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October 2001 Shore ReportPublic Safety Site Acquired • THE INSIDE O Q 0,? ,.r • 4�1 41 w d `j a Communications Corner .... 2 Council on Cable............ 2 Early Shorewood............ 2 Road Construction .......... 2 Community Events.......... 3 Senior Corner ............... 3 Recycling News ............. 3 Park/TrailTalk ...............3 Shorewood Map ............ 4 Hydrant Flushing ........... 4 MCES Position .............. 4 Fire S EPTEMBER 10, 2001, IS A HISTORIC date for public safety in the South Lake Minnetonka area. On that day, the Excelsior Fire District bought a 6.8 -acre site at 24140 Smithtown Road for its main fire station. The cities of Shorewood and Deephaven provided the EFD with interim revenue commitments totaling $545,000, until permanent financing is secured. The existing fire station in downtown Excelsior has long been outgrown and difficult for firefight- ers to respond to when called. Based upon a recommendation of a respected fire service consultant last fall, the EFD Board decided to build a two- station system. • The west -side station will be at the newly- acquired property on Smithtown Road. • The site for the east -side is not yet selected, but it is expected to be near the Shorewood - Deephaven border. There has been a very successful effort to recruit firefighters in the east side of the District, and they will be able to respond quickly to the new east -side station. • The station in downtown Excelsior will be vacated. Police A T ITS MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 the Coordinating Committee (i.e., governing board) of the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department stated the police station in Excelsior has inadequacies, and directed the police department to work with the Fire District in planning for a joint fire /police facility at 24140 Smithtown Road. The SLMPD Coordinating Committee and EFD Board have recognized the many benefits of co- locating these public safety services. At this time, however, the four cities that own the SLMPD have made no final decision to relocate the police station. Planning Process T HE SITE OF THE WEST -SIDE FIRE Station (arid potential police station) is in a zoning district that allows public facilities. The building(s) will need to be granted a conditional use permit, for which there will be a public hearing at the Planning Commission and eventual action by the City Council. At this time, these meetings are anticipated to occur in a mid- to late - winter timeframe. One thing is certain — a fire siren will not be included with the new station. Public Safety Site. . . Continued on page 2 Vandals Hit Eddy Station S INCE ITS OPENING IN JULY, Eddy Station, the new building in Freeman Park, has been vandalized six times. This destruction is very costly to the City in time and money. Vandalism should be reported. to the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department at 9 -1 -1. The Park Commission had planned to install a freestyle ice skating rink at Eddy Station during the winter of 2001 -02. This rink would have included using Eddy Station as a warming house and rest room facility. However, due to the extent and frequency of the vandalism at Eddy Station, the Park Commission will recommend to the City Council that those plans be tabled until security measures can be enhanced and the vandalism curtailed. Underlining indicates cablecast of Council meetings —see schedule on page 2. SHoft E1NO+OD EVENTS 5 NI T Vrl T I` S 10/2 7:00 Planning Commission Meeting 2 3 6 10/8 7:00 City Council Meeting 7: 8 .' 9 1Q 1I [ 2 1.3 10/9 7:30 Park Commission Meeting co 10/16 5:45 LCEC Meeting 10/16 7:00 Planning Commission Meeting 2J 10/22 7:00 City Council Meeting 10/27 Fall Clean -up 28 og1 Underlining indicates cablecast of Council meetings —see schedule on page 2. Communications Corner Help Your Neighborhood Become Safe For Pedestrians R ESIDENTS OFTEN CALL CITY HALL concerned about traffic on major roads in Shorewood. They are worried about the fact that many of these roads have no safe pedestrian or bicycle access. The Shorewood Park Commission is always willing to work with residents through a process designed to develop solutions to such issues. The focus of this process is to include the neighbors in the design of a safe space for pedestrians to travel. Residents on Vine Hill and Covington Roads faced this issue a few years ago. A new resident was concerned that children would often need to walk on the traffic lanes of Vine Hill Road to go to their bus stop in the winter due to high plow ridges.An increase in bicycle and pedestrian traffic along those roads and access to Silverwood Park were also a concern. So they decided to take action and petition for a trail or sidewalk to be put in the area. Starting the process in your area begins with a few easy steps: 1) Build neighborhood support for the trail through a grass roots efforts, such as a petition or neighborhood meeting; 2) present the signed and dated petition to the Park Commission for review, or ask for a meeting with the Park Commission and your neighbors. The Park Commission will then consider the request and, if feasible, may implement a multi -phase process. Each planning phase of the process includes the neighborhood in determining the feasibility and cost, the placement, the type of surface and its width. As the Vine Hill neighbors learned, it is a long process, but the outcome was not only worthwhile, it was satisfactory to them and the design was compatible with their neighborhood. If you and your neighbors have