league games bring their other children who play in the park. The tennis and basketball courts are used on a regular basis. Families come to picnic and play on the playground equipment. The courts are iced over in the winter where kids like to play.

Creating adult pickleball courts would change how this park will be used in the future.“

• I love that there have been additional trails added to the park system. Biking on streets has become more of a hazard due to texting and driving and overall increase of traffic and speed limits not always being adhered to.

• Even though our children are grown we have our grandchildren visit often and we have found the playgrounds really lacking in terms of updated equipment and even at times equipment that doesn’t feel very safe. Otherwise we absolutely love being able to share the bike trails with them, the public pool and doing kayaking and canoeing. It would be nice to have easier access for the kayaking canoeing and spaces that are by the rivers, water that we could picnic .

• We need an inclusive park in Austin. Children with disabilities are not able to play at parks in Austin.

• “Picnic facilities: Regularly cleaned picnic tables.

Park signage: Signs near Mill Pond talk about “”the first white men”” who discovered the area. Times have changed. Let’s update our signs to be less whitewashed as white people did not discover this area, indigenous people did. Instead let’s have interpretive signs about pollinators/fish/wildlife, etc.

Outdoor ice rinks: Open up the warming houses. Maybe sell hot cocoa for $0.50 if the warming house is large enough. Park landscape: More native plants, maybe a bee friendly lawn rather than grass in grassy areas. Clover lawns help the bees, let’s help the bees.

Skateboard facilities: murals by local artists/skateboarders. Add real restroom near the area. Keep it clean. Add water drainage system so it doesn’t flood.

Bird/Nature viewing: More investment into native habitat, education for the public on light pollution in terms of bird migration.“

• “More splash pads at different locations that are free to the public.“

• Fields are uneven- need lights-

• “Volleyball courts at Todd Park by the soccer fields. Volleyball courts on northwest side of mill pond”

• Open bathrooms year round 24×7 at all park and rec areas

• Improvement on park furnishings, skateboard facilities better the swimming pool, pond for canoeing, outdoor skating at mill pond or east side lake.

• More parking, and drop off services at kayak sites.

• “Restrooms in parks like South Grove, etc.“

• Connect the bike path to something behind Murphy creek.

• Bocce ball is a great game. Maybe a court will increase interest?

• South grove park has what appears to be a tennis court but there are no nets put up. Would definitely use it more if there were nets and it was enclosed

• “A park on 16th Ave SE. You have to cross a main road through town to get to any parks in that neighborhood. There is a city owned plot of land that is unused on that street. It would also be nice to have a park near the middle schools.”

• “Add a picnic shelter and playground equipment to the north end of East Side Lake. There are families there everyday, without a shade shelter or picnic table.

Keep grass trimmed around different spots of the lake to make shore fishing easier.”

• “All of the fields need Warning tracks. Every single complex has a field and no warning track. This is and should be a simple fix.

Home plate on each field - update to a built in turf box. They’re not terribly expensive to make and install.

Todd park North -

Field 9 has rolling hills in it

All of the fields need the fence posts on the OUTSIDE of the fencing.

There is no water drainage on these fields

Add Warning tracks

Todd Park South

Add warning tracks

Add some sort of drainage for the fields

All fields need rolling/smoothing out.

Field 3 and 4 (Left field + right field corners) go down hill towards Wolf creek. Level this out.

Shirley Theel

NO Drainage. Field is like a swamp days after rain. The infield turns to mud/muck for days and is unusable/unsafe for use.

Concessions -

having concessions open for 60-90 minutes on game nights is a waste of their time. You get through the 2nd game and they are closed already.”

• Maintenance of native areas with native plants.

• “I really value the prairie plantings such as those found on north side of Mill Pond and at Todd park. I think those could be expanded to other city areas that are currently vast expanses of mowed grass. Please let us have more respect for Austin’s big old oak trees!! It is bad enough we lose some to disease etc. every year, but no one thinks twice about cutting them down for any development/road/utility work etc. and its just a crime!!

• Todd park softball field could bring in so much more money for the city if it didn’t cost so much to throw a tournament together there would be nice to see a big tournament come back I know they are trying to put one together next year but if we could move the infield back on couple of field out there that would be nice! Also bringing back fall softball would be awesome!

• Bigger splash pad families could use outside of pool hours, family pool passes, later summer opening hours for pool, pool using social media to post weather or rain days for families living outside of town

• Todd park

• Have Caneball areas available for the community. Preferably at Todd Park.

• Todd park restrooms( low pressure facet, Bathrooms are poorly maintained and gross) Eastside Lake restrooms been lock for a while and there are no signs that said why it’s lock.

• We would like to have the net put back up to play tennis at south Grove park with tennis and pickle ball lines painted on the court please.

• Bike trail maintenance, this summer at the Kiwanis park trail the weeds growing in the cracks got over ankle high. I had to go cut them down myself because nothing was getting done.

• South Grove

• ACRC

• “Shirley Theel Park:

1. Need nets for the large soccer goals. When there were nets there pre-COVID, the soccer area was used a lot by city residents.

2. Turn the ball diamond into a baseball field for age 12 and up with permanent pitcher mound. Extension to the backstop would be necessary to make it higher. As that ball field currently sits, it is severely underutilized. The infield is not maintained enough during the spring and summer and is rarely dragged. The weeds/grass growing along the dugout fences are not controlled regularly. (Thank you for tiling the park in 2021.)

Shirley Theel Park and other parks - trimming and pruning “”sucker”” branches on the tree trunks and other small low hanging branches annually, rather than doing large pruning every few years. I realize this is a labor/budget issue, especially with so many parks in the city. I would be willing to volunteer to do this type of trimming at a few parks.”

• Riverside Arena needs a SERIOUS update. I know they’ve put some work into the facility recently with a new roof, but the interior of that arena was outdated 20 years ago. The locker rooms and office facilities are incredibly outdated and prone to leaks and flooding. The carpet smells of musty mildew. It simply is no longer a facility to be proud of in Austin. It’s embarrassing to hear out of town people talk about how bad the facilities are inside the arena, how crappy the locker rooms are. And I don’t know how Austin keeps the Bruins there. Their offices are the worst of the bunch. The Bruins locker room is small and in need of a serious update. The shower and bathroom facilities inside there are gross. Austin deserves and needs an arena worthy of the rich history this town has with hockey and other winter sports. It’s time for an upgrade.

• During recent street construction near Todd Park I feel that the signs for how to get to the park were extremely confusing.

• “I would like a Nature Center style walking path that’s dog friendly. I understand the reasons why the Nature Center itself isn’t dog friendly; but the complete lack of options doesn’t foster good dog parent behavior. Part of this is landscaping. We have So Many parks that are just lawn. It’s a waste. “

• Some of the smaller playgrounds are really outdated and could use more play equipment

• Our baseball diamonds for little league are horrible all throughout town.

• “The swimming pool needs updates to the building and surrounding pool area. It’s a great pool, but needs a facelift. Additionally, the kids who work at the pool need more support. Staffing is an issue everywhere. Employing high school/college students is wise; however, if they do not work in a supportive environment that holds each other accountable while maintaining a fun atmosphere they will not stay more than one season. This must start from the top.

Todd park is a gem in our city and it is highly used in the summer. It would benefit from more signage throughout,

particularly for parking and restrooms, especially when youth soccer games are occurring.”

• The outdoor skating rinks are nearly unusable because of their lack of maintenance or lighting.

• Packer area is ridiculously cold!!! Would be nice to grom the bike trails for cross country skiing.

• lots of open areas make patches not on streets but through green spaces

• “bathrooms are nasty volleyball courts need to be expanded and not only in sand“

• All playgrounds in Austin need to be more inclusive for all kinds of kids (safety for disabilities, foam ground, adaptive playground equipment. It’s all so old!

• The splash pad should be free all summer & open to everyone in the community for free.

• More splash pads would be nice. Additional young kid options at more playground areas.

• Have nicer bathrooms at the Vets Pavilion that is rented for nicer events.

• The bathrooms need to be cleaned mroe often and they are just terrible.

• “Swimming pool— To have the splash power pad open from Labor Day to memorial day, pool repaired, a family pass, a grandparent pass for someone who doesn’t swim, a family changing room. I would also like clear signage at all the parks whether or not we can have dogs with us walking on leash.”

• I’d like the small dog part of the dog park to have a shade feature, a port-a-potty for the park, and lighting in the parking lot. We have so many water resources in town that are being under utilized because they seem difficult access.

• “Be able to take dogs to parks, just as long as owner picks up after dog.“

• I would just love to see more parks in general seemed always be full when we show up or have some kind of party going on.

• pickleball has become very popular and using some of the empty buildings - retail space - would be a good place to put in more courts and add a bowling alley other activities for families to do together

• Packer arena ice all year, better mowing and upkeep of baseball outfield and diamonds, workers take more pride in job maintaining fields and ice arenas, they don’t give a dam, to much job security in the park and rec, once you start work there there is no way to be fired.

