Shifting of St. Paul barge facility hits a few harbor snags

There's some roiling on the river in St. Paul.

A project to move a barge-cleaning facility from its spot on the West Side near the Lafayette Bridge to a slip downriver near the St. Paul airport has riled some residents. Three people have appealed a Planning Commission decision and have asked the City Council to review the 4-acre Southport site plan. The council will hold a public hearing and vote Wednesday.

The appellants are concerned about wasting taxpayer money on a move that they say doesn't improve operations. They also say wetlands were improperly filled with dredge spoils starting in 1998 and that allowing the permanent improvements for the barge company wouldn't allow for proper wetland restoration.

The Port Authority, which owns both pieces of land, says it's trying to make a better long-term home for the barge company in line with city planning strategies, as well as improve the environment. The Port Authority received a $2.4 million grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation to help pay for a new facility. The project needs to be completed by the end of March, according to the grant agreement, which was signed in March 2007.

Despite changes over the years, St. Paul is still very much a working river town. More than 5 million tons of cargo -- from grain to salt to sand -- passed through the harbor in 2007, according to MnDOT.

The new site plan includes building a dockwall to control erosion and moor barges, landscaping stormwater management devices and restoring 2.3 acres of wetlands. In an effort to green up the riverfront, the Port Authority would donate about 13 acres of land to the city's Parks and Recreation Department:

• an acre near the High Bridge

• 10 acres to the northwest of the Southport slip.

"The Port Authority wants to be the best environmental steward of the river it can be," said Lorrie Louder, director of development for the authority.

The city hasn't been eager to acquire the 10-acre site at Southport because it's isolated and difficult to maintain, said Jody Martinez, construction manager for parks and recreation. Still, she said, the city could be open to taking it over.

Tom Dimond, an appellant, said turning the land over to be used as park space is a good first step but doesn't solve the wetland restoration issue. Permits should have been issued to put dredge spoils over the wetlands, as well as to excavate the area, he said.

Hokan Miller, another appellant, has been working on the river for years. He's an employee of Upper River but says he doesn't speak for the company.

Among his criticisms: moving the facility downriver increases the distance between the dock and barge parking areas, makes accessing the dock more difficult and complicates dealing with ice in winter.

Louder said operations will be fine.

The Port Authority and Upper River Services signed a 20-year lease in April 2007 for the company to occupy the Southport site. Some people say impetus for the move came from the $1 billion Bridges of St. Paul project that suffered a zoning defeat last fall.

Louder denied the move had anything to do with the Bridges project.