I thought we threw that away

Star Tribune Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:00:39 GMT
State gets ready to dig in at Washington County landfill

The three-year cleanup in Lake Elmo -- at a cost of $27.6 million -- will be the most expensive for the state remediation program. Call it the big dig. State officials have elected to clean up a Washington County landfill that's releasing toxic gases and polluting area groundwater by digging out the waste, lining the landfill and then burying the waste again. The project will start later this summer and is expected to take three years. Its cost is estimated at $27.6 million, making it the most expensive landfill cleanup in the history of Minnesota's landfill remediation program. From 1969 to 1975, Ramsey and Washington counties used the 35-acre landfill, in Lake Elmo, as a garbage disposal site. 3M Co. also used the site to legally dump materials, including the chemical PFBA, a coatings compound used in photographic films and other products. In the past year or so, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has been weighing several options to clean up the site. Recently, agency officials chose the dig-and-line approach, over the objections of some Lake Elmo citizens and city leaders. They had lobbied for removing the waste permanently, either by hauling it away in trucks to a different landfill or by incinerating it on site using a futuristic technology called plasma-torch incineration.

[[keywords: LandUse;PublicWorks;Metro;]]

Inclusionary Zoning

Pioneer Press Sat, 5 Jul 2008 06:56:39 MDT
The good news about, and good reasons for, affordable housing

The Pioneer Press' three-part series on affordable housing in the suburbs sheds light on a critical public policy issue. But readers could easily come away with an impression of hopelessness: neighbors angrily condemning affordable housing developments, residents of those properties feeling embattled, cities piling on regulations, and developers forced into building only luxury housing. That's not the full picture of affordable housing in the suburbs. Nor does it reflect the fact that there is good reason to believe we can do better in making our communities welcome to all. ... One of the most promising and underutilized tools for generating affordable units is Inclusionary Zoning. With IZ, a city expects a developer to include some affordable units in his or her new development in return for providing incentives to make it work financially for the developer. Typically, we look mostly to government subsidies to make housing units affordable; the beauty of IZ is that it can produce affordable units for households in the $40,000-income range without government subsidies. More than 400 cities in the U.S. have adopted some form of IZ, including Boston, Denver, Chicago, New York, and many smaller cities. For IZ to work, cities have to make sufficient concessions so that developers don't have to build the affordable units at a loss. The most common concession is a density bonus â€" allowing the developer to build more units on the same parcel of land. Even modest increases in density can have a boost for affordability, and the good news is we now know how to design higher-density housing to avoid the problems of the past. A number of cities here now use density bonuses, but we can do much more with this and with other incentives cities can offer. Many cities want to do the right thing in diversifying their housing supply; they just need more tools such as IZ. Now is a great time for citizens to play a role in nudging their local government in the right direction. All metro cities are rewriting their comprehensive plans for submission to the Metropolitan Council by the end of this year. Cities must include in those plans how they will meet their affordable housing goals for the next decade. Showing up at a public hearing and urging local officials to adopt IZ and similar strategies is one small but effective step toward more inclusive communities. Tim Thompson is president of the Housing Preservation Project, a St. Paul-based public interest law firm that uses legal and advocacy strategies to preserve and expand the supply of affordable housing. His e-mail address is tthompson@hppinc.org. More information on the role of local governments in affordable housing is available at www.TCHousingPolicy.org.

[[keywords: Housing;Metro;]]

Use it or lose it

Star Tribune Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:37:43 GMT
Vibrant urban villages? Plans don't fit reality

As the housing slowdown dashes plans across the metro to create "livable" core communities, the Met Council is accommodating some adjusted goals. Stitched together by developers from fields and gravel pits, Apple Valley has worked for years to build the kind of downtown where residents can leave home in the morning and walk to the bus, their jobs or local stores. New restaurants and a hotel, townhouses and a park with water fountains where kids can play have already sprung up in the Central Village, but right next door, there are still empty fields. The housing market slump caused a slowdown in development that forced city leaders to plead earlier this summer to hang onto public funding that is key to their vision: a $2.3 million Livable Communities grant from the Metropolitan Council to build underground parking below an as-yet-unbuilt complex of housing and businesses on Galaxie Avenue. In the last year, Met Council officials have fielded an unprecedented number of requests from city leaders who already have Livable Communities grant money in hand, but say they need to change plans to make their community's project. And for the first time in the program's history, a shortage of deserving proposals led the Met Council to hold back about $3 million last year in money available through the program, which helps metro-area cities create thriving urban villages by cleaning up contaminated property and building affordable housing near businesses and public transit.

