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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember 2014The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents November 2014 City sets preliminary tax levy for 2015 Cities and other taxing entities are required to set preliminary maximum tax levies each Sep- tember. These preliminary numbers are used to calculate the notices of potential taxes property owners receive in the mail each fall. Public hearings then are held in late November or early December before governing bodies make a final decision on their budget and tax levy. The final levy amount can be lower than the amount decided in September, but it cannot be higher. The Arden Hills City Council set the City’s 2015 preliminary tax levy at $3.42 million. That would be a 5 percent (approximately $16,500) increase over the 2014 levy. The Council is continuing to discuss the proposed 2015 levy and budget. Histori- cally, the Council has set its final levy at an amount that is lower than the prelimi- nary number. The City Council will hold a public hear- ing on the proposed levy and budget dur- ing its December 8 meeting. Following the public hearing, the Council is scheduled to then finalize the 2015 levy and budget. Public hearing on proposed tax levy Tuesday, December 8 7 p.m. City Council Chambers Arden Hills City Hall (This hearing takes place during a regular City Council meeting) The new businesses at Lexington Station are: by Kristine Goodrich At the new Lexington Station, you can now get dinner, dessert, a caffeine fix and nutrition supplements. You can also get your hair and nails done and upgrade to the new iPhone. Nine businesses are now open in the new retail development at 3833 Lexington Avenue North. Most of the new tenants are well-known national restaurants and retail- ers: Starbucks, Papa John’s Pizza, Noodles & Company, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, AT&T, GNC and Fantastic Sam’s Hair Salon. There also is a nail salon called Royal Nails. The ninth space is occupied by a unique business created and owned by Arden Hills residents. Gary and Julie Gronquist opened POP Culture Frozen Yogurt. They toured every other frozen shop in the metro and many more across the coun- try to gather ideas for their own shop. It offers over 15 frozen yogurt flavors, over Nine businesses open in Lexington Station by Kristine Goodrich Customers en- joyed a frozen yogurt treat at POP Culture during the grand opening at Lexington Station. 70 toppings, a sauce bar and a real whipped cream machine. If you have time to eat in, there are custom chairs, booths, couches and two large-screen televisions. The Gronquists noted that their yogurt is made in Minnesota and much of their equipment is Minnesota-made as well. The couple has lived in Arden Hills for 14 years. They also own another Arden Hills business: Balance for Life Fitness Center. • AT&T • Fantastic Sam’s Hair Salon • GNC • Noodles & Company • Papa John’s Pizza • POP Culture Frozen Yogurt • Potbelly Sandwich Shop • Royal Nails • Starbucks photo by Susan Cathey Arden Hills Service Directory 1245 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 Office Hours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. — 4 p.m. City Contact Information 651-792-7800 www.cityofardenhills.org Sheriff and Fire Emergency 911 Sheriff (non-emergency) 651-767-0640 Fire (non-emergency) 651-481-7024 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 Ed Werner 651-636-2547 ewerner@cityofardenhills.org City Administrator: Patrick Klaers 651-792-7810 pklaers@cityofardenhills.org Communications Committee Kristine Goodrich, editor; Susan Cathey, Tina Kulzer 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 Cummings Park - 1219 Cummings Park Drive continued on page 3 Arden Hills has always been committed to ensuring access to open spaces and recreational opportunities for its residents. Preservation of areas of natural beauty through park space designation has made Arden Hills a highly desirable and unique place to live. It was with these goals in mind that 14.67 acres of undeveloped natural space surround- ing Karth Lake to the south was purchased from Marion R. Cummings in the spring of 1975. Mrs. Cummings’ parcel of land was considered desirable park space because it was big enough to satisfy the City’s desired ratio of one acre of active park land for every 100 residents. The City also had an established goal to provide a neighborhood park within walking access of every resident. What was then referred to as “the Karth Lake area” was just beginning to be developed, and it was believed that the Cummings property would adequately serve the projected population of