Introduction

Hopkins is a fully developed community with an established park and open space system. From small parks like the Park Valley Playground to community parks like Central Park, public facilities offer diverse activities for residents of all ages. Since there is very little vacant land left in Hopkins, any existing park expansions or new park sites will result from redevelopment activities. It is not likely that redevelopment activities will result in any significant expansion of the existing park system.

Since park expansion and new park construction is not the focus of Hopkins' future park planning efforts, the emphasis will be placed on maintaining and enhancing the existing system. Part of the enhancement of the existing system will focus on expanding existing trail connections. Hopkins is a regional hub of recreational trails. In the future, it may be possible to expand local trails to provide better links to regional trails as well as to connect local park facilities and local points of interest.

Park, Open Space and Trail Policies

• Continue to provide a park and recreation system that satisfies the needs of a diverse population.
• Provide a park and recreation system that supports community identity and serves as a gathering space for community and neighborhood events.
• Provide local links to the regional trail system.
• Establish a trail system that interconnects the city and offers an alternative means of transportation.
• Emphasize maintenance and enhancement of existing parks.
• Continue to collaborate with the City of Minnetonka, the Hopkins School District, Hennepin Parks and other agencies to provide recreational opportunities for Hopkins residents.
• Utilize the park system to protect natural resources.

Classification System

Hopkins has a variety of parks that are components of the overall park system. In order to examine existing parks and to project future park needs, a uniform classification system is used in this plan. The following categories have been established:

Classification: Neighborhood Park
Description: Neighborhood parks are the basic unit of the park system and serve as the recreational focus of neighborhoods. Neighborhood parks emphasize informal active and passive recreation.
Location Criteria: ¼ to ½ mile distance and uninterrupted by non-residential roads and other physical barriers.
Size Criteria: Usually between 5 and 10 acres.

Classification:School-Park
Description: Combining parks with school sites can fulfill the space requirements for other classes of parks such as neighborhood, community, sports complex and special use.
Location Criteria: Determined by location of school district property.
Size Criteria: Variable

Classification: Community Park
Description: Serves a broader purpose than neighborhood parks. Focus is on meeting community-based recreational needs as well as preserving unique open space.
Location Criteria: Determined by the quantity and usability of the site.
Size Criteria: Usually between 20 and 50 acres.

Classification: Sports Complex
Description: Consolidates heavily programmed athletic fields and associated facilities to larger and fewer sites.
Location Criteria: May either be freestanding or located in community-wide facilities.
Size Criteria: Determined by demand, usually a minimum of 10 acres.

Classification: Special Use Park and Recreation Facilities
Description: Special Use park and recreation facilities may be privately or publicly owned. Private facilities can offer either indoor or outdoor recreation opportunities, usually on a membership or fee basis.
Location Criteria: Variable, depends on specific use.
Size Criteria: Variable

Classification: Natural Resource Areas
Description: Lands set aside for preservation of significant natural resources, remnant landscapes, open space and visual aesthetics.
Location Criteria: Depends on resource availability and opportunity.
Size Criteria: Variable

Classification: Linear Trail Connections
Description: Land used to effectively tie park system components together to form a continuous park environment and to connect to points of interest outside of community boundaries.
Location Criteria: Depends on resource and availability and opportunity.
Size Criteria: Variable

Facility Inventory

Local recreational facilities are provided by a number of sources. Public parks are perhaps the most obvious of these sources, however, parks and recreational opportunities provided by other entities need to be considered in assessing the total park and recreation system. Other entities providing park and recreational opportunities in the Hopkins area include adjacent communities, schools and private facilities.

Schools

Name: Eisenhower Elementary School/Community Center
Size: 22.6 acres
Type: School-Park
Facilities: Tennis Courts, Ball Fields, Play Area, Open Field, Soccer, Football Field

Name: Alice Smith Elementary School
Size: 9.7 acres
Type: School-Park
Facilities: Ball Field, Play Area, Open Field

Name: Katherine Curren Elementary School
Size: 6.6 acres
Type: School-Park
Facilities: Play Area, Basketball

Name: Blake School
Size: 52.6 acres
Type: Special Use Facility
Facilities: Ball Fields, Soccer, Ice Arena, Track and Field, Open Field, Tennis Courts

Note: Blake School is a private school facility. As such, its facilities are generally not available for public use and therefore, should not be included in examining the total supply of public recreation areas in Hopkins.

