April 2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Arden Hills Service Directory 1245 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 Office Hours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. City Contact Information 651-792-7800 www.cityofardenhills.org Sheriff and Fire 911 Water and Sewer Problems (During non-business hours) 651-767-0640 Mayor: David Grant 651-538-0747 dgrant@cityofardenhills.org Councilmembers: Brenda Holden 651-636-2987 bholden@cityofardenhills.org Fran Holmes 651-631-1866 fholmes@cityofardenhills.org Dave McClung 651-332-0352 davemcclung@comcast.net Robert Woodburn 651-633-2389 rwood37393@aol.com City Administrator: Patrick Klaers 651-792-7810 pklaers@cityofardenhills.org Communications Committee Editors/writers: Susan Cathey, Tina Kulzer Writer: Emma Theis Council Liaison: David Grant Staff Liaison: Amy Dietl Desktop Publisher: Mary Nosek Council meetings are held at City Hall on the second and last Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Meetings are televised live on Cable Channel 16. Meetings of the Planning Commission are televised as well. Visit www.cityofardenhills.org for information about taped meeting playbacks. Arden Hills Notes is the official news- letter of the City of Arden Hills, an equal-opportunity employer. 2 City Park Profiles--a series Johanna Marsh 3168 Ridgewood RoadJohanna Marsh was opened to the public as a City park in 2008. Residents and neighborhood as- sociation members in the southern-most neighbor- hood in Arden Hills are credited with naming the park after being asked by the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee for suggestions. Even though Johanna Marsh is the City’s “newest” park, Arden Hills has held the deed for the land since 1994. Mr. James C. Schacker and Mr. Cyril E. Sheehy contacted the City in 1993, desiring to donate more than eight acres of wetland prop- erty on Ridgewood Road at Edgewater Avenue. The donation was accepted by the City Council the following year, but it was not immediately designated as park land. Due to its wetland soil conditions, the City was unsure of its best use—it was unlikely that the land could be developed in any way, but it was also unclear what exactly it could offer as a City park beyond tennis on a dilapidated court built on filled-in wetland in 1974. The land was designated as City property, and the tennis court was padlocked until a specific plan for use of the land could be developed. In 1996, the Arden Hills No. 3 Homeowners Association contacted the City to see if it could lease the tennis court for its use, as there were no parks or recreation facilities accessible to that neighborhood without crossing or traveling on Snelling Avenue. The Association and the City signed a lease agreement: the Association maintained insurance on the tennis court and was responsible for maintenance, repair, and improvement of the facilities. The Association paid the City a nominal rent of $10 per year. The lease agreement ended on December 31, 2007, when the City began a new period of exploration into options for use of the land that would benefit all residents. Led by the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee’s recommendation for full park status, what was commonly known as “the Sheehy Tennis Court” would soon become a public City park. A unique park with unique amenities The vast majority of the 8.57 acres of land that comprise Johanna Marsh is wetland inte- gral to the City’s storm drainage system. With the exception of the tennis court, Johanna Marsh offers no other typical park amenities. However, a rain garden was added in 2013 – a unique and appropriate addition to a park with very limited potential for development or additional recreational opportunities. Park benches have also been installed in the last few years to enhance the passive nature experience in this park. Last summer, the tennis court was resurfaced, a multi-year effort to cut back trees and brush from the court was com- pleted, and a new park sign was installed. With new amenities added and critical general maintenance recently completed, Johanna Marsh has secured a solid place in the City park system. by Tina Kulzer