02-02-2026 JDA Work Session Agenda Packet

Home Browse Search

Practical Difficulty of meeting TRC: Rice Creek Watershed District Requirements: The Rice Creek Watershed District Rules provide an exception which excludes stormwater treatment volume requirements for any trails that are 10 ft or less that are also bordered by down-gradient vegetation or vegetated filter strip of at least 5 ft (Rule C Stormwater Management, 12 Exceptions (b)). The Rice Creek Boulevard right-of-way contains adequate space for a vegetated filter strip for the project to take advantage of this exception. Construction of 12-foot trails would require the project to apply the regular treatment standards as described Under Rule 6 of the Watershed District Rules for the entirety of the 12-feet of impervious surface created by the trail. The requirement stipulates 1.1-inches of treatment volume over new impervious surfaces. This results in additional 1,100 cubic yards of required stormwater treatment volume. Cost Implications: The construction of the additional trail width results in additional project construction costs for the additional trail width and stormwater treatment volume. Sufficient space does exist within the Natural Resources Corridor to provide the treatment volume; however, it does reduce capacity for future developments within Rice Creek Commons. A summary of those impacts is provided below: Estimated Cost for Additional Trail Width: $500,000 Estimated Cost for Additional Stormwater Treatment: $125,000 Additional Treatment Volume Required: 1,100 CY Acreage needed for Additional Treatment Volume: 0.40 Acres Design Standards/Justification: County Precedence: Ramsey County has a general precedence that shared use paths and trails are built to a standard width of 8ft when running adjacent to County roadways and 10ft where disconnected from adjacent roadways. The adjacent ‘Rice Creek North Regional Trail’ is constructed to a 10-foot width. City Standards: For trail located outside of Rice Creek Commons, the City of Arden Hills standards for multi- use trails call for a minimum 8-foot width. The applicable language within the Arden Hills Public Works Design Manual (Draft), Street Section, Item 19 states: “When trails are proposed, trails shall be constructed of bituminous with a minimum width of 8-feet and minimum thickness of 3-inches with an aggregate base thickness of 6-inches.”