Wild wild south

Star Tribune Wed, 14 May 2008 04:56:55 GMT
Dakota County parks: Wild notions

A new branding campaign is aimed at creating awareness of and community support for Dakota County's under-used parks. Forever Wild. That's the brand name Dakota County will soon use to draw people to its under-used parks, which now span more than 6,000 acres and 60 miles of trails. It's a brand identity that not only describes the wildness of the 10 parks, but also the county's commitment to keeping them that way, said Gail Plewacki, Dakota County communications coordinator.

[[keywords: Parks;Metro;]]

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;]]

Our parks can beat your parks

Star Tribune Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:20:49 GMT
Minneapolis, St. Paul parks shine in national report

When it comes to ball fields, tennis courts and recreation centers, St. Paul and Minneapolis rank at or near the top in those and numerous other measures taken by a leading parkland conservation organization. As for land dedicated to parks, 16.6 percent of Minneapolis is parkland, first among cities with similar population densities. St. Paul is second (14.7 percent) in the same category.

[[keywords: Parks;Metro;]]

Parks need money. Maybe they could put up billboards

Star Tribune Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:47:18 GMT
Budget proposal for Minneapolis parks includes raising fees for fundraisers

The increase would double in some cases, leading some nonprofits to consider moving their events elsewhere; cuts may close six skating rinks. Some of Minneapolis' showpiece charity events will pay lots more to play in the city's cash-strapped park system if a proposed budget goes through. Shocked by the fee increases proposed for their fundraisers, some charities are considering moving out of Minneapolis. The proposed fees -- and budget cuts such as closing six more skating rinks -- get a hearing tonight before the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, with a vote scheduled for next week. "We are scrambling," said Cheryl Maloney, executive director of the Twin Cities Pride Festival. The two-day event, which has drawn an estimated 120,000 people to Loring Parks, has been told to expect its permit fees to jump from $10,487 this year to $58,000 if the fee proposal passes. Big increases are also expected for such nonprofits as the March of Dimes, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Minnesota AIDS Project, plus athletic contests.

[[keywords: Parks;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Damn the torpedoes, paddle ahead!

Pioneer Press Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:39:50 -0700
North Metro / Agencies bridging Rice Creek gap

It's a water trail in an urban jungle. Enthusiasts have been quietly paddling parts of Rice Creek in the north metro for years - but not the entire 18 miles from Peltier Lake near Centerville westward to the Mississippi River in Fridley. Land at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills, about midway through the creek's course, was off limits to the public. Now that problem is about to disappear. Ramsey County took possession of a section of ammunition plant land in late 2006 and will remove water gates on the creek sometime before summer, said Greg Mack, Ramsey County parks and recreation director. Other obstacles stand in the way of having a widely used, safe recreational water trail for new and experienced paddlers, but Mack and other local parks officials are excited about the possibility of ultimately promoting Rice Creek as one of only two recreational water trails in the sevencounty metro area. "I'm really optimistic," Mack said. "We want to open up the entire (Rice) creek corridor for recreation and kayaking." Other groups trying to make that happen are Anoka County Parks and Recreation, the Rice Creek Watershed District and the National Parks Service. This fall, those agencies teamed up with a University of Minnesota environmental sciences class, which studied vegetation, risk assessment, access points, environmental education and recreational planning along the creek.

[[keywords: LandUse;Ramsey;Metro;]]

Bought it to preserve it. Now what?

Star Tribune Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:01:11 GMT
Two Scott County Parks waiting to happen

Looking to expand its park holdings, Scott County hopes to accelerate plans to open up two parcels of land. "ENTRY PROHIBITED," the sign along a highway in southern Scott County declares. "Not open to public use at this time." Mark Themig would love to pull it down -- the sooner the better. The sign and a locked gate bar anyone from venturing onto land that has been designated as one of the "Last Best Places" in the Twin Cities area. A gracefully sloping parcel that ends along the edge of a prime recreational lake, it's the centerpiece of what is intended, some day, to be a 300-acre regional park -- a destination for people throughout the county and beyond. The county acquired it in 2006, before Themig, the county's new parks program manager, was even hired. But it is five miles from New Prague, far from the main body of suburban growth. And the Metropolitan Council, which oversees the regional parks system, has had it listed for full development -- a process that costs millions of dollars -- sometime after the year 2030. The sign, however, may come down a lot sooner than that--possibly next year. The county is exploring ways to finance public access to the property, known as Cedar Lake Farm, and to another parcel of similar size in Prior Lake. "We own all this land that isn't doing anything," Themig says as he drives through the property, gesturing toward the lake. Members of the county board agree, though the board's chairman, Bob Vogel, puts the point a little differently. "We've been buying things we didn't know how to fund," he said. "I opposed the Cedar Lake acquisition: We had no operating budget, yet here we were, acquiring land."

