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1996 Summer JUNE SUMMER NEWSLETTER 1996 JAY No. 91 AUGUST CONTENTS 1 500 ATTEND HOME REMODELING AND GARDEN FAIR Monitoring Bluebirds = 2 — t is estimated that 1,500 people attended the first annual Lion' Heart = 3 — Home Remodeling and Garden Fair which was held Saturday,April 20th at the Fridley High School.The fair Project safety Net = 4 — which was cosponsored by the Fridley Housing and Redevel- opment Authority(HRA)and The Home Depot®provided a .funk Vehicle = 5 — convenient opportunity for residents to get ideas on improving their homes. Civic Student m 6 — More than 60 exhibitors including contractors,landscapers, 49er Days Events ' 7 — interior designers,roofers,remodelers,builders,and window Assessor s Corner = g providers were on hand to display their products,provide services and answer questions.Several workshops on Remodeling Counselor = 9 — landscaping,porches and patios,interior design and lawn and tree care were offered. HRA Annual Update — 10 — Based on the informal survey,majority of the people felt it more HRA/Community Deu to — 16 — was worthwhile and informative and endorsed another fair for next year.Planning for the 1997 fair will begin this summer. Watch for more information and details in the Fall and Winter Newsletters. t. m:: r 3 t G j S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 MONITORING BLUEBIRDS , luebirds are one of the most beautiful birds that can be seen in the Fridley community. Each year they are one of the first birds to arrive in the Spring and one of the last birds to leave in the Fall.Their numbers have been declining for many years,but are now increasing due to citizens who put up and monitor Bluebird houses. Photograph courtesy of Dick Peterson Springbrook Nature Center has active volunteers In 1995,volunteers observed over 60 young bird who monitor 70 houses in several different Fridley fledglings from nest boxes.Bluebirds were seen parks.Each volunteer monitors a"Bluebird Trail"of nesting in several parks and are back this year.As 6-10 houses.Monitoring involves visiting each house this program increases each year and grows,blue- once a week recording observations about what birds will become a kind of bird is nesting in the house,how many baby regular feature of the birds grow up to leave the nest,removing parasites, Fridley landscape. fixing damage,and more.Volunteers also build the The thousands of nest boxes from donated lumber. insects they eat will �1« be a plus for the K, community,but the simple pleasure of seeing these brilliant blue birds will be the best benefit. I� If you would like to find out more about this program,please call the Springbrook w Nature Center at Photograph courtesy of Dick 572-3588. Peterson Photograph courtesy of Dick Peterson © S U M M E R I 9 9 LIONS' HEART s we go about our daily tasks,we lines(NFPA 1581). occassionally hear a faint siren in the safety of our homes,offices and cars.It is a siren A community based organization,Fridley Lions of an aerial fire Club,learned engine rushing of this need to an emer- "- and contributed gency fire.The enough money firefighters go :m` for the depart- to each emer- ment top ur- gency not chase a spe- knowm the ' g cially designed kinds of haz- washing ma- ards they will chine that can encounter on handle turnout their clothes, equipment. hair and skin. Due to the spe- cial protective fabric in turnout gear,a regular wash- ss # t After assisting the ing machine would break down the fiber and reduce community,the fire- the safety of the equipment for the firefighter. fighter must be ready for the next emer- gency.This involves a The President of the Fridley Lions Club,Clayton rigorous cleaning of Storley,witnessed the new washing machine being themselves and their installed.He hopes"this equipment will help meet equipment.One of the the standards"necessary for cleaning the turnout pieces of equipment is gear. a turnout.It is the coat and overall bibs they , wear to protect them- selves in fires.Up until x two months ago,the Fridley Fire Department did not have the proper fa- cilities and equipment to thoroughly decontaminate turnouts required by fire department safety guide- S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 PROJECT SAFETY NET By Nancy J. Jorgenson Councilmember-At-Large ast year,I told you about an exciting new evenings from 8 p.m.to midnight.Some of the youth program that Fridley was about to activities include DJ's,Battle of the Bands,basket- introduce.Project Safety Net has a three ball,volleyball,movies,foosball,air hockey and fold strategy to assist our youth in making good table tennis.The Zone's activities were developed choices with their spare time. by a joint advisory committee consisting