Seasons
Fall 2015
The Greening of Maplewood
Revitalizing Gladstone By Michael Martin, Economic Development Coordinator
If you visited the Gladstone neighborhood in the late 1800’s, you’d be surrounded by the clang and clamor of the Gladstone Shops – a railroad repair operation complete with roundhouse, repair shops, and a 640-foot well – and the bustle of the Plow Works where men were busy manufacturing farm equipment. This was the heart of the “Lost City of Gladstone,” the historic center of what later became the City of Maplewood. The industrial boom was short-lived, but remnants of Gladstone history exist today above ground, below ground, and in the memories and stories of residents. In 2007, the City adopted the Gladstone Neighborhood Master Plan to guide the revitalization of the neighborhood. The vision for Gladstone is to be an inspiring, vital, and stable neighborhood always striving to protect and portray its history, its sense of open space and ecological presence, and its qualities as a great neighborhood to live, play, and work in. The Master Plan sets the standard of encouraging redevelopment to weave natural systems and ecological
functions into the neighborhood. The creation of design principles and policies that encourage “green” building and sustainable development are also outlined in the Master Plan. Revitalization of the area began in 2011 with the redevelopment of the St. Paul Tourist Cabin site into The Shores at Lake Phalen, a 105-unit senior housing building. Redevelopment created an opportunity to improve surrounding roads including a roundabout at Frost Avenue and East Shore Drive, replacement of the two-lane Frost Avenue bridge, and streetscape enhancements including treatments to boulevard areas, sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping. Sherman Associates will begin construction of the second phase of redevelopment in the Gladstone Neighborhood this year. The Villages at Frost-English will be a mixeduse project located on the 5.5 acre former Maplewood Bowl site at 1955 English Street. Redevelopment of the site includes a 50unit apartment building, 79-unit senior rental building, and a 6,000 square foot commercial/ retail building. Both underground and surface parking spaces will be constructed on the site.
An important element of redevelopment of the site is the connection to nearby parks and natural areas. The Gladstone Savanna Neighborhood Preserve is being restored to include oak savanna and natural heritage trails (refer to page 2). The Gateway and Bruce Vento Trails intersect in the Gladstone neighborhood, adding recreational opportunities (refer to page 2). Planned and existing neighborhood sidewalks and multi-use trails will allow residents to move safely and conveniently through the neighborhood. The Villages at Frost-English will be the first private building constructed using Maplewood’s Green Building Program (refer to page 3). Phase II road reconstruction will include infrastructure improvements along Frost Avenue and English Street with a reduction in the amount of paved surface and the amount of stormwater runoff, and improvement in the quality of water that is discharged to Lake Phalen (refer to page 3). Consideration of the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the Gladstone Neighborhood will ensure the Lost City is once again a vital and stable neighborhood.
Sustainable
Maplewood
Historic Photos of the Gladstone Area
Roundhouse of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad
Gloster Depot at the Junction of the Railroads
New Canada Town Hall
Faust Grocery Store
Photos courtesy of Maplewood Area Historical Society
Celebrating Gladstone Trails
corridor and the matter ended up in court. The state appropriated funds in 1990 and the Gateway Trail opened in 1993. The Gateway is Minnesota’s busiest state trail. It runs 18 miles, from St. Paul, through Maplewood, to Pine Point Park northwest of Stillwater. The north-south trail in the neighborhood is the Bruce Vento Trail. It follows the old Burlington Northern line, running about seven miles from St. Paul, through Maplewood, to White Bear Lake. This is a regional trail managed by the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County. Signs along the trail alert residents that this is also a potential future motorized transit corridor. But for the time being it provides much enjoyment to bikers and walkers.
Make walkability THE standard. Celebrate the state and regional trails. These visions from the Gladstone Neighborhood Master Plan are being set in stone, or rather in concrete and asphalt. Over two miles of new off-road trail or sidewalk have recently been or are being added to the neighborhood.
These two corridors not only connect walkers and bikers to adjacent communities, they offer great connections to parks and open space in the neighborhood. In 2012, a trail connection was made on the south side of Frost Avenue to the Phalen-Keller trail system and trails were constructed at Gladstone Savanna. This year, sidewalks and trails are being constructed on both sides of Frost Avenue west of English Street, providing pedestrian and bike access to Flicek Park and Gladstone Savanna.
When the Soo Line Railroad abandoned its tracks in 1980, citizens approached the DNR and state legislators about making it a trail. This was a contentious issue for some property owners along the
Fall is a great time to be outdoors. When the road improvements and trail work are completed later this year, head out to explore the Gladstone trails.
Trail Under the Frost Ave Bridge Now Connects to South Side of Frost Avenue
Dynamic Landscape: Gladstone Savanna Change is the norm for a landscape, and the Gladstone Savanna Neighborhood Preserve at the corner of Frost Avenue and English Street is no exception. It is rich with stories and transitions. When Maplewood residents, staff, and consultants developed a Master Plan for the Gladstone Savanna in 2011, their task was to successfully integrate these stories in a way that balanced history, natural resources, and recreation. From 1987 to 1915, the site was home to the Gladstone Shops of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad, which built and repaired locomotives. The railroad history of the site became a driving force in the Preserve Master Plan. The straight lines and broad curves of the trails reflect the original tracks on the site. A sitting area near the corner hints at the foundations of the roundhouse that once stood there. And a special seed mix marks the footprint of the shops. Soils contaminated by the repair shops required remediation and reshaping the storm basin on the site provided clean soil to cover contaminated areas. The Preserve Master Plan is being implemented in phases. The first phase included: archeological investigation, trail installation, soil remediation, creation of the storm basin, and seeding the site with prairie grasses and flowers. This year at the preserve contractors are installing trail and sidewalk along Frost Avenue and English Street, adding street parking along Frost Avenue, landscaping the entryways, constructing a sitting area, and planting trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Future phases at the savanna call Seasons 2
FROST AVENUE
ENGLISH STREET
By Ginny Gaynor, Natural Resources Coordinator
The Master Plan for Gladstone Savanna
for a playground, a sitting area near the old well, a rail-trail feature, interpretation of site history and natural resources, additional tree planting, and restoration of the existing woodland areas. As one of Maplewood’s neighborhood preserves, natural resources are center stage. Most of the site is being transitioned to oak savanna– scattered oaks and a ground cover of prairie grasses and wildflowers. The prairie species were seeded in June 2014, and first year establishment was excellent. In these early years of the savanna restoration, you’ll observe lots of changes on the landscape. The black-eyed Susans that blanketed the site this summer will gradually fade out and be replaced by more diverse species. For more information on Gladstone Savanna, visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/preserves.