that neighborhood as a park space. The Cummings parcel was considered ideal for park land because it would serve as a natural buffer between the industrial and residential parts of the neighborhood. It would preserve the undeveloped natural beauty of the land around Karth Lake for future generations of City residents. Exceptional trails In 1977, an additional 3.11 acres were acquired with park dedication funds to expand the trails in Cummings Park and connect them to those in Floral Park, creating one of the most scenic, well- connected, and heavily-used sections of City trail in the entire park system. On any given day—throughout all sea- sons of the year—the trails in and around Cummings Park are utilized in various ways by a wide range of users: neigh- borhood residents walking their dogs, children and families passing through on bikes, employees of the many neigh- boring corporate campuses walking or running while on break from work. Trails in this area are dotted with decades-old tree identification signs, offer peaceful sitting areas with park benches and shade trees, and wind precipitously through the varying elevations and wild terrain surrounding Karth Lake. A “level one” park Cummings Park is accessible by car at the Boston Scientific parking lot on Cummings Park Drive (at Lexington Avenue). A partnership between the City and this well-known corporate resident provides the park’s address on Cummings Park Drive as well as critical parking spaces needed to accommodate visitors during team sports events at the park. Cummings Park also has three access points via the City trail system at Amble Road, Wyncrest Court, and the east side of Hamline Avenue (south of Indian Oaks Circle). by Tina Kulzer photo by Tina Kulzer Benchmarks: a review of recent City Council action 3 Second only to Perry Park in team sports usage, Cummings Park sees heavy use three seasons of the year, especially during the fall soccer season. A major ir- rigation system for the soccer and softball fields was installed in 2010 to maintain acceptable playing conditions on the fields, which are used by residents, City sports league and program participants, and community athletic associations alike. The tennis and basketball hard court surfaces were replaced in 2008 due to extensive use and wear. Cummings Park also features a play- ground area with an adjacent covered picnic shelter; a skating rink and warming house in winter; and a picnic pavilion, with indoor bathrooms and kitchen facili- ties, available to rent for group gatherings. Pavilion rental information and rates can be found on the City website at www.cityofardenhills.org under “Home > Departments > Parks & Recreation > Facility Rentals.” September 29, 2014 • Approved the resignation of Planning Commissioner Samuel Scott. (5-0) • Approved the appointment of Steven Jones to the Planning Commission. (5-0) • Approved a temporary permit for MnDOT to construct a new traffic signal at the intersection of County Road E and Connelly Avenue. (5-0) • Approved a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Arden Hills and Ramsey County Geographic Informa- tion Systems Users Group. (5-0) • Approved the 2015 proposed Pre- liminary Budget and Tax Levy to be $3,421,950, which is a 5 percent increase. (3-2, Grant, McClung) • Approved the Truth-In-Taxation public hearing date of December 8, 2014, for proposed taxes payable in 2015. (5-0) • Tabled planning case 2014-025 — a site plan review to construct an ac- cessory structure at 3657 Snelling Avenue. (5-0) • Approved planning case 2014-026 for a secondary front yard setback vari- ance at 1830 Noble Road to construct a new home on an existing site. (5-0) • Approved assessment agreements for the Round Lake Road Improvement Project. (4-1, McClung) October 13, 2014 (Councilmember Werner excused) • Approved payment #4 for Round Lake Road area road improvements in the amount of $172,384. (3-1, Mc- Clung) • Approved construction of a gateway sign to be located at the intersection of Cleveland Avenue and County Road D. (4-0) • Approved resolution 2014-049 order- ing a public hearing for the County Road E improvements to be held on November 10, 2014. (4-0) • Approved resolution 2014-050 declar- ing the cost to be assessed for the County Road E improvements and ordering the preparation of the As- sessment Roll. (4-0) • Approved resolution 2014-051 setting the date of the County Road E assess- ment hearing as November 10, 2014. (4-0) Cummings Park from page 2 Ramsey County’s yard waste drop-off center in Arden Hills, at 3530 Hud- son Avenue, is open until November 30. Hours are: Monday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday: CLOSED