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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 2015The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents March 2015 Rice Creek Commons: the marketing phase begins by Susan CatheyAs all the many pieces of the Rice Creek Commons (TCAAP) de- velopment are worked on and put into place, marketing of the various types of real estate that will be available is start- ing to be looked at. The St. Paul Port Authority (SPPA), in whose domain this task falls, has put out a colorful broker announcement with maps, history, site features, and a summary of the master plan, still to be approved in its final form by the City and Ramsey County. The SPPA’s Lee Krueger says it is early to be offering most of the property, since the environmental clean-up south of County Road H will not be completed until next fall, and occupancy of this area is not expected until the middle of 2017. However, the area north of County Road H, referred to as the “thumb” and zoned Commercial/Industrial, is not subject to environmental remediation, so the market- ing process for that area has begun. There has been a lot of interest shown by the national brokerage community, including a tour by a group from Pennsylvania. For now, Krueger describes this early phase as “subtle marketing.” Look for up- dated information as work moves forward in the development process. Frattallone’s to open new corporate headquarters in Arden Hills Frattallone’s Ace Hardware has been a fixture in Arden Plaza since 1975. However, many may be surprised to learn that what Mike Frattallone jokingly refers to as the company’s “world headquarters” is located on the second floor and is “bursting at the seams.” Relief is in sight, however, with the purchase of the for- mer Carroll’s Furniture property on County Road E, which is destined to become the new corporate offices for the 20-store business and provide storage for off-season mer- chandise. No details are available yet but Frattallone says the com- pany, the majority of whose Arden Hills store employees live in or near the City, is very pleased to have an attractive new site here. The store itself will remain where it is. by Susan Cathey Want to learn more online? The SPPA has project details on its website: www.sppa.com. Addi- tional information on the project is available on the Ramsey County site: www.ricecreekcommons.com. Frattallone’s Fast Facts • Larry Frattallone opened the first store in 1975. • Today there are 20 Frattallone’s Ace Hardware & Garden Centers in the Twin Cities. • Frattallone’s is one of the region’s largest garden center retailers. Arden Hills Service Directory 1245 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 Office Hours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. City Contact Information 651-792-7800 www.cityofardenhills.org Sheriff and Fire 911 Water and Sewer Problems (During non-business hours) 651-767-0640 Mayor: David Grant 651-538-0747 dgrant@cityofardenhills.org Councilmembers: Brenda Holden 651-636-2987 bholden@cityofardenhills.org Fran Holmes 651-631-1866 fholmes@cityofardenhills.org Dave McClung 651-332-0352 davemcclung@comcast.net Robert Woodburn 651-633-2389 rwoodburn@cityofardenhills.org City Administrator: Patrick Klaers 651-792-7810 pklaers@cityofardenhills.org Communications Committee Editors/writers: Susan Cathey, Tina Kulzer Writer: Emma Theis Council Liaison: David Grant Staff Liaison: Amy Dietl Desktop Publisher: Mary Nosek Council meetings are held at City Hall on the second and last Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Meetings are televised live on Cable Channel 16. Meetings of the Planning Commission are televised as well. Visit www.cityofardenhills.org for information about taped meeting playbacks. Arden Hills Notes is the official news- letter of the City of Arden Hills, an equal-opportunity employer. 2 City Park Profiles--a series Sampson Park 1900 Lake LaneSampson Park lies quietly tucked away at the dead-end of Lake Lane, which ascends up a slight slope from the western shore of Lake Johanna. This park was added to the City park system in 1970 and was intended to be utilized by neighbor- hood families as a passive nature area and by users of the City trail system, which runs adjacent to the park. Vehicle access to Sampson Park is from Lake Lane only (by way of Lake Johanna Boulevard), so it is not a City park that is often viewed by the casual passer-by. This one-acre park boasts only basic amenities – a playground climbing structure, a swing set, and half-court basketball – but it has much to enjoy by way of natural scenery and local history. A memorial gift Philip H. Sampson donated a parcel of land at the end of Lake Lane to the City in Sep- tember 1970. The donation stipulated that the property was to be used for park purposes only and read as follows: “This land is donated by the Sampson family in memory of Maye E. Sampson who enhanced the beauty of this spot by planting trees.” A memorial plaque honoring Maye Sampson was later installed in the park. The City was gifted a beautifully maintained and ideally landscaped property, dotted with a wide variety of trees and shrubs – a perfectly-prepped park space. A few months later, in November 1970, two pieces of adjacent property were acquired by tax forfeiture through the State of Minnesota to make Sampson Park approximately one acre in size. With the land in need of little work and its use clearly determined, the City