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Whether it's the new Crookston Sports Center or the residential and commercial subdivision local officials envision to the CSC's north and east, there's always been one constant assumption: In northern Minnesota in the winter, there's one thing that can be counted on in addition to the cold and snow, and that's wind, and plenty of it.
So the drawings of the CSC site as well as the drawings of the new subdivision have all included trees, quite a few of them. But, while the subdivision will be embarked on in multiple phases and won't be completed for years, the CSC is scheduled to open in about 2 1/2 months, on Jan. 30, 2010, in the dead of winter.
By that time, assuming El Nino allows winter to hit Crookston at some point, local officials should have a pretty good idea of how windy it can get around the new facility, and just how high the drifts can get, because there won't be any trees planted yet.
City Administrator Aaron Parrish said today that initial discussions centered on getting some trees – known in the CSC site plans as "site buffers" – planted this year. But when the decision was made to push off the final landscaping efforts and paving of the parking lot until the spring and summer of 2010, any talk of trees being planted this year was put off as well.
"We'll let the site contractor do their work by getting the parking lots ready (for paving) and getting the final grades in, and bringing in some black dirt, but then we'll hire a separate contractor to do the landscaping, or even do it ourselves," Parrish explained.
The furniture, fixtures and equipment budget contains $15,000 for trees, but it's questionable how far that will go since tiny trees don't do much to slow down the wind. Trees with some size are going to be needed. The arena project budget itself contains funds for a "wind row" around all sides of the CSC, too, he added. "We've contacted a number of people to get feedback on what they feel the right recipe is for those trees," Parrish said.
A buffer along the north edge of the future subdivision is also planned, and Parrish said some younger trees might be planted sooner rather than later to give them time to grow in advance of the construction of actual homes.
But first things first: The CSC will operate for half a winter or so without any trees to block the wind or snow.
"In all honesty, we have spent a lot of time as a staff getting our best ideas together for snow removal," Parrish said. "But, yes, this winter will give us a good sense of what we need to work around."
Whether it's the new Crookston Sports Center or the residential and commercial subdivision local officials envision to the CSC's north and east, there's always been one constant assumption: In northern Minnesota in the winter, there's one thing that can be counted on in addition to the cold and snow, and that's wind, and plenty of it.
So the drawings of the CSC site as well as the drawings of the new subdivision have all included trees, quite a few of them. But, while the subdivision will be embarked on in multiple phases and won't be completed for years, the CSC is scheduled to open in about 2 1/2 months, on Jan. 30, 2010, in the dead of winter.
By that time, assuming El Nino allows winter to hit Crookston at some point, local officials should have a pretty good idea of how windy it can get around the new facility, and just how high the drifts can get, because there won't be any trees planted yet.
City Administrator Aaron Parrish said today that initial discussions centered on getting some trees – known in the CSC site plans as "site buffers" – planted this year. But when the decision was made to push off the final landscaping efforts and paving of the parking lot until the spring and summer of 2010, any talk of trees being planted this year was put off as well.
"We'll let the site contractor do their work by getting the parking lots ready (for paving) and getting the final grades in, and bringing in some black dirt, but then we'll hire a separate contractor to do the landscaping, or even do it ourselves," Parrish explained.
The furniture, fixtures and equipment budget contains $15,000 for trees, but it's questionable how far that will go since tiny trees don't do much to slow down the wind. Trees with some size are going to be needed. The arena project budget itself contains funds for a "wind row" around all sides of the CSC, too, he added. "We've contacted a number of people to get feedback on what they feel the right recipe is for those trees," Parrish said.
A buffer along the north edge of the future subdivision is also planned, and Parrish said some younger trees might be planted sooner rather than later to give them time to grow in advance of the construction of actual homes.
But first things first: The CSC will operate for half a winter or so without any trees to block the wind or snow.
"In all honesty, we have spent a lot of time as a staff getting our best ideas together for snow removal," Parrish said. "But, yes, this winter will give us a good sense of what we need to work around."
