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Arden Hills Service Directory 1245 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 Summer Office Hours Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. Friday 7:30-11:30 a.m. Regular office hours resume September 8 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.—4:30 p.m. 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 Arden Oaks Park 1413 Arden Oaks DriveAs the County Road E bridge construc- tion project comes to a close this month, regular through-traffic will return to the residential neighbor- hood west of the bridge. This will make it much easier for residents to get to one of the City’s best neighborhood parks, Arden Oaks Park. Accessible from Arden Oaks Drive at County Road E (just west of Highway 51) and Old Highway 10 (just north of County Road E), Arden Oaks Park is a 1.5 acre park acquired in 1981 through dedication by Arden Oaks. The park land was re-graded to a lower elevation in 1984 and development began. Developed with neighborhood input A wood and steel play structure was erected in 1985. Over the years, area residents reported splintering, rusting, and need for constant repair. A neighborhood meeting was held in May 1999 to review and provide feedback on bids for a new play structure, which was installed later that year. The City’s Capital Improvement Plan for 2015-2019 indicates that the playground equipment at Arden Oaks Park is on a 20-year replacement schedule and is slated for replacement in 2019. Neighborhood input also played a role in park development in 1987. City staff conduct- ed an informal survey of residents regarding the installation of a baseball backstop and shelter building. A majority of the responses did not support installing these structures in the small neighborhood park. The City did not proceed with these developments. Highly ranked in park evaluation In their 2014 Park Tour evaluation results, the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee ranked Arden Oaks Park highest in “Overall Appearance” and second in “Park Upkeep.” Arden Oaks Parks is a quiet, tidy park that integrates unobtrusively into the neighbor- hood. Unlike most park spaces located at road intersections or along straight thorough- fares, Arden Oaks Park boasts a visually pleasing and unique circular shape, created by the curve of Arden Oaks Drive as it winds from County Road E to Old Highway 10. Newer bituminous surfacing of the street and concrete curbing contribute to the park’s orderly appearance and visual appeal. Arden Oaks Park seems like a natural extension of the residences that encircle it, and it serves as a unifying focal point for the neighbor- hood. The park offers two play areas for children – playground equipment with toddler toys in one; the park’s original swing set in the other – both mulched and contained by squared railroad ties. The full-court basketball area was resurfaced in 2009. Two park benches and one picnic table are thoughtfully placed near the park’s older shade tree areas near the center of the park. Newer tree plantings dot the park’s perim- eter. Arden Oaks Park also features an open space of manicured green lawn along Arden Oaks Court that can be used for larger group games and activities. by Tina Kulzer