became the steward of a generous gift and continues to maintain it as such. Trail link complete Sampson Park’s amenities have received the typical schedule of maintenance and replacement over the years. However, last year saw a particular improve- ment to the park that will likely create the greatest impact in usage the park has ever seen: new trail was finally plowed to connect Sampson Park to the Elmer L. Andersen Memorial Trail. The Elmer L. Andersen Memorial Trail head is located at the intersection of Cleveland Avenue North and Glenpaul Avenue. Sampson Park is located on the diagonal trail seg- ment which crosses through the southwest quadrant of the City, just south of where the trail enters Tony Schmidt Regional Park and winds north to its terminus. Sampson Park will likely see many new visitors now that City trail users can access the park more easily for a rest or recreation break. This new trail link also significantly increases the ease with which bicyclists and pedestrians can transition between the trail system and the surrounding residential neighborhood. by Tina Kulzer Benchmarks: a review of recent City Council action 3 January 12, 2015 • Approved the Ramsey Conservation District Shared Service Agreement to provide the City with contract services for inspections of grading, erosion control, and sediment control permits. (5-0) • Approved a contract extension from March 1, 2015, to May 3, 2015, for the Eureka Recycling contract. (5-0) • Approved a capital reimbursement to the Lake Johanna Fire Department for capital expenditures for an enclosed trailer, replacement truck, and mobile computers for shift trucks. (5-0) • Held a public hearing for the 2015 Pavement Management Program for the Venus/Crystal Neighborhood and ordered the improvement along with preparation of plans and specifica- tions. (5-0) January 26, 2015 • Approved the appointment of Aaron Thelen to the position of Recreation Programmer. (5-0) • Approved Resolution 2015-005 to enter into a limited use permit with MnDOT for the Lexington Ave. trail improvements which the City will maintain. (5-0) • Approved Resolution 2015-006 requesting an advance from the City’s Municipal State Aid account to fund projects in 2015. (5-0) • Approved the appointment of Steve Heikkila as Chair of the Economic Development Commission (EDC). (5-0) • Approved a one-day gambling permit on March 15, 2015, for Merrick, Inc. at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl. (5-0) • Held a public hearing for the 2015 Pavement Management Program for the Grant, Noble, and Lake Lane neighborhoods, and ordered the im- provement along with preparation of plans and specifications. (5-0) • Approved Planning Case 14-032 for a minor subdivision and variance in the Arden Manor neighborhood which transfers a small parcel to the Big 10. (5-0) • Approved Planning Case 14-035, a site plan review for Frattallone’s Hardware Inc. to operate 1203 County Road E (formerly Carroll’s Furniture) as an office with an accessory use for storage of off-season inventory. (5-0) • Approved a proposal by Elfering and Associates to assist in the 2015 Pave- ment Management Program imple- mentation. (5-0) February 9, 2015 (Holmes, Holden excused) • Approved the contract bid award for the County Road E project (B2 District). (3-0) • Approved the cooperative agreement with Ramsey County for the County Road E project. (3-0) • Approved a contract with Elfering and Associates for construction services related to the implementation of the County Road E project. (3-0) Jump start your spring gardening ef- forts with a great opportunity to get an affordable rain barrel or compost bin! Winter might not be an ideal time to start thinking about backyard gardening, but it’s a great time to get a start on gardening and water conservation efforts by setting up a compost bin or rain barrel at your home. This spring, the Recycling Association of Minnesota is working with cities and counties throughout Minnesota to bring residents affordable rain barrels and com- post bins. There are many economic and environ- mental benefits to using rain barrels and compost bins. A few are: • When you use a rain barrel, you will conserve by not using water from the spigot (which you pay for). • Rain barrels help with storm water management on your property by reducing runoff, which can cause major pollution to waterways. • By using a compost bin you can reduce more than 25 percent of your waste from going to a landfill. These compost bins and rain bar- rels are made from recycled content and come with a ten-year warranty. Compost bins are $55 and rain barrels are $69. A discount on compost bins is avail- able to the first 300 Ramsey County residents who purchase bins. Visit www.recycleminnesota.org (and enter promo code “ramsey”) or call 651- 641-4589 and mention that you are a Ramsey County resident. Thinking spring? Get started with a rain barrel or a compost bin Rain Barrel Sale $69 Reg. $139 Rain Barrel & Compost Bin SALE! Compost Bin Sale $55 Reg. $105 For more info & to order visit: RecycleMinnesota.org Order online then pick up your pre-ordered rain barrel & compost bin at the Roseville Skating Center on April 17, 2015 Visit our website for details! Office: 651-641-4589 Discounts for Ramsey Co. residents. Correction: One of the items in the January/February Benchmarks was reported incorrectly. It should have read: • Approved the 2015 Tax Levy increase of 3.1% (3-2 Holmes, McClung). 