MASTER PLAN October 2012 Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Trail Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Acknowledgments The contributions and support of the following individuals and organizations were instrumental in the creation of this plan, and are gratefully acknowledged: Metropolitan Airports Commission: Pat Mosites Riverfront Corporation: Gregory Page US Army Corps of Engineers City of St. Paul Public Works Bruce Elder Sewer Engineer Mike Klassen Transportation Planner Emily Erickson Sustainable Transportation Planner Dakota County Planning Department John Mertens Kurt Chatfi eld City of South St. Paul Christopher Esser Parks and Recreation Director John Sachi City Engineer National Park Service Susan Overson Great River Passage Community Task Force City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Staff: Don Varney Ellen Stewart Anne Gardner David Ronzani Prepared by: St. Paul Department of Parks and Recreation Design & Construction Division October, 2012 Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Trail Master Plan Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Background 6 1. Property Ownership and Acquisition Costs 8 2. Stewardship Plan 10 3. Demand Forecast 11 4. Development Concept 13 5. Confl icts 25 6. Public Services 34 7. Operations 35 8. Citizen Participation 36 9. Public Awareness 36 10. Accessibility 37 11. Natural Resources 37 Appendix 39 Trail Project Context Map / Existing Trails A1 Trail Alignment Map / Adjacent Land Cover A2 Trail Alignment / Wetland Resources A3 Public Participation Process A4-A6 Letters of Support A7-A10 Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Trail Master Plan Introduction The Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Trail (HISSP) will be a public transportation and recreational trail corridor that will connect Harriet Island and Lilydale Regional Park and their trails to the south portion of the City and beyond to the City of South St. Paul. In addition to the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) in South St. Paul, the trail will become a part of four existing St. Paul systems: 1. The existing inter city trail system that provides both transportation and recreational trail connections between city public parks. 2. The Great River Passage, St. Paul’s planned vision for a comprehensive riverfront park system that will synergistically connect the natural and urban ecologies of St. Paul. 3. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) a National Park encompassing 72 miles of Mississippi River basin. 4. The Mississippi River Trail (MRT) is a multi-state transportation and recreational trail that begins at the headwaters of the Mississippi River and extends through ten states on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. MnDOT is supporting the trail and recognizes that the goal of developing a multi-state national trail brings both quality of life and economic benefi ts to St. Paul and the entire metropolitan region. The trail will become a part of the Mississippi River Trail. Fig. B Aerial view of trail within the context of the City of Saint Paul. 4 Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Trail Master Plan Beginning with a connection at Harriet Island/Lilydale Regional Park the trail will, with a few notable exceptions, utilize existing public right- of-way to create a continuous off road bicycle and pedestrian trail. The trail will be built to meet current safety and accessibility standards and will provide a safe transportation route for bicyclists and pedestrians coming from South St. Paul and St. Paul’s West Side neighborhood to make connections to other regional parks and trails and to Saint Paul’s downtown business district. The City of Saint Paul Department of Parks and Recreation has prepared this master plan for Metropolitan Council review and approval. The 2030 Regional Parks Policy Plan describes the role of the master plan in the regional park system and requires that any project proposed for funding in the Metropolitan Regional Parks Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) be consistent with a Metropolitan Council approved regional park master plan. This master plan was prepared to identify a feasible trail alignment, present property ownership and other construction and operation issues and to identify reasonable approaches to completing the trail. This master plan addresses the eleven content requirements for Regional Parks and Open Space Master Plans as outlined by the Metropolitan Council’s 2030 Regional Parks Policy Plan adopted December 2010. The master plan allows the City of Saint Paul to be eligible to apply for funding to implement plans for the amenities identifi ed. Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Trail Master Plan 5 Background There is currently no off-street bicycle commuter trail connection between Saint Paul and South St. Paul. The Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Trail will connect major sections of the existing regional bike commuter and recreational trail systems and eliminate many current and future potential safety hazards, principally bicyclist confl icts with vehicles and trains. Both cities have signifi cant investments in their parks and trail systems and the opportunity for the development of a connection provides enhancements that serve the region as well. Harriet Island Regional Park Levee Entrance Discussions have been under way with planners at Dakota County and the City of South St. Paul and both parties are anxious to team with Saint Paul on the planning, construction and operation of their respective portions of the proposed regional trail. Saint Paul has researched and selected a feasible route for the trail. Beginning with a connection at Harriet Island and Lilydale, the trail will, with a few notable exceptions, utilize existing public right-of-way to create a continuous off road bicycle and pedestrian trail. The trail will be built to meet current safety and accessibility standards and will provide a safe transportation route for bicyclists and pedestrians coming from South St. Wayfinding Kiosk at Harriet Island Paul and the St. Paul’s West Side neighborhood to make connections to other regional parks and trails and to Saint Paul’s downtown business district. The proposed trail connection will be part of multiple existing long term commitments to strengthening the metro area’s alternative, sustainable transportation and recreational trail system as shown on the trail system maps on the following page. Harriet Island Regional Park Plato Boulevard Entrance. 6 Harriet Island to South St. Paul Regional Trail Master Plan Ontario 72 1 1 1 •Effie 71 1 •Funkley Gonvick 89 Bigfork • • Blackduck • Mississippi •Clearbrook •Leonard •Tenstrike 6 • Squaw Lake Turtle River 65 • 46 Shevlin 71 • 2 • •Solway Bagley •Wilton •Bemidji 38 92 Paul Bunyan State Trail 2 Cass Lake • •Nashwauk Bena 169 Heartland • Deer River Marble River 2 • State Trail •Zemple Taconite • • •Calumet • 200 • Bovey Itasca Federal Dam Coleraine 65 371 • Grand Rapids La Prairie State Park 200 Laporte • • 71 • Schoolcraft 6 • State Park Boy River 2 169 •Warba •Walker •Remer 200 200 34 Heartland State Trail 71 •Akeley 200 •Longville 200 • •Nevis Hill City Trail 64 34 •Hackensack •Park Rapids 84 371 87 Backus Savanna Portage • 84 65 State Park 87P au Fifty Lakes • •Emily 169 l B Manhattan Beach uny Pine River • • 6 •Palisade an S Crosslake Jenkins • tate • •Tamarack Tra Pequot Lakes McGregor • 210 • il Breezy• Point 371 M 64 Aitkin Lake Shore • • Nisswa Trommald 210 • • 47 •Crosby •Riverton 169 65 •East Gull Lake 210 10 Staples Brainerd 18 Hewitt • •Motley 210 • • 18 • 210 Pillager • Baxter Crow Wing •Garrison •Bertha Connections to the River State Park 371 •McGrath I 10 18 Eagle Bend 25 169 • •Fort Ripley Existing Trails/Opportunities Within or Linking to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Clarissa Isle 71 • •Harding Randall 27 •Browerville • •Lastrup The 1995 Comprehensive Management PlanR for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) outlines a vision Fo u res •Hillman m t Long Prairie 27 Lindbergh Little Falls •Pierz for an enhanced system of trails and parklands along the river through the Twin Cities. The goal is to provide a continuous 35 • • 27 • State Park Genola linear trail and open space system along the riverfront in most of the 72 mile corridor while protecting natural, cultural, and Swanville •Sobieski R Howard • i La N 27 •Buckman v k economic resources. This is a conceptual map,e designed as a tool to help communities in the corridor realize this vision. Lake Clear e • Burtrum r Lake Grey Eagle •Elmdale •Royalton 25 71 • • Bowlus • 28 Upsala RAMSEY Rice 94 Sauk Centre • Round • •St. Rosa •Holdingford •Gilman Lake 28 St. Stephen 23 St. Anthony • 25 Ronneby Melrose • 10 • 10 • •Freeport •Foley Co North New Munich Albany Sartell on Creek • • Avon • •Greenwald • Sauk Rapids Mississippi West Regional Park N 94 • 95 Elrosa • 4 • • Anoka County/ MINNESOTA Spring Hill St. Joseph •St. Cloud 71 • St. Martin Pleasant Lake Mississippi River • • 10 River Lake Henry Richmond •Rockville Regional Trail Bunker Hills • • Clear Lake Zimmerman Roscoe 23 • • • w Regional Park 55 • o Cold Spring •Clearwater 169 r 0 5 Kilometers Becker • •Bethel C •Paynesville 15 • St. Francis ANOKA 94 Big Lake 47 65 0 5 Miles Kimball Prairie • 35 Diamond 55 • Monticello •Elk River •South Haven Lake Maria • Lake E State Park Annandale • Wisconsin •Maple Lake DAYTON Coon Creek 61 55 Anoka French • 35W Photo courtesy of National Park Service/Susan Overson Regional Trail Buffalo • Lake 35E Coon Rapids• tate Trail COON 94 35E ay S Elm Creek M RAPIDS Fridley Park Reserve • Gatew Stillwater 694 Long Lake i 55 s Rice nto • Regional Park CHAMPLIN s Ve Johnson Parkway is Coon Rapids Dam Lake ST. PAUL e l BROOKLYN Rush Creek uc a 25 s Regional Park Mississippi National River Br ion Minneapolis12 St. Paul 169 Coon Rapids ipp eg S CENTER i (Anoka Co.) 35W and Recreation Area R ail Tr • North Dam Headquarters ? Overlook 7 ? Fort Snelling Shingle Mississippi 610 94 Regional State Park Creek North Minnesota History Center Park Anoka County 94 Hennepin R 61 Parkway Riverfront i New Science Museum v Regional Park Rice Regional e of Minnesota Bald Lake Trail Corridor r Eagle Hastings• Humboldt Coon Samuel H.