Hopkins Parks

Name: Buffer Park
Size: 2.4 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Ball Field, Open Field

Name: Burnes Park
Size: 7.0 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Tennis Courts, Basketball, Play Area, Restrooms, Ball Fields, Horseshoes, Picnic Shelter, Open Field

Name: Central Park
Size: 17.9 acres
Type: Community Park
Facilities: Hockey Arena, Ball Fields (Lighted), Soccer Fields, Play Area, Picnic Area

Name: Cottageville Park
Size: 1.5 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Undeveloped

Name: Downtown Park
Size: .5 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Walkways, Seating Areas, Downtown Gathering Space

Name: Elmo Park
Size: 1.0 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Play Area, Basketball

Name: Harley Hopkins Park
Size: 3.0 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Open Field, Ball Field, Hockey Rink

Note: Harley Hopkins Park is on the city's south border. Alder Park, which is an Edina neighborhood park, is immediately across the street. Alder park contains a play area and other neighborhood park facilities.

Name: Hiawatha Oaks
Size: 2.0 acres
Type: Natural Resource Area
Facilities: Undeveloped

Note: Hiawatha Oaks was acquired by local residents and deeded to the City in order to protect mature trees on the property.

Name: Hilltop Park
Size: 3.5 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Ball Field, Open Field, Picnic Area, Play Area

Name: Interlachen Park
Size: 2.4 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Play Area, Restrooms, Ball Field, Basketball

Name: Maetzold Field
Size: 10.0 acres
Type: Sports Complex
Facilities: Ball Fields, Play Area, Picnic Shelter

Name: Oakes Park
Size: 5.7 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Ball Fields, Hockey Rink, Sledding Hill, Play Area, Picnic Shelter, Restrooms, Tennis

Name: Park Valley Playground
Size: 1.2 acres
Type: Neighborhood Park
Facilities: Play Area, Picnic Shelter, Basketball, Open Field

Name: Shady Oak Beach
Size: 12 acres
Type: Community Park
Facilities: Swimming Beach, Play Area, Trails, Canoe Launch, Fishing

Note: Shady Oak Beach is a facility that is jointly run by the cities of Hopkins and Minnetonka. The facility is administered by a joint park and recreation board. The park is located in Minnetonka near the Hopkins border.

Name: Shady Oak Nature Area
Size: 3.8 acres
Type: Special Use Facility
Facilities: Picnic Tables, Off-road Parking

Note: This park site consists of a drainage pond area adjacent to Shady Oak Road. Most of the site is occupied by the open water pond and associated wetland vegetation.

Name: Valley Park
Size: 14.5 acres
Type: Community Park
Facilities: Archery Range, Family Garden Plots, Trails, Volleyball, Picnic Shelter, Basketball, Play Area, Hockey Rink, Soccer, Ball Fields, Restrooms, Open Field

Other Park and Recreation Facilities

Name: Meadowbrook Golf Course
Type: Special Use Facility
Facilities: Golf Course

Note: Meadowbrook Golf Course is operated by the Minneapolis Park Board. A portion of the course is located in the city of Hopkins.

Name: Oak Ridge Golf Course
Type: Special Use Facility
Facilities: Golf Course

Note: Oak Ridge is a private golf course located in the northern portion of Hopkins.

Name: Minnehaha Creek Preserve
Type: Special Use Facility
Facilities: Undeveloped

Note: The Minnehaha Creek Preserve area is land owned by the City of Hopkins and used for outdoor public works storage. The site could be used as a park in the future if the public works storage is relocated to another site.

Name: Minnehaha Creek Corridor
Type: Special Use Facility
Facilities: Undeveloped

Note: This area includes land owned by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District immediately abutting Minnehaha Creek.

