09-25-1990 PTRC Meeting Meetings

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5 0 the d� N Park Notes ` I A newsletter of the Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks :t. Pa nand v 1621 Beechwood Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 698-4543 mxyca'�` Volume 4, Number 4 November, 1990 'Fail progress slow Frustrated by months of tortoise-like progress in negotiating the purchase of the abandoned Burlington Northern corridor from the river to Beam Avenue in Maplewood, County votes for the County Board authorized the County Attorney to file a petition for eminent domain. condemnation The County Rail Authority has been negotiating with the railroad for over a year in an effort to acquire the corridor for joint rail/recreational trail use. With the authorization to proceed with condemnation,the Rail Authority hopes the issue will be resolved more quickly. The property could still be purchased through normal negotiations but if they break down completely or continue at the current pace,the matter may eventually end up in District Court. Washington and Chisago Counties are also interested in acquiring portions of the corridor for light rail transit and recreational trail use. Washington County has levied for taxes to acquire the property. Chisago County recently formed a Rail Authority for the specific purpose of acquiring the Burlington Northern Corridor and have notified the railroad of their wish to purchase the property. All three counties see little problem with joint use of the trail for light rail and recreation. With all three counties working on this trail, at completion it would provide a recreational trail from near downtown St.Paul to North Branch. It also provides the opportunity to link up with numerous other trails. Protection of St. Paul If the proposed charter amendment is approved,park lands which are sold or diverted parks on front burner from park use must be appraised and money from the sale or diversion will be placed in a park fund for acquisition of park lands. The amendment,introduced by Councilman Charter amendment Bob Long,was heard in the Neighborhood Services Committee of the City Council in proposed early November. St.Paul's 1914 charter contained strong provisions to protect park lands but when the current charter was adopted in the 1970's,all built-in protection for park lands was lost. Fearing a raid on unprotected park land,the Friends conducted a survey of other cities to determine how they insured the preservation of their parks. Of the 14 cities contacted in 1986,all had safeguards in place. Protections ranged from a policy not to sell park land,to required legislative approval,to a voter referendum. Those cities which did allow park lands to be sold or diverted to nonpark usage required that the lost park lands be replaced.