Three candidates vie for Ward 4 council seat in special election

A special election on Aug. 14 will fill Ward 4 seat vacated by Russ Stark; will serve till next Ward 4 election in 2019

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Three candidates are vying for the Ward 4 city council seat vacated by Russ Stark when he took a job in Mayor Melvin Carter’s administration as the Chief Resilience Officer after a decade in office.
Since Stark’s resignation in February, the seat has been filled by Stark’s aide Samantha Henningson, who was appointed by the council with the understanding that she wouldn’t seek election herself.
The special election is set for Aug. 14, the same day as this year’s primary election. Polls are open from 7am to 8pm.
The special election will be decided by ranked-choice ballot, meaning voters will be allowed to rank candidates in order of preference. Absentee voting by mail or in person is currently ongoing; and early voting in person begins Tues., Aug. 7.
The candidate who wins will fill the time remaining on Stark’s seat, which is up for election in 2019.
Ward 4 includes Hamline-Midway, Merriam Park, St. Anthony Park, and parts of Mac-Groveland and Como. The city council position is officially classified as part-time and pays $60 per hour or $63,000 per year.
Shirley Erstad
shirleyerstad.com
Shirley Erstad is the Executive Director of the local non-profit, Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County, where she’s worked for four years. She has served as a Saint Paul STRONG steering committee member.
Erstad was elected to the Union Park District Council Board of Directors three times and has served on the Executive Committee and the Environment and Parks Committee.
She founded Women Who Get Stuff Done, a group of women who talk to each other about what they are working on and how they can support one another.
Erstad grew up on a cattle farm and was the first in her family to attend college. She studied political science and economics at South Dakota State University where she was involved in student government. Erstad worked two jobs to pay for tuition while attending the university, and landed a job with a United States Senator immediately after graduation. She credits this early work in politics with igniting her passion for public service, collaboration and strengthening communities. She and her husband have lived in St. Paul for 20 years.
When she learned that the city’s Planning Commission had nine vacancies and no representation from Ward 4 during decision-making related to the soccer stadium, she took action. Together with other community activists, she organized and worked for 18 months alongside then-Mayor Chris Coleman and two City Council Members to fill out St. Paul’s 30 commissions and committees with ethnically diverse and geographically representative appointments. When he left office, Mayor Coleman highlighted these appointments as one of his proudest accomplishments.
Erstad supports a $15 minimum wage, and “common sense development.”
David Martinez
martinezward4.wordpress.com
A first-generation immigrant, David Martinez is working towards transparency and inclusive decision-making in the city.
Martinez has been a homeowner in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood since 2005 and grew up in a low-income household on the West Side of St. Paul. He earned his B.A. in global studies from the University of Minnesota, and his masters from Bethel University.
He has put his bilingual skills (English and Spanish) to work by serving as a translator for the school district. Martinez has also been recognized for “Excellence in Public Service” by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, where he currently works as a project consultant, for developing a Worker’s Rights Brochure in English and Spanish that is used on construction projects state-wide to inform workers of their employment rights.
Martinez has served on a variety of commissions including the Ramsey County Workforce Investment Board (2014-2015), and St. Paul Public Schools’ Citizen’s Budget & Finance Advisory Council (2011-2012). He is the chair of the Parent Engagement Group at Great River Montessori School, where his two children attend. Martinez has volunteered at Goodwill Easter Seals and as a youth wrestling coach.
Past employment has included working as a part-time Financial Empowerment Specialist at the local organization CLUES; 14 years in the local financial services sector where he approved first-time homebuyer loans; and part-time as a MetroTransit Bus Driver in 2017.
“I have a proven track record of effectively leading and coordinating large-scale systems projects and initiatives in the public, private and non-profit sectors,” stated Martinez.
Mitra Nelson
www.mitranelson.com
The daughter of immigrants, Mitra Jalali Nelson is a lifelong Minnesota resident who has “devoted my life to fighting for all families to have the same opportunities as mine.” She currently works in Rep. Keith Ellison’s district office as his public safety and immigration outreach director.
Nelson’s career began in Louisiana in 2008 as a high school social studies teacher at an alternative high school on the West Bank of New Orleans as part of Teach For America, just three years after Hurricane Katrina. The experience fostered an unshakable belief in the potential of all children, and in the importance of giving every child access to outstanding public education.
Back in Minnesota, she became an organizer with the St. Paul Federation of Teachers in the 2012 election cycle and worked with Ward 4 neighbors and teachers citywide to pass the St. Paul Public Schools funding levy.
“The lesson I learned from that experience is that good ideas don’t just happen on their own; you have to organize them into reality. I’m bringing this spirited ethic with me to City Hall, through a resident-driven campaign that bridges the gap between residents and government,” said Nelson.
She explained, “I’m now running for City Council because our city needs capable leaders who reflect our growth, our diversity, and our shared commitment to equity.”
Nelson seeks to address a few central challenges of Ward 4 that, if solved, she believes will help sustain the future of the city: “affordable housing, building community wealth, and true public safety through police accountability.”
She added, “In a city that is nearly 50% people of color and over 50% renters, and in a ward with one of the fastest-growing renter populations in St. Paul, I would bring a perspective that is missing on the council as both a woman of color and a renter myself.”
Nelson has two dozen housing goals outlined in a detailed “renter’s blueprint” available on her website. She believes that affordable, quality housing is a universal human right.
Nelson has been endorsed by the Minnesota DFL and Mayor Melvin Carter, among others.

