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PCSR INFO 04-12-2005 Printer version: Unifying Anoka proving difficult Page 1 of3 startribune.com CIQ$slWinoQw Last update: March 15, 2005 at 3:11 PM . Unifying Anoka proving difficult Sarah Me Cann Star Tribune Published March 16, 2005 People who want to create a vision for Anoka's future are getting together to try to make things happen. In certain cases, the only thing they have in common is a love for the city. Some of those who attended a meeting March 8, initiated by Mayor Bjorn Skogquist, said they worry that the beauty and potential of the city is being clouded by an undercurrent of personal agendas, contention, resistance to change and personality conflicts among factions of residents, city staff, and members of the City Council and advisory boards. Even the meeting itself was tense and combative at times. Skogquist, a second-term mayor who energizes both supporters and detractors, said he invited facilitator Bert Stitt to bring the community together and identify common goals. "It seems the past four years it has been all about our differences, criticisms and negativity," he said. "It's time to quit arguing and start doing, and we need a plan." Mayor's initiative . The March 8 meeting was the group's third but the first advertised publicly. Skogquist said he had talked twice with the City Council to see whether they wanted to work on such a process, but members either didn't want to spend city money or weren't interested. He told them he was moving forward with an unofficial facilitation. Not everyone is sure they want to participate. City administrator Tim Cruikshank said that while the mayor can do as he pleases, it doesn't mean the councilor city staff should be involved. "Why would I participate in something that currently doesn't have the backing of the council?" he said. "There's clearly no directive. Why would city staff waste time on something that hasn't been identified as a goal for the City Council?" Council members Carl Anderson, Phil Rice and Dori Schumacher said they were interested in checking out the meeting but weren't able to make it. "I think that's one thing that would be very helpful," Schumacher said. "As a council member it's always helpful to get input from citizens on what they envision for their community." Mapping the future . Stitt, who has facilitated in more than 200 Midwestern communities, said the meetings' purpose can change based on what people say they want. Other communities have agreed to try to improve demeanor or have come up with plans to address specific issues. http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/ story. php ?template=print_ a&story=5288702 3/16/2005 . . . Printer version: Unifying Anoka proving difficult Page 2 of3 "The basic question I would put before the community in the context of having a broadly based discussion would be: What are your hopes and dreams for a healthy and vital future for the city of Anoka?" he said. People who attended talked about joining forces to set a vision for the future that will keep Anoka's spirit, assets and identity from being forgotten in the midst of interpersonal conflicts and surging development in surrounding cities. "Obviously we need some help to get the entire community involved in a visioning process that gets everyone on the same page or moving in the same direction," resident Ed Handrick said. First public meeting The March 8 meeting of the visioning group was the first attended by Handrick and several others in the crowd of nearly 30. Some said they were unhappy that the first two meetings weren't advertised. Skogquist said he asked a variety of people to attend the first two meetings to gauge the interest level before moving it into an open forum. The group, which included city workers, business owners and residents, lost a handful of participants throughout the night. Some walked out amid criticism and questions about the group's purpose, earlier meetings, the facilitator, funding, and the ability to make changes without more councilor city staff support. In the end, about 15 people said they wanted to participate in a project Stitt said should take six months to a year. No one has determined how Stitt will be paid, but he said the funding will come from people in the community who believe in the process. Stitt said that although it would be valuable to have the Council and city staff working with the group, official participation isn't required for residents to achieve their goals. Whose role? Council Member Mark Freeburg, who did not attend, said he isn't opposed to the meetings but has some confusion about them. "I think the council should be the visioning thing, as the ones who ran for election on a vision and who the public supported, and that's who should be visioning along with other committee members," he said. Mimi Doran, who has attended all the meetings so far, said she thinks change can happen even without support from