Politics & Government
Washington County OKs Effort to Buy Aiple Land as Stillwater Riverfront Park
County will transfer 16-acre property to City of Stillwater to create public park with 3,500 feet of St. Croix River shoreline.
Washington County commissioners decided Tuesday to try to buy 16 acres along the St. Croix River to create a public park owned and managed by the City of Stillwater.
The county board's action doesn't mean the effort to purchase the Aiple Property is a done deal, but it gives the green light for negotiations to buy the land from Elayne Aiple to proceed, according to a statement from the county.
If the county buys the land, the city would then buy it from the county. "The city will pay the county the purchase price, minus the amount of the county's contribution and minus any grant funds the county secures for the purchase," the county statement said.
In October, the State of Minnesota set aside $1.25 million to be used toward the land purchase.
“It’s an opportunity for the city to significantly expand its riverfront,” Stillwater Mayor Ken Harycki said last year. The park would include 3,500 feet of shoreline along the St. Croix River.
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