Gladstone Infrastructure – An Important Role in Redevelopment By Steve Love, Assistant City Engineer
The City of Maplewood and Sherman Associates were awarded a $1.9 million Livable Communities grant from the Metropolitan Council to help fund the redevelopment of the Maplewood Bowl site. Of this award, $900,000 is designated for infrastructure improvements along Frost Avenue and English Street. Drawing cues from the Gladstone Neighborhood Master Plan, the proposed improvements include burial of power lines, streetscaping, pavement replacement and reconditioning, sidewalks, trails, new stormwater initiatives, utility improvements, and Gladstone Savanna enhancements. The cross-section below shows how Frost Avenue will be converted from a four lane road to a single lane divided road that features a landscaped median. This reduction of paved driving surface will reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and improve the quality of water that is discharged to Lake Phalen. During construction of Frost Avenue the City will use erosion control devices that will keep sediment from entering into the storm sewer system. Sediment can travel a long distance before it has a chance to settle. Maplewood has a permitting process for all projects with grading activities. During this process, erosion control and other protective measures are specified. By working through the permitting process residents, developers, and contractors can make a huge difference in the quality of downstream water bodies such as Lake Phalen.
Building Green
By Chris Swanson, Environmental Specialist Maplewood’s Green Building Program was adopted in 2013, and the City’s South Fire Station was the first public building constructed using the standards. All city-funded buildings are required to be built to the standards outlined in the program, which will ensure improvements in energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, and smart site design. Private developments, however, are only required to meet the State building code. The Villages at Frost-English will be the first private development to be constructed under Maplewood’s Green Building Program. To meet the green standards the development will include: • energy efficient lighting • increased insulation • improved site design factors, including reduced storm water runoff, tree preservation, and the use of native plantings. The green standards will add livability to the units and increase the durability of the building. The planned land uses surrounding the property will also promote a mix of residential and commercial development, and provide access to transit, employment, and parks and natural areas.
Everyone can play a big role in preserving natural resources by preventing erosion or illicit discharges. Illicit discharge occurs anytime a substance other than stormwater, such as illegal dumping of trash, paint, oil, and sewage, is discharged into the storm sewer system. The combination of high quality public infrastructure and preservation of natural resources will ensure quality redevelopment in the Gladstone Neighborhood.
Artist Rendition of the 50-Unit Apartment Building at the View from Frost Avenue, facing Northeast Villages at Frost-English
Villages at Frost-English - Phase 1 Maplewood, MN
updated: 3/23/2015
Seasons 3
Prairie History Revealed in Gladstone Natural Community By Ann Hutchinson, Lead Naturalist As you walk the trails through the newly restored Gladstone Savanna, listen for the whisper of history. If you look and listen carefully, little bluestem, blazing star, and an ancient bur oak will reveal Gladstone Savanna’s natural history. When James M. Marsh, Deputy Surveyor, surveyed this area in 1847, he noted sparse bur oak and white oak. This was a common description for the oak savannas of the midwest. Ecologists define an oak savanna as a landscape with scattered oak trees that provide 10 percent to 70 percent cover, with an understory of native shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers. After Siberian elm removal and prescribed burns in 1998 and 1999, the site’s prairie and savanna history became more obvious. Species such as sand-reed grass and golden aster thrived on the sandy soils. Today, the site is being restored to its historic natural community of prairie and oak savanna. What exactly is a natural community? Ecologists define natural communities as groups of native plants and animals that interact with each other and the surrounding environment, in ways unaltered by humans or introduced plants or animals. Thus, lawns, ballfields, or annual flower beds are not natural communities. What will you find today at Gladstone Savanna? A couple of key prairie remnants were saved as part of the restoration. These contain elegant native plants such as prairie rose, rough blazing star,
By Oakley Biesanz, Naturalist
Rough Blazing Star Blooms in the Prairie Remnant
A Soldier Beetle Enjoys Munching on a Black-Eyed Susan
flowering spurge, and bergamot. Look carefully and you will also find Indian and porcupine grass, grey-headed coneflower, and whorled milkweed amidst a grove of oaks. Along Frost Avenue, towering cottonwoods – typically found in oxygen-starved flood plains – thrive in these urban soils, which are low in oxygen due to compaction. As you walk along the trails, look for the rows left by the seed drill – these distinguish the newly seeded areas from the remnants. Dotted mint, partridge pea, black-eyed Susan and side oats grama grass have sprouted and bloomed in the new seeding. Listen carefully. What do they whisper for the future?
What secret are the animals telling us about the Oak Savanna? Follow the wild animals through the Gladstone Savanna to a letter. Then fill in the color blanks below to find a secret message.
E A P W__
__ __T, SL__ __ __ , __ND __L__Y IN TH__ __R__IRI__ GR__SS__S __ND FLOW__RS!
Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper
Seasons 4