Sustainability in Arden Hills – Reprinted from The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents August/September 2022
Among the City’s values is ecological and environmental sustainability. The City of Arden Hills is a member of the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program, which is a voluntary, challenge-based program meant to help cities achieve sustainability and quality-of-life goals. Cities choose action steps from pre-identified Best Practices that align with their goals and that they have the capacity to implement. Arden Hills demonstrates this commitment in its investment in parks and trails, solid waste prevention and reduction, and design for natural resource conservation.
Arden Hills has and will continue to invest in its parks and trails. The new asphalt trail on the west side of Snelling Avenue North was installed in conjunction with road and utility improvements in July 2022. The coordination of the projects enables the existing pavement to be reclaimed and used to construct the base material of the new trail, which saves time, money, and natural resources. This reclamation process is used for construction projects whenever it is feasible. The construction of trails is not a simple task because City leadership considers a number of environmental factors during the planning process.
Another priority of the City is the prevention and reduction of solid waste. Through a partnership with Republic Services, residents receive curbside recycling services—they do not need to set up individual contracts with carriers. An organic recycling site is located within Arden Hills at 3530 Hudson Avenue to encourage residents to recycle their food scraps and yard waste. Additionally, the City regularly promotes resources that identify sustainable waste disposal options. To access these resources, begin by visiting cityofardenhills.org/ organic-waste.
The City prioritizes the conservation of natural resources in new designs and construction. The City Council encourages commercial developers to add electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to their lots and requires that bike racks are included in development plans. These changes make the city more accessible for bikers and EV drivers.
Arden Hills is within the jurisdiction of the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD), whose purpose is to conserve and restore “water resources for the beneficial use of current and future generations.” With the collaboration of the RCWD and the assistance of the Karth Lake Improvement District, Arden Hills Public Works completed a run-off control project for Karth Lake in 2021. The project resulted in improving the water quality of the lake by reducing phosphorus intake by 11.33 lbs per year, which is equal to preventing 11 tons of sediment from moving into the lake.
From using a brine treatment prior to snowfall to reduce the amount of regular road salt used in the winter (which pollutes lakes and rivers through storm drains) to the recent installation of LED lights around the city and the many rain gardens that have seamlessly been added to the City’s landscape, Arden Hills is committed to creating an environmentally-aware and sustainable futur