Survey takes a holistic look at Hamline Midway history

Information provides HUNAC with a strong foundation to better understand the neighborhood

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
While a lot has changed in the Hamline-Midway area, some things remain the same.
The places that have stayed the same are the subject of the St. Paul Hamline-Midway Neighborhood Historic Resources Survey that is just wrapping up.
Residents learned about the historic survey during a Hamline University Neighborhood Advisory Committee (HUNAC) on June 18.
“It’s been 35 years since anyone took a holistic look at the neighborhood,” pointed out Christine Boulware of the St. Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development. (Photo right by  Tesha M. Christensen)
“I think it’s important to have a strong foundation for who we are,” observed HUNAC Co-Chair Mike Reynolds, who is an English professor at Hamline University. Knowing the history of the neighborhood helps provide that, as well as the character of the place, he added.
Survey gives overview
Conducted by Summit Envirosolutions, Inc., the Hamline Midway reconnaissance survey area includes the geographic boundaries of District 11: Pierce Butler Route, Lexington Pkwy., University Ave., and Transfer Rd. This area includes about 3,000 properties, and the survey focused on 515. Of those, 182 had been previously inventoried and 12 torn down.
The study included five schools, one university campus, one public library, nine parks and playgrounds, ten religious properties, and one barn, along with single-family homes, multi-family homes, and commercial buildings.
The majority of the project was funded through a federal grant, while the remaining 37.5% came from a cash-match from the city’s Department of Planning and Economic Development.
The survey is intended to provide a baseline comprehensive overview of historic resources, explained Summit Envirosolutions, Inc. Architectural Historian Sara Nelson.
The last assessment like this, the St. Paul and Ramsey County Historic Sites Survey, was conducted 35 years ago as a part of a city- and county-wide inventory.
According to the Minnesota Historic Preservation Office, the intention of a reconnaissance-level survey “is to collect enough data to provide a general understanding of the built environment of an area. The survey is intended to characterize the properties in relation to historic contexts and makes recommendations for additional intensive survey work.”
The contexts evaluated by Summit Envirosolutions included residents, homes, transportation, automobile services, worship, education and culture, parks and recreation, entertainment, and industry.
Some of the transportation routes in the area predate the incorporation of St. Paul, as the city limits originally only extended to Lexington. The area once was part of Rose Township and divided into farm tracts. In fact, the 1973 Territorial Road survives as the alley between Van Buren and Blair.
The earliest white settlers in the Hamline-Midway area were Yankee-Old Stock American, Canadian and German immigrants from the 1870s to 1880s. This was followed by an increase in German and Irish populations from the 1880s to 1890s. The Scandinavian immigrants arrived between 1890 and 1920 and were followed by the Russian and Polish immigrants between 1910 and 1920.
Photo left: In 1935, the university’s football field was sold and developed as Paust’s Rearrangement. This development that consists of 25 houses were designed by Benjamin A. Paust in a variety of picturesque Cottage styles and built between 1935 and 1939. “It’s really unusual to have a block like this all developed by the same person in the same style,” said Summit Envirosolutions, Inc. Senior Architectural Historian Marjorie Pearson. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
“All these residents were attracted by transportation routes, business, and industry opportunities,” observed Summit Envirosolutions, Inc. Senior Architectural Historian Marjorie Pearson. “It was one of the fastest growing areas of St. Paul.”
Swedish, German carpenters built most neighborhood homes
One of the things historians were struck by recently was how many of the Swedish and German residents were contractors. They left their mark on the city’s buildings. While some of the homes in the area were designed by architects, most were the project of local carpenters, observed Pearson.
One of the earliest houses in the area sits at 877 Fry St. It may have been shifted around on the site over the years. The Budd house at Minnehaha and Wheeler dates from 1890 and was owned by George and Harriet Budd, who were prominent in civic affairs.
The Schaettgen house at 754 Hamline Ave. was built 1907, and son-in-law Merten lived next door at 762 Hamline Ave. in a home built in 1923.
John Hasslen built his house at 1383 W. Edmund Ave. in 1912. He had come to the area as a small boy with his family, and followed in his father’s footsteps as a carpenter, according to Pearson. By 1910, he was working on the well-known Hill House and Sibley House.
