Alice Pickering
Linwood Area Reporter

Some larger improvements to part of 205th Ave. and Jodrell Street in Linwood Township may be possible in 2007, the town board learned on April 10.

Linwood Town Board Supervisor Phil Osterhus reported a call from a DNR official who said money earmarked for state park roads is available to some repairs to these streets. The amount offered is $600,000, with $400,000 for Carlos Avery and the balance for gravel along Jodrell Street.

Recently 205th Ave., a west entrance to Carlos Avery Wildlife Refuge, has been closed off because the road conditions are unsafe. It is a low maintenance road. On Jodrell Street, water is lapping at the edges of the road.

In later comments, Osterhus said the Army Corps of Engineers has been holding water at various points within Carlos Avery to keep it from entering the Sunrise flowage all at once. The town needs extra fill and grading to help correct this.

Engineering costs would be about 10 percent of the project costs, around $60,000. The road and bridge fund has $50,000 budgeted for engineering costs.

Osterhus told the DNR official the township is very interested in the proposed projects. The board agreed to be certain about any restrictions on where and how the road repairs can be made before accepting the money.

More information should be available by the next meeting, when the board will make a decision about the offer. In the meantime, 205th will remain posted as a minimum maintenance road.

More road items

The board approved the overlay on Paradise Point to be completed in 2007. The vote was 4-0. Supervisor Scott Bailey was absent.

Additional information about the township’s roads reveal that engineering work is completed on Thames Street, but the repair work on this street is to be postponed for at least a year because there is no money in the budget to complete the repairs.

In his report, Engineer Craig Jochum estimates the cost to patch the road for the year to be about $1000. Township employees may be able to remove trees from the right-of-way, even though the road work is to be postponed this year.

Trees in the road right-of-way for 226th Ave. have been removed before the street improvements begin. Residents were reminded that trees, rocks, and landscaping in the road right-of-way should be removed. These are hazards. If the township removes the obstacles, the cost is assessed to the property.

Complaints continue to be addressed by supervisors. The way to fix the problems is to continue through the legal process and follow through on the enforcement. One site is a burned home west of the tennis courts at Broadbent Park. Periodically, improvements are made, but not followed through to the end.

Attorney Gerald Randall is to continue the paperwork to get the clean-up completed.

The pre-trial hearing for the complaint against the Kevin Ryan property is scheduled for later in April, according to Randall. For several other houses about which there have been complaints, letters will be sent to property owners, along with references to the township ordinances about clean-up.

Supervisor Howard Holm questioned what supervisors are allowed to do if they wish to inspect houses personally. Supervisors will do a visual check of a number of these homes while they complete the annual road review.

While the condition of the houses cannot be discussed during the drive, supervisors can make their own notes for discussion at the open board meetings. Road review for the township is Saturday.

Randall is to add language to the township’s contract with Steve Strandlund for completing the grading for soccer fields in exchange for the park dedication fee. If Strandlund is unable to finish the work, the engineer is to determine the value of the completed work. The board approved the decision by a vote of 4-0.

The Cattail Pond Development agreement was referred to the attorney for some changes before final approval.

Other business

In other business, the board:

•Learned review of the proposed ordinance change about accessory buildings will be completed in time for the next board meeting.

•Approved a partnership with Anoka County to apply for CDBG money from HUD.

•Passed a resolution authorizing Stacy Lions to sell beer at the Linwood Fireman’s Dance, Saturday, Sept. 8.

•Accepted the resignation of Ruth Grant from the cemetery committee.

•Learned senior transportation provided 321 round-trip rides during March, including trips by buses and volunteer drivers.

•Learned the Linwood Food Shelf served 33 families in March.

Top of Page