1.A Ramsey County Rice Creek Trailhead Concept and TCAAP North-South Trail Connection Concept

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has expressed support for the City's interest in a north -south trail and has stated that it could be classified as a regional trail connection. A new north -south trail connection through TCAAP would likely be called the "Rice Creek South Regional Trail." There are two general scenarios for a regional trail. The first scenario includes a trail that is integrated into the development, which would be similar to the previous RRLD concept. The second scenario involves obtaining a designated trail corridor, which could be along the eastern side of the property to create an uninterrupted trail corridor. The two scenarios are not necessarily mutually exclusive, though only one would likely be a regional trail. Trail Integrated into the Development A trail integrated into the development would be constructed by a developer as part of a park dedication requirement. The City is the beneficiary of park dedication, though the land for the trail could be transferred to the County if they were willing to accept the property. Since the entire TCAAP property has not been remediated to a residential/recreational standard, it would be reasonable to include a requirement that the City will only accept land that has been remediated to a residential/recreational standard as part of the park dedication requirement. The advantage of a trail integrated into the redevelopment is that it could be designed and located to provide the most benefit to the redevelopment. However, the City would need to be aware of the limits of the park dedication requirement. While the City has quite a bit of leeway in setting a park dedication requirement, it must be in proportion to the need generated by the new development. Additionally, State Statutes require cities to have a plan for how or why the park dedication is needed. The City would want to be cautious in how the park dedication requirement is applied to ensure the most benefit is received. In this case, a regional trail corridor would have a major impact on the City's park dedication requirement. Under this scenario, it would also be difficult to obtain or integrate a wider corridor that allows for a more natural, meandering trail. Dedicated Trail Corridor The second scenario involves a dedicated trail corridor that would likely be transferred through special legislation prior to the public sale. The trail corridor could be along the eastern edge of the property from Highway 96 to the Rice Creek North Regional Trail and Wildlife Corridor, which would provide for an uninterrupted trail. Other options could include a trail corridor along the western side of the property, though that may be less inviting with the adjacent freeways. A third option could be an undefined corridor of a specific size that the City selects after the auction and during the redevelopment process. The undefined corridor option would provide the most flexibility, but additional research is needed to determine if it is feasible. Mr. Mack has suggested that a dedicated trail corridor should be no less than 150 feet wide, though there could be some flexibility depending on the location. Generally speaking, a wider City ofArden Hills P: IAdminlCounciMgendas & Packet Information 1200911-30-09 TCAAP WorksessionPacket lnformationl IA 113009 - CC Memo -RC Trailhead and Rice Creek Trail. doc Page 3 of 5