people in power. "The potential is fabulous, but it's not going to go anywhere if people spend time blaming others. And all these little groups -- they work hard but they work on their own -- need to be working for a common goal," she said. "Nobody knows what that goal is yet. But we wouldn't be here if we could do this on our own." For information on the next meeting, call the mayor's office at 763-576-2706. Contact writer at 612-673-7512 http://www.startribune.comldynamic/story . php ?template=print_a&story=5288702 3/16/2005 Printer version: Ramsey thinks big Page 1 of3 startribune.com Close window Last update: March 15, 2005 at 5:12 PM . Ramsey thinks big Sarah Me Cann Star Tribune Published March 16,2005 Another north-metro pride and joy, the Ramsey Town Center project, is ready for birth. This one's a giant. Expectant developers, city officials and a task force have mapped its every feature. Within the month they'll see the conception become tangible as groundbreaking begins for the Coborns Grocery Store. In May construction starts on the City Hall and police station, and the first 600-stall parking ramp will be built. This year starts off home sales along with business, retail, service and entertainment openings on the 322-acre site that used to be farmland. The Town Center's development style, sometimes called smart growth, is gaining popularity in the Twin Cities and nationally. . The idea is to avoid haphazard sprawl and instead plan a community with a sense of place that provides nearby services, preserves open space, holds a range of housing types and makes all kinds of transportation convenient. What is the Town Center about? The goal is to build a sense of community where people live, work, shop, play, work out, learn and eat in an appealing atmosphere. The design aims to achieve that in a dense but well-planned environment that is easy to get around by foot, bike, car or public transit and embraces natural green space. What will be there? · A heart oftown: A 30-acre core will have a movie theater, restaurants, a Winter Garden with an indoor park and banquet space, City Hall, the police station and possibly a performing arts center. · Transit center: There will be 400 commuter park-and-ride spaces, which could expand to 800 in the future. The area is also designed to accommodate the Northstar Commuter Rail, which does not include a Ramsey stop for its first phase, buta stop in Ramsey is being strongly considered for the future. . · Living: There will be more than 2,000 housing units including lofts, single- and multiple-family housing, rentals and 300 units for senior living. All units will cost $160,000 to $500,000. http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story . php ?template=print_ a&story=529 1 44 2 3/16/2005 Printer version: Ramsey thinks big Page 2 of3 . Shopping, services, entertainment, recreation: There will be 700,000 square feet of retail along with 460,000 square feet of office space. The PACT charter school began classes last fall, and there will also be medical service, an ice arena, a community center and a fitness center. . . Nature: Designers say they want to embrace nature throughout. There will be 26 acres for plazas, parks, trails and open space. Gardens and gazebos will dot public spaces while community parks, playgrounds and playing fields will mix into neighborhoods. Storm water will be managed through a series of streams, ponds and fountains. Why all this in Ramsey? A market study by Thomas Consulting of Vancouver found $1.7 billion per year from Ramsey residents' pockets is being spent outside the city. The Town Center is aimed at fulfilling more of residents' needs. An estimated $200 million per year could be kept in Ramsey through the Town Center area. Already 75 percent of the land contracts for the center are sold. Ramsey's population of about 20,000 is expected to triple in the next 20 years. Where is it going to be? The development is on 332 acres of farmland on the south side of the city. Hwy. 10 is to the south, Ramsey Boulevard is to the east, Industry Avenue is to the north and Armstrong Boulevard NW. is to the west. Who is paying for all this? . Ramsey Town Center LLC purchased the farmland for $31.5 million. The city is contributing $32 million in support for infrastructure, roads and regional improvements and public facilities. Most of the Town Center is not eligible for tax-increment fmancing, in which taxes generated by a project pay offbonds. However, the $3.5 million in taxes that the project will generate each year will go to the city's general fund. The general fund will then help pay for the Town Center. Because the development will bring in such a large chunk of money each year, residents won't notice an increase in taxes, according to the city. The appraised market value ofthe complete Town Center is projected at $1.1 billion. The county will help with $4.2 million for roads. In addition, there is money from the