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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1972 08-09 'Plan for Maplewood:' Community facilities REVIEW i NFOi n Maplewood: BY SCOTT CARLSON� �/ fpr whereby community and neighborhood In the interplay of various levels of (fourth of five part series) facilities can be planned and developed in government the "Plan" advocates a cooperation with community goals and greater atmosphere of openness and In an ever growing and expanding community like Maplewood, keen objectives, anticipated planned growth, communication with the Metropolitan foresight must be used to provide for and financial capabilities within the Council which would help to inform the constraints of the community's resources. citizens of what is happening and making adequate community facilities. it more responsive to the people. All this Further the "Plan" recognizes "that should allow for greater citizen par- Of no less importance to the writers of the "Plan for Maplewood" is the the village as a governing body acts to be ticipation on the Metro level. provision for community facilities,just as the major determinant in shaping the community facility needs and level of HEALTH AND WELFARE important in many respects as nousmg services throughout the village. OBJECTIVES open space, parks, and the many other facets which build up the character of a Therefore the village should develop and The first set of specific objectives is maintain a comprehensive plan which offered in the health and welfare portion village such as Maplewood. provides for the citizens of the com- of the community facilities plan and munity, facilities which provide for the generally calls for: IN THIS FOURTH of a five part series on the "Plan for Maplewood" I will following goals: examine the community facilities section. "The institution of a comprehensive ONE, encourages a more efficient local health and sanitation program which INTRODUCTION government which provides improved include: community services and facilities. What the Maplewood Planning Corn- mission ommission has tried to accomplish in this "Community wide sanitary inspection portion of the plan, Commission Vice- TWO, recognizes the need for and of public and private property,identifying Chairman Roger Singer said, "Is to have improving the basis for in- the areas and taking corrective action to our goals geared in terms of providing for tergovernmental and regional eradicate areas from potential health cooperation in order to reduce duplication hazards, such as, insect infested areas, maximum needed facilities within a reasonable dollar input." of effort and to avoid public in- areas improperly served by potable conveniences. water and in need of sanitary sewer Singer continued, "We do not want to systems. provide for more facilities than the people THREE, to achieve optimum use of the tax payers' dollar in order to achieve the "Inspections regarding private water can afford or use but we want enough to greatest possible economy and efficiency. sources, drug and food preparations, meet the needed use, with some depth, within a reasonable dollar input." control of lead poisoning, nursing home FOUR, to maintain and plan corn- inspections, promoting and establishing AS IN THE OTHER sections of the munity facilities and their appurtenant communicable disease detection and "Plan" an emphasis of providing for levels of service within the financial prevention clinics, evaluating the ever services at the neighborhood level and resource capabilities of the Village in increasing drug problem and suggesting order that it may be an independently methods of controls and correction, and working up was approached. sound unit. suggest priorities and schedules for "In terms of public safety, fire and implementation. police we have attempted to bring these FIVE,provide an opportunity for every services closer to the people," Singer person in the community to obtain the FINANCE OBJECTIVES said. "We have talked in terms of public very best public education possible. Finance objectives are designed to safety areas comprised of neighborhoods develop,maintain,and continue a system with sub stations in these areas." SIX,assure the opportunity to enjoy life which will provide for greater efficiency, in this community in peace and free of responsiveness, and effectiveness in the fear from criminal acts and preventable providing of community facilities. It is through this approach Singer said the Commission has tried to resolve the disasters. problem of the typically larger com- By predicting village revenue estimates munities getting out of touch with their AND SEVEN, provide for the the "Plan" states future community police force. availability to all citizens of the corn- actions could be projected and better munity the best health care and en- appropriate budget decisions could be . A neighborhood approach to village vironmental sanitation possible." made. government and parks and recreation was also taken. Integral to the purposes and goals of the In accordance "the Plan" advocates community facilities plan is the that the following budget plans be From the neighborhood as a base, such adherence of the citizen's objective which developed. things as a criminal justice facility were states that the village government must be responsive to the wants and needs of "ONE, "A capital improvement given a community wide approach. the citizens, and must also anticipate program," specifically stating in precise PURPOSE these needs. terms the physical improvements As stated in the "Plan" three purposes The Plan states that while the local required for a designated period of time. outline the community facilities plan: governments most often seek to solve Such a program should inventory those citizen problems and work to provide for physical capital improvements throughout ONE, to outline and provide direction their needs, that while all other levels of the community, and project an appraisal towards those land uses and community government are supportive to the local of replacements of existing assets and facilities which cannot be provided in- government,Maplewood must realize it is future improvements. dividually but must be planned, a part of the Metropolitan area, is not developed, and controlled by the total divisible,and should mesh its efforts with community as a whole in order to secure a other levels of government, when more proper balanced total environment possible, for providing better services to for the citizens of the community. the residents of the village. = Qt— Ea LI 0 � - = aIeq/ Ea 2\ I §a- a=/ •,......., Q.. �2 \ \/ §Q.w \.0 a b § 2 �\ § § \ § & az £ t $. b 2 _ \ 0 �g= R &\§t &- 00 /aE�k �k\ § /03/ ƒG 30 ` Sj8 c ¥ ® ? _ ® /� ! £ � $ /\\ £, ( \\� a. 2 /§ c § ° °_ ` = c='- Q. /� \/ \0 : § £ } ` )§ J {9 \ ` //\ g &?