Communication from project engineer & segment on CBS News/WCCO!
Hi folks,
We received an additional response from the project engineer that I wanted to share here. Essentially, what it boils down to is they are calling the project "delayed" and not stopped, and that, Brookside was the preferred route because it was a city-owned Right of Way and wide enough to accommodate such a project.
That being said, and as we notice, that some folks are taking down their tree signs, we still need to continue our advocacy and engagement and demand that they consider a) other routes that do not impact trees; or b) measures that don't add more pavement by taking down hundreds-year-old trees. Our trees may not be in imminent danger, but they are still in danger in the longer-term future.
I would also like to share that a reporter from WCCO/CBS News came by this afternoon for a story on the project and the trees and that segment should air sometime today (likely 6pm, but will be online later today).
We appreciate you! Keep the pressure on the city to adopt infrastructure projects that keep our city green. Replacing trees that are 30+ inches in diameter with a 2" sapling is NOT THE SAME.
Here are the relevant parts of project engineer, Mark Elgaard's letter:
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"Trees:
Your feedback focused primarily on tree preservation along Brookside Avenue, so I will focus on that to start.
First, I just want to say the city shares your appreciation of our community’s urban forest. We are committed to designing infrastructure that minimizes impacts on trees where feasible, and we utilize tree-preserving techniques during our construction projects.
Secondly, the information shared at the Sept. 2 open house was an early first draft, meant to give community members a general sense of the reconstruction area, highlight potential design elements, and kick off a two-year engagement. The two alternative layouts for the shared-use regional trail on Brookside Avenue were really just a starting point to help the folks weigh in on which side of the street they'd prefer, not a tree removal plan. The only trees known at the time of the Sept. 2 open house to be recommended for removal were the one's with yellow X's on them. Which during the project tree assessment were found to either have health or public safety concerns and were recommended to be removed by the city forester.
Regional Trail:
Next I will briefly touch on why Brookside and Alabama were the selected route for the regional trail. The trail along Brookside was one segment of a Three River Park District regional trail proposed to connect Crystal MN, to the Minnesota River. We were going to build it with our project so that the neighborhood would not have two rounds of construction, one for the street, one for the trail. Doing them both at the same time allowed for greater flexibility in the design that once it left the conceptual stage would allow for greater tree preservation. Three Rivers regional facilities are placed behind the curb and Brookside is the only street in the neighborhood with a city owned Right-of-way wide enough to accommodate that facility, that has easy connections outside of the neighborhood, and still allow room for parking, tree planting, and other uses of the boulevard space. Again we were in the conceptual stage so impacts were not known at the time and we will reevaluate as Three Rivers kicks off their project engagement in 2027.
With Brookside and other streets in the neighborhood being delayed, engagement for the Three Rivers Park District’s regional trail project is set to kick off in 2027, and I will look forward to continuing the conversation with you and the rest of the community then. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the remaining streets within the 2028 Pavement Management project, feel free to reach out!"
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Best,
Shannon