In This Issue
St. Anthony Park Neighborhood News
February 23, 2015

New Website Launch


As a part of the strategic planning process our organization recently undertook, we overhauled our website. With a new theme, more content, and more user friendly navigation, we're excited to show it off! We will certainly still have a few glitches in the days moving forward, but we hope you like it! 

 

As a part of our website redevelopment, we made the decision to put greater emphasis on our community. Our committees have a greater emphasis, the events we host have a more prominent display, and visitors can more easily see our programs. You can see up-to-date information about what will happen at each committee meeting and new developments in our community. 

As we continue the strategic planning process, our website will grow to reflect the outreach process and community input we gather as we develop our future goals and plans. We also want to hear from you. Is there something on the website you want to see? What did we miss in our community? Let us know! Continue to check back for recent information about our community and our organization. 

2015 Committee Goals Set

 

The three committees at SAPCC help us connect with our community, involve community members, and invest in three neighborhood issues: transportation, land use, and the environment. Each of our committees set goals for themselves to work on in 2015. 

Environment Committee:
1. Clean/weed out rain gardens.
2. Host Kasota Ponds clean up in April.
3. Have a conversation with Metro Metals regarding Kasota Ponds. 
4. Engage in ten year and strategic planning processes.
5. Join with other Community Councils and/or TT-ASAP to see if there's interest in forming an ad hoc committee to monitor noise pollution. Create an actionable plan.
6. Maintain communication and coordination to participate in TT-ASAP as they develop plans over the next year.

Land Use Committee: 
1. Take an active role in updating the 10 year plan.
2. Formalize processes around variance review and collaboration with developers (commercial and residential) and processes on how to work with them.
3. Become more formal about how the committee connects with the City of St. Paul and how the committee conducts outreach in the neighborhood.
4. Strengthen connections with neighboring groups, including: SECIA, Prospect Park, and Hamline Midway.

Transportation Committee:
1. On-going planning and outreach for Friendly Streets processes.
a. Finalize Raymond reconstruction phase III and submit input for design via two public meetings and one final public hearing.
b. Engage Desnoyer Park and others on the Grand Round process. Continue to collaborate on Pelham, including the Better Bridges project.
c. Offer support and planning to Territorial Road project.
d. Offer support and planing on Safe Routes to Schools on Como Ave. with full reconstruction of Como in 2017 in mind. 
2. Involve the committee in the 10 year planning process.
a. Take a leadership role in the sections involving the Transportation Committee and its goals. 
3. Improve public perception of the committee. 
a. Increase transparency of processes. 
b. Increase outreach efforts to the community.
c. Host a transportation expo. 
Claire's Column: Read a High School Student's Perspective

 

By: Claire Lingen-Mathews

 

"Youth engagement is crucial in creating a successful and flourishing community. Students make up over 25% of St.Paul's population (according to the United States Census Bureau). It is important to not only engage these community members, but to listen to them. I have had the good fortune of being a youth who has been listened to throughout my life. I have been brought on to the SAPCC staff this year as an intern and suddenly find myself with a voice on an official level, and not just in my personal life. Representing the youth of St.Anthony Park when I myself am just a student in the area, is not a responsibility to be taken lightly.

 

What I have noticed since working here, is that there is a lack of youth programing and outreach in this area, which is true in most communities and organizations. The community may not be in dire need of youth outreach, but as I mentioned previously, a community needs youth involvement in order to truly flourish. What are ways of engaging youth? Representation is the way thing that comes to mind, if youth have no official voice how can groups expect to please them? SAPCC has taken a great step towards this by hiring me for not only office hours, but involving me in their committee meetings. Youth spaces are also important in making us feel accepted into the community. Things such as community centers, libraries, and parks/sporting fields, businesses can create youth spaces as well, such as coffee shops. After school activities and job opportunities keep youth engaged. I would say giving students a voice is one of the most beneficial things adults can do for their youth."
 

Claire's Column will continue monthly. Watch for more in this series. 

Avalon Needs Our Support!

