Laserfiche WebLink
Arden Hills notes • August/september 2022 • 1 <br />The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents August/September 2022 <br />Sustainability in Arden Hills <br />Among the City’s values is ecological and environmental <br />sustainability. The City of Arden Hills is a member of <br />the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program, which is a <br />voluntary, challenge-based program meant to help cities <br />achieve sustainability and quality-of-life goals. Cities <br />choose action steps from pre-identified Best Practices that <br />align with their goals and that they have the capacity to <br />implement. Arden Hills demonstrates this commitment <br />in its investment in parks and trails, solid waste <br />prevention and reduction, and design for natural resource <br />conservation. <br />Arden Hills has and will continue to invest in its parks and <br />trails. The new asphalt trail on the west side of Snelling <br />Avenue North was installed in conjunction with road and <br />utility improvements in July 2022. The coordination of <br />the projects enables the existing pavement to be reclaimed <br />and used to construct the base material of the new trail, <br />which saves time, money, and natural resources. This <br />reclamation process is used for construction projects <br />whenever it is feasible. The construction of trails is not a <br />simple task because City leadership considers a number of <br />environmental factors during the planning process. <br />Another priority of the City is the prevention and <br />reduction of solid waste. Through a partnership with <br />Republic Services, residents receive curbside recycling <br />services—they do not need to set up individual contracts <br />with carriers. An organic recycling site is located within <br />Arden Hills at 3530 Hudson Avenue to encourage <br />residents to recycle their food scraps and yard waste. <br />Additionally, the City regularly promotes resources that <br />identify sustainable waste disposal options. To access <br />these resources, begin by visiting cityofardenhills.org/ <br />organic-waste. <br />The City prioritizes the conservation of natural resources <br />in new designs and construction. The City Council <br />encourages commercial developers to add electric vehicle <br />(EV) charging stations to their lots and requires that bike <br />racks are included in development plans. These changes <br />make the city more accessible for bikers and EV drivers. <br />Arden Hills is within the jurisdiction of the Rice <br />Creek Watershed District (RCWD), whose purpose <br />is to conserve and restore "water resources for the <br />beneficial use of current and future generations.” With <br />the collaboration of the RCWD and the assistance of the <br />Karth Lake Improvement District, Arden Hills Public <br />Works completed a run-off control project for Karth Lake <br />in 2021. The project resulted in improving the water <br />quality of the lake by reducing phosphorus intake by <br />11.33 lbs per year, which is equal to preventing 11 tons of <br />sediment from moving into the lake. <br />From using a brine treatment prior to snowfall to reduce <br />the amount of regular road salt used in the winter (which <br />pollutes lakes and rivers through storm drains) to the <br />recent installation of LED lights around the city and the <br />many rain gardens that have seamlessly been added to the <br />City’s landscape, Arden Hills is committed to creating an <br />environmentally-aware and sustainable future. <br />The rain garden at Valentine Hills Park is pictured above. <br />Rain gardens act as filters for storm water that drains into <br />the Rice Creek Watershed. In this case, it reduces the amount <br />of pollutants in water that flows into Lake Valentine.