HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecember 2018The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents December 2018
Public Forum Draws Resident Crowd of 50
The city held a public forum on No-
vember 15 to review the proposed
Rice Creek Commons development
plans to date, including overall financing,
parks, amenities and a proposed civic site
on the former Twin Cities Army Ammuni-
tion Plant (TCAAP) property. Residents
were asked to provide feedback on the
presentation and corresponding displays.
The feedback is being gathered and a sum-
mary will be included in a later issue of
this newsletter.
The forum date was set in September,
and the week before the forum was held,
Ramsey County officials notified the city
that it was pulling resources from the
project, essentially putting the brakes on
months of negotiations with the city and
the developer, Alatus LLC.
“The ball is in the county court,”
said Mayor David Grant, citing
frustration with the county.
“We’ve been able to find com-
mon ground and make progress
on a number of items in the draft
master development agreement,
and it’s disappointing that we
cannot continue those nego-
tiations with the county as this
time.”
At the forum, representatives from HGA,
an architecture and design firm, reviewed
four concepts for a civic space, includ-
ing a City Hall option, community center,
wellness center and a hybrid option with a
community hub and wellness center.
Attendees were asked whether they wanted
a civic site as part of the Rice Creek Com-
mons development and what they would
like to see included. There are 1.6 acres
currently zoned for a civic site.
To watch the public forum presentation,
please visit the city’s YouTube channel and
click on the November 15 public forum
video. The Civic Site Task Force will re-
view feedback at its January 29 meeting.
Plowing
• Remove your vehicles from the
street when snow has accumulated
to two inches and until plows have
cleared the street. Overnight park-
ing on city streets is prohibited.
• Do not push snow from your drive-
way into or across the street.
• Place trash recycling containers at
the end of your driveway, rather
than in the street, during winter.
• Keep nearby fire hydrants clear of
snow to save emergency response
time.
Salting
• Use salt for driveways and walk-
ways sparingly. De-icing salt typi-
cally stops working when tempera-
tures fall below 15 degrees.
• Sand can also be used.
• Be sure to sweep up salt and sand
from bare driveways and sidwalks
for reuse and to prevent it from
washing away and into storm
drains.
Winter Weather Tips
Arden Hills Service Directory
1245 West Highway 96
Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734
www.cityofardenhills.org
651-792-7800
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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 612-599-2457
fholmes@cityofardenhills.org
Dave McClung 651-332-0352
davemcclung@cityofardenhills.org
Steve Scott 651-604-0919
sscott@cityofardenhills.org
City Administrator
Dave Perrault 651-792-7824
dperrault@cityofardenhills.org
Communications Coordinator
Dawn Skelly 651-792-7817
dskelly@cityofardenhills.org
Communications Council Liaison
Fran Holmes
Council meetings are held at City Hall
on the second and fourth Mondays of the
month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are televised
live on Cable Channel 16. Meetings of
the Planning Commission are televised
as well. Please visit cityofardenhills.org
for information about archived meeting
playbacks.
Arden Hills Notes is the official
newsletter of the City of Arden Hills, an
equal-opportunity employer.
City Seeks Volunteers for Committees and Commissions
Volunteers are needed to fill vacant seats on the following city committees and com-
missions: Planning Commission, Economic Development Commission, Financial
Planning & Analysis Committee and the Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee.
Visit the City website at cityofardenhills.org/volunteer for more information or to
submit an online application.
Incumbents Reflect on Election ResultsArden Hills’ residents re-elected
David Grant as Mayor and Fran
Holmes and Steve Scott as City
Councilmembers in the November 6 Gen-
eral Election.
Grant received 3,603 votes. He ran unop-
posed. Holmes received 2,577 votes. Scott
received 2,087 votes. The challenger can-
didate, Greg Rubenstein, received 1,533
votes. The mayor and councilmembers will
serve four-year terms beginning January
2019.
