St. Francis considers selling parkland

In a stark demonstration of how strained local government budgets have become, the northern Anoka County city of St. Francis is debating whether to sell off some of its parks.

On Monday night, the City Council directed the town's parks commission and city attorney to look into selling some of the 83 acres of parkland in the city. Much of the land is in parcels interspersed in relatively new housing developments.

While offering cautious support for the plan, Mayor Jerry Tveit warned, "People are going to think we're taking something away from them. We're not taking anything away from them; we're reallocating for the greater good."

Officials in the exurban city said the city would benefit in three ways: Park maintenance costs would be reduced, the city would get a one-time revenue boost from the sale proceeds (which would go into a parks fund) and now tax-exempt parkland would become subject to property taxes once it's sold to a private developer.

But such a move wouldn't come without controversy.

Tamara Norton Berg, who lives across the street from Seelye Park, a one-acre parcel with a playground and sliding hill, said her family chose their lot because they knew a park was going in near it.

She doesn't believe that cutting back on park space is the way to save money. "Don't take it away from the little kids, because they need it," she said.

St. Francis' unusual move comes in the wake of cuts in state aid to local governments that are causing lots of cities to look for potential savings. If 2010 projections come to pass, St. Francis will have lost almost $433,923 in local government aid since 2008.

A few years of rapid growth in the late '90s and early 2000s netted the city new parkland when developers of new housing areas allocated land for green space. Developers also contribute to a dedicated park fund for structures and equipment, but money for mowing and maintenance comes out of the city's general fund.

Some of the newer parks are in rural neighborhoods, where lots range in size from 2.5 to 10 acres. A pocket park in one of those neighborhoods might be used by only a dozen families, or not at all.

If parkland is sold -- as whole parcels or as additions to adjoining property tracts -- proceeds would go into the city's parks allocation fund, officials said.

The plan would save the city the cost of maintaining the lost parks, said City Administrator Matt Hylen. "Yes, it's saving future money by not maintaining; yes, it's bringing in revenue because you're selling land to be developed, and yes, then it would go onto the property tax rolls."

Hylen said he views parks as an essential city service. But the City Council and parks commission must look into "what's best for St. Francis," he added. "Looking into the future and planning, do we need this many parks? Do we need this many acres of parks to fulfill this public need?"