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MINUTES <br />Parks & Recreation Commission <br />January 6, 2009 <br />Sanders, using a large map of the city, pointed out the total parks and trail system within the city. He <br />showed how all the trails are linked together with the parks in the community. <br />Maida asked if the new cover showing the Gervais Mills Pond would be utilized instead of the cover <br />on the previous dishibuted copy of the comp plan which had multiple smaller pictures of various <br />parks. Sanders asked which cover the commissioners preferred and the consensus was either one <br />would be fine as both were excellent covers. <br />OLD <br />BUSINESS: NORTH/SOUTH TRAIL CONNECTION: <br />Sanders pointed out on the map the proposed route for this hail. It would connect downtown St. Paul <br />to Shoreview by utilizing the Troutbrook Trail with abike/foot bridge over Highway 36, advancing <br />through the St. Jude property to the Waterworks Trail that connects to Shoreview. Sanders stated that <br />he applied for and we have received a grant from the National Parks System. The grant is for planning <br />assistance only which will help bring together the right players needed to complete this large project. <br />This assistance could aid us in applying for future grant monies and also act as a liaison with the key <br />players of this project. <br />Sanders and Morelan have met with the National Parks personnel a couple of times. They suggested <br />forming a subcommittee with members from the City of Little Canada, City of Maplewood, Roseville <br />School District, St. Jude, and Ramsey County. This committee would report back to their <br />organizations the progress of the North/South Trail connection. <br />There is approximately a mile of trail south of County Road B in the City of Maplewood that would be <br />needed to complete the connection to the Troutbrook Trail. Morelan stated that all parties would have <br />to be in agreement to go forward with the project before our city would put forth monies for the <br />completion. Sanders stated that the biggest and most costly part of the connection would be the <br />pedestrian bridge over Highway 36. <br />Steinwall thinks it would be a large benefit to St. Jude to have a pedestrian bridge that would connect <br />their two property campuses. Sanders agreed that there were benefits there, but also they would be <br />losing some of the security they now maintain. <br />When Maida inquired about the funding for this project, Sanders replied that the funding would <br />probably be 80% paid by federal grants and 20% paid by local funds. <br />Steinwall commented that there is a proposed new bridge to be constructed at Rice Street and Highway <br />36 and wondered if people would think that should be utililized as the crossing link for the trail instead <br />of spending extra monies for a pedestrian bridge within such a close proximity. Sanders stated that a <br />separate pedestrian bridge would be a much safer approach for trail goers and it would also qualify for <br />the Safe Route to Schools Program. <br />Morelan stated that additional meetings with St. Jude and the Roseville School District were not <br />scheduled in December because of the holidays but thought that they would again aggressively attempt <br />to set up those meetings in the near future. <br />Page 2 of 4 <br />