HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember 2013Water tower gets a makeover
by Susan Cathey
A
Tower Tidbits
s you traveled along Snelling The bowl of the tower, which serves resi-
Avenue or I-694 during Septem-dents and businesses south of I-694, holds
Some things you may not know
ber, your attention one million gallons
about the Arden Hills water tower:
may have been caught by the of water. It also
tent covering the Citys provides a reservoir
" The tower is about 145 feet high.
south water tower. Now you from which to draw
" The bowl of water at the top is 74 feet in
will notice the new paint job for the north tower.
diameter and 40 feet deep when full.
and City logo beautifying For this project, it
" The logos are approximately 46 feet wide
this structure.was drained and
by 19 feet tall.
painted inside as
" Arden Hills gets its water from Roseville
The contract was awarded to well as out. Minor
who gets it from St. Paul.
Classic Protective Coatings, structural improve-
" The bottom of the tower provides room
whose workers applied a ments were made,
for storage. Public Works stores off-
new color to the formerly and the bowl was
season equipment there.
light blue tower, erected disinfected before
in 1987. The City Council being put back into
agreed to use the shade of service. The total
tan called Barbados, the cost for the work
Learn about the Citys most recent
same color used on the north was just under
drinking water report on page 4 of this
tower. The two City logos, $800,000 plus engi-
newsletter.
positioned to be visible from each direc-neering and inspection fees of $48,800.
tion of the freeway, are painted in a green
called Serpentine.
Community members offer ideas and opinions during TCAAP open hou
by Jessica Luther
This is very important insight that the
Attendees participated in discussions and
Attendees participated in discussions and
C
consultants will take into account as they
planning activities to inform consultants
TCAAP Master Plan Open House planning activities to inform consultants
draft the Master Plan, Hutmacher said.
of the community preferences for the mix
on Tuesday, September 17, to learn, ask of the community preferences for the mix
questions, and share ideas about the and placement of land uses. Those who
and placement of land uses. Those who
Hutmacher concluded, We are on sched
TCAAP development process before the weighed in revealed diverse opinions of
weighed in revealed diverse opinions of
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ule with the master planning process. The
Master Plan was drafted. This open house what the land should be used for.
what the land should be used for.
Planning Commission and City Council
marked the end of the discovery phase
of the Public Involvement Plan and began
Plan in December. Residents will be asked
the work to draft the Master Plan.what the City has heard in previous plan
what the City has heard in previous plan
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to provide feedback on the draft Master
ning efforts, said Hutmacher. Common
ning efforts, said Hutmacher. Common
Plan at an open house in January 2014.
We were very pleased with the open themes included:
house, Jill Hutmacher, City of Arden concentrate commercial uses on the
concentrate commercial uses on the
"
Hills Community Development Direcwestern side and residential uses on
western side and residential uses on
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tor, said. The attendees seemed very the eastern side of the site,
the eastern side of the site,
engaged and were willing to provide parks, green space, and trails are
parks, green space, and trails are
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comments and participate in the land use important,
exercise.retail should be located near the access
retail should be located near the access
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points to the site.
News from Around the Town:
Arden Hills Service Directory
1245 West Highway 96
from Eureka Recycling
Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734
Find resources and case studies at the Event Planning webpage at
www.mngreengatherings.org.
8:00 a.m.--4:30 p.m.
Some communities make discarded holiday trees into mulch for use
651-792-7800
Contact your trash hauler to see if they offer this service.
In 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the
911
12.6 million tons of plastic packaging. Almost 90 percent of thi
away. But you can avoid big piles of wasted paper this holiday s
651-767-0640
ideas below not only conserve paper and other resources, they al
651-481-7024
Use presents to wrap presents:
Use items that can be reused:
A hat in a matching scarf
Scarves, handkerchiefs or bandanas
"
"
651-767-9640
Jewelry in a wooden box
Fabric scraps
"
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Cookies in a reusable tin or cookie jar
Reusable decorative bags
"
"
David Grant 651-538-0747
Barbecue grill utensils or picnic sup
Hand-sewn or purchased cloth bags
"
"
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plies in a tablecloth
A cake pan, basket or a wooden box
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Kitchen gifts in towels or all-purpose
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cloths
Reuse paper items:
Old posters and maps
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Reuse wrapping paper:
Old sheet music
"
Reuse last years holiday paper
Newspaper, like the Sunday comic
"
"
Save all the wrapping paper you get
"
pages
this year and use it next year
Brown Kraft paper (paper bags)
"
Wallpaper scraps make excellent,
Advertisements from magazines and
"
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durable, reusable wrapping paper
catalogs
Cathey
preventable. Eureka Recycling is here to serve as your partner i
have questions about reducing waste, please call the Hotline at
Council meetings are held at City Hall
on the second and last Monday of the
he Citys Public Works Department plows snow after two or more i
T
month at 7 p.m. Meetings are televised
of accumulation. Lesser amounts are only salted/sanded as neede
live on Cable Channel 16. Meetings of
will not go out until after the snow has stopped, unless the sno
the Planning Commission are televised
heavy. In that case, roads will be opened, then cleaned up after
the month. Playbacks of City meetings
The City does not have a bare street policy, as this requires to
begin the morning after the meeting
and continue every day until the next
cleaning of the mailboxes is the responsibility of individual re
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City meeting. Playbacks are 3 a.m., 11
a.m., and 7 p.m. Monday through Fri
the walks and trails to the best of its ability. Some trails are
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day, and 7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 10 p.m. on
due to them being too steep to plow.