4 Karth Lake clean-up continues with the help of Arden Hills Foundation and others The clean-up continues for Karth Lake, says lakeshore homeowner and lake improvement board mem- ber Gary Gerding. But with the help of several Karth Lake property owners, the Ar- den Hills Founda- tion, and others, the Karth Lake Improve- ment District Board has been making a signifi- cant difference in the lake’s water quality, aesthetics, and overall ecosystem health. “We just have to keep at it,” said Gerding, “because all the forces that are trying to change (the lake for the worse) are keep- ing at it as well...The good news is that (Karth Lake) is a great habitat; the bad news is that if you don’t take care of it, it will eventually become a swampland.” With the ever-increasing development of homes, businesses, roads, and parking lots around the lake, the shore’s permeability has decreased, causing large amounts of nutrient and toxic-filled runoff to enter the lake and stay put. According to the Environmental Protec- tion Agency, this runoff is harmful to the aquatic habitat because the excess nutri- ents spur weed growth and algae blooms. When algae and weeds die, the decompo- sition process removes oxygen from the water. Fish and other aquatic organisms can’t exist in water with low dissolved oxygen levels. The runoff also causes Karth Lake’s water level to rise. One inch of rain equals two inches of rise in the lake. Trees along the shore cannot survive their roots being submerged and end up falling into the wa- ter. Debris and sediment are major issues that impact the lake’s water quality and aesthetic factor. by Emma Theis Last fall, the improvement board got ap- proval from the DNR to remove weeds and debris from Karth Lake’s shore. In August, Holtz Landscaping removed approximately 20 cubic yards of weeds from shoreline prop- erty. They returned in October and removed around 40 cubic yards of wood debris from the water. According to Gerding, some logs were over 20 feet long and others were over two feet in diameter. Hiring out the projects to Holtz Landscaping totalled around $3,000 and was funded solely by Karth Lake homeowners. The Arden Hills Foundation worked with the project par- ticipators to make their donations to the clean-up tax deductible. This spring, Gerding says he hopes to work with the Arden Hills Foundation again to fundraise for 500 large mouth bass fingerlings to be added to Karth Lake in an attempt to drive down the algae population even more. Nine hundred fingerlings were added to the lake in 2010 and another 500 were added in 2013, not for sport fishing but more equalization of the ecosystem. “People don’t realize that lakes are an- other piece of our environment that isn’t invincible,” said Gerding. “We have to do something to reverse the damage and clean it up.” “Karth Lake has the same chal- lenges to its water quality as all urban lakes do, and we are mak- ing measurable progress towards improved water quality...more progress than most Twin City lakes.” --Board member Gary Gerding This view of Karth Lake is evidence of the progress being made in the clean-up project. Photos below show some of the work required to make that progress. by Susan Cathey 5 The Community POWER Grant Pro- gram funds waste reduction projects. Neighborhood organizations, schools, churches, senior citizen groups, youth or- ganizations, and civic groups are invited to apply for funds for projects that will reach individuals who are not currently involved in waste reduction practices. Grantee staff and volunteers receive training on waste issues, free written materials, and money to complete a project that they design. We are looking for applicants to propose new and innovative ways to educate and actively engage residents to recycle and reuse more, reduce waste and toxicity, compost yard and food waste, and plan green events. Two types of grants are available: • Mini grant projects up to $5,000 • Traditional grant projects up to $12,000 Non-profit organizations and schools are eligible to apply. Application deadline: March 27, 2015. If you have any ques- tions, please call 651-222-7227 or email CommunityPOWER@RethinkRecycling. com. Community POWER, a program of the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board, has helped over 100 groups around the Twin Cities metro area actively reduce waste and toxicity since 2001. Learn more about the history of Community POWER at Rethink Recycling. Waste Reduction & Recycling Grants available for community organizations and schools For more information about the Arden Hills Foundation, visit https://www.face- book.com/ArdenHillsFoundation or mail to Arden Hills Foundation, 1245 West Highway 96, Arden Hills, MN 55112. Here’s more! The story on page four of this newslet- ter about Karth Lake improvements is an excellent example of the kind of work the Arden Hills Foundation funds to make life in our City better. Established in October 2012, the Arden Hills Foundation exists as a legally sepa- rate entity from the City of Arden Hills and partners with people who want to fundraise for a project that will benefit the people who live, work, or play in the City. The Foundation makes it possible for Ar- den Hills citizens to establish or contribute to a community project with the benefit of a charitable tax deduction without going through the hassle of becoming a legal charity on their own. “Our goal is to support the people doing the projects,” said Arden Hills Founda- tion Secretary Arlene Mitchell. “We