The City of Medina is partnering with the University of Minnesota – Humphrey
School of Public Affairs, to help revitalize the Uptown Hamel area. The goal of this
partnership is to create an attractive, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use town center that
blends retail, office, specialty shops, residential, and gathering places into a unique
community. Students will help identify potential design and development standards
that will support improvements and new development in Uptown Hamel. To
accomplish these goals, stakeholders will be engaged by the students to determine
what standards are most consistent with Medina’s existing community character,
along with the goals and objectives of the new 2040 Comprehensive Plan for Uptown
Hamel.

The first engagement opportunity will be held on Wednesday, February 20th from 5
p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hamel Community Building, 3200 Mill Drive. This open
house will be a chance to learn more about the Uptown Hamel project and to provide
your opinions and vision of the area. This open house will be open to everyone, so
friends and family are welcome! Light refreshments and snacks will be provided at the
open house. If you have any questions or comments regarding the Uptown Hamel
project, you can email Nick Kieser at Nick.Kieser@medinamn.gov or call 763-473-
8845.

City to Consider Rezoning Properties for Consistency with 2020-2040 Comp Plan

On December 11, 2018, the Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on a series of rezonings for properties which were changed within the 2020-2040 Comprehensive Plan. The rezonings have been tabled until further discussion at the Planning Commission meeting which is scheduled for February 12, 2019.

The City Council recently adopted the updated Comprehensive Plan, which was the culmination of a multi-year process which included substantial public input at five community meetings, two business forums, thirteen Steering Committee meetings, various Planning Commission, Park Commission, and City Council meetings, and through an online forum.

The 2020-2040 Plan includes certain changes from the City’s previous plan. The City is required to make changes to its zoning regulations so that they are consistent with the updated Plan within nine months.

The following maps identify parcels which are proposed to be rezoned for consistency with the updated Plan. The Rezoning Table lists the specific parcels and a brief explanation of the rezonings. Properties proposed to be rezoned and owners within 350 feet received a notice of the public hearing in November 2018.

Review the staff report regarding the rezonings.

If you have any questions, please contact Planning Director Dusty Finke at 763-473-8846 or dusty.finke@medinamn.gov

Click on the map below for a larger image

Project Overview

The City of Medina and the City of Plymouth are working together to make improvements to Brockton Lane from Medina Road to Hamel Road. This project will include full reconstruction of the street and converting it from a rural to an urban design to accommodate recent growth, as well as the addition of a trail, turn lanes, utility, and drainage improvements.  Construction is scheduled to occur during the summer of 2019.

Schedule

The project team is currently completing the preliminary design phase of the project. The team will then move into the final design phase following the open house in December, which will last throughout this winter. Bidding is anticipated to take place in March, and construction is expected to begin in May. Construction is expected to conclude in October 2019.

Traffic Impacts

Construction will be completed in two stages— Medina Road to 44^th Ave/Basswood Rd, and 44^th Ave/Basswood Rd to Hamel Road.  Stages will be closed to traffic when they are being constructed, but access will be allowed to residents along the project area.

For More Information

For questions about the project, contact project manager Dan Lonnes at danlo@bolton-menk.com.

More information can also be on the City of Plymouth’s website

City Code 340.05 prohibits parking on any public street from November 1st through March 31st during the hours of 1:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. If at all possible, the City plow crew would appreciate having no vehicles parked on City streets when snowfall occurs during the daytime to allow for better plowing services down your streets.

Read more about City parking regulations here: https://medinamn.us/citygov/departments/police-dept/parking/.

Snow Plow & Ice Control Policy

The City adopted the attached Snow Plowing and Ice Control Policy to define and provide reasonable snow plowing and ice control services on City roads for routine travel and emergency services and to provide such services in a safe and cost effective manner while balancing personnel resources and environmental concerns.

Residents may drop off brush or compost Tuesday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (except holidays) and Friday 7 a.m. to Monday 3:30 p.m. (open all weekend during daylight hours).

It is located behind the shop building northwest of City Hall, 2052 County Road 24, Medina, MN 55340.

Accepted Items

Brush Pile – brush, woody shrubs, vines, Christmas trees & large logs

Compost Pile – leaves and grass clippings (no bags & no straw)

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Our dear and quite unique mayor, Bob Mitchell, passed away unexpectedly of acute myeloid leukemia on July 30, 2018.

