Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 10/15/2018

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throughout this portion of Anoka County. Staff from both Anoka County and City of Ramsey Parks Departments stressed the importance of incorporating green space into the site plan and providing for trail connections to the Mississippi Regional Park (MRP) Trail, which is part of the MNRRA regional River trail, and to trails north and northwest of the RTC site. Figure 25.5 is a concept depiction of a greenway/trail connection that extends from the City trail at Lake Itasca to the Mississippi River. This corridor is also discussed in Item 17 (Figure 17.1) as a surface water flow route for water from the Lake and from the area to the northwest of RTC as it develops. Within the RTC site, as reflected in Figure 6.1, are numerous opportunities to expand open space and trails. The prominent trail feature will be along the central drainage corridor portrayed as green space in the figure. Trails will be present on both sides of the corridor, providing the desired opportunity for linkage with MRP and Lake Itasca. The trail crossings of the BNSF railroad tracks and Highway 10 to the south, and Armstrong Boulevard to the northwest need to be carefully considered during the design phase. Options for crossing the railroad tracks and Highway 10 include numerous locations at - grade, above via elevated crossing or walkway (needed for transit station if Northstar becomes a reality), or sub -grade. The exact nature of this crossing will not be known until many of the design features of the site are coordinated with the agencies involved, including Mn/DOT and BNSF. Anoka Parks prefers a connection south of the site (similar to the Calthorpe location shown in Figure 6.2) rather than along Ramsey Boulevard, but the nature of the crossing could dictate the location, which will be determined during detailed site design. RTC LLC is committed, however, to making the trail connection to MRP an integral part of the RTC when completed. With proximity to the MRP comes the need for attention to minimize any adverse impact that could result from a new urban center. The development should enhance the park by using the project site as a connection to existing and new open space, and as a source of new users interested in supporting the recreational system. Land use along the trail connection within the site should be compatible with the trail. High intensity commercial use would deter use of the trail leading from the site into the Regional Park. Anoka Parks has expressed an interest in having the architectural style of the MRP buildings and RTC be compatible. Since the Park development will not proceed for years, the exact style to consider is unknown. RTC LLC will consider the need for visual coordination during the building design phase, and will make its design decisions known to Anoka Parks for its use in future park development. In 1988, Congress passed Public Law 100-696 establishing the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) as a unit of the National Park System to preserve, protect, and enhance the nationally significant historical, recreational, scenic, cultural, natural, economic, and scientific resources of the Mississippi River Corridor in the Twin Cities metro area. Item 14 previously addressed the reflection of MNRRA, Critical Area, and Wild and Scenic Rivers language into the City's Comprehensive Plan. In 1995, a 25-5