Wednesday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday: CLOSED Friday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The center accepts: • Leaves, grass, pumpkins • Garden waste • Other non-woody plants • Branches • Trees and shrubs (No stumps accepted) Other collection sites in Ramsey county will be open on weekends throughout the winter. See co.ramsey.mn.us/ph/rt/yard_ for more detail. Still raking? ...You’re in luck 4 9-1-1 is not just for emergencies any more. That was one of the messages Ramsey County Sheriff Matt Bostrom wanted to share with Arden Hills residents when he made a presentation to update the City Council at the Septem- ber 8 meeting. The sheriff encourages people to call 9-1-1 when they see or hear anything suspicious or have information to share. Improvements add to system efficiency All calls to Police and Fire Departments are now funneled into the same place, the Ramsey County Emergency Communica- tions Center (RCECC). Due to techni- cal improvements to the telephone lines coming into the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center, it is now possible to accept more call volume. Operators are able to answer all emergency and non-emergency calls 24 hours a day. After obtaining critical information, dispatchers inform the appropriate emer- gency responders of the situation. They are also available to address a variety of public safety inquiries on a regular basis. Coming in late January 2015, Ramsey County will begin using a new computer- aided dispatch (CAD) system for 9-1-1 calls which will use latitude and longi- tude coordinates to identify a cell phone caller’s location (dependent upon the technology of the cell phone and service provider). This saves time, as calls will go directly to the nearest ECC, and also helps when a caller does not know his or her lo- cation. A new records system will also be attached to the CAD, to be implemented within the next year, giving much better access to communications data. Medicine Collection Program Sheriff Bostrom also wanted to remind City residents of the Medicine Collec- tion Program, established in 2011 as a partnership of the Sheriff’s Office and the Ramsey County Public Health Depart- ment. The turn-in of unused or expired prescriptions, particularly pain-killers, is an important aid in combating the resurging problem of heroin use. Accord- ing to Bostrom, data collected in heroin overdose-related emergency room visits suggests heroin use often follows prescrip- tion drug abuse. In addition, turning in unneeded medicines, instead of flushing them down the drain or disposing of them in the trash, helps protect the environment. Around three tons of medicines are col- lected by this program annually. Listed below are two collection sites oper- ated by the Sheriff’s Office. (Participa- tion is anonymous, and no questions are asked.) • Patrol Station: 1411 Paul Kirkwold Drive, (Highway 96 & Hamline), Arden Hills • Law Enforcement Center: 425 Grove Street, Saint Paul 55101 Collection times are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., year-round. More in- formation about this program, including what can be turned in, can be found at this website: www.co.ramsey.mn.us/ph/rt/ medicine_collection_program.htm Sheriff describes upgrades to services his department offers by Susan Cathey ‘Tis the season for gift- giving, holiday parties, and family celebrations. RethinkRecycling.com has tips for making this a no- waste holiday at your house: Earth-friendly gifts: • Make a “trash-to-treasure” gift from odds and ends • Give homemade baked goodies. • Make a charitable donation in someone else’s name • Give an experience. Buy a gift certificate for a class or event • Make coupons for a lunch on you, chores around the house, or other favors • If buying new, look for gifts and gift wrap that are environmentally friendly, made from recycled prod- ucts, or that can be reused • Use old books, maps, magazines or comics to wrap gifts Reducing waste at holiday parties: • Use reusable serving ware rather than plastics or paper • Provide recycling receptacles in ob- vious places for your guests to use. • Send invitations by e-mail instead of using paper invites • Save boxes, packing material, wrapping paper, bows, and gift bags for future use More tips for greener holidays: • Bring reusable tote bags when shopping • Use LED holiday lights and put the lights on a timer • Decorate with natural materi- als such as pine cones, evergreen boughs and garlands of popcorn and berries • Recycle your tree and your non- working lights Learn more about how to green-up your holiday festivities by visiting RethinkRecycling.com. It’s a season of giving... ...not wasting! Vacant house in your