Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 69

Community Northwest zone pages inside Minneapolis Star and Tribune Thursday July 191984 1Y Hearing may decide fate of St. Albans Bay bridge Lake Minnetonka i Island Lower Lake South Gideon's "'Y" Greenwood By Ellen Foley Staff Writer Water-skiers, fishermen and proponents of light rail transit will get a chance Aug. 7 to debate with boaters and opponents of light rail transit the fate of the unused railroad bridge across Lake Minnetonka's St. Albans Bay. The staff of the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority recommended that the bridge, located between Greenwood and Excelsior, be removed about six weeks ago, said Art Lee, deputy director of the authority.

However, Greenwood Mayor Alan Albrecht said officials received so many complaints that he set the Aug. 7 hearing to see if the city's wish to remove the bridge represented what residents wanted. The railroad authority, which owns the bridge, agreed this week to wait until after the hearing to make its final decision, Lee said. Albrecht said many residents who favor light rail transit do not want the bridge removed because they fear that without the structure, the county would decide it was too expensive to give light rail service to Greenwood. Other residents want to keep the bridge because its low clearance prvents boats taller than 23 feet from entering the bay, he said.

That keeps lake cruisers, with their large wakes, from using St. Albans Bay, making it a haven for water-skiing St. Albans Bay railroad bridge Staff Photo by Charles Bjorgen Greenwood officials want to remove the unused railroad bridge across fear that if the structure is gone it will hurt their chances of getting light St. Albans Bay, but some residents rail service. and fishing, he said.

Greenwood officials said they have been on record for about four years in favor of removing the deteriorating bridge. Neighboring Excelsior's city council has opposed its removal, according to Tim Madigan, Excelsior city manager. "We feel the removal of that bridge would be injurious to bringing light rail transit to Excelsior because It would dramatically increase the costs," he said. Is workhouse exercise program worth the cost? "The railroad bridge Issue is evolving into the question of what is the proper use of the bay," he said. Albrecht said he is not sure it's fair that reside its of lake communities restrict use of the waterways but he wants the Greenwood officials' stand to be representative of residents there.

If the railroad authority saves the bridge, Albrecht said, improvements must be made and he suggests It could become an extension of the The county's contract with Pride works out to about $500 per week, or about $83 for each of the six 45-mlnute sessions per week. The workhouse program started at the end of June. During the first four weeks, between two and eight people have attended the sessions, officials said. The program is free for the employees, but they attend on their own time. Initially, 35 employees said they were interested in the program, according to Rosemary Tribey, director of the women's section at the But many of those interested work early-morning or late-night shifts and can't attend the afternoon sessions, she said.

"And many people told us that summer was a bad time to start a program like this. They have golf and softball and other things. They told us if it was fall, they might be interested," she said. Cindy Marquardt, a Pridercise employee, led the first exercise session yesterday in the carpeted workhouse chapel. Accompanied by rousing rock music, 1:.

Deephaven Statute miles Star and Tribune map Hennepin County engineers have estimated that a new bridge for light rail could cost $1.3 million, Madigan said, whereas renovating the railroad bridge for light rail could cost as little as $100,000. The rail authority bought the bridge in 1980 from the Chicago and North Western Railroad as part of an effort to acquire right of way for a light rail transit system, Lee said. County officials recently determined that it is not practical to use the bridge for light rail transit and renovating the r.r Together with high voltage electrical wires over Hwy. 101, dozens of other live wires down throughout the three square mile area hit by the storm, and rush-hour traffic, city officials and disaster crews bad their hands full. Setter said.

An emergency command post was set up near the destroyed Hanus Bus Co. garage at 4500 Tonkawood Rd. while Minnetonka police officers, police reservists and Explorer scouts cordoned off areas hit by the storm. Catching rides with television news helicopters. Setter and City Manager Jim Miller determined where to deploy disaster teams, and what areas were hardest hit.