• Todd Park diamonds need updated fences and outfields rehabbed. Ned to consider keeping 1 diamond for high school varsity games or tournament competition (no rec play).

• I fell that at least one park in Austin should have an adaptive equipment so all children of Austin can enjoy.

• “Soccer fields need benches for players and are often overgrown with grass. Packer arena is the coldest arena around and heaters above spectator benches would be great.”

• Up keep of basketball courts, I personally painted the basketball hoops at Sherman park, I put basketball nets up each year. The city should do this stuff and take pride in their parks

• In addition to perimeter lighting, some users have expressed a need for an additional gate on the east end of the park. I agree this would add convenience, but it would need to include a sally port like the one on the west end. It would be great if the park crew would trim the grass out of the perimeter fence, or spray the line to prevent the grass from growing into the fence (Pet peeve - looks trashy). Many users would like a wind screen added to the shelter, especially those who use it year round. I this is added, please consider a plexiglass/transparent solution so owners can see their dogs at all times and occupants can be seen from a distance. May be a good idea to install some video cameras if it’s feasible, and within the budget.

• It would be nice to have baseball tournaments here again. If we had the up keep at Todd parks and baseball fields it would help revenue of the city as well.

• Trail access closer to the fairgrounds and joining up near existing trails by Stivers and Casey’s.

• Would be nice to have restroom facilities accessible at all/more parks.

• We need more free opportunities for families to do and enjoy together.

• Along Turtle Creek near 7th ave SW, and 21st street SW, there is a flood berm that is poorly kept. It’s covered in weeds. It also could be greatly improved and would ease pedestrian traffic if there were a paved bike trail on top of it.

• Decent restrooms at ALL parks (not porta-potties). Maintain all bike/walking paths in the winter, especially in/around Todd Park and to/from the Nature Center. We are forced to walk on the street in the winter in the NE area by Nature Center because there aren’t cleared paths or sidewalks. Other: Ability to walk dogs through Nature Center. Also, having a municipal campground and dump station would be great. There is no where in Austin to dump RV waste. We have to drive out of town to do this and pay for the service. I wouldn’t mind paying for it in Austin. Perhaps the Fairgrounds could be utilitzed for short-term camping (similar to Preston Fairgrounds and Steele Couty). The MC Fairgrounds used to have a dumpstation available to the public but it has now been sealed. Having a municipal campground would generate revenue and also increase lodging options for major events (fair, Arts Festival, summer/ fall athletic events), etc. Water fill stations along the bike trails & in parks.

• all inclusive playground needed

• All city parks

• “We really like using the bike paths and try to bike as much as possible in the summer, but we have a young daughter and it’s difficult to safely get across some streets like 4th St NW. We use 4th Ave NW because it has a bike lane (which

is great I’d also like to see more of those if possible) but it’s really difficult to safely get downtown or to Mill Pond and the bike trails with her. There also aren’t a ton of places to park bikes and the existing racks can get congested. My husband would like to see the Skatepark expanded, it’s something he used to enjoy and since we’ve moved to the area he’s hoped to see improvements to the existing park. “

• “Cleaning up around the swimming pool- we constantly dodge goose poop. Cameras installed, more people to watch what is going on.

Adding warming houses to the outdoor rinks that are actually open for use. Keeping an equipment clean and damage free. Also adding equipment for ALL to use - see We All Play in Owatonna. More inclusive areas!

Fitness stations like at the lions park, they are fun and the kids enjoy them too. Signs on how to use them would be great!”

• Add heaters to spectator areas at Packer Arena. It is absolutely freezing during winter months and with multiple kids involved in hockey the time spent there is 10+ hors per week.

• Bustad Park needs a face lift. There are a lot of local children that walk here to play but the park is outdated and run down. No where to sit down and rest or eat either

• More walleyes in our water ways. They attract fisherman.. Many people drive from Austin to Albert lea to catch fish because they have better populations and varieties of fish. Pour concrete under one of the outdoor rinks and add an overhead roof to it to keep sun off winter ice and water off for roller hockey in summer.

• “it would be nice to have a pavilion with electric at Bustad Park. I know that baseball practice would be done there more if they could plug in a pitching machine. also neighborhood would utilize pavilion. park equipment needs to be updated. swings and merry go round has been taken out and not replaced with anything. now that the bike path is in the park has been used more.

Also a light in the alley next to the park would be nice for safety. also park and rec website needs an update. schedules for events are not updated. open skate schedules are hard to find. It’s not user friendly.”

• “basketball courts going to parks even some of the schools and seeing no net makes basketball not as fun for kiddos. would love some type of fitness stations would be awesome . riverside arena love our arena could use some updates compared to other arenas around but also not as important of a fix just a hey maybe someday we might want to kinda thing“

• “The outdoor ice rinks in the winter time could use plastic liners to create a way better ice surface. With a plastic liner you fill it 1 time and let it freeze once frozen the maintenance is very minimal would save tons of time and money. And also create a better skating surface.

We could also really use a extra sheet of ice at one of the rinks as it seems we are fighting over icetime most the winter.

Eastside lake could use some fish... I dont know when the last time it was stocked but I think that should be done yearly!

We need more batting cages around town and the ball diamonds need to be taken care of better. We have been in almost knee deep grass playing games and thats not fair to these kids. “

• Unmapped disc golf

• literally all of them….. we need more access for batting cages… more access to ice time for hockey… parks need to look more welcoming… Todd park complex is not nice compared to other ball parks we have traveled too…. we need better bathroom access….

• Staffing has been low at times with no way to turn on lights for outside rinks . Winter months the afternoons get darker much sooner

• South Grove park pickle ball courts , add back more playground equipment for little kids.

• More restrooms at park locations. Splash pad that is free for public and not by the city pool.

• The outdoor skating arenas are never open/functional (weather permitting of course). Warming houses always closed and lights off. I’m sure it’s a staffing issue but there are PLENTY of kids that would use the parks in the winter.

• The Neveln tennis/pickle ball courts need re-striping. But also, the courts are so cracked that balls just bounce everywhere :) the Wescott pickle ball ones are nice. I’m not aware if there are other volleyball courts besides Todd park.

• Bustad park needs serious help

• Any park with more toddler friendly equipment

• “There is no permanent place for caneball which many of our SE Asian families participate in. The skate park needs an update to structures and concrete. “

• Many parks have been vandalized. Neveln more specifically and the school’s PTC is responsible for raising money and that doesn’t sit well with me.

• Todd park

• Todd park.

• Adding basketball courts

• “Would love to see pickle ball courts at South Grove park as was rumored.

Keep improving accessibility to waterways for canoe/ kayak. Happy to see recent add. Expand open ice times.”

• I would like to see some snowshoe paths in the medium to larger parks. There are.some at the nature center, but to have some marked out at Todd Park and in other places would be nice. They don’t need to be groomed, just marked.

• “A lot of the restrooms just seem gross and not well kept. I understand there are many struggles with a public place like a park but there are time at Todd park that it seemed like the restroom never had hand soap or paper towels. Things seem grimey like you don’t want to touch anything. I would love to have a zero depth entry pool. It is so much easier and accommodating for babies and toddlers. I have a 1 year old and this past summer we went to st ansger and Albert lea when time would allow for their zero dept entry areas. “

• “I would love to see the warming house by Skinners Hill up and running regularly. Also, more entry points for kayaks/canoes would be amazing!”

• Theel ball Diamond is never used. Why? We need larger diamonds for older kids. Why not love little kids to Theel and change Diamonds at Todd park for older or make Theel for older kids

• “Cleaner and updated bathrooms

More picnic tables accessible at parks. More accessible pavilions (way over crowded creating bad situations)”

• On the SE side of town there is only nevlen (older kids) or decker park. If there could be maybe added to decker park a little area for smaller kids with more than one small slide and maybe a tunnel or something for kids 5 and younger that would be great!

• “I know vandalism can be a problem but I would like to see more restroom facilities or port a potties (warm weather). Also expanded splash pad hours beyond scheduled pool times. “

• We are in need of more pickle ball courts. There just aren’t enough for the number of people playing. An indoor facility is necessary for inclement weather.

• Have more

• Rotary Centennial Basketball Courts need new basketball hoop rims.

• Updating the older equipment would be nice. Clearly pointed out fishing spots or a map with a “course” like a “10 hole fishing course” of good spots to fish. Some known some not as well known.

• We travel around MN a lot and most towns have an all inclusive playground. Austin does not and we have a good size population that could benefit from it. I’ve been to towns where adult facilities will bus their residents to these parks which was so amazing to see.

• More bike trails for commuters; safer or possibly dedicated bike paths for commuters

• Walking paths along the Cedar River on the SW of town

• More Pickleball courts

• Bathrooms at all parks need better cleaning/updating

• SE basketball court is long overdue for improvements. Also another basketball court outside near Riverland or the NW side of town would be nice.

• Many sections of the biking trails are bumpy and are not smooth enough for rollerblading. Todd Park soccer fields are mounded and most are not flat. Could use new bathroom facilities closer to the most northern soccer fields.

