Breck Woods- “A rare corridor of urban green space”
A rare corridor of urban green space shared by St. Anthony Park, Lauderdale and Falcon Heights is threatened by the imminent sale of Luther Seminary’s 15-acre “lower campus” to a residential real estate developer. Few neighborhoods in the Twin Cities are fortunate to have anything like Breck Woods. We have a seven-acre natural treasure in the heart of our watershed. Watchers of migratory songbirds can tell you how the woods connect us to the Mississippi flyway.
Historians can tell you how the streetcar that ran between the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses of University of Minnesota passed by these trees. Generations of professors can tell you how the woods are integral to teaching subjects that range from forestry to theology. Parents and children can tell you how wonderful it is to observe the seasons when wandering away from sidewalks, streets, and playgrounds.
The fate of Breck Woods will be decided very soon, not by Luther Seminary, but the City of Lauderdale and the developer. The woods need our attention now. They should not be sacrificed for property tax revenue but completely protected by zoning that brings the new development into harmony with the history of the land.
We have but one opportunity to preserve and restore this urban forest. It is a place of retreat. It connects us to healthy open spaces including the University Golf Course, Gibbs Farm, the Bell Museum, and Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. We need to maintain this intersection of forested, agricultural and urban landscapes. If you care about creation, nature in the city, or any of the above, please join the Friends of Breck Woods in speaking with one voice.
Share your opinion with the City of Lauderdale at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LauderdaleZoning1 or sign the petition to Save Breck Woods at https://savebreckwoods.com/
George Weiblen
Falcon Heights
