NEW ULM — The New Ulm City Council reviewed recommendations for the next neighborhood park, and accepted the Park and Recreation Commission’s scoring matrix and rankings for it.

The Park and Recreation Commission has studied this topic since 2016 during multiple regular meetings, and most recently three work sessions and a special meeting. A matrix was developed by the commission to rank potential park sites for development. Following the Park Commission meeting Monday, March 8, the highest-scoring parks were Lakeside Village and Upper Cottonwood. The commission believes the city should consider land acquisition and development of neighborhood parks in both areas.

Based on the objective criteria in the matrix, Upper Cottonwood scored the highest. Under the land acquisition, Lakeside Village Park was ranked the highest.

The Planning Commission also submitted recommendations for the next neighborhood park to be developed. The Planning Commission ranked Upper Cottonwood, North Broadway, Maplewood and Lakeside Village as the top four locations for development.

City Councilor Les Schultz asked what the next step would be in park development.

Park and Recreation Director Tom Schmitz said the city could take action on specific park development, but the matrix allowed for development and budget planning.

Schultz said he was concerned the city continued to focus on a comprehensive plan in developing a park, but the comp plan was 13 years old with outdated elements. He also worried the city was over budgeting for parks.

Councilor David Christian said eventually this is going to come down to money. New Ulm is in the top five percent in Minnesota for per capita park budget. There is a question if more parks are needed. Christian believes it would be a hard sell to find money in the budget to cover park development.

Christian suggested that the size of neighborhood parks could be smaller. He said Lincoln and Washington parks were under three acres and served the city’s youth for years. Christian did not understand why neighborhood parks were now required to be six acres or larger.

“I don’t believe we have to provide a ballfield and a soccer field,” he said. “There are going to be some tough choices for this council.”

City Manager Chris Dalton said this was a good point and is something the city should look at with the comprehensive plan.

“Does there need to be a park every quarter-mile?,” Daltons said. “Does it have to be four to six acres?”

Councilor Larry Mack asked about the option of taking tax-forfeiture land in Upper Cottonwood to make a mini-park.

Dalton said this was still an option and it would be up to the council on whether to use the forfeiture land or acquire different land for a larger park.

The council approved a grant application for an outdoor recreation grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to finance the establishment of Upper Cottonwood Park. If awarded, the grant could be used to acquire 2.31 acres of land in the Upper Cottonwood area; the purchase of a playground facility.

The maximum grant amount is $250,000. The grant can be used to reimburse up to 50% of the total eligible costs. The remaining 50% is a local share and the city’s contribution can be in-kind contributions.

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The council approved a resolution accepting the $300,000 Minnesota bonding bill reimbursement grant and authorizing the grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for the shade structure on the top row of the German Park amphitheater. The State of Minnesota included funding for this in the 2020 bonding bill. The project is expected to be complete in 2022.