questions, or would like to get a trail or sidewalk in your area, contact City Hall at (952) 474 -3236 for assistance. Road Construction Updates Tuxedo Road Bridge/Enchanted Island County Road 19 Intersection T HE TUXEDO ROAD BRIDGE has a reduced capacity of 2 tons per vehicle, or combination of vehicles. This limit prevents vehicles such as refuse haulers, school busses, heating oil tricks, and delivery trucks from crossing the bridge. Emergency service providers have met to insure emergency service will continue to be provided. Interim measures to shore up the existing structure are taking place, which will enable the existing bridge to be utilized through the fall and winter seasons. The existing bridge will be replaced during the 2002 construction season. T HE PRELIMINARY DESIGN for reconstruc- tion of the County Road 19 /Smithtown Road intersection is scheduled to be pre- sented to the Tonka Bay and Shorewood City Councils in October. Once approved, the construction of this intersection will take place in 2002. Highway 7 /Christmas Lake Road T he Eastbound Ramp at Highway 7 and Christmas Lake Road will not begin until next year. Both East and Westbound lanes are to be completed before winter of 2001. Council on Cable City Council meetings are broadcast on Cable Channel 8 at: September 24 Meeting Tuesday, October 2 at 5:30 pNi Friday, October 5 at 1:30 PM October 8 Meeting Tuesday, October 16 at 5:30 PM Friday, October 19 at 1:30 PNt October 22 Meeting Tuesday, October 30 at 5:30 PM We've Stood Together Before T HE HORRIFIC EVENTS OF last month's terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. have touched us all. History tells us that the communities of Lake Minnetonka's south shore have always responded with enthusiastic support of their country in times of national crisis. The First World War provided proud examples. In August 1917 the men of Excelsior were invited by Captain Richard C. Thompson of Minneapolis to meet at the high school building two evenings a week for company drills. His letter explained that there would be lectures on Army matters and occasional social events. "It is a Volunteer Company to be continued throughout the war," said Captain Thompson, "an ideal training for young men who may be called for the present or future wars." In June 1918 the local Woman's Club reported that more than 200 women had pledged to "abstain from the use of white flour as much as possible" to aid in wartime rationing programs. They sent a copy of their resolution to President Woodrow Wilson. Happily, by the summer of 1919, the annual "Pageant of Minnetonka" included an official welcome home for the area's soldiers, sailors and marines. The festivities concluded with the crowd standing to sing "The Star Spangled Banner." (Source: Happenings Around Excelsior, Ellen Meyer) by Steve Harris u cc a t e ... Conti page Shorewood Establishes EDA O N AUGUST 27, 2001, the City Council established the Shorewood Economic Development Authority (EDA). Bond counsel and public finance advisors have recommended an EDA as the preferred vehicle —by both State statute and bond - rating agencies —to finance the public safety buildings. An EDA has a limited tax levy power: it may not exceed 0.01813 percent of the City's taxable market value. In terms of the public safety facilities, however, no EDA tax levy is anticipated to be necessary as the fire and police districts would pay the financing costs annually until they were retired. Groundbreaking T IRE EFD BOARD AND SLMPD Coordinat- ing Committee are working to make groundbreaking happen for all of the public safety facilities as early as possible in the 2002 construction season. THE SHOREREPORT/OCTOBER 2001 2 Park /Trail Talk Planning for the Future of Our Parks HE SHOREWOOD PARK COMMISSION is undertaking a unique project involving Shorewood parks. Begin- ning in August, the Park Commission developed a process for re- establishing a Master Plan for our parks and trails. This process will continue for at least six months and will include a multi- faceted approach to gather data, involv- ing citizens and planning for the future. The Master Plan review is a first for Shorewood and in some aspects, mirrors the Comprehensive Plan which is done every five years for the entire city. Under this process, the entire park system will be reviewed to address the questions of what facilities and services the system should provide, which users should be served, and what sources and opportunities should be further explored. The Park Commission has agreed that further opportunities should be inclusive of all demographics. They will also work to identify cooperative projects and relationships with others. The next step is to review each park as to its current emphasis, the population currently being served, and deficien- cies in service both in population or opportunity. A park planner will assist with certain complex issues, such as vehicle parking at Freeman Park. The Park Commission will then develop recommendations for refinement or refocus of the specific park. Finally, the Park Commission will present its draft recommendations to the public and gather public input through an open house forum. A "pas- sive" survey will also garner valuable information. Throughout this process, the public is encouraged to attend park commission meetings and participate in the process. Once the review, data collection and public input pieces are complete, the Park Commission will formulate recommendations to be made to the City Council for their approval. It is expected that in the future, the Master Plan review will occur every five