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Home My WebLink About03 March 2024 Arden Hills Notescityofardenhills.org • March 2024 • 1 The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents March 2024 Mister Car Wash On February 12, 2024, the City Council approved a redevelopment project from CWP West, LLC, for the property located at 3751 Lexington Avenue N. This site was a former Arby’s restaurant, which closed in 2023 and will be demolished as part of the project scope. In its place will be a new Mister Car Wash with an approximate 5,400 square foot single-story drive-through conveyor- type express car wash with self- service vacuums. Mister Car Wash operates over 460 locations across 21 states, 33 of which are open or under development in Minnesota. Mister Car Wash prides itself on being good stewards of the environment with innovations, including proprietary cleaning products free of phosphates and dyes and using over 50% reclaimed/recycled water within the wash process. Through the Planned Unit Development review process, the City Council granted flexibility on the building positioning for efficiency and safety in site circulation, screening to allow the use of a higher quality maintenance-free composite fence material, and signage, including the allowance of internal illumination. Construction is anticipated to begin this spring, with a potential grand opening in early 2025. Updates, including the start of construction, will be posted on the City’s website as they become available. The City is exploring financing options to fund existing and future capital project needs. These projects may include street and trail projects, equipment purchases, public safety costs, etc. There will be a resident meeting at City Hall on Saturday, April 20, from 10-11 a.m., with a brief 15-minute presentation at 10:15. All residents and businesses are invited to learn and hear about upcoming needs and the different options being considered. The two primary options under consideration are increased property tax levies on property owners or instituting a franchise fee administered by Xcel Energy through utility bills. Franchise fees are fees added to customers’ utility bills, which are collected by Xcel and remitted to the City. The fees are not related to actual energy or power consumption, but are in-addition to Xcel’s fees. The City is able to charge these fees to Xcel for allowing Xcel to utilize our Right of Way for their electric and gas infrastructure. These fees are common amongst cities and help to provide an additional revenue source for cities, thereby reducing pressures on property taxes. For residents unable to attend the meeting, a survey with the presentation will be posted on the City’s website in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you on April 20. Developer rendering submitted by Mister Car Wash. City Seeks Resident Feedback on Future Capital Financing Options 2 • Arden Hills Notes • March 2024 Service Directory City Hall 1245 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112 cityofardenhills.org 651-792-7800 Office Hours Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sheriff and Fire 911 - Emergency & Non-Emergency Water and Sewer Problems (During non-business hours) 651-767-0640 Mayor David Grant • 651-538-0747 dgrant@cityofardenhills.org City Councilmembers Brenda Holden • 651-636-2987 bholden@cityofardenhills.org Emily Rousseau • 651-792-7856 erousseau@cityofardenhills.org Tena Monson • 612-758-0695 tmonson@cityofardenhills.org Thomas Fabel • 651-303-3611 tfabel@cityofardenhills.org City Administrator Dave Perrault • 651-792-7824 dperrault@cityofardenhills.org Sr. Communications Coordinator Luke Cardona • 651-792-7817 lcardona@cityofardenhills.org City Council Liaison Thomas Fabel Resident Resources cityofardenhills.org/resident-resources Council meetings are held at City Hall on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. Council meetings, Work Sessions, and Planning Commission meetings are televised live on Cable Channel 16. 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. 2 • Arden Hills Notes • March 2024 City News Spring/Summer Parks & Recreation Activity Guide Get ready for the warmer weather with spring and summer recreation programs! There are plenty of programs to choose from, like soccer, t-ball, playground programs, yoga, and more! Visit cityofardenhills.org/203/Recreation-Programs to learn more and register. Spring Egg Hunt Calling all kids! Join in on the Spring fun and hunt for filled colored eggs on March 23! The Spring Bunny will be bringing plenty of eggs, surprise gifts, and a hopping good time! The event will be held at Cummings Park regardless of the weather. This event is for ages 1-12 and costs $8 per child. Egg hunt start times vary by age beginning at 10:30 a.m. for children ages 1-4, 10:40 a.m. for ages 5-8, and 10:50 a.m. for ages 9-12. Pre-registration is required. The deadline to register is Wednesday, March 20. Visit cityofardenhills.org/180/Parks-Recreation to register. Touch-a-Truck Do you have kids who are crazy about getting up close to big rigs? Celebrate National Public Works Week in Arden Hills on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Perry Park (3700 New Brighton Road). There will be a fire engine, squad car, boat, snowplow, and more! The annual Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) meeting will coincide with this event. Arden Hills Public Works is hosting the event with the generous assistance of the Lake Johanna Fire Department, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department, Allina Health, and the National Guard. New this year: a free bounce house provided by the Shoreview/Arden Hills Lions Club! Hiring Seasonal Staff The City is hiring for