The primary home styles are Victorian, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Foursquare, and Colonial Revival. Home characteristics include hipped and gabled roofs, corner towers, projecting bays, open porches, decorative wood detailing, and certain types of window patterns.
In comparison to other parts of the city that have been designated as historic districts, the homes in the Midway area tend to be more modest and practical, according to Boulware. They were designed for single families for the most part. The larger would have taken in boarders and lodgers, many of them students from Hamline.
Two areas of study
Hamline University was one of the linchpins of establishing the neighborhood, observed Pearson. The earliest buildings on campus date from the 1880s and 1890s, while later buildings have been designed by distinguished modern architects.
In 1935, the university’s football field was sold and developed as Paust’s Rearrangement. This development that consists of 25 houses were designed by Benjamin A. Paust in a variety of picturesque Cottage styles and built between 1935 and 1939.
“It’s really unusual to have a block like this all developed by the same person in the same style,” said Pearson.
Another area identified for study was the College Place West and Taylor’s Addition with 232 residential properties between Fairview and Fry. It includes Hewitt, Hubbard, and Englewood avenues. Both plats extended across the varied slopes of the landscape and lots retain many oak trees from the original oak savannah that distinguishes the neighborhood.
‘Automobile Row’
Once known as “Automobile Row,” in 1946 there were 14 new car dealerships along University Ave. between the Capitol and the Midway’s Transfer Rd. Several used-car dealerships and auto service garages also sprung up along University and Snelling. Some of these buildings remain, and a few, including 675 N. Snelling, are still being used in the auto service industry.
Photo left: The automotive shop at 675 N. Snelling was built in 1920. The image on the left dates from 1930. (Photos courtesy of Summit Envirosolutions, Inc.)
Nine railroad lines consolidated in the Midway neighborhood and made it a prime place for industry. The American Canning Company remains and is now part of the International Harvester Company. This company and the Brown, Blodgett and Sperry Company were recommended for additional study.
Eligible for historic status
The individual properties and areas of the neighborhood identified in the survey may be designated as St. Paul Heritage Preservation sites and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)—both of which would happen as a separate project, after intensive survey and detailed research.
Pearson pointed out that properties are eligible for the national register if they meet one of four criteria:
• A: association with significant events or patterns in history
• B: association with significant persons in history
• C: significant architectural design or architect
• D: likely to provide important new information in history
This includes individual property (building, site, structure, object) or a historic district. It’s important that the area retains historic integrity in location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.
Benefits of listing include federal and state preservation tax credits (income-producing properties), eligibility for grants, and consideration in planning for federal projects. There is no loss of individual property rights.
Town House Bar and Midway Books
The map of surveyed properties isn’t quite final yet, according to Nelson. There are a few more properties to add in, and there may be a few more recommended for further study.
Photo right: The image on the left shows the Town House restaurant in 1952. It was built in 1924. In 1969 the Town House bar was established as a gay bar, and it has been recognized as the oldest LGBT bar in the city. (Photos courtesy of Summit Envirosolutions, Inc.)
“The Town House Bar will be recommended for further study for local designation—something we hope the new owner will be perceptive to (and not change much inside or out)!” stated Nelson.
In 1969 the Town House bar was established as a gay bar, and it has been recognized as the oldest LGBT bar in the city.
“The Quality Park (Midway Books) Building at the northeast corner of Snelling and University is eligible for listing in the NRHP, which means it is eligible for state and historic tax credits for rehabilitation,” Nelson added. “Its NRHP nomination has been completed for several years (but the current owners weren’t interested in listing it). I doubt many potential buyers/developers/commercial realtors know about the building’s eligibility.
“It’s so close to the new stadium; I hope any redevelopment efforts on that corner don’t include tearing it down!”
Learn more about the project and HUNAC at www.hamline.edu/neighbors/neighborhood-advisory-committee.

