Dennis Dalman
An ambitious, comprehensive Master Parks & Trails Plan was outlined by Sartell City Administrator Anna Gruber at a recent city council meeting.
The highly detailed guiding document is intended to help planning processes by the city’s Park Department, Parks Supervisor Tony Krueger and a future Park Commission.
Sartell currently has 29 parks and lots of natural greenways. There are now 11 acres of parkland for every 1,000 Sartell residents. The population of Sartell is about 20,000 residents, and that number is expected to be about 25,000 residents by 2035.
Sartell also has 70 miles of walking-biking trails.
Much of the Master Parks & Trails Plan is predicated on a resident survey taken last year. Gruber noted the number-one amenity, by far, that residents chose in the survey is for Sartell to have a full-sized swimming pool. Second and third most popular on a wish list of amenities were pickle-ball court(s), enhanced park safety and access to the river and other waterways.
The master plan covers such topics as Health and Wellness, Property Values, Beauty, Natural Value, Environmental Benefits, Cultural and Social Amenities, Trends in Parks, Recreation, Safety and many others.
Gruber showed examples of highly detailed maps and information for all of Sartell’s 29 parks. Those maps show the amenities within each park and color-coded trails so residents and out-of-town visitors will know precisely what to expect at each park, including lengths of trails and where they lead to. Those maps will be made available at the parks and on the city’s website.
The city-council members praised the master plan, agreeing the plan is an excellent way to help develop and to point out the amenities in all of the parks.
This is a view of Rotary Park, which is along the west side of the Mississippi River. It is one of 29 parks in Sartell.