[[keywords: LandUse;Parks;Metro;]]

Managing parks might be important to a city's future

Star Tribune Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:24:28 GMT
Twin Cities parks: Busy, safe and active

Twin Cities park and rec departments are providing an array of activities to keep children engaged and entertained all summer long. ... "Park and rec is what makes a community,'' said Randy Quale, manager of parks and recreation for Bloomington.

[[keywords: Parks;Metro;]]

To pursue other interests

Star Tribune Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00:50 GMT
St. Paul parks chief decides to move to greener fields

The Parks and Rec boss, praised for his attitude and leadership, said he wants to retire and turn full time to recreation: "It's time." Bob Bierscheid is ready for more fairways and fewer budget meetings. For the past seven years he has been the director of St. Paul's Parks and Recreation department. He worked for Roseville for 22 years before that. Bierscheid, 63, confirmed Wednesday that he will be retiring at the end of this year. "Honestly, I have mixed emotions. I love what I'm doing," he said. "It's just time."

[[keywords: Staff;Metro;]]

Smooth ice

Star Tribune Wed, 28 May 2008 05:16:48 GMT
New Hope City Council to speak on dog parks

Dogs in New Hope could soon have a new place to run, bark and play off their leashes. The City Council has expressed support for a one-year trial of an off-leash dog park and will likely make the decision in June after hearing from residents. At a council work session last week, city staff brought up the idea of converting three hockey rinks into pet areas during spring, summer and fall. The hockey rinks are located in Civic Center Park, Lions Park and Liberty Park

[[keywords: Parks;Metro;]]

Where will this parks partnership lead?

Star Tribune Fri, 21 Mar 2008 02:38:54 GMT
St. Paul looks to nonprofits to manage recreation

The city is working to make deals with nonprofit groups to take over the management of eight rec centers to cut costs. When Kirk Wythers heard about St. Paul's plans to shutter some recreation centers because of budget constraints, he grew a bit concerned. Then the president of the St. Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club got excited about the prospect of taking over one of the centers with the goal of creating a European-style soccer training facility for youths. As of last week, it did. The Blackhawks now have their own home at the Orchard Recreation Center in the North End neighborhood, and the city doesn't have to pay for utilities or staffing the center anymore. The city has or is working on lining up deals with nonprofit groups to manage eight of its 41 rec centers, as a way to keep the buildings open and available to community members rather than locking the doors. "The deal was, we move in and they forward us the bills," Wythers said. Last fall, Mayor Chris Coleman suggested closing 10 centers to cut costs, but community feedback led to keeping Northwest Como and Prosperity open.

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

Want to preserve it? Buy it!

Star Tribune Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:00:47 GMT
Dakota County: A natural approach to parks

Dakota County is planning ahead to ensure that green spaces stay that way. It's newest regional park is the latest example. ... Olson, whose family has owned this property north of Farmington for decades, is in the glacially slow process of selling it to Dakota County as the centerpiece of a major new regional park to be known as Vermillion Highlands. And he wanted to show off its centerpiece, a man-made lake created by his father and wryly dubbed "Lake Inferior." "The name," he said, "started as a joke -- and stuck." The land became available for public use when his mother died a few years ago, leaving her heirs to work out what to do with the family property: Split it up? Share it? Sell it? That scenario is being played out all across the southern metro area these days. Scott County, after decades without buying any parkland, has acquired 700 acres in the past four years -- and is angling for more. Carver County, eyeing potential sites, is actively considering accelerating its acquisitions by decades, asking voters to raise taxes to do so.