• Clean up mill pond/east side lake

• Lions park

• Pool-extended hours and season with NO weekend rentals that take away from open swim. Restrooms need to be unlocked. They are usually locked when needed.

• Some playground equipment for babies/toddlers would be nice to see at the playgrounds other than swings

• We need to drive to our nearest park. I would be nice to have a playground near the nature center.

• All of the parks need to be dog friendly with poop bag dispensers and poop bag disposal containers.

• Would be nice to have walking trails in my neighborhood

• The Austin pool is very chaotic, especially for young children. I think they need to relook at the capacity. My son was jumped on several times when trying to enjoy the pool.

• “Better and more connected trail system

Dogs allowed in more places

Winter trail access”

• We use the paths frequently but they are often strewn with grass, brush and sticks from the city mowing along side the paths. Makes them unsafe for me as a skater. I do in line marathons and use the paths to train. I have offered to volunteer to clean the paths. This is an issue I have talked to Park and rec about for several years but nothing changes.

21) What amenities would you like to see addd to the Austin parks system?

• “accessible parks decentralized splash pads”

• “Definitely more bike paths would be awesome, and access to opportunities to kayaking! Maybe a spot where people could even rent kayaks for a few hours, like lansbro where they have rubbing and kayaking, bringing that to Austin would be amazing! And attract ALOT! I know tons of people who travel to lansbro for tubing and kayaking offering that here in town would be so fun!”

• Clean restrooms

• More bathrooms and the ability to rent canoes, kayaks and paddle boards

• Wheelchair accessible park and maybe bigger park with lots of things maybe a youth ninja warrior playground

• Accessible playgrounds for those with disabilities.

• Reminders about keeping pets on their leashes

• More walking trails throughout town.

• Nicer bathrooms that are kept up and cleaned on a regular basis.

• Pickleball courts

• I’d like a big playground meant for a variety of ages. Similar to some of the big parks in Rochester. I also think the playground at Todd park near baseball fields was more suitable for younger kids or a variety of ages

• “I’d love more native prairie installations. Better environmental stewardship that is visible. It’s all just open lawn.

Community vegetable garden space. Wildlife habitat. “

• A great park to add onto would be south grove park. The kids from Southgate go there and it is a nice open park. It was recently redone, but the equipment seems like it is for toddlers. I like Rochester soldiers field park (both of them) have a section for babies/toddlers and a section for big kids.

• An expanded dog park or another dog park with more separation.

• Park staff member/members assign each to search other city locals in state of MN. Review current and new features utilized within communities of similar population/age audience!

• More climbing equipment

• Some of the parks could be updated

• More water recreation,

• I am very happy with the Austin parks system, I just wish some other people would respect it more and add positive feedback and constructive criticism.

• More interactive playgrounds

• More toddler friendly park equipment

• Add recycling bins to parks, especially those with picnic areas. Add waste stations for dogs on walking trails.

• Update parks!!!! Check out New Ulm MN PARKS!

• “More baseball batting cages with proper safety screens. Turf baseball field.

Winter baseball options. At least indoor batting cages.”

• At restrooms have a bottle refill station

• Plow the paths during the winters so I don’t have to walk the streets. Much safer on paths.

• I wonder if there could be a separate park for disc golf. I love walking with my daughter at Dresner but I don’t feel safe and don’t feel like I should be there. As a mom, it is nice to walk somewhere that does not have playground equipment so we can have quality time without distraction of playground. It’s a beautiful park and has nice path with the water that runs along there. It gets ruined with marijuana smoke and fear of getting hurt by flying discs.

• More sidewalks and bike trails

• Destination playground!

• Public pickleball court. The sport continues to become more popular, but I believe the only court is at the country club

• Better swings- some parks seem to only have “baby” swings

• Horseshoes next to parks so adults have something to do while kids play n kids have something to do while adults play.

• “Build a small City owned campground at 3rd Ave SE dead end east of 4th St SE. I think it would be a great location and get some use out of an area that is not currently being used for anything.

Zero depth entry pool Pavilion at the Nature Center-See pavilion at whitetail woods regional park in Farmington, MN”

• Dedicated pickle ball courts. Six courts would be a good start, but we are already seeing Albert Lea’s six courts overflowing.

• Better kept up lawns

More Trees please

Charcoal Barbecuer in the park so people can be able to use it for they party or reunion”

• Additional walking trails

• “Warming houses/ skate rental option for outdoor ice skating. More access points/ expanded trails within the neighborhoods”

• Free fountain or splash pad

• Curling ice and pickle ball courts

• More garbage cans ? People are just not picking up after there kids

• A community foundation near Main Street with a wishing well. By the Paramount or by the Tendermaid.

• Pickle ball courys

• Water stations. Bathrooms at all parks. Picnic tables.

• Pickleball courts

• Bathrooms

• Better maps for the walking trails. Been lost a few times

• pickleball

• Improved concessions stand options

• I would like more water access, park restrooms, and more hiking/tree covered trails. I also would like more swimming accessibility. I currently drive far away for a lake when i live .5 miles from one

• Music events in the parks, or outdoor amphitheaters.

• Improved playgrounds to include better ground material, shade from hot sun, and safer equipment, more neighborhood playgrounds to get kids out and able to gather in their own neighborhoods, accessible water feature (splash pad) where parents/families can meet at anytime of day at no cost

• Dedicated curling rink

• Restrooms.

• More and improved Bathrooms

• Pickle Ball courts.

• Open restroom facilities is a huge help to young families at the parks. More sidewalks in town to lead to parks would be helpful too.

• Doggie doo bag stations

• More biking and walking paths connected throughout the city.

• Enforce noise ordinance, ticket the loud Harleys!

• Pickeball courts

• Pickleball, splash pad, more biking trails

• Pickleball complex, splash pad

• Pickleball facilities. Multiple courts, each with own fenced in area. Specifically designed for pickleball, not make shift courts on top of tennis courts.

• Pickleball complex and indoor courts

• Pickleball courts indoor and outdoor. I have played in Walker MN for years in their hockey arena. We fit 5 courts.

• Restrooms at parks. More gazebos and picnic spots at parks.

• Pickleball

• Batting Cages

• Revamp of equipment, fresh paint of clean

• Water refill stations, changing tables

• “A beach would be wonderful.

The Murphy Creek park is very small and our growing neighborhood would certainly appreciate an upgrade.”

• Shade structures, more all-inclusion playground equipment, solar lighting along walkways, easily identifiable recycling containers, fresh drinkable water from a fountain ( think Paris), on site attendant/volunteer during high volume usage, maintained walking paths ( think Mill Pond bird traffic) , public art/ murals

• “The community band concerts at Banshell park are great, but I think one think keeping people from coming to their concerts, or other events is the lack of shade/trees. I know this is thinking outside the box, but what if we installed some shade sails at bandshell park? Something like this- https://www.playlsi.com/493c19/globalassets/slideshowsdesign-files/playgrounds/kleiner-bandshell-park/kleinerparkbandshellh-010.jpg?width=905&height=450&mode=cro I know this is a big project, but it would allow the space to be used a lot more at more hours of the day. Image the freedomfest performances with these installed! “

• Aesthetic improvements, I like the fitness ideas, I’m sure there are many cool upgrades out there, I’m willing to pay higher taxes, donate, volunteer.

• “-Free splashpad at a park

-Large, updated flagship park with modern equipment

-Free public outdoor archery range”

• Dedicated pick all courts

• Drinking fountains

• “Fully accessible playground

Bathrooms or porta-potties by ballfields--some have them but nothing by Sherman ballfield without walking to the other end”

• Horse back riding trails.

• “Off street access in SW Austin to bike/walk trail system.

Fitness station at Shirley Theel

Expand leashed dog access to all parks

Dog duty stations in parks”

• Better signs and connecting bike trails together.

• “Bathroom/water access at most locations

Updated playground equipment - maybe a nature scape or an updated park with climbing features for older kids

A splash pad open regular hours and for free.”

• Pickleball courts or more pickleball lines on tennis courts. Better nets at volleyball courts, sand needs to groomed so it’s not so hard.

• Signage at Todd Park to label the soccer fields by number

• Public splash pads, more playground equipment, bicycle parking

• More ramps etc. to the Skate Park. Also, make East Side Lake more accessible.

• An easier way to walk around all of East Side Lake instead of having to cut away from the lake.

• Clean waterways that community members can swim in.

• more benches and picnic tables.

• Would love to see nature playgrounds at the nature center or elsewhere. The neighborhood across from the nature center would also benefit from a new playground as the nearest one is across the freeway at Decker park. We have houses flying up out there and many young families moving in.

• More bike trails.

• I really, REALLY would like to see more playground equipment for younger children and for teens.

• restrooms, Sitting areas

• Additional prairie or pollinator sections in areas where open spaces are not typically used for recreation. Limit mowing in parks to reduce emissions, encourage pollinator plants and cut costs. It seems like things get mowed more than necessary. Instead employ staff to work on conversion of monoculture grassy areas to pollinator areas.

