St. Louis Park is eyeing, a slice of Willow Park for a stormwater project, and they want to hear your thoughts about it. The City, aiming to progress on a critical infrastructure upgrade has bumped into the need for more space. Subsequently, a portion of the local favorite, Willow Park, has come under consideration for the installation of an underground stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP).
The new structure is set to be placed beneath the baseball diamond, with an outlet pipe running to the east. Don't worry, sports fans—the city promises the field will see a return to its former glory post-construction. But, there's a catch. While the long-term maintenance of this stormwater solution could be tucked away out of sight, it might still occasionally interrupt the regularly scheduled programming of park-goers.
The buzz around this development comes after the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a preliminary judgment. They're calling it a Section 4(f) de minimis impact, meaning—by their books—Willow Park's recreational spirit will stay intact, or so they claim. And it seems they're not moving a finger without the public's two cents, offering up an opportunity for community voices to weigh in until February 22, 2024. Joe Shamla, engineering project manager, is the man to contact on this matter through his office line, email, or an online form for those digitally inclined.
In true civic duty fashion, comments aren't just welcomed, they're peer-reviewed—landing in the official record and shaping the decisions ahead. Information nuts can crack open further details on the project webpage, for those details are better read than heard. And for those preferring the charm of brick and mortar, St. Louis Park City Hall has its doors open for inquiring minds.
With the clock ticking down to the comment deadline, locals are encouraged to scribble down their thoughts—or hammer them out on a keyboard—so the fate of Willow Park's new look isn't just in the hands of the few.
