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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 03-28 County continues Fish Creek acquisition REVIEW Lounty Continues JshBy MELANIE WAAGE is now believed, according to Ramsey recommend consideration of t� that %NCounty Parks and Open Space Depart- a segment of Fish Creek designated as There's a lot of talk going on about Fish ment, there is a need for ponding areas Open Space by the Maplewood Com- 1 Creek. The Ramsey County Parks and and flood control in the upper creek area prehensive Plan is not included in the Open Space Department wants to acquire and some of the steep slopes should be acquisition and should be so all portions of most of the one-and-a-half mile length of protected from development. Fish Creek are included. ` the creek. The Maplewood city council "Even though municipal controls will CITY MANAGER Barry Evans agrees with them,as long as the proposal still provide protection,we need to control reported at the March 15 city council is consistent with the Maplewood Com- the upper portion of the creek to aid the meeting that the proposed acquisition is prehensive Plan. lower portion," Rick Speak, assistant to consistent with the intent of the corn- Residents of the area east of I-494 Commissioner Hal Nor and said. municchallenged the county on what effects will "Solutions must be provided upstream." Metro-sWashingtive o al Wplan, the Rmsy- atershed District be once land is purchased.They asked for So, the county finds it necessary to recommendations and the Ramsey assistance from the city council. expand the boundaries of the Fish Creek County Engineer's proposed im- FISH CREEK is in the southeast corner Open Space site by 56 acres. This will provements to the Carver Lake outlet. % of Ramsey County. From its source at include land along the creek from its It was the segment of Fish Creek in \ Carver Lake, it winds through wooded, sourse at Carver Lake to I-494. Maplewood that was left out of the `S hilly terrain for one-and-a-half miles to Jan. 23, the Board of County Corn- proposed acquisition that brought Pig's Eye Lake. missioners approved the acquisition of residents to the council meeting. In 1971 Ramsey County identified Fish the proposed expansion of the Fish Creek A letter was read from Irene Gon- Creek as a natural water corridor and Open Space Site. By law, the Ramsey zagowski, 2575 Carver Ave., who included it as part of the open space County Parks and Open Space Depart- questioned the county about not wanting program. In 1975 the Ramsey County ment has to have the approval of the city to acquire the loop of Fish Creek which Board of Commissioners approved of Maplewood for all open space included portions of her property. acquisition boundaries for the lower acquisitions. portion of the creek from I-494 to Highwasy ace ALL THE rest of Fish Creek is open 61. This acquisition area includes planning resolution swcion tofo�recomendarded to tto phe orrtion,"t IGonzagowskiust makes nsaid.se to"Why does properties totaling 87 acres located in the Maplewood city council that the Open Space try to cut out the loop? The both the city of St. Paul and Maplewood, council require the following before any only answer I have is they don't like 72 of which are in Maplewood. lot divisions were approved: private roads running through public Sixty acres of that land has been The county clearly indicate where property, but I can't see too much acquired by the open space program to proposed park boundaries are before problem with that.What I want is support date; 48 are in Maplewood. negotiating with the property owners; no from the city council. I want your In 1975 the upper portions of Fish Creek unbuildable parcels are created by these recommendation for them to include the were excluded from consideration. It was lot divisions;and that the Ramsey County loop area." believed that municipal zoning and Parks Department guarantee in writing She was concerned about her property building restrictions would provide that public access to adjoining private being next to public property and the proper protection of the creek. property will be controlled to the private liability insurance she would need to AS A RESULT of the 1978 flood situation owner's satisfaction. cover any in this area and development up stream in THE COUNTY commissioners also visitors, ho happpened idents of Open to wander onto to her the Fish Creek-Carver Lake Watershed,it agreed that the planning commission property, her Creek _____ acquisition Larry Holmberg,a representative from property.It is hard to run public property areas would be preserved, but this Ramsey County Parks and Open Space so close. The private drive would cross segement doesn't have any problems. Department, was present at the city public property. Trails wouldn't be a problem because we council meeting to answer questions and "We feel buying the strip now would cut could move them to the east." explaining the situation. up the property.We don't want to acquire He also mentioned that Fish Creek "The loop is an issue," Holmberg said. property that makes it difficult to could be rerouted to the east so as not to "To buy the strip would include private develop. We wanted to insure ponding go over private property. KEITH LIBBY, a resident who owns _ eight and one-half acres north of Fish / Creek with his two brothers, told the If council that they were concerned about �� losing access to his property. � ` �\ "We have been waiting a long time," i ;#4` Libby said. "We wanted to build homes /' lip\ and were assured by the council some time ago that streets would eventually go a through out there. / 1 "If you (the city council) approve this without satisfying us,we don't know what 1 mil I we'd do with our land.It would be useless. We could probably give it away to open space. We need access to our property. tS;� likV , There was an easement originally and we 4.,._:\ r o thought it would go through." I ;v Councilman Don Wiegert suggestedo that the county and Maplewood study the fa remaining loop and the possibility of r igetting a road access into existing properties.This was approved by the city \ ' i` council. When asked about the left over loop, Bernie Edmonds, director of Parks and Open Space, said that the staff has /^`^""^10DU "w K decided to leave o�T xoo MID that section because they a N .o �, ,� wanted to give the city of Maplewood the THE MAP SHOWS land acquired by the Ramsey County Parks and Open Space platted. chance to extend the street that was Department as part of the Fish Creek acquisition project. Shaded areas indicate If there is a Fish Creek problem those parcels which have been acquired.Those areas bounded by solid lines indicate in the future that relates to this section of parcels remaining to be acquired. Jan. 23 the Ramsey County Board approved the per int Will considerthe Parks nd expansionato acquiring the additional parcel which lies east of I494. include it.