For City Environment & Parks Commissions
Wednesday May 27 6pm to 8:30pm at the
Washington County Government Center
(Room LL14, the lower level of the government center)
14949 62nd Street North Stillwater, MN 55082
Notes and power point presentations posted at
/
Learn how cities in Washington County are implementing MN GreenStep Cities Best Practices
- Complete Green Streets to create networks of multimodal green streets. #11
- Innovative Stormwater Management#. 17 Minimize the volume of and pollutants in rainwater runoff.
Facilitated by Sean Gosiewski, Executive Director, Alliance for Sustainability, 612-250-0389
6pm Networking - Volunteers met with Environment & Parks Commissioners and bike/walk volunteers from other cities in Washington County including Afton (1) , Bayport (1), Oak Park Heights (3), Stillwater (12), Lake Elmo(2), Mahtomedi (1), Marine (3), and Woodbury (3).We will send the notes to our friends in Scandia, Hugo, Oakdale, Cottage Grove and other communities.
6:30pm Integrating Water Quality & Water Re-use into Street Reconstruction
Lake Elmo Rain Garden Projects –Brett H. Emmons, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Co-Owner Emmons & Olivier Resources, Inc.651.770.8448
Power Point pdfLiving Streets and Lake Elmo Exper- Wash Co Communities
Woodbury & Hugo Rain Water Harvesting and Re-use Projects
Hugo- Oneka Ridge Golf Course Irrigation Project
Woodbury - Eagle Valley Golf Course & Prestwick Golf Courses, Commission Chair, Roger Splinter
Power Point HarvestingStormWaterForReuseWoodburyDrive
Storm water harvesting study (PDF) and spreadsheet calculator (Excel)
Power Point presentationWaterResuseCalculator
Integrating the new Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS) into your City ordinances – Jay Michels, CPESC, EOR, Inc. 651-261-4546 Power Point pdfMIDSJayMichaelsEOR
- Overview of Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS)
- Performance goals for new development, re-development and linear projects
- Design Sequence Flowchart-Flexible treatment options
- Community Assistance Package
- MIDS calculator Training and workshop materials and modules
- Valley Branch Watershed District: amended their stormwater rules to include the MIDS performance goals and Design Sequence Flow Chart. Cities affected by this rule include: White Bear Lake, Maplewood, North St. Paul, Mahtomedi, Pine Springs, Grant, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, Oak Park Heights, Baytown Township, West Lakeland Township, Woodbury, Afton and St. Mary's Point. For more information, contact John Hanson, Valley Branch District Administrator at 952-832-2622 or .
- Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District. Adopted standards that include the MIDS performance goals.
- Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District adopted the MIDS performance goals effective April 1, 2015. Cities affected by this rule include: Shoreview, Roseville, White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, Gem Lake, Landfall, Little Canada, North St. Paul, Maplewood, Oakdale, Woodbury and St. Paul. Contact Tina Carstens at 651-792-7950 or or go to the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District web site
- Capitol Region Watershed District adopted the MIDS performance goals in April. Cities affected by this rule include Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Maplewood, Roseville and St. Paul. Contact Forrest Kelley at 651-644-8888 or or go to the Capitol Region Watershed District web page
- The City of Woodbury adopted the MIDS performance goals on April 8th. Contact Sharon Doucette, City of Woodbury's Environmental Resource Coordinator at 651-714-3538 or
7:00pm Planning for Bike & Pedestrian Improvements with streets & trails
Washington County Bike and Trails Plan - Ann Pung-Terwedo, Senior Planner, Washington County Public Works –651-430-4362 ,
- New and proposed trail connections, county wide
- WashCoTrails2030plan This will be updated over the next 2 years for a plan toward 2040
- Park System Map
- Current Washington County Construction Projects
- Current transportation master plan
Trails Master Plan Update - City of Stillwater Open House, June 4, 6:30pm at Stillwater City Hall
Power Point StillwaterDraftBikePlanPresentation
Melissa Douglas, 651- 894- 3376
Abbi Jo Wittman 651-430-8822
- To view the Trails Master Plan draft, please visit .
- To comment on the proposed draft, please visit
Updates on additional trails
- Gateway Browns Creek Trail Association
- Browns Creek State Trail
- Gateway State Trail Metro Area 651-259-5736The Gateway State Bike/Hike/Skate Trail (GST) travels between Pine Point Regional Park, 4 miles northwest of the city of Stillwater, and downtown St. Paul, MN. Eventual plans call for an extension of the trail from Pine Point Regional Park to Duluth, MN.
/ 7:30pm - Education and Advocacy
Expanding youth and adult bike education in partnership with schools and community Education
Forming an effective community Bike Walk Advocates citizen group - Dorian Grilley, Executive Director, Bike Alliance of MN (651)387-2445.
