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REAL ID: Plan for extra time at license bureau PAGE 9
Pine Hill Lane residents report problems from Park 35E project BY LOGAN GION CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Park 35E comprises more than 40 acres of land south of County Road H2 and east of Centerville Road. The White Bear Township Board previously zoned the land as “light industrial,” a designation for warehousing and services that are “not likely to create offensive noise, vibration, glare, dust … or cause any other objectionable impacts on adjacent property.” Residents on Pine Hill Lane and along Centerville Road, however, say that developer North Oaks Company LLC and the property owner WBT Holdings LLC caused them numerous problems when they graded the property last summer. They say the process removed hundreds of trees and altered wetlands to flatten the site for building. “I’ve had such bad exposure to dust,” said resident Lori Winchell, “that I actually lost my voice and had to use asthma medicine, and I don’t have asthma.” Another resident, Karen Backus, claimed that she and her husband would frequently power wash walls of dirt off their siding. Yet another resident, BJ Schultz, noted that construction lasted into the evening on school nights for his daughters and woke them in the early morning.
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Dog Day is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 17.
Dog Days returns to downtown White Bear Lake BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
Come Saturday, May 17, dogs will take over Washington Square in downtown White Bear Lake.
SEE PARK 35E, PAGE 25
annual event. Organizer and dog lover Kim Schoonover, owner of Indulge Salon, Spa and Wigs, came up with the idea after visiting Dog Days on Grand Avenue in St. Paul.
It’s all a part of Dog Days, where dogs (and their humans) will stroll through downtown to explore various rescue organizations, vendors and businesses. 2025 marks the ninth
“I thought it was such a neat event; what a great idea to do that here and bring all these people downtown to see all the businesses we SEE DOG DAYS, PAGE 11
Grant investigates speed bumps on Justen Trail BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) has opened an investigation as to why speed bumps have been installed on Justen Trail. According to City Attorney Nick Vivian, on or about May 2, a resident directed a contractor to install speed bumps on Justen Trail in violation of city code. “The individual did not first obtain a permit from the city or its engineer. The installation of the speed bumps was not authorized or otherwise approved by any member of city staff or the City Council,”
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speeding. I’m sure there are people that rip through there every once in a while, but there is nothing but a horse farm there,” Kirkwood explained. “You are coming to a stop sign on Highway 96 and you’re making a left turn off of 96 onto the road, so how fast can you go?” In a response to resident emails, Mayor Jeff Giefer said, “The city of Grant is on top of this issue … city staff, the city attorney and law enforcement are working collaboratively to assess both civil and criminal liability for damage to the city's property. The goal is to have the speed bumps removed and
explained Vivian. Grant City Code requires the issuance of a permit by the city engineer before specified work can commence within a city right of way. Justen Trail resident Jim Kirkwood said he saw the contractors marking up the roadway and figured a driveway was being redone. To his surprise, four speed bumps were installed in the roadway along with some “speed hump” signs. Then early last week, the bumps were painted yellow. Kirkwood says he has never seen any speeding issues that would warrant speed bumps. “We have never noticed anyone egregiously
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