[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6081924,"mediaKeyId","2940758-f9f05e2665d11cb57cd151583c298214","parentId",2940758,"title","Residents urge council to drop Alimagnet Park pickleball proposal over environmental and engagement concerns","audioSeconds",765,"startMs",1580000,"endMs",2345000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2940758-f9f05e2665d11cb57cd151583c298214&start=1580&end=2345","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2940758-f9f05e2665d11cb57cd151583c298214/thumbnail_1580000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6081924/Burnsville/Dakota-County/Minnesota/Residents-urge-council-to-drop-Alimagnet-Park-pickleball-proposal-over-environmental-and-engagement-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081924-3b57fcc6565415b6ea3fe0680e48c878/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164551&Signature=Mi~yP3OJ2NUFEzjl7cMxLDMZauCQj7SXhhIdqewu64IW2oEm4v83qxHxBp-bd7NOIwjt99Fa0PTlWDkqM01T~m7vRLK1XxzPrZ28FuKdp-k624QuAAw750JJtdbzXHrK6kmDl6~YOkGKjsVidhYeGt386D9fuJ2mnmefYKMFuAtN2yGFinmMVXvKg1aquIX1AejvmL0I7UD~NBh3dJAlUht6oobH6QWU0ZuRnyLkM9JgDASnt~KTScClLQg-ghDx9speXJq2Bk~cTSNkNRkclifnAotbqc5f5Q2Qx1oG0KrbwyFvdIsWpQzeDEcmCVrnlMg2Jsk95llQRnh02BhFvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Burnsville, MN","date","2025-04-10T06:42:04.717Z","article","Several Burnsville residents used the public-comment period to ask the City Council to reconsider placing a proposed pickleball complex at Alimagnet Park, saying the site choice threatens the lake ecosystem and was advanced without comprehensive public engagement or comparative cost data.

Ed Sturm, a 17-year Burnsville resident and president of the Lake Association and the Alimagnet Eco Advocates, said the group has sought data and documentation for months and \"found no data to support the decision to choose Almagnet Park as the location for a pickleball complex.\" Sturm said the city’s materials show only anecdotal evidence of public demand for pickleball at that site and that the proposed hard surfaces and added parking would increase runoff into a lake the speaker said has been listed as impaired for more than 20 years.

Sturm also said a city-commissioned sound study obtained through a public-records request did not model sound transmission from the proposed courts into surrounding neighborhoods and instead compiled information from various sources; he said the study was limited in evaluating neighborhood noise impacts. He told the council he and his group did not oppose more pickleball courts in Burnsville generally but urged the city to choose a site \"more environmentally friendly, more fiscally prudent, and [that] gives the city future options for expansion.\"

Andrea Grazini, a Frontier Lane resident who described herself as experienced in civic engagement, told the council her group has repeatedly sought basic project information since November and found inconsistencies between staff statements and documents produced under public-records requests. \"We've been asking for the data ... since November,\" Grazini said, and she described finding internal invitations and email outreach to pickleball players that, in her view, contradicted staff statements that invitations had not specifically targeted pickleball participants.

John Kerschel, a 27-year resident, said petition signatures opposing the Alimagnet location came from across the city and were not limited to lakeshore homeowners. \"We're not against pickleball. We're just anti that location,\" Kerschel said, and he summarized recurring concerns he heard from neighbors: potential environmental harm to wetlands and wildlife habitat, increased traffic and noise, and a breakdown in public engagement.

Council Member Schultz asked for comparative cost information for building at Alimagnet versus other parks; Sturm said the only figures his group had from the city were an initial $990,000 estimate for Alimagnet and an updated $1,150,000 figure reported at the Parks and Natural Resources Commission meeting. Sturm and other speakers said the city had not provided comparable cost estimates for alternate sites. Meeting discussion and staff remarks indicated the council planned to review more information at an upcoming work session; a council speaker said staff will present site analyses and mitigation options at that work session.

