Posted: 8/27/03

Grant would fund express bus service from Forest Lake to St. Paul

The Washington County Board on Tuesday, Aug. 19 approved a staff request to submit a grant application for the introduction of express bus service from Forest Lake to downtown St. Paul.

Every two years, federal funds are made available through the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant program. Express bus service would be provided from the proposed Forest Lake Transit Center (which is currently under development) and would provide four trips in the peak direction in the morning and afternoon rush hour.

To implement this service, a combination of federal and non-federal funding is sought to cover the estimated $2.8 million for three years of operations, beginning in 2007.

The CMAQ grant application would cover 80 percent (or $2.24 million) of the costs, with the remaining 20 percent (or $560,000) being funded through non-federal sources.

After the three-year initiation period, CMAQ funds can no longer be used and an alternate form of funding will need to be identified.

Mike Rogers, planner for the Regional Railroad Authority, said it would cost $450,000 per year to continue operating eight trips per day.

In approving the request, the WCRRA Board affirmed its support toward the funding commitment if no other sources of funds could be identified.

HRA bond program

In other actions last week, the county board selected Tuesday, Sept, 2, for a public hearing regarding the issuance of governmental housing revenue bonds by the Washington County Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

The bonds are proposed to be issued in one or more series in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $10.7 million. The public hearing will be conducted in Room 100 of the County Government Center in Stillwater.

Proceeds of the bonds will be used to refund revenue bonds previously issued by the Washington County HRA to finance the following housing development projects owned by the HRA and located in the county:

ïA 20-unit rental housing facility located at Oakhill Court North and Oakhill Road in the Township of New Scandia, commonly known as ìScandia I.î

ïA 20-unit rental housing facility located in the Township of New Scandia adjacent to Scandia I, commonly known as ìScandia II.î

ïA 120-unit rental housing facility at 14830 58th Street N., Oak Park Heights.

ïA 20-unit rental housing facility at 900 3rd St., St. Paul Park, known as Pioneer Park Apartments.

ïA 40-unit rental housing facility at 1635 S. Greeley St., Stillwater, known as Brick Pond Apartments.

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