Parks commission approves 2026 work plan emphasizing playgrounds, court resurfacing and pickleball noise mitigation

The Lake Elmo Parks Commission unanimously voted Nov. 17 to recommend its 2026 work plan to the city council, approving a list of planning projects, maintenance priorities and community initiatives.

Speaker 3, a parks staff member, outlined the plans four goals: maintain the parks and trail system, provide recreational amenities to attract users, create safe play environments and preserve open-space character in new developments. Staff described specific projects that will be advanced in 2026, including: coordination with Washington County on the Central Greenway plan; prioritized neighborhood playground replacements with Ridge Park scheduled for replacement in 2026; paving the dog-park parking lot and connecting trail segments; and court resurfacing at DeMontreville, Carriage Station and Tableau to extend court life by roughly five years.

The commission also discussed addressing pickleball noise at Pebble Park (staff said barrier or fencing options and cost estimates are being developed for a 2026 mitigation plan), continuing invasive-species and buckthorn-removal efforts at Sunfish Lake Park, and adding Shulkin Park to a DNR ski-grant application to support grooming and trail use. On larger issues, commissioners pressed staff about the multi-sport complex timeline and the commissions role in community engagement; staff said community-development and fiscal planning are ongoing and the ballot timing for any referendum could be multiple years out.

Speaker 8 moved to recommend the 2026 parks commission work plan to city council with the amendments discussed; Speaker 4 seconded and the motion passed. The commission requested that staff provide an accomplishments slide listing 2025 completed items at the December meeting and said it will review the work plan section-by-section in a follow-up meeting.