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After the plan is reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission, it will be presented <br />to White Bear Township and the Rice Creek Watershed District for formal review. The <br />plans will also be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for <br />review. The project is funded through a Legacy Grant awarded to Ramsey County. <br />Mr. Straumann moved, seconded by Ms. Falkowski, to recommend the proposed plan <br />for approval. Motion carried. <br />REVIEW OF THE PREFERRED LOWER AFTON TRAIL ALIGNMENT <br />Mr. Yonke reported that the trail project is funded first through Mn /DOT /Metropolitan <br />Council using transportation funds for enhancement projects. Cost of the trail extension <br />is approximately $720,000. The project also will be funded with a Legacy Grant <br />appropriation in the amount of $450,000. RLK is the consultant on the project. <br />Mr. John Dietrich from RLK presented the details of the project. The trail extension <br />creates connections to existing trails. It will be 12 feet wide with 2 foot shoulders. Parts <br />of the trail will run through wooded areas enhancing the trail experience. Other <br />segments will be adjacent to Lower Afton Road. There will be some retaining walls <br />where necessary and those walls will be terraced as much as possible to allow for <br />landscape plantings. The trail will be well away from the concrete storm water flume <br />along Lower Afton Road. The trail will be wide enough to accommodate bikers and <br />walkers simultaneously. Because the trail is federally funded, there are more <br />requirements to meet as far as sightlines, slope and width. There will be stop signs at <br />the intersections of the trail at Battle Creek Road and Winthrop Street. Mn /DOT <br />regulations dictate where the road and trail crossings will be. Guardrails are necessary <br />in areas where the trail is less than 25 feet from the road. RLK met with the Ramsey <br />Washington Watershed District about installing box culverts in two locations for <br />drainage. Use of box culverts is acceptable to the Watershed District. There was also <br />a public meeting with the District 1 Council to present the overall preferred plan. District <br />Council 1 approved the plan. Many of the components of the trail will be constructed <br />using recycled products. There will be some tree removal (approximately 80) to <br />accommodate the trail. <br />Mr. Ditmore moved, seconded by Mr. Straumann, to recommend the proposed plan for <br />approval. Motion carried. <br />REVIEW OF BENCH LOCATIONS FOR "PATHWAYS TO HEALTH" ON RAMSEY <br />COUNTY PARKS AND TRAILS <br />The 1,000 Benches Program, created by Active Living Ramsey Communities! and the <br />Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, was brought before the Board for approval in <br />2007. It is a cooperative program between Ramsey County and the municipalities <br />within Ramsey County. The program intended to place benches in strategic locations <br />along trails to assist more people getting out and walking. The program was redesigned <br />in 2010. Under the redesigned program, benches will be placed on smaller slabs and <br />the active living messages will be on the backs of the benches rather than on pavers on <br />larger slabs that were a component of the original program. Up to 300 benches could <br />be installed in Ramsey County park areas. Ramsey County will provide the slab and <br />2 <br />