%/a /®• 0 0• :74c00 ; = ; &a � a e = � Q / ° E / C : 2 =§ 2 6 z * ° t § ± ae = on . = o § == t ® �•- § © ` c `-J o, 00 ƒƒ0.\ � \ = Q= Z00CDZ - c ° ° §mss& S2 /d,\ } [ « _ _ » ±3 ® GS= § \ E mtail = n = raw :2Ea / � _ _ § 74 k §%a2 0 = _ / }222 f § // \ ®s § CP &•#Cip oo � a=3£— \ a Q \� )k a \; � - a ° 2:$ E. /6 \ } / _ ®\/ 0 §3k- C community • that may be affected by the nature of the utilization of trained paraprofessionals, community service level for community capital improvements. relieving overcrowding, vocational facilities. These level of services more program development and im- directly involve the entire community and "AND FOUR, a "people services plementation, and flexible school service serve at the minimum groupings of neigh- program" stating in precise terms the area zoning and busing. borhoods with community facilities. The level of services provided, types of most prominent of these types of facilities programs, number of employees Towards these ends, the village and include secondary education facilities, necessary to underwrite such services, school educational systems should work public safety of fire and police, con- current and projected operational costs, in cooperation when necessitated joint munity wide recreational areas, water timing of such services and priority of the ventures or such is required, and to treatment plant facilities, and municipal service." provide for more efficiency within the governmental operations and ap- school system as well as the village in purtenant buildings." Should the community have an inability school land uses, educational programs to meet increased operational costs etc. PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES "Fiscal home rule" (changing the village Of major importance in the provision to a chartered city and thus taking ad- COMMUNITY-WIDE PUBLIC for public safety facilities is the call for vantage of solving fiscal problems by SAFETY OBJECTIVES converting the present village hall offices legislative authority), "state federal aid" Primary concern to the village will be into a public safety building "designed to (revenue sharing of tax-collected monies providing for public safety institutions, contain and house the public safety needs to the local community for disposition or the police and fire departments. as well as the criminal justice activities of the transferring of certain local ex- the Village." penditures), "Realignment" (to realign governmental responsibilties to the level In listing the community-wide public safety objectives the "Plan" states The municipal building facilities por- of government best able to efficiently "Primary emphasis needs to be placed by tion of the plan had originally offered a perform the services) or"retrenchment" location for the new municipal center but (the retrenchment of village programs the community on developing public p g p g safety programs which stress and Planning Commission members felt and resistance to rises in costs) would be g preventionestablishinga site at this time might be the four means at the village's disposal to strengthen measures rather g make up the difference for the citizens than apprehension in securing public premature. inability to pay the total costs to provide safety for the community and its people. Among the high points of the police for community facilities. �, safet facilities section is the call for Whatever the difficulties of time and y cost, prevention should be the principle more police on the streets as a first In addition, the financing of some long range objective of the community, in priority to prevent crime and secure community facilities will or might reachpublic safety, and the establishment of a ( beyond the scope of the village and in seeking to reduce the enormous, mown ommunitolice relations program these instances the "Plan" advises ting waste of life and property due to y-p p g crime, accidents, damage, and other through the location of facilities consideration of regionalization ofthroughout the community in existing and governmental functions such as mass hazards to public safety.' planned fire station locations." transportation,environmental protection, In terms of measuring the effectiveness - solid waste disposal, water supply, and of the public safety facilities available, Fire safety facilities are designated for - sanitary sewer treatment. these criteria should be used the "Plan" establishment in five fire districts cen- ( suggests. trally located to provide adequate fire At one time this list included public protection. 1 safety services but members of the Measuring the objectives on: threats to Planning Commission believed citizen befaced the resources available to meet Two criminal justice facilities should be ( reaction might be adverse to such asuch threats, the operational readiness of provided in the village "the Plan" states, consideration. the various community departments one housing the municipal court in the within the village government, the ac- public safety building and continuance of E ceptance or support by the public, the the detained criminal rehabilitation EDUCATION OBJECTIVES record of performance, and the per- center—the Ramsey County workhouse. While admittedly the authors of the sonnel. "Plan" realize the prime function of Other facility needs would include education belongs to the schools "the A series of police,civil defense,and fire community safety centers,at least one for educational system, public and non- safety objectives fall within the corn- every planned neighborhood acting as an public,within the village is not separable munity-wide public safety objectives. emergency center similar to fallout from general policy or the processes of shelters but"expanded in scope to include government in general." the full gambit of community safety . ..... _>__ needs." sy as CD .. o °' ° �v e5 o o w • ya C mEL .Or,... 'Y -m O4 tD cm O O a; . a , to A `� -27 2• 'b A w w cc) 8 0izz 'in ,e °R `< 'a �_ oa g o w .e+ < 0 �• m a:AD - 27 e�0•..0",- 0 O 0 20'O CIrt 1 8 wm"' fDm . w .ti— << 5 ,., < �', So 3 2- a m° a< ;