HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 04-14 Maplewood golf course is Ramsey County's latest redevelopment fight STAR TRIBUNE4/23/2021
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Maplewood golf course is Ramsey County's latest redevelopment fight - StarTribune.com
Maplewood golf course is Ramsey
County's latest redevelopment fight
Ramsey County wants to turn Maplewood course into affordable
housing.
By Shannon Prather (https://www.startribune.com/shannon-prather/6370507/) Star Tribune
APRIL 14, 2021 - 6:18PM
A Maplewood golf course slated for closure has become the latest battleground between
conservationists clamoring to preserve green space and county leaders who have it
earmarked for redevelopment with an eye toward affordable housing.
Parks advocates are challenging Ramsey County's plans to close and redevelop its Ponds
at Battle Creek course, saying it runs afoul of a popular ballot measure that protects
parkland.
But county leaders say the golf course is exempt from the 1994 measure —which
requires that parkland lost to development be replaced — because when they built it in
2001 on county corrections department property, they exempted it themselves.
The county, which has faced stiff headwinds with nearly all of its recent redevelopment
proposals, is pressing ahead with plans at the Maplewood site, hosting a series of
community meetings to discuss options including affordable housing.
Parks supporters say they're planning their next move.
"I am not buying that this golf course is exempt," said Scott Ramsay, president of the
nonprofit Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County. "We are trying
to hold the county accountable."
The county announced plans to close the 88 -acre course in 2019, igniting one of its
biggest controversies in recent years. At that time, the course had been losing money and
leaders believed it was best to invest in other portions of the county's 6,500 -acre parks
system. The county owns five golf courses, including the Ponds.
Golfers and residents who lived near the Ponds mobilized to keep the course open,
giving impassioned speeches at public hearings and circulating petitions. The course is
slated to close this fall. County leaders are also eyeing a second, 77 -acre corrections site
parcel in Maplewood for development. Friends of the Parks leaders believe the closure
defies the will of Ramsey County voters, said board member Richard Arey.
Voters overwhelmingly passed the "No Net Loss" amendment to the county charter in
1994, due to concerns about the closure and redevelopment of the Goodrich Golf Course
in Maplewood, Ramsay said. Nearly 85% of votes supported the amendment, he said.
According to the charter amendment, if the county converts a park or green space for
another purpose, they must replace it "in an equivalent amount and similar quality."
While the amendment allows for replacement, the Friends group said it is focused on
using it to preserve the golf course. Ramsay said his and other environmental groups
question county leaders' authority to exempt themselves from the charter.
A naturalist by profession, Ramsay said he questions why the county invested so heavily
in the property, including creating natural buffers and landscape to protect water
quality and attract wildlife, only to dismantle it now that it's flourishing.
In Maplewood, which controls the property's zoning and will have substantial influence
on its redevelopment, Mayor Marylee Abrams has joined the chorus of voices calling for
the preservation of the golf course.
RENEE JONES SCHNEIDER
RENEE. JONESC STARTRIBUNE.COM
Ramsey County ignited a controversy in 2019
when it announced plans to close the 88 -acre
Ponds at Battle Creek golf course.
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4/23/2021 Maplewood golf course is Ramsey County's latest redevelopment fight - StarTribune.com
Although not a golfer herself, Abrams said the community has testified to the value of
the course, which includes a beautiful natural setting and wetlands, opportunities to
exercise and youth programs.
She said the course made money last year as many turned to golf as a naturally social -
distanced outdoor activity.
"I am committed to making a decision that is best for the city of Maplewood and our
residents," Abrams said.
But the county says the record is clear: the Ponds is not technically parkland.
"Before the development of the golf course, the property was never used as park,
recreational or open space. The Corrections use of the property was clear and
unconditioned when the board took the approach they did in the 2001 resolution," the
county said in a statement. "By explicitly affirming that this use of Ramsey County
Correctional Facility land was not subject to 'No Net Loss' provision for parkland, they
codified that for future clarity."
Ramsay and others in the community say they support the construction of affordable
housing, but not at the expense of valuable and cherished community green space.
Meanwhile, county officials continue to fight for redevelopment on multiple fronts,
including the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills and the
shuttered Boys Totem Town in St. Paul.
That frustration was on display at a County Board meeting in March, with
Commissioner Jim McDonough unsuccessfully opposing reopening the Ponds for a final
season of play this year. McDonough said his constituents on St. Paul's East Side don't
benefit from or care about the Ponds and the county needs to stay focused on equity.
"We are more than meeting the needs of golfers in Ramsey County. We are doing more
than any city or county in this state," McDonough said, noting the county's five golf
courses.
"What I see is the power of white power and privilege, especially when that voice gets
organized and loud."
County leadership, in a written statement, said it must balance the needs and wants of
all residents, businesses and stakeholders.
"Unlike all other Minnesota counties, Ramsey County has very little agricultural land,"
the statement said.
"We also have virtually no greenfield property for new development but instead must
redevelop for economic growth."
Affordable housing advocates say they support county leaders' efforts to find land and
build more homes.
John Slade, an organizer with the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable
Housing (MICAH), said the council is not taking a position on the Ponds redevelopment
at this time, but "the affordable housing need in the East Metro is so deep that we
welcome any parcel of land that is being considered for affordable housing."
Shannon Prather • 651-925-5037
Shannon Prather covers Ramsey County for the Star Tribune. Previously, she covered philanthropy
and nonprofits. Prather has two decades of experience reporting for newspapers in Minnesota,
California, Idaho, Wisconsin and North Dakota. She has covered a variety of topics including the legal
system, law enforcement, education, municipal government and slice -of -life community news.
Shannon.Prather@startribune.com 612-673-4804 ShannonMPrather
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