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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 2014The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents October 2014 It’s election season!Election Day is Tuesday, November 4. In Arden Hills, three people are running uncontested for City offices. Mayor David Grant filed to serve another term. Council Member Fran Holmes also filed to keep her seat. Council Mem- ber Ed Werner decided to retire; former mayor and council member Robert Woodburn filed to take his place. Learn more about the election and about Arden Hills polling places on page 4 of this newsletter. Below you’ll find a statement by each candidate. Linda and I purchased our home in Arden Hills in 1989 when our son Brian was three years old and our daughter Amy was only two weeks old. We were looking for a place to raise a family. Like most parents, we wanted a safe neighborhood and an out- standing school district. In addition, both being raised on farms, we wanted a city that had plenty of natural open space, yet close to employment. We settled in Arden Hills and have rejoiced in that decision over the years. As Brian and Amy were growing up, I realized just how much a gem Arden Hills is, and I decided to fill an open seat on the City Council in January of 2000. I felt it was my way to give back to a community that has given so much to enrich our lives. After being re-elected in 2004 and 2008, I chose to run for Mayor in 2010, believ- ing that Arden Hills has opportunities and challenges that need leadership, and my time on the Council had prepared me for the task ahead. Candidate’s statement: As I started as Mayor in 2010, I knew that we needed to make things happen on a variety of fronts. The largest of which was the redevelopment of TCAAP. In a down economy we couldn’t just wait for a developer to step forward, nor could we For the past eight years, I have had the privilege of representing the residents on the Ar- den Hills City Council. I have resided in Arden Hills with my family for over 25 years. My two adult daughters attended the Mounds View School system, and my husband Jeff is employed by Mounds View High School. My older daughter Carolyn teaches kin- dergarten in Colorado, and my younger daughter Corinne is a social worker in Minneapolis. Working in downtown St. Paul, I am an attorney employed by the Department of the Treasury. I am a graduate of Northwestern Univer- sity (Chicago, IL) BA, Indiana University MLS and JD, and New York University, LL.M. I am a member of Centennial United Methodist Church. For the past year, I was President of the Arden Hills Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedi- cated to improving life in Arden Hills for the people who reside and work here. Candidate’s statement: As an Arden Hills City Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem, my philosophy is to make sensible, proactive decisions that improve our City while still maintaining our safe, tree-lined streets and vibrant neighborhoods. I communicate and listen carefully to the views of our residents. As I have lived in the same residence in Arden Hills for 62 years. I was a pathologist in St. Paul and the owner of a hard- ware store for 18 years, and I am now retired. My association with the public affairs of Arden Hills started with the Arden Association, a civic involvement group composed of many Arden Hills residents. Among other things, we started the Town Crier, the forerunner of the Arden Hills Notes. From 1969 I served on six commit- tees and commissions, including the Plan- ning Commission (chair) and the Finance Committee. This was followed by seven years on the City Council and seven more years as Mayor of Arden Hills. I have the interest and time to serve again on the Arden Hills Council. Candidate’s statement: Most issues before the City Council require balancing an array of potential benefits and costs, such as inconvenience, diminished aesthetics, and increases in taxes. In my decision-making process, I am committed to seeking the input of resi- dents and to weighing the best available information with an open mind. I do not bring a specific agenda to the position of council member, but I bring a commitment to actively support a decision-making Fran Holmes, City CouncilDavid Grant, Mayor Robert Woodburn, City Council All candidate statements continue on page 4 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. Friday 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. 