In redeveloping the Twin Lakes area near the newly built Oasis apartment development (West of Snelling Avenue), the City wanted to improve the area aesthetically, environmentally, and for safety reasons. That’s why they created an underground pipe for drainage, and added a multi-use trail on top. The area was formerly a 2.3 mile open channel, built in the late 1800’s to drain water from the now Gluek Lane neighborhood, all the way to Little Lake Johanna.
The City of Roseville received honorable mention for Municipal Project of the Year at the annual City Engineers Association of Minnesota (CEAM) Conference.
Through development agreements with the Oasis Development property owners, the City secured $1,622,092 to help fund the improvements.
Multi-Use Trail, Multi-Purpose Development
This trail adds connectivity for residents and businesses in the area. It also will help reduce long-term maintenance due to erosion, sedimentation and vegetation management.
The new trail includes pedestrian level lighting, benches, trash receptacles, landscaping, and new trees. Six trail connections were made to the new adjacent redevelopments and the existing properties along the corridor. The City contribution to the funding for the project was only $317,086 or approximately 17% of the entire project cost.
Environmental Benefits
The environmental impacts for the area will be felt for years to come. Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) estimates the new pipe will reduce the sediment loading into Oasis Pond, increasing its lifespan by about 50 years. This will reduce long term maintenance costs to the district by $370,000 over 100 years. Additionally, the increased pipe flow reduced upstream floodplain flooding.
Safety and Beauty
The elimination of the ditch created an overall safety benefit to adjacent properties. The elimination of the ditch removed the hazard of the 20-foot-deep ditch flash flooding next to newly developed apartments. The removal of vegetation and brush from the old ditch and replacing the corridor with a landscaped tree lined trail provides a more aesthetically pleasing view for new adjacent residents.
An extension of the trail into Oasis Park is planned for 2022 and will provide further connections for the neighborhood and recent developments.