Gateway Gardens Update
(September 29, 2010)

Planting Dates:
The Gateway Gardens will be planted by volunteers this Saturday, October 2nd , starting at 9 AM and until dusk or all 1,750 plants are in the ground. ( If more work is needed, we will extend the planting into Sunday).

To keep you fed and hydrated, we'll have coffee and pastries in the morning and pizza for lunch. Plus, water, lemonade, etc., during the day.

Volunteers are needed to help plant and finish out the paths. Please email or call Rita Ulrich (below) to sign up (we need a head count). We are also looking for volunteer gardners to help with ongoing maintainence. Help make this a true community work!

The project is now on a fast tract to stay ahead of the planting volunteers. Contractors are currently connecting a water line and installing a meter and "yard hydrant" for hose connections. New sections of cedar fencing will be installed to help isolate the transformer from view, and (Engleman Ivy will be planted to hide that fence.) Nine trees will be planted, and yards of mulch will be tilled into the ground before Saturday. Later, extra site lighting will be installed.

The Gateway Gardens is what we are calling the former dry cleaner site (the Minnehaha building) at 4224 East 50th Street. Currently, the Metropolitan Council owns the small parcel of land that curently only holds the 50th Street LRT "Sub-traction transformer." In December, 2009, the Met Council had the building demolished and the site filled and graded.

At a Town Meeting in January, area residents discussed several options for use of the site with Met Transit, NENA and an architecture firm hired by Met Transit. Since then, Met Transit and NENA have been researching and discussing the options in more detail.

Residents showed a clear preference for some form of "green space."  A garden of native plants was designed to attract monarchs and other butterflies, with other possible amenities (for example, a bench, artwork, signage) as funds permit. The transformer and surround will be screened by a continuation of the 8' cedar fence, and the remaining portion of the site is what we have to work with.

We are very lucky to have the landscape architecture firm of colberg/tews preparing a site plan for us, pro bono.

NENA is in the process of negotiating a lease with Met Transit/Metropolitan Council for the site.

On August 23rd, NENA held a meeting for people interested in the project, and especially for neighbors of the site, to provide an update and discuss and choose a site plan with with Garrett Tews of colberg/tews. Residents chose the site plan shown at right. This plan whimsically represents the pattern in a Monarch Butterfly's wing. The plan calls for planting one Burr Oak, up to eight Quaking Aspens and evergreens, amid pathways consisting of packed mulch. Metro Transit has agreed to supply several thousand dollars worth of chosen plants.

Project Contacts:

Julie Quinn
Associate Planner- Engineering and Facilities, Metro Transit
612-349-7333  Julie.Quinn@metc.state.mn.us

Garrett Tews
Coberg|tews landscape architecture
651-253-8966 garrett@colbergtews.com
www.colbergtews.com

Rita Ulrich (Volunteer signup)
Executive Director, Nokomis East Neighborhood Association
612-724-5652  rulrich@nokomiseast.org

Doug Walter (Other issues)
Associate Director, Nokomis East Neighborhood Association
612-724-5652  dwalter@nokomiseast.org