Joe Drennan,
Staff Writer

For the last six years Renae Fry has been representing the Columbus Township citizens as a member of the town board. With the election right around the corner Fry says things such as the development of the freeway corridor, incorporation and bridge improvements are important, but theyíre not the only things the town board needs to focus on.

Over the past several months Fry has been learning about wetland comprehensive plans and why they are important. After an issue on Lake Dr. where rainwater was going onto another property ownerís property, it became clear that this was something the township needed to look into.

With Columbus covered in wetlands it poses a problem at times with development as developers have to mitigate for any wetlands they fill in.

ìAll of us are aware that there are good wetlands and bad wetlands,î Fry said. ìWeíre trying to find out if there is any way we could type them, rank them and evaluate them.î

With a wetland comprehensive plan that the township is working on with Rice Creek, they are trying to find ways that may not entirely require two to one mitigation for all wetlands.

ìIíve been attending the meetings and getting the engineers to look at more than just one property, but the area as a whole,î Fry said. ìWe donít have the luxury to wait on board members to get up to speed on things like this.î

With the North Metro Harness Initiative harness racing track/card room moving forward, there has been plenty of debate on how the township is developing the freeway district.

ìItís naive for some to think we didnít check this (development opportunities),î Fry said.

Fry said that when the township first decided to develop the freeway corridor they looked into all the different possibilities, but they learned the businesses like to have ìrooftopsî and Columbus only has 1400 homes.

ìForest Lake is building up so that is helping us in many instances, so as much as weíd like these retail uses to come in itís a hard sell,î Fry said.

While some citizens have expressed the desire to have campus style corporate offices move to Columbus, Fry said that those types of businesses often times come in and tell the townships what to do, not the township telling the businesses what to do. She also noted that a business like that could put as many as 6000 car trips on the CR 23/I-35 bridge at peak traffic times.

ìThe other thing we found early on is those types of businesses want tax concessions,î Fry said. ìEven if we could offer them, the whole part of developing that corridor is to generate tax relief to the community, not just that district.î

The CR 23/I-35 bridge is a hot topic in Columbus and something Fry has been working to get put on the Anoka County list of projects.

ìWeíre having to become much more proactive in lobbying our representatives,î Fry said. ìWhen the Tri-City Coalition was formed, I think that made a big difference because Columbus now has a voice within that group and we have Mark Kennedyís ear now.î

Fry says the bridge may not be on any list at this point in time, but the town boardís work has attracted some attention at least.

ìThis is something that requires experience and I understand this,î Fry said. ìThis is a case where having experience helps.î

As Columbus develops the freeway district, talk is beginning to circulate about the possibility of incorporating. Many in the township do not want to go through the trouble of developing the freeway district, then losing it to annexation.

ìWeíre going to have to incorporate, but there is an expense that goes with it,î Fry said. ìThe cost of incorporating can be anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 depending on whether it is contested or not.î

Fry adds that once incorporated Columbus would have the added expense of paying for added police service of at least 16 hours a day, seven days a week. That cost alone would be around $400,000, up from the $100,000 Columbus currently pays. As a township, Anoka County handles all of the prosecution work for Columbus, but if they become a city they would have to pay that cost and that could range from $50,000 to $100,000 a year.

Another added expense would be county road improvements. Right now the county picks up the tab at the countyís expense, but if Columbus incorporates, they would have to participate.

ìHere is the flaky deal,î Fry said. ìThere are benefits to cities that are available, but to have state aid benefits you have to have 5000 residents and weíve been at 4000 for a while. Weíre not growing so weíd need special legislation to get that state aid.î

Fry says she worries that if Columbus incorporates, that will add another $4000 to $5000 to the budget, increasing the taxes to the residents who make up 90 percent of the tax base for the township.

ìIíll incorporate if I have to save my borders, but I wonít do it until I know we have the freeway corridor to help with that,î Fry said. ìAny expansion there is going to provide tax relief and my goal is to be responsible in the timing and hold off the annexation threat if we can.î,

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Forest Lake Times
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