Anoka City Council Votes to Permanently Close Portion of Garfield Street West

ANOKA, MN – The Anoka City Council has taken a decisive step in its long-term infrastructure and safety plan, moving forward with the permanent vacation and closure of a segment of Garfield Street West. The decision followed a public hearing held on Monday, November 3, 2025, where the Council gathered final input on the proposal.

The affected portion of the roadway, located between Wingfield Avenue and Green Haven Parkway, borders the Green Haven Golf Course and Event Center.

Alignment with City Goals

City officials and staff cited multiple objectives for the closure, emphasizing that the move is designed to modernize city infrastructure, enhance resident safety, and maximize taxpayer value:

• Public Safety and Golf Course Improvement: The closure directly addresses a long-standing safety concern at the Green Haven Golf Course. As noted in city discussions, the elimination of the road segment is intended to remove "one of our most dangerous situations" by preventing golfers from having to cross a public street to access different tees.
• Targeting Cut-Through Traffic: The measure is designed to eliminate high-speed, non-local traffic that uses the road as a neighborhood shortcut, addressing a persistent concern of residents in the adjacent Slab Town neighborhood.
• Fiscal Responsibility: The road segment has been classified as a very low-volume local road, with traffic studies over the past decade showing its Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) volume has dropped to just 262 vehicles. By vacating the street, the City avoids an estimated over $1 million in future maintenance and reconstruction costs.
• Development Opportunity: The closure also aligns with the city's goal of redeveloping city-owned land, enhancing the quality of life for residents, and supporting development opportunities in the Highland Park area.

Next Steps

The proposal had already advanced through several stages, including a trial road closure enacted on October 6, 2025, to assess local traffic impact. With the vacation resolution now considered by the Council, the official next step on the project schedule is the construction of a cul-de-sac at Wingfield Avenue, which is planned for the spring or summer of 2026.

MinneapoliMedia