[[keywords: LandUse;Metro;]]

This should turn out well

Pioneer Press 06/13/2008 04:56:39 AM GMT
Vadnais Heights planning area sports complex with ice rinks, pool, fitness center

Residents of Vadnais Heights could soon get a $25 million sports complex â€" and city officials say it won't cost taxpayers a thing. The city is working with a developer and a nonprofit organization to formalize a plan for the complex, which they say is much needed and long overdue. If all goes as planned, the project would be funded by tax-exempt bonds, with the city acting as a conduit lender and a partial investor. The city did pay for a $25,000 market study, which is in the works. "The city might be contributing a few dollars, but not tax dollars," Mayor Susan Banovetz said. "The financing of it is really intriguing and innovative." Nothing is final or approved yet, but a general plan is in place, said Mark Bigelbach, the lead developer and a former Vadnais Heights City Council member. The proposed 240,000-square-foot building will include two swimming pools, two ice rinks, a gymnasium with multipurpose courts, an indoor turf field, a fitness center and possibly a restaurant and a pro shop. It would occupy 20 acres at the northeast corner of County Road E and Interstate 35E, bordered by Labore Road. Lease fees from participating sports groups and building occupants will be used to pay off the bonds, said Dan Nelson, attorney for Community Facility Partners, which will be the mortgage holder. The nonprofit was created to bring together small organizations, on the premise that while they can't fund a project like this independently, together they can. Each will contribute enough for the complex to be self-supporting, he said.

[[keywords: PropertyTax;Metro;]]

To help you discover what your opinion is

Star Tribune Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:53:58 GMT
SuperTarget again pursues Bloomington site

The company is moving to open a store in a neighborhood that fought the proposal before. Target will have to win over both city officials and residents. ... A year ago, about 300 residents attended a raucous informational meeting on the proposed store, and City Council members were bombarded with e-mails that mostly opposed the development. Since then, Target has held small meetings with residents in the area and hired a public relations firm to advance the project. City Council member Rod Axtell, who represents the ward where the new store would be built, said he's keeping an open mind on the project. So far, he said, public reaction to Target's formal application for redevelopment has been muted compared with last year. "Anytime you have someone willing to invest this type of money into this type of area, which is a bit ... aged, it's important to go through the hearing process," he said.

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MnDOT: Oh, by the way, we are closing most of your road

Star Tribune Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:34:01 GMT
Roseville road construction means slow going on Snelling

As executive director of the Roseville Visitors Association, Julie Larson keeps on top of city events. So she was surprised when a neighbor stopped by the association Wednesday and informed her that Snelling Ave. N. was about to undergo significant construction -- effective immediately. "It would have been helpful to know in advance," said Larson, whose office is in the HarMar Mall, directly in front of the construction zone. "Traffic will be down to a single lane." Larson was among the Roseville residents and businesses surprised by a construction project that will dramatically curb northbound traffic this summer on Snelling from Roselawn Avenue to Hwy. 36. It is expected to be finished before the State Fair begins at the end of August. The project will add another lane of traffic on northbound Snelling, as well as make improvements to two intersections. About 40,000 vehicles a day use this stretch of Snelling Avenue, according to Roseville city officials. Long in the works, the project apparently was short on community outreach. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is not obliged to inform residents because the project is not large enough to warrant public hearings, said Kent Barnard, department spokesman.

[[keywords: PublicWorks;Metro;]]

We are here from the government to help you

Pioneer Press 06/07/2008 04:18:33 AM GMT
Roseville's new inspection program seeks to educate residents, prevent code violations

Roseville residents can expect to see a team of city inspectors browsing through their neighborhoods soon, looking for code violations. The city is launching a pilot inspection program this month called the Neighborhood Enhancement Program. Code inspectors will systematically inspect neighborhoods, instead of driving around town chasing complaints. The idea is to keep residents educated and prevent serious code violations, City Manager Bill Malinen said. "Some people might not like it because they'll be subjected to inspections and enforcement, but on the flip side there might be 10 neighbors who are appreciative of that," Malinen said. "We're just trying to maintain the appearance of our city and the value of the properties." City officials started hammering out program details about six months ago, looking for a way to improve the enforcement process and efficiency. The idea came from Imagine Roseville 2025, a community study in which residents were asked about their vision and priorities for the city. Code enforcement and problem properties were issues they said they'd like the city to improve upon. So Roseville officials looked to their neighbors, Malinen said. They modeled the Neighborhood Enhancement Program after Shoreview's SHINE (Shoreview Housing Inspections for Neighborhood Enhancement), which has been in operation for five years.