of commu- nity education staff,recreation staff,youth outreach The first component of Project Safety Net is the workers and youth in grades 8-12. Over 2,000 Drop-off Center for curfew violators and other youth have visited the Zone since September 1995. status-type youthful offenders.The Drop-off Center For updated information on the Zone call the 24 is open from 10 p.m.to 3 a.m.on Fridays,Satur- hour HOTLINE number 572-3572.Or for informa- days,and vacation days during tion on the youth council meet- the school.In the summer the ings please call 572-3585. Center is open seven days a Visitors are always welcome! week.Police officers drop the youth off at Fridley Municipal ?, The final component of Project Center(6431 University " Safety Net is Youth Outreach sv Avenue NE)where trained �._ r Services.It is a combined multi-cultural outreach workers service which includes school conduct an intake evaluations of intervention,community outreach the youth.Parents or guardians and police collaboration.Out- are then called to pick the youth reach workers follow-up with up.If a parent or guardian cannot be reached by 3 youth and their families after their initial contact at a.m.the youth is placed in a safe house overnight. either the Drop-off Center or the Zone.Referrals to service agencies or court services are provided for Shortly after the program began,the City of Colum- those families needing additional assistance.Many bia Heights contracted with Fridley for Project youth remain in a mentor relationship with the youth Safety Net services.With the help of Southern outreach workers. Anoka County Community Consortium(SACCC) the two cities were successful in obtaining a I am happy to report that both Columbia Heights $45,000 federal grant to expand the outreach and Fridley have seen reductions in Juvenile related services and fund the Zone. vandalism,assaults,and thefts in the last year.Most importantly we are developing contacts with youth The Zone(located at 6085 Seventh Street NE)is and their families by providing them with mentor the second component of Project Safety Net.The relationships.Project Safety Net has recently been Zone provides a safe,supervised positive recreation extended to the cities of Blaine and Coon Rapids. opportunity for youth ages 14-18 on Saturday ® S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 JUNK VEHICLE CODE REVISION By Ann Bolkam Councilmember Ward 3 Each year the City Council along with input from the Amending the Abandoned Motor Vehicle code City Manager and city staff develop goals for the section to include junk and unsafe motor vehicles upcoming year.Two of this years'goals were to and to define the process to remove such vehicles develop programs to make people feel good about from private property was one step in accomplishing their neighborhood and to be proactive in imple- these goals.An ordinance was passed that better mentation of Fridley's nuisance abatement and defines the process to remove unsafe and/or junk r code enforcement programs.Paralleling these motor vehicles from private property.The new views,the majority of citizens who responded to the process is as follows: Citizen Survey agreed that this was a concern for the community. 410. A suspected junk or unsafe vehicle is observed and reported by a resident. .p The Code Enforcement Officer will observe the vehicle to make a determination of its condition. A placard detailing the vehicle deficiencies and correction procedure is secured and displayed on the junk and/or unsafe vehicle. 4 A re-inspection is scheduled after 5 working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and City holidays). 4 A re-inspection occurs. The vehicle is either in compliance or removed from the property. 4 Within 10 days of vehicle removal, notification is mailed to the registered owner, any readily identifiable lien holder, and the property owner where the vehicle was found. 4 The registered owner or lien holder has the right to reclaim the vehicle within 15 days of receiving the notice in the mail. 440- Upon Upon reclaiming the vehicle, the owner is required to sign a Release of Property Agreement and pay in full any towing or storage charges. 