Power Point BikeAlliancePresentationMay27
Event Sponsors – Alliance for Sustainability, MPCA MN GreenStep Cities, Washington County, McKnight Foundation, Great Plains Institute, Bike Alliance of MN, Fresh Water Society, Emmons Olivier Resources, Earth Wizards.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Taking the Natural Step to Sustainability:
Lessons from Sweden About How We Can Save Money,Protect Our Health, Fulfill Fundamental Needs and
Care for Creation at Home, Work and the Community
Sunday May 31. 10am
Unitarian Universalist Society of River Falls
N8010 Hwy 65 River Falls, WI 54022
Public open house to review the Trails Master Plan draft.
On Thursday, June 4 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m at the City of Stillwater
The City will present a 30-45 minute presentation of the Trails Master Plan draft with an open question and comment period to follow. All members of the public are encouraged to attend.
To view the Trails Master Plan draft, please visit .
To comment on the proposed draft, please visit
Brown's Creek State Trail Grand Opening Saturday June 6thJoin in on celebrating the grand opening of the new Brown's Creek State Trail. The ceremony will be at 10 am at the new Trailhead located at the intersection of Main Street and Laurel Street just north of downtown Stillwater. Bring your bikes and try out the new trail. Fun art activities will be available and interpretive displays will be along the trail.But wait don't stop there, more fun will follow on Sunday through Thursday.
Transition Stillwater
Louise Watson--
Roger Tomten 651-430-1560 and 715-386-9490
Come join local biking and sustainability volunteers monthly at Chilkoot Cafe. 7:00 - 9:00 pm
826 4th St S, Stillwater, MN 55082 (651) 342-0429
A hub for local sustainability Efforts
Innovative Stormwater Management no. 17
Minimize the volume of and pollutants in rainwater runoff.
Best Practice Actions [See action tools, guidance, city reports]
- Adopt and use Minnesota's Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS).
- Complete the Blue Star City stormwater management assessment and be recognized for implementing the actions therein.
Adopt by ordinance one or more of the following:
a. A narrower streets provision that permits construction of 22- or 24-foot roads for public, residential access and subcollector streets (with fewer than 500 average daily trips).
b. A 1.5 inch rainfall on-site rainwater infiltration and/or reuse design requirement for new construction.
c. A stormwater runoff volume limit to pre-development volumes for the 5-year, 24-hour rainfall maximum event.
d. For non-MS4 permittees, adopt an illicit discharge prohibition rule or ordinance.
Create a stormwater utility that uses variable fees to incentivize enhanced stormwater management, minimize the volume of and pollutants in runoff, and educate property owners.
Adopt and implement guidelines for, or adopt required design standards/incentives for, at least one of the following stormwater infiltration/reuse techniques:
a. Rain gardens, green roofs, green walls.
b. Cisterns and other stormwater reuse strategies.
c. Green alleys or green parking lots.
d. Pervious/permeable pavement or pavers.
Adopt an ordinance with erosion and sediment control provisions as well as requirements for permanent stormwater treatment.
11. Living Streets: Create a network of green complete streets that improves city quality of life and adds value to surrounding properties.
Best Practice Actions [See action tools, guidance, city reports]
- Adopt a complete streets policy that also addresses street trees and stormwater.
- Adopt zoning language or approve a development agreement for a selected area/project that is substantially equivalent to LEED for Neighborhood Development certification, including credits for Walkable Streets and Street Network.
- Document inclusion/installation of green infrastructure elements as well as grey infrastructure elements in at least one complete streets reconstruction project.
- Identify, prioritize and remedy complete streets gaps and lack of connectivity within your road network by, for example, adding a bike route/lane, truck route, sidewalk or mid-block alley.
- Identify and remedy street-trail gaps between city streets and off-road trails/bike trails to better facilitate walking and biking.
- Implement traffic calming measures, including road diets, roundabouts, shared space and depaving, in at least one street redevelopment project.
BENEFITS
- The MN Physical Activity Survey (MN Dept. of Health: 2010) found that 93% of MN adults believe transportation projects should accommodate walkers and bikers, and that 72% of MN adults believe in policies supporting sidewalks and bike paths.
- Business Performance in Walkable Shopping Areas (Active Living Research: 2013) examines the economic benefits to businesses in walkable communities, finding that enterprises in walkable shopping areas are able to pay higher rents for their space, and housing near walkable commercial areas commonly sells for higher prices than in more distant areas.
- Modest street and lane reconfigurations, attending to context sensitive street design principles and adding traffic-calming measures, can reduce speeding by 40%, accidents by more than 50% and increase the number of walkers and bikers. View this infographic for other benefits of complete steets.
- A 2010 Metropolitan Council analysis of the effects of land planning and urban design on travel demand documented that changes in vehicle miles traveled are most strongly related to (1) accessibility to destinations, especially jobs, and (2) street network design variables. Those variables - street connectivity and intersection density - correlate with improved public health outcomes.
- See benefit-cost analysis of bicycle facilities.
- Quantitative measures of walkability, the degree to which a neighborhood or city facilitates people to walk/shop in it, include Walk Score. In cities walkability, facilitated by small blocks and a higher proportion of land area devoted to streets, is in tension with efficiency (large blocks with few streets and higher speed traffic).
- Narrower vehicle lanes result in safer streets that carry more cars up to 40 m.p.h.