Saturday and Sunday. For web casts,
visit www.ctv15.org.
Snow plowing parking restrictions: No vehicle can be parked on t
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cumulation of two or more inches of snow and continuing until af
been completed.
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letter of the City of Arden Hills, an
equal-opportunity employer.
Go to www.cityofardenhills.org/snowplowing.
2
Benchmarks:
Everything you wanted to know
a review of recent City Council action
about Benchmarks
September 30, 2013
by Dave McClung, City Council
Authorized the purchase of two Toro Approved a payment in the amount
""
Arden Hills Notes,
n each edition of the
I
of $19,336 to the Lake Johanna Fire
zero-turn mowers and the trade-in of
you will see a series of bulleted items
the two 2011 Toro mowers currently in Department, which is the Citys share
Council. These items are called Bench
truck) (5-0)
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Adopted Resolution 2013-037 ap
marks. Because they are so abbreviated, a
"
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pointing Brent Bartel to the Planning Approved Resolution 2013-038
few readers have questioned their purpose.
"
Commission for a term expiring certifying a list of delinquent utility
December 31, 2015 (5-0)accounts to Ramsey County to be
Benchmarks are intended to alert readers to
added to property taxes payable in
important actions taken by the City Coun
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Approved Payment No. 1 to Classic
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2014 (5-0)
cil. Some of the most important actions of
Protective Coatings, Inc. for the South
the City Council warrant a separate, more
Water Tower Rehabilitation Project in Approved Planning Case 13-014 for
"
Arden Hills Note
detailed story in the
s;
the amount of $151,050 (5-0)
an amendment to the Final Planned
but most of the Councils votes are more
Unit Development for Phase 1 of
routine.
Approved Payment No. 1 to SAK
"
the Lexington Station redevelopment
Construction, LLC for the 2013 Sani
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proposal at 3833 Lexington Avenue,
If a bulleted item sparks your interest, you
tary Sewer Lining Improvement in the
can go to the Arden Hills website at
amount of $292,179 (5-0)
submitted plans, as amended by the
www.cityofardenhills.org, look for the
City Council (approval of the master
Approved Payment #4 to North Valley,
"
City Council page, and then click on the
sign plan for phase 1 of the
Inc., in the amount of $115,012 for the
agenda for that dates meeting. Attached
)
development) (5-0
2013 Pavement Management Program
to each agenda item is a staff report that
to each agenda item is a staff report that
(5-0)
provides the background for that agenda
item. If the item is a Planning Commission
Fundraising underway for Gateway Sign project
case being brought to the City Council
by Fran Holmes
agenda may include site maps, drawings of
help fund the Highway 96 and Lexington
he newly formed Arden Hills Founda
T
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planned improvements, and the Planning
Avenue gateway sign. The Citys Eco
tion has begun a campaign to request
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Commissions recommendations. If the
nomic Development Commission, which
the support of local businesses with the
minutes of that City Council meeting have
is an advisory committee comprised of
Citys gateway sign initiative. The Citys
been approved, you can look at the minutes
City business people, has been requesting
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for a more detailed version of the Councils
gateway signs in Arden Hills for a number
section of County Road D, Lake Johanna
discussion.
of years to help promote local businesses.
Boulevard and New Brighton Road, in the
Citys newly acquired triangle parcel.
A bulleted summary of a planning case
One of the purposes of the Arden Hills
The City is currently considering place
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may include abbreviations like PUD
Foundation is to connect the generosity of
ment of the next gateway sign on the
for a Planned Unit Development case. By
the business community with the needs of
south side of County Road E2, just east of
looking back at agendas and minutes, the
the City.
Cleveland Avenue. The City has budgeted
planning process begins to make more
approximately $25,000 per gateway sign,
sense to a reader. Likewise when it comes
The Arden Hills Foundation is asking lo
which includes lighting and landscaping.
