The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About05 May 2021 The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents May 2021 Development Update The concept plan review is a non-binding presentation to the City Council, and provides for an informal discussion between the City and the developer. A concept plan review typically results in the Council suggesting modifications and changes to the project for the developer to consider; however, none of the comments are binding. Following the concept plan review, a developer may choose whether or not to proceed with the project. If the developer chooses to move forward, they must submit a formal application which will trigger the required review by the City Planner, Planning Commission, and City Council. There is no certainty that any of these projects will reach final approval. Current concept plans under consideration: • Aldi grocery store along with a small café/bakery and a bank at the Pace Industries site at 3737 Lexington Avenue • Grove Community Church house of worship at 1275 Red Fox Road • Chick-fil-A at the vacant Perkins restaurant site at 3855 Lexington Ave It’s an exciting time for commercial development in Arden Hills! Arden Hills City Council approved a proposal from Kensington Development Partners to develop the site at 3787 Lexington Avenue, known as Lexington Station Phase III, which is the final phase of the Lexington Station Redevelopment. This phase includes the demolition of the existing multi-tenant building to accommodate a 43,000 square foot grocery store, new to the Minnesota market. In addition to the grocery store, site improvements include a parking lot, landscaping, and improvements to the entrance road. As part of the county’s Lexington Avenue reconstruction in 2022, a traffic signal will be added to the southern Target access road, which will also serve this development. Boston Scientific plans to construct an expansion of their existing facility at Building 14 in the northwest corner of their Arden Hills campus. The purpose of the facility is the development and production of lithium batteries for use in medical devices. The proposed expansion is a 17,450 square foot, single-story structure with an 8,450 square foot mechanical penthouse. Site improvements will include an entry plaza with outdoor dining area and a 10-stall parking lot. New landscaping will be provided in compliance with Arden Hills tree preservation rules. When considering this project, the City Council took into account neighborhood concerns regarding potential noise impacts from the facility and conditioned the project to include additional noise testing to ensure the facility adheres to local and state requirements. Full proposals can be viewed at cityofardenhills.org/ CCAgenda4-26-21. Plans Reviewed for Bethel University Bethel University seeks improvements to the southern quadrant of the campus where their existing football and practice fields are cur- rently located. Concept Plans Considered Rendering for the building expansion at Boston Scientific. Arden Hills Service Directory Arden Hills City Hall 1245 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 www.cityofardenhills.org 651-792-7800 Office Hours Monday through Friday 8 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 dmcclung@cityofardenhills.org Steve Scott ● 651-604-0919 sscott@cityofardenhills.org City Administrator Dave Perrault ● 651-792-7824 dperrault@cityofardenhills.org Communications Coordinator Gretchen Needham ● 651-792-7817 gneedham@cityofardenhills.org Communications Committee Council Liaison Fran Holmes Council meetings are held at City Hall on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7 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 News New Water-Treatment Plant Will Raise Rates in Arden Hills A new water-treatment plant will increase water rates for the St. Paul region, including Arden Hills. To pay for the $160 million dollar price tag for the new plant, water rates will be gradually increased. By 2024, the average water customer will pay $392 a year, up from $313 today. Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed in 2025. A more detailed breakdown of what Arden Hills residents can expect to pay will be available in an upcoming newsletter. Hire a Licensed Tree Service Contractor for Tree Work If you’re hiring a tree service to do work on your property, make sure to choose a company that has been licensed to do tree work with the City of Arden Hills. Pursuant to the Arden Hills City Code, all persons engaging in a business that maintains, trims, removes, or treats trees or shrubs within the City must obtain a license from the City. Although City staff are not authorized to recommend a specific contractor, residents can find a list of Licensed Tree Service Contractors at cityofardenhills.org/ LicensedTreeServiceContractors. For further questions, please contact the Deputy City Clerk at 651-792-7830. Sign Up for Street and Utility Updates with “Notify Me” The City of Arden Hills has many road and pavement construction projects lined up this spring. If you’d like to stay informed about street and utility improvements in real time, sign up for the 2021 PMP Improvements messages at cityofardenhills.org/subscribe-2021PMP. You can also learn more at cityofardenhills.org/2021PMP. Asphalt Patching Work Began April 14 The City of Arden Hills Public Works Department has put together a helpful map detailing their upcoming asphalt patching projects with a rough timeline attached. Find the map at cityofardenhills.org/PW, and contact Public Works at 651-792-7850 with any questions or concerns. Chicken Ordinance Temporarily Delayed Due to the vast number of recent and ongoing commercial development projects, the City has not had sufficient time to devote to preparing a backyard chicken ordinance. The City is also in the process