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3/12/2020 Neighbors weigh in on new public works facility I News I presspubs.com The city of Hugo is considering expanding its current public works facility or constructing a new building on the Irish Avenue Park property. The facility would take up 10-15 acres of the 125-acre property. Submitted HUGO — Irish Avenue Park neighbors and users filled the Oneka Room at City Hall to get their questions answered and share comments with city staff and the council regarding the city's proposal to consider construction of a new public works facility on the 125-acre property in Hugo. The neighborhood meeting March 4 to discuss why the public works facility needs more space and what has already been done also provided the public with background information and site history. City Administrator Bryan Bear explained, "There is information out there that people have learned. am going to tell you right now that if you have read information that you might have seen on Facebook, let's just start from the premise that it is all incorrect," he said. "It is important to note that the city is not very far at all with anything, (and) no decisions have been made to do anything. We are at a point now where we would like to share information with the neighborhood." Bear then dived into the history. Irish Avenue Park, which is located near Irish Avenue N and 140th Street N, has quite a history. Many years ago, it was known as the Hansen gravel pit property. It was home to a gravel pit, which for some years also included an asphalt plant and rock crusher. A lawsuit and settlement agreement commenced by the city of Hugo required the business to cease operation in 2004, at which time the property was supposed to be reclaimed. The reclamation plans included the installation of topsoil, trees and other plantings. Bear explained that the reclamation project didn't happen and things sat in limbo for a while. After a neighborhood meeting in July 2007, Bear said that area residents wanted to see that property reclaimed in accordance to the prior agreement. In 2009, another lawsuit and settlement agreement spawned results: the property was restored and ownership of the property was cleared up. Following several deaths in the Hansen family, the city purchased the land from the Hansen estate in 2009 for $900,000. "The goal has always been for the property to be enjoyed by the public," Bear explained. Over the years, many ideas have been proposed for the land, but that will all be figured out when the Parks Commission begins a master planning process for the park later this year. https://www.presspubs.com/citizen/news/neighbors-weigh-in-on-new-public-works-facilitylarticle_l e2b4292-6491-1 l ea-84fl -ff9l ab89c221.htrn1 215