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to street construction you will see terms
cal businesses to
give forward
give forward to promote
such as PMP for Pavement Management
their presence in the City. In the near
The Citys 2014 plan is for a gateway
Program which is the program the City
future, foundation board members will
sign on the southwest corner of Highway
uses to prioritize and then construct/main
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contact local businesses by mail to request
96 and Lexington Avenue. Because this
tain our City streets.
donations. Any business or resident who
is a major intersection, there is a need
would like to donate to the Foundation
for a larger gateway sign and extensive
Arden Hills Notes
may send a check (made payable to the
landscaping to increase the visibility of
publication, meaning it does not include
Arden Hills Foundation) to Arden Hills
the sign. The City estimates that the cost
formal actions such as requests for bids, of
formal actions such as requests for bids, offormal actions such as requests for bids, of-
Foundation, 1245 W. Highway 96, Arden
for this project will be approximately
Hills, MN 55112. For more information,
$50,000, which is double the budgeted
acts requiring publication. The Shoreview
please feel free to contact Foundation
$25,000. This is an important gateway
Arden Hills Bulletin
Board Member Fran Holmes via email at
to the City, and with the development of
newspaper. So Benchmarks are not the of
newspaper. So Benchmarks are not the ofnewspaper. So Benchmarks are not the of-
franh116@aol.com.
TCAAP, this area will become an even
All donations will be
more important entryway to Arden Hills.
there to give readers a summary of
recognized.
The Arden Hills Foundation Board plans
the action.
to ask Arden Hills businesses to make tax
deductible donations to the Foundation to
3
ECR-WSS
PRST STD
U.S. Postage Paid
Twin Cities, MN
Permit #1962
Arden Hills, MN
55112-5734
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Water tower gets a fresh look
n
Green ideas for the holidays
s
Postal Customer
Snows coming
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TCAAP open house meeting held
d
e
Notes from the City Council
T
he Arden Hills community was The Citys website organizes business business development and
invited to the State of the City on educate residents on the im-
Thursday, September 12, at Fla-on business districts, licenses, sign require-portance of the Citys business
hertys Arden Bowl. Attendees heard the ments, and business resources.community.
latest news on the TCAAP project, County
Road E improvements, along with other The Twin Cities North Chamber of Com-The EDC consists of nine mem-
current development and transportation merce and the St. Paul Chamber of Com-bers who are appointed by the City Coun-
projects. The event was hosted by the Ar-merce co-host a monthly Shoreview-Arden cil. The Commissioners may be residents
den Hills City Council and the Economic Hills Business Council for local businesses or non-resident business representatives;
Development Commission (EDC). Over however at least four must be Arden Hills
the past several years, the City Council discuss public policy. The meeting is held residents.
and EDC have focused on identifying and on the third Wednesday of the month at
achieving economic development goals.7:30 a.m. at the Northeast Youth and Fam-There currently are vacant seats on the
ily Services Center on Lexington Avenue.EDC. For information about applying, con-
Goals include promoting the Citys identity tact City Hall or download an application
and brands by prioritizing locations for The EDC and the Communications Com-from the City website.
gateway signs to the City. In addition, the mittee have been collaborating to include
Arden Hills logo was included on the Red business-focused articles in nearly every
Fox Road water tower when the water City newsletter. The articles highlight Ed Werner, City Council
tower was repainted this fall. The logo
Keeping our drinking water safe
will be seen by over 100,000 people every
by Kristine Goodrich
day. Over the past several years, the City
The City purchases water from the Saint
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and the EDC have increased their efforts to
rden Hills regularly monitors the
Paul Regional Water Services, which treats
quality of the City's drinking water
reach out and communicate with the busi-
water obtained from the Mississippi River
and issues an annual report. The 2012
ness community.
report shows that the City's water is safe and the Chain of Lakes, and from wells in
to drink. Like most water supplies, water the Prairie Du Chien-Jordan aquifer.
The City Council, EDC commission-
in Arden Hills contains trace amounts
ers, and staff have been visiting new and
of some contaminants, many of which While the testing ensures water is safe at
expanding businesses in Arden Hills. Staff
are added as part of the water treatment the source, the plumbing at water users'
has also visited businesses in the B-2 and
process. But no containment level exproperties sometimes can contaminate wa
Round Lake/Gateway business districts to
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ceeded federal drinking water standards. ter with an unsafe level of lead. If a faucet
collect updated contact information and
Arden Hills water contains trace amounts hasn't been used in several hours, you can
keep businesses informed of public im-
reduce this risk by letting the faucet run
provement projects. In addition, staff will
copper, haloacetic acids, nitrate, trihalo
be visiting businesses in the Red Fox/Grey
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methanes and chlorine. The 2012 report is your glass. You also can have your water
Fox district in early 2014.
posted on the City website.tested for lead. For more information go to
www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.