2010 - Spring

Spring 2010

The Greening of Maplewood

Maplewood Seasons Sustainable

Maplewood

It Takes A Community To Protect The Environment

By Ginny Gaynor, Natural Resource Coordinator Last year an interesting question was raised during discussions on the city’s wetland ordinance: “Why should residents that live adjacent to wetlands bear so much responsibility for protecting water quality? Shouldn’t everyone share the cost and responsibility?” When you look closely at who is working to protect the environment in Maplewood, it’s clearly a community effort between government, businesses, residents, and other groups.

Government The city protects the environment through regulations and the services it provides.

In 2009, Maplewood revised its wetland ordinance, which restricts development and activities adjacent to wetlands to protect this valuable resource. The ordinance adopts wetland classifications assigned by our local watershed districts and requires a 50’, 75’, or

100’ undisturbed wetland buffer, depending on the quality of the wetland. This year staff and the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission will review and make recommendations for the slope, stormwater, and alternative energy ordinances.

The city provides many services that help protect the environment, such as recycling, stormwater management, and restoration of natural areas. A city Green Team addresses environmental impacts of internal city operations, and in the past two years has increased recycling in city facilities and developed an energy strategy. This year, the Maplewood Nature Center will launch the Extreme Green Makeover: Transforming Yards for a Sustainable Maplewood. One lucky Maplewood resident will win a $15,000 front yard makeover and many more will learn about sustainable landscaping. Find out more on page 3.

Businesses Businesses protect the environment by complying with regulations, paying taxes and fees, and by their actions and practices.

Some Maplewood businesses go beyond

regulations and have programs for pollution prevention and reduction of waste and energy use. 3M Company’s Maplewood campus has been certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council, a national non-profit group that promotes using corporate campuses as wildlife habitat.

Small companies such as the 5-8 Tavern and Grill have installed rain gardens that exceed stormwater management requirements for their sites. The Maplewood Mall has initiated a major stormwater project, which is profiled on page 2.

Residents Every resident that complies with environmental ordinances, pays city taxes and fees, or changes their practices to reduce impacts is helping to protect our environment. 71% of single family homes in Maplewood take advantage of the city-wide recycling program.

Over 500 residents have volunteered to have boulevard rain gardens as part of street reconstruction programs. Several hundred residents have participated in city programs such as tree rebates, reduced-cost rain barrels and compost bins, or curbside buckthorn pickup.

Protecting The Environment Is A Team Effort

The city sweeps streets to protect water quality

Some businesses have installed rain gardens

Many residents have installed rain barrels

The city, agencies and volunteers planted a wetland buffer at Sherwood Park

Extremely Green Mall Makeover

By Shann Finwall, Environmental Planner

Have you ever driven into a parking lot and stared in wonder at the sea of asphalt? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States transportation system, which includes roads and parking lots, accounts for as much as 70% of the total impervious surface (hard surfaces) in urban areas. Maplewood is no exception to this statistic.

To view the largest parking lot in Maplewood, take a trip to the Maplewood Mall. The Maplewood Mall sits on 74 acres of land and is covered by 95% (70 acres) hard surfaces. When it rains or when the snow melts the water flows over the 70 acres of hard surfaces, picking up pollutants along the way such as oil, sand, and salt. That polluted runoff drains into the city’s stormwater sewer and into Kohlman Lake.

Kohlman Lake is an impaired water body with excess phosphorus, which leads to excessive algae blooms, reduced clarity, and recreational impacts.

The Maplewood Mall (Simon Properties), in partnership with the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD), Ramsey County, and the City of Maplewood, will undertake its own “Extreme Green Makeover” this year to counter some of the effects of the untreated stormwater. As part of the White Bear Avenue and County Road D road improvement project the Maplewood Mall will transform its sea of asphalt into an aesthetically pleasing parking lot that will filter the stormwater rather than allow it to drain directly to Kohlman Lake.

Because of the increased road widths and added hard surfaces planned in the White Bear Avenue and County Road D road project,

Maplewood Seasons 2

the county was required to provide stormwater treatment. But due to the limited right-of-way there was no room to make the improvements.

The watershed district recommended the county work with the Maplewood Mall to retrofit portions of the parking lot to provide the required treatment. That discussion has led to a multi-year/multi-partner plan for retrofitting the parking lot with various best management practices to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater runoff leaving the site. The first phase of the project will include the installation of rain gardens at each of the five entrances to the mall.

Future plans include the installation of tree boxes, porous pavement, and decorative rain barrels.

So what does it take for a large commercial business such as the Maplewood Mall to do their part to protect the environment? Laurie Van Dalen, Maplewood Mall Manager, states that the concept of managing the mall’s stormwater was new to Simon Properties.

But once they became aware of the environmental benefits and the aesthetic improvements they were all for the project. Laurie asserts “this is an excellent example of public/private partnerships, and offers great public relations opportunities for the mall.” Cliff Aichinger, RWMWD Administrator, summarizes by stating that “the Maplewood Mall parking lot retrofit is really just a start, there are a lot of hard surfaces surrounding the mall. We hope this project serves as a demonstration and motivates other businesses to do the same.”

The RWMWD is prepared to work with other businesses on stormwater management improvements through their cost sharing grant program: www.rwmwd.org