Park System Needs

A common tool for analyzing a local park system is the application of a population ratio standard. This standard is expressed as a number of acres of park land per one thousand people and is used to provide a general guideline for the assessment of existing and future park needs. For the Hopkins Comprehensive Plan, a standard of 7 acres of municipal park land per 1000 people has been used as a benchmark for planning purposes. This standard is consistent with a range of standards offered by the National Park and Recreation Association. Additionally, the overall standard has been broken down into the following components:

• Neighborhood Park – 2 acres per 1000 people
• Community Park/Sports Complex – 5 acres per 1000 people

Standards have not been directly applied to the other classifications used in this plan including school-parks, natural resource areas, trails, or private park and recreation facilities. Neighborhood and community park needs can be satisfied in combination with the development of school facilities provided that facilities are available to both groups. Trail corridors are very site specific and are not included in overall acreage calculations because they serve as links between various components of the park system. Private facilities are also not included in the overall standard because in many cases, they do not have the same longevity enjoyed by public park uses.

Application of these standards yields the following results:

 

Neighborhood Parks

Standard: 2 acres per 1000 people

Comments: Neighborhood parks are recreational facilities that are intended to serve populations residing within a ½ mile radius of the site. These facilities typically contain open space areas, which accommodate uses such as field games, court games, play equipment and other uses. Although five acres is generally recognized as a minimum size for neighborhood parks, smaller tracts of land can be used due to natural conditions or in areas where larger land parcels are not available.

Existing Supply/Need: Hopkins currently has ten sites that are categorized as neighborhood parks ranging in size from .5 acres to 5.7 acres. Application of the recommended standard for neighborhood parks results in a deficiency of 5.4 and 7.4 acres in 2000 and 2020 respectively. The standards indicate the need for additional neighborhood park areas, however, closer examination of Hopkins reveals that the City probably does not need to add park areas to serve existing and future needs. Hopkins contains three public school sites that accommodate neighborhood park needs. These sites along with Alder Park in Edina provide convenient access for all residents. Almost every home in Hopkins is located within ½ mile of an existing neighborhood park. The only exception is the extreme northern portion of the community lying north of the Oak Ridge Golf Course. This area is completely developed precluding the potential of adding an additional neighborhood park. If the golf course is ever redeveloped in the future, an additional park site could be acquired at that time.

Community Parks

Standard: 5 acres per 1000 people

Comments: Community parks are recreational facilities that serve as focal points of community recreational systems. As such, they typically provide facilities that appeal to a broad spectrum of users. Activities may include athletic complexes, archery, fishing, nature study, hiking, picnicking and other uses. Community parks commonly contain facilities that are designed to appeal to both active and passive users within one park site. The location of community parks is usually established based on topography and other natural features and on accessibility via the local road network.

Existing Supply/Need: Hopkins currently has four sites that are classified as community parks. They include Central Park, Maetzold Field, Shady Oak Beach and Valley Park. Central Park and Maetzold Field consist predominately of athletic field areas. Both of these sites are used intensively for adult and youth sports programs. Additionally, Central Park is the home of the Hopkins Pavilion that accommodates indoor ice hockey and indoor soccer. Valley Park contains passive and natural areas in addition to active pursuits such as volleyball, basketball and archery. Shady Oak Beach, a facility run jointly with the City of Minnetonka, is an area that accommodates swimming and fishing. In 1998/1999, the facility was totally reconstructed with new buildings, a new parking lot, and land and water oriented play areas.

Application of the standard for community parks calls for an additional 29.6 to 34.6 acres of land from 2000 to 2020. Because of the developed nature of the community, adding community park land will be difficult. However, two future opportunities exist. The southern portion of Hopkins contains a landfill site that has been closed for a long period of time. At the present time the site has not been cleared by State agencies for any type of use. As a result, the property is fully fenced and it contains a methane collection system. At some point in the future, the property may become available for public use. When this occurs, the site could be developed as a community park. The second future opportunity involves the Minnehaha Creek Preserve Area that is owned by the City of Hopkins. If it becomes unnecessary to continue to use this property as a public works site, it could be incorporated as a new community park.

