CCP 08-09-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

V. New Business A. Proposed Rice Creek North Regional Trail Extension— Scott Yonke, Ramsey County Parks and Recreation, Director of Planning and Development The County has asked for a letter of support for this project so Breuer wanted to make sure the Commission supported this project. Scott Yonke talked about the trail extension project that the County will implement in the next couple of years. The area is from Long Lake Regional Park to County Road H. This is an extremely important connection because it extends the Rice Creek Trail and because of the linkages that it provides. It connects to Long Lake Park, Rice Creek West Regional Trail and into the existing trail on County Road H and short linkages to the Townsedge Mobile Home Park and over to Poppyseed Road. The County applied for a grant and was not selected. One of the issues was "how do you cross the railroad tracks". The best option was providing a pedestrian crossing over the rail road tracks. The County has had discussions with the rail road and the land owner and received a letter of intent so the County can get a permit to construct a bridge. There is a small segment heading north where there is a seasonally flooded wet land area. At this point the County does not know if it needs a boardwalk or fill in a portion of the wet land. The pedestrian bridge would go across Rice Creek and hook up with County Road H. There are two small pedestrian connections; one connects to the west to Poppyseed Road which would provide an access to the school and back into the park as well as the connection from the mobile home park to the trail and to the school as well. Provided will be a 10 ft. wide bituminous trail and some sections may be boardwalk. The trail design needs to meet federal standards. It will all be ADA accessible. An application will be submitted within the next couple of weeks. It is for the 2015 funding year. The total cost on the project right now is approximately 1.6 million dollars. Part of it that would be transportation enhancement funds; that is usually capped around 1 million dollars. The remaining portion would be matched with money from the parks and trails legacy program. The County would like to include a letter of recommendation from Director Breuer with the packet. It was mentioned that the Irondale ski team uses some trails back in that area. Scott Yonke said maybe there will need to have some re-formalizations as to how those trails would work with this trail. There may be some conflict with the trail. Scott Yonke stated he has had a conversation with the City of Mounds View and they are planning some changes to the crossing at Old Hwy 8 and Hwy 10. Scott Yonke said right now there is really no good way to get across 35W until that overpass is replaced. Whenever the TCAAP is developed, the bridge overpass will probably be redone. Scott Yonke said that the County is trying to get that immediate connection from County Road H down to Long Lake Park. -5-