Lake Elmo workshop debates how to define sidewalks and which winter paths residents must clear

Public-works staff presented an updated map and opened a debate at the March 11 Lake Elmo workshop about whether the city’s code and snow‑removal policy should treat some hard-surface trails the same way it treats sidewalks.

"We have 26.3 miles of asphalt trails in the city," staff member Marty said while showing the updated map. "On the very bottom along Hudson Avenue Boulevard there's a couple of small segments that probably do not quite connect yet, but here within the next year we're hoping the majority of those do."

Why it matters: Lake Elmo's ordinances require residents to remove snow from sidewalks within 48 hours, but staff and councilmembers said the municipal code does not define what constitutes a sidewalk. That ambiguity causes inconsistent expectations when some developments have concrete sidewalks, others have bituminous (asphalt) trails, and some streets have a pedestrian surface on only one side.

Discussion points and options: Council and staff considered several approaches: defining "sidewalk" in the code as any hard surface adjacent to a property (concrete, brick pavers or bituminous), requiring property owners to clear the hard surface that abuts their property (front or side), or keeping a distinction between a sidewalk and a recreational trail and designating specific trails the city will clear.

Staff said design and connectivity have driven previous decisions to build bituminous trails in some corridors rather than duplicating a sidewalk. Councilmembers noted multiuse trails can serve different users (bicycles, skaters) and that not every trail functions as a year-round pedestrian route to destinations such as bus stops.

Staff proposals and direction: The council directed staff to work with Community Development to draft ordinance language that clearly describes which hard surfaces adjacent to property must be cleared by residents and which pathways the city will maintain. Staff were also asked to: - Identify streets that currently have only one pedestrian path (sidewalk or trail) on a corridor so the council can consider prioritizing clearing on those routes for winter pedestrian movement; and - Prepare a written diagram or policy explaining which trails the city would clear if it adopts city-maintained trail clearing.

Councilmembers said homeowners associations can and do clear some trails at their discretion, but the council agreed it should create a clearer, simpler rule to ensure pedestrian movement through neighborhoods in winter and avoid ad-hoc expectations.

Ending: Staff will return with draft ordinance language, a list of one-sided pedestrian corridors and a recommendation for a modest, prioritized list of trails the city would consider clearing in winter if resources allow.