After clearing streets of fallen electrical wires and trees, police and rescue workers went house to house searching for Injured residents. To handle emergency calls, Minnetonka officers and Hennepin County Sheriffs deputies set up a makeshift communications system Monday night, posting squad cars and foot patrols with radios in the damage areas. Though city officials won't have a final estimate until week's end, Setter said Monday's windstorm damaged the city more than city officials originally thought. A bus company barn and six houses were destroyed, and more than 20 other bouses sustained serious damage. But damage to many others is being found by city teams going bouse to house.

Setter said. 101 A Carson's C0 bridge's opening apparatus to allow boat passage would be impossible, he said. The county has received complaints from boat owners about the lack of access to the bay and about people on the bridge throwing objects at boaters, he said. Albrecht said light rail proponents in his city are fighting for the restoration of the bridge, but access to the bay is surfacing as a predominant issue. By Joe Kimball Staff Writer Two people exercised for 45 minutes Wednesday at an aerobics class for employees of the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility.

County taxpayers paid $83 for the session. At a later session yesterday afternoon, three people took part. Again, the cost to the county was $83. "The question is: Are we getting our money's worth? It sure doesn't look like it to me," said Commissioner Randy Johnson, who voted against the program. In May the county board voted to pay $13,000 for a six-month exercise program at the corrections facility In Plymouth, which Is often called the county workhouse.

J.D. Pride's corporate fitness organization, Priderclse, runs the program. Pride is a former University of Minnesota football player. The cost of the program was based on 40 employees attending three 45-minute sessions a week. (Pride charges each participant about $2 per session.) Richard Setter "It's so misleading.

You'll see a house that looks all right from the road, but then you'll examine it closely and see the roof Is off the walls by four inches," he said. Despite extensive property damage. Setter said city residents and disaster crews were lucky to escape the storm 'and initial cleanup without serious injury. And, Setter said, it would fine with him if the city avoids another test of Its emergency capability anytime soon. "I hope things don't really come In threes this has been a long two months; it seems like it's been two years," he said.

i I 'j T1 Jf in 1 1 1 city's bike path, if it were paved. Excelsior's Madigan said his city has suggested that the bridge be replaced with a pedestrian bridge that would allow the passage of the large boats. The public hearing on the bridge is scheduled to take place during the Greenwood City Council meeting Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Lyman Lodge, 21090 Minnetonka Blvd.

she led two female office worker? through stretching and strengthening and slimming exercises. Pride, who led the second session, said the schedule for workhouse employees makes it difficult for many to attend on their own time. "Some are not willing to come early, or stay late, or come in on their days off," he said. "In two weeks we're going to attend a union meeting ami see why more people are not participating." There are 150 employees at the workhouse, officials said. Pride runs similar programs for several area corporations.

In addition to aerobics and fitness testing, the program Includes Information on nutrition and stress management, he said. In April, the county board rejected a similar exercise program for inmates at the workhouse, which would have cost $25,000. At the time. Commissioner Bud Robb said that inmates don't need a 'fancy exercise class. Then, in May, the board approved the program for employees.

OFL Commissioners John Derus, Jeff Spartz, Mark Andrew and Sam Siva-nich voted for the program. IR Commissioners Robb, Dick Kremer and Johnson voted against it. netonka control of a nearby dam site. The formation of a commission to govern the causeway boat launch. Wayzata Mayor Bill Humphrey said the council decided It could accept the land exchange provision but insists on acres of fill.

Council members also advocate a three-member governing commission, which differs from Donlin's proposal for a larger group, he said. Humphrey said he thought the council action left room for continued talks between the two cities. The causeway, which is part of Hwy. 101, links the two cities and is bounded on the east by Gray's Bay and the west by Wayzata Bay. one-half of the costs of an Ice arena In Rosemount The school board had set the content of the bond issue in June, but waited until this week to decide the format of the questions.

District officials argue the funds are needed to solve overcrowding In district schools. Student enrollment figures have increased from 12,389 in the 1980-1981 school year to a projected 13,480 in 1983-1984. Officials estimate the district's population will grow to more than 16,000 by the end of the decade. Champlin drains, inspects Mill Pond By Jack Tubert Staff Writer Emptied of water, the Upper Basin of Champlin's Mill Pond Wednesday looked like a surrealist painting, dotted with shipwrecked prairie schooners and the blackened bones of prehistoric animals. "It looks like Spanish moss on top of mud," said Mark A.

