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04-22-24-WS
Mayor: Address: David GrantIt 1245 W Highway 96 Arden Hills MN 55112 -A HILLS Councilmembers: EN Phone: Brenda Holden 651-792-7800 Emily Rousseau City Council Work Session Tena Monson Website: Tom Fabel Agenda www.cityofardenhills.org April 22, 2024 Immediately following Economic Development Authority City Hall City Vision Arden Hills is a strong community that values its unique environmental setting, strong residential neighborhoods, vital business community, well -maintained infrastructure, fiscal soundness, and our long-standing tradition as a desirable City in which to live, work, and play. Members of the public may attend a meeting in -person at City Hall or they may view the meeting remotely on the City's website using the below link. Meetings are also broadcast on Cable Channel 16 for those that live in Arden Hills. https://cityofardenhills.orci/320/Watch-Cit -- Meetings This meeting will be streamed live on local Cable Channel 16 and available for playback on our website. CALL TO ORDER 1. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL This is an opportunity for citizens to respectfully bring to the Council's attention any items which are relevant to the City. In addressing the Council, you must first state your name and address for the record. Comments shall be limited to three (3) minutes or less. Written documents or other materials should be handed to the City Clerk for distribution to the Council prior to or during the meeting. Council will generally not respond at the same meeting where an issue is initially raised by a member of the public but the Council may refer the issue to staff for further research and possible report or action at a future Council meeting. 2. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC INQUIRIES 3. AGENDA ITEMS 3.A. AUAR Update Dave Perrault, City Administrator Documents: MEMO.PDF ATTACHMENT A.PDF ATTACHMENT B.PDF ATTACHMENT C.PDF 3.13. Recycling Discussion Dave Perrault, City Administrator Documents: MEMO.PDF 3.C. Park Habitat Management With Great River Greening Becca Tucker, Great River Greening Kerri Seemann, PTRC Documents: MEMO.PDF ATTACHMENT A.PDF ATTACHMENT B.PDF ATTACHMENT C.PDF 3.D. Rice Creek Commons/TCAAP Discussion Dave Perrault, City Administrator Documents: MEMO.PDF 3.E. Strategic Goals Dave Perrault, City Administrator Documents: MEMO.PDF IF. Agenda Planning Dave Perrault, City Administrator Documents: MEMO.PDF ATTACHMENT A.PDF 4. COUNCIL/STAFF COMMENTS ADJOURN AGENDA ITEM — 3A -t1 DEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: April 22, 2024 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Dave Perrault, City Administrator SUBJECT: AUAR Update Budgeted Amount: N/A Council Should Consider Actual Amount: Funding Source: N/A N/A Council will receive a presentation from Kimley Horn on the AUAR update and provide feedback. Background The City Council authorized Kimley Horn to conduct the AUAR update, this meeting will provide Council the opportunity to provide any feedback on the draft update prior to being disseminated for outside comments. Attachments include a memo from Kimley Horn (Attachment A), the presentation (Attachment B), and the draft AUAR update (Attachment Q. The draft update found under Attachment C does not include the appendices for the traffic report, the full report can be found using the below link: hgps:Hcityofardenhills. org/DocumentCenterNiew/6186/Draft-AUAR-UPDATE-4-22- 20249bidTd= Budget Impact N/A Attachment Attachment A: Kimley Horn Memo to City Council Attachment B: Presentation Slides Attachment C: Draft AUAR Update (no appendices) Page 1 of 1 Attachment A Kimley»>Horn Background Summary for City Council April 16, 2024 AUAR UPDATE BACKGROUND The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) study area is 429 acres located within the broader TCAAP site in Arden Hills. The AUAR study area is bounded by County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 96 on the south, by US Highway 10 and Interstate 35W (1-35W) on the west, by State of Minnesota property on the north, and by the National Guard's Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS) property on the east. As the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU), the City of Arden Hills adopted the TCAAP Final AUAR and Mitigation Plan on July 28, 2014. Pursuant to Minnesota Rules, part 4410.3610, subpart 7, an AUAR and plan for mitigation must be revised every five years until all development in the study area has received final approval. The City of Arden Hills adopted an AUAR Update on August 26, 2019. Since the study area has not been fully developed, the City is in the process of completing another update to the TCAAP AUAR pursuant to Minnesota Rules. An AUAR update identifies any changes to the development scenarios and any updates to the impact categories or mitigation items that have occurred. The process for an AUAR Update is shorter than the original AUAR; once the RGU distributes the AUAR Update to Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB), agencies and the public have 10 business days to submit comments. If there are no objections filed by state agencies or the Metropolitan Council, the RGU can adopt the AUAR Update. The AUAR will remain valid for an additional five years from the date of adoption. 2024 TCAAP AUAR UPDATE The TCAAP AUAR evaluated two scenarios: a Zoning Scenario that aligned with the City's Comprehensive Plan as of 2014 and one Maximum Development Scenario (see Table 1). The scenarios were not revised for the 2019 or 2024 AUAR Updates. The development allowed under the current TCAAP Regulating Plan is under the Maximum Development Scenario. Table 1: Development Scenarios Component Zoning Scenario Maximum Development Scenario Residential Units 1,500 2,500 Retail (square feet) 500,000 550,000 Non -Retail Commercial (square feet) 1,700,000 1,950,000 Kimley»>Horn Page 2 The AUAR Update focuses on issues that required specific mitigation measures as noted in the 2014 Final AUAR, that had changes in applicable regulations, or that had changes occur in the study area. For other issue areas, the analysis that was completed in 2014 and 2019 remains valid. The areas requiring updates are: • Cover types Land use Water resources • Contamination/hazardous materials/solid wastes • Fish, plant communities, and sensitive ecological resources • Visual • Transportation No new impacts or mitigation measures were identified for cover types, land use, water resources, contamination/hazardous materials/solid wastes, or visual. The updated traffic analysis identified two new mitigation measures: • Monitoring the intersection of Mounds View Boulevard and County Road H as development occurs to see if anticipated traffic volumes, delays, and queues are realized • Restriping the southbound through lane at CSAH 96 & Northern Heights/TCAAP South Access to be a shared through/right turn lane The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) review of sensitive ecological resources is pending, and if additional mitigation measures are recommended by the DNR they will be added to the mitigation plan. NEXT STEPS City comments will be addressed and the AUAR Update draft will be finalized in April 2024. The AUAR Update will be published in the EQB Monitor and the 10-business day comment period will occur in May 2024. 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Introduction..................................................................................................................................1 2. Existing Conditions........................................................................................................................1 3. Development Scenarios..............................................................................................................4 4. Impact Analysis............................................................................................................................4 5. Mitigation Summary and Update............................................................................................14 6. AUAR Update Review................................................................................................................20 List of Tables Table 1: Development Scenarios ............................................... Table 2: Future Land Uses Identified in the AUAR Study Area Table 3: State -Listed Species Within the Review Area ............ Table 4: Trip Generation Summary ............................................ Table 5: 2040 Peak Hour Traffic Analysis Results ....................... Table 6: Permits and Approvals Required ................................ Table 7: Mitigation Measures and Status Update ................... List of Figures \�- Figure 1: AUAR Study Area ........................................... Figure 2: Cover Types Within the AUAR Study Area .. List of Attachments Attachment A: Land Use and Zoning Maps Attachment B: DNR Natural Heritage Review Letter (pending, to be updated when letter is received) Attachment C: Traffic Analysis TCAAP AUAR Update April 2024 .4 .6 .9 12 13 14 16 3 5 1. Introduction The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) study area is 429 acres located within the broader TCAAP site in Arden Hills. Ramsey County purchased 427 acres of the site in 2013, and Ramsey County Parks & Recreation owns the remaining 2 acres. The AUAR study area is bounded by County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 96 on the south, by US Highway 10 and Interstate 35W (1-35W) on the west, by State of Minnesota property on the north, and by the National Guard's Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS) property on the east (see Figure 1). As the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU), the City of Arden Hills adopted the TCAAP Final AUAR and Mitigation Plan on July 28, 2014. Pursuant to Minnesota Rules, part 4410.3610, subpart 7, an AUAR and plan for mitigation must be revised every five years until all development in the study area has received final approval. The City of Arden Hills adopted an AUAR Update on August 26, 2019. Since the study area has not been fully developed, the purpose of this document is to provide another update to the TCAAP AUAR pursuant to Minnesota Rules. This report is intended to serve as an update to the 2014 AUAR and 2019 AUAR Update and includes information on development to date, an update to the environmental analysis where necessary, and a review of mitigation measures. 2. Existing Conditions No residential, retail, or commercial development has occurred within the AUAR study area. Since the AUAR was published in 2014, the following environmental remediafion work and adjacent infrastructure improvement projects were completed and were documented in the 2019 AUAR Update: • 2015: o Demolition and remediafion within the AUAR study area was completed. o The new interchange at 1-35W and CSAH 96 was opened to traffic, including a new bridge with accommodations for pedestrians and bicycles. • 2016: o Meanders were reintroduced within a portion of Rice Creek between County Road I and County Road H to facilitate the reconstruction of the County Road H and 1-35W interchange. The new creek alignment was evaluated in a separate Environmental Assessment Worksheet completed by Ramsey County. • 2017: o Construction of the County Road H and 1-35W interchange was completed. County Road H now includes a new wider bridge over 1-35W with two traffic lanes in each direction and a regional trail for bicycles and pedestrians. An off -ramp from 1-35W northbound directly to County Road H was constructed. The US Highway 10 westbound ramp to 1-35W northbound was reconstructed TCAAP AUAR Update April 2024 to go over the new County Road H ramp. The project also included construction of a new pedestrian bridge over Rice Creek and a noise wall along 1-35W southbound between County Road I and County Road H2. Two roundabouts, one at each ramp terminal on either side of 1-35W, were constructed. o Construction of the County Road I, Rice Creek Parkway, and Old Highway 8 interchange was completed. Improvements included a roundabout, trail access, raised medians, and a new stretch of roadway between County Road H and County Road I referred to as the Thumb Road. o A portion of the watermain and sanitary sewer needed for future development was installed along the western edge of the AUAR study area as part of the County Road I ramp reconstruction project. The watermain that was installed is located within the Thumb Road alignment, crosses Rice Creek, extends along the western edge of the study area to where it crosses US Highway 10 near Prior Avenue North and the Highway 10 Frontage Road, and connects to the existing Arden Hills watermain. The sanitary sewer is also located within the Thumb Road alignment and extends from County Road H to the northern boundary of the AUAR study area. Since the 2019 AUAR Update, the following adjacent infrastructure projects were completed: 2019 o Improvements on eastbound US Highway 10 between 1-35W and CSAH 96 were completed in 2019. This project included construction of a third eastbound lane, a two lane exit from 1-35W, noise walls, and storm sewer and watermain improvements. • 2020 o Construction of the Rice Creek North Regional Trailhead began in October 2019 and also included the addition of an access road from the intersection of County Road I and Fairview Avenue to the entrance of the Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS), fencing modifications, stormwater management, landscaping, and signage. This construction was completed in the summer of 2020. • 2021 o An additional E-ZPass express lane was installed on 1-35W between County Road C in Roseville and County Road 53 in Lino Lakes. TCAAP AUAR Update 2 April 2024 6m a Legend AUAR Study Area r ' i� a e . LF ,, ►�. 1 1 w . . ` ,,�"► 1 1 Aerial Courtesy of 1\16; m p Au �'+��•.. _ . . .; � , 3. Development Scenarios There have been no changes to the development scenarios since the 2014 AUAR. The two development scenarios are outlined in Table 1. Table 1: Development Scenarios Residential Units Retail (square feet) Non -Retail Commercial (square feet 4. Impact Analysis Ak 1,500 2,500 550,000 1,950,000 Analysis of the development scenarios focuses on cover types; land use; water resources; contamination, hazardous materials, and solid wastes; fish, plant communities, and sensitive ecological resources; visual; and transportation. These are the issues that required specific mitigation measures as noted in the 2014 Final AUAR, that had changes in applicable regulations, or that had changes occur in the study area. For other issue areas, the analysis that was completed in 2014 and 2019 remains valid. The issue areas with no anticipated changes in impacts or mitigation are listed in Section 4.1. Areas with updates are included in Section 4.2. 4.1. Areas of No Anticipated Change No changes are anticipated for the following areas: • Geology, soils, and topography/land forms • Historic properties • Air • Noise • Cumulative potential effects • Other potential environmental effects 4.2. Areas Requiring Updates 4.2.1. Cover Types See Figure 2 for a map of existing cover types within the AUAR study area. All structures have been demolished within the AUAR study area, and remaining cover types include grassland, wetland, and gravel surfaces formerly used as roads and sites of buildings. TCAAP AUAR Update 4 April 2024 - _ `M — �'R Legend AUAR Study Area Gravel Surface M Wetland I Y J 1i-. I LY:JJ.0 Y lh LrCJ.ILIS' ' ( 'Regional Public Watercourse Public IN •111.11 • � r s r may( L iMYIY L � ' ` • l ` r `\may+•� i '1' t.dtil - ♦ I - .a.., }�: •' c oll' 1Y1, 174 ` mmmmmmmc:� Feet M fv ^ ` .. u �'` IYN` Aeria! Courtesy of Nearrmpp August 2023 4.2.2. Land Use The Arden Hills City Council adopted the 2040 Comprehensive Plan on November 25, 2019. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan identifies the existing land use within the AUAR study area as undeveloped. Table 2 includes the 10 future land uses identified for the AUAR study area.' Table 2 also links the future land uses to the corresponding development scenario components. The current 2040 future land use map is included in Attachment A. Table 2: Future Land Uses Identified in the AUAR Study Area Neighborhood Provides for a range of attached and detached single- Residential Residential family and multi -family uses at a density of 1.5 to 21 (NR) units per acre. The Neighborhood Residential land use designation is further grouped into sub -categories based generally on lot and home styles. Neighborhood Residential One (NR-1) provides for detached single family homes on traditional suburban lots at a density of 1.5 to 2.5 units per acre. Neighborhood Residential Two (NR-2) provides for detached single family homes on narrow lots with alleys at a density of 2.5 to 4 units per acre. Neighborhood Residential Three (NR-3) provides for attached single family homes, duplexes, or townhomes on lots either with or without alleys and small multi- family uses at a density of 4 to 8 units per acre. Neighborhood Residential Four (NR-4) provides for attached single family homes, duplexes, or townhomes on lots either with or without alleys and multi -family uses at a density of 5 to 21 units per acre. Town Center Provides for a range of commercial and residential (TC) uses that offer housing, assisted living, senior housing, office, retail, restaurant, and civic uses. Medium and large residential uses are permitted at a density of 15 to 67 units per acre. The expected share of uses within this area are as follows: 5% to 25% Retail; 0% to 25% Office; and Residential will occupy the entire 15.9 acres. A development intensity of up to 6.0 building to land floor area ratio (FAR) may be allowed. Campus Provides for multiple, single tenant buildings or Commercial campuses within a business park atmosphere. (CC) Development intensity of up to 4 FAR may be allowed. Residential, retail, and non -retail commercial Non -retail commercial I The descriptions in Table 2 reflect the comprehensive plan amendment that was approved by City Council on January 8, 2024. TCAAP AUAR Update 6 April 2024 Promotes retail as a primary use and allows for other Use (RMU) commercial uses to be incorporated as vertical mixed- non -retail Office Mixed - Use (OMU) Flex Office (FO) Public & Institutional (P/I) Utility (UTL) Park and Open Space (P/OS) Right -of -Way use buildings. A development intensity of up to 0.8 FAR may be allowed. The expected share of uses within this area are as follows: 50% to 100% Retail and Oda to 50% Office. Focuses on office as a primary use, but also permits other commercial uses to be incorporated as vertical mixed -use buildings. A development intensity of up to 2 FAR may be allowed. The expected share of uses within this area are as follows: Oho to 50% Retail and 50% to 100% Office. Permits large scale development for employment and light manufacturing uses that take advantage of highway frontage and automobile access. A development intensity of up to 1.5 FAR may be allowed. Areas designated for uses such as government buildings, colleges, schools, and religious uses, but not medical uses. A development intensity of up to 0.8 FAR may be allowed. Public or private land occupied by a power substation, water tower, municipal well, pumping station, drainage infrastructure, or similar use. Areas designated as public parks. commercial Retail and non -retail commercial Non -retail commercial Non -retail commercial Not applicable Not applicable Public vehicular, transit, and/or pedestrian rights -of -way Not applicable Since the 2014 AUAR was published, building height standards in the city code have increased within the AUAR study area. Changes for additional building height were approved in 2016. Maximum building height for the Campus Commercial portion of the site is 15 stories and maximum building height for the Town Center portion of the site is 10 stories. On January 8, 2024, the Arden Hills City Council approved a comprehensive plan amendment for the TCAAP site. The comprehensive plan amendment separated the NR-3 and NR-4 zoning subcategories, increased number of dwellings per unit, and allowed for multi -family homes within the NR-4 zoning subcategory.2.3 This increased the density of the site to up to 1,960 residential units. 2 NR-3 provides for attached single family homes, duplexes, or townhomes on lots either with or without alleys and small multi -family uses at a density of 4 to 8 units per acre. 3 NR-4 provides for attached single family homes, duplexes, or townhomes on lots either with or without alleys and multi -family uses at a density of 5 to 21 units per acre. TCAAP AUAR Update 7 April 2024 Following the comprehensive plan amendment, the TCAAP Redevelopment Code (TRC) and TCAAP Regulating Plan were updated with the following zoning changes: • 12.9 acres rezoned from NR-4 to NR-3 • 21 acres rezoned from Flex Office to NR-3 • 11.4 acres rezoned from Flex Office to NR-4 The TRC Ordinance amendment to reflect the rezoning was approved on January 8, 2024, and the updated Regulating Plan is included in Attachment A. Both development scenarios would be compatible with the future land uses identified in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and with the TRC. No mitigation measures are necessary. 4.2.3. Water Resources Wetlands 9P In the 2014 AUAR, 14.4 acres of wetland were identified within the study area. All 14.4 acres were assumed to be jurisdictional. Later in 2014, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued an Approved Jurisdictional Determination (AJD) for the site, concluding that only three wetlands within the site are regulated by the USACE. The Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) also provided a notice of determination (NOD) under the state Wetland Conservation Act. The AJD and NOD have been extended since the 2019 AUAR: the AJD expires in January 2025 and the NOD expires in November 2025. Permits to be obtained from the USACE and RCWD are included in Table 6. No additional mitigation measures are needed based on this updated information. 4.2.4. Contamination/Hazardous Materials/Solid Wastes On September 23, 2019, the soil and surface water at the TCAAP site were removed from the federal Superfund list (National Priorities List). The TCAAP soil and surface water were removed from the state Superfund list (Permanent List of Priorities) on April 22, 2020. The US Army's cleanup efforts under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) are ongoing, however. Historical releases of hazardous substances from the former TCAAP site into Round Lake, located south of the AUAR study area, resulted in sediment contamination in the lake. An evaluation of impacts to Round Lake sediment concluded in 2021, and a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Proposed Plan for cleanup at Round Lake was finalized in 2022. The US Army is responsible for these cleanup activities. Within the TCAAP site, the US Army also completed optimization of the TCAAP Groundwater Recovery System in 2022.4 In 2023, the US Army completed a preliminary assessment and site inspection on the current or potential historical use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the TCAAP site in accordance with CERCLA, the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, and Army/Department of Defense policy and guidance. PFAS was 4 Additional information on remediation of the broader TCAAP site is available at https://webapp.pca.state.mn.us/cleanup/search/superfund?site Id=47112-AREA0000000014 and https://vvww.tcaar)rab.ora/ TCAAP AUAR Update 8 April 2024 detected at concentrations greater than the risk -based screening levels, and the assessment identified a need for further study in a CERCLA remedial investigation.5 The US Army will continue groundwater treatment at the site until approximately 2040. No additional mitigation measures are needed. 4.2.5. Fish, Plant Communities, and Sensitive Ecological Resources A review of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Natural Heritage Information System was conducted in March 2024 per license agreement LA-1074 for the AUAR study area and the area within one mile. An additional three species were identified in the review area: one endangered species (Henslow's sparrow), one threatened species (ghost tiger beetle), and one species of special concern (regal fritillary). See Table 3 for a list of all listed species within the review area. Table 3: State -Listed Species Within the Review Area Big brown Eptesicus bat fuscus Lark sparrow Chondestes grammacus Little brown Myotis myotis lucifugus Plains pocket Perognathus mouse flavescens Special concern Special concern Special concern Winter roosts are located in caves and mines, though this species also regularly hibernates in buildings, cellars, and tunnels. Summer foraging areas are usually forested habitats near water sources. Warm season roosts can consist of human structures such as buildings and bridges; trees that are hollow, have crevices, loose bark, or cavities are also used. Short and/or sparse grasses (usually native) in areas of sand or gravel soils, with at least some bare ground and widely -scattered or patchy trees Winter roosts are located in caves, cellars, tunnels, and other underground structures. Summer habitat includes human structures such as bridges, buildings, and attics as well as forested habitats near water. Special Open, well -drained areas, typically on concern sandy soils with sparse, grassy or brushy vegetation 5 Additional information on the US Army's preliminary assessment and site inspection is available at https://aec.army.mil/PFAS/MN/tcaap. 