24/7 Crisis Line for abuse, crime survivors, operates along 38th

Advocates recognize it takes a lot of courage to just pick up the phone, identify issues, offer options, and just listen

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
For those who don’t feel safe at home, the 24/7 Minnesota Day One Crisis Line, 1-866-223-1111 is a lifeline.
Advocates listen, offer options and help callers make a safety plan. It’s their choice to go to a shelter, use resources, or just talk.
The statewide Day One call center operated by Cornerstone at 2249 E. 38th St. handled 28,000 calls last year. The call center is the only one in the state that connects victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and general crime to emergency safe housing and resources from over 80 agencies. People can call via phone, text or online chat message at dayoneservices.org.
“We work together to make sure survivors get what they need in one call,” pointed out Day One Program Director Colleen Schmitt.
Before Day One began in 1995, someone might need to make 8-15 calls trying to find shelter. Today, Day One can search shelters throughout the state to find immediate housing for those trying to leave an abusive or unsafe situation, and then connect the caller to the shelter via a three-way call. Other resources are also available with a quick search of the regularly updated Day One database.
Photo right: There are many good services for domestic abuse survivors in the Twin Cities, but what sets Cornerstone apart is its comprehensive approach, according to Day One Program Director Colleen Schmitt. Programs include the Day One Crisis Line, Crime Victim Services Line, Emergency Services including a 35-bed shelter, Children, Youth and Families, Community and Economic Empowerment, and Civil and Criminal Justice Intervention. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Day One first operated through the Alexandra House in Blaine until it came to Cornerstone in 2005 and expanded. Schmitt, who has been in the field for 30 years, came with the call center.
Day One moved into space along 38th Ave. in January 2017, when it expanded to include a 24/7 General Crime Victim Services Line through funding by the Minnesota Office of Justice Programs (1-866-385-2699). At the same time, Cornerstone expanded to offer support to people who have experienced any type of victimization through crime. Cornerstone’s experienced staff members provide services through a trauma-informed lens to help individuals rebuild their lives.
Exerting control
Calls spike at the Day One Crisis Line once school lets out for the summer. “Many feel it is an easier time to get out of a relationship,” explained Schmitt. Another peak time is the day after a holiday. “A lot of times someone is trying to keep the family together during the holiday, and they need that extra support,” said Schmitt.
Rather than use the term “victim” found in the courts, Cornerstone staff members prefer the term “survivor” to refer to someone who has experienced domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking.
“We tend to use ‘survivor’ because it’s more empowering,” explained Schmitt.
The term domestic violence is used for “any pattern of physical, emotional or psychological tactics of control over another person,” stated Schmitt.
“It’s not always physical. It can be emotional. It can be financial. It can be threats over actual physical violence.”
The term domestic violence is pretty encompassing, but at its basic level it is about one person trying to maintain control over another, she said.
“A lot of calls we receive are from folks who are experiencing emotional abuse and are unsure how to identify that,” observed Schmitt.
Calling the crisis line is often the first step in figuring things out.
“It takes a lot of courage just to pick up the phone,” remarked Schmitt.
Callers often hear about the crisis line from family members or friends—or social media.
‘It’s not that bad’
Cornerstone staff members encounter many false stereotypes around why someone stays in an abusive relationship. Some are things the general society believes, and others what the survivors tell themselves.
• It’s really not that bad.
• They could get out if they wanted to.
• It’s better for the children to stay.
“In reality, it’s very difficult to leave for a variety of reasons,” remarked Schmitt.
Some survivors still love their abusive partner, and so they stay.