• Electric vehicles like golf carts for disabled and senior pop added to areas near the paths.

• water park

• Fishing/Outdoor programs for youth

• Indoor field for winter.

• chi lo court

• Caneball courts

• volleyball and sepak takraw court.

• Caneball court

• better lighting, water fountains, less graffitti

• Turf playground

• “Cane ball pitch Volleyball court “

• With the kind of climate we have in Austin it would be nice to have more indoor options for the colder months: climbing wall, trampoline pads, mini-golf. It would also be nice to have the bowling alley cleaned up and possibly have other gaming type options available as part of that? Arcade, virtual reality, laser tag? A theater?

• Restrooms? Fountains?

• Bow range free for use

• A park closer to the mandolin place apartments

• Drinking water accessibility.

• “Water bottle filling stations. I know this is a tall order.“

• “As previously mentioned more access points to the rivers for kayaking and canoeing to really capitalize on that and be able to promote it.

Access points in the downtown area near the farmers market would be amazing! A white water experience to use with kayaking or boards. Again could capitalize on the fact that we have a river system.

Would love to see Dobbins Creek dredged up so that there could be more active waterway action between Eastside Lake and the nature Center.

Updated playground equipment especially at the bandshell area that gets used so frequently.“

• wheelchair accessible playground.

• Really nice clean lake with food trucks and paddle boats

• Kball

• Open bathrooms year round 24×7 at all park and rec areas

• More free year round activities.

• “More trails that are connected to other parts of town. Places to sit and watch nature. Better litter management from the community. The garbage that people seem to throw out is appalling. “

• A public golf course

• I think our current P&R Director is doing a great job.

• Trails along the waterways maintained with more native plants

• More outdoor gyms in every park for adult to exercise.

• Please connect the bike paths/ walking trails and put up signs so you know where they go/ where you are. We love the paths but it seems like some of them go nowhere...

• Get park and rec maintenance a decent machine to clean the trails off with. A skid loader with a brush is not made to do miles and miles of trail

• More connected bike paths

• Mini golf away from the freeway a bit because of noise. Reach for the stars- a zoo, a living history site where kids can learn about hard work and practice.

• Working water fountains and more bathroom areas

• Better bathroom facilities.

• Maybe have rentals for canoes or kayaks at the location (eastside lake)instead having to go somewhere else to rent, or have like food truck down there have more options to do there

• Gardens. Bee lawns. Native landscapes.

• Emergency Alerting system - I’ve seen them on college campuses. It reminds me of an old telephone booth - you push the only button available and it sends signal to police.

• Better night time lighting in parks/ pavilions

• I think it would be great to have a splash pad at Todd Park.

• NOT PICKLE BALL. Rich people have access to enough of that already.

• handball and racketball

• volleyball court

• Swinging bridges

• I would like to see more trails in a focus on the southwest side of town beyond the river. We don’t have sidewalks we do not have a bike path. It was dangerous to try to get my son to a bike path riding the roads. And I would like to see bathrooms open at All the parks. If you can’t open the bathrooms then at least a porta potty. I see kids peeing in the tunnels and in the picnic shelter all the time because they have no bathroom.

• I would like them to be more dog friendly. Allow dogs on leash at parks, especially Todd Park, and improve signage where dogs are and aren’t welcome.

• At the dog park - solar lighting, more dog bags sites another shelter in dog park. Another entry to dog park,

• Just more things for the kids to climb around on, rules displayed better about dogs and where they can and cannot be on an off leash

• Renting kayaks/canoes also more access point to rivers for kayaks/canoes

• A staff supervised youth center that is free for everyone.

• “swimming lessons offered year round at the YMCA - partner together to make things run smoother, using the gymnastics facility in the YMCA for kid parties or open gym for the kids - give the space more than 1 purpose more dog friendly spaces - Austin states its a dog friendly community but they are not welcome at parks or most places here”

• Dedicated curling ice

• Don’t add - take care of what you have!

• Better upkept amenities to host more tournaments for sports

• Better bike trails and or lanes to get out to the shooting star trail

• I would like for Austin to have more indoor free activities for families and children to enjoy.

• Bike racks throughout the city and at parks to lock them up when you aren’t riding them. I would also like to see an area where you can lock up kayaks and canoes at the inlet sites to the water ways. If you kayak from an inlet down to the observatory, you need to have multiple vehicles and people to guard equipment at both areas. I am concerned for theft if left unattended during the time it takes to shuttle from one area to another.

• An all inclusive park! Where all ages, disabilities etc can play.

• Indoor city pool

• more handicap accessible, more benches for adults to sit and watch there kids play not all parent can play with there kids on the slide and that fine but would be nice to stay longer if there was places to sit and supervise im a sucker for swings so maybe just some cool new swing ha :) more free fitness something for the adults to do as kids are enjoying , a teetertotter you know would be a blast

• I would like the focus to be on improving what we have, then focus on adding. The safety and quality of our parks is

the first thing to focus on.

• More things for kids to do, swings for plus size people

• Shades over playground equipment the sun makes the equipment too hot to touch

• Outdoor exercise equipment at more parks.

• More courts and fields

• More water stations/places to fill water bottles. They are hard to find.

• “Adaptive equipment for individuals with physical impairments. More picnic areas or places that can be rented for celebrations.”

• Hard surface volleyball court

• I’d love a free splash pad!

• More splash pads!

• “Better bathrooms

More Pavillions

More picnic tables”

• More adult “fitness” stations

• Indoor pickle ball courts.

• Four square , adult soccer league,

• More natural settings like the Nature Center

• A tar or concrete walkway to swings to make them handicap accessible.

• More dog friendly parks/areas

• “Rubber flooring would be so nice and some of the parks.“

• Fitness stations along walking paths

• Connected trails.

• Kayak and tubing rentals like Lanesboro and Cannon Falls.

• “More of the exercise equipment at the parks for adults.“

• More swimming, larger skate park, wildflowers

• Benches along trails at select spots for rest and viewing nature if there aren’t any.

• Safety features if possible, or information about how to stay safe at the parks

• Better lighting, restrooms, and cameras for security.

• All of the parks need to be dog friendly with poop bag dispensers and poop bag disposal containers.

• Adding on to the trails! They are awesome!

• “Whitewater course on Cedar River Big parks with lots to do Indoor recreation facilities for winter (basketball)”

• Create a driving range in Todd Park.

22) Does your household utilize fitness facilities (YMCA, private gyms, etc.) in/outside Austin?

23) If yes to the previous question, please specify the facility, location, and activity.

24) Are there any reasons you/your household do not participate in Austin’s recreational activities?

Lack of restrooms

Lack of transportation Overcrowding

Poor customer service by staff

Cost of programs

Too far from our residence

Park does not contain desired features or facilities

Facilities are not kept clean or well-maintained

Lack of interest in options

# of Votes

25) Would you and your household rather drive to a big park with many amenities or walk to a neighborhood park?

27) Please rank your preference.

26) Which is a higher priority with Austin’s park system, beauty or function?

28) If you ranked “other option,” please detail your preferred option.

• More Park Staff to adequately maintain the parks we have. Giving up parkland is antithetical to all philosophies of the Parks & Recreation industry.

• “I think what Austin has is great! Maybe a cleaner public pool! And like I expressed earlier adding a kayaking rental, signs kayaking excursions would be so fun for Austin!”

• One vote doesn’t matter anyway. Nothing will change.

• Update/ Re-grade Todd Park softball complexes

• “City of Austin taxes increase yearly, at times without sufficient explanation, or solid use of Citizens money!!! Tell those in Power positions to share my hard earned dollars with the Austin Park and Recreation Department, that in turn will give positive reinforcement, creating good will, good family activities for all citizens of Austin! “

• Selling parkland should never be option, but the city could participate in joint ventures for redevelopment similar to YMCA project. Housing is a major necessity, does city have any land that would work for such a project? Otherwise, unused land being transformed into prairie/wild flowers like was done in flood plain area has been successful.

• Add another Dog park in the SW side of town Sterling Park

• “More options for park space that is in a natural state. The nature center is great but there are other opportunities to create natural settings in existing parks. In my opinion too much staff time is spent mowing open park space that is rarely used, and they can’t keep up with. Those spaces could be converted to native prairie with trails through them. This would reduce mowing time allowing staff to work on other things that need attention and create natural spaces for people and wildlife to enjoy.

Example of areas this could be done are: Wildwood park, Bustad Park, areas surrounding Marcussen Park, NE corner of 10th Drive & 5th Place SE, certain areas of Todd Park, land across from Old Mill Restaurant, any other city owned land adjacent to a waterway.”

• Build dedicated pickle ball courts

• I would love to see some of the smaller, underutilized parks dissolve and become pollinator gardens with opportunity for walking paths and for the focus to shift to creating full park experiences vs making small improvements to existing parks across the community. We need to start considering ways to create destination parks and facilities vs just putting up additional playgrounds and parks with limited draw/limited seasonal use. We live in an area without much to offer for winter recreation outside of cross country skiing, so state-of-the-art, multipurpose indoor facilities should be a stronger consideration.

