Park Projects

Briarcroft Development Park

The yet to be named park project includes benches, shade trees, picnic area, soccer field, a half basketball court, a single pickleball court, a playground, and a softball field. An additional half basketball court, combination tennis/pickleball court, additional pickleball courts, and picnic shelter are being considered as project bid alternates and could be included as budget allows. The parking lot shown on the plan will be provided with the housing development project east of the park site.

View the Briarcroft Development yet to be named park Concept Plan (PDF)

The name of the park is currently under consideration by the Park Naming Committee.

The Bridlewood Park project will provide improvements based on community makeup and consideration of other nearby amenities. Items identified as project priorities include:

• Adding features to complement the existing pedestrian trail connection
• Providing access to existing natural resources present or near the park site
• Providing a playground, picnicking, benches, and trees for shade
• Provide an open play area

View the Bridlewood Park Concept Plan (PDF)

View the Playground Concept (PDF)

A Community Open House will be held to answer questions related to the specific project components on Jan. 13, from 6-7 p.m., at City Hall, 8301 Valley Creek Road. This engagement opportunity will build on the preliminary feedback received in 2021. The city has received resounding support of the project and many ideas to be considered. Below is a summary of what we’ve heard to date:

• Include slow children at play signs on Bailey Lake Road*
• Include a low shrub barrier, not trees, to the north and  west.
• Keep the grass play field open ensuring proper visibility from Bailey Lake Road.
• Include trees for shade at the playground and screening for nearby homes.
• Include amenities like benches, picnic tables, and a dog sanitation station.
• Include playground opportunities for children ages 2-5, 5 -12, and older, ropes for climbing, swinging for all ages and abilities (tots/ADA/belt), sliding, monkey bars/pull up bars, elevated platform/hang out/tree fort, and tunnel play.

*Note that “Slow Children at Play” signage is subject to Minnesota Department of Transportation guidelines; this feature is currently under consideration and may not be included in the project.

The Parks and Natural Resources Commission reviewed the project at their meeting on Feb .8. 

Xcel Energy will be conducting planned maintenance on an existing 115 kV overhead transmission line that runs from Century Ave east through Cree Park to Upper Afton Road. As part of this maintenance, there will likely be intermittent trail closures.

Xcel will work with closely with Q3 to have signage or flagging needs in place to ensure trail user safety during this maintenance. This project is scheduled to start in April 2022 and completed by end of May 2022, pending inclement weather and other delays.

Fair Haven Park

Fair Haven Park, located south of Dale Road and west of Woodbury Drive, will include a playground for ages 5-12, multi-purpose open/active field space, basketball court, tennis/pickleball court and trail connections.  

An entrance road and parking lot was not be constructed with this phase of the project as originally considered. With three trail entrances to the park providing bicycle and pedestrian access, there is limited need for vehicle access. Staff will monitor the need for an entrance road and parking lot and consider adding these components in a future year, if the park use can justify the additional infrastructure.

Construction of the playground was completed in October. 

Highcroft Park

The project includes trees for shade and screening, a playground, open/active space, and trail connections. A lake viewing picnic/bench area is being considered as a project bid alternate and could  be included as budget allows. The trail connections shown on the plan to the north and south area are not being considered at this time.

• View the Highcroft Park Concept Plan (PDF)
  

Shawnee Park Project

The Shawnee Park Project is sponsored by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG). This program supports community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities by funding infrastructure development such as parks. 

The project addresses capital needs within the park and plans are based on inspections of the conditions of the park amenities. Items identified for consideration in the CDBG project include:

• Hockey rink replacement
• Playground replacement
• Batting cage replacement
• Picnic shelter replacement

Additional project components being considered include:

• Parking lot and hockey rink lighting improvements
• Ballfields retaining wall enhancement and regrading to provide better drainage
• Pickle ball court entry sidewalk and sound attenuation barrier

The project is anticipated to take place in summer 2022. View project location map (PDF).

Public Input Opportunity

The Parks and Recreation Department is seeking help from the public in identifying priority of project items being considered. Submit priority project suggestions.  

Input will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Suggestions collected will help to prioritize the 2022 project. 

Upcoming Meetings

• The Parks and Natural Resources Commission will review the project components at the next meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 7. at 7 p.m. View meeting details.
• A community open house will be held to answer questions related to specific project components on Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 6-7 p.m., in the Birch Conference Room at Woodbury City Hall, 8301 Valley Creek Road.