“It has been an honor to serve as your
Mayor for the past eight years and for the
previous 10 years as
a councilmember,”
said Mayor David
Grant. “I want to
thank everyone for
their votes during
this last election.”
Grant said he looks
forward to serv-
ing as Mayor for
four years and appreciates feedback from
residents. “It takes resident input to run a
city, and I look forward to your input,” he
said. “Working together we will continue
to make Arden Hills a great place to live,
work and play.”
Councilmember Holmes said talking with
residents on the campaign trail gave her
great insight into
their concerns
and helped her
set an agenda
for the next four
years.
“The TCAAP/
Rice Creek
Commons development project is challeng-
ing, and I will continue to work to reach an
agreeable plan to move forward,” she said.
“Please keep up the dialogue by contacting
me at any time. Thank you for your vote.”
Councilmember Scott said this was the first
election cycle in 14 years that he has not
worked as an election judge. “I’d like to
thank the dozens
of citizens who
put in a very long
day to assist with
our voting expe-
rience, including
the many student
judges I saw,” he
said. “I hope they
remain engaged in the process.
“I’d also like to thank the candidates who
filed and campaigned for office, particular-
ly newcomer Greg Rubenstein,” he added.
“I met Greg and his wife Marlys several
times hard at work canvassing the neigh-
borhoods.”
Compiling results on election night
Ramsey County administers elections for
the City of Arden Hills and “they do it the
old-fashioned way, meaning no internet
transmission of data,” said City Clerk Julie
Hanson.
“They transport the physical ballots and
corresponding data housed on a flash drive,
along with a report, from the polling places
to the Ramsey County Elections office,
which can cause a delay of the final voting
results,” Hanson said. “They have to allow
time for the judges to allow all to vote, do
the wrap-up procedures they need to do,
and then transport the sealed ballots to
downtown St. Paul. This is done to prevent
hacking,” she added.
David Grant
Fran Holmes
Steve Scott
October 22, 2018
All items approved unanimously by 5-0
vote.
• Authorized appointment of Michael
Mrosla to the position of City Planner.
• Approved Cooperative Agreement
with MNDOT for the city’s share
of the frontage road and watermain
construction along Highway No. 10
from Highway 96 to I-35W. Funding
for construction of the watermain was
identified in the State’s 2018 bonding
bill. The city’s financial contribution
to the project is estimated at $413,180,
and the long-term maintenance re-
sponsibilities include watermain, non-
highway side of the retaining walls
and frontage road.
November13, 2018
All items approved unanimously by 5-0
vote.
• Approved resolution certifying 2018
City election canvass results.
• Conducted a public hearing and ap-
proved an on-sale liquor license for
Orchid Restaurant and Grill Inc., lo-
cated at Lexington Square, Phase Two.
• Conducted a public hearing to accept
further public comment regarding
increasing the tobacco sales age to 21
and/or regulating the sale of flavored
and/or menthol tobacco.
For a detailed listing of recent City Coun-
cil action, please review the meeting min-
utes on the city website at cityofardenhills.
org and click on Agendas & Minutes.
Benchmarks: A Review of Recent City Council Action
set out an organ-
ics recycling bin,
too, with a sign
that says, “Food
and Napkins” or
“Food, Napkins
and Plates,” if you
are using uncoated
paper plates or cer-
tified compostable
plates.
You can also bor-
row temporary
recycling and organics containers for large
events through Ramsey County’s recycling
program. Go to RamseyRecycles.com/
EventRecycling to make your request.
‘Tis the
season for
food, fun and
family time! If
you’re having
guests over, make
it easy for them to
recycle by putting
out a bag or bin
to collect empty
cans and bottles.
You can add a
sign that says,
“Bottles and Cans” on the recycling bag
or bin.
