Rock Island, a Lilac Way park

06/29/2025

Buy a Rock Island Park poster to support this volunteer project, get a free garden tour! Options: 11x14 ($25) or 16x20 ($30) or a set of four posters for the price of three. Shipped via USPS, but if you pick it up at Restore Lilac Way in St. Louis Park you can avoid shipping costs AND see Karen’s garden oasis.

The posters are preprinted, and there are no plans to print again. Grab your poster now before they’re gone. Ready for easy framing, can be trimmed to 11x11 or 16x16 if you prefer square framing. Please share with other fans of history and Lilac Way.

The Rock Island Park poster celebrates its rare rock garden, now protected by the city of St. Louis Park. It is all that remains of the old Lilac Park.

02/21/2025

Read just a few of the incredible letters of support written to the city council. I was copied on many of them, so I want to share the enthusiastic letters that spoke of the importance of Rock Island Park's gorgeous meadow next to one of only two historic rock gardens in Minnesota. What a great community! Thank you.

Rock Island Park supporters emailed their

02/21/2025

YAY! What a great week. Read more about St. Louis Park’s city council unanimous YES vote on a comprehensive zoning plan amendment. That plan included a recommendation to rezone Rock Island Park’s north parcel to park and open space. Includes a link to the meeting video. Thanks to everyone for rallying around this historic park meadow! It will not be zoned for residential development. This was the first reading, but it is not expected to change at the second vote. The community really stepped up. 💜💜💜

Rock Island Park’s meadow will be rezoned to park and open space as part of a new comprehensive zoning amendment, saving it from development.

02/03/2025

Calling all Lilac Way fans: Historic Rock Island Park is facing another crucial St. Louis Park city council vote — rezone the north meadow to park and open space, or allow residential development. Let's show the city we DO NOT WANT DEVELOPMENT on this rare green space with a nearly block-long row of original 1930s lilacs. The rock garden and meadow are all that remains of the old Lilac Park. I have included a sample email. Voting date TBD. Since the city bought the land for $186k, they have option to build if not re-zoned to park space. Let's do this!

Email SLP city council, urge them to vote to rezone Rock Island Park's north meadow to park and open space, not residential development.

01/18/2025

Rock Island Park - Citywide rezoning will affect us all: Here is more info on the rezoning presentation by the Community Development rezoning presentation at the Planning Commission meeting. Current R-1 single home zones will be rezoned to N-1 for single units, courtyard cottages, duplexes, twinhomes and triplexes. BIG change in St. Louis Park.

Rock Island Park's north meadow must be re-zoned open park space to prevent development of multi family housing. Staff presented a citywide rezoning process.

01/18/2025

Rock Island Park Update, citywide rezoning
- St. Louis Park is rezoning all properties
- Park's north meadow parcel will be rezoned to either 'Park and Open Space' or 'N-1 development'
- Previous Zone R-1 was for single homes
- Replaced with new N-1 zone, includes single units, courtyard cottages, duplexes, twinhomes and triplexes
- Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that City Council change Rock Island Park’s north parcel to 'Park and Open Space' not development
- Community Development presentation stated: “So from our staff’s perspective, we were looking at this as one opportunity site where affordable homeownership might be something that we could pursue... In order to develop the property it would have to be re-guided in our comprehensive plan from right-of-way to another use, whether that is park and open space or in this case residential low density residential."
- What’s next? The Community Development dept. must hold a public hearing, notify neighbors before they rezone the north parcel (date TBD)
- Restore Lilac Way will launch a new ‘Save Rock Island Park’s North Meadow from Development’ campaign during the decision-making process

Send a message to learn more

01/09/2025

I am back home from Planning Commission meeting, I think they were impressed with the speakers encouraging Rock Island Park's north meadow parcel to be zoned as park and open space, NOT N-1 housing development. I plan to transcribe key sections after the full video is posted online. Stay tuned!

Rock Island Park is all that remains of Lilac Way's old Lilac Park. Its oval pool, 10′ bridge to island and curved bench were built by WPA in 1930s.

