Town briefs

City gets new community development director Bob Streetar, the city's community development director, recently resigned to become the planning and redevelopment director for the city of Oakdale. He had worked in Columbia Heights for about five years. Streetar will start in Oakdale in late December.

The new community development director in Columbia Heights is Scott Clark, who previously worked in Elk River and Brooklyn Park.

Sonic Restaurant could open on Main Street The Planning Commission is considering a conditional use permit that would allow a Sonic Restaurant to open at the site of the former Burger Time on Main Street. There are currently no Sonic locations in Minnesota, but the Oklahoma-based drive-in chain has proposed several locations throughout the metro area.

City receives grant for water reuse facility A project that will reduce stormwater runoff and waste currently discharged to Mirror Lake and the Mississippi River is moving forward. The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization awarded St. Anthony a $1.2 million grant to build a water reuse facility at City Hall.

The project is expected to begin in the spring and the city is pursuing further funding from the Rice Creek Watershed District, Hennepin County, the city of St. Anthony, the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

City has vacancies at two top positions Having lost its community development director about two months ago, Arden Hills is now without a city administrator. Michelle Wolfe, who held the job for roughly four years, has accepted a position as deputy city manager in Aurora, Colo.

Wolfe took a lead role in the city's acquisition of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) property.

Residents will get their traffic signal at 91st Street A controversial plan to rehab a portion of University Avenue next year will be less controversial after Anoka County agreed to replace a traffic signal at University and 91st Street.

Initially, the county had not included replacing the signal as part of its plan to reconstruct University Avenue between Hwy. 10 and County Road 10.

But the Blaine and Coon Rapids city councils -- responding to angry residents, who would have lost an access point to their neighborhoods -- asked the county to reconsider.

The county has agreed to pay 25 percent of the cost of the new signal -- estimated to be $200,000 or less -- with the cities picking up the rest of the tab.

City approves hotel plan near redevelopment area New Brighton will add a five-story Hilton Homewood Suites hotel at the intersection of Old Hwy. 8 and Hwy. 96, just north of the city's Northwest Quadrant redevelopment project.

The plan was approved at a Nov. 27 City Council meeting. The hotel will include 124 units and be located at the southeast corner of the intersection.

Developer sponsors Toys for Tots drive Mega Homes, a Dayton builder, is collecting toys for the Toys for Tots program 7 a.m. through 5 p.m. through Thursday of this week, and plans a "Toy Blitz" starting Dec. 17-20. On those days, collection hours will end at 7 p.m. and the company will offer hot cider and music.

The company is at 13601 Balsam Lane, Dayton. For more information, call 763-427-8391.

LORA PABST AND ERIC HANSON