HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977 08-23 Annex plan mulled by city THE DISPATCH Annex plan
mulled
city
By JOHN KELLY Maplewood led to such problems
Staff Writer as 3M's main road connecting
with a St. Paul service road for
St. Paul officials are toying Conway Playground and the Sun
with the idea of annexing a Ray Library, where many child-
tongue-like strip of Maplewood ren cross the street. "That's the
adjacent to the Highwood area, kind of thing that should be
although the Maplewood city avoided,"he said.
manager isn't too keen on it. But Michael Miller. Maple-
The strip is that part of Maple- wood city manager, said the
wood south of Interstate 94 Maplewood City Council isn't
which is a mile wide and four likely to go along with St. Paul's
miles long. Some county park aspirations because it has its
land, a number of housing devel- own plans for further developing
opments and some undeveloped the area south 011-94.
land are located there. "IT'S CONSIDERED an inte-
City officials said it shouldn't gral part of Maplewood," Miller
look like or be construed as a said.
land grab because the golden egg Maplewood is putting a new
3M Co. complex is not in the fire station right in that area
strip being sought. The complex along Londin Lane. Miller point-
is a major tax source for Maple- ed out. A public works station
wood. eventually will be located there
as well,he predicted.
"That's the most ridiculous Miller, who himself lives in
piece of land you've ever seen," the strip, said his city is livesa
Gerald Isaacs, St. Paul economictaking
, development dministrator, said "neighborhood" approach to de-
of the strip. veloping it. The area is primari-
ly single-family and is a good
place to live,he said.
IT IS DIFFICULT for Maple- But St. Paul officials are not
wood to adequately service and dismayed by this initial reaction
develop tatSt. strPaulp just ar it is d - and are preparing to do the work
ficult for St. Paul to serve its ad- to prior
making the formal an-
jacent narrow and hilly High- nexaon pitch.
wood area, he said. `Its not
economically feasible for either "It might be fun." said Mayor
one." George Latimer.
James Bellus, St. Paul plan- "It's a way to make St. Paul
ning administrator, said it is a grow,"quipped a city official.
problem making road systems
dovetail correctly with two mu-
nicipalities uprating independ-
ently in the two land strips.
`'A sewer and street system is
needed and it is not there now,"
Bellus said. "It would make it a
hell of a lot easier if it were in
one jurisdiction."
Bellus recalled that lack of co-
ordination between St. Paul and