state, grants, assessments and other tax-increment fmancing districts in the city. Since 2002 the Met Council has awarded the Town Center project three Livable Community Demonstration grants that total $3,373,756. When is it going to be finished? It should be complete in about six to eight years. Contact the writer at 612-673-7512 . or $mc.c.anl1@$tartriblllle...f;Jlll1- http://www.startribune.comldynamic/story . php?template=print_a&story=529144 2 3/16/2005 Printer version: Following trails to better things Page I of2 startribune.com CIO$e..winc:low Last update: March 21, 2005 at 3:52 PM . Following trails to better things Sarah McCann Star Tribune Published March 23, 2005 Build a trail these days and people will come in droves. They'll ride, run, roll, walk and commute. "Trail use is just exploding in our park system," said Greg Mack, director of parks and recreation for Ramsey County. "It's one of the top requested improvements." Despite the interest, funding isn't necessarily keeping up with the demand. Yet cities, counties, the state and the Metropolitan Council, the regional planning agency continue working to make sure that as money comes in, their trail systems will coordinate and connect. Legislative bonding proposals this year allot more for acquiring and developing trails than in recent years, said Tom Danger, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources trail recreation manager. Mack said growing trail use is part of a national movement toward healthy communities that provide safe places for people to play, to exercise, and get to the grocery store, school or library. . In the next year, the Minnesota Transportation Department (MnDOT) will for the first time publish a comprehensive map that displays all the bikeways and trails in the nine-county metro area. The agency is just responding to demand, said Mary Jackson, a planner for MnDOT's metro district. "There's definitely more interest, and we're happy to see that," she said. "One more bike means one less car." Natural characteristics in Anoka and Ramsey counties make trails appealing and available. "It's the aesthetic appeal of landscape up in the north metro, specifically Anoka County, with forests, wetlands, prairie and wildlife diversity," said Jeff Perry, interim parks operations manager for Anoka County. The city of Anoka is cradled by the Mississippi River and the Rum River and is packed with history, said Bob Muscovitz, Anoka parks supervisor. "When you have a natural amenity, you play on it and utilize it to its maximum," he said. Anoka County also has more open space that can incorporate trail systems as developments pop up. The Lakes, a huge development in Blaine, has planned trail systems that people can hop onto near their homes, said Jim Peterson, recreation director for the city. Ramsey County is more fully developed, but the area has always been a strong supporter of trails, Mack said. Shoreview in particular has been a leader and started planning trails and connections to other trails and parks earlier than most, Jackson said. . Ramsey County also has the Gateway Trail, which is the most-used trail in the state. http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story . php ?template=print_ a&story=53 04740 3/22/2005 Printer version: Following trails to better things Page 2 of2 "We get a number of complaints, especially weekends in the summertime, because of all the use," Danger said. . Interest surging There's a slew of reasons for the high interest: People are more aware of the health benefits of exercise; it's relaxing and pleasing to be out in natural areas; it can save time, money and the environment to get around by foot or bike, and people of all ages can enjoy a variety of activities at their own pace. Now it's common to see trails parallel new roads and highway projects. Changes that made roadside trails eligible for federal funding mean it's easier to finance such plans. Eighty percent of the cost for a path alongside Hwy. 96 in Ramsey County is federally funded. It all comes down to quality of life, said Mark Riverblood, parks and utilities supervisor for the city of Ramsey. "The desire for trails relates to improving the livability of a community," he said. Ramsey has plans for a comprehensive trail system through the Town Center development and hopes to connect to the Mississippi West Regional Park across Hwy. 10 and Hwy 169. Ramsey's trail work fits with efforts to connect trails and open space along the Mississippi River into a 72-mile path. Local governments will implement the plans with some assistance from the National Park Service . Contact the writer at 612-673-7512 or smccann@Startribune.com. If)CQPYIighL2!)Q~ Star Tribune. All rights reserved. . http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story . php?template=print_ a&story=5 3 04740 3/22/2005 Printer version: New parks may quench thirst for green space Page 1 of2 startribune.com ~!Q.