[[keywords: LandUse;Parks;Metro;]]

Only big cities have Parks and Recreation Directors

Star Tribune Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:54:25 GMT
Rosemount athletic complex hops forward

The land for the proposed fields, playground and other amenities was donated last year by Flint Hills Resources. Rosemount residents could vote this spring on an $8 million bond issue for an outdoor athletic complex that officials hope will help the city keep pace with its booming population. The City Council will decide next month whether to ask voters to give thumbs up or down on funding for the proposed complex, envisioned as 10 athletic fields on 57 acres that could host a wide variety of sports and tournaments. A referendum could be held in April. If voters approve the project, grading on the site could begin this summer and Rosemount's young athletes could be playing there by 2010, said Dan Schultz, city parks and recreation director. ... Rosemount's population in 2006 was estimated at 20,500, representing a 40 percent increase in six years. Youth athletic programs currently use school and city facilities but occasionally are forced to move to other communities. Sometimes teams must be downsized, or playing seasons shortened, because of limited facilities, Schultz said. [emphasis added throughout]

[[keywords: LandUse;Staff;Living;Metro;]]

partnerships

Star Tribune Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:42:05 GMT
Rosemount: No athletic complex, but a few new fields

Rosemount soccer players will get new turf to run on as soon as the fall of 2009 under a deal between the city and Dakota County Technical College. The news came after voters rejected a new sports complex in April. Weeks after Rosemount voters shot down a proposal to spend nearly $7 million on an athletic complex, local soccer players found out that they'll get a few new fields to spread out on, after all. The city and Dakota County Technical College signed a deal last month to build three full-size soccer fields just west of the college's main campus. "This will help relieve some of the crowding on some of the existing fields, and it will help with some of the pressure during tournaments," said Dan Schultz, the city's parks and recreation director. The timing of the deal, Schultz said, was not related to the April referendum, which failed by a more than 2-to-1 margin. The college and city have been talking about teaming up on the fields for four years, and the city had set aside money for them in a park improvement fund well before the vote on the outdoor recreation complex, he said. The soccer fields, which could be split in half to accommodate up to six youth games at once, could be ready for games in the fall of 2009. The college gets first priority for practices and games, but its soccer players usually play during the day, while kids will need the fields in the evenings. As many as 1,000 people may use the fields each week, Schultz estimated, not counting DCTC students.

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

Woodbury still acting like Woodbury

Star Tribune Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:23:12 GMT
The forecast for Woodbury: More of everything

Futuristic Woodbury: A much bigger city with more parks, more jobs and a sprawling athletic complex. Already Washington County's largest city, Woodbury will grow substantially more by 2020, thriving on its prime location at the intersection of Interstates 94 and 494. As the city prepares its latest comprehensive plan for the Metropolitan Council, trends emerge that show a bigger, more robust Woodbury. Explanations come from Janelle Schmitz, the city's planning and economic development manager, and Mike Barrett, who chairs the city's comprehensive plan task force. • Friends and neighbors: The current population of about 58,000 will rise to 73,500, according to Metropolitan Council projections. The median age is now 33.4 years old -- a bit younger than the metro area's median age of 34.2 -- but Woodbury will see some graying by 2020. The city will have more "empty nesters" and less of a need for two-story houses. But young families will continue to move to Woodbury, Schmitz said, drawn to schools, parks and jobs in the city's retail and office districts.

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

Carping about water quality

Star Tribune Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:29:11 CST
In Twin Cities suburbs, all lakes are not created equal

With thousands of small suburban lakes collecting runoff and no one managing them day-to-day, clean water is an elusive and sometimes impractical goal....Many residents who live on shallow suburban lakes, even ones dug by developers as storm water collectors, want the Minnesota ideal: clear water and an open shore, just like the big lakes up North. But unless a lake is fairly deep and protected from storm water, it's almost certainly not going to happen, experts say. "Minnesotans love their lakes," said Kevin Bigalke, administrator for the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, which includes Cornelia. "The mindset is that all lakes are equal, and they're not. These shallow lakes function very differently from lakes such as Mille Lacs." Bob Kojetin, a 50-year Edina resident who is the city's retired parks and recreation director and a member of the Nine Mile District board, said Cornelia hasn't changed much in decades. "You're never going to get the lakes the way people want them to be," he said. "We can try to work toward clean water standards ... and keep noxious weeds out." But taking conditions back to when Edina was a farming community, he said, is "almost impossible." Many metro-area lakes share Cornelia's water quality problems. In 2006, lakes that were on the Met Council's "Worst-Ten List" included George Watch in Lino Lakes, Colby in Woodbury, Loon in Stillwater Township, Cedar Island in Maple Grove, Hazeltine in Chaska, Upper Twin in Crystal and Eagle Point in Lake Elmo.