[[keywords: LandUse;PublicSafety;Living;Ramsey;]]

Wear your orange swimsuit

Pioneer Press 06/05/2008 04:51:24 AM GMT
Washington County / Hunt to thin parks' deer herd approved

Hunters will thin the burgeoning deer herd in Lake Elmo Park Reserve and neighboring Sunfish Lake Park by as much as half in November. Using aerial surveys, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife managers determined as many as 200 deer live in the three square miles that make up the parks. A healthy population for that area would be 45 to 75 deer, wildlife managers said. "It's the highest we've ever seen it," said Peter Mott, Washington County parks manager of planning and programming. The Washington County Board of Commissioners authorized a deer management plan Tuesday that would call for an organized shotgun hunt in November to remove as many as 100 deer. The board approved the plan as part of its consent agenda, so there was no discussion. The deer are entering and staying in the park to avoid outside hunting pressure and are causing significant damage to trees and shrubs, according to parks officials. The growing population also poses a traffic hazard.

[[keywords: Parks;Living;Metro;]]

Free speech zones

Pioneer Press 06/03/2008 04:16:33 AM GMT
Board forum a soapbox for anyone but us, teachers say

At each of its monthly meetings, the St. Paul school board stops whatever it's doing, usually at 6:30 p.m., and opens the floor to the public. It's an opportunity for people to take concerns directly to the district's ultimate decision-makers, without administrative filtering. ... "It's a public forum for anyone who wants to come to speak to the board of education," she said. The latest incident was at the May Advertisement 20 board meeting. Four employees were scheduled to speak on health and physical education programming. Three dropped out. Word came from chief academic officer Valeria Silva that it wasn't the right forum, according to Liz Parr-Smestad, PE facilitator for the district and one of the four employees. "Valeria Silva has raised concern that the public comment period of the board meeting is not an appropriate avenue for addressing the board and the administration about concerns and advocacy for the physical education and health programs," read an e-mail sent by John Olson, program manager for science, health and physical education, to Parr-Smestad and another staff member. He also was set to speak. "The public comment period is designed for citizens to address the board directly since they normally do not have avenues of input that staff members have," Olson continued. "In your role as a citizen of St. Paul, you have a right to participate in the public comment period. In my role, I am going to decline to participate." Parr-Smestad sees the episode as "our First Amendment rights being squelched."

[[keywords: Schools;Officials;Metro;]]

Only sure of what they don't want

Star Tribune Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:41:35 GMT
Filling Mayor Bill's shoes will be big job in North St. Paul

The eastside city will elect its first new mayor in 30 years, and 10 candidates are in the running. ... Customers aren't wearing T-shirts or buttons for the 10 candidates who have filed, Trollen said. There's few, if any, candidate lawn signs or advertising outside, even though the July 1 election is less than five weeks away. "There's been some discussion around the bar,'' Trollen said. "There are some people who want to stay with the old style [of running the city] and some people who want to be more progressive." "It will be interesting to see what happens,'' Trollen added. Predicting what happens is anyone's guess in North St. Paul, which has landed in a leadership void with the death of Sandberg. He had been the city's chief booster and longtime civic leader, showing up everywhere from high school hockey games to Chamber of Commerce events long before many residents were born. The 10 candidates include two North St. Paul City Council members and a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. Their first -- and most likely only -- candidate forum has just been scheduled for 7:30 a.m. June 24 at the North St. Paul Community Center. ... North St. Paul residents clearly don't want the kind of acrimonious leadership that often characterizes its neighbor, Maplewood. But at issue in this election is whether to stay the steady, conciliatory course set by Sandberg or to chart a new path. Whoever the next mayor is, his or her influence will be tempered by the fact that North St. Paul is a "Plan B'' type of government, which means the city manager has greater authority for the city's day-to-day operations than the mayor. "We need someone who will let city staff do their jobs,'' said City Council Member Paul Anderson.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Ramsey;Metro;]]

U pluribus nonum

Pioneer Press Wed, 28 May 2008 17:51:26 -0600
Met Council approves rail route over U's objections