 


 

Avalon School won $1,500 in a KSTC-TV Contest recently but needs community support for the next stage of the competition! They have the opportunity to win $15,000. To help them win, follow the directions below:

 

1) Like the Prep45 Facebook Page!

2) Once you have "liked" the Prep45 Page, click on the "CONTESTS" app icon on the left hand side.

3) Click the "Chevrolet Drive for Education" link.

4) Click on the "VOTE" tab - make sure you select Avalon, of course! 

 

This money will go towards building a school kitchen at Avalon! Please share with your family and friends so we can help them get as many votes as possible!

Avalon will also host a fundraiser Friday, February 27th at 6:00pm to generate funds for this kitchen. Join them for a chili night and silent/live auctions to support a local school! For questions, email David at david@avalonschool.org.

Neighborhood Honor Roll Event 
Honor Roll Dinner

We had the opportunity to honor some of our most outstanding members of our community at the St. Paul Honor Roll event on January 31st. Along with the other District Councils, we happily applauded our 2014 awardees for their efforts over the past year. This year, Stephen Mastey, Mary Beck, Transition Town All St. Anthony Park, and Rich Nelson won for their commitment to St. Anthony Park. Congratulations to our winners!

 

Community Garden Applications Available 

Want to grow your own veggies this summer? Want to be a part of a community of gardeners in your neighborhood? 

The 2015 Community Garden applications have been made available! Return yours with a $30 check by March 7th to be included in the lottery drawing for a plot this year. If you do not receive a plot, we will return your check to you. 

Learn more on our website and download the application here

Thinking Outside the Box!

In this TED Talk, Janette Sadik-Khan walks us through some incredible changes New York City has undertaken in order to improve their pedestrian access, bikability, increase public space, and support small businesses. As SAPCC moves forward with strategic planning, we think it helps to keep some bigger picture ideas in mind. 

 

Could improvements like these work in our community? What do you want to see in St. Anthony Park to support its development as a growing, diverse, inclusive, safe, and connected community? 

Envisioning 2040

On February 11th, Transition Town All St. Anthony Park gathered a group of community members to envision our neighborhood in 2040. With a focus on sustainability and energy resilience, TT-ASAP has begun leading our community forward. The meeting allowed our neighborhood to dream big about the things they want to see in the future. Participants helped brainstorm about mitigating global climate change, withstanding severe weather, and living more connected lives here in SAP. They found many common themes, including: clean energy, housing, resource sharing, transit and infrastructure, local economy, common spaces, and strength through diversity. 

 

Want to read more about Envisioning 2040? Click here

 

 

Get Involved

Visit or join a Community Council committee! All are open to the community and new members. 
Land Use--First Thursday of the month 7-9pm 
Board of Directors--Second Thursday of the month 7-9pm 
Energy Resilience Group--Third Thursday 7-9pm (email erg@sapcc.org for location)
Transportation--First Monday of Every Month 6:30-8pm 

Environment--Fourth Wednesday of Every Month, 7-9pm

All committee meetings of the Community Council are an easy way for you to keep informed, get to know your neighbors and shape your neighborhood for the better. Committee meetings are held at the South St. Anthony Rec Center (890 Cromwell) unless otherwise noted. Community members are encouraged to join any committee- you become a member after attending only three meetings.

 

About Us

The St. Anthony Park Community Council is a non-profit citizen's organization of residents working together to maintain and enhance the quality of life, residential character, economic vitality, and physical development of St. Anthony Park. The Board meets monthly as do our three committees: Land Use, Transportation and Environment. Any resident may join the committees. The Board is elected with five delegates and two alternates each from North St. Anthony, South St. Anthony, and Business. Current Board members from North: Gary Carlson, Steve Kranz, Seth Levin, John Seppanen, Michael Russelle, Wanjiru Mugo, Mimi Jennings. From South: Kevin Caufield, Matt Hass, Annette Hyder, JoAnne Makela, Christina Morrison, Brad Englemann. The business members are Ray Brian, Chad Commers, Linda Hodge,and Stephen Mastey.