[[keywords: LandUse;Metro;]]

Big Marine's big day

Pioneer Press 06/07/2008 05:06:46 AM GMT
Washington County's new park goes public

Washington County started buying land to create Big Marine Park Reserve nearly 20 years ago, and today marks the park's grand opening. Here's a look at Big Marine by the numbers.

[[keywords: Parks;Metro;]]

New bright ones for New Brighton

Pioneer Press Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:39:51 -0600
Residents sign up for New Brighton task force on stalled development

New Brighton has received 10 applications for spots on a panel that will look at the finances of the city's Northwest Quadrant, officials said. Some members on the City Council had expressed interest in establishing a financial task force that would provide a new perspective on the future of the Northwest Quadrant mixed-use project. The council will discuss applicants next Tuesday at their work session and may make appointments at their regularly-scheduled meeting that night or in May. The project includes redeveloping about 100 acres of land, which sits at the northwest corner of interstates 35W and 694 and is split by Old Highway 8, for new homes, stores, offices and parks. It has been plagued my a poor real estate market and environmental clean-up issues.

[[keywords: LandUse;Officials;Metro;]]

Affordable housing floods market

Star Tribune Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:52:05 GMT
Flooded mobile home parks put to different uses

This southern Minnesota town, hit hard by flooding last summer, is getting rid of a mobile harm park and will replace it with a city park. Most of the 19 units at the Brookwood Mobile Home Park in St. Charles flooded on Aug. 19 after heavy rains in the region. The homes were uninhabitable when the water dropped. The city is working on mustering about $800,000 from federal, state and local funds in order to buy the land, demolish the trailers and erect a new park.

[[keywords: Housing;Metro;]]

Visions

Star Tribune Tue, 06 May 2008 02:29:56 GMT
Bank wants out of Ramsey Town Center restrictions

The bank holding 150 acres of foreclosed land doesn't want to be bound by the original development plan. The Ramsey Town Center was supposed to feel like a traditional downtown, with parks and fountains interspersed among small shops, restaurants and hundreds of homes. But the bank that holds the mortgage for 150 foreclosed acres in the Town Center is saying that the city of Ramsey needs to set aside its dreams for the project, according to court documents filed Friday in Anoka County District Court. Last June the City of Ramsey filed a lawsuit against Minnwest Bank Central arguing that the city's original plan, or master development agreement, for the Town Center project should continue to be followed, even though the project's original developer, Bruce Nedegaard, went into bankruptcy and died in 2006. For months, the lawsuit has lingered, but now Minnwest has filed a counterclaim that says the land should be "free and clear of the terms, covenants and restrictions" in the development agreement.

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

Listen to me! or Do as I say!

Star Tribune Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:23:35 CST
'Concepts' to slow traffic not a fast sell

W. 70th St. residents want to make their road safer, but ideas such as roundabouts to do that aren't thrilling everyone. ... For Edina residents who live on W. 70th Street between France Avenue and Hwy. 100, the road might as well be a raceway. It's nearly impossible to back out of their driveways during busy parts of the day, let alone walk with children across the street to parks or to Cornelia Elementary School. Though the speed limit is 30 miles per hour, many drivers who take 70th because it is an easy route to Southdale shopping center and the Galleria drive 40 or even 45 mph, residents say. A city advisory committee and a consultant have studied the issue for a year. This week, residents got their first look at ideas to calm traffic, including adding roundabouts and traffic signals. While some residents say almost anything to slow traffic would be welcome, others are not so easily placated. Joshua Sprague, chairman of the Greater West 70th Street Homeowners Association, was not happy with what he saw. His group of about 160 people wants the street turned into a people-friendly parkway, with a speed limit of 25 mph, bike lanes and plenty of crosswalks. "It was a joke," he said of the committee's ideas. "They bastardized our concept. ... They are fixated on this idea of roundabouts. They are not listening to us. [emphasis added]"

[[keywords: PublicWorks;Metro;]]