01/08/2025

I emailed Sean Walther and asked to make a short four minute statement at the Planning Commission meeting tonight. I will be there to show the commission that the community supports rezoning of Rock Island Park’s north meadow parcel as park and open space, not recommended for development (N-1).

01/08/2025

Urgent, email by 3:30 today: Help us save Rock Island Park's north meadow from development!
- Please email Gary Morrison at [email protected] by 3:30pm today to tell the SLP City Planning Commission to change Rock Island Park's North Meadow zoning to open park land, NOT N-1 residential, (We just learned of this today.) All comments received BY 3:30pm Wed. Jan. 8th will be provided to the planning commission and city council.
- Attend tonight's 6pm public hearing to discuss "Comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance and zoning map amendment – residential districts".

We just learned of this at noon today, I will be attending meeting.

Majority of St. Louis Park, MN council members want option for future housing development on north meadow of Lilac Way's Rock Island Park.

01/08/2025

Protect Rock Island Park’s Meadow from development – January 8, 2025

The St. Louis Park Planning Commission is holding a 6pm meeting tonight at City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd. to discuss proposed zoning districts.

Rock Island Park’s north meadow is currently a ‘right of way’. It will need to be changed to either N-1 residential or Park space. Please help us show the city that the community supports zoning Rock Island Park’s north meadow as open park space, NOT N-1 residential.

How to help:
- Please email Gary Morrison at [email protected] by 3:30pm today to tell the SLP City Planning Commission NOT to develop Rock Island Park's North Meadow. (We just learned of this today.) All comments received BY 3:30pm Wed. Jan. 8th will be provided to the planning commission and city council.
- Attend tonight's 6pm public hearing to discuss "Comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance and zoning map amendment – residential districts".
Please help spread the word.

- Members of the public can attend the meeting in person or watch the meeting by web stream at www.parktv.org and on local cable (Comcast SD channel 14 and HD channel 798). Visit bit.ly/slppcagendas to view the agenda and reports.
Learn more at https://www.stlouisparkmn.gov/government/departments-divisions/planning-zoning/planning-studies/zoning-code-update
Agenda PLANNING COMMISSION, 6pm Wed January 8th
1. Call to order – roll call
2. Approval of minutes – Nov. 6, 2024, Dec. 4, 2024, and Dec. 18, 2024
3. Hearing
3.a. Public hearing - Comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance and zoning map amendment – residential districts Case No: 24-26-CP, 24-27-Z
4. Other Business
5. Communications
6. Adjournment

Majority of St. Louis Park, MN council members want option for future housing development on north meadow of Lilac Way's Rock Island Park.

12/17/2024

City council members are open to development on Rock Island Park's north meadow.

12/17/2024

Rock Island Park ALERT: SLP Council members were asked for their perspectives: "Should SLP designate four parcels of publicly owned, undeveloped land as park and open space, or keep open the possibility for future development?" THIS INCLUDES Rock Island Park's north parcel.

Council Member Margaret Rog preferred that all four parcels (nearly 13 acres) be preserved as park and open space. However, the majority of council members wanted to keep open the POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT on Rock Island Park's north meadow parcel. Her e-news says, "Since the city owns these parcels, we have greater flexibility in determining what might be built there (including affordable housing), which was a driver in the majority opinion and which I respect. For me, there’s also value in preserving rare open space for habitat and other environmental benefits—a little bit of wild in our otherwise fully developed city. There’ll be more discussion on this in the future. "

Rock Island Park's beautiful north meadow is home to deer, wild turkeys, and a long hedge of original 1930s lilacs and has been part of Rock Island for decades.

All decisions regarding Rock Island Park's north parcel must include public input. The community is very invested in the preservation of this historic 1930s Lilac Way park, and is unlikely to support development of this area right next to the rock garden.

Stay tuned, I will provide updates as available.

On May 1, 2023 the St. Louis Park City Council voted YES to Rock Island Park, saving this historic Lilac Way park from potential development.