Winter The
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ON THE GREAT RIVER ROAD Wir
Vol. 13 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 Newsletter of the City of Otsego
Otsego Waterfront development progressing
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Its beginning to look a lot like a business '
district as construction of buildings in the first
phase of the OtsegoWaterfront commercial
development moves along. The BlackWoods
restaurant(above) and Riverview Community
Bank (right) will be the first businesses to open in Otsego WaterFront East is currently in the concept stage.
the 20-acre development west of Highway 101 and Developer LandCor Construction plans to present its planned unit
north of County Road 39. development(PUD)proposal for the 47 acres on the east side of
• The BlackWoods Bar&Grill with full bar and Highway 101 this spring. Otsego Waterfront East will be a mixed
banquet center plans to open in February. use main street development that will include residential and some
• Riverview Community Bank will open in big box retailers. LandCor expects to begin construction in fall
March. The second floor will include offices 2003. .�w
for brokers and real estate businesses.
• A convenience store with car wash is planned Intersection improvement underway
for the corner of Parrish and Co. Rd. 39. p
Construction should begin in January with an A stoplight is being constructed at the intersection of County
expected opening of May or June. Road 42 (Parrish Avenue) LL; N
• An Embers America restaurant has been and County Road 39 in
proposed with construction to begin in spring. front of the Tom Thumb =
• Construction will also begin in the spring on a store. This stoplight it �%
liquor store. should be installed �- a gO/y4j�
• Quality Inn Suites has proposed a 125-room by the end of �r� ♦ �►I► 7 t ♦ GriCOIt
hotel that will include a 20,000December. The o� u
square foot � �� eS,
I indoor water park. Construction of the hotel intersection has r
should begin in the spring. been widened "' Pedestrian Push Buttons Ne, !.
Ground has been broken for Market Place West. with turn 4e, at each corner
Tenants expect to be able to occupy the retail lanes added. ♦. WA w ♦.CO RD 39
S.
center in early May. Signed businesses for Market
While not allot
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Place West are: curb work will be ft' ; VO4
.� �
• Quizno's Subs finished this year, 4 „p
the intersection Crosswalk
• Turbo Nails g' 4
• Fantastic Sam's Hair Salon will be
`
• Healing Hands Chiropractic operational010 0 ��,o`
• Sarpinos Pizza throughout the �ttil ��
Other users in negotiations are: winter and the remaining 00�*0
• A coffee shop work will be finished next
• A movie/video store year.......,
1
City of Otsego
8899 Nashua Avenue NE
Otsego, 55330 Focus on security ' '" ' '? , ' 41
(763)63)44141-4414 �
Fax(763)441-8823 fs.j0���
Email:cityhall@ci.Otsego.mn.us As our world changes we must make changes that
address and deal with issues that affect our lives. Our
OFFICE HOURS safety and security are very important to all of us. from the
Monday through Thursday
8:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m. Otsego s law enforcement deals directly with citizen O
Closed Fridays safety and security on a daily bases. This is our front M A Y
line of protection, and your City Council is doing a
mmaimmumem
CITY COUNCIL good job in assessing and meeting our law enforcement by Mayor Larry Fournier
Mayor needs. As you are aware,the city now has a police c--
Larry Fournier officer on duty24 hours a day. As we continue togrow,
Council Members
Suzanne M.S.Ackerman these hours must and will grow with us.
Vem Heidner For 2003,we will continue to contract with the Wright County Sheriffs Department.
Jerry Struthers
Virginia Wendel Our focus here will be to have improved communication with the sheriffs office. This
will help in providing the best possible service. One way to accomplish this is to establish
CITY STAFF a police commission with citizen involvement to help define areas which need improving.
Mike Robertson,City The City Council continues to look at the pros and cons of establishing our own police
Administrator
Judy Hudson,City department with the focus on cost and quality of service.
Clerk/Zoning Administrator The city has taken steps that will provide greater security to city facilities. This is an
Carol Olson,Deputy Clerk
Dave Chase,Maintenance ongoing process which will be updated and monitored as time goes by.
Supervisor With the holidays upon us, I wish everyone a safe, and joyful holiday season.
Rick Knutson,Maintenance
Don Mass,Maintenance
Kenny Shierts,Maintenance
KareeRowell,Secretary Voters turn out for election
Kathy Grover,Bookkeeper
Sandy Lindenfelser, i
Receptionist t
i
5
PLANNING&ZONING
Richard Nichols,Chair ' '-
Ken Fry •
Jim Koller . � "
Steve Schuck ,". *: T S EGO :t x �,
Carl Swenson r. ,,,,.."•....N.1%-.0•"--•i , . . .--
David Thompson _, _ � -
Christian Mbanefo '� ,_aitaii '�- .., ti?� ..
•
Pam Black,alternate t' i► - ,
s • z
PARKS&RECREATION s
Michael Day,Chair.
