Agenda - Council - 08/24/2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Land uses which degrade the quality of the river upstream from water intakes or reduce the flow available could place in further jeop- ardy the water systems of the Twin Cities. In addition, massive appropriations of water for water supply could result in insufficient water flow for assimilation of treated sewage from wastewater treatment plants, in particu- lar, the Metropolitan Waste Water Treatment Plant and so endanger plant -life and wildlife downstream and impair the recreational use of the river, or preclude the location of water - oriented industrial or commercial uses in the region. Major state institutions in or adjacent to the river corridor include Hastings State Hospital, the Minnesota Veterans Home at Minnehaha, and the University of Minnesota main campus which is located on both sides of the river in Minneapolis. These institutions involve thou- sands of people from an area far beyond the boundaries of the Metropolitan Area. These institutions through their requirement for large and high buildings can have a negative impact on the aesthetic quality of the corri- dor. Several major roadways cross the river cor- ridor. These include: Interstate 694, 35W, 35E, and 94 (existing) and Interstates 494 and 395 (proposed or under construction); U.S. 52 (Anoka); City of Minneapolis (Low- ry Avenue); Hennepin County 66 (Broad- way); U.S. 8 (Central Avenue — 3rd Avenue); Minnesota 36 (10 Avenue S. E.); U.S. 52 (Washington Avenue); Hennepin County 5 (Franklin Avenue); U.S. 212 (Lake Street); Ramsey County 42 (Ford Road); Minnea- polis 5 (Fort Snelling); Minnesota 55 (Men- dota Bridge); Minnesota 49 (High Bridge); U.S. 52 (Wabasha); Minnesota 3 (Robert Street); Minnesota 56 (Lafayette); and U.S. 61 (Hastings). Although many of the bridges have an architectural value of their own, as well as provide views on the river, their proliferation and possible inappro- priate location could be detrimental to the aesthetic value of the corridor. The Mississippi Corridor, in the past 25 years, has been subjected to three major floods caus- ing several million dollars worth of damages. As the result of these floods, the floodplain in many reaches of the river has been diked, thus drastically changing the character of the river and the appearance of the riverfront. Fur- 0 ther diking of the floodplain could be detri- mental to the aesthetic quality of the river - front and preclude or limit access to the river. /L CHARACTERISTIC #3: HISTORIC, NATURAL, SCIENTIFIC, CULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE CORRIDOR The Mississippi River Corridor is rich in his- toric, natural, scientific, or cultural resources. The following examples illustrate the resour- ces available. A. Historic Areas: 1. National Register of Historic Places: a. Old Mendota Historic District — containing several buildings from an early settlement period. b. Fort Snelling Historic District — a reconstruction of fort life in the 1820's. c. Minnehaha Historic District — includes historic areas related to the Falls. d. St. Anthony Falls Historic District — includes historic developments re- lated to the use of the Falls for production of power. e. Irvine Park Historic District — an area of homes built during the 1850's. 2. Other Historic Places Identified by the Minnesota Historical Society: a. Archaeological sites — many such sites including Indian burial mounds and former Indian villages exist in the recommended area. b. Winnebago Fortifications — earth fortifications built by the Winne- bagos in 1853 as a defense from an expected Chippewa attack. c. Locke House — first home built in the Fridley area. d. Gardner Mill —used a process simi- lar to but predating the modern flour refining techniques.