City Tour Handout 2022
Commissioner Bus Tour
2022
1
Hy-Vee Aisles Online | 8200 42nd Ave N
In 2021, the City Council approved an amendment to Hy-Vee’s Planned Unit
Development (PUD) for construction of a 1,200 square-foot drive-thru kiosk on the west
side of the grocery store. This included four drive-thru grocery pick-up lanes with an
overhead canopy, new curbing and landscaping around the building. Customers
purchase their groceries online and drive to the kiosk to pick them up. The groceries are
delivered directly to the kiosk from the main Hy-Vee store. Although the kiosk was in
use in late 2021, the project was completed, including the final landscaping, in the
spring of 2022.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
2
Scattered Site Housing | 4637 Aquila Ave N
The home that was previously located at 4637 Aquila Ave N, was destroyed in a tragic
fire in 2020. The Economic Development Authority (EDA) acquired the property for
$73,000 in 2021. What remained of the home was demolished and the lot was prepared
for the construction of a new single-family home. The lot was sold to Great Buy Homes,
who constructed a 2,700-square foot split-level entry home that sold for $460,000. In July
of 2022. The home features five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property was
featured on a segment that aired on KSTP-TV in March, which highlighted the city’s
Scattered Site Housing Program. This is the eighth home Great Buy Homes has
constructed in New Hope through the program.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
3
Escuela Exitos | 4741 Zealand Ave N
In April of 2021, the City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit for Escuela Exitos
to open a Spanish Immersion school at 4741 Zealand Ave N. This property was
previously owned by New Hope Church. The Kindergarten through 5th grade charter
school is a two-way dual language Spanish/English immersion school. The school
served approximately 165 students during the 2021-2022 school year with planned
enrollment increasing and capping out at 390 students by the 2023-2024 school year.
The school also plans to add one grade each year until they have 12th grade students,
this way the school will grow organically with students who are already attending. The
last of the exterior projects including: a new sign, a new playground and fencing, were
completed in the early summer of 2022.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
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2022 Seal Coat and Fog Seal Project
To maximize the life of the pavement on the city streets, the city schedules annual crack
repair, seal coat and fog sealing of selected streets. This activity is a critical part of the
city’s current pavement management strategy. This summer, 1.2 miles of street were
crack filled and 5.2 miles of street were crack filled, seal coated and fog sealed.
Additionally, mastic crack fill product was installed along 1.7 miles of Boone Ave N
between 42nd Ave N and Bass Lake Road to repair failing pavement joints. Boone Ave
N between 42nd Ave N and 49th Ave N also had seal coat and fog seal applied.
The intent of this process is to seal the roadway so that no moisture is absorbed into the
asphalt, which is the leading cause of asphalt failure. After the road cracks are filled, the
contractor applies an asphaltic emulsion and trap rock aggregate. Excess rock is swept
off the roadway prior to the fog sealing. The fog sealing further seals the road surface
and eliminates any excess rock release. It also provides the appearance and feel of a
brand-new road surface, while extending the life span of the roadway.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
5
Scattered Site Housing | 4201 Boone Ave N
The property at 4201 Boone Ave N was previously owned by TreeHouse, a nonprofit
organization that serves teenagers. In November of 2021, TreeHouse merged its New
Hope and Plymouth locations and closed the New Hope building. The Economic
Development Authority (EDA) acquired the tax-exempt property in June of 2022 with
the intent of demolishing the existing building, splitting the lot into two parcels and
selling the lots to a builder for the construction of two new single-family homes. Both
lots would be accessed from Boone Ave N. It is expected that demolition will be
completed this fall and the lot split will be processed by the end of the year. The parcels
will then be marketed to scattered site builders. According to MnDOT, this stretch of
42nd Ave N has the highest volume of traffic of any street in New Hope.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
6
Hidden Valley Park | 8800 32nd Ave N
The playground improvement project at Hidden Valley Park started with neighborhood
planning meetings this past winter and the project contracts were awarded by the City
Council in May. The previous equipment was replaced in 1998 and was the oldest in the
system; however, the tot area was replaced in 2017 due to an arson incident.