Trails and Sidewalks

Hopkins has a traditional pattern of development that many suburban communities across the country today are trying to emulate. Established "main street" businesses, high quality neighborhoods, and an excellent park system are all linked by an efficient roadway network. The City also has a strong interest in making all of these areas accessible by non-vehicular means. Accordingly, the Parks, Open Space and Trails section of the plan outlines appropriate locations for trails and sidewalks that accommodate pedestrians, bicycles and in-line skating activities. The purpose of the system is to accommodate recreational pursuits but also to allow people to have access to employment and retail centers without having to use motorized vehicles.

Hopkins is a hub for the regional trail network. At the present time, the City is the location of the junction of two legs of the Southwest Hennepin LRT Trail. These trail segments follow 27 miles of abandoned railroad beds stretching from Hopkins to Victoria and from Hopkins to Chanhassen. The trail is ten feet wide and is surfaced with compacted crushed limestone. Grades along the trail are generally 5% or less which makes them ideal for biking, walking and running. Hennepin Parks operates the trail for spring, summer and fall usage. Currently, the park and ride lot along Excelsior Boulevard at 8th Street is used as a trailhead.

The only significant deficiency in the existing regional trail system is the lack of a safe, convenient crossing of Excelsior Boulevard between 5th Avenue and TH 169. Until such a crossing can be established, traffic signals at 5th Avenue and 8 th Avenue allow controlled crossing points. Although difficult and costly, the City is continuing to investigate the feasibility of bridging the trail across the road at this location.

The Southwest LRT Trail forms a spine that passes through Hopkins affording easy access to adjacent communities and more distant points of interest. The City has identified a sidewalk and trail plan that accommodates movement throughout the community providing numerous links to the regional trail spine. The system includes a network of sidewalks, off-road bike/hike trails and on-road bike lanes. The system is shown on the map entitled Sidewalk/Trail Plan.

The plan includes the relocation of the existing trailhead that is adjacent to the park and ride lot along Excelsior Boulevard at 8th Avenue. The new location for the development of an expanded trailhead is east of the existing site near the old railroad depot that currently houses a coffee shop/youth gathering center.

In the future, additional regional trail segments are planned east of TH 169. Plans call for the installation of a regional trail line through the City of St. Louis Park and then connecting to trails in the City of Minneapolis. The City also plans to extend the trail along Excelsior Boulevard as a local trail to the St. Louis Park border. Other local trails will also be added as road reconstruction projects occur in the future. Examples include Excelsior Boulevard, portions of which are now under construction, and Shady Oak Road. The city may consider both on and off street trails along other local roads to provide better connections to the regional system.

Park Recommendations

Based on the analysis information presented in the Park System Needs section, input from the public and the Hopkins Park Board and considering the direction provided by the policies that are contained in the plan, the following recommendations are offered:

1. Develop the landfill site and/or the Minnehaha Creek Preserve area as community parks. Both of these sites have the potential to serve as community park areas. If the landfill becomes available for public use, it could accommodate needed soccer fields and other active facilities. Should the Preserve area become available, it could be used for a combination of both passive and active pursuits. The area adjacent to the creek could be used passively for trails and natural habitat. Other areas of the site could accommodate active facilities such as soccer fields. The City should prepare master plans for both of these potential park sites in order to identify appropriate uses.
2. Work with other governmental units to install a trail and pedestrian bridge over Excelsior Boulevard to provide a direct link between segments of the Southwest Hennepin LRT trail.
3. Work to establish a series of local trails that connect to the regional trails. Incorporate trails as part of all major road improvement projects such as Shady Oak Road and Excelsior Boulevard. Examine higher volume local roadways for potential off-street trail installation.
4. Upgrade and improve all park buildings to ensure ADA accessibility.
5. Coordinate improvements for the Shady Oak Nature Area in conjunction with the pending roadway improvements. Examine the feasibility of installing a trail around all or portions of the pond area.
6. Pave hockey rink areas for summer use.
7. Preserve open space along major roadway corridors. Add landscaping along the Excelsior Boulevard corridor on city owned land along the south side of the roadway.

Comprehensive Plan

Downtown Design Guidelines

East End Study

Fences

Light Rail

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Zoning Applications

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Zoning Map

Copyright City of Hopkins 2007-2008