6 Source: DNR Rare Species Guide. Available at https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsq/index.htmi. TCAAP AUAR Update 9 April 2024 Small green Platanthera Special Swamp forests that have a continuous or wood orchid clavellate concern interrupted canopy of black spruce or tamarack and non -forested poor fens that often ring peatland lakes. These habitats usually have hummocks of sphagnum moss interspersed with water -filled hollows. The soils are saturated, well -decomposed peat, and the surface water is acidic with a pH of 4.2-5.5. Trumpeter Cygnus Special During the breeding season, small ponds swan buccinator concern and lakes or bays on larger water bodies with extensive beds of emergent vegetation such as cattails, bulrushes, and sedges. Ideal habitat includes about 100 meters of open water for take -off, stable levels of unpolluted fresh water, emergent marsh vegetation, low levels of human disturbance, and the presence of muskrat houses and North American beaver lodges for use as nesting platforms. Regal Fritillary Speyeria Special Native prairie habitat; adults can be idalia Concern encountered in both upland prairies and wet prairies, and larval development may be restricted to wet prairies. Black Gaylussacia Threatened Well -drained and sandy soil or dry huckleberry baccata sandstone in fire -dependent forests Blanding's Emydoidea Threatened Wetland complexes and adjacent sandy turtle blandingii uplands; calm, shallow waters, including wetlands associated with rivers and streams with rich aquatic vegetation. Seaside Aristida Threatened Dry and loose sand in sand savannas, sand three -awn tuberculosa prairies, and dunes where vegetation is sparse Swamp Rubus Threatened Most occurrences are in savanna blackberry semisetosus remnants, particularly on sand plains in Anoka, Isanti, and Sherburne Counties Ghost tiger Cicindela Threatened Steep, open, blowing sand dunes beetle lepida Henslow's Ammodramus Endangered Grasslands with tall vegetation and sparrow henslowii substantial litter layer. The AUAR study area has undergone extensive demolition and remediation activities. Given the highly disturbed nature of the site, there is minimal likelihood of finding suitable habitat for the identified species. As noted in the 2014 AUAR, DNR recommendations for minimizing impacts to the Blanding's turtle during construction will be required for all development activities. No direct or indirect effects are anticipated to state -listed species. TCAAP AUAR Update 10 April 2024 There may be osprey nests present within the AUAR study area. An Osprey Nest Removal Permit would need to be obtained from the DNR if osprey nests are encountered and planned to be removed. [DNR review is pending - text will be updated to reflect the NHIS review letter when received] 4.2.6. Visual All structures within the AUAR study area have been demolished. The study area is not near any unique scenic views or vistas and is surrounded by interstate and county roads as well as residential properties. Since the 2014 AUAR was published, building height standards in the city code have increased within the AUAR study area. Maximum building height for the Campus Commercial portion of the site is 15 stories, and maximum building height for the Town Center portion of the site is 10 stories. Future development would conform with the zoning regulations for building height and form and lighting would be in conformance with city ordinances. Views would be similar to those experienced currently, and no visual impacts are anticipated. Future development designs could consider the use of MnDOT Approved Products for luminaries to minimize blue light, which can be harmful to birds, insects, and fish. 4.2.7. Transportation A traffic analysis was completed for Existing (2024), Year 2040 No -Build conditions, Year 2040 Zoning Scenario build conditions, and Year 2040 Maximum Development Scenario build conditions. An additional scenario was also analyzed that included the Maximum Development Scenario build conditions with some of the retail space being replaced with a discount retail superstore. The 2014 AUAR analyzed Existing (2014) conditions, 2030 No -Build conditions, 2030 Zoning Scenario Build conditions, and 2030 Maximum Development Build conditions. The 2014 AUAR was used as a baseline when determining the site distribution and the proposed mitigations. A detailed traffic analysis has been performed to address the traffic related issues with the proposed TCAAP development and is provided in Attachment C.7 The following provides a summary of the anticipated traffic generation of the proposed TCAAP development and mitigation measures identified to ensure acceptable level of service (LOS). 7 The traffic volumes were developed based on turning movement counts collected by Kimley-Horn on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. There was some discrepancy between these counts and the counts collected in October 2023 for Ramsey County's Rice Creek Commons Traffic Study, with the March 2024 turning movement counts showing lower traffic volumes along CSAH 96 than in October 2023. MnDOT Seasonal Adjustment Factors were reviewed, and it was determined that turning movement counts collected on a Tuesday in March are a good representation of a typical weekday. Because of this difference in traffic volumes along CSAH 96, the results may differ from the results of the Rice Creek Commons Traffic Study. TCAAP AUAR Update April 2024 Trip Generation Though the development scenarios are unchanged from the 2014 AUAR, trip generation was updated to reflect updates in the source data (the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual). Trip generation for this AUAR Update was based on the 1 1 ih Edition of the Trip Generation Manual (published September 2021), while the 2014 AUAR traffic analysis utilized the newest version available at the time (the 9th Edition). Changes in the data resulted in an overall slight decrease in the number of trips anticipated to the site. A comparison of the updated trip generation numbers to the trip generation numbers used in the 2014 AUAR is shown below in Table 4. Table 4: Trip Generation Summary 2014 AUAR Trip Generation Zoning Scenario Maximum Development Scenario 2024 AUAR Update Trip Generation Zoning Scenario Maximum Development Scenario Capacity Analysis 41,550 2,130 945 3,075 1,630 2,710 4,340 51,140 2,440 1,350 3,790 2,120 3,185 5,305 38,048 1 2,058 1 853 1 2,911 1 1,500 1 2,541 1 4,041 47,849 1 2,456 1 1,188 1 3,644 1 1,901 1 3,049 I 4,950 The capacity analysis was updated to reflect new traffic counts. Due to the large amount of roadway improvements that have been constructed since the 2014 AUAR traffic analysis, the study area has been reduced to include only the most heavily impacted intersections. The analysis was performed for weekday AM and PM peak hour conditions at the following intersections: • Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (signalized) • CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 Southbound (SB) Ramp (signalized) • CSAH 96 & Northern Heights/TCAAP South Access (side -street stop) • County Road H & 1-35W SB Ramp (roundabout) • County Road H & 1-35W Northbound (NB) Ramp (roundabout) Capacity analysis was carried out using Synchro 1 1 (SimTraffic) at signalized and stop - controlled intersections, while analysis of roundabouts was carried out using roundabout analysis software Rodel. A summary of the LOS results of the network is shown below in Table 5. The overall intersection LOS is reported at signalized and roundabout intersections, while the worst side -street LOS is reported for side -street stop -controlled intersections. Roundabout results shown below are 50% confidence level results from Rodel. Note that the baseline build geometry at CSAH 96 & Northern Heights/TCAAP South Access included an installed traffic signal, two southbound left turn lanes, a southbound right turn lane, a southbound through lane, two eastbound left turn lanes, and a westbound right turn lane. TCAAP AUAR Update 12 April 2024 LOS is a quantitative measure used by traffic engineers to describe the operations of an intersection or along a roadway segment. It ranges from A to F, with A being the best and F being the worst level of operation. LOS A conditions are characterized by minimal vehicle delay and free -flow conditions, while LOS F is characterized by long vehicle delay - usually when demand exceeds available roadway capacity. Although LOS E is defined as at - capacity, LOS D is generally the minimum acceptable level of operation at an intersection in the Twin Cities metro area. Table 5: 2040 Peak Hour Traffic Analysis Results As previously mentioned, many improvements to the transportation network in the vicinity of the AUAR study area have been completed. Both roundabout intersections (County Road H & 1-35W SB Ramp and County Road H & 1-35W NB Ramp) are anticipated to operate at LOS C or better during the AM and PM peak hours of all scenarios, based on the 50% confidence results. The intersection of CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramp is anticipated to operate at LOS D or better during the AM and PM peak hours of all scenarios. The intersection of Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H is anticipated to operate at LOS E during the PM peak hour in the build scenarios. The intersection is anticipated to see some congestion due to the added site traffic and the number of through movements along Mounds View Boulevard. Queues are not anticipated to impact adjacent intersections; therefore, it is recommended to monitor the intersection as development occurs to see if traffic volumes, delays, and queues are realized. At the intersection of CSAH 96 & Northern Heights/TCAAP South Access, the baseline build geometry is anticipated to be sufficient from an operational standpoint, but it is anticipated that there would be queueing issues for the southbound right turn movement in all build scenarios. Because of this, it is proposed that the through lane should be striped as a shared through/right turn lane to allow right turns from two lanes.8 Alternatively, a channelized right turn lane could be a viable solution to this issue but would require a larger right-of-way. 8 This recommendation is consistent with the mitigation proposed in Ramsey County's 2024 Rice Creek Commons Traffic Study. TCAAP AUAR Update 13 April 2024 Results of the 2040 Maximum Development Scenario with the discount retail superstore are generally in -line with the results of the 2040 Maximum Development Scenario, with the only change in LOS being at the County Road H & 1-35W NB Ramp intersection, which is anticipated to operate at LOS C during the PM peak hour instead of LOS B. 5. Mitigation Summary and Update The mitigation measures from the 2014 AUAR and 2019 AUAR Update are outlined below in Table 6 and Table 7 along with a status update and any additional mitigation identified based on the information in Section 4.2. Table 6: Permits and Approvals Required US Army Corps of Section 404 Permit To be applied for Engineers Minnesota Pollution National Pollutant Discharge Elimination To be applied for Control Agency System Stormwater Permit for Construction Activities Sanitary Sewer Extension Permit To be applied for Soil and Groundwater Remediation Plan To be applied for, Approval L if needed Section 401 Certification To be applied for, N_ if needed Minnesota Department Abandonment of Water Wells To be applied for of Health Watermain Installation Permit To be applied for, if needed Minnesota Department Groundwater Appropriation Permit To be applied for, of Natural Resources (Construction) if needed Public Waters Work Permit To be applied for, if needed Osprey Nest Removal Permit To be applied for, if needed Minnesota Department Right -of -Way Permit To be applied for, of Transportation if needed Metropolitan Council 2030 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Completed 2040 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Completed Sanitary Sewer Extension Permit To be applied for Rice Creek Watershed Stormwater Management, Erosion Control, To be applied for District Floodplain Alteration, Wetland Alteration Joint Development Preliminary and Final Plat Approvals Pending, by Authority Development Reviews/Approvals developers Ramsey County Utility Permits in County Road Right -of -Way To be applied for Access Permits (Connection to County To be applied for Road) Hazardous Waste Permits Approved TCAAP AUAR Update 14 April 2024 Unit of Government City of Arden Hills Type of Application/Approval Boundary Plat Approval Status Completed AUAR Approval Completed 2030 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Completed 2040 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Completed Zoning Change Approval Completed Grading and Erosion Control Permits To be applied for Building and Utility Permits To be applied for TCAAP AUAR Update 15 April 2024 ps MaN ._ _ . 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AUAR Update Review Pursuant to Minnesota Rules, part 4410.3610, subpart 7, this AUAR Update is available for a comment period of 10 business days. Once the comment period is over and if no objections are filed by state agencies or the Metropolitan Council, the City of Arden Hills will adopt the AUAR Update. The TCAAP AUAR will remain valid for an additional five years from the date of adoption. TCAAP AUAR Update 20 April 2024 Attachment A Land Use and Zoning Maps TCAAP AUAR Update April 2024 e .-P ITCAAP Regulating Plan T—jCampus Commercial Mixed Use Retail - W Mixed Use Retail - Ea Use Flex Business Civic Water Infrastructure Open Space A g—lopen Space B Open Space 41"Open Space Open Space 28 29 ITOtal Maximum Re! Creek Hill Town Center South West Maximum Re! Gross Zone Ra NR-1 0.00 NR-2 2.50 Subtotal N R-1 N R-2 N R-3 Subtotal N R-3 N R-4 TC-1 TC-2 TC-3 Subtotal N R-3 N R-4 Subtotal Total 0.00 2.50 4.00 4.00 5.00 Attachment B DN R Natural Heritage Review Letter TCAAP AUAR Update April 2024 Attachment C Traffic Analysis TCAAP AUAR Update April 2024 Traffic Analysis Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) AUAR Update ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA APRIL 2024 Prepared By: Kimley)))Horn 1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................ 3 2.0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT......................................................................................................................................4 3.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS.............................................................................................................................................4 4.0 FUTURE CONDITIONS..............................................................................................................................................7 5.0 INTERSECTION CAPACITY ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................................13 6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................20 EXHIBIT 1: PROJECT LOCATION MAP EXHIBIT 2: EXISTING INTERSECTION CONTROLAND GEOMETRY EXHIBIT 3: 2023 EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES EXHIBIT4: VESTED DEVELOPMENTTRIP DISTRIBUTION EXHIBITS: VESTED DEVELOPMENT TRIP ASSIGNMENT EXHIBIT 6: 2028 NO -BUILD TRAFFIC VOLUMES EXHIBIT 7: 2040 NO -BUILD TRAFFIC VOLUMES EXHIBIT 8: 2028 PROJECT TRIP DISTRIBUTION EXHIBIT 9: 2040 PROJECT TRIP DISTRIBUTION EXHIBIT 10: PASS BY TRIP DISTRIBUTION EXHIBIT 11: PASS BY TRIP ASSIGNMENT EXHIBIT 12: 2028 BUILD TRAFFIC VOLUMES EXHIBIT 13: 2040 BUILD TRAFFIC VOLUMES EXHIBIT 14: 2028 INTERSECTION CONTROL AND GEOMETRY EXHIBIT 15: 2040 INTERSECTION CONTROL AND GEOMETRY TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 This report serves as an updated traffic analysis for the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) which was originally completed in 2014. The traffic analysis was not updated as part of the 2019 AUAR Update. The TCAAP site is located east of US Highway 10 and north of Ramsey County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 96 in the City of Arden Hills, Minnesota. The development is known as Rice Creek Commons and is anticipated to include a variety of residential and commercial land uses. The location of the development is provided in Exhibit 1. The forthcoming traffic analysis focused on two analysis years: the existing conditions (2024), and a long term date (2040) which will demonstrate the effects of the fully completed development on the adjacent roadway system with future growth. No interim period is included in this analysis. 1.1 REPORT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to address traffic and transportation impacts of the proposed development on surrounding streets and intersections. This traffic impact study was prepared based on criteria set forth by the AUAR guidelines. The following specific information, per AUAR recommended content, should be provided: • A description and map of the existing and proposed roadway system, including state, regional, and local roads to be affected by the development of the AUAR area. This information should include existing and proposed roadway capacities and existing and projected background (i.e. without the AUAR development) traffic volumes; • Trip generation data — trip generation rates and trip totals —for each major development scenario broken down by land use zones and/or other relevant subdivisions of the area. The projected distributions onto the roadway system must be included; • Analysis of impacts of the traffic generated by the AUAR area on the roadway system, including: comparison of peak period total flows to capacities and analysis of Level of Service and delay times at critical points (if any); • A discussion of structural and non-structural improvements and traffic management measures that are proposed to mitigate problems. Note: in the above analyses the geographical scope must extend outward as for as the traffic to be generated would have a significant effect on the roadway system and traffic measurements and projections should include peak days and peak hours, or other appropriate measures related to identifying congestion problems, as well as ADTs (average daily traffic). TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 2.1 SITE LOCATION The TCAAP site is located in the city of Arden Hills, Minnesota, and bordered by CSAH 3 (County Road 1) to the north, 1-35W and US Highway 10 to the west, CSAH 96 to the south, and CSAH 51(Lexington Avenue) to the east. The AUAR study area is located in the western portion of the TCAAP site in the area that is owned by Ramsey County and is planned for redevelopment. The study area (shown in Exhibit 1) is approximately 429 acres in area. 2.2 SITE CIRCULATION Access to the site will be provided primarily by two access points: County Road H east of 1-35W, and a future site access which will be located opposite the church access on CSAH 96, approximately 1,500 feet east of the SB US Highway 10 Ramps. The site will have a network of internal roadway connections providing access to businesses and residential developments within the study area. 2.3 EXISTING AND FUTURE LAND USE The traffic analysis forthe 2014 AUAR included two development plans, a minimum development scenario (referred to as the Zoning Scenario) and a maximum density scenario, based on the City's TCAAP Redevelopment Code. Both scenarios included a mix of retail, residential, and non -retail commercial land uses. Table 1 provides a summary of the two development scenarios used for this analysis, which are the same as the scenarios that were considered in the 2014 AUAR. TABLE 1: DEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS Zoning Scenario Residential 1,500 Dwelling Units Retail 500,000 Square Feet Non -retail commercial 1,700,000 Square Feet Maximum Development Scenario Residential 2,500 Dwelling Units Retail 550,000 Square Feet Non -retail commercial 1,950,000 Square Feet As of this AUAR Update, no development has occurred at the site. The full development buildout will be analyzed in the Horizon Year (2040). 3.1 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The existing roadway network within the study area includes 1-35W, US Highway 10, CSAH 96, County Road H, and Mounds View Boulevard. Several streets that compose the existing roadway network will TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 carry trips generated by the AUAR development. Major characteristics of these roadways are summarized in Table 2. 1-35W is a north -south Interstate Highway that runs along the western boundary of the AUAR study area. Since the 2014 AUAR, there have been multiple changes to 1-35W's ramps near the site. Among the changes, roundabouts were constructed at the ramps to County Road H, a roundabout was constructed at the northbound 1-35W ramp to CSAH 3, and the interchange with CSAH 96 was converted to a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI). US Highway 10 is an east -west United States Highway that runs along the southwest boundary of the AUAR study area. Since the previous AUAR, no major changes have taken place to the geometry of US Highway 10 near the AUAR study area. CSAH 96 is an east -west County roadway that runs along the southern boundary of the AUAR study area. The roadway has seen no major changes since the 2014 AUAR traffic analysis besides the aforementioned DDI with 1-35W. CSAH 9 (County Road H) is an east -west county roadway that serves as one of two major access roadways to the proposed development. As previously mentioned, two roundabouts have been constructed at the 1-35W ramps. The intersection of County Road H & Mounds View Boulevard was also reconstructed with significant lane changes including the expansion of County Road H to a four -lane roadway from two -lanes. CSAH 10 (Mounds View Boulevard) is a roadway which runs generally in a northwest/southeast direction. For the purposes of this analysis, the road is considered a north -south roadway. The road ends south of the County Road H intersection where it splits off to 1-35 and US Highway 10. TABLE 2: SUMMARY OF EXISTING ROADWAY CONDITIONS FUNCITONAL NUMBER OF POSTED STREET NAME STREET NUMBER MEDIAN CLASSIFICATION LANES SPEED 1-35W 1-35 Principal 8-12 (2) 60 mph Yes Arterial (1) "A" Minor US Highway 10 US 10 Reliever (1) 4 60 mph Yes "A" Minor County Road 96 W CSAH 96 4 50 mph Yes Expander(1) "A" Minor County Road H CSAH 9 Expander(1) 4 40 mph Yes Mounds View "A" Minor Boulevard CSAH 10 Reliever (1) 4 50 mph Yes (1) City of Arden Hills — 2040 Comprehensive Plan (2) 1-35W has twelve lanes north of the US 10 interchange and eight lanes south of the interchange. 