Klser, a technician with Lake Restorations, which brings life to dead bodies of water. State and local officials joined Klser at the old pond yesterday, two days after they ordered drainage of the water to inspect the bottom of the eight-acre pond. It has become filled with silt, vegetation and debris from the July 3, 1983, tornado that ripped the roof off a shopping center and flung parts of it into Mill Pond. What looked like broken prairie schooners turned out to be weathered sections of roofing from the shopping center, now trapped in tons of silt Bill Walraven, chairman of Champlin's Clean Water Committee, estimated that sediment is about 18 Inches deep almost half of the pond's 4-foot depth before the drainage. Richard Brown, co-chairman of the committee, who lives on the shores of Lower Basin, recalled swimming In Mill Pond as a youth.

The water then, he said, was 6 feet to 17 feet deep. With Jo Nunn, former Champlin mayor who lives near the pond and Is now a member of the Metropolitan Council, Walraven repeated a prediction he made last February when the citizens task force was formed: "Mill Pond will soon be a swamp If somethine isn't done soon. It Is dete riorating rapidly." Walraven said the committee has brought in experts to study the pond. They have estimated that it would cost $55,000 to breathe oxygen into the pond using aeration or biomanl- pulation, and $300,000 to dredge the pond. Funding for a cleanup is being sought.

City council member Michael Baldwin said the city might sell the silt for landfill. "We've been told you could get 55,000 cubic feet of fill in taking out the top 3 feet of dirt off the bottom of the pond." Spillboards that were removed to al- low the pond to drain into the Missis- sippi River will be replaced today, I and the pond will be allowed to refill i naturally. Officials plan to drain the lake again in the fall. Staff Photo by Charles Bjorgen Only two employees of the Hennepin County workhouse showed up for an exercise class with a Priderclse employee Wednesday. Minnetonka's chief finds new challenge Causeway compromise draws mixed reaction The Wayzata City Council Tuesday accepted and rejected parts of a Minnetonka compromise for improvements to the Gray's Bay Causeway boat launch.

Minnetonka Mayor Larry Donlin sent a letter to Wayzata officials proposing the plan for the boat launch, which is owned by Minnetonka but lies within the city limits of Wayzata. Donlin's plan Includes: The addition of 1 acres of fill to the boat launch area to expand parking. Minnetonka's transfer of ownership of the land to Hennepin County under the conditions that no additional fill would be added to the site and that the county would give Min By Paul Gustation Staff Writer Richard Setter left his post as St. Louis Park's police chief two months ago, seeking new challenges in neighboring Minnetonka. He got what he wanted.

Besides learning his officers' names and the city street map. Setter has worked on a $2 million-plus public safety budget, a community crime watch program, and on ways to use cable TV to get emergency messages out to residents. Then Monday, a few weeks after reviewing the city's response to one potential emergency, a hazardous chemical spill, Setter got to test Minnetonka's disaster response plan when thunderstorms packing 60 mile per hour winds hit a 3-square-mile section of the city. A tired Setter declared Wednesday that both the plan and the city's execution of it succeeded. "Given the situation, I'd give us a nine on a scale of ten," he said.

When the storm hit, the city was in the process of upgrading its radio system, which put police and fire vehicles and public works crews on a hodgepodge of different channels. Then, one emergency channel was knocked out by the storm, forcing a doubling-up on the other one. School district to vote on two bonds Two questions will face Apple Val-ley-Rosemount School District voters in a bond referendum Sept 25. First, the district will ask voters to approve spending $12.47 million to buy $500,000 In land for future buildings, build two elementary schools in Apple Valley and Eagan at a cost of $10.97 million and add special education classrooms costing $995,000. Second, the district will ask residents to approve $24.5 million for a 1 high school in Eagan to cost $19.5 million, a $2.97 million, theater at Rosemount High School, a $650,000 stadium at Apple Valley High School and $1.37 million for.