Bob was everything a mayor should be: he listened (rather than judged), he was respectful (rather than pretentious), he critically analyzed all available information before making tough decisions (rather than reflexively imposing personal preferences), he thanked people for their contributions (often with a hand-penned note), he welcomed all who entered City Hall (regardless of age), and with his very unique sense of humor, he always made us laugh.

Bob was proud of the City of Medina.  He was happy to grill hotdogs on Clean-Up Day, show Boy Scouts what mayors really do, cut ribbons at opening ceremonies and ride shotgun with police officers on Night to Unite.  He often took time at City Council meetings to share a bit of personal wisdom, and to speak of our good fortune to live in Medina and to be Americans.   Bob reminded us, by his words and conduct, of the utmost importance of civility and kindness in the public arena.

Bob was a gentle man who believed that giving was more important than having or taking. And he gave back in many ways.  In addition to his public service, Bob was a dedicated member of the boards of Global Minnesota, the Trust for Public Land and the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library.

Above all, Bob was a consummate family man.  He often spoke of Lucy, his wife of more than 40 years, with a twinkle in his eye reminiscent of someone recounting the details of his first date.   After witnessing the tribute his children, Ella, Ned and David, paid to Bob at the memorial service on August 3, 2018, I have no doubt that Bob was a special dad who (through example and not lecture) gifted to his offspring a love of nature, a thirst for adventure, intellectual curiosity and an appreciation of the Golden Rule.

Before and after our Council sessions, and during breaks from our sometimes tedious deliberations on city business, Bob’s skill at story telling revealed his love of exploration.  We discovered that this humble man, slight in physical build, had raced cars, jumped horses, bicycled through Myanmar, attacked mountains on skis, tethered himself to trapeze artists and bungee cords, and traveled the world, often to places the rest of us would not dream of touring, usually joined by any combination of Lucy, Ella, Ned and David.

After serving on the Medina Planning Commission, Bob was elected to the City Council; he was a member of the Council from 1985 to 1992.  He was elected mayor in 2014 and represented us all, as mayor, with good humor and kindness, for four years.  His wit, intellect, good teachings and integrity will be missed deeply by all of us at City Hall.  We, with his family, celebrate Bob’s exceptional life: a life well lived.

-Kathleen Martin, Acting Mayor
August 4, 2018

©All rights reserved/Kathleen Martin 2018

Other Tributes to Mayor Mitchell:

‘He liked to go fast. And he did:’ Medina Mayor Bob Mitchell remembered for being stalwart – Published in Lakeshore Weekly online on August 7, 2018

Medina Mayor Mitchell dies – Published in Crow River News on August 2, 2018

Obituary for Robert G. Mitchell, Jr. – Published in the Star Tribune on July 31, 2018

The City of Medina requires companies requesting a Right-of-Way (ROW) Permit to register annually at the beginning of each year.

To register and apply for a ROW Permit, please submit the following information:

• ROW Permit Registration Form (Annually – $100.00 fee starting in 2019)
  • Certificate of Insurance naming the City of Medina as additional insured (dates must be updated annually to reflect current license year)
  • To the extent known, the City is also requesting each ROW user to file a construction and major maintenance plan for underground facilities, with the locations and estimated beginning and end dates of all projects to be commenced during that calendar year.
• ROW Permit Application (Application and $100.00 permit fee for each job)

To learn more: Section 410 of Medina’s City Code regulates Right-of-Way Management

Questions? Contact Public Works Director Steve Scherer at 763-473-8842 or steve.scherer@medinamn.gov.

Are you thinking about starting your own business or are you currently operating a small business and interested in FREE technical assistance?
Medina has partnered with the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) to offer the Open to Business program. This program provides FREE one-on-one assistance from MCCD’s expert staff, customized to meet the specific needs of each entrepreneur. This can include creating a business plan, suggestions on financial management and bookkeeping practices, assisting with marketing, and referrals for financing. MCCD also administers a small business loan fund which provides capital to expand local businesses.

For more information please contact Rob Smolund from MCCD at rsmolund@mccdmn.org or (612) 789-7337 ext. 260.