In addition to new equipment in the large container, the project includes replacement of
the large playground container, edging for the tot container, the walkway leading from
the trail to each container, wood fiber surfacing, two bench pads, a picnic table pad and
a new retaining wall. The concrete around the warming house was also replaced. The
site work is mostly complete and the installation of the playground equipment is
scheduled for later this month. The funding for this project was available in the Park
Infrastructure Fund and is estimated at $280,000, including indirect costs.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
7
Curbside Appeal Program | 8901 30th Ave N
The city launched the Curbside Appeal Reimbursement Program in June of 2022 to
assist single and two-family property owners with making upgrades to the exterior of
their homes and garages in areas that are visible from the street. The city will reimburse
a portion of costs for projects meeting eligibility requirements. The goals of the program
include improving the city’s housing stock, instilling confidence in neighborhoods and
increasing home values. Eligible properties may not have past due taxes, citations, or
utility bills. Eligible improvements to a home or garage must occur in the front or side
yard abutting a street. Projects must be pre-approved by city staff, cost at least $4,000
and be completed within 180 days. The program reimburses property owners for 25%
of eligible project costs with a maximum reimbursement of $5,000. Funding for the
program is dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Some of the projects covered include:
• Alteration to roof line
• Addition of covered front porch
• Installation of new front door or storm door with windows
• Installation of new garage door with windows
• Installation of brick or stone facades
• Enlargement of windows by at least 25%
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
Before Picture
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Pallet One, MN | 9210 Science Center Drive
Pallet One, MN obtained a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for open outdoor storage at
9210 Science Center Drive in June 2022. Pallet One planned to store up to 44 trailers in
the storage area at a time. Colorado Green Spruce trees were planted to create adequate
screening from the right-of-way. The trees will grow to a height of 30 feet and grow
approximately eight inches annually. New paving and curbing of the previous parking
lot was completed in order to fulfill requirements of the CUP.
Pallet One, MN moved into their current location in the winter of 2022. They are one of
the largest new pallet manufacturers in the United States, as well as one of the largest
pallet recyclers in the country. All of Pallet One’s products are 100 percent recyclable or
able to be upcycled. This means that if a pallet cannot be recycled into a new pallet, it
can be upcycled into other usable products such as sawdust, woodchips and mulch.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
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Public Works Expansion | 5500 International Parkway
In the fall of 2020,
the City Council
approved the Phase
One Public Works
Expansion Project.
The project was
split into two
phases to avoid the
need for bonding to
fund the project.
Phase one
improvements
include a new
security system,
cameras and gates;
new soils storage building and truck storage renovations; pavement replacement;
mechanics bay air conditioning, parts room renovations, repaint wall, sealer and
parking spaces; relocated fitness room, trench drain corrections; and new garage doors.
Phase one construction began in June of 2021. Mechanic’s bay improvements began in
the winter of 2021-22 and were completed in spring of 2022. The soil storage building
construction began in late spring 2022. The remaining work includes finishing the soils
building, fencing, additional lighting and a final lift of asphalt on the parking lot.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
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2022 Infrastructure Project
The 2022 Infrastructure
Improvement Project involves
the mill and overlay (shown in
red) of 0.85 miles of roadway
and the reclaim and overlay
(shown in purple) of 0.2 miles of
roadway. Pavement
rehabilitation methods were
determined by the city engineer
based on current pavement
conditions. This area was
determined based on the 10-
year pavement management
plan.
In addition to the pavement
construction, portions of the
water main were reconstructed
along Independence Ave N and
along Bass Lake Road. These
sections of water main were in
poor condition with a history of
water breaks. Storm sewer
structures were also added to
help with drainage issues on
Independence Ave N.
Work began in April of 2022. The majority of work was completed by the end of June.
Persistent hot and dry weather delayed restoration work until the middle of August
when weather conditions became favorable to grass establishment.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
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Meadow Lake Drawdown
The city of New Hope, in partnership with the Shingle Creek Watershed Management
Commission and the Meadow Lake Watershed Association, began the first steps of the
Meadow Lake Management Plan last fall. This project will address the curly-leaf
pondweed infestation, poor fish habitat and high phosphorus levels in the lake bottom
sediment. This project is fully funded by a Clean Water Fund Grant and a Board of Soil
and Water Resources grant.
The project began with a winter-long drawdown of Meadow Lake. The drawdown
began in November of 2021. In the spring, the lake filled back up during the snow-melt
season. Water quality is being monitored over the next two to three years to gauge the
effect of the drawdown and adapt future treatment strategies. If water quality results
have not improved, a summer drawdown may be necessary to promote native plant
growth. Once water quality has reached the desired levels, chemical treatment, most
likely an alum treatment, could be applied to the lake to treat and contain the
phosphorus in the lake bottom sediments. Initial water quality results have shown
indications of improvement in the lake and a fishery survey confirmed the invasive
minnow population is under control.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
New Hope Golf Course | 8130 Bass Lake Rd
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Golf Course staff has continued to
make miscellaneous improvements.