hope to become more of a resource not just for moving money but helping people move their projects forward.” The Arden Hills Foundation benefits people who live, work, and play in our City Arden Hills FOUNDATION Order trees for spring The Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County annual tree sale is on now until April 17. The sale offers high-quality trees grown at Bailey’s Nursery. You can buy trees for your yard and trees to donate to your favorite park. Go to friendsoftheparks.org for a tree catalog, to order trees, and to see where to pick up your trees on May 2. If you miss this grant cycle... If you miss this grant cycle, but are still interested in these opportunities, continue to check www.rethinkrecycling. com for additional program updates. Dogs? Cats? Get ‘em licensed If you haven’t purchased your pet license for 2015-16, do it today. The cost is $26. In order for your pet to be compliant and licensed for the 2015-2016 licens- ing period, you will need to complete a pet license application, submit a current signed Certificate of Rabies Vaccination from your vet, and pay the fee. You can do so online, by mail, or at City Hall. A tag will be sent or given to you after your application is accepted. Any questions, please call 651-792-7800. Donations to the Arden Hills Foundation fund benches like this one in the Triangle Green Space. Postal Customer ECR-WSS PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid St. Paul, MN Permit #1962 I n s i d e Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734 Rice Creek Commons marketing begins Frattallone’s purchases Carroll’s Furniture site Sampson Park Karth Lake clean-up continues Notes from the Communications Committee The Communications Committee is one of several volunteer-driven committees that serve the City of Arden Hills. Our main function is to com- municate City information, issues, and stories to residents; we do this by helping to write, edit, and produce Arden Hills Notes ten times per year. Our committee meets monthly to edit the upcoming issue and plan content for future issues. Additional duties include assisting in other ways to keep City residents and businesses informed (including the City’s website and social media accounts) and advising the City Council and staff on ways to meet City communication needs. Like other City committees, our member- ship is comprised of resident volunteers, a City Council liaison, and a City of Arden Hills staff liaison. Members typically serve a three-year term and are appointed by the City Council. Currently, the Communications Commit- tee is comprised of: the City’s highest- ranking official, who has 14 years of City government leadership experience in Ar- den Hills; a working mom with 12 years of experience in City government and a pas- sion for connecting with the community; a teacher and longtime resident who grew up in Arden Hills and returned to raise her family and retire here; a desktop publisher with a communications background who has lived in the City for 27 years; a liberal arts-educated stay-at-home-mom who moved to Arden Hills one year ago; and a local college student majoring in journal- ism and working part-time at a community newspaper. Committees provide a way for the City to benefit from the expertise and expe- rience of those who live and work in Arden Hills, as well as provide a way for residents to meet new people, learn new things, develop leadership skills, be of service, and make a difference. This kind of volunteer work is unique in the array of perspectives, experience, and abilities that are unified by the desire to give back to a community. It is a working experience unlike most others. Get involved: volunteer! There are non-committee opportunities to get involved in that make a difference in the City as well: • The Arden Hills Foundation is operated by volunteers and works to expand its reach and impact in the community. • The Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee is working on creating some new opportunities for residents to participate in park maintenance and beautification efforts, which will continue a long-standing tradition of community investment in our parks. • Those who work in Arden Hills can look into community service op- Giving you the news – it’s what we like to do portunities with their employers – or spearhead a new service project or program in the City if one does not already exist. Once a small village community, Arden Hills has prospered and is now nationally recognized for its quality of life. There is much news to share, great progress to report, more change on the horizon, and many interesting stories to tell. There are many factors that contribute to the City’s sustained growth, and resident engage- ment is one of them. It is our pleasure to provide this newsletter to the residents of Arden Hills. We hope you find it to be a valuable resource, an interesting read, and – perhaps – a catalyst for participation in our community. by Committee Co-Chair Tina Kulzer Right now, there are openings on the fol- lowing committees and commissions: • Communications Committee • Parks, Trails, and Recreation Com- mittee • Financial Planning and Analysis Committee • Economic Development Commission More information, as well as an applica- tion form, can be found on the City website (click on “Committees & Commissions” under the “Government” tab). Interested residents also can call or stop by City Hall. Thinking about volunteering?