Others don’t have the financial ability to get out. Some fear that if they leave, they’ll be killed. In 2016, 21 people in Minnesota were killed in domestic-related homicides.
“It’s very difficult to find affordable housing now,” pointed out Schmitt. “The option may be to stay in the relationship because they have a place for their children to live. Leaving may lead to homelessness.”
There’s the belief that those with more money don’t experience abuse or feel stuck in a relationship, but that’s not accurate, according to Schmitt. “All their finances may be taken away by that abusive person,” she said. “I think that economics is a big reason why people stay.”
Abusers may turn children against their spouse or partner, convincing them that it is all the other one’s fault. Or, there is a threat of taking children away or threatening not to allowing future contact.
And even though more and more is known about domestic violence, it’s still a hidden problem, pointed out Schmitt.
“Some of it is we want to deny that something this horrific can happen,” Schmitt said.
Adding to the problem is that some people think that this type of thing should be kept within a family and not shared with others.
“The media tends to glorify extreme violence, so sometimes survivors compare themselves to that and say, ‘It’s not that bad in my situation,’” said Schmitt.
But she stressed that the emotional abuse can be just as severe as the physical. “Often it causes trauma that takes longer to heal,” she said.
Abuse effects on kids
The impact on children can be hard to pinpoint as it can just look like they’re behaving badly.
“What we know about children that experience domestic violence in their homes is that they may have physical and emotional symptoms,” said Schmitt. Children may complain of general aches and pain, such as headaches and stomach aches. They may also have irritable and irregular bowel habits, cold sores, bed-wetting, constant tiredness, and fatigue. Symptoms can mirror those of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and include short attention spans. They may appear nervous, exhibit out of control behavior, suffer from frequent nightmares, and distrust adults. They can be withdrawn or act out. School truancy is common.
Sometimes there is also child abuse going on which can show up as bruises or other psychological effects.
“It can affect them for a long time unless we do work in a trauma-informed setting,” said Schmitt.
Kids are often labeled as bad kids instead of helped.
Cornerstone is working to educate teachers and school staff on the dynamics of violence and how it can affect youth.
Staff members also focus on court services and education within the criminal justice system, working with police officers, custody evaluators, judges and attorneys.
A comprehensive approach
There are many good services for domestic abuse in the Twin Cities, but what sets Cornerstone apart is its comprehensive approach, according to Schmitt.
Cornerstone offers everything from the statewide crisis line to shelter to mental health services. There is someone to help with filing a protection order, multiple support groups to join, and one-on-one services offered.
Overall, they work to protect children, youth, and families.
When it comes to support groups, there are many to choose from. Some are topic-driven and look at financial literacy, economic empowerment, and general information about options. Others provide ongoing support for those 18+ and older adults, as well as children. Some offer support for family members and friends.
Cornerstone services for youth focus on one-on-one support and mentoring. Special staff members are assigned to the youth living in Cornerstone’s shelters.
Knowing that abusing pets is a way to control, intimidate and hurt other members of the family, Cornerstone initiated the Minnesota Alliance for Family and Animal Safety (MNAFAS) to help find safety for pets. Women in shelters often report they delayed leaving because of concern for their pet.
Cornerstone operates three offices in Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, and Minneapolis.
In addition to housing the two 24/7 crisis lines, the Minneapolis location on 38th St. is home to the general crime program. Plus a therapist is in the office several days a week to see adults and children.
“We are finding this a great location to be at,” said Schmitt, in part of because of its accessibility via light rail and bus.
Cornerstone will be expanding at 38th to offer additional support groups. Learn more at www.cornerstonemn.org.