~eWi!lgQW Last update: March 27, 2005 at 10:21 PM . New parks may quench thirst for green space Mary Lynn Smith Star Tribune Published March 28, 2005 The parks crunch is coming. As the metro area continues to grow, local planners and open-space advocates hope to set aside more land for parks before it becomes too expensive or is built over for homes and businesses. The Metropolitan Council's 25-year plan would include three new parks in the outer reaches of the metro area and additions to numerous existing park areas. A public hearing on the plan is set for April 6. "It's time to be bold again about open space," said Susan Schmidt, state director for the Trust for Public Land's Minnesota office. "We have a strong park and trail system that's used heavily," said Glen Skovholt, who chaired the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission, which put together this latest plan. "We need to maintain it and develop it and look at the gaps in the system ... because someday we'll run out of sites in the metro area." . The pressure for more recreation space is nothing new. More than 1 00 years ago, people such as Horace Cleveland and Charles Loring created a network of parks and boulevards along the lakes and waterways of Minneapolis and St. Paul. And then in 1974, the Metropolitan Council took 31,000 acres of existing parks throughout the Twin Cities and designated them regional parks. They logged 5 million visitors in 1975. Thirty years and $367 million later, the regional park system has grown to 52,000 acres, 47 regional parks and reserves and 170 miles of trails that attract about 30.5 million visitors a year. And the crowds keep growing. "It's a good balanced system that has something for everyone," Skovholt said. But it could stand some tweaking to reflect changing demographics and demands, he said. The large family gatherings common in the Southeast Asian community could use larger groupings of picnic tables. Camping facilities are filling up faster in the summers. "People just want to get away from home, and it doesn't mean they want to drive across the state to do it," Skovholt said. And there's the parkland gap that will grow as the Twin Cities adds an expected 1 million new residents by 2030. The draft plan calls for: . · New parks. Develop and acquire 1,500 to 2,500 acres in the St. Francis area of northwest em Anoka County; 1,500 to 3,200 acres in the Blakely Township area in Scott County, and 460 acres in Empire http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story .php?template=print_ a&story=5315499 3/28/2005 . . . Printer version: Newparks may quench thirst for green space Page 2 of2 Township in Dakota County. · New trails. Acquire and develop 123 miles oftrails. Targeted areas include the Crow River corridor, north-south and east-west trails in Dakota County, an east-west trail in Scott County and connector trails linking Baker, Crow-Hassan and Elm Creek park reserves. · Go regional. Designate Pine Point Park in Washington County and Tony Schmidt Park in Ramsey County as regional parks. Also, bring Trout Brook, Summit Avenue and Lexington Parkway trails into the regional system. · A little bit more. Acquire additional land in and near current parks and trails. "These are ambitious goals," said Dorian Grilley, executive director of Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota. "The parks provide a place for physical activity and that's a hot topic right now. It's about creating livable communities and providing quality of life that attracts and keeps people here." But there could be a catch. "Money is going to be a challenge to implement it," Grilley said. A conservative estimate for the plan amounts to nearly $435 million, or about $17.4 million a year, up from the annual average of$12.2 million spent during the past 30 years. "That's a significant investment," Grilley said. And time is of the essence, he said. In hopes of moving things along at a quicker pace, Grilley and other open-space advocates suggest creating a foundation that would attract donations and bequests to fund park purchases. Grilley's group has done that sort of thing for state parks. "We [recently] bought $1 million worth of land for Whitewater State Park," Grilley said. Schmidt echoed Grilley's financing concerns. "Together we will all have to make a case about what is needed and the urgency for it. ... It's about completing the system and protecting the last great places," she said. "We need to make sure there's a political will and leadership to do it." Schmidt also is concerned about 80,000 to 90,000 acres of significant natural land that's not addressed in the plan. "We may want to consider low- and no-cost steps that can be used to protect it," she said. "People are attracted to natural land and we're trying to protect it. ... We really can be bold." Mary Lynn Smith is at 11JJsmjlhJ~sta.rtJ'.i!JJlne.com <<;) Copyright 2005 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story .php?template=print_ a&story=5315499 3/28/2005