Letter of Intent (partial)
February 24, 2003

The Friends of Lilydale Park, a subcommittee of the West Side Citizens Organization desires to assist the City of Saint Paul, Division of Parks and Recreation in expediting the development of Lilydale Regional Park.

It is agreed that some elements of the Lilydale/Harriet Island Regional Park Master Plan dated August 1991 are desirable to pursue and define more clearly while other portions may not be feasible or desirable due to changes in regulatory or community needs.

It is further agreed that the foundation of the plan is still relevant and that it is not in the interest o the Friends or the City to put park development on hold.

High Priorities

1. In general, development, operation and maintenance of supporting trails throughout the park.
2. Pickerel Lake access and usage and interpretive functions.
3. Pickerel Lake fish and lake management including possible items such as aeration, biological lake preservation, and partnerships with other agencies and organizations.
4. Pickerel Lake. Develop access for non-motorized boats.
5. Pickerel Lake. Provide fishing dock(s) especially to the deeper part of the lake for fishing.
6. Shoreline and lake bottom improvements:
	a. remove trash from the lake
	b. Provide pedestrian access along the railroad bridge especially to areas of deep water for 		fishing. Also a connection under the railroad bridge will be considered.
7. clean up the existing fill area on the north side of the lake and relocate current parking use away from the lake.
8. Park activity/interpretive center building. A suitable location might be in the vicinity of the old school/town hall.
9. A maintenance facility is needed to serve the West Side and local Regional Parks therefore additional facilities will be located somewhere on the West Side.
10. Open activity area. A multipurpose area in the vicinity of the park activity/interpretive center will serve picnicking, day camping, formal and informal gatherings and as a base for nature as well as other interpretive programs. 
11. Develop a butterfly garden for public viewing and cultivate plants throughout the park that will support butterflies.
12. Develop a boat dock for small boats using the picnic facilities and/or the boat launch.
13. Wetland restoration and augmentation.
14. Trash fill sites clean up and removal. 
15. River bluff improvements including elimination of some existing informal paths.
16. Signs. Provide park entrance, information, trail, and interpretive signage throughout the park.
17. Park road adjustments will be made where possible and necessary to improve safety and accomodate parking arrandement and trail development, including:
	a. Establish a park entrance at Joy Street and realign the road to improve trail access.
	b. Provide parking bays along the road.
	c. Adjust the alignment to accomodate trail improvements at the west end of the park.
18. Trail Development: A trail network will be developed throughout the park, including:
	a. A viewing platform at the top of the bluff and a way to connect the top and bottom of the 		bluff throughout the brickyard area in a safe, manageable way. 
	b. a side trail to the perched wetland located in the vicinity of the brickyard area and to the 		bat cave.
	c. a trail development goal will be to balance safe access to features and preservation of 		those very features.
19. Interpretive facilities - specific improvements not already reference above include the following areas: a. fossil area b. Kiln and MAC wetland. c. brickyard quarry.

Very low priorities

1. Pickerel Lake. Establishment of East and west use zones.
2. Pickerel Lake floodgate and containment berm.
3. Pickerel Lake swimming beach development. However swimming is a recognized need in the area so other swimming opportunities should be considered.
4. Lakeside activity center beach house component.
5. Boat dock for excursion boats.
6. Open activity area, programmed field games and tennis courts.
7. Campgrounds for recreational vehicles or other intensive camping facilities.
8. Trail development on the south side of the lake, west of the railroad bridge due to lack of buildable space and environmental impact concerns. This could be revisited after research on railraod  right-of-way and park boundary issues.