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• Al Singer,manager oil/iron- agent fees. ,. ` r jam:, ,,-1, � '},
<br /> mental programs for the Minne- "Often we're dealing with a +$5 nt v, 0�1 S #,j^`- 4'`
<br /> apolis Park and Recreation Board, property owner whose biggest as inrifal.I;,,.,i tr , ..r a ,;
<br /> said that the drive to save open set is a home or farm . . . We try y' . " r` ". �.,
<br /> space sometimes becomes more to create a win-win situation"for '`..�'`' , '0"
<br /> pressing in second-ring suburbs both the owner and local govern- ,
<br /> because residents of first-ring ment,he said © ..
<br /> communities have an escape A less common approach is for i
<br /> valve: the well-developed park developers to take the initiative
<br /> P P P ©Valley Creek R t
<br /> systems of Minneapolis and St. by clustering houses in ways that
<br /> Paul. County parks and metro save open space in a larger par- h y .' }
<br /> park reserves have saved large cel. Robert Engstrom, in his 226- f
<br /> chunks of land around the seven- acre Fields of St. Croix develop- E v.
<br /> county area, but those remain ment in Lake Elmo,has used con-
<br /> -.1-1 t,® LE -- , BaaeyRd�..�
<br /> largely disconnected from each servation easements to protect 60 u 0 '. O•c:
<br /> other. Officials of the Minnesota percent of the property while
<br /> Department of Natural Resources building houses on 45 smaller- i mile <•-
<br /> are working to create a network than-usual lots on narrower- __ ,_.. WASH- 1..
<br /> of trails and natural corridors that than-usual streets. "� ,c ''1'.r INGTON I',':
<br /> residents come to consider as im- As Woodbury prepares for its cowry 1
<br /> portant as a water or sewer referendum,here are examples of The citeles
<br /> P P indicate the area
<br /> system. open space lessons learned in where Woodbury
<br /> Such a "green infrastructure," other Twin Cities communities: will seek to buy up to woo�ay
<br /> as the DNR's Sharon Pfeifer puts > Eagan 500 acres if voters ,
<br /> it, could help "mend [the metro In September 1996,Eagan vot- approve a ballot ..
<br /> area's] shredded blanket of habi- ers turned down a $3.8 million measure on preserving
<br /> tat and wetlands." But she also open space bond issue. Since open spaces.
<br /> said open space can be defined in then, at least five of 20 parcels Star Tribune graphic
<br /> other ways,from an inner city tot identified for potential acquisi-
<br /> lot to a golf course. tion have been lost to developers,
<br /> Whatever the definition, she said Ken Vraa, parks and recrea-
<br /> said, city officials and residents Lion director. quadrants.
<br /> should be aware of ways to lever- "It gets a little frustrating,"he Plymouth voters were ioid
<br /> age local funds to save greater said,and he urged other commu- about the sites so they could visit
<br /> — amounts of land. nities to build a strong consensus them before the election. Staff
<br /> "There are lots of pots of mon- before asking voters' approval. members also talked with site
<br /> ey that are fairly uncoordinated," He said Eagan open space sup- owners to reach"understandings
<br /> she said. They range from state porters thought they had broad of value" for each parcel to head
<br /> grants for scenic and natural ar- support, but "there might have off later price inflation.
<br /> eas to this year's legislative ap- been a rush to move ahead.. . .A Since the referendum,three of
<br /> propriation of$4 million for con- little more homework early on the sites have been acquired,and
<br /> servation easement and other ac- might have been helpful." another committee is drafting
<br /> quisitions.Such easements allow > Plymouth management plans covering pub-
<br /> property owners to keep land and That advice appears to have lic access and changes in the
<br /> have their taxes reduced if they been taken seriously in Plymouth. property.
<br /> preserve its natural features. Eric Blank,Plymouth's parks and > Eden Prairie
<br /> Another tactic is for organiza- recreation director, said that be- Voters approved a $1.95 mil-
<br /> tions such as the Trust for Public fore the city won approval of a$2 lion measure in 1994 that raised
<br /> Land or the Nature Conservancy million bond issue for open space taxes on an average home by$10
<br /> to acquire property from private in 1995, it commissioned an in- a year. This was a conservative
<br /> owners, then convey it to a gov- ventory of 30 potential parcels.A approach that followed two years
<br /> ernmental unit. Michael Moore, naturalist evaluated their biologi- of identifying and ranking re-
<br /> who works in the trust's Minne- cal features, and a citizens group maining unique sites, said Bob
<br /> sota office, said the nonprofit considered their cost,vulnerabili- Lambert, director of parks, rec-
<br /> group has negotiating expertise ty and location. After blending reation and natural resources in
<br /> and often alerts property owners the ratings, the city developed a Eden Prairie. The city had op-
<br /> to tax advantages and to potential list and chose one major target Lions on three of the even top-
<br /> avoidance of legal or real estate site in each of the city's ranked parcels, and m st of that
<br /> land, totaling about 15 acres,
<br /> since has been acquir d, some-
<br /> times with help from matching
<br /> state grants.
<br /> Lambert said he was gratified
<br /> ' that a broad base of citizens —
<br /> .?, .N, Y , ,.- none of them bordering the tar-
<br /> T»'i.. ' `; 1 ' '• - get sites — supported the effort
<br /> ;;"'-,;,);; Mr , ,�.?� y "" to save land that they considered
<br /> •s ,c •-� %.e,'" :F , 1: + , : part of the reason they moved to
<br /> ti.' .' �`:e '.. - T . -f„ ,r =,..•Y.t «rrr" r 4.� °,-� _ � ;t - , Eden Prairie.