Some of the proceeds from the 2022
Plant Sale were used to purchase new
planters that were added to the walk
up to the clubhouse. Over the last
year the putting green next to the
clubhouse has been expanded to
accommodate more people. Extra soil
was brought in as part of the patio
project to shape the base of the green
and then last fall, the plugs or cores
produced from aerating the greens
on the course were collect and spread
over the base. These cores have
grown together to form the new
expansion of the putting green. This
fall, additional irrigation will be added for the expanded area.
As part of the Meadow Lake draw down project, the tee box on hole number 8 was
rebuilt to its original condition in 1996 when the tee box had been expanded as part of a
previous storm water project. A pipe had been installed underneath the tee box to
connect Meadow Lake and the large pond between holes seven and eight. Over the
years a large hump through the tee box developed where the pipe ran underneath and
it was determined that the soil around the pipe had been settling, causing the pipe to
create a large hump in the tee box which made a section of it unusable. The outlet into
the pond was replaced and repurposed rock from the pool parking lot was used to
stabilize the shoreline. The tee box was also used to stage rock and soil for the project
along with being the access to a neighbor’s yard where the inlet to the pipe had to be
replaced. Topsoil was brought in to repair the damage to the tee box as well as to level
the tee box, eliminating the hump. The tee was sodded in the spring and was open for
play in July.
Lastly, in the concession area, the ice maker was replaced and a new four-keg beer
dispenser was installed. This allows staff to offer a better selection of draft beer and
store extra kegs.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
13
Saint Therese of New Hope | 8000 Bass Lake Rd
Saint Therese applied for an approval of a master concept plan and the rezoning of their
property to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) district at the July Planning
Commission meeting. This was done to accommodate a four-phase redevelopment of
their campus that would span six to eight years. The Planning Commission
recommended approval of the PUD rezoning and master plan and the case was
forwarded to the July 25, 2022, City Council meeting for consideration.
However, representatives of Saint Therese contacted staff to explain there are industry
shortages of staff for memory care facilities and in order to obtain the needed financing
for the project, their lenders will require workforce studies to ensure there will be ample
staff to operate the business. For this reason, Saint Therese requested that their
application be withdrawn so further analysis can be conducted. Saint Therese has
indicated they plan to re-apply for their land-use approvals with a modified plan within
the next three to four months.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
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Windsor Ridge Development
The city was seeking high quality single-family housing development proposals for an
8.7-acre undeveloped site that has been owned by the city for many years. The site is
located just north of the New Hope Ice Arena, directly west of Iron Horse Park on the
north side of the Soo Line Railroad.
In fall of 2018, the city received six proposals from four different companies regarding
the Windsor Ridge site. After careful consideration SVK was chosen as the preferred
developer for the site.
SVK Development developed 32 single-family units on 65-foot-wide lots. The estimated
sales prices for the homes ranged from the high-$300,000s to the mid $400,000s. All
homes on the site have been sold and the average price was $430,000. The project added
a total of $13.76 million in housing value to the city.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
15
Scattered Site Housing | 5213 Pennsylvania Ave N
The Economic Development Authority (EDA) acquired the single-family home located
at 5213 Pennsylvania Ave N for $170,000 in February of 2021, as part of the city’s
Scattered Site Housing Program. The home was demolished and the lot was prepared
for construction of a new single-family home. The lot was sold to custom home builder
Donnay Homes, who constructed a 3,100-square foot two-story home that sold for
$575,000 In August of 2022, the highest sale price of any scattered site project to date.
The home includes five bedrooms
and an office, four bathrooms and
a finished basement with a wet
bar. Exterior upgrades include
stone veneer along the back of the
front porch and a patio in the
backyard. This is the second home
Donnay Homes has constructed
in New Hope through the
program.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
16
Scattered Site Housing | 5306 Rhode Island Ave N
The single-family home at 5306 Rhode Island Ave N was acquired by the Economic
Development Authority (EDA) for $213,000 in January of 2022, as part of the city’s
Scattered Site Housing Program. The home was demolished and the lot was prepared
for construction of a new single-family home. The city's demolition contractor for the
project subcontracted with a nonprofit organization called Better Futures Minnesota to
deconstruct the home. Deconstruction is an environmentally friendly alternative to the
typical demolition of buildings. Unlike demolition, deconstruction carefully removes a
house or building so that materials can be recycled, repurposed, or reused instead of
being sent to a landfill. Better Futures Minnesota receives a deconstruction subsidy
from Hennepin County to pay for the services. Materials that can be salvaged such as
doors, cabinets, lighting, lumber, appliances, tile and plumbing are then sold at the
Better Futures’ ReUSE warehouse.
