Newest regional park is deep in Scott County
Cedar Lake Farm is result of public/private partnership
The Metropolitan Council identified it in 2005 as “one of the last best places” for a large regional park in the Twin Cities metro area. Four years later, the newest addition to the park system is now open.
Helen Jasan, New Prague, was the guest of honor at the Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park grand opening. Jasan lived on the property from her birth in 1919 until 1948. Also pictured are (far right) Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell and Scott County Board Chair Jon Ulrich.
Located deep in south central Scott County, Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park has the kind of outdoor features that park lovers enjoy – mixed woodlands, wetlands, uplands, picnic areas, horseshoe pits, play fields, a lake and 4,150 feet of prime lakeshore for swimming and fishing.
The grand opening on June 13 was “picture perfect,” said Mark Themig, director of Scott County Parks and Trails. “It was a wonderful day.”
“We had more than 500 people participate in the celebration and enjoy the beach area, games, activities and entertainment,” Themig said. “Our special guest of honor was Helen Jasan, a 90-year-old New Prague resident who lived on the property from 1919-1948, and she really stole the show. The reaction to her was tremendous. She welcomed everyone back to enjoy her former home!”
Park resulted from public-private partnership
With help from a $1 million Metropolitan Council grant in 2007, Scott County acquired a piece of the park from a private company that owned and operated the Cedar Lake Farm and Day Resort. For 40 years, the resort was a destination for picnics, field trips and group events that sometimes attracted 2,500 visitors at a time. Some of the resort’s amenities still exist.
The county acquired another 173 acres at no cost to the public as part of a development deal that will bring a 36-unit residential development to the north end of the park. Now encompassing 230 acres, eventually the park will total nearly 300 acres.
To help manage some park operations and handle large events, Scott County has a revenue-sharing agreement with Lancer Hospitality, a full-service catering and event-management firm based in Eagan.
Officers and their horses from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Reserve greeted visitors at the grand opening.
“We couldn’t be happier with the way the partners worked together to bring this park to opening day,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell, a strong advocate for parks who helped facilitate the planning process. “This is a great example of how public and private organizations can work together toward a common goal. Cedar Lake Farm is a wonderful addition to the regional parks system.”
The county’s partnership with Lancer will be critical to the long-term success of the park, Themig said. “By leveraging private-sector resources, county residents were spared a big hit financially for operating the park, and everyone will benefit by a new park in the more rural southern part of the county.
“It will be a learning opportunity for Scott County and for Lancer, and one we fully expect will benefit everyone,” he said. Other Lancer clients include Como Park in St. Paul, the Minnesota Zoo and the Science Museum of Minnesota.
The initial term of the agreement runs through 2010, with five-year renewal options. “By drawing on Lancer's resources – knowledge, marketing, financial – the county and its partners were able to open a new regional park long before anticipated,” Themig said.
The county also leaned heavily on park volunteers and the county’s Sentence to Serve program to help prepare the park for opening. No new county staff were added.
Master development plan in 2010
Many people took the opportunity to fish in Cedar Lake. (Photos courtesy Scott County and Embrace Open Space.)
The county already has agreements for agricultural uses within the park, including both organic and conventional farming, as part of its resource management plan.
A master development plan process for the entire 300-acre park will begin early next year and should be finished by September 2010. Current park operations only use about 25 acres of the site, so there are plenty of opportunities for trails and other recreation.
Summer hours for use by the general public are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and holidays through Labor Day. Additional hours may be added later. Inquiries for catered events should go to Lancer Hospitality.