Cedar-Isles Master Plan Update: Final CAC recommendations and next steps

The Community Advisory Committee has made its final recommendations, now the plan moves to the next phase; Full draft plan document will be created and published for 45-day comment period this winter

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the Cedar Lake-Lake of the Isles Master Plan process to date! The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) sincerely appreciates all the feedback received from thousands of people, which will guide the future of Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Kenilworth Channel, Dean Parkway and a section of Cedar Lake Regional Trail.

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) voted on its final recommendations last week. Use the links below to view the recommendations:

• Water Quality
• Circulation
• Cedar Lake Restoration
• Preferred Park Concept

The CAC process is complete. Thank you to all CAC Members for their dedication and time spent honing the plan over the last two years.

The planning process has moved into a new phase. Community engagement will pause while the design team works on writing a full draft plan document based on CAC recommendations, public feedback and input from MPRB staff and stakeholder organizations.

The updated draft plan document will be published for a 45-day public comment period during winter 2022-23. After that, the plan and public comment summary will be presented to MPRB Commissioners, along with a formal public hearing and eventual vote on the final plan.

About the Plan

The Cedar-Isles Master Plan is a 20-30-year plan dedicated to Cedar Lake, a portion of Cedar Lake Regional Trail, Lake of the Isles and Dean Parkway. It outlines long-term strategies to maintain and improve the two lakes and surrounding parkland and trails. These park spaces are part of Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park, the most popular park in Minnesota, with 7.5 million visits in 2021. It draws people from across Minneapolis, the metro area, and the entire state.

A major benefit, and primary reason, for completing a park master plan is that it allows the MPRB to seek or capitalize on opportunities to improve parkland. When volunteers, philanthropic organizations, or regional, state or federal funding agencies express interest in supporting the regional park system, the MPRB will have a community-vetted plan for potential partners to follow.

No immediate major changes or projects based on the Cedar-Isles Master Plan are scheduled following plan approval. Smaller scale projects that can be completed by MPRB or City of Minneapolis staff could be implemented within a year; these could include safety upgrades at critical intersections, new or repaired paths, or adding seasonal bathrooms.

Development of the Cedar-Isles Master Plan is the final part of a decade-long process by the MPRB to create and approve master plans for every park in the Minneapolis park system. Areas included in the Cedar-Isles Master Plan are the only areas in the park system that do not have a current master plan.