The lot was sold to custom home builder Fieldstone Family Homes, who is currently
constructing a two-story home that is projected to sell for $575,000. The 2,259 square
foot home will include four bedrooms and a den, three bathrooms, a three-stall garage,
a front porch and a deck. The buyer will have the option of finishing the basement. This
is the first home in the city to be constructed by Fieldstone Family Homes.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
17
New Hope Ice Arena | 4949 Louisiana Ave N
This spring the dasher boards and glass
were replaced on the north rink. The
previous system was installed in 1998
and had a life expectancy of 20 years. The
project included replacement of all
existing boards and glass, including the
player, penalty and timekeeper boxes and
the installation of three additional gates.
Steel framing and tempered glass was
used and the glass was installed at six
feet around the entire rink, where the
previous glass was six feet only in front
of spectators. Having the glass at six feet
will reduce puck damage to the dryland
training fence, keep more pucks from
leaving the playing surface, provide a uniform look and only one size replacement glass
will need to be kept on hand. Lexan Advertising Panels were also added to allow
dasher ads to be placed inside the panel as compared to being attached directly to the
dasher board.
The project was completed for $243,690
and was paid for with an interfund loan
from the Temporary Financing Fund,
which will be paid back over 15 years.
During the dasher board replacement,
staff also had the opportunity to make
improvements to the bleachers, walkway
and steps.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
18
New Hope Disc Golf Course Signage
Sunnyside Park features the only disc golf
course in New Hope and it was originally added
back in 1997 when it was removed from
Northwood Park during a park renovation
project. This nine-hole course only had two to
three post markers along the course, but they
were faded and the wood posts needed
replacement. An info board sign, nine hole
signs, nine wooden posts and two benches were
installed this year. Funds from a Hennepin
County Youth Sports Grant assisted with the
costs for this project. These new signs have
enhanced the ease of use for the disc golf course
as they provide the course rules, hole numbers,
distances and directions to the baskets.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
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New Hope Park Renovations
Various signs and
amenities were added to
the parks this year. New
park signs were added to
Hidden Valley, Holiday,
Liberty and Lighted
parks. Staff received a
grant from Hennepin
County for the Paso a
Paso/Step to It program
and these funds were
used to purchase new
park maps for Civic
Center, Hidden Valley,
Lions and Northwood
parks. These maps
include walking
distances, a Spanish translation and a QR code to visit the Parks & Recreation website.
The Paso a Paso grant was also used to purchase
a Bike Repair Station which will be placed along
the trail at Hidden Valley Park. A flyer display
board was also installed at Hidden Valley Park
and another free-standing display board will be
installed at Civic Center Park later this year.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour
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Emerald Ash Borer in the Parks
The city of New Hope has been preparing for the infestation of Emerald Ash Borer
(EAB) since 2010 by proactively removing and replacing Ash trees each year. At the
beginning of the year, approximately 300 Ash trees were still located in parks (non -
natural areas), the golf course and ice arena, plus an additional 600+ trees in the
natural areas of Northwood Park and Dorothy Mary Park.
The infestation is now wides pread in New Hope and has affected a significant
number of trees in parks and on public property. Many have either been taken
down or have been identified for removal this year. Greater efforts to remove park
trees will continue over the next several years to bring Ash tree infestations to more
manageable levels. Replacement trees will be planted for many of the trees
removed, but the timing will vary from park to park depending on the season,
weather, tree availability and funding.
Due to the elevated num ber of removals and replacements identified in parks for
2022, additional funding of $100,000 was transferred from the Parks Infrastructure
Fund in 2022 and another $100,000 has been identified in the preliminary budget for
2023. The city forester has also been proactive in applying for grants and successful
in being awarded funds to help with overall expenses.
Over the past winter, city staff removed more than 40 trees with in -house staff and
equipment versus
hiring a contractor.
They also took care of
the stump removals and
have recently started
adding dirt and seed to
those areas. Having
staff continue to assist
with Ash tree removals
during the winter
months will allow the
city to be more effective
in combating the
Emerald Ash Borer.
City of New Hope 2022 Bus Tour