Title
Adopting the Summit Avenue Regional Trail Plan.
Body
WHEREAS, the Summit Avenue Regional Trail Plan (“Plan”) is a visionary document to develop an approximately 5.4 mile regional trail linking Mississippi Gorge Regional Park and the Samuel Morgan Regional Trail along this scenic parkway in the City of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, the 2015 Bicycle Plan, and the Metropolitan Council’s 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan (“RPPP”) identifies a regional trail search corridor along Summit Avenue; and
WHEREAS, the 2040 Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2018 following review by the Parks and Recreation Commission and approval by the City Council; and
WHEREAS, the 2019 Saint Paul Climate Action Resilience plan recognizes the importance of residents having safe access to protected active transportation facilities; and
WHEREAS, the 2019 Pedestrian Plan identifies actions to plan, design, build and maintain the City’s transportation system in a way that prioritizes walking first, followed by bicycling and transit use over other vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Parks and Recreation assembled and facilitated a series of community and key stakeholder meetings, hired an engineering consultant, and worked across City departments and partner agencies to develop a preferred alignment for the Summit Avenue Regional Trail Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the many community voices that have been heard throughout this planning process and appreciates the differences in opinion and life experiences shared regarding Summit Avenue, as well as the desire shared by many to preserve and enhance this unique community asset; and
WHEREAS, many parts of Summit Avenue are more than 100 years old necessitating future street reconstruction, therefore, now is the time to identify a vision for pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the corridor when reconstruction occurs; and
WHEREAS, the trees and broad median spaces along Summit Avenue are integral parts of this parkway and future design processes should apply best management practices to preserve tree health and minimize tree loss; and
WHEREAS, Summit Avenue spans several local, state, and national historic districts and this regional trail plan offers the opportunity to preserve, rehabilitate, and reveal historic and cultural features within the corridor that reflect the multi-layered and complex history of Summit Avenue and the region; and
WHEREAS, the availability of on-street parking has been expressed as a community concern and the final design should take into account adjacent land uses in determining parking locations; and
WHEREAS, the Plan contains information required by the RPPP and includes a visionary framework for development of a regional trail, recognizing that future community engagement, design and engineering processes will be necessary to achieve site-specific facility designs; and
WHEREAS, future design and engineering processes will include neighborhood and community involvement to consider potential impacts based on existing conditions at the onset of implementation and throughout multiple phases; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council requires an approved regional plan conforming to the requirements of the RPPP to designate a regional trail alignment and plan for development; and
WHEREAS, plan approval will make the Summit Avenue Regional Trail eligible for regional capital funding to construct the trail and for regional operations and maintenance funding to operate all segments open to the public; and
WHEREAS, the completed trail is expected to become an important part of the City’s and the Metropolitan Council’s Regional Trail System; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Commission, the Saint Paul Transportation Committee, and the Saint Paul Planning Commission are appointed bodies established to advise the Saint Paul Mayor and the City Council on long-range and city-wide matters related to the Saint Paul Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Planning and Economic Development; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Commission held a public hearing on April 13, 2023 where it sought recommendations from all concerned citizens concerning the Summit Avenue Regional Trail Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Commission received a recommendation from the City of Saint Paul Transportation Committee on April 17, 2023 finding consistency with the 2040 Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan and other adopted plans; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Commission received a recommendation from the City of Saint Paul Planning Commission on April 28, 2023 recommending the Summit Avenue Regional Trail Plan for approval and conveying it to the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City Council; and
WHEREAS, on May 11, 2023 the Parks and Recreation Commission passed a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the Summit Avenue Regional Trail Plan and conveyed that recommendation and the official record to the City Council; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the Saint Paul Administrative Code the recommendations of the Transportation Committee, the Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission, as well as the minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission public hearing, have become part of the official record of the proposed plan and have been submitted to the City Council; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council approves and adopts the Summit Avenue Regional Trail Plan and is hereby authorized to submit said Plan to the Metropolitan Council for review and approval.