a Recreation Intern, Temporary Recreation Assistant, Seasonal Public Works positions (at least three days a week, up to five days a week), and Seasonal Recreation positions (youth soccer officials, tennis instructors, evening sports instructors, and playground leaders/special event chaperones). For more information about these positions and to apply, please visit cityofardenhills.org/425/Employment-Opportunities. cityofardenhills.org • March 2024 • 3 cityofardenhills.org • March 2024 • 3 City Council Benchmarks Feb. 12, 2024 City Council Meeting All votes 5-0 unless otherwise noted. • Approved 2023 Budget Carryovers • Approved Rice Creek Commons Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) Update ($39,500) • Approved 2024 Collective Bargaining Updates • Approved Resolution 2024-007 – Variance at 1666 Oak Avenue (Planning Case 23-023) • Approved Resolution 2024- 008 Approving Plans and Specifications and Ordering Advertisement for Bids – 2024 PMP Street and Utility Improvement Project ($2,763,952 pre-bid estimate) • Approved Ordinances 2023- 013 and 2023- 014 Relating to Ground-Mounted Solar Energy Systems in Residential Zoning Districts (Planning Case 23-018) and Authorization to Publish Summary Ordinances 2023-013 and 2023-014 • Approved Change Order Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and Payment Nos. 1 and 2 – County Road E and Old Snelling Avenue Improvements ($2,115,884 total) • Approved Resolution 2024-009 Appointing Elizabeth Johnson to the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee (PTRC) • Approved City Hall Parking Lot Improvements – Payment No. 4 & Final Closeout ($306,455.51) • Approved Public Works 2024 Bobcat Forestry Head Attachment Equipment Purchase ($23,764) • Approved Resolution 2024- 010 Approving Plans and Specifications and Ordering Advertisement for Bids - 2024 CIPP Lining Project ($487,396 estimate w/ alternate) • Approved Acknowledgment of the Application of Ducks Unlimited North Suburban Chapter 239 for an Exempt Permit to Conduct a Raffle with the Event being April 27, 2024 with No Waiting Period • Approved Resolution 2024-011 – Conditional Use Permit – 3751 Lexington Avenue N (Mister Car wash) – Planning Case 23-024 For a complete listing of recent City Council actions, visit cityofardenhills.org and click on “View Agendas and Minutes.” Garden Plots Available to Rent Are you ready to grow your own flowers, herbs, and produce but don’t have adequate conditions for a garden? The City offers residents the opportunity to rent a garden plot at the City’s site located on Old Highway 10. To reserve a plot, complete the Garden Plot Sublease form online or print and mail it to City Hall. There is a $55.00/plot fee for the cost of garden preparation. April 30 is the final day to apply for a plot before other applicants can request a second. There is a $25 fee for the rental of a second plot. For more information, call 651-792-7848 or visit cityofardenhills.org/210/Garden-Plot-Rental. Apply for Lawns to Legumes Lawns to Legumes offers free resources for DIYers to learn how to plant pollinator-friendly gardens, meadows, lawns, trees, and shrubs. It also provides cost-share grants to help cover the costs of doing a project. The goal is to help people create habitats for at-risk species like the rusty patched bumble bee and the monarch butterfly. Minnesota residents are eligible to apply for Lawns to Legumes cost-share funding of up to $400 to create pollinator habitat in their yards. The application deadline for the Fall 2024 Lawns to Legumes Individual Support program is May 15, 2024. Grant recipients will be notified in late May. Learn more at bluethumb.org/lawns-to-legumes/apply. For project updates, including summaries of the advisory committee meetings, relevant documents, and other important information, visit cityofardenhills.org and click on the Rice Creek Commons (TCAAP) News Flash on the home page. You can also visit ricecreekcommons.com for the latest information. 4 • Arden Hills Notes • March 2024 Inside Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734 ECR-WSS PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid TWIN CITIES, MN Permit #1710 Mister Car Wash Resident Feedback Needed Garden Plots Recreation Events City Council Benchmarks Postal Customer Recycling Is No Fairytale in the Twin Cities Do you wonder what really happens to recyclables when they leave your home? The City of Arden Hills is teaming up with the metro counties to assure you that recycling is no myth. It’s real and it works here. Minnesota is home to many recycling facilities that collect, sort, process and manufacture items made from the bottles, boxes and other containers you put in your recycling cart every day. When you put the right items in your recycling cart, they become new products, locally and regionally. Glass bottles and jars are sorted by color in Saint Paul. Clear glass is sent to Shakopee to make bottles for drinks, pickles, salad dressing and more. Plastic milk and laundry detergent jugs are made into durable decking, fencing and landscaping products in Paynesville, and plastic drink bottles and produce containers are made into new plastic bottles in Wisconsin and Ohio. Recycled paper and cardboard are made into cereal and cracker boxes in Saint Paul. Recycled food cans are made into new products like wire, and parts for cars and appliances in the Midwest. Local efforts to recycle and reduce waste save energy, protect resources and support about 78,000 jobs in the state. Annually, the Twin Cities metro area recycles an average of 900,000 tons of paper and cardboard, metal, glass and plastic – that’s the weight of about four large cruise ships! You can be proud that recycling works in Minnesota. Learn more at RecyclingExists.com.