3.2 STUDY AREA Based on discussion with City staff, the updated traffic analysis will focus on key intersections and omit fringe intersections that were originally studied as part of the 2014 AUAR Traffic Study. This is because many of the proposed mitigations from the 2014 AUAR have been implemented. The existing roadway network geometry and intersection control is shown in Exhibit 2. Based on the changes to geometry and the anticipated effects of the site generated traffic on the roadway network, it was determined that the following intersections would be included in this traffic study: TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 • County Road H & Northbound 1-35W Ramps • County Road H & Southbound 1-35 W Ramps • County Road H & Mounds View Boulevard • CSAH 96 & Southbound US Highway 10 Ramp • CSAH 96 & Church Access/Future Site Access 3.3 EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) volumes were obtained from the Minnesota Department of Transportation's (MnDOT's) Transportation Data and Analysis Traffic Volume Maps. Daily volumes for existing roadways within the study area are summarized in Table 3. It should be noted that these volumes vary in year from 2011 to 2022. TABLE 3: EXISTING AADT VOLUMES ROADWAY FROM TO AADT VOLUME (Year of Data) I-35W CSAH 3 CSAH 9 131,800 (2022) CSAH 96 US Highway 10 83,700 (2022) US Highway 10 1-694 CSAH 96 55,000 (2022) CSAH 96 1-35W 60,200 (2022) CSAH 96 1-35 US Highway 10 11,200 (2021) US Highway 10 CSAH 50 17,300 (2021) CSAH 103/CSAH 103 East of CSAH 103/CSAH 103 8,200 (2019) Mounds View Boulevard County Road H County Road H2 19,900 (2020) County Road H South of County Road H 23,100 (2014) County Road H Old US Highway 8 Mounds View Boulevard 9,500 (2020) Mounds View Boulevard 1-35W Southbound Ramp 5,600 (2011) Kimley-Horn collected turning movement counts (TMCs) at the following study intersections on Thursday, March 7, 2024: • County Road H & Mounds View Boulevard (AM and PM Peak Hour Counts) • CSAH 96 & Southbound US Highway 10 Ramp (AM and PM Peak Hour Counts) • CSAH 96 & Church Access/Future Site Access (through volumes collected from count at CSAH 96 & Snelling Avenue) Note that at the church access, traffic volumes were determined from a count at the nearby CSAH 96 & Snelling Avenue (since there are no access points between these two intersections) and the turning volumes were taken from Ramsey County's 2024 Rice Creek Commons Traffic Study. These counts were conducted on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. Note that this count was collected for the purposes of traffic signal warrant analysis to be completed at the intersection and the existing turning volumes to and from the Northern Heights Access are anticipated to be insignificant compared to the site generated traffic. Turning movement counts at the two roundabout intersections were collected on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 MnDCT seasonal adjustment factors were reviewed, with most of the roadways being classified as High Weekday/Commuter roads. Counts Taken on Tuesdays and Thursdays in March both represent typical weekdays, with net adjustment factors of 1.01 and 0.97, respectively. Based on this, the collected traffic data is anticipated to be a good representation of a typical weekday and no seasonal adjustment factor was applied. The AM peak hour of the network was determined to be 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM while the network PM peak hour was determined to be 4:15 to 5:15 PM. Exhibit 3 provides a summary of the 2023 Existing weekday AM and PM peak hour turning movement volumes. 4.1 FUTURE BASELINE GEOMETRY AND INTERSECTION CONTROL Similar to the 2014 AUAR traffic analysis, some baseline conditions are assumed to be in place for all build scenarios. The only intersection with changes of geometry for the opening of the TCAAP site is the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP South Access intersection. The same baseline geometry that was assumed for the 2014 traffic analysis was utilized for this traffic analysis. The improvements include: • Signal installed at CSAH 96 & Northern Heights/TCAAP South Access. • Dual eastbound left turn lanes installed. (Already built but would need to be striped) • Westbound right turn lane installed. (Already built but would need to be striped) • Southbound approach is assumed to include dual left turn lanes, a through lane, and a right turn lane. No further improvements from the existing geometry are anticipated at any of the study area intersections. The future build scenario baseline geometry and intersection control is shown in Exhibit 4. 4.2 FUTURE TRAFFIC FORECASTING Background traffic volumes were developed for the study intersections during the weekday AM and PM peak hours for the 2040 No -Build traffic conditions. The following provides a summary of the background volume development. Based on a review of the Metropolitan Council traffic forecasts included in the Arden Hills 2040 Comprehensive Plan, daily traffic growth is anticipated to be relatively low, with the majority of growth anticipated likely being due to the TCAAP redevelopment. Table 4 below shows the AADTs from 2015 (existing year of the Metropolitan Council forecasts), the AADTs from 2040, and the implied growth rate. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 TABLE 4: AADT GROWTH ANALYSIS Roadway Location 2015 AADT 2040 AADT Growth North of County Road H 137000 155000 0.5% 1-35W South of CSAH 96 102000 107000 0.2% East of US 10 18500 24000 1.0% CSAH 96 East of Hamline Road 27500 28000 0.1% US 10 North of 1-694 43500 60500 1.3% East of Silver Lake Road 115000 121000 0.2% 1-694 East of 1-35W 77000 79500 0.1% Average Growth Rate 0.5% The average growth rate anticipated for the study roadways is 0.5%. This growth rate is identical to the growth rate which was determined in the 2024 Rice Creek Commons Traffic Study. The determined growth rate of 0.5% was therefore applied to all study intersections to grow the traffic from 2024 to 2040. No external developments are anticipated to have a significant impact on the traffic of the study roadways. Exhibit 5 provides the 2040 No -Build turning movement volumes at the study intersections for weekday AM and PM peak hours. 4.3 ANTICIPATED TRIP GENERATION Trip generation for the 2014 AUAR was calculated based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual9t" Edition. Table 5 provides a summary of the anticipated trips generated by each development scenario included in the 2014 AUAR. These trip estimates are provided for the long-term development plans. TABLE 5: TRIP GENERATION FORECAST (2014 AUAR) Development Scenario Daily AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour In Out Total In Out Total Minimum Development 41,550 2,130 945 3,075 1,630 2,710 4,340 Maximum Development 51,140 2,440 1,350 3,790 2,120 3,185 5,305 Updated trip generation forecasts for the proposed development are based on the ITE Trip Generation Manual 11t" Edition. Based on a comparison of Table 5 to Tables 6-8, total network trip generation for the full buildout of TCAAP AUAR study area is anticipated to be slightly lower in the AM and PM peak hours than what was determined in the 2014 AUAR due to the updates to the Trip Generation Manual, despite the land development scenarios remaining unchanged. The trip generation for the Zoning Scenario is shown below in Table 6. The Zoning Scenario is anticipated to generate 38,048 daily trips, including 2,911 in the AM peak hour and 4,041 in the PM peak hour. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 TABLE 6: TRIP GENERATION SUMMARY —ZONING SCEANRIO ITE Intensity AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Land Use Description LUC / Units Daily In Out Total In Out Total Senior Adult Attached Housing 252 Un 0 486 10 20 30 21 17 38 ts Condominium/Townhome 230 300 1,032 30 102 132 77 31 108 Units Rental Townhome 215 225 1,620 27 81 108 76 53 128 Units 005 Apartments 220 3 2,022 29 91 120 96 57 153 Single Family Detached 210 525 4,951 92 276 368 311 183 494 Units Shopping Center 820 500 kSF 18,505 260 160 420 816 884 1,700 General Office 710 1450 kSF 15,718 1,940 264 2,204 355 1,733 2,088 Building Warehousing 150 250 kSF 428 33 10 43 13 32 45 Gross Development Trips 44,762 2,421 1,004 3,425 1,765 2,990 4,754 Multi -Use Reduction (15%) -6,714 -363 -151 -514 -265 -449 -713 Net Development Trips 38,048 2,058 853 2,911 1,500 2,541 4,041 The trip generation for the Maximum Density Scenario is shown below in Table 7. The Maximum Density Scenario is anticipated to generate 47,849 daily trips, including 3,644 in the AM peak hour and 4,950 in the PM peak hour. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 TABLE 7: TRIP GENERATION SUMMARY — MAXIMUM DENSITY SCENARIO ITE Intensity AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Land Use Description LUC / Units Daily In Out Total In Out Total Senior Adult Attached Housing 252 Un 0 486 10 20 30 21 17 38 ts Condominium/Townhome 230 300 1,032 30 102 132 77 31 108 Units Rental Townhome 215 725 5,220 87 261 348 244 169 413 Units 005 Apartments 220 8 5,392 77 243 320 257 151 408 Single Family Detached 210 525 4,951 92 276 368 311 183 494 Units Shopping Center 820 550 kSF 20,356 286 176 462 898 972 1,870 General Office 710 1700 kSF 18,428 2,274 310 2,584 416 2,032 2,448 Building Warehousing 150 250 kSF 428 33 10 43 13 32 45 Gross Development Trips 56,293 2,889 1,398 4,287 2,237 3,587 5,824 Multi -Use Reduction (15%) -8,444 -433 -210 -643 -336 -538 -874 Net Development Trips 47,849 2,456 1,188 3,644 1,901 3,049 4,950 The trip generation for the Maximum Density Scenario with a Discount Retail Superstore is shown below in Table 8. The Maximum Density with Discount Retail scenario is anticipated to generate 49,686 daily trips, including 3,783 in the AM peak hour and 5,077 in the PM peak hour. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 TABLE 8: TRIP GENERATION SUMMARY — MAXIMUM DENSITY SCENARIO WITH DISCOUNT RETAIL ITE Intensity AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Land Use Description LUC / Units Daily In Out Total In Out Total Senior Adult Attached Housing 252 Un 0 486 10 20 30 21 17 38 ts Condominium/Townhome 230 300 1,032 30 102 132 77 31 108 Units Rental Townhome 215 725 5,220 87 261 348 244 169 413 Units 005 Apartments 220 8 5,392 77 243 320 257 151 408 Single Family Detached 210 525 4,951 92 276 368 311 183 494 Units Shopping Center 820 390 kSF 14,434 203 124 328 636 690 1,326 General Office 710 1700 kSF 18,428 2,274 310 2,584 416 2,032 2,448 Building Warehousing 150 250 kSF 428 33 10 43 13 32 45 Wholesale Retail 813 160 kSF 8,083 167 131 298 339 353 693 Gross Development Trips 58,454 2,973 1,477 4,451 2,314 3,658 5,973 Multi -Use Reduction (15%) -8,768 -446 -222 -668 -347 -549 -896 Net Development Trips 49,686 2,527 1,255 3,783 1,967 3,109 5,077 4.4 PROPOSED TRIP DISTRIBUTION AND ASSIGNMENT The distribution of site traffic for the proposed development onto the surrounding roadway network was based on review of the study area, turning movement counts, the 2014 AUAR Traffic Analysis, and the 2024 Rice Creek Commons Traffic Impact Study. The distribution applied is similar to the two aforementioned traffic studies, with one notable change. Based on the likelihood of some level of congestion at the three County Road H intersections, it is believed that slightly more trips would utilize the south TCAAP site access than was previously estimated, and therefore 5% of the traffic originating from the south along 1-35W was shifted from the north access to the south access. As a result, 55% of the total site trips would utilize the north site access and 45% would utilize the south site access, as opposed to the previous 60%/40% split between the two accesses. Site traffic was assigned to/from the site using the same global distribution as the 2014 AUAR and the Rice Creek Commons Traffic Study with the exception of the changes described above. The following overall global distribution was applied: • 25% to/from the north on 1-35W • 25% to/from the south on 1-35W • 20% to/from the east on CSAH 96 • 10% to/from the north on Mounds View Boulevard • 10% to/from the north on Old US Highway 8 • 5% to/from the west on County Road H TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 • 5% to/from the south on US Highway 10 Proposed site traffic was assigned to the surrounding roadway network and study intersections by applying the trip distribution provided in Exhibit 6 to the trip generation forecast for the development scenario as provided in Tables 6, 7, and 8 for each respective scenario. Exhibit 7 provides the project trip assignment for the Minimum Density Build (2040) scenario. Exhibit 8 provides the project trip assignment for the Maximum Density Build (2040) scenario. Exhibit 9 provides the project trip assignment for the Maximum Density Build with Discount Retail (2040) scenario. 4.5 TOTAL TRAFFIC The future year (2040) build traffic volumes were calculated by adding the Year 2040 No -Build traffic volumes (Exhibit 5) to the site trips for the Zoning, Maximum Density, and Maximum Density with Discount Retail scenarios, which are shown in Exhibits 8, 9, and 9, respectively. The resultant build (2040) traffic volumes for the Zoning, Maximum Density, and Maximum Density with Discount Retail scenarios are shown in Exhibits 10, 11, and 12, respectively. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 5.1 ANALYSIS SCENARIOS As part of the 2014 AUAR, the traffic analysis studied Existing (2013) conditions and Horizon Year (2030) conditions. As part of this update to the traffic analysis, the study focused on Existing (2024) and Horizon Year (2040) conditions. Table 9 describes the conditions analyzed for the updated AUAR traffic analysis. TABLE 9: ANALYSIS CONDITION SUMMARY CONDITION VOLUME AND ROADWAY NETWORK ASSUMPTIONS Condition 1 VOLUMES: Existing traffic volumes, as counted in April 2024. ROADWAY NETWORK: Existing Roadway Network 2024 Existing Condition 2 VOLUMES: Condition 1 traffic volumes grown at 0.5% annually to 2040. ROADWAY NETWORK: Existing Roadway Network. 2040 No -Build VOLUMES: Condition 2 traffic volumes; addition of Zoning Density Condition 3 development site traffic. 2040 Build Zoning Scenario ROADWAY NETWORK: Existing Roadway Network plus baseline build changes to the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP access intersection (Exhibit 4). VOLUMES: Condition 2 Traffic Volumes; addition of Maximum Density Condition 4 development site traffic. 2040 Build Maximum Development Scenario ROADWAY NETWORK: Existing Roadway Network plus baseline build changes to the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP access intersection (Exhibit 4). Condition 5 VOLUMES: Condition 2 Traffic Volumes; addition of Maximum Density with Build Maximum discount retail development site traffic. ROADWAY NETWORK: Existing Roadway Network plus baseline build changes Development Variation to the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP access intersection (Exhibit 4). TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 5.2 LEVEL OF SERVICE OVERVIEW An intersection capacity analysis was performed at the study intersections for the five (5) scenarios listed in Table 9. The capacity analysis was performed for the weekday AM and PM peak hours, and traffic modeling software was used to determine intersection delay and level of service (LOS). LOS is a quantitative measure used by traffic engineers to describe the operations of an intersection or along a roadway segment. It ranges from A to F, with A being the best and F being the worst level of operation. LOS A conditions are characterized by minimal vehicle delay and free -flow conditions, while LOS F is characterized by long vehicle delay — usually when demand exceeds available roadway capacity. Although LOS E is defined as at -capacity, LOS D is generally the minimum acceptable level of operation at an intersection in the Twin Cities Metro area. Each study signalized and stop -controlled intersection was analyzed based on the Highway Capacity Manual using Synchro 11/SimTraffic software. For unsignalized intersections, LOS was reported for the worst approach and the overall intersection. This was done to ensure that the mainline LOS did not hide any potential issues on the minor street. The overall intersection LOS was reported for signalized intersections. Roundabout intersections were analyzed using roundabout analysis software Rodel, with results reported at 50% confidence levels. Table 10 provides the LOS grading criteria for unsignalized and signalized intersections. For the purposes of this traffic analysis, it was assumed that acceptable level of service for the overall intersection is LOS D or better and the acceptable level of service for an individual movement is LOS E or better. TABLE 10: LEVEL OF SERVICE GRADING CRITERIA Level of Service Average Control Delay (seconds/vehicle) at: Unsignalized Intersections Signalized Intersections A 0-10 0-10 B >10-15 >10-20 C >15-25 >20-35 D >25-35 >35-55 E >35-50 >55-80 F >50 >80 5.3 EXISTING (2024) CONDITIONS LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS A capacity analysis was performed for 2024 Existing traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine existing operating conditions. The analysis was performed for weekday AM and PM peak hours and is based on the traffic volumes provided in Exhibit 3. Existing intersection control and geometry was assumed for this analysis, as shown in Exhibit 2. Table 11 provides a summary of the capacity analysis at the study intersections. Based on the analysis, all movements operate at an acceptable LOS except for the northbound left turns at Northern Heights which operates at LOS E during the PM peak hour due to the high number of through trips along CSAH 96. This movement sees a volume of less than 10 vehicles during the PM peak hour. At Mounds View Boulevard & TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 County Road H, some movements are anticipated to operate at LOS E during each peak hour. This is typical at high volumes intersections. TABLE 11: EXISTING (2024) CONDITIONS DELAY AND LOS SUMMARY INTERSECTION TRAFFIC CONTROL AM PEAK HOUR PM PEAK HOUR DELAY (Sec/Veh) LOS DELAY (Sec/Veh) LOS Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H Signal 29.0 C 33.5 C CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramp Signal 24.6 C 18.2 B CSAH 96 & Northern Heights Side Street Stop 13.4 / 1.8 B / A 36.9 / 2.3 E / A County Road H & 1-35W SB Ramp Roundabout 3.5 A 3.0 A County Road H & 1-35W NB Ramp Roundabout 2.8 A 4.0 A Note 1: Overall intersection delay and LOS reported for signal control. For side -street stop control, delay and LOS are reported for the worst movement followed by the overall intersection delay and LOS. The 95t" percentile queue lengths were reviewed, and the following movements are anticipated are anticipated to be at or near capacity in the Existing (2024) conditions: • Northbound left at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (AM and PM Peak Hours) • Southbound left at US Highway 10 Ramps & CSAH 96 (AM Peak Hour) • Eastbound left at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (PM Peak Hour) 5.4 NO -BUILD (2040) LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS A capacity analysis was conducted for Year 2040 No -Build traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine baseline conditions for the study area. The analysis was performed for weekday AM and PM peak hours and is based on the traffic volumes provided in Exhibit S. Analysis was carried out with intersection geometry and control, as shown in Exhibit 2. Table 12 provides a summary of the capacity analysis at the study intersections. Based on the analysis, all intersections are anticipated to operate at an overall LOS C or better in the AM and PM peak hours. The northbound left turn movement at CSAH 96 & Northern Heights is anticipated to worsen to LOS F during the AM peak hour, though the movement is not anticipated to see an increase in volume and is inconsequential because of this. At Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H, the northbound left turn movement is anticipated to operate at LOS F during the AM peak hour with multiple other movements at this intersection operating at LOS E during the AM and PM peak hours. Both roundabout intersections are anticipated to see negligible increases in traffic levels and delays. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 TABLE 12: NO -BUILD CONDITIONS (2040) DELAY AND LOS SUMMARY INTERSECTION TRAFFIC CONTROL AM PEAK HOUR PM PEAK HOUR DELAY (Sec/Veh) LOS DELAY (Sec/veh) LOS Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H Signal 33.3 C 36.6 D CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramp Signal 25.4 C 19.3 B CSAH 96 & Northern Heights Side Street Stop' 55.9 / 1.9 F / A 31.5 / 2.4 D / A County Road H & 1-35W SB Ramp Roundaboutz 3.5 A 3.1 A County Road H & 1-35W NB Ramp Roundaboutz 2.9 A 4.0 A Note 1: Overall intersection delay and LOS reported for signal control. For side -street stop control, delay and LOS are reported for the worst movement followed by the overall intersection delay and LOS. The 95t" percentile queue lengths were reviewed, and the following movements are anticipated are anticipated to be at or near capacity in the No -Build (2040) conditions: • Northbound left at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (AM and PM Peak Hours) • Southbound left at US Highway 10 Ramps & CSAH 96 (AM Peak Hour) • Eastbound left at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (PM Peak Hour) All movements listed above are the same as the Existing (2024) conditions. No significant queueing issues are anticipated to occur in the No -Build (2040) scenario. 5.5 ZONING SCENARIO BUILD (2040) LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS A capacity analysis was performed for Year 2040 Zoning Scenario traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine the low -end impacts of the proposed development. The Baseline build geometry was assumed to be in place, as shown by Exhibit 4. The analysis was performed for weekday AM and PM peak hours and is based on the traffic volumes provided in Exhibit 10. These volumes were calculated by adding together the following: • Horizon Year (2040) No -Build Traffic Volumes (Exhibit 5) • Zoning Scenario Site Trips (Exhibit 7) Table 13 provides a summary of the capacity analysis at the study intersections. Based on the analysis, all intersections are operating LOS D or better with the exception of Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H which is anticipate to operate at LOS E during the PM peak hour. The intersection is anticipated to see generally poor operations due to the amount of site traffic added to an already busy intersection. Since the intersection has dual left turn lanes for all except for the northbound approach and right turn lanes at all approaches, there is very little potential for further improvements at this intersection and the only way to improve operations would likely be diverting traffic away from it. It was previously proposed in the 2014 AUAR that access to 1-35W south be added to the southbound ramp intersection. However, changes along 1-35W and the implementation of the roundabout have made this improvement an unlikelihood. The intersection should be monitored, and if the operations of the intersection are concerning, mitigations to reduce congestion at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H should be explored. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 TABLE 13: ZONING SCENARIO (2040) BUILD DELAY AND LOS SUMMARY INTERSECTION TRAFFIC CONTROL AM PEAK HOUR PM PEAK HOUR DELAY (Sec/Veh) LOS DELAY (Sec/veh) LOS Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H Signal 40.0 D 63.1 E CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramp Signal 33.0 C 21.7 C CSAH 96 & Northern Heights Signal 26.5 C 23.2 C County Road H & 1-35W SB Ramp Roundabout' 5.2 A 4.6 A County Road H & 1-35W NB Ramp Roundabout' 4.1 A 8.5 A Note 1: At Roundabouts, Overall delay is reported at 85%150% confidence. Total intersection delay is reported, including bypasses. Level of service is reported based on unsignalized LOS guidelines. The 951h percentile queue lengths were reviewed, and NB, EB, and WB left turning movements at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H are anticipated to have 951h percentile queues that are approaching their storage capacity or have through movement queues that extend beyond the turn lanes which prevents vehicles from getting into the turn lane until through queues dissipate. It is not anticipated that queuing at the intersection would impact adject intersections. At the CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramps, the southbound left is anticipated to see 95th percentile queues exceed their storage length, but the queues are not anticipated to impact traffic along the freeway. The westbound left turn lane is nearing its capacity during the AM peak hour. At the south TCAAP access (CSAH 96 & Northern Heights), queueing of the added southbound approach is anticipated to be sufficient with the proposed layout. 5.6 MAXIMUM DENSITY SCENARIO BUILD (2040) LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS A capacity analysis was performed for Year 2040 Maximum Density Scenario build traffic conditions to determine mitigation measures necessary to ensure acceptable LOS at the study intersections for the high -end development scenario. The baseline build geometry is assumed to be in place, as is shown in Exhibit 4. The analysis was performed for weekday AM and PM peak hours and is based on the traffic volumes provided in Exhibit 11. These volumes were calculated by adding together the following: • Design Year (2040) No -Build Traffic Volumes (Exhibit 5) • Maximum Density Scenario Total Site Trips (Exhibit 8) Table 14 provides a summary of the capacity analysis at the study intersections. In general, delays are anticipated to be slightly higher than the Zoning Build (2040) scenario, with all intersections continuing to operate at LOS D or better with the exception of the aforementioned Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H intersection which is anticipated to continue to operate at LOS E during the PM peak hour. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 TABLE 14: MAXIMUM DENSITY SCENARIO (2040) BUILD DELAY AND LOS SUMMARY INTERSECTION TRAFFIC CONTROL AM PEAK HOUR 1W PM PEAK HOUR DELAY (Sec/Veh) LOS DELAY (Sec/veh) LOS Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H Signal 41.2 D 67.3 E CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramp Signal 35.2 D 21.7 C CSAH 96 & Northern Heights Signal 27.7 C 23.2 C County Road H & 1-35W SB Ramp Roundabout 6.1 A 5.9 A County Road H & 1-35W NB Ramp Roundabout 4.8 A 14.8 B Note 1: Overall intersection delay and LOS reported for signal control. For side -street stop control, delay and LOS are reported for the worst movement followed by the overall intersection delay and LOS. Similar to the zoning density scenario, NB, EB, and WB left turning movements at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H are anticipated to have 95th percentile queues that are approaching their storage capacity or have through movement queues that extend beyond the turn lanes which prevents vehicles from getting into the turn lane until through queues dissipate. It is not anticipated that queuing at the intersection would impact adject intersections. At the CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramps, the southbound left is anticipated to see 951h percentile queues exceed their storage length, but the queues are not anticipated to impact traffic along the freeway. The westbound left turn lane is nearing its capacity during the AM peak hour. At the south TCAAP access (CSAH 96 & Northern Heights), queueing of the added southbound approach is anticipated to be sufficient with the proposed layout if the southbound through lane is striped as a shared through/right turn lane. The southbound left turn storage lanes may need to be extended to 400' in length, to accommodate anticipated queues. 5.7 MAXIMUM DENSITY SCENARIO WITH DISCOUNT RETAIL (2040) LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS A capacity analysis was performed for Maximum Density Scenario Build (2040) traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine the traffic impacts of the highest intensity scenario of the proposed alternatives. The roadways were modeled with future baseline geometry and signal, as shown in Exhibit 4. The analysis was performed for weekday AM and PM peak hours and is based on the traffic volumes provided in Exhibit 12. These volumes were calculated by adding together the following: • Design Year (2040) No -Build Traffic Volumes (Exhibit 5) • Maximum Density Scenario Total Site Trips (Exhibit 9) Table 15 provides a summary of the capacity analysis at the study intersections. Based on the analysis, the roadway network is anticipated to see a significant decline in operations compared to the 2040 No - Build scenario, with some intersections being at or near capacity. The intersection of Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H is anticipated to operate at LOS E during the PM peak hour with over 70 TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 seconds of delay per vehicle. The eastbound through, westbound left, northbound left, and southbound left movements are all anticipated to operate at LOS F during the PM peak hour. TABLE 15: MAXIMUM DENSITY WITH DISCOUNT RETAIL (2040) CONDITIONS DELAY AND LOS SUMMARY INTERSECTION TRAFFIC CONTROL AM PEAK HOUR PM PEAK HOUR DELAY (Sec/Veh) LOS DELAY (Sec/Veh) LOS Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H Signal 38.8 D 74.1 E CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramp Signal 40.1 D 22.4 C CSAH 96 & Northern Heights Signal 31.7 C 25.3 C County Road H & 1-35W SB Ramp Roundabout 6.8 A 6.4 A County Road H & 1-35W NB Ramp Roundabout 6.3 A 19.3 C Note 1: Overall intersection delay and LOS reported for signal control. For side -street stop control, delay and LOS are reported for the worst movement followed by the overall intersection delay and LOS. Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H are anticipated to have multiple 951h percentile queues that extend past their storage. While many of the queues at this intersection will exceed their storage, none are anticipated extend into major intersections or restrict the flow of traffic. The northbound approach is anticipated to see 951h percentile queues of over 1,000' in length but this is still far from long enough to affect 1-35W or US Highway 10. At the CSAH 96 & US Highway 10 SB Ramps, the southbound left is anticipated to see 95th percentile queues exceed their storage length, but the queues are still far from impacting traffic along the freeway. The westbound left turn lane is nearing its capacity during the AM peak hour. At the TCAAP access (CSAH 96 & Northern Heights), queueing of the added southbound approach is anticipated to be sufficient with the proposed layout, if the through lane is striped as a shared through/right turn lane. The southbound left turn storage lanes may need to be in excess of 300' in length, based on the results. Note that this intersection is anticipated to operate better than what was anticipated by the Rice Creek Commons Traffic Study and the 2014 AUAR Traffic Analysis due to the existing traffic counts showing significantly lower through volumes along CSAH 96 than either of those traffic studies. The turning movement counts collected for this study are anticipated to be a good representation of a typical weekday, based on review of MnDOT seasonal adjustment factors. Based on a sensitivity test, the County Road H & 1-35W NB Ramp is nearing its capacity in this scenario. A confidence level of 50% shows the northbound approach operating at LOS D. If this level of development occurred, the roundabout would most likely operate acceptably but some operational and queueing issues would likely be present, particularly at the westbound approach exiting the TCAAP site. The intersection should be monitored if this level of development is realized. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 5.8 SIGNAL WARRANT ANALYSIS A signal warrant analysis was conducted at the TCAAP south access point of CSAH 96 & North Heights to determine if the proposed development will justify a signal in the build conditions of year 2040. Volumes were developed using the time of day distributions given by the ITE Trip Generation Manual 111h Edition. The analysis was conducted using the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices methodologies. Side -street right turns were fully excluded since there will be (at least one) separated right turn lane for the southbound approach. Results of the signal warrant analysis of the Zoning Build (2040) scenario is shown below in Table 16. TABLE 16: SIGNAL WARRANT RESULTS SUMMARY Warrant Description Hours Met Hours Required Satisfied/ Not Satisfied Zoning Build Scenario (2040) Warrant 1A Eight -Hour (Min. Vehicular Volume) 12 8 Satisfied Warrant 113 Eight -Hour (Interruption of Continuous Traffic) 13 8 Satisfied Warrant 1C Eight -Hour (Combination of 1A and 113) 12 8 Satisfied Warrant 2 Four -Hour 13 4 Satisfied Warrant 3 Peak Hour 12 1 Satisfied Results of the signal warrant analysis for the Zoning Build Scenario(2040) shows that the intersection is anticipated to satisfy all analyzed signal warrants. It is anticipated that a signal would be built as parcels start to develop on the site. The TCAAP AUAR has been updated based on the current development plans and updated traffic counts. The 2014 AUAR traffic analysis provided a review of Existing (2014) Conditions, project traffic forecasts based on multiple development scenarios, and an analysis of future operating conditions to assist in developing a mitigation plan for Long -Term (2030) conditions. Below is a summary of the current (2024) traffic analysis. 6.1 EXISITNG LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS SUMMARY A capacity analysis was performed for the Existing (2024) traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine existing operating conditions. The analysis was performed for weekday AM and PM peak hours. Existing intersection control and geometry was assumed for this analysis. Based on the analysis, all intersections operate at LOS C or better, except for CSAH 96 & North Heights, at which the northbound left turn movement operates at LOS E during the PM peak hour. Because this is a very minor movement and the intersection will be signalized in the future, no mitigation is proposed. The 95" percentile queue lengths were reviewed, and the following movements are anticipated are anticipated to be at or near capacity in the Existing (2024) conditions: TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 • Northbound left at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (AM and PM Peak Hours) • Southbound left at US Highway 10 Ramps & CSAH 96 (AM Peak Hour) • Eastbound left at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (PM Peak Hour) 6.2 TRIP GENERATION & TRAFFIC DEVELOPMENT The development plans have not seen any major changes since the 2014 AUAR analysis. The trip generation was reevaluated using the latest 11th Edition of the Trip Generation Manual. The 2014 AUAR analysis analyzed two (2) scenarios, with the trip generation ranging from 41,550 daily trips in the Zoning Scenario to 51,140 daily trips in the Maximum Density Scenario. For the 2024 traffic analysis, a modified Maximum Density Scenario was analyzed, in addition to the Zoning and Maximum Density Scenarios, which replaced some of the general retail space with a discount superstore. This land use typically generates significantly more trips than other retail land uses. Trip generation ranged from 38,048 daily trips in the Zoning Scenario to 49,686 in the Maximum Density Scenario with discount retail, both of which are slightly lower than what was analyzed in the 2014 AUAR Traffic Analysis. The Maximum Density Scenario with discount retail is anticipated to generate 3,783 trips during the AM peak hour and 5,077 trips during the PM peak hour. 6.3 YEAR 2040 NO -BUILD LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS SUMMARY A capacity analysis was performed for Year 2040 No -Build traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine baseline conditions for the 2040 analysis year. Existing intersection control and geometry was assumed for this analysis. Based on the analysis, all intersections are anticipated to operate at acceptable LOS except for the northbound left turns at CSAH 96 & North Heights which are anticipated to operate at LOS F. No mitigation is proposed, as this is a very minor movement with a volume of less than 20 vehicles during each peak hour. The 951h percentile queue lengths were reviewed, and the following movements are anticipated are anticipated to be at or near capacity in the No -Build (2040) conditions: • Northbound left at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (AM and PM Peak Hours) • Southbound left at US Highway 10 Ramps & CSAH 96 (AM Peak Hour) • Eastbound left at Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H (PM Peak Hour) 6.4 ZONING BUILD (2040) LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS SUMMARY A capacity analysis was performed for the Zoning Scenario Build (2040) traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine if the addition of project traffic significantly impacts operating conditions of the study intersections. The baseline build geometry was assumed at the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP Access intersection which included signalization, dual eastbound and southbound left turn lanes, and a westbound and Southbound right turn lane. Based on the analysis, all intersections are operating at acceptable LOS with the exception of Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H which is anticipated to operate at LOS E during the PM peak hour. Some of the individual movements including eastbound through and all left turn movements are anticipated to TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 operate at LOS F during this time. The intersection is not anticipated to impact adjacent intersections or the highways. No mitigation is proposed. 6.5 MAXIMUM DENSITY BUILD (2040) LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS SUMMARY A capacity analysis was performed for Maximum Density Scenario Build (2040) traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine baseline conditions for the 2040 analysis year. The baseline build geometry was assumed at the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP Access intersection. Based on the analysis, all intersections are operating at acceptable LOS with the exception of Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H which is anticipated to operate at LOS E during the PM peak hour, with higher delays than in the Zoning Scenario. Some of the individual movements including eastbound through and all left turn movements are anticipated to operate at LOS F during this time. The intersection is not anticipated to impact adjacent intersections or the highways, but it is recommended to monitor the intersection. At the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP South Access intersection, southbound right turns are anticipated to see queues extend beyond the storage capacity. It is recommended that the southbound through lane be striped as a shared through/right turn lane to allow two lanes for right turns. 6.6 MAXIMUM DENSITY BUILD WITH DISCOUNT RETAIL (2040) LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS SUMMARY A capacity analysis was performed for Maximum Density Build with Discount Retail (2040) traffic conditions at the study intersections to determine baseline conditions for the 2040 analysis year. The baseline build geometry was assumed at the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP South Access intersection. Based on the analysis, all intersections are operating at acceptable LOS with the exception of Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H which is anticipated to operate at LOS E during the PM peak hour, with the overall delay nearing LOS F. Many of the individual movements are anticipated to operate at LOS F during the PM peak hour. The intersection is not anticipated to impact adjacent intersections or the highways, but it is recommended to monitor the intersection. At the CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP South Access intersection, southbound right turns are anticipated to see queues extend beyond the storage capacity. It is recommended that the southbound through lane be striped as a shared through/right turn lane to allow two lanes for right turns. 6.7 MITIGATION PLAN The following provides a summary of mitigation improvements that were identified as part of the traffic analysis forthe TCAAP development. All mitigation improvements that are recommended were previously identified in the 2014 AUAR. The year 2040 geometry, traffic control, and mitigations are shown in Exhibit 14. 2030 No -Build Conditions (Recommendations from 2014 AUAR) • Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H —Construct separate westbound left and through lanes. TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 o 2024 AUAR Update — Dual left turns and through lanes have been constructed for the westbound approach. 2030 Minimum Development Build Conditions (Recommendations from 2014 AUAR) • Mounds View Boulevard & County Road H — Construct dual eastbound left turn lanes. o 2024 AUAR Update — Dual left turn lanes have been constructed for the eastbound approach. • CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP South Access— Install additional through lane in the westbound direction. o 2024 AUAR Update— Based on the results of the traffic analysis, this is no longer believed to be a necessary mitigation. 2030 Maximum Development Build Conditions (Recommendations from 2014 AUAR) • Install 1-35W northbound ramp connecting to the roundabout along County Road H. o 2024 AUAR Update — Northbound 1-35W exit was constructed along with the construction of the roundabout on County Road H. 2040 Build Conditions (New Mitigations Proposed) • CSAH 96 & North Heights/TCAAP Access — Change the lane use of the southbound through lane to allow right turns as well. APPENDIX A: EXHIBITS APPENDIX B: TURNING MOVEMENT COUNTS APPENDIX C: SIMTRAFFIC AND RODEL REPORTS I. EXISTING TRAFFIC REPORTS II. 2040 NO -BUILD TRAFFIC REPORTS III. 2040 MINIMUM DENSITY BUILD TRAFFIC REPORTS IV. 2040 MAXIMUM DENSITY BUILD TRAFFIC REPORTS V. 2040 MAXIMUM DENSITY ALTERNATE BUILD TRAFFIC REPORTS VI. 2040 MAXIMUM DENSITY ALTENRATE BUILD TRAFFIC REPORTS (MITIGATED) TCAAP AUAR Update I Traffic Analysis April 2024 AGENDA ITEM — 3B ,-fl DEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: April 22, 2024 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Dave Perrault, City Administrator SUBJECT: Recycling Discussion Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source: N/A N/A N/A Council Should Consider Council should discuss how it wants to proceed with its current recycling contract. Background The City Council entered into a recycling contract with Republic Services in 2015, and since then the City has elected to exercise its right to renew the contract with the final renewal being exercised last year. The current contract is set to expire in April 2025. City Staff has engaged with Foth Infrastructure and Environment LLC to assist the City in its renewal process. Foth has a contract with Ramsey County to provide technical assistance to cities when it comes to garbage and recycling services. Foth is preparing a memo for the City Council to review regarding its options, the memo will be made available at the meeting. Following review of the memo, Council will need to decide on a course of action regarding its recycling contract. Budget Impact N/A Attachment N/A Page 1 of 1 AGENDA ITEMS — 3C ,--ARZEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: April 22, 2024 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Becca Tucker, Great River Greening Kerri Seeman, Minnesota Master Naturalist, PTRC Member David Swearingen, P.E. Public Works Director / City Engineer SUBJECT: Park Habitat Management through Great River Greening partnership Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source: $0 $38,125 PIR - Parks Council Should Consider • The projects as proposed by Great River Greening and as recommended for consideration by the PTRC. • Terms to the cooperative agreement with Great River Greening. Background/Discussion At the April 24, 2023 Work Session, this topic was first presented to the City Council. Direction was received to partner with Great River Greening to apply for state funding to go towards buckthorn and general habitat management projects at selected parks in Arden Hills. Some of the parks discussed were Hazelnut Park, Chatham Open Space, Floral Park and Perry Park. Since then, Great River Greening has been successful at attaining available funds for the City of Arden Hills through the Outdoor Heritage Fund grant program. On April 16, 2024 the PTRC discussed the project proposals from Great River Greening. The PTRC voted to approve the projects as proposed and move it to the City Council for discussion and further direction. A presentation will be given by members of the PTRC and Great River Greening. Attachment A is provided for the full project proposal and background. Attachment B is the draft cooperative agreement with Great River Greening. The City Council should consider the terms needed to complete the agreement. If given direction, City staff will coordinate finalizing the cooperative agreement, have the City Attorney review and bring it through Council for approval at a future Council meeting. Page I of 2 It is the understanding of Public Works that there is a minimum 10-year maintenance requirement through the Outdoor Heritage Fund Grant program. Attachment C is the Invasive Species and Noxious Plant Management Protocols guide provided by Great River Greening. What is required for long-term maintenance of these specific spaces (26.03 acres) is beyond the Public Works Department's current standard procedures. If the project is approved to move forward, City staff will need to determine supplemental resources and create new maintenance programs. Budget Impact Project Hazelnut Park & Chatham NRMB Floral Park NRMB Chatham Park Totals: Grant amount City funds $ 54,700 $ 12,000 $ 215,100 $ 26,125 N/A N/A $ 269,800 $ 38,125 Total Cost $ 66,700 (Over 3 years) $ 241,225 (Over 5 years) N/A $ 307,925 Long-term maintenance of the 26.03 acres will increase the annual maintenance and operations budget, the actual amount is not known at this time. Attachments Attachment A: Great River Greening Memo/Presentation Attachment B: Draft Cooperative Agreement Attachment C: Invasive Species and Noxious Plant Management Protocols Page 2 of 2 Attachment A Memorandum DATE: April 22, 2024 TO: Arden Hills City Council FROM: Kerri Seemann and Great River Greening SUBJECT: State funding for assistance with park habitat management through Great River Greening partnership Background: City public works staff and PTRC members have met with the non-profit habitat restoration organization, Great River Greening (https://www.greatrivergreening.org/) regarding the potential partnership and state funded work on invasive species control and native species establishment at a number of parks in Arden Hills. There currently is funding available from an Outdoor Heritage Fund grant managed by Great River Greening that could support contracted invasive species control, plant / seed supply purchases and installation, the development of Natural Resources Management Briefs, and as well as add to community and City led work at Hazelnut and Chatham Parks. There is also funding written into an Outdoor Heritage Fund grant for a full natural area restoration project at Floral Park anticipated to come online in July, 2024. Action Reauested: Discuss this partnership and work priorities with the PTRC, including the proposed project timelines, the next steps with the City Council, the development of a cooperative agreement with the City, and the requested cash match from the City for the projects. Attachments• 1. Great River Greening background. 2. History of partnership, project proposal, timeline, and anticipated budgets. GREAT RIVER GREENING Attachment 1 - Great River Greening background GREAT` About Us RIVEROur mission is to inspire, engage, and lead local communities in GREENINGconserving and caring for the land and water that enrich our lives. Great River Greening is Minnesota's leader in nature -based climate solutions through land restoration. We create resilient landscapes, address biodiversity loss, and sequester and store carbon through community -based stewardship. We bring people from all walks of life closer to the natural world around them. As a leader in community -driven projects, we know working together creates a lasting dedication to Minnesota's land and water. Our work began in 1995 with a massive volunteer planting project on the Saint Paul riverfront to "Green the Great River." Over 10,000 volunteers planted 35,000 trees along the Mississippi riverfront, which sparked an even grander vision. We have since engaged our communities in the restoration of approximately 40,000 acres at nearly 400 sites throughout Minnesota. Our vision for 2030 expands on our legacy of impact. Visit greatrivergreening.org/vision to learn more. To achieve our vision of healthy, climate change resilient ecosystems throughout Minnesota, we center our work on three pillars of impact: RESTORING RESILIENT ADDRESSING CRITICAL INCREASING CARBON LANDSCAPES BIODIVERSITY LOSS SEQUESTRATION &STORAGE Great River Greening is a 501(c)(3) non-profit; tax ID 41-1940024. Great River Greening 1 251 Starkey Street, Suite 2200 1 Saint Paul, MN 55107 1 Tel: 651.665.9500 1 greatrivergreening.org GREAT RIVER GREENING Attachment 1 - Great River Greening background NATURE -BASED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS Great River Greening's land -based restoration work is science -led, grounded in data -driven best practices and the expertise of our trained ecologists. To achieve our vision of healthy, climate change resilient ecosystems throughout Minnesota, we center our work on projects that will build and preserve healthy, adaptive habitats that can withstand the effects of climate change. L VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Each year, Great River Greening engages thousands of volunteers to work with us, side -by -side, on land close to their homes. Our community roots run deep, partnering with civic organizations, schools, businesses, non -profits, and government agencies. We have engaged over 47,000 volunteers, including 12,000 youth and young adults. YOUTH EDUCATION AND FUTURE STEWARDS Great River Greening reaches hundreds of youth and young adults each year. Our Future Stewards program teaches youth the science of restoration and the benefits of spending time in nature. Through hands-on, nature -based learning at their schools, Future Stewards increases student participation in outdoor activities that drive success in school, at home, and in their communities. 