--- ## author: Sue Barry date: D:20260506220958-05'00' --- ## AGENDA ## City Council ## Workshop Meeting May 12, 2026 ## Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Ave N ## 5:30 PM ## 5:30 PM Helmo Station Park Naming 5:50 PM Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance for Recreational Vehicle Storage 6:05 PM Follow Up Discussion on Parking Restrictions within the City ## 6:25 PM Administrator Update ## 6:35 PM Council Topics ## 6:50 PM Adjourn ## COUNCIL MEMORANDUM 1 ## To: Honorable Mayor and City Council ## From: Lori Pulkrabek, Communications Manager ## Andy Gitzlaff, Community Development ## Cory Tietz, Public Works Director Date: May 12, 2026 ## Subject: Helmo Station Park Naming ## BACKGROUND Enclave Companies, a North Dakota and Minneapolis-based developer, is building a 112-unit rental townhome development, a 262-unit multifamily apartment building, and a 2.83-acre City park within the Helmo Station Planned Unit Development (HS-PUD). The HS-PUD is intended to be a transit-oriented mixed-use neighborhood with multifamily housing, employment uses, and retail destinations centered around one of the two Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations in Oakdale and the new City park. As part of the Development Agreement, the developer agreed to dedicate the parkland and build the park. The park, currently referred to as Helmo Station Park, will include pre-K and K-12 play equipment, two pickleball courts, a basketball half-court, walking paths, lawn and open spaces, site furnishings (e.g., benches, picnic tables, drinking fountain, signage), lighting, picnic and shade structures, a dog run, stormwater pond and landscaping, and a small parking lot. The Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) provided input on the playground design at the August 19, 2025 meeting. The City Council then approved final park plans on February 10, 2026. The City Council suggested that the PRC be engaged during the park naming process. City staff initiated a list of potential names for PRC input that captured the character of the park or the Helmo Station Planned Unit Development. During their April 21, 2026 meeting, the PRC discussed potential names, put forth other suggestions, and selected the following three names as their finalists for Council consideration: ## • Helmo Station Park ## • The Yard at Helmo Station ## • Helmo Crossing Council should refer to Sections 10.0 and 11.0 of City Policy MIS-019 (attached) for further guidance on the naming of parks. ## COUNCIL DIRECTION REQUESTED It is requested that the City Council provide input on potential names and collectively identify a name for the new park at Helmo Station. ## Attachments ## Final Park Concept Plan City Policy MIS-019: Donations to Parks; Memorials in Parks; Installation, and Maintenance; Naming of ## Parks, Facilities, and Events; Gifts Made to the City ## POOL ## X ## X ## X ## XX ## X ## X ## X…

--- ## author: Sara Ludwig date: D:20260522100956-05'00' --- ## WORKSHOP MINUTES ## OAKDALE CITY COUNCIL ## MAY 12, 2026 The City Council held a Workshop on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at Oakdale Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale, Minnesota. The meeting began at 5:30 PM. ## Present: Mayor Kevin Zabel ## Council Members: Kari Moore ## Andy Morcomb ## Gary Severson ## Katie Wrich ## City Staff Members: Chris Volkers, City Administrator ## Sara Ludwig, City Clerk ## Brian Bachmeier, Consulting City Engineer ## Andy Gitzlaff, Community Development Director ## Mikaela Huot, Finance Director ## Melanie Lee, Human Resources Director ## Nick Newton, Police Chief ## Lori Pulkrabek, Communications Manager ## Mark Statz, City Engineer ## Cory Tietz, Public Works Director ## Others Present: Stan Karwoski, Washington County Commissioner ## HELMO STATION PARK NAMING Communications Manager Lori Pulkrabek explained that the Parks and Recreation Commission discussed potential park names at their April 21, 2026 regular meeting and came up with three finalists for Council consideration – Helmo Station Park, The Yard at Helmo Station, and Helmo Crossing. The Council discussed potential names and ultimately decided upon Helmo Station Park. It was requested, to be consistent when referring to this area, to utilize Helmo Station instead of specific development names for future park name suggestions. ## AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE STORAGE Community Development Director Andy Gitzlaff explained that this is a follow up from the January 27, 2026 Workshop in which Council expressed interest in removing existing seasonal parking requirements, increasing the allowed number of Recreational Vehicles on residential lots from one to four, and allowing parking on permeable surfaces in the side and rear yard. Due to an outstanding question at the April 28, 2026 City Council regular meeting, the proposed ordinance was tabled and City staff was asked to explore recreational vehicle ## WORKSHOP MINUTES ## MAY 12, 2026 ## PAGE TWO storage registration requirements. Mr. Gitzlaff shared staff’s findings and noted that the City Attorney was comfortable requiring some form of occupant registration requirement. The Council revisited the maximum number of recreational vehicles allowed to be parked or stored on a single lot, citing examples of the many combinations of recreational vehicle types that one occupant could have parked or stored on their property. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question about whether a snowmobile on a snowmobile trailer is considered one or two recreational vehicles, Mr. Gitzlaff stated it would be considered one. Mayor Zabel brought up a potential maximum height requirement much like maximum building height for each residential district in the City’s Zoning Code. After reviewing the definition of ‘recreational vehicle’ and determining …