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) 651-767-0649 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 live at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. Visit www.cityofardenhills. org for information about taped meet- ing 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 Hazelnut Park, 3301 New Brighton Road continued on page 3 “The Hazelnut Patch” was the name of a popular play area in the Lake Johanna West neighborhood of Arden Hills. Here, in this wide open parcel of land west of New Brighton Road on the south end of the City, generations of neighborhood children explored acres of sparse vegetation and roamed undeveloped, sloping landscape. Residents young and old walked and hiked through the open area in every season, as it was adjacent to the City’s growing trail system. In 1975, C. G. Rein Company dedicated 10.32 acres of land owned within “The Hazel- nut Patch” to the City and also made available for purchase an additional 1.34 acres. At the suggestion of the City’s Parks and Recreation Committee, the new 11.66-acre park was named Hazelnut Park—a nod to the unofficial name adopted by neighbors for the open space they had so long enjoyed. Early development efforts The development of Hazelnut Park was driven by the intention “to provide a variety of recreational activity…to develop and ex- tend the pedestrian trail system, maintaining and enhancing existing natural areas while providing high intensive activity and passive recreation.” Development efforts following acquisition focused primarily on extensive tree planting and park clean-up – much of which was done by neighborhood volunteers and civic groups. By 1980, there was grading and seeding of ball fields and walking paths, and installation of a backstop and infield materials, and the park’s first play structure. In 1982, the hockey rink, general skating rink, and lights for these facilities were installed. A critical partnership In 1986, the park’s picnic shelter was purchased with grant money from Aid Association for Lutherans and installed by volunteers from the Trinity Lutheran Church (now Trinity Lutheran of Lake Johanna) Men’s Club, which borders Hazelnut Park to the south and west. The City subsequently entered into a joint powers agreement with Trinity Lutheran Church, which made the church parking lot available for use to visitors of Hazelnut Park. This unique and critical partnership brings a scarce amenity (parking) to Hazelnut Park, which positions it as a recreational area that can truly serve City residents in the diverse ways in which it was intended. Maintenance and improvements The City has an approved maintenance policy that places the City parks in levels of maintenance. Hazelnut Park is classified as a Level One park (Perry Park and Cummings Park are the other two) because it is regularly used for organized sports and takes on frequent and intense levels of use throughout the year. As a result, Hazelnut Park has seen much-needed improvements over the last 20 years. Some major projects include: a new play structure and play equipment, paving and im- proved access to bike trails, tennis and basketball court resurfacing, and irrigation by Tina Kulzer Benchmarks: a review of recent City Council action 3 improvements to the soccer and softball fields. Hazelnut Park today Today Hazelnut Park is home to many spring and summer sports leagues, hock- ey and other winter sports activities, and summer playground programming. City residents have use of baseball/softball fields with bleacher seating, tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields, lighted hockey and skating rinks with a warm- ing shelter, a new off-leash dog area (for use through November 1), a covered picnic shelter, a playground, walking and biking trails, and off-street parking. Paved trails meander through the park and connect the park’s amenities. The now- mature trees that were planted throughout the park by volunteers decades ago unify the park’s offerings and create a pictur- esque patchwork of shade and sun that makes Hazelnut Park a unique and quintessential neigh- borhood park. A visit will reveal a well-constructed plan executed over many years to fruition. July 28, 2014 • Approved a revised credit card pur- chasing policy (5-0) • Adopted Resolution 2014-038 accept- ing a $1,300 donation from the Arden Hills Foundation for park benches (5-0) • Approved cost share agreement with Ramsey County for TCAAP Infra- structure analysis (5-0) • Accepted $30,342 quote from Gopher State Sealcoat, Inc. for trail sealcoat- ing (5-0) • Approved Resolution 2014-037 adopting the TCAAP Final AUAR and Mitigation Plan (5-0) • Approved Planning Case 14-017 for a setback variance at 3441 Lake Johanna Boulevard (5-0) August 11, 2014 (Werner was absent) • Approved Round Lake Road Area Improvement payment #2 (4-0) • Approved Gateway 2nd Addition closing documents (4-0) • Approved the appointment of a TCAAP Developer Advisory Panel to provide input on TCAAP develop- ment (4-0) August 25, 2014 • Approved resolution 2014-040 order- ing abatement of a tree with Dutch Elm Disease at 1437 Arden Place (5-0) • Accepted resignation of Parks and Recreation Manager Michelle Olson, effective September 10 (5-0) September 8, 2014 (McClung was absent) • Approved sending out a single sort recycling request for proposals for possible implementation in March 2015 (4-0) • Authorized development of a feasibil- ity report for repaving the Crystal/ Venus neighborhood in 2015 (4-0) • Authorized development of a feasibil- ity report for repaving of the Grant Road, Noble Road, Fairview Avenue, and Lake Lane neighborhoods in 2015 (4-0) • Approved consultation services for the 2015 pavement management program (4-0) Hazelnut Park from page 2 Citizen volunteers are sought to serve on the Planning Commission, as well as the Parks, Trails and Recreation Com- mittee. More information about the commission and the committee, as well as an application 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. Get involved in your City— Volunteer for a committee In addition to the three City offices, Arden Hills residents can vote for: U.S. Senate, State Supreme Court, State Court of Appeals, Second Judicial District Court, governor and lieutenant governor, secre- tary of state, state auditor, attorney gen- eral, state representative, county attorney, and county sheriff. Voting precincts Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Arden Hills has three precincts: • Precinct 1: Presbyterian Church of the Way, 3382 Lexington Ave. N. • Precinct 2: Valentine Hills Elementary School, 1770 County Road E2 W. • Precinct 3: Ramsey County Public Works Facility, 1425 Paul Kirkwold Drive New residents or voters can register at their polling place on Election Day. Regis- tration also can be done online, by mail, or at the County Elections Office at least 20 days in advance. Absentee voting Voters can now cast their ballots before Election Day for any reason at Arden Hills City Hall, the County Elections Office, or by mail. Absentee voting times at City Hall are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. October 27- 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. November 1, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. November 3. For instructions on absentee voting, to view a sample ballot, or to find answers to voting questions, go to www.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections. About this fall’s election David Grant put the city at risk to go it alone. Leaving TCAAP the eyesore that it was didn’t make sense either. I looked for a partner . . . . enter Ramsey County. It has been an interesting four years and the final result is the current cleanup of the property and a future mixed-use redevelopment starting in 2015 and beyond. Part of the reason that I am running is to complete the work that is needed to ensure a quality mix-use redevelopment of the property. I know that partnerships will continue to be important going forward. We combined our IT services with Roseville, a joint mainte- nance facility with Ramsey County, the Lake Johanna Fire department with Shoreview and North Oaks, and various efforts with the Mounds View School District. This partnering approach has saved the City a great deal of money over the past years. I look forward to saving money by working together with other units of government. I want to place the focus of the Council on the existing community and TCAAP as another item that must be done with quality and vi- sion. The City is approaching 64 years old and a time when our current infrastructure needs maintaining. We need to place emphasis on maintaining and improving the beautiful City we have while keeping taxes as low as possible. Over the past 14 years I have been fiscally conservative. I have fought to keep Arden Hills’ taxes low and spend our funds wisely. We currently enjoy a AA+ rating due to years of fiscal responsibility. As a Mayor I know this position takes a depth of knowledge, historical perspective, experience to lead the City, and a person who knows what you value. We need positive leadership and a vision to lead the City. We need someone with a proven track record of working with other units of government. We need someone who will listen to the concerns of all residents to make balanced deci- sions. These are just some of the skills and talents that I have and will use as I continue as your Mayor. Fran Holmes a fiscal conservative, I work to keep taxes in Arden Hills low, while keeping the City financially sound. Each year, I make sure that any tax increase is modest, and within the range of what is reasonable for an Arden Hills resident. I also watch expenditures carefully. One area that I have been closely watching is TCAAP (the land north of Highway 96). The City is partnering with the County for rede- velopment in this area, and it is my goal to not have the tax burden of the TCAAP development placed on the current residents. The City Council deals with many diverse issues, and I have a great deal of experience over the last eight years meeting the needs of the residents in all areas: development and planning, infrastructure improvements, recycling, maintenance of our roads, and prompt plowing in the winter. One of my passions and accomplishments I am most proud