Frequently Asked Questions
About the Plan
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As a celebrated riverfront town, the City of Stillwater faces an increasing demand for an expansion of places that "touch the river." Currently, the parks surrounding downtown Stillwater do not offer enough safely accessible riverfront access points.
To meet the growing demand for leisure activities, the city has put forward the "Riverfront Renewal" investment plan, which includes a proposal to use a local sales tax to help pay for the costs.
The plan aims to provide greater riverfront access for residents and visitors at Lumberjack Landing and Bridgeview Park. It also includes improvements like expanded trails, building repairs and enhanced vegetation management.
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The "Riverfront Renewal" investment plan will transform Lumberjack Landing into a versatile recreational area by renovating facilities, improving natural landscapes, adding accessible watercraft launches, creating new gathering spaces, and enhancing access and parking. Projects and goals include:
Rehabilitating and remodeling of the existing Aiple residence to create an outdoor, recreation-focused building with public access to restrooms, potential crew boat storage, paddle craft rental space and a picnic patio/pavilion
Removing invasive species
Improving the natural vegetation and landscape
Adding an accessible canoe/kayak launch platform as this is a missing amenity in Stillwater, and it would be used by educational programs
Adding storage, gathering space and outdoor access to restrooms
Adding a river overlook and fishing platform
Constructing a vehicle turn-around and drop-off area
Providing spur trail access to Brown' s Creek State Trail
Building a picnic shelter overlooking the natural bluff runoff into the pond
Expanding parking at the southern end of the site in partnership with the Zephyr Theatre parking
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The "Riverfront Renewal" plan will revitalize Bridgeview Park by expanding recreational opportunities, preserving historic buildings, and creating versatile spaces for public gatherings, all while maintaining the river's scenic beauty. Projects and goals include:
Building a transient dock for public boat access to the river
While there is one location downtown Stillwater that offers public boat access (St. Croix Boat & Packet), it is limited in terms of how many people can use it.
Rehabilitating the Bergstein buildings
The historic Bergstein buildings would serve as a focal point for the park with the opportunity to utilize space within for management and maintenance of the dock without the need for a new structure
Addition of a park pavilion
Improving convenient car, boat, bike and foot traffic access to the park
Capitalizing on the park' s proximity to downtown to welcome park visitors to the greater Stillwater community
Extending active recreation opportunities through trail linkages
Providing flexible spaces for public gatherings
Respecting the scenic character of the river
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Yes. Stillwater residents played a major role in shaping this plan.
For many years, the city and its consultant team have collaborated with numerous agencies, commissions, the local business community and residents to revise and update previous city plans to improve riverfront access. Former plans were aligned with current conditions and the city's downtown planning efforts, leading to the creation of the "Riverfront Renewal" investment plan.
Cost and Tax Impact
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The “Riverfront Renewal” investment plan will cost a total of $13.5 million for the improvement projects, plus financing costs.
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The $13.5 million investment plan would be paid for using four funding sources:
Local half-percent sales tax: The city is seeking voter approval this November for a half-percent local sales tax to collect up to $6.2 million, plus financing costs, over a 10-year period.
State funding: The city received $6 million in bonding funds from the 2023 Minnesota Legislature to support riverfront park improvements.
Donations and grants: In 2021, a Stillwater resident, Geri Freels, donated $1 million to help fund the rehabilitation of the Aiple residence. A DRN grant is providing an additional $50,000. The project is also receiving another $50,000 from the Legacy Fund.
City contributions: The City of Stillwater has contributed $179,000 for renovations to the Aiple house and vegetation management.
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The City Council chose a local sales tax to help pay for these projects because it spreads the cost among residents and nonresidents who make purchases in the city and benefit from its services and amenities.
In fact, if the sales tax is approved, $3.1 million dollars, or 50%, of the local sales tax revenue would come from nonresidents, according to an analysis by the University of Minnesota. This means that Stillwater residents will pay less than 25% of the projects’ costs when considering collections from nonresident spending, state bonding funds and other sources.
If the city used a property tax increase to fund the projects, it would place the remaining costs entirely on property owners in Stillwater, including homeowners and local businesses.
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Yes. Over the past five years, dozens of cities and counties have adopted local sales taxes to help pay for a variety of major public projects that benefit the community, including new community centers, jails, libraries, parks and trails and other public amenities.
In recent years, several metro area cities have approved a local sales tax, including Saint Peter (new fire station), Edina (parks and recreation improvements), Rogers (trail and pedestrian projects and aquatics), West St. Paul (road projects) and Maple Grove (community center).
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Yes. If the sales tax is approved by voters, the city will use bonds to finance the riverfront projects.
If the city waited to finance construction until all necessary funding was collected from the sales tax, the project would cost several times more than the current projection and take much longer to complete. More importantly, city residents will start to benefit from the investment in the next 2-3 years, instead of many years down the road.
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Just like the general state sales tax, a wide range of essential goods are exempt from the tax, including groceries, clothing, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, feminine hygiene products and baby products. You can review this list of most nontaxable items from the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
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The half-percent sales tax adds one penny for every $2 purchase. In other words, 5 cents will be added to a $10 purchase or 50 cents for a $100 purchase. The average cost of the sales tax for each Stillwater resident would be about $2.95 per month, or $35.43 per year, according to University of Minnesota research.
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Yes. If funding for the projects is approved, the city will explore ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency throughout the construction process. The city will also take advantage of better financing terms if such opportunities emerge. If the cost of any project is less than anticipated, the bonds would be repaid sooner, and the sales tax would end sooner than projected.
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The funds from the local sales tax cannot be used for anything outside of the riverfront improvement projects. That is state law. The sales tax must sunset once funds required to repay the bonds are collected or within 10 years, whichever occurs first.
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The University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality analyzed the economic effects of a local sales tax in several Minnesota cities and found little evidence that overall sales growth for businesses was impacted.
Voting
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Voters will be presented with a single ballot question that seeks a half-percent local sales tax to support the proposed plan riverfront improvement projects.
“Shall the City of Stillwater be authorized to impose a one-half-of-one percent (0.5%) general local sales and use tax for a period of up to 10 years or until $6,200,000, plus an amount equal to interest and the costs of issuance of any bonds is raised? By voting yes, this tax will pay for a portion of the construction, renovation, and improvements to the St. Croix Riverfront Improvement Project in Stillwater, including the new Lumberjack Landing Park, which includes a renovation of the Aiple House into a multi-use park building, increased parking and shoreline stabilization; improvements to Bridgeview Park; these riverfront improvements provide more public access, amenities, public gathering and open space to ensure the River’s scenic views can be responsibly used and preserved for generations.”
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Early voting will begin on September 20, 2024. Election day is on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Residents can vote in person on election day at their polling location.
Residents can also vote early at home by requesting an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day to be counted.
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If the referendum isn't approved, the city will work closely with leadership, residents, and community stakeholders to assess whether there is still interest in further investment in riverfront parks or whether residents would prefer a different plan or funding approach.