Speakers asked the council to vote against advancing Alimagnet as the chosen site and to seek alternative locations with fewer environmental trade-offs and clearer public input. Council members indicated they would receive more detailed staff analysis at a future work session before making a final site decision.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular City Council - 08 Apr 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Three Burnsville residents told the council they support more pickleball courts generally but urged the city not to place a high-use complex at Alimagnet Park, citing lake runoff, noise, light pollution, and failures of public engagement and cost transparency.","taxTitle","Burnsville, Dakota County, Minnesota","taxId",5721,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6081929,"Council adopts Experience Burnsville 2025 plan and balanced budget",997,644000,1641000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2940758-f9f05e2665d11cb57cd151583c298214&start=644&end=1641","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2940758-f9f05e2665d11cb57cd151583c298214/thumbnail_644000.jpg","/articles/6081929/Burnsville/Dakota-County/Minnesota/Council-adopts-Experience-Burnsville-2025-plan-and-balanced-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081929-0c932fe27685363b5722e26ccd696ffe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164552&Signature=cd3vLhBRpubrmYAYJ3HosjbFFVRFUFzQyBn5~ej~K9VvZzvpCtzxFETYe7jjFCEv-c5pGm822J9wNX8Nff7W7aqshI~rt28UTQh5o0wk993FsspH~h2MzQfKPKbId58zCdaxJjVeMmMD~Xv--a~2BPXQh~pY4a1hxd5GpuuIWJnErCCXQWm2Slq-4~QChAsY7HdzkY42~397heKlfCrFNC8MILZ2HtW8lUa~67066wx9kmjNfO-OuYnuA2lTw23XjFP96wTy75g98szsKUgnxryyAgcL6M1bZ9TEY8ROF5S4LpzHvJiic8EWXA89FxL9rOYXI5lHY5xs0pMrtVYsnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Experience Burnsville presented its 2024 accomplishments and a 2025 strategic plan to the Burnsville City Council, and the council approved the organization’s 2025 budget and strategic plan as part of the consent agenda.

Amy Burrell, executive director of Experience Burnsville, told the council the organization — Burnsville’s destination marketing organization — launched a redesigned website, increased visitor engagement and invested in visitor-data tools to refine marketing. \"We are the destination marketing organization for the city of Burnsville,\" Burrell said, and later said, \"we do have a balanced budget.\" The presentation said Experience Burnsville is funded almost entirely through the local option lodging tax paid by overnight guests.

Burrell outlined 2024 activities including four commercial photo shoots, three new promotional videos, use of Zartico visitor-data products and a grant award from Explore Minnesota. She told the council Experience Burnsville represents five hotel/motel properties with about 850 rooms and cited visitor-spend metrics the organization purchases from Smith Travel/CoStar and Zartico: 58% of visitors went to attractions, 38% visited retail and 23% visited restaurants; reported average spending figures were included in the presentation materials. The board identified four priorities for 2025: market the destination, strengthen the organization, increase community engagement and pursue destination stewardship.

On budgeting, Burrell said the hospitality sector has been slow to rebound after the pandemic and the Twin Cities market saw a large influx of new hotel rooms before the Super Bowl. To respond, Experience Burnsville took a conservative approach to the 2025 budget and is using a portion of reserve funds to maintain marketing levels while remaining \"nimble in our forecasting and the use of our funds throughout the year,\" Burrell said. She also said the organization decided to hold off on hiring additional part-time staff and will operate with one staff member for now.

Council members did not remove the item from the consent agenda. A motion to adopt the consent agenda, which included Experience Burnsville’s budget and strategic plan, carried by voice vote. No roll-call vote or individual tallies were recorded in the meeting minutes.

The council presentation materials and Burrell’s slide deck indicated Experience Burnsville will continue to measure key performance indicators such as impressions, click-through rate, cost per click, conversions and newsletter signups.

Looking ahead, Burrell said the organization will continue data investments and partner outreach to grow Burnsville’s role as a regional drive-market destination; council members indicated they will monitor outcomes through routine reporting and meeting minutes.","The Burnsville City Council approved Experience Burnsville’s 2025 strategic plan and budget as part of the consent agenda after a presentation on the organization’s marketing activity, visitor data and conservative budgeting strategy.","actionData","errors"]

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Residents urge council to drop Alimagnet Park pickleball proposal over environmental and engagement concerns

Council adopts Experience Burnsville 2025 plan and balanced budget