08-12-2019 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Anoka County 2019 Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan 29 (from Coon Creek to the North, along the new railroad line) were to be named Andover, Cedar, Bethel, Isanti, Cambridge, Stanchfield, Braham, Grasston, Cornell, and Brook Park. On July 4, 1899, the first train passed through the Andover Station. Andover Village was established in 1972 and then became the City of Andover, a city of the fourth class, in 1974. Today the City of Andover’s population exceeds 31,000, classifying it as a third-class city. Andover’s governing body consists of a Mayor and four City Council members. The Andover City Center Complex is located at 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW (at the intersection of Crosstown Boulevard and Hanson Boulevard) and is home to the City Offices, Public Works Department, Community Center, and the Senior Center. Andover is served by a full-time Police Department through a contract with the Anoka County Sheriff’s Department. A professional paid on call Fire Department also serves the community. Andover is part of two of the finest school districts in the state. St. Francis School District #15 covers the northern section of the City, while Anoka-Hennepin School District #11 serves the south four-fifths of the City. Crooked Lake Elementary, Andover Elementary, Rum River Elementary, Oak View Middle School and Andover High School are all located within the City of Andover and are part of School District #11. A private institution, Meadow Creek Christian School, is also located in the City. The City of Andover is an exciting place to live, do business, and enjoy the scenic rural atmosphere. With a population exceeding 31,000, Andover is no longer the best-kept secret of Anoka County. Predominantly a residential community, Andover also has abundant parks, trails and recreational areas. The City has more than 500 acres of community and neighborhood parks. Kelsey Round Lake Park is a 136-acre nature area for hiking, skiing and environmental observation. Other recreational facilities include more than 400 acres of the Anoka County Bunker Hills Regional Park (which is home to the Bunker Beach Waterpark), hiking / biking trails, cross-country skiing trails, camping and other outdoor activities. The Rum River Central Regional Park is located immediately north of Andover on County Road 7. The annual Andover Family Fun Fest is held in July. City of Anoka Anoka is 20 miles from Minneapolis at Latitude 45.21 N and Longitude –93.39 W, with a land area of 7.13 square miles and an elevation of 870 feet. Two rivers, the Rum and Mississippi, played an integral part in Anoka's settlement. Father Lewis Hennepin first visited this area in 1680 and settlers came to stay in 1844. Prior to the 1800's, the Dakota Indians claimed the area surrounding Anoka, but later the Ojibwa tribes pushed the Dakota westward across the Mississippi. The territory of Anoka then became a neutral ground between the two tribes. The name Anoka was derived from two Indian words, the Dakota word A-NO-KA-TAN-HAN meaning on both sides of the river, and the Ojibwa word ON-O-KAY, meaning working waters. The first settler in the Anoka area was Joseph Belanger who built a log cabin on the east side of the Rum River near its mouth. The logs were floated down the Rum River to the Mississippi River to the sawmill in St. Anthony. In 1853, the first dam was constructed on the Rum River at its present location and in 1854 the first sawmill began operation. Other saw mills, woodworking plants, and copper shops quickly sprang up along the banks of the Rum River using water as their source of power. For the next twenty years milling was an important industry in Anoka.