Free youth soccer league kicks off in Nokomis with NENA’s help

NENA and park board partner with father-son team to offer a regular activity for kids at Bossen’s multi-use fields

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Thanks to a father-son team, nearly 400 kids are participating in a free youth soccer league on Saturdays at Bossen Field.
José Garcia and his 20-year-old son José (Beto) Garcia approached the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association (NENA) in December 2017 about
starting a soccer league in the neighborhood. They have been running an informational soccer skills group that meets about two times a week and wanted to do something more formal.
The Garcias asked NENA for help finding field space as they were tired of getting kicked off baseball fields.
NENA agreed to approach the Park Board with the Garcias, in part due to community response from a set of activities held last year courtesy of a grant from Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Photo right: Father and son, José Garcia (left) and José “Beto” Garcia, have been running a soccer skills group in the Nokomis neighborhood that grew into a free, 24-team soccer league this summer. “We’re doing this for the reason that we want to help our community and we want to share the disciplines of this beautiful sport,” stated José Garcia. “We want to teach them the values of respect, leadership, gratitude and compassion for each other.” (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
NENA used the grant funds to put on a series of activities with the Park Board, including flag football, soccer, and birdhouse making at the multi-use fields at Bossen, explained NENA Community Organizer Karla Guadalupe Arredondo-Payan. Residents asked for more activities for younger kids.
A free soccer league answered that request.
“We are here to serve residents. We don’t dictate the events going on. We ask for resident input,” observed Arredondo-Payan.
She added, “We want to help build the community.”
The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) supplies the goal posts, soccer balls, and other equipment. NENA provides the paint to mark the fields and other items as needed.
While the multi-use fields don’t have soccer markings, they are free compared to the soccer fields that are rented by groups.
Open to every race and gender
The league includes 24 teams that were organized by each coach and began playing in late May. The league will continue through Sept. 22, and conclude with a big end-of-the-season celebration. Games are held between 8:30am and 4pm on Saturdays.
The coaches met at NENA’s office in April to iron out the rules of the league, which focus on good sportsmanship and safety. The Garcias were clear that they can’t run a league alone, but need the commitment of coaches and others to make it happen.
“It’s not an easy task to be a leader, but we’re trying to do the best we can to satisfy everyone,” stated Beto Garcia.
Photo left: Members of the soccer league meet up during the week at Bossen field to practice, despite the rainy weather on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
This year, the Garcias are focusing on creating a strong league that puts a priority on skill-building and teams. Next year, they may add other amenities such as food trucks.
They will also evaluate whether to offer a winter league based on demand from participants.
The league seeks to be inclusive and is open to every race and gender. While many of the players from South Minneapolis are from the Latino community, the majority from St. Paul are of Asian descent. There are also African American and Caucasian players.
“We’re working together to build something for all of us,” said Garcia.
Giving back
In addition to helping to run the league with his father, Garcia coaches a team of 10-year-olds. He sees his role as more than just instilling the discipline of soccer skills. It’s also about team building and respect.
When two of his team members argued recently, he stepped in to help them resolve their differences by modeling respect and conflict resolution.
Beto is inspired by his father and what he’s done to give back to his community by sharing his love of soccer.
The Latino community is passionate about soccer, pointed out Garcia, so he and his father wanted to build upon that interest. Plus, they recognize that parents appreciate some help with their kids.
“A lot of the kids spend so much time on PlayStation or video games,” pointed out Garcia. “They have a lack of exercise in the summertime.”
“Families and kids really enjoy playing soccer,” agreed Arredondo-Payan. “It gets them physically active and doing something productive.”
For Garcia, his work as a volunteer comes down to “inspiration, motivation, and dedication for our community.”
He added, “We just feel inspired, and we know that this is important for kids and families.”
For more information, contact Beto Garcia at 612-707-1499.

Residents favor one-span curved bridge design at S. 28th Ave.

Design will offer better sightlines of the creek for trail users traveling under the bridge