The U is now officially alone, and an influential lawmaker says arrogance has landed them there. The University of Minnesota cast the lone dissenting vote this afternoon against a Central Corridor route through campus along Washington Avenue at a meeting of a key advisory panel. The 11-1 vote by the advisory panel was affirmed by the Met Council in an overwheliming voice vote this evening , officials said. Among the 11 were representatives of the following entities and interests: cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Ramsey and Hennepin counties, state departments of transportation and finance, Met Council, neighborhood groups and the business community. The university, which initially wanted a tunnel under campus and now is advocating for a detour along the northern edge of campus, has maintained a series of objections for months, centered around disruptions as a result of removing cars from Washington. The impact of the university's opposition is unclear, but local officials fear it will delay, or possibly kill, the project, as costs increase with inflation and the federal government â€" needed to fund half the nearly $900 million line from St. Paul to Minneapolis â€" regards local discord as cause for denial.

[[keywords: LandUse;PublicWorks;Living;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Penny wise

Star Tribune Wed, 28 May 2008 01:52:02 GMT
Ham Lake is leery of refinancing debt to save interest costs

Anoka County voted to go ahead with Ramsey bond refinancing after Ham Lake balked at a chance to save thousands of dollars. Refinancing senior housing projects in Ramsey and Ham Lake could save hundreds of thousands of dollars for both Anoka County cities, county officials said Tuesday. But Ham Lake remained unconvinced. Asking how Ham Lake could stall when offered a chance to save "a half-million in this economy," Commissioner Dan Erhart led the County Board in passing a resolution approving the refinancing of housing development bonds through the county for Ramsey only. If Ham Lake doesn't opt within a month to refinance the debt on the Willows complex, the city would be charged a $50,000 fee to issue bonds if it later chose to refinance, Erhart suggested to the board. With its refinancing, Ramsey could save an estimated $40,000 a year for the next 18 years, county officials said. The principal amount of bonds authorized by the county for both cities combined was set at a maximum of $6.2 million, and the interest rate is capped at 4.5 percent. Clearly frustrated by Ham Lake's indecisiveness, Erhart said he couldn't begin to "explain why the [Ham Lake] City Council is making the decisions they are." "We are very cautious," explained Ham Lake council member Julie Braastad. "We do our research. We don't just jump on the bandwagon. We look at ourselves as being unique."

[[keywords: Officials;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Stacking the deck

Star Tribune Tue, 27 May 2008 03:29:11 GMT
Greenfield charter in question after changes in makeup of commission

Greenfield residents now have a mostly new commission debating whether to adopt a city charter. The group in charge of creating -- or killing -- Greenfield's controversial charter looks very different than it did just a few weeks ago. And so may the charter's chances. The former charter commission's chairman had promised that a charter would prevent the past City Council's actions from happening again. Now, in a surprise turn, a member of that past council is in charge of the panel. Eight of 10 new members of the group convened on May 19 and elected former Mayor Larry Plack as the commission's new chairman. Five remaining members of the original commission did not attend the meeting. Some residents worry that the group as it is now comprised will dismantle the charter process.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Metro;]]

Get in line

Star Tribune Thu, 22 May 2008 16:42:58 GMT
Minn. voting chief aims for 80 percent turnout in '08

ST. PAUL - Minnesota's top election official is planning for a voter turnout in November that would break state records, both as a percentage of people voting and in the number of ballots cast. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said Thursday he is waging a campaign to push turnout of eligible voters above 80 percent, a threshold Minnesota hasn't surpassed since 83 percent went to the polls in 1956. That would mean more than 3 million ballots are cast. In 2004, the last presidential election year, a tick above 77 percent of eligible voters took part â€" some 2.8 million votes overall.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Metro;]]

3M: Paint Surface protection products

Star Tribune Thu, 22 May 2008 03:12:34 GMT
3M expands aerospace operations with plant in Poland

The firm's newest venture in the high-growth region will make adhesives and protection products near the markets. 3M Company's Aerospace and Aircraft Maintenance Department will build an aerospace-products plant in Wroclaw, Poland, by 2009, officials said Wednesday. The factory, a sister facility to 3M's aerospace plant in Springfield, Mo., will significantly increase the company's manufacturing capacity for structural bonding adhesives and surface protection products. The plant will open in late 2009 and is expected to help 3M consolidate several businesses already in that country. Officials did not disclose the dollar amount of the investment, but said it was "significant." The $24 billion conglomerate is bulking up overseas capabilities in an effort to curtail costs and better align customers and supply chain operations.