6 *tr Great River Greening is a 501(c)(3) non-profit; tax ID 41-1940024. Great River Greening 1 251 Starkey Street, Suite 2200 1 Saint Paul, MN 55107 1 Tel: 651.665.9500 1 greatrivergreening.org GREAT RIVER GREENING Attachment 2 — History of partnership, project proposal, timeline, and anticipated budgets. ■ History of partnership — o PTRC members Kerri Seemann and Mark Kelliher approached Great River Greening in early 2023 to discuss a potential partnership between the City of Arden Hills, the community stewards of the natural areas of the City's parks, and Great River Greening for funding to assist the restoration and enhancement of several parks. ■ Conservation Director Todd Rexine joined a PTRC meeting in April2023. o Great River Greening staff met and walked sites to establish potential projects, budgets, and timelines for this potential restoration work to include tentative budgets in Outdoor Heritage Fund grants being written at that time. ■ These grants are state funding designated for this type of habitat enhancement work funded by state sales tax dollars through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy amendment that are recommended by the Lessard -Sams Outdoor Heritage Council and pass through Great River Greening to support staff time, subcontracting, plant purchasing, and volunteer coordination. o One grant is now online with funds available currently (April 2024) for use, and a second grant is anticipated to be online and available for use in July 2024. o Community members and Arden Hills City staff have met with Great River Greening to discuss current priorities (call on Thursday, March 28, 2024), Great River Greening staff have nowwalked the parks again and have received further background from community members and are proposing a final set of projects for PTRC review. ■ Project proposal — o After discussing habitat restoration needs and potential timelines, seeing final funding allocations from state grants, and current state of park natural resource management, Great River Greening's recommendations are as follows: ■ Perry Park —The natural areas in this park need a large and intensively planned project that would have to be coordinated with the habitat enhancement work that is being done at the adjacent Ramsey County property Tony Schmidt Regional Park. This may be a future goal, but we recommend managing the other areas where there is community coordination now first before taking on this large project. ■ No action requested. ■ Hazelnut Park —The woodland area is in good condition from a lot of effort put in by the community on understory habitat enhancement through invasive species control and native species planning. We propose to put 3 years of contracted buckthorn follow-up control and 2 years of garlic mustard control in to boost this effort and make the invasive plant population manageable with minimal effort in the long term, as well as fund native grass and forb seeding and shrub planting to add diversity for environmental health and park user enjoyment and education. ■ Action requested — Plan approval by the PTRC, and the development of a cooperative agreement between Great River Greening and the City of Arden Hills to make official the budget being brought by OHF funds, City funds, and the project plan and goals. Great River Greening is a 501(c)(3) non-profit• tax ID 41-1940024. Great River Greening 1 251 Starkey Street, Suite 2200 1 Saint Paul, MN 55107 1 Tel: 651.665.9500 1 greatrivergreening.org GREAT RIVER GREENING ■ Chatham Park —The currently prioritized center section of this park has had the initial stages of buckthorn removal started by community members as assisted by City staff but has considerably larger concerns that need to be defined and addressed prior to on -the -ground habitat enhancement as funded by Outdoor Heritage Fund dollars. The current funding available to Great River Greening is not enough to support a complete project from start to finish in this area, and once OHF money has been spent on an acre of a project, OHF funds cannot be returned to that acre in the future. The larger concerns include dead and dying ash trees that are or will present hazards and will need to be removed, future forest diversity goals that need to be defined and budgeted for, and erosion issues that may require regrading and water management engineering prior to natural resource management within the impacted area. We are proposing to use the currently available OHF funds to write a Natural Resource Management Brief for the center priority areas in the park and to provide guidance on continued PTRC community habitat management work and write the budget for management into a future OHF grant that could come online in July 2025 if funded. ■ Action requested — Plan approval by the PTRC and approval from the City to write a Natural Resources Management Brief and be available for community guidance. ■ Floral Park —The natural resource management for the full woodland and prairie acres of this park have been written into the M.L. 2024 OHF budget on the Great River Greening grant that will be online in July 2024. Once the grant is online, we propose to define the natural resources management for 5 years through a Natural Resources Management Brief, subcontracted habitat invasive species management and native species establishment, and coordinated community stewardship and volunteer engagement. ■ Action requested — Broad plan approval by the PTRC and approval by the City for the future work once the grant is online in July 2024. o Community engagement and stewardship - ■ This state funding may also support the time for Great River Greening coordinated volunteer habitat restoration opportunities to add to the community engagement already strong at these sites for both short and long- term stewardship. ■ Public information on project timelines may also be provided through on -site signage, neighbor letters prior to major restoration work, and educational events hosted over the duration of the projects. ■ All project closes will include a Natural Resources Management Brief written to outline continued maintenance and stewardship needs for the City and community to reference going forward. Great River Greening is a 501(c)(3) non-profit• tax ID 41-1940024. Great River Greening 1 251 Starkey Street, Suite 2200 1 Saint Paul, MN 55107 1 Tel: 651.665.9500 1 greatrivergreening.org GREAT RIVER GREENING • Timeline— OHF Grant City Park 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Funding Commitment Online through June 2027, to support contracted woodland Hazelnut invasive species control and native understory species establishment at Hazelnut. Metro Big Natural Rivers 12 Resources Chatham Management (priority Brief and areas) guidance of volunteer work Habitat at Chatham. maintenance Online from July 2024 through June 2029, to support after grant Metro Big Natural Resources Management Brief development, completion. Floral contracted woodland and prairie habitat restoration Rivers 14 and enhancement activities, as well as community stewardship and volunteer engagement. Grant is currently being written, if awarded, would be Chatham online from July 2025 through June 2030, and would Metro Big (priority support tree and understory work in the priority sections of Rivers 15 Chatham as defined by the Natural Resources Management areas) Brief as well as community stewardship and volunteer engagement. Summary detail for initial OHF funding (MBR12) April Group meeting and PTRC meeting / approval. May - June City Council meeting / approval, Coop agreement. N Summer Contracted buckthorn follow up work at Hazelnut, NRMP writing for priority areas at Chatham. 0 ^' Contracted buckthorn follow up work at Hazelnut, volunteer steward guidance at Chatham for Fall continued buckthorn cutting and stacking (material either removed by the City, or stacked for potential future disposal). Winter Hand seeding of understory grasses and sedges at Hazelnut. Spring / Contracted buckthorn and garlic mustard work at Hazelnut, guided volunteer stewardship at Ln c Summer Chatham. N Fall Contracted buckthorn work at Hazelnut and continued hands-on assistance will depend on additional funding which may come from OHF grant. Winter Hand seeding of understory flowering plants at Hazelnut. Potential buckthorn disposal through biochar kiln burning at Chatham - dependent on funding. N Spring / Contracted BT sweep (foliar), contracted GM sweep at Hazelnut. Summer Fall GRG / volunteer planted understory shrubs at Hazelnut. N Winter - N Spring Establishment maintenance of plantings at Hazelnut if there is remaining funding. Great River Greening is a 501(c)(3) non-profit; tax ID 41-1940024. Great River Greening 1 251 Starkey Street, Suite 2200 1 Saint Paul, MN 55107 1 Tel: 651.665.9500 1 greatrivergreening.org GREAT RIVER GREENING • Budgets — Grant Proposed Park / Work Total GRG state City of Arden Hills Funding priorities OHF project cash match requests funding Hazelnut Park continued $54,700 (including $12,00 total Metro Big invasive control and native GRG staffing and (over 3 years, $4,000 Rivers 12 establishment, Chatham support) per year) NRMB writing and guidance Floral Park full NRMB, $215,100 5 total Metro Big woodland and prairie (including GRG (over 5 years, $5,225 (over 5 Rivers 14 habitat restoration with staffing and per year) volunteer stewardship support)* Metro Big Chatham Park priority area Currently being Will request some Rivers 15 habitat enhancement with written cash contribution still volunteer stewardship being written *Includes all required state grant administration, yearly auditing, biannual reporting and required storage of grant related documents for 7 years after completion. Great River Greening is a 501(c)(3) non-profit; tax ID 41-1940024. Great River Greening 1 251 Starkey Street, Suite 2200 1 Saint Paul, MN 55107 1 Tel: 651.665.9500 1 greatrivergreening.org 41, thim z 0 Z wouj w W ce ! c 022(j. a GREAT RIVER GREENING GREA_T�� Floral Park RIVER4� GREENING Great River Greening is a 501(c)(3) non-profit; tax ID 41-1940024. Great River Greening 1 251 Starkey Street, Suite 2200 1 Saint Paul, MN 55107 1 Tel: 651.665.9500 1 greatrivergreening.org GREAT U RIVERIlr�': GREENING GREAT RIVER GREENING Attachment B COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT THIS AGREEMENT, hereinafter referred to as "Agreement", is made date of Month, 2022, by and between the LANDOWNER (DNR, City, County, Private landowner), hereinaftere-eferred to as the Landowner Nam nd GREAT RIVER GREENING, hereinafter referred to as the "GRG". RECITALS: GRG is a non-profit 501(c)(3) conservation organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota organized for the purpose of restoring natural areas and open spaces through community engagement; and Great River Greening has received as an appropriation under Minn. Laws 2022, Regular Session, Chapter 77, Article 1, Section 2, Subd 5(j) Metro Big Rivers Phase XII, $742,000 is from the fund to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement to establish a monitoring and enforcement fund as approved in the accomplishment plan and subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 17. GRG desires to contribute $00,000 towards the partnership project; and Landowner LNdm esires to contribute $00,000 towards the partnership project; and Landowner Nam eeks to enter into an agreement with GRG for the purpose of detailing partnership contributions and the provision of Technical Services in support of the name of project. With GRG contributing funds from the appropriation to the project, the Landowner is subject to terms as described in Exhibit A. NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual undertakings and agreement contained within this agreement, Landowner NBai nd GRG hereby agrees as follows: Compensation and Terms of Payment Compensation The Parties agree that GRG will complete or arrange for services to be completed under this Agreement. The cost of such services will be funded by joint contributions of the parties. The Landowner Name's contributions/compensation under this agreement shall be paid to GRG on the basis of hourly rates for services according to rates shown in Exhibit B attached herein, plus expenses and contractor costs necessary to complete the project, not to exceed $00,000. GRG shall contribute $00,000 m tch to the Landowner Name'sa;ontribution over the course of the project. After Landowner Name contribution, GRG shall assume fiscal responsibility for all services completed under this agreement. GRG's financial obligation, as set out above, shall be in accordance with the Metro Big Rivers Phase XII, M.L. 2022 appropriation, and may be met through actual payment for services to a third party or calculation of the value, on an hourly basis, for "in -kind" services provided. Terms of Payment GRG will invoice Landowner nam n GRG's billing schedule?, dDut not more frequently than monthly, based upon completion or partial completion of work. Condition of Payment All services provided by GRG pursuant to this agreement shall be performed to the satisfaction of the Landowner Name and its authorized agent, and in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations. Payment shall be withheld for work found by the Landowner Name or its authorized agent to be unsatisfactory, or performed in violation of federal, state and local laws, ordinances, rules or regulations. GREAT AUbw, RIVERIlV� GREENING Scone of Services GRG agrees to provide the following list of services for prairie, woodland, wetland..., enhancement, restoration..., name of project location: • Resto activity 1 •2 •3 The City agrees to provide the following list of services for prairie, woodland, wetland..., enhancement, restoration..., name of project location: • In kind 0 • In kind 1 • In kind 2 The scope of services is further expanded upon in Exhibit B. GRG agrees to oversee and implement the Project activities as identified in Work Plan. Landowner Name agrees to oversee project for consistency with Landowner Name plans, goals and policies. Effective Date of Contract This agreement shall become effective Month, day Year. Term of Contract This agreement shall remain in effect until Month, day Year, or until all obligations set forth in this agreement have been satisfactorily fulfilled or unless earlier terminated as provided, whichever occurs first. Notices The Landowner Name shall appoint an authorized agent for the purpose of administration of this agreement. GRG is notified of the authorized agent of the Landowner Name as follows: Landowner Name Great River Greening Authorized Contact Authorized Contact Name Name Address Address Address, St. City, State, Zip 251 Starkey Street, Suite 2200 St Paul, MN 55107 Phone Number Phone Number Place phone number here (651) 665-9500 x-00 Email Address Email Address Place email here name@greatrivergreening.org Partner and State Audit Pursuant to Minn. Stat. Section 16C.05, Subd. 5 (2007), the books, records, documents, and accounting procedures and practices of GRG relative to this agreement shall be subject to examination by the Landowner Name and the State Auditor. Complete and accurate records of the work performed pursuant to this agreement shall be kept by GRG for a minimum of six (6) years following termination of this agreement for such auditing purposes. The retention period shall be automatically extended during the course of any administrative or judicial action involving the Landowner Name regarding matters to which the records are relevant. The retention period shall be automatically extended until the administrative orjudicial action is finally completed or until the authorized agent of the Landowner Name notifies GRG in writing that the records need no longer be kept. GREAT AUbw, RIVERIlV� GREENING 8. Indemnity GRG agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold the Landowner Name , its employees and officials harmless from any claims, demands, actions or causes of action, including reasonable attorney's fees and expenses resulting directly or indirectly from any negligent act or omission on the part of the GRG, or its subcontractors, partners or independent contractors or any of their agents or employees, in the performance of or with relation to any of the work or services to be performed or furnished by the vendor or the subcontractors, partners or independent contractors or any of their agents or employees under the agreement. GRG shall be responsible for the professional quality, technical accuracy, and the coordination of all services furnished by GRG under this agreement. GRG shall, without additional compensation, correct or revise any errors or deficiencies in GRG's final reports and services. 9. Insurance GRG shall not commence work under this agreement until it has obtained, at its own cost and expense, all insurance required herein. All insurance coverage is subject to approval of the Landowner Name and shall be maintained by GRG until final completion of the work. Workers' Compensation 1)State: Minnesota— Statutory 2)Employer's Liability with minimum limits of: Bodily Injury by Accident: $100,000 each Accident Bodily Injury by Disease: $100,000 each Employee Bodily Injury by Disease: $500,000 policy limit 3) Benefits required by union labor contracts: as applicable In the event GRG is a sole proprietor and has not elected to provide workers' compensation insurance, GRG shall be required to execute and submit an affidavit of sole proprietorship in a form satisfactory to the Landowner Name before entering into the agreement. Commercial General Liability Including Premises, Operations, Products, Completed Operations, Advertising, and Personal Injury Liability, with the following minimum limits of liability: $2,000,000 Aggregate $2,000,000 Products & Completed Operations Aggregate $1,000,000 Personal Injury & Advertising Injury $1,000,000 Occurrence $ 100,000 Fire Damage Limit $ 5,000 Medical Expense Policy should be written on an occurrence basis and include explosion, collapse and underground. C. Commercial Auto Liability Minimum limits of liability shall be: If split limits: $1,000,000 each person/$1,000,000 each occurrence for Bodily Injury $1,000,000 each occurrence for Property Damage If combined single limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence 10. Subcontracts GRG shall ensure and require that any subcontractor agrees to and complies with all of the terms of this agreement. Any subcontractor of GRG used to perform any portion of this agreement shall report to and bill GRG directly. GRG shall be solely responsible for the breach, performance or nonperformance of any subcontractor. GREAT AMew, RI VEVIVOW GREENING 11. Force Maieure Landowner Name and GRG agree that GRG shall not be liable for any delay or inability to perform this agreement, directly or indirectly caused by, or resulting from, strikes, labor troubles, accidents, fire, flood, breakdowns, war, riot, civil commotion, lack of material, delays of transportation, acts of God or other cause beyond reasonable control of GRG and the Landowner Name (DNR, City, County, Private landowner) . 12. Data Practices GRG, its agents, employees and any subcontractors of GRG, in providing all services hereunder, agree to abide by the provisions of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minn. Stat. Ch. 13, as amended, and Minn. Rules promulgated pursuant to Ch. 13. GRG understands that it must comply with these provisions as if it were a government entity. GRG agrees to indemnify and hold the Landowner Name, its officers, department heads and employees harmless from any claims resulting from the GRG's unlawful disclosure, failure to disclose or use of data protected under state and federal laws. 13. Termination This agreement may be terminated by either party, with or without cause upon 30 days written notice to GRG or the Authorized Agent of the Landowner Name. 14. Independent Contractor It is agreed that nothing contained in this agreement is intended or should be construed as creating the relationship of a partnership, joint venture, or association with the Landowner Name and GRG. GRG is an independent contractor, and it, its employees, agents, subcontractors, and representatives shall not be considered employees, agents or representatives of the Landowner Name (DNR, City, County, Private landowner). Except as otherwise provided herein, GRG shall maintain, in all respects, its present control over the means and personnel by which this agreement is performed. From any amounts due GRG, there shall be no deduction for federal income tax, FICA payments, state income tax, or for any other purposes which are associated with an employer/employee relationship unless otherwise required by law. Payment of federal income tax, FICA payments, state income tax, unemployment compensation taxes, and other payroll deductions and taxes are the sole responsibility of GRG. 15. Notices Any notices to be given under this agreement shall be given by enclosing the same in a sealed envelope, postage prepaid, and depositing the same with the United States Postal Service, addressed to GRG at its address stated herein, and to the authorized agent of the Landowner Name at the address stated herein. 16. Controlling Law The laws of the State of Minnesota shall govern all questions and interpretations concerning the validity and construction of this agreement, the legal relations between the parties and performance under the agreement. The appropriate venue and jurisdiction for any litigation hereunder will be those courts located within the County or Landowner Name, State of Minnesota. Litigation, however, in the federal courts involving the parties will be in the appropriate federal court within the State of Minnesota. If any provision of this contract is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will not be affected. 17. Successors and Assigns The Landowner Name and GRG, respectively, bind themselves, their partners, successors, assigns, and legal representatives to the other party to this agreement and to the partners, successors, assigns, and legal representatives of such other party with respect to all covenants of this agreement. Neither the Landowner Name nor GRG shall assign, sublet, or transfer any interest in this agreement without the prior written consent of the other. 18. Equal Employment and Americans with Disabilities In connection with the work under this agreement, GRG agrees to comply with the applicable provisions of state and federal equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination statutes and regulations. Failure on the part of GRG to conduct its own employment practices in accordance with (' ' Policy may result in the withholding GREAT AUbw, RIVERIlV� GREENING of all or part of regular payments by the Click here to enter due under this agreement unless or until GRG complies with the Partner policy, and/or suspension or termination of this agreement. 19. Changes The parties agree that no change or modification to this agreement, or any attachments hereto, shall have any force or effect unless the change is reduced to writing, dated, and made part of this agreement. The execution of the change shall be authorized and signed in the same manner as for this agreement. 20. Severability In the event any provision of this agreement shall be held invalid and unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall be valid and binding upon the parties unless such invalidity or non -enforceability would cause the agreement to fail its purpose. One or more waivers by either party of any provision, term, condition or covenant shall not be construed by the other party as a waiver of a subsequent breach of the same by the other party. 21. Entire Agreement It is understood and agreed that the entire agreement of the parties is contained herein and that this agreement supersedes all oral agreements and negotiations between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof as well as any previous agreements presently in effect between the Landowner Name and GRG relating to the subject matter hereof. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this agreement to be duly executed intending to be bound thereby. LANDOWNER NAME BY: NAME: TITLE: DATE: GREAT RIVER GREENING: BY: NAME: Kateri Routh TITLE: Executive Director DATE: Grant Manager Initials: Director of Operations Initials: Director of Finance Initials: Grantee Great River Greening GREAT AUbw, RIVERIlV� GREENING EXHIBIT A: State of Minnesota — 2022 Outdoor Heritage Fund Metro Big Rivers Habitat — Phase 12 Landowner Great River Greening has received as an appropriation under Minn. Laws 2022, Regular Session, Chapter 77, Article 1, Section 2, Subd 50) Metro Big Rivers Phase XII, $742,000 is from the fund to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement to establish a monitoring and enforcement fund as approved in the accomplishment plan and subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 17. As a recipient of this funding, the Landowner is subject to the terms below: COMPLIANCE The Landowner acknowledges that these funds are proceeds from the State of Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund which is subject to certain legal restrictions and requirements, including Minnesota Statutes Chapter 116P. The Landowner is responsible for compliance with this and all other relevant state and federal laws and regulations in the fulfillment of the Project. LIABILITY The Landowner must indemnify, save, and hold the State, its agents, and employees harmless from any claims or causes of action, including attorney's fees incurred by the State, arising from the performance of this grant agreement by the Grantee or the Grantee's agents or employees. This clause will not be construed to bar any legal remedies the Grantee may have for the State's failure to fulfill its obligations under this grant agreement. ACCESS AND MONITORING The Landowner agrees to allow the Recipient and the State access at any time to conduct periodic site visits and inspections to ensure work progress in accordance with this grant agreement, including a final inspection upon program completion. At least one monitoring visit per grant period on all state grants of over $50,000 will be conducted and at least annual monitoring visits on grants of over $250,000. Following closure of the program, the State's authorized representatives shall be allowed to conduct post -completion inspections of the site to ensure that the site is being properly operated and maintained and that no conversion of use has occurred. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND ENDORSMENT Acknowledgment. The Landowner must acknowledge financial support from the Outdoor Heritage Fund in program publications, signage and other public communication and outreach related to work completed using the appropriation. Acknowledgment may occur, as appropriate, through use of the fund logo or inclusion of language attributing support from the fund. Endorsement. The Landowner must not claim that the State endorses its products or services. ECOLOGICAL AND RESTORATION PLAN For all restorations, the Grantee in coordination with the Landowner must prepare and retain an ecological restoration and management plan that, to the degree practicable, is consistent with current conservation science and ecological goals for the restoration site. Consideration should be given to soil, geology, topography, and other relevant factors that would provide the best chance for long-term success and durability of the restoration. The plan must include the proposed timetable for implementing the restoration, including, but not limited to, site preparation, establishment of diverse plant species, maintenance, and additional enhancement to establish the restoration; identify long-term maintenance and management needs of the restoration and how the maintenance, management, and enhancement will be financed; and use current conservation science to achieve the best restoration. LONG TERM MANAGEMENT As a partner with Great River Greening, the Landowner commits to maintaining the investment put forward over time. Attachment C A [ENING Invasive Species and Noxious Plant Management Protocols — Great River Greening, 2022 Complete eradication of some invasive species from a site is often not an attainable goal once they have become well established. A more realistic goal is to achieve a reduction of cover and ongoing management over time. In general, any given invasive species should not dominate and compromise the integrity of the ecosystem. For invasive populations that are reasonable to manage, inputs in the short- term are required, as well as a long-term commitment. However, even this goal is not practical for some populations of invasive species. Establishment and maintenance of a diverse native plant community can help prevent further invasion. Short-term plans Plans are necessary to diminish existing and seedling populations of undesirable species. When undesirable vegetation dominates a patch, ecosystem attributes such as nutrient flow, hydrology, and microclimates are determined by the dominate vegetation. The vegetation ensures dominance through regulating the ecosystem attributes in ways that reinforce their dominance. Tactical procedures should target the species in attempts to reduce their influence over ecosystem attributes; however, solutions don't target the altered ecosystem attributes, such as eutrophic soils, and the site will remain highly invasible until those attributes are changed in ways that facilitate a more desirable vegetation. Long-term Commitment Over the long term the site needs to be continually monitored for invasive species while managing for native species habitat. This would include some form or combination of biomass harvest procedures may include grazing, haying (cutting and removing biomass), prescribed fire, and mowing. The primary benefits of biomass harvest to plant community configuration is control over nutrient flow and secondarily over light competition. Without some form of biomass harvest, many desirable plant species drop out of the community configuration. All restoration projects require long—term commitment in order to ensure long-term success. Overview of Management Strategies There are a range of effective treatment options for invasive species management. The trade-offs in terms of cost, effectiveness, and collateral impacts should all be factored in when making management decisions. Some treatment options may not be practical for any number of reasons including lack of equipment access, disruption to visitor access, etc. Prescribed burns, biological control, and various chemical or mechanical treatments can be considered as management options. Combinations of treatment methods often offer better control. Mechanical: Mechanical control can include girdling, mowing, haying, cutting, and physical removal by hand -pulling or digging. Properly timed mowing can achieve some management objectives, particularly for managing annual weeds or in lieu of a prescribed burn when prescribed burn objectives cannot be met due to the lack of appropriate burn conditions. Forestry mowing in winter that shatters the base of woody stems can lead to the death of an invasive tree by desiccation under the right winter conditions. Hand removal can be effective for small populations or when groups of volunteers can be organized to work through an area. Prescribed Burns: Fire can serve a few of functions in the maintenance and management of native ecosystems. It is an effective tool for maintaining fire dependent grassland and woodland ecosystems which require periodic fires to remove thatch or leaf litter, return nutrients to the soil, and set back invasive species. The timing of fire in various ecosystems can be used to impact woody or herbaceous GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING invasive species that are in a susceptible life stage. Fire can be used as a tool to facilitate herbicide treatments by removing thatch either in preparation for herbicide treatment or as a follow-up to herbicide treatment. Fire can also be used to remove thatch or litter in preparation for seeding or interseeding. Chemical: The herbicide product, herbicide formulation, timing of application, site conditions, target species, and proximity to non -target species must all be factored in when designing an herbicide treatment plan. A range of herbicide products are available to use selectively for specific restoration applications. Herbicide treatments can be broadcast or spot treatments depending on the density of the target species and the composition and density of the surrounding desirable species. Herbicides can be applied by a variety of different methods, including foliar, basal bark, or cut stem treatments. Herbicides for selective or broad spectrum applications can be chosen to either fine tune a response or to treat large contiguous areas of invasive or weed species. Biological Control: Biological control agents are available for a handful of invasive species. Leafy spurge and purple loosestrife may be potential candidates for treatment with biological control agents. At applicable sites, the density and extent of the species need to be enough to sustain a population of biological control agents. Biological control will not typically eliminate an invasive species, but rather, is more likely to reduce populations to tolerable levels at which the native plant community can also express itself. Cultural Control: Preventing new invasions plays a role in habitat management as well. There are several best practices that can minimize the potential of invasive species to establish. In general, maintaining a stable, healthy and diverse plant community in forest, prairie, and wetland ecosystems will be one key to preventing invasions. Human caused disturbances, such as uncontrolled foot traffic that kills vegetation or causes compaction or high water levels that drown native vegetation, are examples of disturbances that create conditions that favor invasive species. It is likely that impacts from foot traffic can be mitigated by redirecting and managing traffic flow patterns. On the other hand, high water levels caused by runoff from surrounding impervious surfaces is not a condition that can likely be resolved easily, if at all. To prevent or limit introductions of invasive species on public lands, the Minnesota DNR has implemented Operational Order 113, 'Come Clean, Leave Clean'. Many of these common sense protocols can be used in the setting of an urban park reserve as well. httD://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/dnrlands.html Recommendations for management treatments to control invasive species outlined below. Timing maps were derived from the guidelines in the MN DOT Noxious Weed Document found here - http://www.dot.state.mn.us/roadsides/vegetation/pdf/noxiousweeds.pdf GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Forbs Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Description Garlic mustard is native to Europe. In Minnesota, it is listed as a restricted noxious weed. Garlic mustard invades woodlands, riparian forests, and disturbed ground along forested roadsides, trails and waterways. Its proliferation in Minnesota native ecosystems has had a significant impact on forest understory habitats. It is able to spread aggressively, create large monocultures, outcompete native forest ground layer species, and displace ecologically important components of the native flora. Habitat suitability for native wildlife is severely reduced where garlic mustard has taken hold. Garlic mustard is an early season biennial herb with coarsely toothed, alternate, triangular to heart - shaped leaves that release a garlic -like smell when crushed. Evergreen basal rosettes are produced from seeds the first year. In the second year, the rosettes mature and bolt, producing erect, 1- to 3-foot tall stalks. Small 4-petaled white flowers develop into slender 1-2.5 inch long seed capsules, each with a single row of oblong black seeds. Garlic mustard reproduces via the prolific seed it generates. A single garlic mustard plant drops hundreds of seeds that remain viable in the seed bank for up to five years. The seeds are readily dispersed initially from the tall stiff flowering stems that catapult the seed away from the mother plant and secondarily via soil displacement during erosion events and when soil containing the seed is picked up on the feet of wildlife or humans or on tools and equipment. Eradication of garlic mustard may not be feasible. However, there are areas that are a higher priority for control. Strategies for control include maintaining zero tolerance for seed production in priority areas. Volunteers can be utilized to monitor and prevent establishment of new isolated populations. Mechanical If a population of garlic mustard is small enough, the best option for control is to manually pull the plants before they develop seed and bag them for removal. If the infestation is too large or too dense for hand removal, Weed whipping or mowing are viable control options. It is essential to mow before the plant flowers because garlic mustard will continue to develop seeds even after being cut. It is recommended to mow vegetative plants to the ground with a flail mower to shred the plant and prevent seed production. If the plant is in flower or past flower, mowing will spread the seed and increase the infestation footprint. Careful attention to sensitive native plants around the mowed areas will need to be taken to ensure they are not impacted. Mowed garlic mustard will either die or may form new flowers; however the plant will be much shorter and will typically produce fewer seeds. A second mowing is sometimes needed to treat the regrowth. In fire dependent ecosystems, prescribed fire is an effective management tool against first year garlic mustard, if there is sufficient fuel to carry a fire. Second year garlic mustard will potentially sprout following a burn, so follow up treatment is required. Prescribed fire is best used as part of an integrated management approach in which mechanical or chemical control are used as a follow-up treatments. Spot treating small populations with a propane torch can be effective on garlic mustard seedlings. Where garlic mustard is found growing amongst native wildflowers, it should be hand pulled. Garlic mustard pulled when it is flowering or in seed should be bagged in black plastic bags and allowed to "cook" to kill the seed. Chemical Garlic mustard can be chemically treated with glyphosate in early spring before flowering or in the late fall when native plants are dormant. Glyphosate is a nonselective herbicide and will kill all plants GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING including forbs, grasses, sedges and woody species. Triclopyr, a broadleaf specific herbicide can be used to control garlic mustard when native species are dormant or when garlic mustard is growing amongst grasses and sedges. Monitoring and follow-up treatment will be necessary. Long-term Management Because garlic mustard is such a prolific seed producer and because the seed is readily transported in soil from neighboring populations, it is likely that seedlings will appear for many years in areas that have previously been treated. Monitoring and follow-up treatment will be needed annually. Garlic Mustard April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Mow Don't mow Flowering Common Burdock (Arctium minus) Description Burdock is a biennial native to Europe. In the plant's first year, it forms a rosette, similar in appearance to rhubarb. The rosette can reach 3 feet across, with large, heart -shaped leaves. In its second year, the plant develops a branched, 3- to 7-foot tall hollow stem. The grooved stem can be green or reddish - purple in color, with tapered leaves along its length. Leaves are dark green, coarse -textured above and woolly beneath, with wavy margins. The plant arises from a large, fleshy taproot. Flowering occurs from July until frost. The pink to purple flowers of this member of the Aster Family occur in heads that are about % inch wide. The thistle -like flower heads are surrounded by spiny bracts with hooks at the tip. Flowers heads are clustered at the ends of branches and in leaf axils along the stem. The mature flower heads become burs that facilitate seed dispersal by clinging to clothing and hair. A single plant produces an average of 15,000 seeds. Common burdock occurs along roadsides and ditch banks, as well as in pastures and other disturbed areas, where the plant effectively outcompetes desirable species by shading them out with its large basal leaves. Burdock generally prefers moist, nitrogen -rich soils, but will grow in a variety of soils. Mechanical Cultivation can be used to control small plants. For larger plants, the entire plant needs to be removed which can be challenging because of the long taproot. Severing the tap root as deep as possible with a shovel or parsnip predator can knock the plant back, if not kill it completely. Mowing the rosette or lopping the flowering stalk when it is in bud or recently flowered will prevent the plant from seeding or at least significantly reduce the amount of seed the plant produces. Mowing the plant when it begins to bolt (send up a flower stalk) will allow time for a second mow later in the year to control any resprouts. GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING If burdock has already gone to seed, clip and bag the seed heads to prevent seed dispersal. Prescribed fire can kill young burdock and top kill older plants if there is sufficient fuel to carry a burn. Chemical Apply 2,4-D, glyphosate, or triclopyr as a foliar application to the first year rosette. Foliar herbicide treatment may only top -kill the plant, Follow-up treatment may be required. Alternatively, cut the plant below the basal leaves and stump treat the tap root with glyphosate before the bud stage. Long -Term Management In fire adapted plant communities, prescribed burns can alter the conditions of the site to favor the establishment of native species that can compete with burdock. Fire will also accelerate removal of nutrients including nitrogen which favors burdock. Common Burdock April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Mow Flowering Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) Description This Eurasian member of the Aster Family was introduced to North America in the early 1600s, and is now one of the most tenacious and economically important agricultural weeds. It is listed as a noxious weed in 43 states. This perennial has an extensive root system with horizontal roots extending 15 feet or more and vertical roots which may grow to 15 feet deep. Its extensive rhizomatous growth allows it to form large clones. Canada thistle's ability to rapidly spread both by rhizomes and prolific seed make it particularly difficult to manage. Canada thistle emerges as a small rosette in late -April to early -May, but new shoots can emerge during most of the growing season. Leaves are irregularly lobed with small spines along the margins. The upper surface of mature leaves is dark green, with a paler underside. Mature plants reach two -five feet in height and begin flowering in June. The numerous magenta florets are arranged in W-1" diameter heads. By July the seeds are windborne on their delicate pappus, and can be found throughout the landscape. Canada thistle may produce 1,000 to 1,500 seeds per flowering stalk and seeds can remain viable in the seed bank up to twenty years. Canada thistle grows in meadows, prairies, fields, pastures and waste places with a variety of site conditions including full sun or part -shade exposure, and wet or dry soils. Mechanical Mowing or cutting Canada thistle may be effective if repeated on a regular basis until the plant's root reserves are depleted. The optimal time to mow Canada thistle is when the buds are formed or early flowering stage. Mowing should be avoided after seeds have developed, as it may disperse the seed. Clipping and bagging seed heads can be done in smaller populations. GREATjM RIVERlRIPW GREENING Chemical Foliar treat Canada thistle with clopyralid, glyphosate, or triclopyr. Glyphosate can be used for careful spot treatment or when broadcast treating in areas where there is no cover of desirable species. Clopyralid, a broadleaf herbicide for use particularly on members of the Aster and Legume family, is useful for control of Canada thistle where cover of native species is high. Herbicide should be applied during the rosette stage for best results, but can be applied up until flower buds are formed and again in the fall. Repeat treatments are required. Herbicide can also be applied to cut stems for treatment of small areas. It is essential to apply herbicide to each stem that may be connected by rhizomes. Any missed stems will allow the clone to survive. Continued follow-up treatments will be needed. Biological There are biological control agents available for thistle control. However, caution is warranted as the available weevils have been observed feeding on native thistles. Long-term Management Prescribed fire can have mixed results for Canada thistle control and is best used as part of an integrated management program. Using prescribed fire to increase the health and diversity of fire dependent native plant communities is a recommended tactic. Canada Thistle April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Mow Don't mow Flowering Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) Description Bull thistle is a biennial herbaceous plant which develops a rosette in the first year and then sends up a 3-6 foot flowering stalk the second season. The plant is prickly, with spine -tipped lobes on the leaves and stems with prominent ridges armed with spines. The upper surface of the leaves is rough to the touch. Bull thistle is in the composite or Aster Family, so the purple florets are arranged in dense flower - heads. Seeds with their attached plumes are dispersed by wind and may persist in the seed bank for 10 years or more. Bull thistle readily invades disturbed prairies, as well as low quality pastures, fallow fields, and roadsides. It is readily identifiable in over -stocked pastures where the livestock have grazed around it. It is not a significant problem in high quality natural areas where it cannot easily get a foothold. Mechanical Bull thistles can be cut or mowed prior to their going to seed. If seeds have developed, the plant material should be removed from the site. Severing the tap root as deep as possible with a shovel or parsnip predator can kill the plant. This method can be used for rosettes or flowering plants. GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Chemical Bull thistles can be spot treated with glyphosate, clopyralid, triclopyr, or metsulfuron while they are in the rosette stage. Biological There are biological control agents available for thistle control. However, caution is warranted as the available weevils have been observed feeding on native thistles. Long-term Management Maintaining a vigorous, diverse plant community is a first line of defense against invasion by bull thistle. When bull thistle is present, simply cutting off and removing the inflorescences can prevent additional seed inputs to the system. Bull Thistle April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Foliar Herbicide Mow Flowering Crown Vetch (Coronilla varia) Description Crown vetch is a perennial legume, native to Eurasia. It reproduces both by seed and vegetatively by rhizomes, forming large patches. Its sprawling growth habit allows it to rapidly cover and shade out native vegetation. A single plant may fully cover 70 to 100 square feet within a four-year period. Leaves are pinnately compound with 15 to 25 pairs of oblong leaflets. The two -toned pink and white flowers are arranged in umbels on long stalks. Slender finger -like seedpods develop after bloom. The mechanism of seed dispersal is not known, however animals likely play a role, since some populations turn up miles from a nearby seed source. Crown vetch blooms from May through August, during which time it is very conspicuous with its profuse pink blossoms. Crown vetch has been grown extensively in the northern two-thirds of the United States as a temporary ground cover, for erosion control, and as a green fertilizer crop. It prefers open, sunny areas; typically occurring along roadsides, other rights -of -way, and in open fields and prairies. Where it establishes, it readily displaces native plants and decreases biodiversity. Mechanical Crown vetch can be mowed in June when the plant is flowering. Mowing slows the growth of the plant and removes thatch, making future chemical applications more efficient. Repeated mowing can be used to negatively impact the plant long-term. Plants can be pulled where infestations are small and soil conditions are amenable. GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Prescribed fire can be helpful in removing thatch to facilitate herbicide treatments; and it can kill some small plants and can impact the growth of larger plants. However, prescribed fire is not enough to control crown vetch and should be integrated with other control methods. Chemical Chemical applications are currently the most effective management strategy. Glyphosate, clopyralid, and