Eagan Advisory Parks Commission

Resolution

Sponsored by Friends of Patrick Eagan Park

Monday, November 18, 2002

Passed by an 8 to 1 vote


Whereas the Eagan Core Greenway represents over 400 contiguous, largely undeveloped acres stretching from Lebanon Hills County Park to Patrick Eagan Park and the undeveloped or minimally developed land around it;

Whereas the Eagan Core Greenway consists of the forested land and wetlands north of Lebanon Hills' McDonough Lake, as well as Eagan's Trapp Farm Park, Walnut Hill Park, Goat Hill Park, the Lexington-Diffley Athletic Fields, the Caponi Art Park, Patrick Eagan Park, Barbara Curry Park, and the Anderson and McCarthy parcels;

Whereas the Eagan Core Greenway signifies an important local wildlife corridor and regional eco-system;

Whereas Eagan-based Friends of Patrick Eagan Park have rallied around preserving this superb community resource, and have created an informative Web site (www.friendsofpatrickeaganpark.org) and an E-group with several hundred members (Organizer@FriendsofPatrickEaganPark.org ) for the purposes of fostering communication between the group, announcing group-related news and events, and contributing to worthy causes in support of Eagan Core Greenway and Patrick Eagan Park;

Whereas the McKnight Foundation's recently initiated year-long Embrace Open Space Campaign has showcased the Eagan Core Greenway as one of the Twin Cities' "Top-Ten Treasures";

Whereas the Sierra Club North Star Chapter has recently commenced its autumn "Tour de Sprawl" at the Eagan Core Greenway's Patrick Eagan Park with local and national speakers who spoke about the importance of recognizing and preserving such green space;

Whereas the State of Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources' Metro Greenways Program has recently awarded Eagan an $8000 planning grant to formally establish the Eagan Core Greenway;

Whereas a number of local and regional groups such as the Trust for Public Land have stepped forward and expressed an interest in partnering with the city to help ensure the preservation of the Eagan Core Greenway;

Whereas the voters of Dakota County have just passed (by a vote of 57% in favor) a $20 million ten-year bonding referendum to acquire and protect open space in the county, including green space in Eagan's northern district of the county;

Therefore let it be resolved that on this 18th day of November, 2002, we the Eagan Advisory Parks Commission endorse the following resolution and request that the Eagan City Council endorse the same:

The City of Eagan's Advisory Parks Commission hereby recommends that the Eagan City Council:

  1. Recognizes the Eagan Core Greenway, acknowledging its significance to the community as well as to the environment;
  2. Requests that the City open discussions to secure the preservation of the greenway, with attention to the remaining parcels of land in proximity to Patrick Eagan Park;
  3. And that Eagan would like to identify appropriate partners to assist with the acquisition of this land for the Eagan Core Greenway, as it becomes available.



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