Como Community Council Corner

Posted

By MICHAEL KUCHTA, Executive Director

Special election planned to fill At-Large board seat

The Como Community Council holds a special election this month to fill one At-Large board vacancy. The election takes place Tues., Aug. 15 at 7pm, before the monthly board meeting at the Como Park Streetcar Station.

You can find information about candidates on the District 10 website: www.district10comopark.org. (Write-in nominations will be accepted from the floor the night of the election.)

Any District 10 resident at least 18 years of age is eligible to vote; so are representatives from businesses or institutions in the neighborhood. District 10 is the portion of St. Paul bounded roughly by Snelling on the west, Larpenteur on the north, Dale on the east, and the railroad tracks between Pierce Butler and Energy Park Dr./Front Ave. on the south.

The lawn signs are back

District 10 is reviving our lawn sign safety campaign. The goals are the same: To get drivers to slow down and to make our residential streets safer for everyone. To make it work, you organize 10-12 neighbors who will stick a sign in their yard for two weeks. If you are interested, contact the Como Community Council office by email at district10@district10comopark.org or by phone at 651-644-3889.

We’ll figure out which dates work best.

The options for signs are: “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here,” “Thanks for Slowing Down,” and “Slow Please: Free-Range Children, Adults and Dogs.”

What we can, and can’t, do during the State Fair

The State Fair runs Aug. 24-Sept. 4. That means special zoning allowances kick in for western portions of District 10. Special State Fair “overlay districts” allow vendors to set up shop on private property and allow residents to park visitors’ cars on their lawns—all within limits.

For details on exactly which blocks are covered by which overlay district; exactly what the parking, vending, and peddling regulations say; and how to report violations, see District 10’s website: www.district10comopark.org.

New crosswalk coming

The St. Paul Parks Department will build a new, marked crosswalk on Lexington Pkwy. after Labor Day. The goal is to create a clear, direct way to get back and forth on foot or bicycle between the Lakeside Pavilion / Como Dockside on one side of Lexington, and the Como Park golf clubhouse / ski center / Cozy’s Pub on the other side.

The project will include:

• A 6-foot wide, marked crosswalk with standard warning signs.

• A 10-foot-wide curbed median with a pedestrian refuge, planted with oak trees and little bluestem grasses. The median replaces an existing painted median, which stretches from the driveway entering the golf course parking lot to the driveway for the Lakeside Pavilion’s north parking lot.

• 12-foot traffic lanes, with a 25 mph speed limit.

• New, ADA-accessible paths, sidewalks and ramps connecting the crosswalk on each side of Lexington.

For more details on the project, see District 10’s website: www.district10comopark.org.

Get rid of your junk in October

St. Paul’s annual Reduce & Recycle Citywide Drop Off Event at the State Fairgrounds takes place on Sat., Oct. 7, from 8am-1pm. Some basic information:

• Residents who volunteer to staff the event receive a voucher allowing them to dispose of one load for free. To volunteer, contact the Como Community Council office by email at district10@district10comopark.org or by phone at 651-644-3889.

• Disposal: Residents can dispose of appliances, electronics, furniture, tires, demolition debris, scrap metal, and other household refuse for a set fee per item or per load. For full details on what items are acceptable, and their fees, go to the city’s All-In web page: www.stpaul.gov/recycle.

Upcoming District 10 meetings

• Como Community Council June Meeting: Tues., Aug. 15

• Environment Committee: Wed., Aug. 30

• Neighborhood Relations and Safety Committee: Tues., Sept. 5

• Land Use Committee: Wed., Sept. 6

All meetings begin at 7pm at the Como Park Streetcar Station, which is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. Community members are always welcome to attend and participate.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here