4 Finally, any property or vehicle owner who feels aggrieved by the impoundment of a junk or unsafe vehicle may request a hearing before a Hearing Examiner. This will assist us in being proactive to reduce the will increase community pride and create a safer unsafe vehicles in our neighborhoods.Together we atmosphere for our children and residents. S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 CIVIC STUDENT VOLUNTEER en we speak of the current workforce, hands-on experience in today's work environ- W e inadvertently overlook the invalu- ment. She assists staff with multiple ble volunteers speckled throughout tasks that range our organizations and commu- from police re- nity.Cindy Lenzmeier is lated duties to X �rr E a student at Anoka recreational MV M High School office assis- whotant. Even when she completed has ,, her class- spent room re- nearly quirements, every she continued Thursday with the volunteering program. for the last 8 months Her experiences at the City have led her to plan volunteering at the City of and prepare for a career related to law enforce- Fridley. ment. Her decision to volunteer at a city arose from a civ- We appreciate all the assistance that Cindy has pro- ics class curriculum that encouraged youths to gain vided for the City.All volunteers are an invaluable part of our community. FIREFIGHTER RETIRES on Money,Fridley the weather was bitterly cold,and Firefighter,retired after the fire proved to be stubborn. ore than 22 years of Over fifty firefighters fought the service.Ron's mechanical skills blaze past midnight.As dawn were invaluable to the Fire De- approached,Ron celebrated his partment particularly when com- first hours of retirement being a plex air handling and piping reliable,competent firefighter systems were involved at commer- which he has been known for cial fires.Just before officially during his employment at the City retiring,the fire tone sounded one of Fridley. more time.It was a structural fire, : ® S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 • June 13, 1996 Sr.Bowling Tournament Maple Lanes 1:00 pm Carnival City Plaza 6:00 pm Two-Mile Run St.Phillips Church 6:25 pm Parade Starts at Fridley Sr.High 6:30 pm Battle of the Bands City Plaza 8:00 pm u June 14, 1996 Sr."500"Tournament Fridley Senior Center 9:00 am BBQ Norwest Bank 11:30 am Sr.Cribbage Tournament Fridley Senior Center 1:00 pm Food Festival City Plaza 5:00 pm Golden Lions Bingo City Plaza 5:00 pm Dedication of John Gargaro Fields Community Park 5:30 pm Wine Tasting Fridley Holly Ctr.Liquor 6:00 pm Basketball Tournament Sports Spree 6:00 pm Carnival City Plaza 6:00 pm Softball Tournament Community Park 6:00 pm Mary Sue Englund/Street Dance City Plaza 7:00 pm Miss Fridley Fashion Show Northtown Mall 7:00 pm r^ June 15, 1996 S a t ti r d a y V 1 Softball Tournament Community Park 8:00 am u Horseshoe Tournament Lock Park 8:30 am 1, Tennis Tournament Commons Park 9:00 am Basketball Tournament Sports Spree 10:00 am J Miniature GolfTournament Sports Spree 10:00 am Food Festival City Plaza 11:00 am Carnival City Plaza 11:00 am M Beach Bash Moore Lake 4:00 pm `y J Miss Fridley Pageant Fridley Sr.High 6:30 pm Rockin Hollywoods City Plaza 7:00 pm June 16, 1996 Softball Tournament Community Park 8:00 am ^ Horseshoe Tournament Lock Park 8:30 am V 1 Carnival City Plaza 12:00 pm S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 ASSESSOR'S CORNER FILING FOR OFFICE update City records. Often these inpsections do not change hte his summer the assessor's value of the property, instead it Filing for the office of Mayor personnel will be doing records the improvements or physical inspections on and Councilmember-at- deterioration of the property. We properties in the northern one- , appreciate your cooperation. fourth of the City.We are re- Large begins on July 2 and quired by law to view properties The state legislature is planning some at least once every four years.To ends at 5:00p.m.on July 16. serious discussion about the prop- do this we divide the City up into erty tax system in next years session. fourths,which we call quartiles. This would be a good time to talk to We have already started the field your state legislators about your To run for either of these four work up in the Riverview Heights concerns with the property tax area and will be working our way system.A lot of the opinions ex- year terms.Candidates must across the City,North of 73rd pressed at the next session will be Street in an Easterly direction. All be a registered,21 years of developed before the session starts the property in this quartile needs and will be based on taxpayer input. age or more upon assuming to be inspected to verify and office,a resident of their Riverview Heights QUARTILE No. election district for at least o thirty days by election day, 73rd St. and candidates may not have 4 filed for any other office at b5 this election. d i o Regarding requirements or 47 N1fi94 47 p for a copy of filing materials, please call the City Clerk at l 572-3523. I® S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 L ON THE HOME FRONT By Robert Van Nelson HRA Remodeling Councelor he question I get asked most often is"How in you area. Other sources can be remodeling do I find a good contractor?" Believe it or fairs,home tours,or local lumber and building not,there