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Local residents are helping decide what the new S. 28th Ave. bridge will look like over Minnehaha Creek.
The feedback gathered during a public meeting on May 30 was that neighbors want to see a curved façade design with enhanced concrete cutouts.
People also prefer a design without a pillar separating the trail from the creek. This will provide better sight lines to the creek for trail users, and replicate the existing historic structure. Plus, a one-span bridge will have less impact on the park during construction.
Photo right: When the new bridge is completed in 2019, trail users will cross under the busy S. 28th Ave. roadway along Minnehaha Creek. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
There was a discussion about railings, but this element will be determined further along in the design process. However, the bridge railings used at the Burnham Road Bridge near Lake of the Isles were well received by historians. The original railings on the bridge were concrete but will be replaced with metal ones.
While the existing bridge is an arch, the new one has to be square to accommodate the trail underneath the roadway and the house to the south, explained City Bridge Engineer Jack Yuzna.
Top priority to move trail beneath the road
Moving the trail beneath the busy S. 28th Ave. bridge is a top priority of users. This intersection was highlighted in the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Master Plan, and a trail crossing below the bridge ranked as the second most important priority for the entire park.
Citizens at a May 9 open house on the project reiterated the danger of crossing S. 28th Ave. as it is now with a skewed trail alignment.
This trail is a component of the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway that has been nominated for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, and so the bridge needs to complement the historic setting as well as the natural setting, pointed out Yuzna.
“It’s a community amenity,” stated Yunza.
The original bridge was constructed in 1904 when vehicles and pedestrians shared the roadway. The arch has a clear span of 25 feet and rise of 7 feet. In the 1920s, the iron railing from the Franklin Ave. bridge was installed on the 28th Ave. bridge and sidewalks were added by cantilevering 3.5 feet beyond the bridge’s spandrel walls.
Photo left: While the new bridge will take up the same space as the old one, the configuration will be different. The driving lanes on the new bridge will be more narrow while the sidewalks will be wider. (Graphic submitted)
The existing structure has narrow sidewalks of 4.5 feet wide. In the new design, there will be 10 feet on each side to make it more comfortable for pedestrians and easier to remove snow. Approaching the bridge there will be eight-foot sidewalks with 6 feet of green space between the sidewalk and the street.
When the new bridge is constructed, the street lanes will be narrowed to make a shorter crossing for pedestrians, explained Public Works employee Patty Day.
Lanes are currently 22 feet and will be 16 feet in the future. The bridge will remain 56 feet wide.
There will also be new ADA-compliant crossings at E. 47th St.
Bridge will be out for six months in 2019
While the work is underway, S. 28th Ave. will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians for about six months. Residents didn’t favor using Nokomis Ave. as a detour route, so S. 34th Ave. will be the designated route for vehicles. This will be coordinated with the 34th Ave. reconstruction project from E. Minnehaha Pkwy. to E. 58th St., as well as Metro Transit.
Trail users will be directed up a block to E. 46th St.
The 28th bridge work is expected to begin in April 2019 and be finished in November 2019.
During that time, the disruption to flora and fauna will be minimized.
“The engineering team is working closely with the neighbors immediately impacted by the project and have made adjustments based on that feedback,” said Day. “Engineers are also working closely with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to ensure that the design of the pedestrian and bike trail is consistent with the long-range plan for the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park.”
The proposed layout will be shared next with the Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Pedestrian Advisory Committee. It will then be brought before the Transportation and Public Works Committee of City Council in July 2018.

Citizens worry sewer project will decrease flow to Coldwater Spring

Replacing 90-year-old sewer tunnel under Minnehaha Creek that is in danger of leaking sewage into groundwater

