Metro briefs: Washington County to raze architect-built cabin at St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park

Cabin on St. Croix bluffs to be razed

A river bluff cabin built by famed architect Thomas Ellerbe in St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park will come crashing down sometime after Labor Day, as the county moves ahead with plans to raze the structure. The county evaluated project bids this week, and the cabin is expected to be removed by mid-October.

The cabin was closed to the public in 2015 due to mold, a foundation crack and general disrepair. Completed in 1954, the cabin with sweeping views of the St. Croix River was Ellerbe's until his death in 1987. The building and surrounding land were sold in 1990 to Control Data, which renovated the cabin for use as a conference center. In 1996, the building and 579 acres of land were acquired by Washington County for the creation of St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park.

Ellerbe, who took over his father's architecture firm in 1921, was renowned for hospital and clinic architecture, including the Mayo Clinic's Plummer Building. His firm Ellerbe and Co. designed or co-designed landmark structures including St. Paul City Hall, the Cardozo building in St. Paul, the Northwest Airways hangar at Holman Field, the Cleveland Clinic and Hospital and Sacred Heart Church in St. Paul.

The site of the cabin will be restored to native vegetation.

Matt McKinney

Trash can rules under review

Brooklyn Park city code requires waste containers at residential properties to be stored out of public view. But that can be difficult for some homeowners, the city said, and it requires an inordinate amount of inspectors' time to follow up on complaints.

Last year, the city received more than 800 complaints about trash can storage violations, the most common violation in the city's residential neighborhoods. That is time that could be better spent addressing more pressing problems that affect livability, such as decks that don't meet code, the city said.

The city is proposing to allow residents who live in single- and two-family properties to store waste containers in the side yard. If the change is adopted, Brooklyn Park will join several other metro area cities with similar ordinances.

The proposed change would not override rules set by homeowners' associations.

A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 22 at City Hall, 5200 85th Av. N.

Tim Harlow

Park renovation to include pickleball courts

The Shakopee City Council approved plans to convert existing tennis courts at Lions Park into eight pickleball courts, and will put the project out for bids in August, according to city documents.

The estimated cost of the remodeled pickleball courts is $320,000. Money will come from the park development fund.

The project is part of a larger park renovation that will include an expansion of a parking lot , landscaping and lighting improvements, a new electronic message board, a picnic shelter, new trails and sidewalks, a concrete ice rink and new, relocated disc golf baskets. The project will also include a renovated pool.

Lions Park, located in the northwestern part of the city, is home to an inclusive playground and splash pad.

"It is the most used park in the city," said Michael Kerski, planning and development director.

Erin Adler