08-12-2019 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Anoka County 2019 Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan 139 dominate the landscape in Columbus, covering nearly two-thirds of the City. While Columbus is a large community (48 sections approx. 30,573 acres) the amount of developable land in the City is much less than surrounding communities. Approximately, 9,300 gross acres and 5,660 net acres of land are used as rural residential, which requires a 5-acre minimum lot size. Public lands: The public/institutional land use category includes the Columbus City Hall, Fire Hall, and Public Works complex on Kettle River Blvd. and Notre Dame Street; public utilities; four churches; the Columbus Elementary School; State “school trust” land; and two Wildlife Management Areas. The gross public/institutional acreage is approximately 11,175 acres or over 36% of the total City acreage. The only City site that is on the National Register of Historic Places is the Carlos Avery Game Farm, located at County Highways 17 and 18. It has been on the Register since 1991. It is the site of buildings built by the WPA in the 1930’s and includes an entrance gate to the site that is built of stone and iron. During that era, it was a national showplace for the rearing of quail. The facilities are now the home of the north metro wildlife office of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the headquarters for the DNR’s Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area, and the Wildlife Science Center, a nonprofit group that conducts research on wolves. There are approximately 654 acres of City and County park land in Columbus, which provide active and passive recreation opportunities to residents and businesses. The City currently has one community park, three neighborhood parks and three undeveloped, natural areas. The City maintains the major community park adjacent to the City Hall that includes land on either side of Kettle River Boulevard. This facility includes five softball diamonds, two tennis courts, a volleyball court, a football field, a picnic area and shelter, and playground equipment. Anoka County owns and maintains Coon Lake County Park, which includes a swimming beach, boat access, and picnic facilities. Private fee areas: There are few fee areas in Columbus. Ag riculture and forestry: Columbus has 2 Century Farms. The Furrer Farm and the Thurnbeck Farm. The Furrer farm became a Century Farm in August 1989. Alfred Bergeron (1857 – 1949) came to Minnesota as a young man of seventeen in 1874 from Quebec, Canada. He bought his first forty acres on the eastern edge of Anoka County in the City of Columbus between Forest Lake and Centerville in 1883. The Thurnbeck farm was settled in 1893 and became a Century Farm in 1994. Although Columbus is currently being developed, the minimum lot size is 5 acres, which does allow for the preservation of a significant portion of the current tree cover. These forests are comprised mainly of Northern Pin Oak, Burr Oak, Red Oak, and White Oak. Of the mature forest, the oaks comprise roughly 60 – 70 % of the tree species, with minor contributions of hackberry, red maple, basswood, aspen, white pine, red pine and spruce. The most significant forestry problem currently is oak wilt disease. The community has participated in an extensive oak wilt management program since 1991 to contain the effects of this devastating disease. For the future, tree preservation of its existing woodlots and invasive pests will be the largest threats to this suburban forest. Commercial and industrial development and trends: There are two primary commercial areas within Columbus, which account for 6% of the total City area. One lies along the southerly portions of Lake Drive (CSAH 23) near Lino Lakes. The other surrounds a portion of