Additional Information

Portions of the park will be fully or partially closed during the summer of 2022. Parking access will be maintained. On-street nieghborhood parking for pickleball is not encouraged.

Summerlin Park

This new park, located south of Dale Road and west of Woodbury Drive, includes trees for shade and screening, a playground, open/active space, and trail connections. Project completion is anticipated November of 2021. 

• View the Summerlin Park Concept Plan (PDF)

Background

Valley Creek Park is a previously undeveloped 70 acre community park in Woodbury, and is part of a larger area known as the Fish Lake Greenway Corridor. The entrance to the park is located off Valley Creek Road near the intersection of Settlers Ridge Parkway. This property is part of a larger collection of city-owned open space and park parcels that were acquired through a city open space referendum in 1998, park dedication from development, a state Metro Greenways Grant from the MNDNR, and a Land and Water Legacy Grant from Washington County.

The open space is a mixture of oak woodland, coniferous tree plantation and retired agricultural fields. Significant investment has been made since 2006 regarding the active vegetation management of this area with prairie and oak savannah restoration.

Phase II Improvements - Trail Project

The new trail provides a ¾-mile loop accessing the north and east areas of the park. The new trail loop is anticipated to be constructed in summer 2022.

• View the Phase II Improvements - Trail Project Concept Plan (PDF)

Natural Resources Management Plan

The city recently completed a Natural Resources Management Plan for the park with support from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The plan provides a road map for management and restoration activities designed to maintain and improve the natural resources at the park. The restoration and management activities will be carried out over the next 10 years as funding opportunities are identified.

• View the Natural Resources Management Plan (PDF)

Vegetation Management

The city received a grant from the Department of Natural Resources to improve the habitat of the oak woodland, oak savanna, prairie and wetlands. This project complements the park improvements made in 2021 and 2022. The vegetation establishment project will start summer 2022 and be completed by summer 2025.

Work in the winter months will be widely removal of invasive woody species, such as Buckthorn, followed by selective treatment. The spring, summer and fall months will focus on the prairie, wetlands and understory vegetation through selective removal and seeding. 

Project Timeline

Please note that all dates are subject to change. 

Additional Information

The park will remain closed during winter 2022 until Phase I project completion. Playground installation is anticipated for spring 2022. 

The Waters Edge Water Quality Park and Hasenbank Woods Restoration project incorporates three distinct aspects to improve habitat, water quality and park usability over a period of three to five years. Project components include:

• Treatment of waters entering Powers Lake through a series of Stormwater Best Management Practices integrated into naturalized park spaces along the western and northern portions of the site.
• Vegetative restoration of Hasenbank Woods that will focus on the protection of healthy oaks and other native trees, removal of buckthorn and other invasive species and the replanting of native species typical of oak savanna and oak woodlands. Practices will rely on the use of forestry mowing and goat grazing to remove invasive species in order to reduce the use of herbicides during site preparation.
• Development of plans for the vegetative restoration of wetlands and associated habitats surrounding Fish Lake, which is currently dominated by near monotypes of invasive reed canary grass and hybrid cattail.

Project planning will include consideration of features to provide access into and through restored natural areas and stormwater treatment practices as appropriate. Conversion to native plant communities will consider long term management strategies to support resilience and sustainability through periodic, but regular maintenance practices.

View the concept plan (PDF)

Project Timeline: 
Winter 2022-2026

Upcoming Meetings:
Community Open House
Tuesday, Feb. 8
6-7 p.m.
City Hall, 8301 Valley Creek Road
Woodbury, MN 55125

The City Parks and Natural Resources Commission (PNRC) reviewed the project components at their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

Installation of the replacement playground for Wedgewood Heights Park, ordered early spring 2021, has been delayed. Much of the playground has been installed but key pieces are still missing. Staff will work as diligently as possible to get the playground completed as soon as able in 2022.

If help is needed finding an alternative playground to use while awaiting the new structure, please email Assistant Parks Supervisor Amy Howard or call 651-414-3486. Sorry for any inconvenience this causes and thank you and for your patience during this unfortunate delay. Updates to this project will be posted as they become available.

Projects include reconstruction segments of trail throughout the city, which are in poor condition and showing signs of severe surface raveling and large sections of trail in need of reconstruction.

• Trail Improvement Projects