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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4-21-25 ENR Minutes-FINALMINUTES CITY OF MAPLEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION Monday, April 21, 2025 7:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Lates called a meeting of the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission to order at 7:02 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Rebecca Bryan, Commissioner Absent Joanne Cryer, Commissioner Present Nancy Edwards, Vice-Chairperson Present Benjamin Guell, Commissioner Present David Lates, Chairperson Present Ted Redmond, Commissioner Absent Wes Saunders-Pearce, Commissioner Present Staff Present Shann Finwall, Sustainability Coordinator 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Guell moved to approve the April 21, 2025, Environmental and Natural Resources Commission meeting agenda. Seconded by Commissioner Edwards. Ayes – All The motion passed. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. March 17, 2025 Chairperson Lates moved to approve the March 17, 2025, Environmental and Natural Resources Commission meeting minutes as written. Seconded by Commissioner Guell. Ayes – All The motion passed. 5. NEW BUSINESS a. St. Paul Police Training Facility, 2621 Linwood Avenue East – Wetland Buffer Variance 2 Sustainability Coordinator Finwall presented the St. Paul Police Training Facility wetland buffer variance. Deb Brandwick, AIA, Principal – Senior Project Architect, Oertel Architects detailed the project. Ms. Brandwick stated that the use of the site is not expanding, but some of the existing facilities are being replaced and upgraded. There is no sanitary sewer accessible to the site at this time, so they are required to install a new septic system. Sergeant Lisa Kruse, St. Paul Police Department, coordinator of the training facility, stated that the Class 5 area is part of the long-range firing range. They would like to maintain the Class 5 because the area can get muddy. Additionally, people occasionally park on the surface and it is plowed in the winter on occasion. Marlys Howells, 566 Deer Ridge Lane, nearby neighbor to the property, expressed concern about the St. Paul Police Training Facility improvements. She stated that noise from the training facility has been a long-time issue. She recommends the City add conditions to the use to include limiting hours of operation from 9 a.m. to noon when children are in school and not to allow the use in the summer. The Environmental and Natural Resources Commission had the following comments and questions regarding the wetland buffer variance: • Is the impervious surface increasing? Ms. Brandwick stated that they are maintaining the same square footage of impervious surface on the site. • Is the St. Paul Police Department open to expanding the wetland buffer adjacent the Class 5 and wetland edge? Ms. Brandwick stated the St. Paul Police Department is willing to add native plants along the wetland adjacent the Class 5 surface but recommends the plants be short to ensure they don’t impact the firing range. • There should be signage or a fence along the native plants adjacent the Class 5 to ensure no one parks on the native plants or that snow is not stored in that area. • Additional native plants should also be planted on the north side of the eastern wetland where the area is mowed to the edge of the wetland. • The buckthorn removal should be concentrated in the wetland buffer, not within the internal site where grading is already taking place. • Additional information is needed to assess the wetland buffer mitigation including square footage of overall mitigation including area of buckthorn removal and native planting versus area of impact to the wetland buffers, and how the new native plants will be protected along the Class 5 surface with a fence or additional signage. Commissioner Pearce-Saunders moved to table the St. Paul Police Training Facility wetland buffer variance in order for the applicant to submit additional wetland buffer mitigation details for review during the May ENR Commission meeting. 3 Seconded by Commissioner Guell. Ayes – All The motion passed. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 7. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None 8. COMMISSIONER PRESENTATIONS None 9. STAFF PRESENTATIONS Sustainability Coordinator Finwall updated the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission on the following: a. Update on Rescheduling of Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meetings to Second Wednesday of the Month. Staff is coordinating the rescheduling with communications and the new meeting dates may begin in June. b. Spring Clean Up – May 3, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Aldrich Arena c. Arbor Day Tree Planting Demonstration – May 3, 10 a.m., Edgerton Park . Waterfest – May 31, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lake Phalen Park. Commissioners Wes Saunders-Pearce and Cryer offered to serve on the Waterfest Subcommittee. Staff will send an e-mail update to the Commission to determine if other Commissioners would like to assist with the Waterfest booth. e. Commission Calendar. Staff presented the following draft calendar for the Commission: • May 19: Friends of Maplewood Nature, Annual Report • June 16: Green Building Code/Possible Capital Region Watershed District Tour • July 21: Environmental Center Tour, 6 to 7:30 p.m. • August 18: Green Building Code/Possible Capital Region Watershed District Tour • September 15: BizRecycling/Energy Smart 10. ADJOURNMENT Chairperson Lates made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Cryer. Ayes – All The motion passed. Chairperson Lates adjourned the meeting at 8:32 p.m.