• It’s just picking up the garbage people are leaving around

• I think the small neighborhood parks are important for green space with minimal facilities for local kids, but major facilities need to be in the prominent parks.

• While big protects would be great it’s likely a better idea to put what we have to better use

• I would like to see a pickleball complex be built similar to what is in Albert Lea.

• Work on the smaller parks with big things but keep them at a neighborhood level. No one wants to be intimidated by their park but we deserve equality in all neighborhoods to have access to the same things. Don’t sell the parkland because most of Austin needs wildlife rehabilitation

• Not my top choice but I wouldn’t like to see the city sell any of the existing parks…forget that.

• Add facilities that are needed and popular namely pickleball

• Please add Pickleball courts to some parks.

• Add pickleball courts. This sport is becoming so popular that those of us that helped to Get pickleball here, aren’t able to play due to lack of options.

• Not related to “other”, but don’t sell park land.

• Small parks are important to kids in neighborhoods that are unable to drive to big parks. That is why I rated selling parkland last.

• I prefer the city consider the underserved children/teens of the community who don’t have financial resources to pay for PnR programs or Pool passes. This community needs to rally around families with limited financial means and ensure their children have the same opportunities. I prefer the city think about the families who don’t have Wi-Fi / Internet access and/or devices to scan the QR code and complete this survey. I prefer the city provide this survey and all flyers/ advertising in multiple languages. I prefer many voices of the community be heard before spending decisions for all are made.

• If you sell underutilized parkland for housing, it should be for affordable homes. Not those 400k houses near the nature center that no one can afford.

• Restore habitat, stop mowing along water ways. Bee friendly!

• Please maintain parks as green spaces it is so nice to see everyone in the community using them. They will be an asset in the future as our city grows. Once the park is gone you can’t go back

• I prefer number 1 because sometimes I want to go to small park.

• I ranked this option first because I am hesitant to sell any parkland until I know which parks the city deems

“underutilized”. Otherwise, I would rank my second option number one.

• Clean up water ways and revive fishing.

• providing a more secure park with clean equipment and facilities is the most important priority. we travel to other communities to use their parks due to this reason. we are often shocked how well maintained and secure other cities parks are compared to Austin.

• If the city sells underutilized parkland I would want reassurances that the land sold would be used for increasing native habitat for local wildlife rather than being turned into parking lots, etc.

• Sumner Elementary School neighborhood could use a playground. There are none in this area of town. Could the community work with the school to build a playground for the school and community to use???

• Do not sell any park land!

• City can get grants from the clean water land and legacy amendment to help with native plantings, trails, water quality. Look at Wolf Creek being stocked with trout. Need to improve water quality so water activities are more desirable

• Neighborhood parks are wonderful. Do not put big things in neighborhood parks. If investing in additional courts (pickle ball)/ splash pad/ or other put it in a central location with parking and restroom facilities. But still maintain offerings of local neighborhood parks. We bought a house in this neighborhood because we loved being close to a park with a basketball and tennis court and playground equipment and ball diamond. However this isn’t the place for a large facility... it is a neighborhood park.

• Safety and security at the parks

• Establishing an emergency alert system at parks

• South grove

• Create a river walk concept and trail system along Austin’s waterways. Already have some of this obviously. Can rehab what exists and expand to other areas and add amenities like shelters and playgrounds with safe crossings at roadways. Have several parks that are very uneven terrain and allow water to pond making it difficult to enjoy (or even access) and maintain for P&R. Lots of wide open green spaces that offer little else (park at Queen of Angels, Driesner, Lafayette). Need a design and plan.

• Add an adaptive park.

• More programming

• Trail and sidewalk access to neighborhood parks should be addressed.

• Many parks go unused, but require constant upkeep such as mowing. Perhaps we should turn several of the underutilized parks into Prarie grass or nature spaces. Sutton park comes to mind. I’ve never seen anyone use it. Literally ever. We can take the money spent on maintaince and lawn mowing and spent that savings on the more used parks. The parks that get “mothballed” can be an oasis for true nature lovers.

• i dont feel # 4 should even be considered i wouldnt take away a park from a neighborhood for profit that might be the only park a family in that area can go to not everyone can drive all over to parks like i can and i get that so for you to just sell a park casue you think its not used as much even if it just had one silde and swing that maybe the only silde and swing a kid gets to use and id hate for that to happen.

• Adding more younger kid friendly options to several parks

• I just moved other up to 3 because I like how there are small Parkes throughout the community. Most homes live within walking distance of some park space. Please keep it that way.

• I would prefer focus on smaller improvements in most parks, selling those that are under utilized.

• Please don’t sell any park land. We need it.

• Community Event to Work on or Improve park projects. Ask community to participate in the work or donate for an exact project.

• All of the parks need to be dog friendly with poop bag dispensers and poop bag disposal containers.

• Creative and beneficial changes in unused areas such as prairies, wetlands, natural areas. There is too much mowed/ unkept acreage

29) Where would you prioritize the location of new bike facilities, routes, or trails?

• Connecting the trails as planned would be fantastic. Less reliance on roads so they do not interact with much traffic.

• “Sw side of town, possibly along the title creek would be so pretty! SE and NE aren’t the safest areas so I know many families who don’t ride bike trails over there for those purposes “

• More in the SW part of town

• Not a priority, I think the current options for biking are great and is a step in the right direction. Let’s focus on other areas now.

• through down town

• In the NW

• SW and S side of town so bikers stop riding on the county roads

• Throughout town

• Trail from Todd Park to Nature Center. Trail to continue around airport to 218. Bike trail through Nature Center

• I think we have enough bike paths.

• In the sw/nw

• More on the outskirts of the town and not through the town as cars and bikes colliding scares me.

• SW Austin! Closer to Hilliers!

• Across I90.

• Any addition to the bike trails we have would be great!

• Close to residential areas but trails that are more secluded in nature

• I think that at certain set time(s) and certain of the trails - not all of them - at the Nature Center should be opened for bikes/biking - like once or twice per week. Or one trail perhaps around the other edge of the park be open for biking at all times.

• Best to focus on survey results from those biking current trails!

• Near Riverland College

• Maybe on a side of town that doesn’t have as many

• Put one trail around airport fence could be continued off existing trail than towards bowling alley area, another trail could run towards freeborn counties future trail, and towards Old Mill and continue north along river

• Throughout town

• Extreme southwest Austin , Casey’s/Hillier’s

• Extreme southwest Austin (Casey’s area)

• Bandshell area

• Have the ability to ride through the nature center. More trails that follow the river.

• City limits and around water or the river

• “Going west and hook up to the others.“

• I can’t say because I do not use the bike trails

• Bike trails from SW part of town to center of town and connect to downtown and lakes. Improve the sidewalks- so bumpy

• Wildwood

• Generally, having a path that goes through the entire town would be great. Ex: can start out by fordtown and go all the way out to the nature center - a designated walking/bike path that gets you all the way across town without having to cut through town/go on I-90.

• Adding trails to the NW and SW sides of Austin. Create a trail system that can loop you all the way around town. Provide ways to cross I-90 which creates a huge barrier.

• SW portion of town in the Orchard Creek, Hilliers area

• 12th ST SW leaving town in the 40 mph area

• On the outer edge of town where we can ride without interruption. Have water fountains available those who might for get water.

• By the acres

• Safer bike trail access in the Oakland/I-90 area

• West side of town

• Bike routes are disjointed, signage should be prioritized. It would be great if you could jump on the trail anywhere in the city and they were all connected.

• Maybe south of town

• More bridges over the creeks and rivers. Better conn3ction to differing neighborhoods

• Not sure. Maybe a safer way to cross the one ways.

• At locations that are easily accessible for the community

• We don’t need any more bike routes

• I wish you could bike through the nature center.

• Toward Albert Lea

• Where it makes sense to connect existing trails.

• Bike trail connection to Albert Lea.

• Our bike trails are great!!

• Add bike trails at Nature Center

• “We’re bike racks“

• In SW Austin by Orchard connecting the whole town and making safe connection to elementary schools. Add garbage/recycling on trails. Add benches.

• 4th access to downtown ( areas under bridges are sketchy)

• Everywhere, especially the East side to connect better to the other parts of Austin. I think more bike lanes and trails away from the busy areas but that aid in getting through the busy areas are best. More sign coverage too

• All over Austin, downtown, schools etc.

• Expand trail ending at County road 28

• Connectivity of the trails to more neighborhoods -- perhaps better signage or maps around the town showing how to access the trails. We don’t know how to access the trails unless we drive to a ‘trail head’

• Connecting the town with bike trails

• Around the elementary schools and safer ways to cross major roads (or avoid the busier streets).

• around the Mill Pond and in the SW along Turtle Creek

• No preference for location as long as there is effort toward improving accessibility and serving underserved areas of town.