Thomas Baillargeon
Rose Cassady lit
Tom Constant
Jim Gaikowski
Terry Long
Pauline Nelson
Jessica Stockamp
HERITAGE PRESERVATION Voters arrived early in the morning November 7, 2002 to cast their votes at City Hall. City Clerk
Elaine Norin,Chair Judy Hudson reported the largest voter turnout for the city with 3,404 coming to the polls plus 73
Joy SharonSwCarter,arteVice etaChair absentee ballots. There were a total of 4,123 r istered voters with794 new voters who r istered
Secretary e9 e9
Arlene Holen at the polls.
Frieda Lobeck In the race to fill two Otsego City Council seats, incumbent Council Member Vem Heidner was
re-elected with 1,244 votes and Dan Scharber was newly elected with 1,186 votes. Council Member
No'r Go viEW Suzanne Ackerman did not seek re-election.
The Otsego View is the Vote totals for the eight candidates were:
community newsletter for the city Vem Heidner 1,244 Richard Nichols 509
of Otsego. Dan Scharber 1,186 Mark Thorsted 376
Jacquie Rognli,Editor
Correspondence should be sent Jessica Stockamp 816 Chris Wilson 268
to Otsego City Hall. Pauline Nelson 510 Paris Getty 135
`�`
Contains 50%recycled
pre-consumer materials.
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2
Crossing the River int •
years 9
Winter — 100ago
o r� ca
By Elaine Norin ighlights
In her book Anna—Letters From the Attic, Sally Anne
Dare tells the story of her husband Charles' parents: Anna
Delia Fournier of Otsego and Laurence Albee Dare of Elk . . . and Vasser rowed with all his might; we got there just
River. They met while students at Elk River High School in time before it closed around us again. . . We couldn't get
and were married at the Dayton church June 18, 1907. In landed`cause it was so shallow,the boat struck the rocks in
her letters to Laurence,Anna wrote of problems traveling the bottom of the river.Joe stepped on the ice near the
from Otsego to Elk River in winter. shore and dragged the boat so I could step out."
November 24, 1903 January 23, 1904
"The river is frozen over above and below the ferry and "I came near getting drowned this morning. Joe drove
it's all open at the crossing [Parrish Avenue]. We'll me across the river on a hand sled. He went so near the
probably have to cross with the boat the greater part of the edge of the water that the ice began to crack and I rolled
winter . . . last Tuesday morning the anchor ice was off."
running awfully thick and Vasser [ferryman] didn't want to December 2, 1904
take me across because it was dangerous. But I finally "The anchor ice is running some and we may have
persuaded him to take me over. We went up as far as the trouble in going across tomorrow. I had an awful time
pier and tried to get across in an open place. We got getting across the river. I wish you were here to go
halfway over and that channel ended so we had to turn skating."
back and rowed for shore. Then we saw a nice open place. In 1906 the bridge between Otsego and Elk River was
We hadn't gone over ten feet when the ice closed in all completed.
around us and we couldn't do a thing, except float down
with the ice. We had to keep the boat rocking to keep it = �'�` "!�
from getting frozen solid. . . We just calmly sat there for The Otsego Heritage Preservation Commission's new
about three quarters of an hour floating down stream. . . . book The Family Farm Years—1880-1910 is now
Finally, when we had reached the rapids, the ice happened available for sale at City Hall. It contains information about
to break away just where we were, and we started back for more than 400 families who lived in Otsego during that
our shore [Otsego]. But I was determined to go to school! time.
Just then there was a channel clear across that blessed river
it rig
Community-minded
residents sought g �1 �' ! ��
i�ll
The Otsego Parks and Recreation Commission, Otsego I I , ,7.1' `_r,"
Planning Commission, and Otsego Heritage Preservation
Commission are all seeking additional members. _/ ��
The Parks and Recreation Commission oversees ► 0
planning and development of new and existing parks in
Otsego and manages the recreation events put on by the
city such as the Haunted House. It meets the second School Knoll Park delayed
Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. By Mike Robertson, City Administrator
The Planning Commission oversees proposals for new The city took bids to construct School Knoll Park just
housing, commercial, or industrial developments in the north of Otsego Elementary School in August. The bids
city, and reviews all city development related ordinances. It came in $240,000 over estimate. When we contacted the
meets first and third Mondays at 8:00 p.m. bidders to find out why the bids were so high, the main
The Heritage Preservation Commission researches reason given was that they were concerned about finishing
Otsego history and identifies historic sites. Meetings are all the work before freeze up. Consequently,the City
the fourth Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Council decided to re-bid the project in the spring of 2003.
If you are interested in being involved in your city, This park will be combined with two other park projects
please fill out an application at Otsego City Hall by that will also be bid next year. Construction should be
Thursday, January 16, 2003. Call or email City Hall to finished by fall, 2003.
indicate your interest and ask questions. No experience is
necessary, only a desire to be involved in your city.
0
:foam,.,`
West sewer plant update,�`�„
A
The city's application to build a sewer plant to serve the �A�A I
west side of Otsego has been approved by the Minnesota ,1,;
Pollution Control Agency(MPCA). The city anticipates 4.111, "41111 ----
going out for bids in the spring of 2003, with construction ` „!