years. Fall Clean -up Day is October 27th T HE ANNUAL YARD WASTE Drop -Off Day for Shorewood has been estab- lished by City Council to be held on Saturday, October 27. Yard waste can be brought to the Public Works parking area at 24200 Smithtown Road between 9 AM and 4 PM. Grass, leaves and mixed brush will be accepted. All yard waste must be emptied from bags and the bags taken home. Brush and sticks must be bundled with branches smaller than 1 '`/2" in diameter and less than 4' in length. Due to the weight limit of the Tuxedo Road Bridge (Red Bridge) there will not be a container on Dellwood Lane for drop off. Yard waste will have to be brought to the Shorewood Public Works parking area at 24200 Smithtown Road between 9 AM and 4 PM. Hazardous Waste Disposal ESIDENTS SHOULD BE CAREFUL not to dispose of household hazardous waste in their garbage. Hennepin County has permanent drop -off sites in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington where many mate- rials can be dropped off free of charge. Call the InfoLine at (612) 348 -6500 for complete information, or visit their web site at www.co.hennepin.mn.us/ wenvmgmt.html: Community Events Fire Prevention Open House Thursday, October 11; 6 -8 :30 PM T HE MEMBERS OF THE Excelsior Fire Prevention Team will celebrate Fire Prevention Week with their annual open house at the Excelsior Fire Sta- tion. You can ride a fire truck, escape from the fire safety house, spray a fire hose and much more! Many safety displays and fun door prizes! Rake A -Thou Saturday, October 27 T EAMS OF VOLUNTEERS will provide raking services to senior residents of the Minnetonka School District. If you are a senior who needs help with fall raking, please call the Southshore Senior Center, (952) 474 -7635. To volunteer to rake as an individual, family or group, please call Holly, (952) 401 -6828. Fire Prevention Tip or Fire Safety Treats Open House Wednesday, October 31; 5 -8 :30 Pm A ll ghouls and goblins are invited to trick or treat for tasty goodies and safety tips on Halloween Night at the Excelsior Fire Station. Spon- sored by the Excelsior Fire District Auxiliary. Call the Southshore Senior Center at (952) 474 -7635 to register: letober 15 Quicken and Online Banking, 9 -11 AM. A session on Quicken and online banking will be presented by Phil Hallin, one of the volunteer computer instructors at the center. The cost will be a donation to the center computer program. , etober 24 Senior Expo, 8 AM -3 PM. Senior Community Services will present a senior expo called "Lighten Your Load ... Discover Your Passion" The event will feature workshops, speakers and entertainment. Will be held at the new Gillespie Senior Center in Mound. Cost $12. ctober 31 We Still Love Lucy. A trip is being offered to the New Fogey Follies in Minneapolis to see the performance of "We Still Love Lucy ". Bus space is limited. Call to register. ie Southshore Center is located at 5735 Country Club Road in Shorewood. The center open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4 Pm. Meals are served Monday, Tuesday and idays at noon. For more information on center activities and transportation, call (952) 4-7635. For rental information call.7oAnn at (952) 541 -1019. 3 THE SHORE REPORTI OCTOBER 200 ? What's Happening in the City? Map Descriptions The following items are on the October 2 Planning Commission Agenda: 1 The owner of property located at 27055 Smithtown Road, is requesting approval of a rear yard setback variance in order to build a detached garage and other remodeling. A public hearing is scheduled at 7 PM. 2 The property owner at 24845 Smithtown Road is requesting setback variances to add a deck to the house. A public hearing is scheduled at 7:15 Pm. 3 The property owner at 5680 Christmas Lake Point is requesting approval of setback variances for the addition of an attached garage and remodeling. A public hearing will be held at 7:30 PM. Fall Hydrant Flushing Scheduled T HE FALL HYDRANT FLUSHING is scheduled for October. Residents are reminded that during this time, water can be rust colored and you should refrain from washing white clothing in your washer until you notice the water to be clear. The fall schedule is: Woodhaven -- Amesbury October 1 -5 Boulder Bridge- Shorewood Oakes - Badger October 8 -19 Waterford Area October 22- November 2 CITY OF SHOREWOOD fA 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD ,V SHOREWOOD, MN 55331 3 •': (952)474.3236 FAX (952)474.0128 0 Monday - Friday 8 AM to 4:30 PM DELIVER TO: Council Members 1 , Woody Love, Mayor John Garfunkel n Christine Lizee Laura Turgeon Scott Zerby MCES Rep Needed T HE CITY OF SHOREWOOD is seeking a resident interested in serving as the City's representative on the Minnetonka Community Education & Services (MCES) Advisory Board. This is a voluntary position. The MCES Advisory Board assists and provides direction to MCES staff, and makes recommendations to the Minnetonka School Board. MCES relies on the City's representative to communicate its activities, and those of the Advisory Board, to the City Council. For further information contact Ann Miller at MCES, 952 -401 -5057. Interested Shorewood residents should submit a letter of interest by October 12 to Craig Dawson, City Administrator, 5755 Coun- try Club Road, Shorewood, MN 55331, or email to cityhall @ci.shorewood.mn.us. PRESORTED STANDARD U.S.POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #128 EXCELSIOR, MN 55331 t Sa�logs 2$ � a`1�iP OctobeY arty° ends or cxockb"'pal�. Gh S moke 3et ectoS Newsletter Editor: Julie Moore This newsletter is printed on recycled paper. THE SHORE REPORT t OCTOBER 2001