HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 03-15 Ramsey County Parks holds winter recreation summit MAPLEWOOD REVIEW3/7/2016 Ramsey County Parks holds winter recreation summit I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com
Ramsey County Parks holds
winter recreation summit
Submitted by admin1 on Sun, 03/15/2015 - 12:00am
By: Patrick Larkin
Ramsey County P�arks and Recreation will hold a summit to talk
about the prospects of adding winter park amenities to Battle Creek
Regional Park, 7 he county tried a snowmaking demonstration in the
winter of 2013...2014 to push for more a rmanent snowmaking
abilities, (file photo)
Hoping to generate ideas for cold -weather facilities at Battle
Creek
As part of an ongoing effort to bring winter amenities to Ramsey County's Battle Creek Regional Park, the county parks and
recreation department is holding a summitto bring together key stakeholders to come up with ways to fund the project.
The summit is scheduled for 6-8 p.m., Thursday, March 19, at the Keller Golf Course Clubhouse, 2166 Maplewood Drive,
Maplewood.
Though adding facilities, such as more cross-country trails, snowmaking machines, a sledding and tubing hill, and a downhill
skiing hill, has been eyed by the county for years, attempts to secure funding have been unsuccessful.
Requests for state bonding money have not panned out thus far. So county staff are looking to brainstorm with the community
to find a way to bring the facilities to the recreation area near the Battle Creek neighborhood of St. Paul.
The county even went as far as testing out snowmaking in the winter of 2013-2014, in order to demonstrate their capability of
making snow.
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3/7/2016 Ramsey County Parks holds winter recreation summit I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com
The $80,000 snowmaking demonstration project was approved in 2013 by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, as
a precursor to putting in a more permanent and thorough $4 million snowmaking system at the park—that proposed project
would install multiple snowmakers, which would be enough to keep the 1 1/2 miles of lighted trails covered with snow, as well
as the sledding hill at St. Paul's Battle Creek Recreation Center.
According to a press release from the county, "The (parks and recreation) department now hopes that through increased
broad stakeholder engagement they will be able to develop more successful strategies to pursue and obtain funding, thereby
helping Ramsey County provide healthy and safe recreational opportunities for all of our citizens."
Mark McCabe, director of Ramsey County Park Services and Operations, said county staff have invited a variety of community
members to the summit, including cross-country ski enthusiasts, school districts, St. Paul Parks and Recreation and more.
John Fitzgerald has been dreaming of bringing an improved cross-country ski experience to the east metro.
"A snowmaking facility for cross-country skiing on the east side of the metro is sorely lacking," he said.
Fitzgerald is an avid cross-country skier and volunteers to groom the trails at Battle Creek during the winter, along with a
small group.
He said he and other skiers are excited aboutthe summit, and hope that itwill end up resulting in more skiing facilities in the
area.
Patrick Larkin
http://www. revi ew-news.com/articles/2015/03/15/ram sey-county-parks-holds-wi nter-recreati on -summit 2/2