of filling the City Planner position, which has added to the delay in the discussion. We hope to see progress and a draft ordinance for Planning Commission and Council to review in the near future. Thank you for your patience while we work on this and other important City business. Except as indicated, all items were approved unanimously by a 5–0 vote. March 22, 2021 City Council Meeting • Authorized Request for Proposals for the preparation of a feasibility report of the Arden Oaks Street Improvements project for Arden Oaks Drive and Arden Oaks Court for 2022. • Approved City Administrator’s three-year performance evaluation. • Authorized the City of Coon Rapids to award the 2021 Street Maintenance contract under an existing North Metro Regional Joint Powers Agreement. • Certified quarterly delinquent utilities to Ramsey County. April 12, 2021 City Council Meeting • Approved a Resolution in support of $189,700 Community Development Block Grant funding to assist with improvements to Arden Manor manufactured home community for infrastructure site improvements (drainage, sidewalks and pathways) and improvements to playground and picnic facilities. • Approved a Development Agreement with Kensington Development and a Memorandum of Understanding with Ramsey County to allow Kensington Development to install a temporary signal at the developer’s cost on Lexington Avenue (at the south Target intersection) in the event certain milestones are not met. • Held a Public Hearing, adopted Special Assessment Roll, and authorized Award of Contract for the 2021 PMP Street and Utility Improvements Project for the Hazelnut Neighborhood, including the streets of Glenpaul, Jerrold, Edgewater, and Prior. • Received Feasibility Report and called for Public Hearing for the Old Snelling Avenue North and County Road E 2022 PMP Street and Utility Improvements Project. April 26, City Council Meeting All items approved unanimously by 4–0 vote (Councilmember McClung, excused). • Adopted a Proclamation designating May 16–22, 2021 as National Public Works Week in Arden Hills to recognize our Public Works staff who perform important community service. • Accepted from the Arden Hills Foundation a park bench at Benchmarks: A Review of Recent Council Action Crepeau Park; this donation was given to the Arden Hills Foundation by Dan Reichert, local State Farm Agent in Arden Hills. • Conducted an improvement public hearing and ordered project plans and specifications for Snelling Avenue North and Cummings Lane. • Conducted a public hearing and approved a Planned Unit Development and Site Plan amendment for Boson Scientific’s proposal to construct an addition to a building on the northwest corner of its campus. • Conducted public hearing for a Planned Unit Development and Site Plan amendment for a project located at 3787 Lexington Avenue (“Lexington Station Phase III”), which includes a standalone grocery store. • Conducted a public hearing and tabled to May 3 a Conditional Use Permit Amendment and Site Plan amendment requested by Bethel for improvements to its football filed on its main campus at 3900 Bethel Drive. For a complete listing of recent City Council action, visit cityofardenhills.org and click on View Agendas & Minutes. Lawn Care Tips to Protect the Watershed Grass clippings and leaves contain phosphorus and other nutrients that, like fertilizer, are harmful to groundwater. Help do your part to protect our watershed: • Cut your grass at a height of 3 inches or higher and keep your mower blades sharp. • Leave grass clippings on your lawn; “grasscycling” will provide nutrients to the soil and reduce the amount of fertilizer needed to maintain the lawn. • Don’t overwater your lawn, which increases the chances of groundwater pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides washing into stormdrains. • Fertilize your lawn using the proper fertilizer composition and at a minimum application. Inside Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734 Development Updates City News Sign Up for Street and Utility Notifications Stormwater Best Practices: Lawn Care Code Enforcement Corner: Weed out the Weeds Greetings, Arden Hills Residents: I’ll start out by introducing myself. I’m Terry Hagstrom, Arden Hills Residential Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer. While my primary job is to perform plan reviews and residential building inspections keeping our residents safe, I also attend to complaints and code enforcement. Occasionally, I’ll be informing our residents with short articles in the Arden Hills Notes Newsletter on how to keep our wonderful city in compliance and looking its best. Some residents have a desire to keep a butterfly/bee habitat or meadow. Many flowering plants and native grasses are good for butterflies and pollinators, but noxious and invasive plants (e.g., purple loosestrife, buckthorn, and wild parsnip, to name a few) are not allowed. Refer to the Department of Agriculture’s Minnesota Noxious Weed List for a list of prohibited vegetation. Grasses, other than decorative grasses, and weeds including dandelions that are over 8” are a code violation in Arden Hills and must be mowed. The City ordinance for weeds reads as follows: 602.02 Subd. 6: Land shall be kept free of noxious weeds and unsightly or objectionable plant growth of eight (8) inches or more in height. (This is the short version.) Please refer to the City’s website for a link to all ordinances. Prairie-style gardens are beautiful and beneficial, but make sure the balance tips toward natural/native, not overgrown/unruly. Your neighbors will appreciate your yard looking attractive and that will also keep up property values. Sources: mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/minnesota-noxious-weed-list codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/ardenhills/latest/ardenhills_mn/0-0-0-1285