Blaine is getting a little smaller.
Neighboring Spring Lake Park will annex a small sliver of the city just off Central Avenue, with Blaine's permission, of course.
Spring Lake Park, which is just 2.2 square miles, bought a 16,000-square-foot warehouse last year to store public works equipment. There was just one hitch: "The city limit line for Blaine and Spring Lake Park runs right through the middle of the building," said Spring Lake Park City Administrator Daniel Buchholtz.
To keep management of the building simple, Spring Lake Park asked if it could annex the property. Everyone has agreed and now the cities just need to finish the paperwork.
The property is 1.23 acres with a population of zero, and no other property owners will be affected. "It's been a painless process," Buchholtz said. "It's a good example of cooperation between cities."
Spring Lake Park bought the warehouse at 8502 Central Av. and a small nearby barbershop for $645,000. It will use the warehouse as a public works facility to store equipment including snowplows and lawn mowers, Buchholtz said.
Some city equipment, including police cars, has been parked outdoors. The new space will change that: "Equipment was wearing out because it was exposed to the elements. It was parked outside because we didn't have room to store it inside," Buchholtz said.
Shannon Prather • 612-673-4804