<br /> ,'".. 'a1.r =M►rt 41' '�? C '. Y 1, .. --- - t, '
<br /> a �� - ,s ,, �`',t Y ■� .1. ,, � + 4, ,,. ,�A In hindsight,he said he wished
<br /> k��,�•:',... ..,1 " ,; , , ,,> .-„� .k.tf.• � � 4-rk� r r .,- the referendum had been larger:
<br /> x x �.,c t ,�;,_ �� to r4.�.s..,'...�.`� TV,,,�x�, R�r�« s x 7k,,'err"�•� �+�'kt `i.4. .•�.,, ,-vMYr x K..;-�•,� � ��` "I underestimated citizens Val-
<br /> 4- � V, � ,. 4 t; -.TL4 ,„ t`r i� R4�'x r ;k,p, , h >..„ t i, .%. -t ues for preserving these natural•,� ,. _•V' �° -;;; , lt. t,;...t J1� 11 ..l' "ft,1 -r, t. W ..•, , _ .s* '-t` features, he said.
<br /> ``� "tj' ∎` ''��`� '' ` 1,,.a.., , ' ` 1.11.•0k. * 4 b .r > Ma lewood
<br /> ....."'"'"&';'''',...'",,:'''a , S t�.�, ■ < ��. �� }v' kit,r�'�,-> 'Fjt�l�r t;! i }+ tr,:.$„�'# .r,.y P
<br /> 3.5 \ K,'RY o' ., i� Z 'k,U ti • h a't<r 7 r Sr rA r-.� • i}
<br /> ,,;r , ► , '' ; r ;,, r` 1.�t7 4--- ' '' � ; ,� The first-ring St. Paul suburb
<br /> �, _ r, passed a $5 million referendum
<br /> ..40-;" -c''`•.%'-k ,4'3-'„`� ?"k.j s;::' , „, isce�,' �� !"- f> k}�x' 4�`.�7,.-,:41:%,g,.; .r1 t :7`''� in 1995 and has spent about$4.4
<br /> -2{ a -� '' '_ � " >:z',q-.7:1 k'..-;.. 's, ,, { .Z f`� r•``,'„, ,..v,%'r, t'4,j,∎. rf,J.�r. r 'w. i P 200
<br /> ,L' r r'n .1'4-'3'17-.�, 1`: ... 1 t`F r ;4 million to acquire al.:out
<br /> , l f '',,-,,;',..1.. 1t-:,, t f< t acres of open space, said City
<br /> ,i,,,et n. 1 'i,\ r!_ '+f tit va. ( ' 5 ,,,,,,;4'.'V'''
<br /> !� ..*:,,,;„,31 t7, ; /f' ,, r
<br /> �+ . �� / f ti ;::��� .�y ,r f;] ,�� ,�, ,i Manager Mike McGuire. Some•
<br /> l .;"--;1, :i .-.41\ `• $.?,� t?, .�c �y =; 4 �jr., i ,. �, t ,., L !- ,fit .3 .1. t-' , 'J"' LEI. '4: residents want the city to use
<br /> f'`¢- t' ..,1 t i••- A, 'tr r. -,1 Fri !ix `'c�_1,, ' , %i,: 's; ar ' , Q�y `'` much of the remaining money to
<br /> jj ` r `� i ;0,,�;4;+� ,`. z ". ' , , :r .I li Xce lots with relatively rare prairie fo' kt, * 47:05",R' .t r -'.� !, .lit:, i y ; y, ,,�.,,r>Iy�'! y i.•....,4i:ry, fo-
<br /> liage and views of the Minneapo-
<br /> • Sc- s Y5. t �,R .kv: 7 • 3 it 4,,� '-' y t=„� '': 'a ,� . ,L '4.., e. ,'"'".s lis and St.Paul skylines.
<br /> Et J� A�'A �. "''„'�- - - ....,,,..-;;;!:r = ' ' Y ,*,,,,,..t.. -, .. 'A,= ;, -:----c,.' McGuire said the City Council
<br /> - a`t -'tv +` tf / - ro ' Y� Pia, •! k 1 �''..r/'', ?,y .4- .- zr-"'.Y ..
<br /> �_ a,� • ;; as ��� r! , .� reviewed the parcel when the
<br /> INF-� . 4,r�' ,. -:.;`y �a-•a 4,:4-t.:-.‘ t, F'K I` s� �,�., `" ) .-w. price was about $9,500 an acre•, :f r t� �• .,,r 4`_ �"� < " � � `�, _- °" and turned it down because of its
<br /> I.: A, t �4' j ,�0- s' ,s ` * h r a distance from most city residents,•
<br /> ,4 7 'r,�, 4; �; t A..... .\ ., s the nearness of other open space
<br /> '' r - , � �^ ; J � � Al' acquisitions and the desire to•40.
<br /> -I" ':'*W 2- ,!,' ,e�rrr 1, g }+�`t v'... . •, . � :W. /- s read limited funds over more
<br /> . . _ :' ',.'e... . .. _.,f, A. rr;. '�-a`" ffi g ..s• 1 1."• ..3'�t;ity'flli.�- . P
<br /> Star Trbune photo by Jerry Holt parcels.
<br /> Steve Kernik,environmental planner for Woodbury,checks out a wetland site just north of Military Road.The 90- "It's a beautiful site, but the
<br /> acre site near La Lake is one of five the city hopes to protect from development city wanted to spread the referen-
<br /> dum money around,"he said. ,
<br /> Since then,the price has risen
<br /> to about$30,000 an acre.But un-
<br /> der pressure from residents, the
<br /> council this month authorized
<br /> negotiations with the developer.
<br /> "Sometimes, citizens are out
<br /> in front of the public officials,"
<br /> said the DNR's Pfeifer.
<br />
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