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Dinkytown to become Dinkydepot

Star Tribune Thu, 22 May 2008 04:01:35 GMT
Light rail's route through U on hold, again

The University of Minnesota continues to lobby for a northern route, but Met Council still likely to endorse Washington Av. plan. The debate over the route of the Central Corridor light-rail line is a bit like the Democratic presidential race: there's a likely winner, the second-place contender isn't giving up, and just when you think it might be over, it goes on for another week. On Wednesday, public officials planning the 11-mile line almost voted to approve a Washington Avenue route through the University of Minnesota -- something they had done once before -- but they decided to give the university one more week to make its case for a route through the northern part of campus. The decision came after Metropolitan Council Chairman Peter Bell said that he had received a call on the matter from Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who in turn had received a call from University President Robert Bruininks. University officials are concerned that closing Washington to cars would spread traffic congestion on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods, so they've been paying for studies of a Dinkytown route.

[[keywords: PublicWorks;Metro;]]

Roseville council back to full count

Pioneer Press Tue, 20 May 2008 11:41:52 -0600
Roseville appoints interim council member

The Roseville City Council appointed an interim council member Monday night to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Tom Kough. Robert Willmus, a 37-year resident and current member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, was appointed by a 3-0 vote. Council member Amy Ihlan abstained from voting. Willmus will serve on the council until November, when the public will elect someone to fill the seat. He has said he has no intention of running for election, but was interested in being a "caretaker" for the position. He will begin his term on June 9.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Ramsey;Metro;]]

As American as free speech zones

Star Tribune Wed, 21 May 2008 03:06:48 GMT
Bloomington ordinance lays out rules for protests during GOP convention

The city worked with the ACLU to come up with a plan to balance the rights of free speech with keeping order. Bloomington has passed an ordinance outlining when and where legal protests will be allowed within the city during the upcoming Republican National Convention. The City Council, after negotiating with the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, approved the ordinance 6-1 Monday night but with significant changes. "We wanted to remove all impediments to working this out," said Sandy Johnson, Bloomington's associate city attorney. Among the revisions to the original ordinance is the elimination of insurance and security deposit requirements the ACLU believed would limit the number and size of protests. "After hearing our objections, they did make substantial changes," said ACLU legal counsel Teresa Nelson. "This version of the ordinance is much improved."

[[keywords: Officials;Metro;]]

Slow, not stopped

Pioneer Press Sat, 17 May 2008 02:15:28 -0600
New Brighton Northwest Quadrant / Four homebuilders to pitch plans for New Brighton

Despite a sluggish housing market, four developers have lined up to build homes in New Brighton. The city requested proposals about two months ago from companies interested in building in the Northwest Quadrant â€" 100 acres of former commercial and industrial land near Interstates 694 and 35W that the city has spent millions cleaning up. K. Hovnanian Homes, Ryland Homes, Stuart Management Corp. and Sherman Associates Inc. recently came forward, said City Administrator Dean Lotter. City officials hope the selection of a developer â€" which could happen as early as May 27 â€" will build momentum for future Northwest Quadrant development. It's a bright spot after a slew of problems, including the pull-out of the project's lead housing developer last fall and environmental issues on the land. "This one area being developed won't be the antidote for the overall challenges that face the project, but it will be a great step forward," Lotter said. In October, Rottlund Homes pulled out, citing the city's failure to adhere to contract terms. The city sued, saying Rottlund was in breach of contract. The parties settled this week, and the city agreed to return $950,000 of the builder's $1 million advance deposit.

[[keywords: LandUse;Housing;Metro;]]

Boundaries

Star Tribune Sun, 18 May 2008 03:04:36 GMT
Senator's TV show puts him on defensive

The DFLer got a deal on an Arctic Cat snowmobile he used on the show, and a union is a program sponsor. He says his votes aren't affected. ... "It smells awful," said David Schultz, an attorney and professor in the Hamline University Graduate School of Management who has studied and written about money in politics. Schultz said: "He has got an intermixing of his professional life, legislation he is introducing, lobbyists and PACs -- and is mixing it in a way that he can't separate those roles out." Chaudhary, who is an attorney and an avid hunter and fisherman, said he does separate his role as legislator from his new career as an outdoors show host. The show, broadcast weekly on The Sportsman Channel, features Chaudhary or guests on hunting, fishing and other trips.

[[keywords: Officials;Metro;]]