The commission discussed the Park and Rec section of the city’s comprehensive plan. The section goes over the current parks in the system, parks the city would like to expand upon, and new parks to be added. The comprehensive plan covers potential developments well into the future.

The comprehensive plan identified Maplewood, Pfaender, Pollinator, South Market, and North Highland parks as those they would like to expand upon moving forward. Pollinator Park holds special interest.

The comprehensive plan says Pollinator Park could potentially expand to be a natural play site and utilize slides. The plan says there is also potential for the park to serve as the start for a large trail system down to the Minnesota River.

A large portion of the discussion centered around potential future parks. Currently, New Ulm does not have a park larger than 25 acres that can hold baseball or soccer tournaments. Park and Rec Director Joey Schugel said a 52-acre parcel of land near the airport could serve this purpose.

Land like this near the airport looks to be the site for a major multi-purpose park. Currently the city does not have a park 25 acres or larger, a rarity for cities of New Ulm's size.

“We don’t have a regional athletic complex,” he said. “Right now our local soccer association uses MLC soccer fields. If they decide to do a different type of development in that area our soccer association really does not have adequate space. This area could accommodate that someday if developed.”

Other inclusions are a park in the KC Road area if there is further residential development and a park in Lakeside Village. Commissioner Carisa Buegler said Lakeside Village was the number one area in need of a park when a study was completed in 2021.

“It was based on the number of people who lived in the area, how far to walk,” she said. “We looked at income and health outcomes in different neighborhoods. Lakeside Village came out number one as the opportunity because we have Traulich Estates. There seems to be a lot of development in that area and not a safe place for those kids to get to a recreational area.”

An omission from the plan that drew disagreement was Cottonwood Park. For several years there has been discussion of placing a park in the Upper Cottonwood/Dacotah West neighborhood. This area placed a close second in the study as a place needing a park, and development has been ongoing in the years since to find suitable land.

Schugel said a lack of available land caused it to be dropped from the plan, but it could be added on later.

A park in the Upper Cottonwood area has been discussed for years, but was left off of Park and Rec's section of the city comprehensive plan. Commissioner Carisa Buegler said even if there's not land available currently, it should still be kept on the plan as a long-term goal.

“That area was dropped because the property that we originally tried to obtain for a city park was privately purchased,” he said. “The land that’s available up there at this moment probably doesn’t fit the needs of that neighborhood right now. That would be something if future development happens and land is acquired then this would fall back in.

Buegler said even with these developments, the park should not be dropped from the Park and Rec comprehensive plan.

“It was a hot topic, that Cottonwood community,” she said. “Although that opportunity has passed and maybe there isn’t land available for us. Those folks who are living in the city limits do not have safe walking access to a park in their neighborhood. That’s a concern that we should be thinking about.”

Community Development Director Dave Schnobrich said even if the Cottonwood Park is dropped from the Park and Rec section of the plan it will likely be included elsewhere in future plans. He identified a future four-area community plan, of which the Upper Cottonwood area will be one focus, as an example.

To cap the meeting, Commissioner Jim Jensen commented on both the lack of utilization of some natural features and the lack of knowledge about how extensive New Ulm’s park system is. He said the rivers that flow through New Ulm are an example of a missed opportunity for activities such as swimming, boating, or water skiing.

He pitched the idea of a “park of the month” program to raise awareness for how varied and extensive New Ulm’s parks system is. He said the program could include photos of the park and descriptions of the activities possible at each park.

Commissioner Dave Christian supported this idea, saying he’s heard the lack of awareness firsthand.

“When you talk to long-term residents, citizens of New Ulm, ‘What park you’re talking about, I don’t have a clue.’ I mean, numerous parks,” he said.