of is improvement of parks and trails here in Arden Hills. I have initiated proposals that resulted in interconnected trails to Perry Park and Tony Schmidt Regional Park. In the last several years, I was instru- mental in sparking interest that will result in more open space and trails on the TCAAP property. I was also instrumental in bringing about the improvements to Valentine Park and Freeway Park, which are two well-used and visible parks. In addition, I participated on a committee with the City and County for improvements coming next year to the bridge crossing over Highway 51 on County Road E for safer pedestrian and bike travel. I am excited to have the opportunity for another four years to work with the residents of Arden Hills to make our City even better. I welcome you to contact me at 651-631-1866 or franh116@aol.com. Robert Woodburn process that is open, reflects resident input and is evidence-based. My goal is to improve our City of Arden Hills in ways that are fair, deliberate, slow and steady. Candidate statements continued, from page 1 If you are not sure which precinct you live in, go to http://xnet. co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/precinct_finder 4 Not sure where to vote? Buying in bulk is a great way to reduce packaging waste, save money, and try new foods in small quantities. Grocery stores offer different types of bulk foods, from coffee beans to pinto beans, dried fruit to cereal, and nuts to spices. You might be surprised at the many food choices offered. People who are new to buying bulk are often intimidated by the bulk section of the grocery store, so here is everything first-timers need to know: • Bring your own container—prefer- ably the one you’ll use for storage at home. If you forget, stores also supply plastic bags. • Use the scale to measure the weight of your container when it’s empty, which you’ll subtract from the total weight on the scale after it’s filled. At some stores you’ll do this, at others the cashier will. Ask for help your first time. • Write the item's code on your con- tainer or on a label provided by the store, and bring your purchases to the cashier. Remember to make sure you only buy what will be used before spoiling and what you have storage space for. The cost and waste savings go away when the leftover food ends up in the trash. Buying from the bulk bins will help you to enjoy less pack- aging waste, less food waste, and more money in your pocket. Learn more at getLESStoday.com. When you’re buying in bulk Over the past couple of decades, the City Council has been very aggressive in rebuilding the City’s street infrastructure. Every other year, and sometimes every year, a neighborhood has had its streets reconstructed, reclaimed, or milled and overlaid. There are, however, several neighborhoods that still need street work done. What happens to the newly constructed streets after the work is done and the neighbor- hood properties are assessed for a portion of the cost? How are the streets maintained to ensure the maximum useful life of the street? In Arden Hills, the Coun- cil has been very aggressive budgeting for the ongoing maintenance of the City streets and trails, with an annual budget amount in the $200,000 range. So the next question is: How is all that money spent? The money is spent in many differ- ent ways. The most visible way it is spent is on an annual seal coat project. Seal coating is the process of spraying the road surface with asphalt emulsion and covering it with small-diam- eter aggregate. The benefit of seal coating is to protect the pavement surface from the deteriorating effects of sun and rain, which cause the pavement to become brittle and crack. The second benefit of adding texture to the road surface is an increase in surface fric- tion. Over time, traffic begins to wear the fine material from the asphalt pavement, causing it to become smooth. The Public Works staff main- tains a pavement management system that is used to project seal coat improvements needed over time. In anticipation of seal coating an area, cracks in the road surface are typi- cally sealed a year or two before the seal coat project is done. Areas of the bitumi- nous surface that show severe distress are removed and patched. Also on a yearly basis, staff proposes a contract for replace- ment of severely deteriorated concrete curb and gutter. A very similar process is used to maintain the City’s bituminous trails. The one major difference in the two processes is the product used to seal coat the trails; it does not include an aggregate component as this would be disruptive to the use and enjoy- ment of the trails. The product used on the trails is heavy emulsified asphalt with sand filler that is poured in place and allowed to dry before the trails can be used. As with street surfaces, the biggest benefit of using this product is to rejuvenate the surface from the effects of sun, wind and rain. Questions? The