are quite a few good contractors material stores. out there. Unfortunately,most people hear about the nightmare,fly-by-night outfits that require cash After you have set up appointments with three or up front,do shoddy work and never come back if four contractors,prepare a written scope of work there is a problem. By doing a little research,both for each contractor. Be receptive to suggestions, before and after talking with contractors,you can lay contractors can bring valuable experience to your the founda- project. However,keep in mind your objectives. E tion for a gm ZWt successful Remember to ask each contractor questions about ., home im- the company's background and experience with provement similar projects.Make sure to get references and project. follow up with phone calls to past customers. Some good questions to ask are: how clean was The first step the job site kept;were the workers considerate of aMF is to decide the homeowner's schedules and surroundings;and what work was the job completed as promised?Call the City you would Inspector to find out what permits,licenses and like to have insurance are required to do your project and then done and educate yourself as to what is involved in verify that each of the contractors can meet these completing the project. Spend time going to the requirements. library and looking through home improvement magazines to see what options are available,so that Finally when it comes time to make a selection, you can ask more informed questions. Trade make your decision based on your comfort level publications are more technical and are helpful in with the contractors knowledge,experience and learning some of the terminology that contractors will professionalism. Your ability to communicate with use when they submit their proposal. Community the contractor is very important in reducing misun- workshops are another good source of information. derstandings.The lowest bid is not always the best value and a higher bid does not guarantee that The next step is finding contractors to bid on your everything will go smoothly. job. The best place to find potential contractors are referrals from family,friends,and neighbors who For more FREE information,call Robert Van have had work done recently. Drive around your Nelson at 572-3515. neighborhood and look for contractors doing work S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 C I T y 0 F I D L E y RECYCLING CENTER IMPROVEMENTS By Lisa Campbell Recycling Coordinator The City of Fridley recently made weather ized improvements to the City's recycling center.The interior of the building now has added insulation,sheetrock,lighting and heat.It is the City'hope that these additions will improve the quality of the customer experience at the site.The improvements were paid for with SCORE funds. T'R SCORE funds are generated from the tax you pay 77,T on refuse hauling fees. - i i! Sewer and water services are planned for this summer. City staff also hopes to recruit volunteers The recycling center is open Tuesday through Saturday,9:00 to paint the exterior of the building.The Home a.m.to 5:00 p.m. If you are interested in volunteering to Depot is considering a donation of additional paint the recycling center or if you have any questions about landscaping for the site. the City's Solid Waste Management Programs,please contact Lisa Campbell,Fridley Recycling Coordinator,at 572-3594. HOUSING PROGRAM FACTS Did you know that the Fridley HRA offers low- last three years,the HRA has sponsored programs which interest home improvement loans and grants and have helped many families. Below is a summary of the mortgage loans to first-time homebuyers?During the activity. PROGRAM NUMBER AMOUNT Home Improvement Loans 53 $464,257 Home Improvement Grants 43 $481,884 First-Time Homebuyer Mortgages 22 $2,244,643 TOTAL 118 $3,190,784 For more information about these programs,call the Grant Femelius,Housing Coordinator at 572-3591. S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 HOUSING REPLACEMENT PROGRAM y ' ' The Housing Replacement Program was established in 1995 to help address neighborhood blight and decline by removing severely deteriorated housing stock.Homes _ G r, which are acquired and torn down make way for new homes which improve the neighborhood and tax base. All of the homes are acquired on a voluntary basis and the HRA must follow very strict guidelines before it even considers a specific property. To help off-set some of the costs involved in buying and demolishing properties,the HRA received special F legislation to collect the increased taxes on the lot where DO the new home is constructed.The HRA can collect these - increased taxes or tax increment as its called for a period of 15 years.This allows the