5.3. SR 08-22-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. Elk River and Sherburne County in tug-of-war Tree preservation and road construction could cost county fairgrounds two-plus acres . by Charmaine Barranco Staff writer The tug-of-war between the city of Elk River and Sherburne County over property in the Lake Orono area has resumed. And caught in the middle once again is the Sherburne County fairgrounds, which stands to lose another two-plus acres if the city's requests are approved. This time the scuttle, in part, is over a grove of oak trees slated to be plowed out of existence by the city's bulldozers to extend Orono Parkway. About seven acres of white and red oak trees, some ranging in age from 100 to 150 years old, were dedicated for park land by Country Crossings Developer Tony Emmerich. He dedicated the land after Dave Anderson, who chairs the Sherburne County and the city of Elk River's parks and recreation commissions, took a public stance on preserving the grove. "Some ofthose trees are 2 feet in diameter and have SO-foot crowns," Anderson said. '"l'hey were definitely worth saving. If the remainder of that land is available it would be nice to save the rest of the trees, but if it's not at 1eastwe know the vast mBjority of them were saved." But if saved the balance of the grove, which is on less than an acre of land, would be done at the expense of the Sherburne County fairgrounds. Earlier this year 1.3 acres of the fairgrounds were sold to the city for $7,500 to extend Orono Parkway past the Orono Lake addition into Country Crossings. At that time the city sought the same acreage it is now re- questing plus some additional land. But Sherburne County commissioners turned Elk River down, saying that further shrinkage of the fairgrounds would be unjust to area resi, dents. Commissioner Leslie Schu- macher of Santiago said she was in support of saving the trees, but the reason the, county whittl~d()wnthe city's earlier request 'was because taking any 'The city of Elk River looks at those fairgrounds as if it's a cookie or a piece of pie that they can take a crumb at a time. The time has come that we are going to have to stop picking it apart...' -John Edling impede any fairground opera- tion butitdoes prec1udevehic1es from turning off the highway at that point and going easterly and accessing the fairgrounds," said Maurer. -The road could be curved and connected with the new Joplin Street an estimated 350 feet from a proposed signalized in- tersection. But to do that an- other 1.5 acre bite would have to be taken out of the northwest corner of the fairgrounds, half of which would be right-of-way, while the remainder would be a usable remnant ofland. '"l'he city's position is that we just don't want Orono Road com- ing in at a skewed angle," said Maurer. "We see that as a very mBjor intersection on Highway 10 in the future and we think that Orono Road coming in at 40-degree angle is just not the wayitshouldbe. For Orono Road to continue it has to curve south- erly to get it away from the new Joplin." Board Chair Lyle Smith of Big Lake said the fairgrounds would certainly be hurt if its access was cut offfrom Highway 10. ' John Edling, who has been a fair boardmemberformorethan 15 years, said, '"l'he city of En< River looks at those fairgrounds Li' as ifit's a cookie or a piece ofpie" :]t that they can take a crumb at a 11 time. Thetimehascomethatwe are going to have to stop picking it apart. . ." Ron Pouliot, a fair board mem- ber for 22 years, said he didn't understand why everyone can't seem to work together. "In this city the housing is growing and the fair is growing. How ,can you make the fair- grounds smaller?"he asked. "We do have the city using our park- ing lot now which is fine, and we ask them to close the gate every night. They can't even do that. I know that's not the city's fault but if someone else is using it they said they would have the police check it. You drive by and the gate's open. We put ourlock on it and they cut it off." , , Tom Salzmani'imother:;fair boirrd"m.em.ber, said this year more land from the fairgrounds would interfere with its opera- tion. Terry Maurer, Elk River city engineer, said, "This is just a request. It won't change the project one way or the other." , , Schumacher replied, "It just seems like you keep taking bites out of it (the fairgrounds) and pretty soon we won't have any fairgrounds." In light of the board's response, Maurer said he was afraid to bring up the next issue, which involved taking still more land from the fairgrounds for the con- struction of Joplin Street. "We see a new street being constructed along the westerly side of the fairgrounds," he be- gan. "We envision Orono Road coming across the mBjor north, south street of Joplin with a new signalized intersection. Currently Orono Road comes in at kind of a skewed Y angle if you're coming down the high- way from the west." According to Maurer, two op- tions for the road reconstruc- tion entail: -Continuing Orono Road past the city hall, fairgrounds and ballfields. The road would cul- de-sac' just before ies current Highway '10" access hear the Cenex station. '"l'hat would'not' wedn8ay, July 13, 19 /~ . "'1~' "- '. .:~ Cenex \' ~xtSl~ Ofll'IE"""'i"'"... Statl'on \"'PROP CRI~W"'''' ORONO ROAD :~ '~ ' Sherburne County "Fairgrounds " ' -,,"" ' ;:..---:' ' ,~i" ;.,-' \ ::..~ .IW! 1::-/; ~e~ex ~ Prop "":;"".1 S~tion " newdrivewrr'ay ..I.- ORONO ROAD , ~~o~ , ~ 7 ;;;fS?"" // ..' /-/ '.~ACRE:S1'08E . AgJlMDntClolMCOIJtf'I'Y Sherburne County . ' Fairgrounds the ferris wheel will be bigger than ever and there will be ad. ditional rides. "We ,need as much space as we've got and then some," he said. . Elk River City Administrator Pat Klaers said if the city can obtain property from Developer Tony Emmerich in the north- west corner where Joplin is pro- posed it could be exchanged for the county's .67 acres. But no negotiations have oc- curred with Emmerich, who has yet to submit a residential de- velopmentplat for,propertyidi;' rectly west,,()f the'fairgrollnds,' he added. Commissioners requested the fair board draft; a recommenda- tion for consideration at the board's July 19 or 20 meeting, Meanwhile, preliminary plans to extend city sewer and water to the Sherburne County Gov- ernment Center continue. Be- cause the lines will run along the south side of the fairgrounds, beside Orono Parkway, the county's decision on whether or not to sell the city .67 acres of land must be made before Elk River's July 25 ,public hearing on'the wauir<1ind:llew'el"exten" sion. _ ~~;_,::,,:L