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Will a sewer tunnel project in south Minneapolis affect how much water flows at Coldwater Spring?
Some people are worried that it will, and this has prompted the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) to revise its original plan for the regional sewer interceptor tunnel. Yet some Coldwater Spring supporters don’t think the risk has been eliminated.
Photo right: Nobody knows where Coldwater’s source waters come from. Tom Holtzleiter of Preserve Camp Coldwater Coalition is pushing local government agencies to pinpoint the exact location of that fracture that feeds water towards the spring. “More and more projects are going to come up, and they’re going to need to know where that line is,” stated Holtzleiter. “So far they’ve gotten lucky and not hit it. But sooner or later they’re going to run across it.” (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Tom Holtzleiter has been active in working to preserve Coldwater Spring for the past 20 years. A current resident of Bloomington, Holtzleiter grew up playing at Coldwater Spring. When the Highway 55/62 interchange was redone in 2002, Holtzleiter led a group, the Preserve Camp Coldwater Coalition, which pushed for the installation of an 8-acre liner to isolate the road from the nearby spring.
Coldwater Spring, located on the southern end of Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, is considered sacred by some Minnesota tribes and has been home to people for 10,000 years. Dubbed the birthplace of Minnesota, it was the first place European settlers lived when Fort Snelling was being built in 1820. As recently as 1976, Coldwater was an emergency drinking water supply for south Minneapolis when the city’s water supply was “putrid with algae,” according to www.friendsofcoldwater.org.
Managed since 2010 by the National Park Service as part of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Coldwater is the last natural spring of size in Hennepin County.
Sewer line failing
The existing regional sanitary sewer tunnel about 40 feet under Minnehaha Creek near 3901 Minnehaha Pkwy. E. is deteriorated and in danger of leaking wastewater (sewage) into the groundwater in the future.
This sewer pipe has served the city of Minneapolis and MCES since the mid-1930s, but it now needs some attention, according to Tim O’Donnell of MCES.
“The long-term environmental risks are too great to do nothing,” stated O’Donnell.
Photo left: A sewer tunnel project near 3901 Minnehaha Parkway E. may affect the flow of water at Coldwater Spring, but the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) is working to minimize the impact. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
The regional sanitary sewer collects wastewater via local sanitary sewers from South Minneapolis (south of approximately E, 42nd St.) and about one-third of Edina. MCES conveys the wastewater through additional regional sanitary sewers through Minneapolis and St. Paul to the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro Plant) located about three miles southeast of downtown St. Paul.
Plan changed to avoid dewatering
Originally, MCES planned to replace the existing, damaged regional sanitary sewer with a new deep sewer tunnel. That would have required dewatering of the limestone bedrock—that is, temporarily lowering the groundwater level in the limestone layer by pumping it out.
Recognizing that this had the potential of impacting groundwater flow to Coldwater Spring, which is located approximately 1.5 miles southeast of the sewer tunnel, MDES decided to rehabilitate the existing tunnel instead, which will not require dewatering.
However, this will still involve drilling up to three ventilation shafts into the limestone bedrock.
According to O’Donnell, the shafts will allow fresh air to be transferred into the deep tunnel system for workers’ safety.
“These ventilation shafts are necessary to meet strict OSHA requirements for working in underground, confined spaces,” he said. “The shafts will be encased in steel and grouted in place, which will allow groundwater to flow around them without affecting the flow to Coldwater Spring.”
However, Hotzleiter isn’t so sure. He’s worried that any drilling through the limestone into the sandstone beneath will break the seal. It’s possible that if this happens, water will flow towards the Mississippi River another way, and the flow at Coldwater will trickle away to nothing.
There has also been some disagreement about how much water has flowed through Coldwater in the past, and how much is going through now.
There is a monitoring point on the southern wetland but not one on the spring reservoir north of it, so the data only shows part of the complete picture, pointed out Holtzleiter.
MDES received a mix of comments at the May 22 public hearing and in writing. “People appreciate that MCES had re-evaluated the alternatives and found an alternative that would not impact the groundwater flow to Coldwater Spring,” stated O’Donnell. “Others were concerned with temporary park and trail access impacts during construction and some tree loss. And the Friends of Coldwater and its followers, and some members of the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community are opposed to MCES installing two or three ventilation shafts from the ground surface down to the regional sanitary sewer pipe that will be rehabilitated.”
The National Park Service, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, the city of Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) support the revised project.
Where is the fracture line?
Nobody knows where Coldwater’s source waters come from. The consensus is that about two-thirds of the groundwater flows to the spring through basal Platteville limestone to the north and west. Beneath this 20 feet of limestone is 70 feet of sandstone. Much of the water flowing into Coldwater moves along a fracture line, but the exact location of that fracture has never been determined. Engineers have guessed that it is near where the sewer tunnel work is planned, but it could be 20 feet away or right at the project site.
Holtzleiter is pushing local government agencies to pinpoint the exact location of that fracture.
“More and more projects are going to come up, and they’re going to need to know where that line is,” stated Holtzleiter. “So far they’ve gotten lucky and not hit it. But sooner or later they’re going to run across it.”
He pointed out that the budget of this current project is $31 million, and believes a concurrent study of the fracture line would be a “drop in the bucket” comparatively.
Construction begins next year
MDES is working to finalize the project design and will then select a contractor. Construction will take place between spring 2019 to fall 2021.
Bike/walking trails and streets may be affected during this project, but MCES is working with the city of Minneapolis and the MPRB to minimize potential disruptions.
MDES will also work with the National Park Service to increase their monitoring of water flows into Coldwater Spring during the construction project.
“In the unlikely event that there are changes to these water flows during our construction project, we will know that quickly and will make any necessary modifications to our construction,” stated O’Donnell.