HRA to recapture about a third of the total project costs. y ,:5= Last year a total of five new homes were built and F k tv already this year three more homes are under construc- tion(see photos). Up to 10 more lots will be purchased r; this year with a goal of 50 homes over the next nine x years.For more information about the Housing Replace- ment Program call Grant Femelius,Housing Coordinator at 572-3591. S U M M E R I 9 9 6 I • MEPC AMERICAN PROPERTIES NAMED EXCLUSIVE DEVELOPER FOR LAKE POINTE The Housing and Redevelopment Authority has named 694 interchange. MEPC American Properties as the exclusive developer s for Lake Pointe Office Park until August 1, 1997. In addition to marketing the site,MEPC is required to develop a Master Plan for review and approval by the City and the Hous- The contract with MEPC requires them to actively mar- ing and Redevelopment Authority. Neighborhood and public ket the property in order to develop multi-story office meetings were conducted in March and April. buildings in a office park setting with amenities such as hotel,banking,restaurant,and day-care facilities. MEPC owns and manages Minneapolis West Business Center, a 16 building,70 acre complex in St.Louis Park,and Norman "With suburban office markets showing signs of high Center,a complex of four single tenant buildings in Bloomington. absorption and little Class A space available,this pro- MEPC is also Exclusive Developer for Golden Hills Business vides an excellent opptorunity for new development," Park in Golden Valley. says Dave Jellison of MEPC. Dallas-based MEPC American Properties owns and manages The site totals 33 acres.MEPC is proposing 582,000 office,retail and industrial properties in Atlanta,Dallas,Las Ve- sq. ft.of Class A office space on the larger portion of gas,Los Angeles,Rochester,Minnesota and Washington,D.C. the site(25 acres). Three level parking are proposed to provide adequate parking. MEPC American Properties is a wholly owned subsidiary of j a London-based MEPC plc,the largest publicly held commercial The commercial service uses will be located on the 8 property firm in the United Kingdon with more than$6 billion in acre site immediately adjacent to the Highway 65/I- assets worldwide. i i r r i IGHWAY 65 INTERSECTION UNDER STUDY Continued on Page 16 a Because of the recent HRA contract with MEPC Originally analyzed in 1986,the intersection is the major access American Properties,the Highway 65/Central Avenue/ point to the Lake Pointe Office Park. The HRA hired a traffic West Moore Lake Drive intersection is once again un- consultant and an air quality and noise specialist to prepare a der study. ® S U M M E R I 9 9 HOM improve lentPrOGRAMs HOME IMPROVEMENT 5%fixed-rate loans up to$25,000(max. term 20 years) 7 L O A N S Household income up to$58,650 Flexible underwriting requirements Owner-occupied properties up to 4 units Funds can be used for most home improvements including room additions, kitchen or bathroom updates, roofs, windows and doors, siding, electrical and plumbing and even landscaping. j Loans are processed by the Center for Energy and Environment.For more information or an application call the Fridley Housing Hotline at 348-2582. HOME IMPROVEMENT Deferred payment loan up to$15,000. Ten percent of the loan is forgiven G R A N T S each year for five years, with the balance due when the home is sold. Household income limit based on family size. See chart below: Household of: Maximum Income 1 $19,100 2 $21,850 3 $24,550 4 $27,300 5 $29,500 6 $31,650 7 $33,850 8 $36,050 Cannot have more than$25,000 in assets,not including the value of your home,personal furnishings and up to one vehicle. Owner-occupied single family homes and duplexes. Applications are taken on a first-come, first-served basis as funds are available. Call the HRA Coord. at 572-3591. S U M M E R I 9 9 6 CHRISTENSON CROSSING BEGINS On April 22, 1996,the City Council approved the a townhome development where a homeowner's association final development plans for Christenson Crossing is responsible for outdoor maintenance. in the southwest corner of the University Ave. and Mississippi St. intersection.The approval marks Schedule: another accomplishment in the redevelopment of Fridley's"Center City",a redevelopment district Grading of the site began in May.New utility lines and a established in 1979. new public road will be constructed between Satellite Lane and Mississippi St.,to be known as 3rd St. Road and utility construction will continue until July or early August.The townhomes will be under construction v beginning in July.A sales trailer will be on the property. WIN Rottlund Homes 3rd St. will be tempo- ' Inc. will construct 118 townhome ' ��� - ;�. � , rarily closed until the units, 64 of which will