If you do organics recycling, you can
Add Recycling to Your Holiday Gathering Plans
Please Recycle Your Holiday Tree Through Ramsey County Recycling
While a Christmas tree can legally be
placed in the trash, we encourage you to
recycle it. Here’s how:
• Bring your tree to the Arden Hills Yard
Waste Drop off Center at 3530 Hudson
Avenue on Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., or Sunday 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Remove all decorations, lights, tinsel
and tree bags. Flocked trees and wire
wreaths are not accepted and may be
placed in the trash.
• Contact your trash hauler to see if they
will take your tree to a compost site
for you (fee charged).
• Leave your natural tree outside, so it
can be used as shelter for birds during
the winter.
Fun & Fitness Classes for Youth
and Adults in the New Year
Before- and after-school classes will be
offered after the holiday break at Island
Lake and Valentine Hills elementary
schools, including Youth Ninja Warrior,
Basketball and Soccer.
The Arden Hills Dance Program will
start the winter dance season on Tues-
day, January 8. A spring recital will be
held at Chippewa Middle School in
April.
Upcoming Adult Activities
Join city staff in January as we explore
Theodore Wirth Regional Park on a pair
of cross county skis on January 8 or
snowshoes on January 22.
Back by popular demand is our Yoga for
all levels class. The city will host two
sessions – Thursday mornings, 9:30-
10:45 a.m., and Thursday evenings,
6:00-7:15 p.m. starting January 3rd.
Don’t forget to sign up for the De-Stress
for Success Yoga Workshop scheduled
for Sunday, February 24 at Arden Hills
City Hall.
Tai Chi Basic: Develop strength and
energy in your legs. Each move will
naturally transfer into your cores and
arms, and then form a well-coordinated
entire body movement. Classes begin
Wednesday, January 9 in the City Hall
Community Room.
Check out the City of Arden Hills web-
site or the Winter Parks and Recreation
Guide for more information, or contact
the Parks and Recreation Department at
651-792-7848.
Postal Customer
Inside
Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734
City Council Election Results
TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons Forum Update
Fitness Classes for the New Year
Holiday Recycling Information
ECR-WSS
PRST STD
U.S. Postage Paid
St. Paul, MN
Permit #1962
From the Mayor
As I look back on the year, I see
that 2018 has been filled with
business expansions and city
infrastructure improvements.
Lexington Station Phase II was com-
pleted and many storefronts are now open
for business. We welcome what the new
vendors bring to our community along
with the additional parking. This is the sec-
ond of three phases planned for Lexington
Station.
Health Partners completed its build-
ing addition specializing in infant through
juvenile care.
The Land O’Lakes corporate expansion
was certainly one of the largest projects
completed this year. We look forward to
the many new jobs this expansion will
bring to our community. We are pleased
to have the corporate headquarters for a
Fortune 500 company in our city.
Dunn Brothers completed its grand
opening. They offer a roomy interior with
drinks and various food items. The interior
is designed for coffee and conversation,
and many students study for exams there.
The Red Bulls of the Minnesota Army
National Guard broke ground on the
Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS)
property. Their 136,000 sq. ft. facility will
bring 800 soldiers to our area. This project
has been in the works for several years.
We congratulate them on the start of their
building and welcome them as part of our
community.
Springhill Suites by Marriott broke
ground on a new 134-room hotel. The
location is on Grey Fox Road west of
Lexington.
A new trail section was completed (yes
finally completed) that connects County
Road E, starting at the bridge and going
west to Old Snelling, then north to County
Road E2. This completes an important trail
section for the city. It enables pedestrians
to have a safe walking path and creates
physical separa-
tion for drivers. The
project also included
a new water main
on Old Snelling
and replacement of
a problem main on
County Road E2.
Several roads were reconstructed in
northern Arden Hills this summer. It is im-
portant that the city keep up with maintain-
ing our roads as they age.
Also important was the maintenance of
the city’s two water towers. This year our
north water tower underwent substantial
maintenance and repainting. We also up-
graded the Johanna Marsh Park to include
playground equipment.
I hope you have a wonderful time with
friends and family this holiday season.
Sincerely,
David Grant, Mayor
Land O'Lakes headquarters expansion