Skating on Ponds OK, McDonald’s On the Way

A Webelos Scout from Guardian Angels Pack 817 took the opportunity during the open forum at the Oakdale City Council meeting Tuesday to ask a question that I'm sure many residents were wondering about—Whatever happened to plans for a McDonald’s restaurant near the Oakdale store?

If all went according to plan, it should be coming soon, said Community Development Director Bob Streetar, as his department received an e-mail from the McDonald’s owner last week saying that they planned to close on the property last Friday and begin construction as soon as possible. The City Council approved plans for the new restaurant—which will be west of M&I Bank—on June 22 of last year. The project had been delayed over lease issues with Target, he said. Streetar said he didn’t know for sure whether McDonald’s closed on the property Friday as planned.

Watch Oakdale Patch for updates on the new restaurant’s progress.

Earlier on Tuesday night, the Oakdale City Council clarified its position on using neighborhood ponds for ice skating at a workshop meeting, in response to a complaint from a resident that their neighbors had installed lights and hockey nets on a neighborhood pond in close proximity to their house.

“It’s part of Minnesota, growing up, to have kids skate on ponds,” said Mayor Carmen Sarrack, however he said that the neighbor did have a legitimate complaint about lighting.

"That would upset me," he said.

Other council members agreed that skating on the ponds is fine, however, if a neighbor within 300 feet of the pond asks that lights be removed, that’s a fair request.

The city only addresses these issues when someone complains, said building official William Schmitt, so a neighborhood is not going to be asked to remove pond lighting if all the neighbors are in agreement that they want it there.