09-25-1990 PTRC Meeting Meetings

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" 3 "This quote scarcely needs amplification," said Friends Executive Director Peggy Lynch. "There is some irony in all of this though. Many people protested the fill being put there to begin with. About 10 years ago the City allowed the Minnesota Department of Transportation to dump construction material from 35E into a ravine. Allegedly it was to prevent erosion. I remember it well because in the process of preventing erosion, they destroyed a beautiful natural area with trillium and other flowers that grow in damp and wooded places." Along with the threat of condominium construction in Crosby Park,the dumping of the 35E debris in the ravine led to the formation of the Friends of the Parks. "It is such an irony that now two of the things we objected to are coming together like this. First they dumped junk in the park and buried it. Then they build a police station in the park precisely where they dumped the junk," said Lynch. "Even though the Friends opposed the team police site,some very good things have emerged through this process. In the long run I expect there will be more protection for park lands. Everyone is so much more aware of the need to preserve what we have. Peoples'attitudes are so positive toward the parks. What started out negative has become a big plus." Capitol Mall remains That great green space that announces your arrival at the State Capitol is called unfinished "Minnesota's front yard:by Capitol Area planners. It is the largest piece of parkland in downtown St.Paul,yet it is rarely used by the public except for large-scale events like Taste of Minnesota and the Winter Carnival. Realizing the need for a more user-friendly Mall, the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board(CAAPB)held a competition in 1986 to redesign the Mall. The chosen design would enable multiple human-scale activities and promote day-to-day use of the Mall. It would also provide a more visually exciting setting for Architect Cass Gilbert's Capitol. But this is all future tense. The legislature has not yet appropriated funds to accomplish the redesign. "This is really a wasted resource,said CAAPB planner Paul Mandell. "We have the potential for a wonderful park for people to use. In the summer people could stroll here from downtown offices for picnic lunches,Capitol staff and other employees who work in the area would find it a quiet"green retreat",tourists who come to the Capitol would find it a charming place to spend an hour ambling among the sculptures and the plantings. This is a wasted resource. The first steps have been taken. It is time to complete the process of making this a usable park instead of a vast green field." For more information about the Mall plans,call Mary Duroche at 296-7138. The Missing Mile The one mile of missing property needed to complete the Rice Creek Trail Corridor may Vento facilitates progress be a step closer to reality following a September meeting between Congressman Bruce Vento, representatives from the Department of the Army, Ramsey County and four municipalities. The Rice Creek Trail is a proposed land and water recreation trail which winds through four municipalities,Ramsey County...and the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant. The corridor is complete except for the one mile link within the Plant property. Negotiations among the parties to complete the trail have dragged on for years.