neighborhood? Let the City know Cold weather can be especially difficult for vacant houses where damage from frozen pipes and storm damage can go unnoticed. If you know of a vacant house in your neigh- borhood, please contact City Hall. It is the pol- ity to shut off water to homes that are vacant and/or where the heat may have been shut off. by Lois Rem 5 The City Council and staff held two State of the City meetings in Sep- tember, one on the morning of the 18th at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl and the second on the evening of September 23 at City Hall. TCAAP Mayor David Grant opened the meet- ings with an update on a popular topic: TCAAP. Remediation is well underway on the 427 acres purchased by Ramsey County. The cleanup is expected to be completed in 2015, when the entire area will have been cleaned to residential stan- dards. The site is being overseen through a Joint Powers Agreement and Joint Development Authority between the City and the County. Current work on zoning is planned for completion by the end of this year. The parties hope that private development will begin in 2017. Roadways The Mayor also briefly described road work on the Highway 96 and I-35W interchange that is planned for 2015. He reviewed possible transit additions that would connect Rosedale Mall to the Green Line, and north as far as TCAAP, when the property develops. Councilmember Ed Werner talked about pending improvements to County Road E from Snelling Avenue to Lex- ington Avenue, including the addition of double left turn lanes at Lexington. There are also plans for landscape-related im- provements and new street lights. Development projects Development projects of 2014 were highlighted by Councilmember Brenda Holden on September 18 and Council- member Dave McClung on September 23. They reviewed the Lexington Station project that includes nine new businesses; Arden Flats apartments that includes four affordable units; and Gradient Financial’s significant building upgrades. They noted that the City is working hard to catch up on trail maintenance even as the trail network expands. Beginning in March 2015, recycling carts will be available to residents, businesses will be able to opt into the program, and residents also will have the option of recycling organic mate- rials. Business recycling information can be found at LessTrash.com or by contacting Ryan Streff at City Hall. Councilmember Fran Holmes updated the group on Round Lake Road improvements and the proposed work on Lexington Av- enue from I-694 to County Road F to be done in 2015. The Pavement Management Plan for 2015 focuses on the Rolling Hills- Venus-Glenview Avenue area and near Lake Johanna Boulevard, Grant Road, Noble Road, and Lake Lane. Meetings with residents will be held later this fall to present the projects in detail. MnDOT plans Sheila Kauppi and Mark Lindeberg of MnDOT presented fairly detailed plans for several major 2015 projects that will im- pact our entire community: the Highway 96 bridge over I-35W, the County Road E bridge over Snelling (to include a ten-foot trail), and the County Road F bridge over I-35W (also to have a trail added). In 2016 the County Road E2 bridge over I-35W will be redone. Plans are also in the works to repave I-35W from I-694 to Highway 36, to improve the I-694 interchange, to add a general purpose lane to I-694 be- tween Rice and Lexington, and to improve County Road H over I-35W. All of these plans can be seen on the City website along with all slides from this State of the City meeting. As these road projects move along, the City will also provide links to MnDOT’s website. Arden Hills Foundation The meeting closed with a brief presenta- tion by Nick Tamble of the Arden Hills Foundation, which continues to grow. Re- cent projects include Karth Lake improve- ments, City entry signs, and park benches. More information on the Foundation can be found on Facebook. City leaders host “State of the City” events The entire State of the City presenta- tion is available on the City website, currently linked from the home page. Want to learn more? The City’s Pub- lic Works Department plows snow after two or more inches of accumula- tion. Lesser amounts are only salted/sanded as needed. Plows will not go out until after the snow has stopped, unless the snow becomes too heavy. In that case, roads will be opened, then cleaned up after snow has stopped. The City does not have a bare street policy, as this requires tons of salt, around the clock plowing, and heavy traffic. Plows will get as close as possible to the mailboxes, but the cleaning of the mail- boxes is the responsibility of individual residents. It is also the responsibility