triclopyr can all be used for foliar treatment. Glyphosate is non -selective and may not be a viable choice for managing small scattered populations in established native plant communities. Clopyralid and triclopyr are both broadleaf specific and can be used where native grasses are established. Follow-up treatments will be required to ensure mature plants are controlled and to manage seedlings that establish from the seed bank. Long-term Management Crown vetch can readily invade established native plant communities. Monitoring and ongoing management will be required to maintain control of previously treated locations and to identify and treat new invasions. Crown Vetch April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn/Foliar Foliar Herbicide Mow Flowering Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) Description Leafy spurge is native to Eurasia. Plants are characterized by white milky sap and flower parts in three's. The erect, perennial herb is 2 to 3% feet tall. Smooth stems arise in clusters from a vertical root that extends many feet into the ground. Leaves are alternate and lance -shaped on upper stems and scale -like on the lower stem. Inconspicuous flowers are surrounded by showy yellow -green bracts. Bracts open in late May, while flowers bloom June into fall. Leafy spurge is an aggressive invasive and once present, can completely overtake large areas of open land. Leafy spurge tolerates moist to dry soil in sun or part shade. It is most aggressive in dry conditions where competition from native plants is reduced. It is capable of invading disturbed prairies, savannas, pastures, fallow fields, and roadsides. Leafy spurge reproduces readily by seeds, which may remain viable in the soil for at least seven years. Seed capsules open explosively, dispersing seed up to 15 feet from the parent plant. Leafy spurge spreads vegetatively at a rate of several feet per year. The root system may reach 15 or more feet into the ground, and also spreads laterally. Buds at the base of the stem sprout when the plants are grazed or mowed. Mechanical An integrated approach that combines prescribed burning, chemical treatment, and/or biological controls is ideal. If biological control agents are introduced, other treatments must be timed so they don't impact the biological control agents. Spring fires can reduce the number of new seedlings. GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Chemical Treating leafy spurge is tough in any situation, but when it occurs in an established prairie, it is particularly difficult to manage without collateral damage to desirable native species, even when carefully attempting to spot treat it. If the leafy spurge occurs in a discreet area and not throughout the unit, it may be necessary to sacrifice some forbs to obtain control. A mix of chemicals will be more effective for treatment. Glyphosate, quinclorac, and 2,4-D are an effective mix when applied in June at flowering and again in September prior to senescence. Glyphosate, of course is a broad spectrum herbicide and will kill both graminoids and forbs, so must be used with caution or avoided in high quality areas. Leafy spurge can also be treated with broadleaf specific herbicides only to avoid impacts to native grasses. Chemical treatment will be needed for several years. Efficacy of chemical treatments may be improved when combined prescribed fire. Biological Biological control agents can be obtained and released to control spurge. The flea beetle, Aphthona lacertosa, has been found to be particularly effective against leafy spurge in Minnesota. Adult flea beetles feed on leafy spurge foliage, while the larvae feed on the roots, damaging or killing the plant. Control can take 3-10 years to achieve depending on the size of the site, density of the invasion, and other environmental factors. Chemical treatments can negatively impact the biological control agents, so consideration should be given to these impacts prior to incorporating herbicide treatments. Cultural Leafy spurge can invade and thrive in established prairies. The best method of control is prevention. Long-term Management Once leafy spurge has established a seed bank, it is very difficult to eradicate. Biological control can be used to maintain populations at low levels. Leafy Spurge April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn* Foliar Herbicide Mow Don't mow Flowering Motherwort (Leonurus cordiaca) Description Motherwort is a perennial, herbaceous plant in the mint family. Originally from Eurasia, it is widely established around the world due to its use as a medicinal herb. Motherwort is found in both sun and shade, often in highly disturbed sites, and is becoming particularly common and problematic in many woodland sites. Motherwort is 2-4 feet tall. As is typical of members of the mint family, the stem is square and the leaves are opposite. The leaves are variable in shape, with 3 or 5 sharply -pointed lobes, and deeply toothed margins. The flowers are arranged in whorls at the nodes where the leaf stalks meet GREATjM RIVERlRIPW GREENING the stem. The small, tubular, lavender flowers are generally hairy or fuzzy and bloom from June through August. The seeds have spiny burs that catch in clothing or animal fur. Mechanical Digging or hand -pulling motherwort can effectively control the plant if all of the root is removed. Continuous mowing or whipping can reduce the vigor of the plant over time and reduce seed production. Chemical Applying glyphosate or triclopyr prior to seed production can effectively control motherwort. Follow-up applications are required for plants that germinate from the seed bank. Long-term Management Planting and seeding native species to provide competition will help suppress and eliminate motherwort. Motherwort April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Mow Flowering Birds -foot Trefoil (Lotus comiculatus) Description Birds -foot trefoil is a low -growing perennial, native to Eurasia and North Africa. It was introduced into the United States for erosion control and livestock forage and is still sold commercially. Birds -foot trefoil is a member of the Legume Family. Its compound clover -like leaves are alternate with three oval leaflets and a pair of stipules. Bundles of yellow, pea -like flowers develop from May to August. Brown cylindrical seed pods develop after flowering in clusters that resemble a bird's foot. Birds -foot trefoil produces a long taproot that may extend over three feet. It also has rhizomes that form secondary roots. Stolons, or modified above -ground stems, allow it to form dense mats. The plant reproduces by seeds and spreads laterally by stolons and rhizomes. Birds -foot trefoil tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and is found along roadsides, in fields, prairies, wildlife openings, and other open disturbed areas. Burning increases seed germination allowing the plant to spread rapidly in areas where it is established. Mechanical Mowing is not an optimal treatment for birds -foot trefoil, which responds quickly to being mowed and will regrow within a couple of weeks. Continuous monitoring and mowing would be required to prevent it from going to seed. Continuously mowing birds -foot trefoil at a 2" height periodically throughout the year for several years may eventually kill the plant. However, doing so will obviously also harm native plants in the mowed area. Birds -foot trefoil is plastic in its growth form and in some settings adapts to frequent mowing by growing as a low -profile ground -hugging plant, thereby avoiding the mower blades. GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Birds -foot trefoil can be hand -pulled in areas where it has only very low cover and the soils are light. Severing the tap root as deep as possible with a shovel or parsnip predator can kill the plant. Prescribed fire is not recommended as the sole management strategy as it increases seed germination; however, it can be part of an integrated approach to increase effectiveness of other methods. A spring burn will remove thatch, exposing the soil and stimulating germination from the seed bank. Such timing will increase the effectiveness of herbicide applications and accelerate the depletion of the seed bank. Chemical Triclopyr applied to fast growing plants before flowering, or glyphosate applied in spring before or during flowering will kill birds -foot trefoil. Clopyralid, a broadleaf herbicide selective for members of the aster and legume families, can also be used to control birds -foot trefoil. Follow-up applications will be required over several years to manage new plants establishing from the seed bank. Long-term Management Maintaining a healthy diverse, plant community that limits light to the soil is the best defense against invasion by birds -foot trefoil. Birds -foot Trefoil April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Mow Don't mow Flowering Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria, L. virgatum) Description Introduced as an ornamental to North America from Europe and Asia, purple loosestrife is now an invasive species in wetlands, lakeshores, and ditches. It replaces native vegetation in the habitats it invades, forming dense stands with low wildlife food or cover value. Plants are 2-7 feet tall, with an upright habit. Leaves are slender, oblong -oval and downy, with smooth margins. Leaves are arranged in opposite pairs or whorls of 3. Stems are variously 4, 5, or 6-sided and feel grooved to the touch. Reddish -purple, 5-7-petaled flowers are produced in terminal spikes, with flowering from lateral stems as well. Flowering occurs in mid -summer. Purple loosestrife produces as many as 2 million seeds per plant each year. Seeds are efficiently dispersed by moving water and by animals. Purple loosestrife root systems consist of fibrous roots as well as rhizomes, allowing it to spread vegetatively as well as by seed. Mechanical Hand -pulling or digging purple loosestrife is not recommended. Any pieces of the roots that are missed when a plant is removed by pulling or digging can resprout. Mowing could be used to reduce seed inputs, but is often not practical due to the wet site conditions that loosestrife is typically found in. Follow-up treatments will be needed to control the resprouts. GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Chemical Where purple loosestrife is established in smaller accessible populations, it can be controlled by herbicide treatment. It may be possible to time the treatment when other herbaceous species, such as reed canary grass, are being controlled. Glyphosate formulated for use over water will likely be needed as the purple loosestrife typically grows in wetlands. Herbicide treatment for purple loosestrife should be timed for July through August. Herbicide treatment will be most effective in this window and the plants are readily identifiable while they are in bloom. Treating while in bloom also preempts additional seed inputs into the seed bank. Small populations can be treated by spot spraying with a glyphosate product formulated for use over water (Rodeo, Aquaneat, etc.). To ensure no seed is produced, small populations can be deadheaded as they are treated. Bag the inflorescences and remove from the site. Permits are required for treating aquatic weeds within the boundaries of state protected waters. Biological Biological control is effective at reducing populations of purple loosestrife in large wetland systems. Four species of insects have been approved as biological control agents, two leaf eating beetles, a root boring beetle, and a flower feeding beetle. Biological controls will reduce the population of purple loosestrife to low levels but will not likely eliminate it. Long-term Management Any areas previously treated for purple loosestrife will require ongoing monitoring and management. Purple Loosestrife April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Foliar Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Flowering Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis, M. alba) Description As biennials, the white and yellow sweet clovers invest in a healthy root system the first year. In the second year, new shoots emerge from the taproot. Second year plants flower from May through September. The small white or yellow pea -like flowers are crowded in narrow spikes at the tips of the flowering stems. Each flower produces one or two seeds. Seeds may remain viable in the soil for up to 30 years or more and are dispersed by runoff and stream flow. The compound leaves of sweet clover are alternate with three finely toothed, longer than broad leaflets. Sweet clover is native to Europe and Asia, but was recorded in North America as early as 1664. Sweet clover is cultivated as a forage crop and soil builder, and is also cultivated as a wildlife cover crop and for the production of honey. Sweet clover is adapted to a variety of conditions, growing well in full and part sun. Sweet clover prefers calcareous or loamy soils. Sweet clover readily invades roadsides, abandoned fields, pastures and open natural communities such as a prairies. Mechanical Sweet clover can be mowed or cut below the lower stems in the early flower stage before seed production has occurred. If cut low enough, the plant will typically not regrow. Sweet clover can be GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING hand -pulled when soils are moist and the taproot can easily be removed. Fall cutting of first year growth disturbs the plant while it is sending nutrients into its taproot, making the plant weaker the next year. Well-timed prescribed burns are a recommended control method for sweet clover. As it is a biennial, pairing burns together in consecutive years is optimal. An early spring season burn (April) will increase germination rates of sweet clover. A hot, complete late spring burn (May) the following year should kill the germinated sweet clover before it flowers and seeds. Doing this every two years can successfully control sweet clover. If the burn is not complete and thorough, spot treatment with another control method will be necessary. Chemical Glyphosate or triclopyr can be used to spot treat sweet clover; however, follow-up treatments might be necessary. A surfactant is also recommended. A good time to spray is before the early flower stage or in the fall when other native plants are dormant. Sweet clover can grow quite tall and foliage may be sparse, so spray drift and overspray should be noted and avoided. Long-term Management Sweet clover is a biennial, so seed production is critical for its life cycle. Interrupting seed development is key to controlling it. If the flowering stage of sweet clover is halted, so is seed production. Management procedures must continue long enough to deplete viable seeds remaining in the soil. Sweet Clover April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Mow Don't mow Flowering Garden Heliotrope (Valerians officinalis) Description Garden heliotrope grows 1.5-4 feet tall from fibrous roots. It spreads by rhizomes or aerial stolons. Stems are usually pubescent, especially at the leaf nodes. Basal rosettes develop first. Leaves of the basal rosette and the stem leaves are similar in appearance, although the stem leaves may be less coarsely toothed. Leaves are opposite and pinnately divided into 11 or more segments, which are entire to coarsely toothed. Leaves may have a few hairs on the lower side. Leaves are petioled, with petiole length decreasing up the stem. The fragrant flowers are white to pale pink and arranged in a flattened to rounded umbel. It blooms from June to August. Seeds are wind dispersed. Garden heliotrope is native to Europe and parts of Asia. It was cultivated for its medicinal uses, but can now be found escaped and spreading in native habitats. It is tolerant of a variety of conditions including wet to dry soils and full sun to part shade exposure. GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Mechanical Garden heliotrope may be dug out when isolated plants or small populations are found. Small populations can be deadheaded to slow the spread until plants can be removed or treated. Chemical In order to prevent garden heliotrope from spreading either by seed or vegetatively, it is likely best to spot treat with glyphosate from May to September whenever it is found. Since it is found in wet soils in the Shrub Carr, an herbicide formulation for use over water should be used. Long-term Management Monitoring and follow-up treatments will be needed to obtain full control. Garden Heliotrope April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Mow Don't mow Flowering GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Graminoids Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis) Description Smooth brome is a perennial cool season grass introduced to North American from Eurasia as a forage crop. It is able to persist through drought and occasional flooding. It grows from 2-4 feet tall with an upright habit. The %" wide leaf blades have a prominent W- or M-shaped constriction across the blade. In fall the persistent leaves brown and curl on the stems. The inflorescence is an open panicle with flowers occurring on 4-10 erect branches from a main axis. Flowering occurs in June and July. When the achenes ripen, the lateral branches of the seedhead relax from their upright posture and nod sideways. Smooth brome reproduces from seed as well as by rhizomes which spread laterally through the soil. Mechanical Smooth brome often occurs in native grassland habits intermixed with warm season grasses. Because smooth brome is a cool season grass, it may be best controlled in this situation with well-timed prescribed burns. Burns timed for late spring when smooth brome is beginning to green up, but before the native grasses are actively growing will knock back the cool season grasses, although the burn will not kill the rhizomes. This same timing is advantageous to warm season native grasses which are slower to green -up in the spring. Repeated mowing can be used to set back smooth brome. However, repeated mowing can have adverse effects on populations of native species as well. Mowing combined with herbicide is a more effective treatment method. Mowing can be used to facilitate herbicide treatment of smooth brome. Mow and then allow brome to regrow before applying herbicide. Chemical Non -selective systemic herbicides (glyphosate) or grass specific herbicides (fluazifop-p-butyl) can be used to control smooth brome, particularly where it grows in monotypic stands. Where smooth brome is mixed with native grasses and forbs, treatment is best in early spring or late fall when native species are more likely to be dormant and less susceptible to the herbicides. Fall treatments favor the translocation of the chemical to the roots resulting in better control. Mowing can be used to condition a stand of smooth brome for an herbicide treatment. Mowing removes dead standing vegetation and promotes a flush of new growth. Another strategy for control is to apply a dormant overspray in areas where smooth brome provides a more dense cover. A grass specific herbicide can be applied in late fall if treatment is carefully timed when cool season grasses are still actively growing, but warm season grasses are not. Long-term Management Monitoring and follow-up treatments will be needed to obtain full control. Smooth Brome April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Mow Flowering GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) Description Reed canary grass is a robust cool season grass that is likely circumboreal in origin. Ecotypes and/or cultivars of Eurasian origin were widely planted for use as a forage, conservation plantings, and erosion control, and are likely the aggressive grass that invades and dominates native wetlands and other moist soil habitats throughout Minnesota. Reed canary grass can reach 6 feet in height, but typically lays over, forming a dense mat that smothers native vegetation. The plant is hairless. Leaf blades are % to % inches wide, flat, rough to the touch and blue-green in color. The ligule, found at the base of the leaf blade where it joins the sheath, is long and membranous. Flowering occurs from May to mid -June. The inflorescences are 3-16 inches long and initially purple tinged, with lax branches. As the seeds ripen, the inflorescences turn a tawny beige color and the branches close up against the main axis. The shiny seeds rain out of the inflorescences when disturbed after ripening. Seeds disperse on water, and are moved by humans and animals as well. The plants are clonal, spreading aggressively by rhizomes. Reed canary grass is adaptable in its cultural requirements, growing in dry upland soils and part shade as well as the moist to wet soils in full sun where it does best. Reed canary grass management should only be tackled if there are adequate resources for both adequate initial treatment as well as ongoing follow-up treatment. It is not reasonable to attempt to control a discrete area of reed canary grass within a larger system invaded by the grass, as there will continue to be inputs of seed and perhaps even invasion by rhizomes. Chemical A preferred method to control dense stands of reed canary grass is to broadcast treat it with glyphosate in early to mid -fall while the cool season plants are still actively growing and the chemical will be translocated to the plants roots and rhizomes. Glyphosate formulated for use over water should be used for reed canary grass control where it occurs in wetlands. In upland areas, glyphosate or a grass specific herbicide such as fluazifop-p-butyl can be used. When treating dense clones of reed canary grass, there is little chance of overspray contacting desirable species. However care should be taken to avoid overspray when treating smaller patches of reed canary grass occurring within a remnant or restored native plant community. Where feasible, mowing prior to herbicide treatment can facilitate application. Mow prior to seed production or in late summer for a fall foliar herbicide treatment. If the population is especially dense, one herbicide treatment is not likely to be enough for complete control. Mechanical In theory, intensive grazing, mowing or haying could diminish the resources of this robust perennial grass, but in practice that is difficult to achieve. Reed canary grass is typically found in environments that are too wet to mow as needed. In addition, this method will not eliminate reed canary grass. More likely, it will merely set reed canary grass back temporarily allowing some other species to occupy the space. But if ongoing maintenance does not occur, reed canary grass will recover and dominate the plant community again. Mowing can be used to facilitate herbicide treatment on invaded areas that are accessible by equipment. Mow ahead of herbicide treatment, allowing adequate time for reed canary grass to grow back. Prescribed fire can be used to remove thatch and prepare a previously treated area for follow-up treatment. Mowing can be used in lieu of a prescribed fire to remove the dead canopy of previously treated reed canary grass. Mowing, of course may be limited by access on wet sites. Long-term Management Monitoring and follow-up treatment will be necessary to obtain control. The seed bank will germinate once the canopy is removed and will require follow-up management. It is not advised to begin control GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING unless a long-term management plan is in place. Revegetation should not be attempted until at least the end of the second season of treatment. Reed Canary Grass April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Mow Flowering Narrow -leaf and Hybrid Cattail (T. angustifolia, Typha x glauca) Description The cylindrical velvet brown flower heads of cattails are readily identifiable, but distinguishing the native broad -leaf cattail from the invasive narrow -leaf cattail and hybrid cattail requires closer study. The narrow -leaf and hybrid cattail tend to grow in deeper water and form denser clones. The hybrid grows taller, 6-9 feet versus 3-9 feet for broad -leaf and narrow -leaf cattail. The narrow -leaf cattail has narrower leaves, less than %2 inch wide versus %2 -1 inch for broad -leaf cattail. The leaves of the hybrid are variable, but range between those of the broad -leaf and narrow -leaf cattail. In cattail flower spikes, the female flowers form the brown club. The male flowers, which occur above the female flowers, are yellow when loaded with pollen, but soon wither after the pollen is shed. In narrow -leaf and hybrid cattail, the male flowers are separated from the female flowers by a gap of 1-1.5 inches. In broad -leaf cattail spikes, the male flowers are contiguous with the female flowers. The thick starchy rhizomes of narrow -leaf cattail intertwine to form a dense mat. In some wetlands, the mat may be floating. Cattails reproduce by wind-borne seeds and rhizomes. The altered hydrology of urban wetlands favors the establishment and growth of narrow -leaf cattails over desirable native species, allowing them to dominate the wetland flora. Where scattered populations of narrow -leaf cattail are established in other actively managed units, they could be controlled by treating them with herbicides when other herbaceous species, such as reed canary grass, may also be controlled. Chemical Narrow -leaf cattails growing in wet pockets along the pathways and boardwalk are candidates for control. Application of glyphosate in late -summer to fall when the herbicide will be translocated to the rhizomes increases the efficacy of the treatment. Glyphosate products formulated for use over water should be used. Wick application, spot treatment, or broadcast may be appropriate techniques. Treatment of other invasive species such as reed canary grass and purple loosestrife may occur at the same time. Mechanical Mowing or prescribed fire could be used after an initial herbicide treatment to remove thatch and facilitate follow-up herbicide treatments. However these typically these treatments would be difficult to implement considering the wet habitat preferred by narrow -leaf cattails. GREAT RIVER �� GREENING Long-term Management Monitoring and follow-up treatment will be necessary to obtain control. It is not advised to begin control unless a long-term management plan is in place. Any revegetation efforts should not be attempted until at least the end of the second season. Narrow -leaf and Hybrid Cattail April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Mow Flowering GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Woody Species Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) Description Oriental bittersweet is a recent threat to Minnesota native habitats, having escaped from cultivation. It is a robust vine that climbs by twining around a support. The vine can grow up to 60 feet or more. The vines have been reported to be so vigorous that they can overwhelm and kill a tree either by blocking light to the canopy or by causing it to be more susceptible to windthrow and breakage when loaded with ice or snow. The vines may also girdle trees as they twine around the trunk. Stems are gray -brown with raised lenticels and may grow as big as 4 inches around. Vegetatively, it is very similar to and difficult to distinguish from the native American bittersweet. The leaves of both species are alternate, simple, and range from oblong to nearly round in shape with rounded teeth on the margins. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants, so only the female plants will have the showy fruit for identification. American bittersweet flowers and fruits occur on the terminal ends of the stems, while those of oriental bittersweet occur in the leaf axils along the stem. The fruits of American bittersweet are red with an orange capsule, while those of oriental bittersweet are red with a yellow capsule. The two species are known to hybridize, and the hybrids should be controlled as well. Oriental bittersweet, like its native counterpart, spreads by suckering as well as by seed. Mechanical Small populations can be controlled by digging in locations where that treatment is feasible. Mowing is not recommended and may stimulate additional suckering from the root system. Chemical Cutting and treating the stumps will likely be the most effective control method. Cut stems may be treated with glyphosate or triclopyr. Cut stump treatment can occur from mid -summer through winter. In areas with extensive establishment of seedlings and young plants, a foliar herbicide treatment can be used for control. Long-term Management Oriental bittersweet is a prohibited noxious weed. All parts of it must be destroyed. Do not transport, propagate, or otherwise distribute any plant parts, including the ornamental fruits. Oriental Bittersweet April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Foliar Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Mow Flowering GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) Description Barberry is a small spiny shrub, growing 3-5 feet tall. It may be rather spindly in habit when growing in deep shade, or more compact when growing in part -shade and sun. The small rounded leaves taper to the stem and occur in small clusters associated with one of the spines along the stems. Insignificant yellow flowers open in May. They occur singly or in groups of 2-4, hanging beneath the branches. Fruit are bright red oblong berries which may persist into winter if they aren't eaten first by birds which disperse the seeds. Barberry has the ability to spread by layering, when its lower branches root into the ground. Japanese barberry, along with many of its horticultural cultivars are sold as ornamentals in Minnesota and other states. Japanese barberry is currently a Minnesota Department of Agriculture Specially Regulated Plant, which means that the species type and several cultivars of Berberis thunbergii are being phased out of the nursery trade and may not be legally sold in the state after December 31, 2017. Mechanical Small populations of Individual plants can be rogued out with a shovel, mattock, or weed wrench. Because the lower stems may have rooted down, care must be taken to up -root all stems for complete control. Forestry mowing in winter may control barberry if the shredded stems are exposed to dessicating conditions, however, follow-up foliar treatment is often necessary. Cut stems must be treated with herbicide or the shrub will resprout from the base. Chemical Cut -stump treatment with glyphosate or triclopyr is effective at controlling barberry. The herbicide should be applied to the stump without delay for optimal effectiveness. Barberry may be difficult to control due to its ability to layer. If all of the rooted stems are not cut and treated, barberry may survive cut stump treatment. Foliar herbicide treatments can also be effective, but care needs to be taken to avoid collateral damage to native species. Timing foliar treatments using glyphosate or triclopyr while native species are dormant is necessary to minimize damage to desirable species. Long-term Management Barberry are prolific seed producers, so monitoring and follow-up treatment will be needed to obtain control. Japanese Barberry Dec - April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Basal Bark Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Flowering GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Honeysuckle (Lonicera tartarica, L. morrowii, L. x bella) Description Invasive honeysuckles most often occur on forest edges and interiors, but also occur on fallow agricultural land, and road and rail rights -of -way. They grow in poor to well -drained soils. Exotic honeysuckles replace native forest shrubs and herbaceous plants by their invasive nature. They leaf out early, shade out herbaceous ground cover and deplete soil moisture. Research suggests that honeysuckles inhibit the growth of nearby plants through allelopathy. Honeysuckle reproduces primarily via seeds which are dispersed by birds that eat the fruits. Honeysuckle is one of the first plants to leaf out in the spring and one of the last to retain its leaves in the fall. It is challenging to correctly identify L. tatarica, L. morrowii, or the hybrid, L. x bella. Since they are managed the same way, it is not necessary to make a positive identification. Lonicera tatarica (native to central Russia) has 1-2.5 inch long, glabrous, ovate to oblong leaves. Its white -pink flowers are glabrous. Fruits are red or rarely yellow. Height reaches 9 feet. The gray -green leaves of Lonicera morrowii (native to Japan) are soft -pubescent beneath. Flowers are pubescent, white fading to yellow on densely hairy peduncles. Fruits are red. Height reaches 6 feet. The hybrid L. x bella has intermediate characteristics. Leaves are slightly hairy beneath. Flowers are pink fading to yellow, on sparsely hairy peduncles. Fruits are red or rarely yellow. Height can reach 15 feet. Mechanical Brush mowing or cutting honeysuckle without herbicide treatment is ineffective unless done continuously for several years. The lower branches tend to grow horizontally along the ground, making it challenging for mowers to effectively cut the plant. Combining mowing with a fall herbicide application is very effective. Repeated prescribed fire will kill young honeysuckles and potentially girdle and top kill larger plants. However, carrying fire through areas of high infestation is a challenge because of insufficient fuel. Combining prescribed fire with other control methods is preferable. Chemical Cut -stump treatment with glyphosate or triclopyr is effective at controlling honeysuckle. The herbicide should be applied to the stump without delay for optimal effectiveness. Honeysuckle can be difficult to control due to its ability to layer. Layering occurs when plant stems lay on moist ground and root from adventitious buds. If all of the rooted stems are not cut and treated, honeysuckle may survive cut stump treatment. Foliar herbicide treatments can also be effective, but care needs to be taken to avoid collateral damage to native species. Timing foliar treatments using glyphosate or triclopyr while native species are dormant is necessary to minimize damage to desirable species. Long-term Management Long-term management focus should be on minimizing seed dispersal via monitoring and on -going management efforts. Honevsuckle Dec - April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Basal Bark Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Flowering GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) Description Both common buckthorn and glossy buckthorn were introduced to North America as ornamental shrubs for use in fence rows, and as wildlife habitat. Both buckthorns were valued for their hardiness and ability to thrive in a variety of soil and light conditions. They also have a dense habit making them ideal for use as privacy hedges in densely populated urban areas. As an invasive in native habitats, common buckthorn tends to form dense, even -aged thickets, crowding and shading out native shrubs and herbs. Dense buckthorn invasions also prevent native tree and shrub regeneration. Common buckthorn is a shrub or small tree that can grow to 22 feet in height with as much as a 10" diameter trunk, although stems are typically more in the range of 2"-5" diameter. The crown of mature plants is spreading and irregular. The bark is gray to brown, rough textured when mature and may be confused with that of plum trees in the genus Prunus. When cut, the inner bark is yellow. Twigs are often tipped with a spine. In spring, dense clusters of 2 to 6, inconspicuous yellow -green, 4-petaled flowers emerge near the bases of the leaf stalks. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. Small black fruits about 1/4 inch in cross-section and containing 3-4 seeds, develop after blooming. Leaves are broadly oval, with toothed margins, rounded or pointed at the tip, and with 3-4 pairs of up - curved veins. The upper and lower leaf surfaces are hairless. Leaves appear dark, glossy green on the upper surface and stay green late into fall, after the leaves of most other deciduous species have fallen. Glossy buckthorn does not have a spine at its twig tips, its leaves are not toothed, and the undersides of the leaves are hairy. The trunks and stems have lighter colored lenticels. It similarly produces dark fruit on the female plants. The fruits of both species, if not eaten by birds, typically fall directly beneath the shrubs, creating a dense understory of seedlings characteristic of common buckthorn stands. The fruit is eaten by birds and mice and is known to cause a severe laxative effect, helping distribute seeds via birds, often far from the parent plant. Common buckthorn is primarily an invasive species of upland habitats, but it also occurs within wetlands. It prefers lightly shaded conditions, invading open oak woods, and wood edges; it may also be found in prairies, open fields, and wetlands. It is tolerant of many soil types; well drained sand, clay, poorly drained calcareous, neutral or alkaline, wet or dry. Common buckthorn occurs very frequently in Minnesotan forests. Management strategies vary depending on the terrain and timing of control. Glossy buckthorn prefers wetland habitats, but will grow in upland conditions as well. Initial control of glossy buckthorn should therefore occur in winter when the ground is frozen to facilitate access to all areas. Some areas will be difficult to access with equipment even in winter because of the other shrub species amongst which it grows. Mechanical On level upland areas, forestry mowing is an efficient method to remove the standing trees. If the stems are shattered close to the base and conditions after forestry mowing are very cold and dry, the wood is prone to drying out and may not be capable of resprouting. On steep slopes, brush saws can be used to cut the stems. The cut stumps should be treated immediately with herbicide. In wetland areas, brush saws will likely be needed to cut the stems. A forestry mower should be used only in areas where it will be possible to access the site for follow-up foliar treatment. Triclopyr with blue marker dye or a 50% solution of glyphosate with blue marker dye are effective for control. Areas cut by either method will require a follow-up foliar herbicide treatment, as it is likely that a percentage of the stems will resprout. Mowing repeatedly for several years, often multiple times a year, will eventually kill buckthorn. The goal is to deplete the roots of stored energy. Smaller buckthorn and seedlings will require fewer mowings. GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Small saplings can often be hand -pulled if the soil conditions are right, as in invaded forests without a dense ground layer. Manually pulling smaller buckthorn with weed -wrenches or simply levering it out with a shovel is a useful method in smaller populations or when volunteers are involved. Weed - wrenches and shovels create disturbance in the soil which can expose new weed seed, so consideration should be given to the results of this disturbance when choosing where to implement this method. It is possible in some settings that disturbance may facilitate establishment of suppressed native species as well. Prescribed fire can be a useful tool as part of an integrated buckthorn management approach in fire dependent plant communities. Fire provides a means to kill buckthorn seedlings and set back mature plants. However, even in fire -adapted ecosystems when buckthorn is present in dense patches, it is often difficult to carry fire because of the lack of ground cover beneath the buckthorn to provide fuel. Chemical There are several strategies to chemically treat buckthorn. Applying triclopyr or glyphosate to the cut stump of buckthorn is highly effective. Triclopyr can also be applied as a foliar spray in late summer, or in fall when other desirable woody species have dropped their leaves. Cutting buckthorn in June and returning to foliar spray in the fall when the stumps have resprouted is an effective way to kill it. Frill cutting and spraying larger buckthorn is also effective. It can also be treated by spraying around the base of the trunk with triclopyr. Long-term management Buckthorn seeds can stay viable in the soil for up to 5-7 years. In addition, dispersal of buckthorn seeds from adjacent properties makes long-term monitoring and management essential in all formerly invaded ecosystems. Areas disturbed by heavy infestations of buckthorn are often prone to invasion by other exotic species as well, so revegetation to provide competition, as well as ongoing management are necessary. Where hand removal is feasible scouting and hand -pulling on an annual basis will be a useful method to maintain sites where initial management has occurred. Alternatively, budgeting for follow-up forestry mowing, prescribed burns, and/or chemical treatment will be required. Common buckthorn April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Basal Bark Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Flowering Glossy buckthorn April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Basal Bark Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Flowering GREATjM RIVERlRIPW GREENING Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila) Description Siberian Elm is a small or medium-sized tree with spreading branches. Bark is gray -brown with shallow furrows. Twigs and buds are nearly hairless. Leaves are elliptical, prominently veined and single -toothed. Leaves are softly pubescent when young and arranged alternately. Leaves are rarely more than 2 inches long, distinguishing it from native elms, for which the leaves are typically more than 3 inches long. Siberian elm is tolerant of dry, nutrient poor soil. The winged seeds are wind -dispersed in spring, soon after flowering. Seedlings grow rapidly and may form thickets in disturbed areas Mechanical Trees may be girdled and allowed to die over time. Girdle in late -spring to mid -summer while the sap is flowing and the bark peels away from the sapwood. Use caution that the girdling cut is not made too deep as this will cause the tree to resprout from the base. If the tree resprouts, the sprouts can be cut and stump treated. Seedlings can be hand -pulled and saplings can be removed with a weed wrench or shovel. A regime of periodic prescribed fire will control seedlings in fire dependent plant communities. Chemical Trees may be cut stump treated in fall and winter. Cut stems may be treated with glyphosate or triclopyr. Basal bark treatment with triclopyr will also be effective. Long-term Management Monitoring for establishment of new individuals and populations will be necessary. Treat seedlings and saplings before they are large enough to develop seed. Siberian Elm April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec - Mar Burn Girdle Foliar Herbicide Basal Bark Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) Description Russian olive is a deciduous nitrogen fixing small tree/large shrub, growing up to 25' tall. Its crown is generally rounded, but often unruly in appearance. Twigs have a terminal spine. Leaves are alternate, lance -shaped and silvery -white in color. Fragrant yellow flowers bloom in late spring and produce a hard, olive -like fruit. The trees are tap -rooted. Russian olive was introduced to North America for use in shelterbelt plantings and highway rights -of -way. It is hardy, tolerant of a range of soil conditions and capable of sprouting from adventitious buds on the crown and root suckers. Russian olive may have been planted on the site where it occurs along the sound barrier wall in Management Unit B. Mechanical Seedlings can be hand -pulled and saplings can be removed with a weed wrench or shovel. To be effective, all roots must be removed. Repeated mowing of small plants initiated in summer when stored GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING root reserves are low may be an effective control. A regime of periodic prescribed fire will control seedlings in communities that are managed with fire. Chemical Trees may be cut stump treated in fall and winter. Cut stems may be treated with glyphosate or triclopyr. Basal bark spray around the lower stem with triclopyr when dormant. Long-term Management Monitoring for establishment of new individuals and populations will be necessary. Treat seedlings and saplings before they are large enough to develop seed. Russian Olive Dec - April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Mar Burn Foliar Herbicide Basal Bark Herbicide Cut Stem Herbicide GREATjU RIVERlRIPW GREENING Combined Tables by Type of Management Burn April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec -Mar Garlic mustard Burdock Canada thistle Crown vetch Leafy spurge Motherwort Birds -foot trefoil Sweet clover Smooth brome Reed canary grass Narrow -leaf cattail Honeysuckle Buckthorn Siberian elm Russian olive Foliar Herbicide April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec -Mar Garlic mustard Burdock Canada thistle Bull thistle Crown vetch Leafy spurge Motherwort Birds -foot trefoil Purple loosestrife Sweet clover Garden heliotrope Smooth brome Reed canary grass Narrow -leaf cattail Oriental bittersweet Honeysuckle Buckthorn Siberian elm Russian olive GREAT RIVER �� GREENING Basal Bark Herbicide April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec -Mar Buckthorn Siberian elm Russian olive Cut Stem Herbicide April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec -Mar Canada thistle Oriental bittersweet Japanese barberry Honeysuckle Buckthorn Siberian elm Russian olive ow April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec -Mar Garlic mustard Burdock Canada thistle Bull thistle Crown vetch Leafy spurge Motherwort Birds -foot trefoil Sweet clover Smooth brome Reed canary grass Narrow -leaf cattail Oriental bittersweet Don't Mow April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec -Mar Garlic mustard Canada thistle Leafy spurge Birds -foot trefoil Sweet clover Garden heliotrope AGENDA ITEM — 3D 'It ,ARZEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: April 22, 2024 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Dave Perrault, City Administrator SUBJECT: Rice Creek Commons/TCAAP Discussion Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source: N/A N/A N/A For Council Consideration Council will have the opportunity to comment on any TCAAP related items they so choose. Background N/A Budget Impact N/A Attachment N/A Page 1 of 1 'It ,-AR�EN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: April 22, 2024 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Dave Perrault, City Administrator SUBJECT: Strategic Goals Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount N/A N/A Council Should Consider Council should discuss strategic goal planning. Background AGENDA ITEM — 3E Funding Source: N/A At the April 15th Special Worksession, Council decided to submit its individual goals to Staff for future discussion. Council was supposed to submit the goals by April 19th, pending submission of goals Staff will compile them and provide them at this evening's meeting for discussion. Budget Impact N/A Attachment N/A Page 1 of 1 AGENDA ITEM — 3F ,-fl DEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: April 22, 2024 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Dave Perrault, City Administrator SUBJECT: Agenda Planning Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source: N/A N/A N/A Council Should Consider Council should discuss its next worksession agenda. Background Council passed a process for setting agendas at its April 81h City Council meeting. At that meeting it called for Council to review upcoming agenda items and decide if items should be added, removed, or pushed for future discussion. The intent is to give Council control of its agenda and priorities. Below are topics Staff has planned for the May 13th Worksession and the May 28th Worksession (note: items are tentative): May 13th Workssesion • Compensation Study Update • Capital Funding Follow Up • Tobacco Moratorium Update • Rain Garden Discussion • RCC/TCAAP Discussion • Agenda Planning Page 1 of 2 May 28"' Worksession • TH Highway 10 and Highway 96 Maintenance • Old Highway 10 Trail Design Discussion • Encroachment Discussion Update • RCC/TCAAP Discussion • Agenda Planning Lastly, attached is the list of topics that have yet to be discussed by Council, it reflects the removal of items that have recently been discussed or are ongoing, such as, strategic goal setting, proclamation policy and the encroachment discussion. Council may want to discuss if any items need to be added to this list for future discussion or assign a future meeting for some of these items. This would need to be done by a majority consensus of Council. Budtet Impact N/A Attachment Attachment A: Council Priorities Page 2 of 2 Attachment A 1 Topic for Consideration Committee/Commission Goal Setting Likely Responsible Departinew Admin Notes 22005-- TBD 1 Short-term Rental Ordinance CD/Admin TBD 2 Rental Licensing Program CD/Admin TBD 3 Volunteer Recognition (to Personnel first) Admin TBD 3 Infill Development CD TBD 3 Speed Limit Old Snelling PW TBD 3 Trail Prioritization (Lake Jo versus Snelling Ave N) PW/Fin TBD 4 Council Salaries Admin TBD 4 Climate Action Plan Admin TBD 4 Committee/Commission Membership Admin TBD 4 Building Materials Update/Discussion CD TBD 4 EV Fleet Analysis PW TBD 5 Energy audit Admin TBD 5 Porta potties PW TBD 6 EDA Membership Discussion CD/Admin Future EDA meeting 7 Community Survey Admin TBD 7 Keeping of Ducks CD/Admin TBD