Kingfield Neighborhood Association

MLK Park: A Survey About Adding New Features

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Rank the projects!

The MLK Park Master Plan was finalized by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation board in 2019. A master plan for a park includes a 20-30 year plan for the parks in the area, including existing features and proposed design features. MLK Park is ranked #62 of 152 parks so any improvements or additions to this park will be at least six years out. However, there is a way to get new park features added sooner! Features that are included in the Master Plan for a park are easier to get approved by the Park Board.

Additionally, the Kingfield Neighborhood has $316,442 available in Park Dedication fees. Park Dedication fees are dollars paid by housing developers to the Minneapolis Park Board for new amenities to serve the new neighborhood residents. The price paid is roughly $1700 per unit of market rate housing and the money must be spent within the neighborhood where the housing was constructed. Park dedication fee expenditures are ultimately determined by the Park Board, but the neighborhood organization can make recommendations.

The Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) has determined it is beneficial to use this Park Dedication money sooner rather than waiting for inclusion of the park in a larger planning process, as the value of the funds are declining with inflation. KFNA has further identified a minimum of $42,000 additional dollars of Kingfield NRP funding and restricted dollars held by KFNA that could be used toward a park project resulting in an investment of at least $358,500. Thus, KFNA has evaluated the Master Plan for projects that fit the criteria for using Park Dedication funding. This criteria includes:

  • it is a new feature
  • it is included in the Master Plan
  • it could be implemented using a combination of Park Dedication fees and KFNA NRP dollars.

KFNA requests that neighbors rank the following three projects as to their preference for securing a dedicated Park Board Planner for detailed planning of the select element(s) in 2024 and implementation in 2025. There is limited detail in the master plan, so there is room for minor changes (such as moving an amenity), provided it does not conflict with other elements of the plan without then identifying where the other feature would be placed. A recommendation from the neighborhood organization will help to prioritize the project for which a detailed plan will be developed.

Link to the survey here: https://bit.ly/MLKParkSurvey2023

KFNA is Hiring a Community Coordinator!

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Community Coordinator Role (15-18 hours/week)

Overview & Mission

The mission of KFNA is serving Kingfield by creating connections, building community, and fostering engagement. KFNA coordinates many much-loved events such as Empty Bowls, the Sap Tap & Pancake Breakfast, and Porchfest, as well as supporting neighborhood projects such as the Pollinator Pathway, community safety workshops, renter canvasses, and neighborhood history projects. This role serves as a key point of engagement and communication between Kingfield renters, homeowners, business owners, and neighborhood community members, and the KFNA Board of Directors. The position of the Community Coordinator will report directly to the Board of Directors.

Read more about KFNA’s Guiding Principles and activities on our website: kingfield.org/about/

Responsibilities [Read more…]

Hot Cakes on a Cold Morning!

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Kingfield Pancake Breakfast!, Saturday March 25, 9-11 AM

Tickets Available Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kingfield-pancake-breakfast-sap-boil-2nd-annual-tickets-565640595247

 As a celebration of our Community Sap Tapping program, KFNA is hosting the 2nd annual pancake breakfast fundraiser! Come to the north end of the park building to watch the sap boil and talk to the sap harvesters and cooks to learn how the process works outside.  Then sample some of our very own Kingfield-made syrup while you and enjoy a pancake breakfast. Breakfast will include pancakes, fruit, pork sausage, juice and coffee.

Breakfast is a donation of $10 per adult and $30 per family. This fundraiser will benefit both KFNA and MLK Park, and support this, and similar programs, that both groups organize in the neighborhood!

Kingfield Pancake Breakfast!

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Saturday March 25, 9-11 AM

Tickets Available Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kingfield-pancake-breakfast-sap-boil-2nd-annual-tickets-565640595247

As a celebration of our Community Sap Tapping program, KFNA is hosting the 2nd annual pancake breakfast fundraiser! Come to the north end of the park building to watch the sap boil and talk to the sap harvesters and cooks to learn how the process works outside.  Then sample some of our very own Kingfield-made syrup while you and enjoy a pancake breakfast. Breakfast will include pancakes, fruit, pork sausage, juice and coffee.

Breakfast is a donation of $10 per adult and $30 per family. This fundraiser will benefit both KFNA and MLK Park, and support this, and similar programs, that both groups organize in the neighborhood!

Spring IS Approaching which means the Sap is coming soon!

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Prediction: you should tap your trees before this weekend is over!

Order you sap-tap kit and plan to participate in the Kingfield Community Sap Tap (and pancake breakfast!)

Combine your efforts (and your sap!) and let’s make maple syrup!  Register now and pick up a Tree Tapping Kit from the front desk of MLK Park and go pick it to be ready for the sap run. Go home and wait for the message to tap a tree on your personal property (note, trees must be larger than 10 inches in diameter for it to not harm them). We will notify you when the sap looks ready to start, and we have volunteers who are willing to come help you tap your tree if this is your first time and you are nervous.

Note, the date of the event is weather dependent! We don’t know what day the boil will be on until the sap begins to flow but right now we are planning the day-long boil for March 25!

When sap buckets are full, they should be dropped off at the park where it will be stored until we will have an outdoor communal syrup making party; participants will be able to sign up for a shift of syrup making, and will get to take a jar of syrup home with them too!

Cost $20/ Comes with a kit. Kits includes spline(s), tubing, 5 gallon food grade collection bucket, and how-to instructions. Register at https://apm.activecommunities.com/minneapolisparks/Activity_Search/communal-sap-tapping/133898 (event #135524).

Limit 10 participants.

Cost $10/ Participant must provide your own kit. Register at https://apm.activecommunities.com/minneapolisparks/Activity_Search/communal-sap-tapping-no-kit/133899(event #135525).

Limit 20 participants. 

 A program of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association and MLK Park.