The Art of Compromise
A Conversation with Kent KiewattKent Kiewatt and the Friends of Elm Creek have undertaken the project of promoting, protecting, and preserving the Elm Creek Corridor-an area encompassing approximately 130 square miles, with Elm Creek running north from Medina through Plymouth, Maple Grove, Dayton, and Champlin. Along the Elm Creek Corridor are miles of trails for activities such as running, biking, and bird watching. Additionally, the corridor is a natural habitat for native plants and wildlife and provides a route for the migration of wildlife.
Kent Kiewatt is a strong advocate for open space.
Photo by K Squared Photography.
How did you get involved in the protection of Elm Creek
Corridor?
It was in response to a nearby development in Maple Grove, where a
group of people began to question the city's reaction to a proposal
for development along the creek. From that came the Friends of
Elm Creek.
Why is this area important to you and your family?
This area is important not only to my family and our neighbors,
but to literally hundreds of people who use the existing trail
system. We need to expand public access to allow more members of
our community to enjoy this great natural resource.
What is making your goal to protect open space and promote
public trails in this area successful?
The fact that members of the community are beginning to recognize
how important it is for our community's character to preserve and
maintain natural areas like the Elm Creek Corridor (ECC) in the
midst of suburban development. When you look at older cities that
did not protect these types of spaces, you would be hard pressed
to find a positive description of these communities in terms of
quality of life, defining characteristics, or unique opportunities
for citizens to enjoy a more natural setting. Contrast that with
the praise heaped on leaders of the Minneapolis park system and
others who long ago set aside or planned for extensive areas of open
space as a way to provide community character and connections. One
of the biggest challenges is getting the participants to take a
big-picture view. That is why the upcoming comprehensive land-use
plan updates, that cities are required to develop by 2008, are so
important and provide a unique opportunity to effect real change
in the development process across the region.
When you first realized that this was an important area
that needed protection, what was your first step? Who did you call
first?
Our first calls were to the City of Maple Grove. Our goals were to
learn about the process from the city staff and to understand the
reasoning behind their recommendations for the land along the ECC. We
also contacted local non-profit organizations to learn more about
how to approach development issues with the city and developers.
“This area is important to…
hundreds of people
who use the
existing trail system.”
How did you form the Friends of Elm Creek?
We decided to form the Friends of Elm Creek, which was modeled
largely on other friends of community groups. We decided to organize
as a registered non-profit organization to be inclusive of the
larger communities along the Elm Creek Corridor. We also sought
out a sponsor organization to help with fundraising and to provide
additional services for our membership and donors.
It seems as though you have used many different resources
to protect the ECC. What, in your opinion, has been the most
successful? Why?
Our most successful tool has been the ability to open a dialogue
with members of the city staff and councils. Ultimately they,
along with the landowners, are the decision-makers. We also built
relationships with other entities that influence the city staff
such as the local watershed district, the Department of Natural
Resources Metro Greenways program, and the county environmental
services department. Lastly, the Internet and our website
(www.elmcreekfriends.org) have both proven to be very effective
research tools and methods of efficiently communicating our positions
and information to our members, the larger community, developers,
and city staff.
What else works?
What works is to participate in the process in a constructive
manner. Offering specific solutions, and clear facts that support
your point — all while being sensitive to the competing
interests of the city, the landowner, the developer, and the
larger community. We were successful because, in large part, we
were able to offer a specific set of reasonable conditions we hoped
to achieve. Our goals did not create a hardship for the landowner,
developer, or city that could not be overcome. One important note
is that your solution doesn't have to be 100 percent perfect. Just
the idea can be a catalyst for other potential solutions, which
may also serve your goals.
What doesn't work?
Simply being against an issue does not work. All of the parties
are there to find a solution or compromise. Unless you can offer
something to move closer to that solution, you will be acknowledged
at best, and ignored at worst.
What inspires you most to do what you are doing?
We are inspired by the fact that a few citizens speaking up and
participating in developing a solution were able to protect the
first 5.5 acres in our goal of over 300 along the Elm Creek Corridor
connecting Maple Grove, Plymouth, and Medina. As more people become
educated both within city government and the larger community,
the more excited we become about the possibility of protecting a 5-
to 7-mile-long corridor that the public can enjoy while they walk
their strollers, ride their bikes, or jog.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone, what would
it be?
Don't assume that your local government is representing your concerns
or values. They are balancing a large numbers of viewpoints and may
need to be reminded or refocused on those values. Speak up. If you
don't, it's quite likely that no one else will.