of adjacent homeowners to clean snow from fire hydrants. The City plows the walks and trails to the best of its ability after all the streets are done. Some trails are not plowed if icing occurs due to them being too steep to plow. Parking when it’s been snowing: No vehicle can be parked on the street after the accumulation of two or more inches of snow and continuing until after snow plowing has been completed. Remember, there is no parking on any City street between 2 and 6 a.m. year round. Snow: it’s coming! Want to see the City’s complete snow removal policy? Go to www.cityofardenhills.org/ snowplowing. See the entire snow-removal policy 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 Levy information summarized Lexington Station hosts nine businesses Cummings Park State of the City presentation reviewed Notes from the City AdministratorThis is my fifth annual Arden Hills Notes article and each time I have reviewed recent and upcoming City activities, with TCAAP and transportation projects being the two mainstay topics. TCAAP The City and Ramsey County are opti- mistic about the future of TCAAP as we continue to work together on this redevel- opment project. The land use map for the TCAAP Master Plan was approved by the City Council on June 30. An environmental review document that is part of the overall Master Plan, the Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR), was approved by the City Council on July 28. The City Council is working on the Regulations and Policies section of the Master Plan. It is anticipated that the City Council will consider this third and final part of the overall Master Plan before the end of 2014. After the City Council has approved the TCAAP Master Plan, then a Comprehen- sive Plan amendment needs to be adopted by the City Council and approved by the Metropolitan Council. According to state law, this review and approval process can take up to 120 days. If the full 120 days are needed for the approval of the Comp Plan amendment, then it would be sometime in early spring 2015 before this requirement is completed. Concurrent with the City’s work on the Regulations and Policies for the Master Plan, a TCAAP infrastructure study is moving forward under a contract ap- proved by Ramsey County. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., an engineering and design consulting firm, is leading this project. These plans include: public utilities (municipal sewer and water); the “spine” road that runs north/south through the site from County Road H to Highway 96; and site grading, wetland and storm water design. In the first part of 2015, all of these plans are expected to be completed. Meanwhile, Carl Bolander and Sons, Co., an environmental contracting firm hired by Ramsey County, continues to remedi- ate the site to residential standards. This 30-month contract with Ramsey County started in April 2013 and runs until Octo- ber 2015. Both the City and the County have had numerous inquiries regarding redevelop- ment opportunities at TCAAP. The Joint Development Authority (JDA), as estab- lished by the City-County Joint Pow- ers Agreement, is meeting monthly to prepare for the next phase in the TCAAP redevelopment. The five member JDA is comprised of two City Council members, two Ramsey County Commissioners, and an Arden Hills citizen selected by the City Council. The responsibility of the JDA in this next phase will be to review and consider proposals that are put for- ward by developers. Transportation projects Directly related to the success of the redevel- opment of TCAAP is highway access. In 2015, Ramsey County is taking the lead on reconstruction of the Highway 96 interchange at I-35W. Also, State legis- lation in 2014 will fund the County Road H and I-35W interchange improvement project, which is scheduled for 2016. The City, County and MnDOT are plan- ning work in 2015 on: Lexington Avenue from I-694 to County Road F (this work was originally scheduled for 2014 but was delayed a year); County Road E from Lexington Avenue to the bridge over Snel- ling Avenue (this bridge will be removed in spring 2015 and reconstruction will not be completed until late 2015); and on the Lake Valentine Road bridge over I-35W just west of the Mounds View High School (this bridge will be removed and reconstructed during the summer of 2015). It looks like 2015 will be an active year with street and bridge improvement and replacement projects throughout the com- munity. There are other important activities taking place. Keep up-to-date by checking the City website at www.cityofardenhills.org for the latest information. If you have questions, call City Hall at 651-792-7800. Patrick Klaers, City Administrator