• It would be great to get these better routed around some of the less pedestrian friendly areas in town. Add some around stores, restaurants along with secure bike racks, etc. Austin overall does a good job with this and I appreciate being able to bike to work.

• Find ways to connect existing trails and paths.

• West side of town.

• Nature Center

• Low seem to have been focus for a long time. Now……Also bikers are extremely run to walkers and children.

• Anywhere around Austin and it’s perimeter , not much for trails on west side of town

• Need more on west side of town and around the entire perimeter

• Down on the list. There is a very nice trail in town which goes by the library, the Y & beyond.

• South of austin towards Lyle

• Top of my list. I love the trails in Austin and would likw the system to continue to grow.

• SW

• Would like to see Albert Lea Austin Leroy connected to root river trail

• To and from Lyle, MN

• I do live in the NW and the area is growing, but we don’t seem to have any future expansion planned. Most of the planned future trails appear to be in the SW portion of Austin, which doesn’t really have any room to grow.

• Near Neighborhoods where Austin’s underserved , and often times less represented, families live

• “A bike lane on main street would be really cool! Not sure how it would work though. Big goal- Trail from Austin to Owatonna. “

• In the city where we need connections.

• Trail connectivity from neighborhood near Banfield/Fairgrounds

• Nice option to have

• South of town

• Bike trails need to connect better instead of just ending and it not being clear where the next trailhead is

• SW west or Turtle Creek has no sidewalks so parks and trails are our safest places to walk. I’m guessing other neighborhoods have similar issues. Bike racks would facilitate biking to parks. Dog duty stations will help keep parks clean and lay areas healthy.

• Connect existing ones better. Designated bike lane on 4th st nw. No parking in lanes

• We have some nice nature bike trials, but could use more trails/bike lanes in commercial areas. For example, I never feel safe riding my bike in the Hy-Vee and Walmart area.

• SE/SW Austin, also clear signage for how to connect to the Shooting Star trail and safe connection to it.

• Sw area

• I think it would be great to have more bike routes and trails as well as ability to know where these are.

• I would try connecting the bike trails in town more so they aren’t crossing busy streets, and I would add signage to the bike trails or QR codes so people can scan to see where the trail continues. Sometimes it appears like the trails just stop even though they continue on somewhere else.

• Todd Park

• Continue on toward Albert Lea now that we’re connected to Rose Creek.

• Connect the southwest section of town with a trail.

• Making sure the entire city is connected with bike trails or at least marked lanes. Bike lanes where cars park (like on 16th ave SW) aren’t safe because you still have to weave into traffic around them. Thats why you see too many cyclists still on the adjacent sidewalks

• There are no bike trails on the west side of town - so, west.

• It seems like the bike trails run throughout the city and connect different areas. I live in the NE and bike to work, and the majority of my ride is on bike trails, which I appreciate. There are designated areas on some major streets (4th Ave NW), which is good. Perhaps adding additional designated bike lanes on other streets. It would be great to find ways to get more people to bike for work and errands.

• It would be nice to have more trails in town. Riding on the streets to get to a trail can be dangerous due to traffic, unmarked intersections and poor street conditions.

• In a central location such as Todd Park, Mill Pond or East Side Lake

• More access point in the center of town with appropriate bike lanes/parking

• Next to Turtle Creek would be ideal. Looks like this is already under way!

• connect with the trail to Adams or to Albert Lea

• Down and around 105 and back? Anywhere scenic that people would enjoy being out.

• Mandolin place apartments

• Over the interstate because it can get very dangerous

• By south gate and Austin acres

• Around neighborhoods

• Near the center of town

• Southwest Austin.

• Prioritize the Shooting Star trail to connect with Blazing Star trail.

• Some bike paths, especially by skinners hill and the sewage treatment plant , have a bike path, breaks off into the street, down a hill, with no controlled intersection for cars, goes to another bike path, onto the street and across to another path. Dangerous. Other bike paths have cars constantly parked in the path.

• Southwest center towards SW area of I-90.

• Southwest area of Austin

• Sw and connect them

• The trail system we have is pretty vast. I would like to see the Hormel Nature Center trail connect safely with the Shooting Star Trail going over the highway.

• not sure. we had a bike trail added in our neighborhood and had to pay assessments for it. it’s a bike trail that does not connect to anything and is not maintained nor is it used. we lost part of our front yard to accommodate. our neighborhood objected to the bike trail. a grant was given to the city but we were still assessed and told the additional tax money will be used to fund other projects in town. this is absolutely not ok.

• NW/SW austin

• Not interested in biking, but I would like to keep the bike trail out of the Nature Center. As someone who hikes a lot having bikes go through the Nature Center doesn’t appeal to me with my small children.

• West side of town

• Please… trails in town so we can ride bikes everywhere- this is not a bike friendly place

• Connect to existing trails and have bridges over water when needed.

• Where 22nd avenue SW turns into 7th avenue along Turtle Creek. It’s overgrown with weeds, and not befitting the neighborhood. A short section of bike trail along the river there, would be great.

• Connect existing trails. Would like to see a walking trail along the river or flood berms from the kayak input area to the fairgrounds or even farther.

• On the outskirts of town to connect to major locations in town or even out in the country.

• The bike trails in town are awesome. I don’t like to cross the roads.

• “The bike trail needs to connect in Austin without riding on the road. I almost got hit by a car Maybe along the rivers more “

• SW - SE ?

• New neighborhoods

• Todd Park, SE Austin along abandon RR tracks to Woodson and connecting Todd to the SNA trail in NE Austin.

• 2. The trails are heavily used, but there is a sense of disconnect. I think the trails need to reach out to more neighborhoods and connect more parts of Austin together. There are areas at the northwest side of the lake that need off sidewalk and of the street trails.

• The Shooting Star Trail should be high priority,

• Along water ways which is already emphasized

• “The city’s bike trail system completely misses the far NW section. Riverland Community College needs good access to the city’s bike trails. We also need better/more pedistrian/bicycle friendly ways of crossing I90. I’d also like to see the city work with Mower County, Freeborn County, Albert lea and others to get the Blazing Star Trail to Albert Lea fully completed!”

• Todd park

• “Connect all existing trails (bike trail down 4th street loop around? Trail past cemetery connect to trail next to river? ) Also put garbage can along trail for people to put dog poop bags in”

• Bike trails

• NW Austin. Bike Bridge to 18th Ave. Overpasses are noisy, scary.

• Other than inside neighborhoods, the west side of Austin has very little for bike trails.

• Not priority

• Connecting all the schools to local parks and neighborhoods. If we don’t make it safe and accessible to our youth, they’ll never develop the lifelong habits. It’s Dangerous for kids wanting to bike to schools near my neighborhood.

• Centrally located

• Edges of town so it is easier to access downtown by bike.

• Connecting it all together where you minimally have to cross the road.

• We love biking We have a lot of bike trails…. But not much is the sw area! So my family needs to bike a ways to even

get on the bike trails. Would be so nice to have more in the sw, that connect to others

• On the side of town away from interstate

• I think there could be some more trails in the southwest. The main connection between our neighborhood and the main part of town is busy 12th St. There is a bike lane, but cars don’t follow bike lane rules so it isn’t safe for kids.

• Near multi family dwellings

• anywhere but on the streets

• Obviously I would like to have more trails where I live-perhaps more along the river.

• Bike trails seem to be lacking near Banfield. A trail starting at the Fairgrounds might be a good idea.

• In the south west beyond the river. We don’t have sidewalks or a bike lane making it very unsafe for our children to ride. As a family we don’t have a bike trail to connect to. I feel like this area of town is forgotten.

• 0-10 I would say 7 my family and I are always look for a new trail to explore

• More access to the trails around the Southgate area

• Out in the NW side the trails just stop, would be nice to see them connect and go farther out of town

• Southwest by fairgrounds

• Have to get bike trails to connect from park/trail areas to places that people may want to go like downtown and shopping districts.

• nature center

• Along Turtle Creek as it hits many neighborhoods.

• Near schools, AHS especially

• New bike trails and routes that keep runners, walkers and bikes off the streets

• Nature Center; along the Cedar and Turtle River. Need more bike racks to lock bikes throughout the city and at parks.

• Close to or connecting to schools

• It would be nice to see more trails or routes on the west side of town

• SW side of town

• Connect all trails through Austin. Have trails that lead out into the country to connect to such as out near Second Act or turtle creek estates/Orchard creek area so those of us in the country don’t have to always drive to connect to a trail

• South side of town on highway 28. WAY too many bikers and walkers on that road causing danger to themselves and motor vehicles

• Don’t need more trails, bikers don’t ride on the ones we have. They are always in the roads. They are a waste of money on blacktop. I would be ok with gravel trails to see if people would use them bedor going right to blacktop paths.

• just trying to make connections easier i dont bike but i feel that would be a big one.

