Support the Eastside Riverfront Park

I encourage you to contact the City Council in support of the Eastside Riverfront Park. The Eastside is a third of the City. We have some wonderful parks but we have no park where we can access the riverfront. Much of the City benefits from extensive access to the riverfront. The City Council is currently working to see if the Eastside Riverfront Park can be included in a package of parkland dedication. Kathy Lantry (651.266.8670 or kathy.lantry@ci.stpaul.mn.us) and Dave Thune (651.266.8620 or dave.thune@ci.stpaul.mn.us) are providing real leadership on this issue.

City policy calls for moving Warner Road/Shepard Road back from the river and creating park along the river's edge. In 2009, planning for a Warner Road bridge instigated riverfront park planning efforts. County Commissioner Jim McDonough, Public Works Department, Parks Department, City Council President Lantry, then-State Senator Mee Moua, and State Representative Sheldon Johnson had a number of working sessions to come up with the plan. St. Paul Parks and Public Works proposed an alternative design that would lower cost and provide more usable riverfront park land. The plan was vetted by the Dayton's Bluff District 4 Community Council and the District 1 Community Council. There was consensus that this was an important location for riverfront access on the eastside. The park design details will be worked out with the district councils when the site is acquired.

the potential location of Eastside Riverfront Park, off Warner Rd

There is an opportunity right now to acquire this parcel. The 5 acre site was owned by the City of St. Paul but was transferred to the Port Authority for $1. For many years Harvest States granin elevator #2 stood on this site. Harvest States grain elevator #1 was removed to create parks and housing at Upper Landing. Elevator #2 was removed and is used to store dumpsters and broken equipment on our riverfront. A cyclone fence prevents public access to the river. This is certainly not the highest and best use of our eastside riverfront.

We have an opportunity to have this property transferred back to the City because the Port Authority is not in compliance with a 2008 parkland dedication agreement. The City Council required the Port dedicate 3 parcels of parkland. In 3 years, the Port has not transferred any property. There are also compliance issues regarding wetlands and trails.

The Port Authority wants to retain a three acre parcel with a 1/4 mile of riverfront. The Port suggested a number of small stray undevelopable parcels as their dedication. These parcels should be transferred to the City because they are of no value to the Port and have some value for parks. The opportunity to create a 3 acre park with 1/4 mile of riverfront in the downtown section of the river will be lost when the Port retains that parcel. None of the other parcels offer an opportunity to create a comparable riverfront park. The 5 acre parcel on the eastside offers an excellent opportunity to provide riverfront access for a community that currently has no access at all.

Peggy Lynch, of the Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County, and I have been meeting with City Council members to encourage them to return this land to the City as park land. We have found the Council to be very supportive. They agreed to lay over this issue until next Wednesday so Kathy Lantry can negotiate better terms. Your encouragement and support to Kathy and to Dave Thune would be helpful.

Submitted by Tom Dimond, resident and park advocate