be three site work and utility stories tall and will be named as "The Gables".The construction is completed.Work on the new intersection at Gables will be located along University Ave. Half 3rd St. and Mississippi St. will begin in mid July.The new of the units will be in eight unit attached buildings intersection includes relocating the westerly Holly Center and the other half will be in a small row houses of driveway to the East, opposite the new 3rd St. Left turn bays four or six units. into Holly Center and Christenson Crossing will be created by widening Mississippi St. and creating protective raised "The Village Homes"will be located near the medians. Sylvan Hill neighborhood just north of Satellite Lane.The Village Homes are one and two story Christenson Crossing is named after the family who used to townhomes aimed at Fridley's seniors and"empty live on the site now being developed.The Christenson nesters"who want to sell their homes and move to family originally settled on the site in the mid 1800's. ® S U M M E R I 9 9 6 INDUSTRIAL HRA PROJECTS Three industrial projects totalling$6,800,00 in value were assisted by the HRA in the last year.All of the projects received tax increment financing assistance for soil correction work. American Excelsior Company American Excelsior Company,manufacturer of biodegradable About$220,000 of soil correction work is necessary.The packing peanuts and erosion control products, is-proposing to build HRA provided tax increment financing assitance equal a 56,000 sq.ft.manufacturing facilitiy at the southeast corner of 81 st to$117,000 for soil correction assistance. Ave.and Main St.Project cost is estimated at$2,350,000. The site is located in an existing tax increment financing The site has a high water table and wetland areas.The wetland will district.The district was originally created recognizing be preserved,but the remainder of the site will need soil correction. the need to correct undevelopable soils. North Park Business Center An 87,600 sq. ft. industrial buildig is under construction on the i 3 � �3 ;¢r � __ a . south side of 73rd Ave.in the Northco Business Park.The } r $3,000,000 project was developed by John Allen, of Industrial Equities,Inc. Manufacturing and other types of industrial uses will t; lease space I the one story building.Tax increment financing assistance of$280,000 was provided in order to correct poor soils on the site and to re-route a storm sewer which bisected the d property. Site correction work was estimated at$450,000.The " Northco Building assistance package included a $140,000 loan and a $140,000 grant.The develper will repay the loan over the next 10 years at 5% interest. Agro-K Corporation Agro-K Corporation constructed a 30,000 square foot building at the southwest corner of 81 st Ave. and Main St. Agro-K is a research and development company involved in the manufacturing and marketing of environmentally compatible products in agricultural markets throughout the world.Agro-K currently employs 20 people.The company hopes to expand in the future. The total project cost was$1,500,000. Soil correction was Agro-K Building required and the HRA provided$150,000 in assistance via a $75,000 loan and a$75,000 grant. S U M M E R 1 9 9 6 i HIGHWAY 65 Continued from Page 12 the required environmental reports to Minnesota Pol- der study as well as adding an additional right turn southbound lution Control Agency(MPCA). lane from Highway 65 to West Moore Lake Drive. Both West Moore Lake and Central Avenue will also be redesigned to As contemplated in 1986,the intersection will have improve traffic flow at the intersection. to be reconstructed to accommadate both increasing existing traffic and anticipated traffic from Lake Pointe. A grant application for federal funding was made in January and Two left turn northbound lanes on Highway 65 is un- was recentl approved.Federal Funding will pay up to 80%of the project cost,estimted at$1,900,000. MOORE LAKE LAJ ? �O R. E w 57TH AVENUE N.E. J Q Q H Z W U O Q 24.56 8.21 „TO„ ACRES ACRES W X a ' HWY47 SERVICE RD U) N INTERSTATE HWY1-694 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 1996 a CAR-RT-soar U A BULK RATE Mayor William J. Nee a US.POSTAGE Councilmember-at-large Nancy J. Jorgenson PAID Minneapolis, MN Councilmember I st Ward Steven E. Billings Permit No. 2886 Coucilmember 2nd Ward Dennis L. Schneider Councilmember 3rd Ward Ann R. Bolkcom Z "' City Manager William W.Burns > Editor Lisa McConnell Yz FRIDLEY SERVICE DIRECTORY M Postal Customer Administr.Offices/Municipal Ctr 571-3450 Office hours:8am-5pm,M-F > >, 24 Hour Recreation Hotline 571-9397 c, TDD 572-3534 Liquor Store 571-3480 b Police(24HourNon-Emergency) 572-3629 r- FIRE AND POLICE EMERGENCY 911 ® S U M M E R 1 9 9 6