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<br />e <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />City of Arden Hills <br />BlueCrass BlueShield of Minnesota <br />Aclive Community Planning Grant #499 <br /> <br />While the various plans prepared by the City have attempted to integratc the parks, trails, <br /> <br />residences, and commercial areas, the layout of the City has, unfortunately, led to fragmentation. <br /> <br />Interstate 694, US Highway 10, County Road 96, and SncUing biscct thc City and scvercly limit <br /> <br />access bctwcen portions of the City. Despite the fact that Arden Hills is home to more than 350 <br /> <br />acres of parks (not including TCAAP), trail connections bctwccn cxisting parks arc limitcd or <br /> <br />trails arc shared with roads, which reduces safety and limits use. FurthelIDore, Interstate 35 W <br /> <br />limits access to communities west of Arden Hills. <br /> <br />Although the City does rcquire rudimentary pedestrian facilities in new developments and <br /> <br />redevelopments, those requirements only apply to three zones that cover a relatively small part of <br /> <br />thcCity. <br /> <br />There are opportunities to overcome these barriers. TCAAP provides a tremendous opportunity <br /> <br />to incorporate active living principles into thc built environment from thc ground up. In the <br /> <br />developed portions of the City, there are several areas where grade separated trails are possible, <br /> <br />rails to trails, and new mixed use developments. Moreover, the ground work for integrating <br /> <br />more active living into the City has already been laid. Although more emphasis needs to be <br /> <br />placed on setting implementation schedules and educating residents on the need for active living, <br /> <br />the City has a historical precedent for planning and working to make Arden Hills a healthy, <br /> <br />beautiful, and quality City. <br /> <br />9 <br />