• Nw side of town, college area

• Hormel nature center

• Close to schools

• Bike lanes across town on direct routes. Safer walking/pike paths over highway

• I want trails more connected. Not so separate.

• I would consider that a major improvement. We need more trails on the west side of town. Maybe work to help connect the blazing star trail to Austin. That would make a great connect of the Austin trails, Blazing Star trail, and Shooting star Trail.

• West of Austin The oakland avenue bridge over I90 on the west edge of town is DANGEROUS to bicyclers and walkers. There needs to be paths over the freeway and farther, at least to the trailer court

• Along the river.

• Hormel nature center, more trails around Todd park, east side lake,

• Connect to Blazing Star (already!) also more mountain bike trails near and beyond the Ramsey Golf course area and extend into DNR trails. Same south of town.

• I think we have enough bike trails. We need more true hiking trails - non paved that are dog friendly. All the bike trails are hard to take dogs on because of all the bikes going by it creates safety issues. I almost exclusivly travel to State parks like Whitewater etc to hike with my dogs.

• Major areas of the city; shopping areas, schools, hospital, businesses. Commuting for any job in Austin via bikes.

• Southwest along the river

• Trails

• connect the trails we have and add new trails so all parts of the city has an opportunity for access.

• I think we have great bike trails- not sure what is meant by “bike facilities”.

• In the NW area of town

• A trail along the river behind Sacred Heart. There are minimal trails in the SW and NW so it would be nice to have more biking options in these parts of town.

• A trail that crosses over the I90 and Oakland West Bridge. Walking/biking across that bridge in order to access areas outside of town on the west side is down right dangerous.

• Everywhere but really connecting to other towns!

• Around our lakes and streams also have them more handicap ready

• Just south of Austin. Or, have trails that lead out of each area (W, N, E, S) of town to county highways/roads.

• Anywhere

• Bring it closer to Brownsdale too

• Sw

• I really wish people would use the bike paths instead of biking on Highway 105 with no shoulder.

• Near schools like Southgate and the nature center.

• Be able to get to from my house

• No motorized vehicles or at least enforce it if already a rule. My neighbors take their mopeds abs snowmobiles on trails and have little concern for those walking the trails- worry s our safety.

• NW and SW

30) Do you or members of your household frequently use playground equipment at Austin’s parks?

31) If yes to the previous question, please specify which park you visit most often.

32) What playground amenities/features does your household use most frequently?

33) What playground amenities would you like to be improved?

• “better, more easily maintained surfaces ACCESSIBILITY!”

• Some thing new?

• Rubber bases, no sand!

• Slides and more swings

• All at this location could be replaced

• More and bigger variety.

• Make sure playground equipment is safe and we’ll maintained.

• Wasps and bees can be a problem

• “At the rotary park “

• Flooring, More of the rubber flooring where we can see what’s on it rather than the sand and wood chip flooring where kids may step on something dangerous

• Different services underneath instead of sand, rocks, wood bios, etc.

• A playground with a toddler section and a big kid section with some shaded areas. And a splash pad that is available for use in the community. I don’t mind driving out to Todd park or another community park to use it.

• American ninja warrior obstacle timed race area in Jordan MN is pretty cool.

• Updated- there is a park in Willmar that has really neat and fun features.

• More swings for the kids more equipment for 2 to 5 yr olds

• Splash pad access, more toddler friendly equipment

• Playgrounds that are more adaptable for all ages to use (toddlers, kids, teens, adults)

• 6 months to year old equipment, gentle baby fun!!

• Some equipment does not work, needs maintenance

• Some smaller parks need better facilities

• City / Nature center run campground

• I think the park amenities are great

• All! Our playgrounds are all outdated and old! No new stuff that intrigues the children

• More playground areas having ground up tire as ground instead of mulch or sand

• General maintenance and security

• Update and add neighborhood parks more

• More parks with different amenities(like the robot+disc golf) at Todd) rather than each park having the same.

• A lot of the playgrounds need to be updated.

• Some slides at south grove

• Layfayette needs to be improved because it’s one of the only parks in Austin with shade!

• Slides

• More for little kids

• A safer place for toddlers to climb and play. Many of the parks don’t have safe areas for young kids to play.

• More infant or toddler sized amenities

• Modernization of playground equipment. Other communities have interesting and fun playground features that we do not have. See Shoreview Commons Park in Shoreview, MN.

• Todd Park

• Each one could be improved with something and it would take to long to figure out.

• Upkeep of the existing ones, more baby swings, more shade added to playground areas

• Maintenance and cleaning

• Broken or vandalized slides

• Any that are unsafe

• Play structures

• More inclusive climbing options that are safer.

• I would like to see swings at east side lake

• Swings at Sutton and there could be more natural park in Sutton as well.

• All equipment that is broken, sand/wood chips should be replaced as this is hard to keep clean and a cleaner surface would perhaps keep people from littering

• Accessibility for kids who live with disabilities

• Unsure.

• The sand drives me crazy and sometimes we avoid the park because I just can’t handle the clean up afterward. Bark in some locations would be great.

• More options for equipment designed for open play with the environment in mind.

• Bathrooms near the play equipment at Eastside lake. Some kids can’t make it to others

• Answered this previously

• Swings, more variety with equipment or even more focused on specific age groups

• Cleanliness of sand/weeds!

• Galloway

• More equipment/Nicer functions for younger kids

• Water fountains added and restroom availability

• Clean, good, not weed infested sand. Water fountains, clean bathrooms. Picnics tables. Decent garbage receptacles. If you use old barrels, paint them every once in a while, clean and make sure they are empty.

• More equipment, wider age range of accessibility for different age groups.

• Clean functioning restrooms, accessible clean drinking water, safe clean pavilions, safety lighting, easy ADA access

• Slides

• Modern equipment that is bigger and more interesting

• Courts

• Fire pit Sutton

• Add fitness stations along the trail

• In reference to farmers market providing a bus to seniors at st.marks or cedars and other senior residents i am sure they would love to be at this but do not have transportation to get there. Is there a grant or something to write up so transportation could be provided.

• the robot slide

• “A few updated swings might be nice. “”Family”” style swings, like porch swings multiple people could sit in, in the shade, would be great for older adults watching children or children who need a quiet moment while playing. New climbing features or designated climbing trees. Nature scape. Like at Oxbow Park in Byron. “”Risky play”” features.

A variety of options for toddlers and older children at the busier parks. “

• I think most of the amenities in parks are fine the problem is when people don’t take care of it. You can improve all you want but it will just be money wasted.

• larger jungle gyms, add splash pads

• New ideas for climbing, sliding, and swinging

• Robot, swings

• I think all the parks with playgrounds need to be put on a list of most need and equipment be put in the budget for replacement. Maybe every 2-5 years it is replaced until all the parks have updated equipment. Albert Lea does something similar with their CIP.

• The baseball field at Shirley Theel should be cut much shorter than what they do.

• Added a new Thai takraw( caneball) playground for Karenni and Karen people, seen like their population are keep gowning and moved in to Austin.

• New playground equipment

• Adding more pickle ball

• More handicapped accessible equipment in all parks

• chi lo

• Soccer field

• Adult size equipment

• I would like a whole playground in walkable distance to mandolin place apartments

• Redo some paint and slides

• Playground for kids

• Bathrooms.

• Areas for skating - making the asphalt smoother, bathrooms and drinking water

• Bathroom facilities at south Grove and more swings

• more trash cans available near the equipment...may some kids could paint a barrel for each park????

• “We would like to see the tennis court resurfaced and new lines be drawn.

This tennis court has seen many years of good use. Last year neighbors had to call to have the net put up and this year it was not put up at all. Last week I saw a Mom and Dad with two kids hitting a tennis ball back and forth with no net.

The community uses this court. I’m sure people wonder what happened.”

• We were not dependent on using a public playground. I would like to see fitness stations or plaques with exercise ideas on there for kids or people to learn and perform. We have enjoyed the ball fields in the past when our other kids were in those sports. What I would have loved is having an indoor batting cage during the winter months. Now I am not sure if that is something they do in the dome during the winter.

• Quite honestly all of the playground equipment at the band shell needs to be improved and because there is space there could potentially be expanded.

• handicapped accessible, equipment that can accommodate adult and child, bathroom facilities maintained regularly

• wheelchair accessible playgrounds

• More options for smaller kids.

• “Some of the swings are broken. Slides/playground equiptment for younger children (toddler or under the age of 3)

Glass/garbage at times in play area”

• Better slides and interesting and fun playground equipment for kids to play in.

• Shade!

• Tennis court- add a net

• Public water fountain and public bathroom

• Get some old fashioned swings and equipment.

• Better selection/larger play areas

• make the north and south complexes nicer

• Small park splash pads.

• Clean sand, clean picnic tables, clean bathrooms

• Todd Park

• Safety. The East Side Lake Park such as the slide or the crawling need more screw and need more maintenance in order for the kids to play safely.

• Please put a net up every year!

• More music options.