public works staff is committed to continuing the maintenance of the City’s infrastructure in an effort to maxi- mize the useful life of each asset. If you have any questions or concerns about maintenance issues, contact either Terry Maurer, Public Works Director, at tmaurer@cityofardenhills.org or John Anderson, Assistant City Engineer, at janderson@cityofardenhills.org. Street maintenance in Arden Hills--an overview by Terry Maurer, Public Works Director 5 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 Election preview Hazelnut Park Street maintenance overview Buying in bulk Fall is upon us! It seems like just yesterday it was New Year’s, and we were looking forward to a busy 2014 here in Arden Hills. So far this year, we have seen the completion of the Highway 10/County Road 96 reconstruc- tion, concrete work on County Road 96, and the repaving of Hamline Avenue. At times I wondered if anyone in the northern part of the City would be able to drive anywhere! The County and its contractor have progressed on cleanup of the excess TCAAP property. Going hand-in-hand with the cleanup, the City has approved an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) for the TCAAP redevelopment and started to tackle the issues of creating zoning districts and standards for the soon to be redeveloped land. With less than three months left in 2014, I want to touch up three items: upcoming road and bridge construction, the TCAAP Master Plan, and elections on November 4. Arden Hills has endured its fair share of regional transportation construction the last several years. Unfortunately, major construction projects are planned for another two years. Two items account for all this reconstruction. First, we need to improve our infrastructure to facilitate and accommodate the TCAAP redevelopment. Second, it is time to replace infrastructure completed 30 and 40 years ago that has outlived its life expectancy. In 2015 we will see reconstruc- tion of the County Road 96 bridge over I-35W, improvements to the intersection of County Road F and Lexington Avenue, reconstruction of the County Road E bridge over Highway 51, reconstruction of County Road E from the County Road E/Highway 51 bridge to Lexington Avenue, and reconstruction of the Lake Valentine Road bridge over I-35W heading into New Brighton. If that isn’t enough, in 2016 the County Road H bridge over I-35W (which will be the gate- way into the TCAAP development) will be reconstructed, as will the County Road E2 bridge over I-35W. I am not looking forward to all of this inconvenience, but it is needed to replace aging roadways and expand the infrastructure to allow the regional development that is occurring — not just in Arden Hills — but also in New Brighton, Shoreview, Mounds View, and Blaine. TCAAP planning is rocketing ahead so that the City and Ramsey County are prepared, once the cur- rent cleanup of the land is com- pleted (most probably in the second half of 2015), to sell the land to developers for residential and commercial construction. By the end of the year, the City Council, City staff, and our planning consultants are working to develop a TCAAP Rede- velopment Code that will help us imple- ment the vision for redevelopment and provide the regulatory tools to guide the redevelopment consistent with the TCAAP Master Plan, which is our vision for the site. The City Council has doubled our monthly meetings in order to review the work being done on the Master Plan and the Redevelopment Code. I have heard that many residents are apprehensive of the unknowns of the TCAAP redevelopment and the additional traffic that development will bring. But I have also heard from residents who are excited that the development is getting closer to actually happening. In fact, one resident keeps asking me when construc- tion will start on her new condo so she can start packing. The only constant in life is change. When I think back 25 years and what Arden Hills was then, I can’t say that I would have envisioned what we are now. I am proud of the City we have become and I am excited for the changes that are coming soon. I envision a high-quality, livable, walkable community that encom- passes elements of the current Arden Hills and adds elements that will help us remain vibrant and a community where people want to work and live. As TCAAP devel- ops, I hope we can all feel that the new residents, businesses, parks, trails, and open spaces add to the special place that is Arden Hills. The new development is not going to look exactly like the Arden Hills we are used to, and I hope we see that as an opportunity and not a threat. The last item I want to mention is remember to vote on Tuesday, November 4. This year we have important races including Mayoral and two City Council seats. Please see the candidate statements from the candidates running for City offices in this issue. Warmest regards, Dave McClung Notes from the City Council