Bringing Curb Appeal To Shakopee Streets

Press release from the City of Shakopee:

September 10, 2020

Curb appeal. It’s a phrase most people associate with buying and selling a home.

For Shakopee Public Works, it’s about maintaining streetscapes.

“If you neglect your property, the curb appeal isn’t great,” said Public Works Director/City Engineer Steve Lillehaug. “The same thing can be said about our streetscapes.”

Streetscapes are manicured public areas the city maintains, including medians, roundabouts and the area surrounding downtown Shakopee.

“Maintaining our streetscapes is about building the Shakopee brand,” Lillehaug said. "We want Shakopee to be a welcoming, attractive community, and taking pride in our public spaces is one way we do that."

It’s also about making wise, subtle improvements.

For example, the city is responsible for mowing the median of County Highway 101 near The Landing-Minnesota River Heritage Park. As part of this summer's stormwater reroute project, Shakopee decided to think beyond turf grass.

"We diverted the stormwater rain in that area and planted native grasses and flowers in the median," Lillehaug explained. "In the future, that means we won’t need to mow the entire thing. It’s a good example of us using our resources well.”

Shakopee Public Works is incorporating streetscaping into many future projects, working closely with the Department of Planning and Development. Collaborations between the two departments was inspired in part by Envision Shakopee, the city’s comprehensive plan, which emphasized the community's interest in creating more welcoming, attractive streets and public areas.

“The 2040 plan really highlights our desire to preserve, strengthen and improve the city’s assets,” Lillehaug said. “These projects really help connect the dots when it comes to achieving those goals.”

This story originally appeared in the Fall 2020 Hometown Messenger.

This press release was produced by the City of Shakopee. The views expressed here are the author’s own.