Surprise Discovery May Complicate Rosemount Park-Building Efforts

A surprise discovery will likely make efforts to develop an athletic complex in Rosemount more complicated—and expensive, city officials say.

The city plans to develop a set of three multi-purpose athletic fields on a 57-acre site located off the intersection of Akron Avenue and Bonaire Path. The site was donated to the city in 2007 by Flint Hills Resources.

City staff taking soil samples on the property recently found a layer of clay one- to three-feet thick underneath the site. Because clay topsoil impedes water drainage and is poor soil for athletic field turf, the Rosemount City Council and city staff are considering an extensive drainage and topsoil replacement project.

If approved, the additional work may add as much as $350,000 to the total cost of the athletic field project, the base cost of which was originally estimated at just over $600,000.

If the clay isn't removed and a drainage structure built, the poor soil could create a "bathtub effect"—retaining water and diminishing the quality of the playing surface, Rosemount Parks and Recreation Director Dan Schultz wrote in a memo to the council.

"[The project] does add to the upfront cost of construction but should provide us with a better end product. The city has built fields with the materials we have found on this siste, but due to the expected heavy use these fields will endure, staff feels the soil corrections and drain tile should be considered," Schultz wrote.

The Rosemount council listened to the update and discussed its options at a March 19 work session, according to City Administrator Dwight Johnson. The athletic complex is still in its design phase, and the council isn't expected vote to approve the project, or send it out for construction bids anytime soon, Johnson added.

Funding for the project will be drawn from the city's park dedication fees, a general fund surplus and host agreement fees the city receives in return for hosting a landfill within its borders.

Johnson is "optimistic" that the project will proceed, despite the findings. The city, he said, has some financial breathing room because of recent cost savings and higher-than-expected host agreement revenue last year.

Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste said the city may look at scraping sand from the northern portion of the site and adding it to the clay on the southern portion of the site to create a suitable mix for the athletic fields. Doing so, he added, would likely be less costly.

"We know we need more green fields to meet demand out there, especially for lacrosse and soccer," Droste said. "We’re looking at ways and taking any opportunity we can to add inventory."

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