• All of it

• Graffiti cleaned up, safe options,

• Seating right outside/near the equipment

• “Vandalism is sadly a thing. Just make sure it is kept clean. It would be fun to see new equipment. We also go to banfield when the school is not in session and they have some fun things. The teeter totter and the double decker slide are favorites for my kids. “

• Safety and benches close to playground equipment for parents to sit and watch

• Lots of the small ones- we went to every park this summer and tested them out. The smaller ones could use some love

• Just again the safety of the parks.

• “Would be nice to the net back over at the playground north todd, or move the play ground out behind field 7 so the littles can remain safe.“

• pickleball beanbag toss bonfire pit like there used to be.

• needs more cool stuff

• More inclusive and safe options. Check out the twin cities parks. They are way more inclusive to all kids and much safer.

• Maintain what we have & get the gangs out of Lions & Todd park. They no longer feel safe.

• More small kids options in the NW

• Merry go round at bandshell park

• Visit Matthey Park in owatonna just redid playground very nice

• More things for teenagers

• More park equipment designed for children between 10 and 15 years old.

• No sand it’s like a giant litter box for stray cats wood chips are not really the greatest either as they get stuck in the kids’ socks and poke them or stuck in my washer but it’s a better option than sand the sand is very unsanitary especially when the younger ones put it in their mouths

• More equipment

• “more areas for the young kids to play, sandbox or something of the like a place for dogs to be at the parks with families”

• More picnic tables

• Adaptive equipment

• Better upkeep

• Baseball batting cages

• just clean up the parks and add updated fun things

• Austin should have an all abilities play ground. Lots of playground are not accessible for kids or adults with disabilities. Create parks that can be accessible by wheelchair or address sensory needs of kids.

• all of them, all of our parks need repairs we also need more equipment for our handicap children in the area.

• We’ve encountered broken equipment at smaller parks. We’d like to go to smaller parks more often but we never know if there will be broken equipment

• Shade canopy

• more toddler-sized equipment

• Keep them clean and repaired.

• Update some of the parks equipment

• What’s up with gangs at Todd Park playground? That’s horrible. Need a plan to keep kids and family’s safe.

• All at Bustad. Maybe include places to sit and somewhere you can eat

• basketball hoops

• Make jungle gym bigger like was and add more swings.

• Swings and slides

• Turf, no sand please, also shade over playground equipment

• Slides and garbage in sand/wood chips

• Lighting

• Todd

• Ride on toys or climbers. They seem to be broken

• Bathrooms, playgrounds, pavilions, picnic tables

• More parks with shorter Miller areas for the little kids

• Accessibility, restrooms nearby.

• Swings, slides, new sand,

• Updates equipment/add more

• Swings

• Rubber flooring

• More outdoor and better maintained basketball courts.

• We’d like the merry go round back at Bustad park

• Love the parks with the rubber flooring vs sand and/or wood chips

• Sumner school has no playground. They should have one or one nearby.

• Fix or replace broken and run down equipment

• Slides

• More adult exercise additions

• It would be great to see an all inclusive park that is made to include students with disabilities, though I know that’s a big ask.

• Better slides and sand digging equipment.

• Wheelchair accessibility , handicap accessibility , Rubber ground no sand, rocks, woodchips,

• All of the parks need to be dog friendly with poop bag dispensers and poop bag disposal containers.

• More options for students with physical disabilities.

• playground surfaces

34) Has your household used pavilions at parks within the City of Austin?

35) Which features would you consider ideal while utilizing a pavilion?

Other

Size of pavilion

Fully indoors

Privacy

Convenient and/or central location

Accessibility

Adjacency to playground equipment/recreational facilities

Adjacency to restrooms

Adjacency to bodies of water

Running water

Kitchen appliances

Furniture (tables, chairs, couches, etc.)

Electricity

# of Votes

36) If you answered “other” to the previous question, please specify additional ideal characteristics.

• Tables

• Clean would be ideal

• Clean and maintained space.

• Pergola & attractive landscaping

• pickleball

• More trash cans at.parks

• Cleanliness, lack of hornet’s nests

• I would like the pavilion facilities to be clean and to have a reservation system that ensures your spot is held and that no one can show up and use it.

• water fountains

• Indoor Pickleball

• Free of bird droppings on tables and benches from the rafters/ceiling.

• Quit looking up bandshell pavilion.

• More trash cans or recycling. Lights in pavilions

Cedar River Farmer's Market

City-sponsored special events (e.g. Freedom Fest, street festivals)

The downtown Flower Basket program

Use of some trails for motorized vehicles

Dogs in parks/trails

Like Indifferent Dislike 37) How do you feel about...

# of Votes

APPENDIX B

p arks an D o pen s pa C e C lass I f IC at I ons

Parks and Open Space

The definitions used in this plan are modified definitions used by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). They are used to classify the existing recreation system and to guide plans for the future. They begin with the smallest and most intensely used and the proceed to largest and least used. Neighborhood and community parks are normally provided by municipalities. Larger recreation areas are normally provided by larger units of government or private enterprise.

NRPA Classifications

Typically on a small lot (1/4 acre) and located within a residential neighborhood. Usually have one facility and benches.

- Desirable size - 2 acres or less

- Acres/1,000 population: .25 to .5

- Service Area: 1/8 to 1/4 mile radius

Serve the needs of children 5-15 years old by providing open fields, courts, shelter facilities, and play areas. Should be within walking distance.

- Desirable size - 2-4 acres

- Acres/1,000 population: 0.5 - 1.5 acres

- Service Area: 1/4 to 1/3 mile radius

Provide open space for all ages and enhance the overall environment. A natural, walkable location is ideal for this type, and they usually have tables, benches, paths, and lights.

- Desirable size - 3-7 acres

- Acres/1,000 population: 5.0 -8.0 acres

- Service Area: 1 to 2 mile radius

Serve the active needs of several neighborhoods. Usually include more than parks, such as a pool, community center, and fields for sporting events.

- Desirable size - 5 or more acres (15-40)

- Acres/1,000 population: 5.0 -8.0 acres

- Service Area: 1 to 2 mile radius

Intended to serve many neighborhoods. Tend to have woods, water features, trails, and picnic areas. Should be determined by the size of the population.

- Desirable size - 3-7 acres

- Acres/1,000 population: 5.0 -8.0 acres

- Service Area: 1 to 2 mile radius

Created to take advantage of a natural or unusual feature, or to preserve areas and provide recreation. Golf courses, marinas, and skate parks could be categorized as this type.

- Desirable size - varies on function

- Acres/1,000 population: varies on function

- Service Area: varies on function

Usually located outside of the urban area and include large tracts of land that have limited development. Usually provided by state, federal or county governments.

- Desirable size - varies on function

- Acres/1,000 population: varies on function

- Service Area: varies on function

Almost the same characteristics as the reservation or preserve; however, they may be used to shape urban development. Could connect parks within an urban area.

- Desirable size - varies on function

- Acres/1,000 population: varies on function

- Service Area: varies on function

Special purpose parks designed to serve motorists and boost the tourist industry. Size and location depends on natural features.

- Desirable size - varies on function

- Acres/1,000 population: varies on function

- Service Area: varies on function

APPENDIX C

a nalys I s m aps

EXISTING PARKS AND TRAILS

Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Trails Master Plan

Austin, MN

Existing Parks

City Facilities by Ownership

City-Owned Recreational Facilities

Non-City Owned Recreational Facilities

Trail by Type

Bike Route Trail

Trails in Progress

Worlein Park

Horace Austin Park

Honor Guard Park

Early Morning Lions Park

Whittier Park

Driesner Park

Sutton Park

Bandshell Community Park

Austin Dog Park

Rotary Centennial Park

Lafayette Park

Marcusen Park

Kaufman Park

Murphy Creek Park

Todd Park

Wildwood Park

Northwest Park

J.C. Hormel Nature Center

Sherman Park

East Side Lake Park

Decker Park

Shirley Theel Memorial Park

Galloway Park

Orchard Creek Park

Cullen Park

Bustad Park

South Grove Park

Data Sources:

State of Minnesota

City of Austin

Austin Comprehensive Plan

Maxar

Murphy Creek Park

Todd Park

Wildwood Park

Riverland Community College

Baseball Fields

Northwest Park

J.C. Hormel Nature Center

Sherman Park

East Side Lake Park

Decker Park

Shirley Theel Memorial Park

Orchard Creek Park

Cullen Park

Bustad Park South

Worlein Park

Horace Austin Park/Austin City

Pool/Skate Park

Honor Guard Park

Packer Arena

Riverside Arena

Early Morning Lions Park

Galloway Park

Whittier Park

Driesner Park

Sutton Park

Bandshell Community Park

Austin Dog Park

Rotary Centennial Park

Lafayette Park

Marcusen Park

Kaufman Park

Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Trails Master Plan

Austin, MN

Existing Parks

Existing Trails Trails in Progress

0.25 Mile Park Service Buffer

0.5 Mile Park Service Buffer

Data Sources: State of Minnesota City of Austin

Austin Comprehensive Plan

Maxar