Fall 2022 Spotlights in Victoria
Fire Station Land Purchase
On November 30th, the City of Victoria officially closed on the new fire station land property on the corner of County Road 18 and Kochia. The land was purchased from Holy Family Catholic High School. Construction of the new fire station is anticipated to begin in 2025, with design starting late next year. The new fire station will serve the community's needs for 50+ years once it is built and will be designed with firefighter health and safety in mind.Learn more about the Victoria Fire Department.
Fire Station Mezzanine
Update Identified in the Space Needs Assessment, adopted November 22nd, 2021, was the buildout of the existing fire station mezzanine space. The buildout will include space for storage and offices, providing the City with some short-term space needs across the entire organization. The Fire Station Mezzanine previously included storage and exercise space for the Victoria Fire Department.Mezzanine construction began in September 2022 and was completed in Quarter 1, 2023.
Light Up Victoria
The City hosted its second annual Light Up Victoria event on Dec. 1, 2022. More than 300 people gathered at Bayfront Park with friends new and old to ring in the winter season. Community members enjoyed hot cider, hayrides, performances from a local dance studio, the Moravian Church choir, and the Holy Family High School choir. There was cotton candy on light-up sticks, store and restaurant specials, a bonfire to warm up cold fingers and toes, even a visit from Santa, who arrived by fire truck rather than a sleigh. Thanks to the City's community partners — the Victoria Business Association, Power of Life Alternative & Holistic Health, ENKI Brewing, JW Real Estate Group - John Wichmann, By The Woods, the Carver County Library — and to the wonderful performers — the Lake Auburn Moravian Church Choir, students from the Studio West Dance Center, and the Holy Family Catholic High School Vocal Group — for ensuring the evening’s success.A special thanks to Len Olson, all the businesses that collected gifts, and to all that donated to Toys for Tots as part of the Victoria collection. They went above and beyond to make the season a little brighter for those in need.
Explore the City of Lakes & Parks
As the City of Lakes and Parks, Victoria is the caretaker of 12 lakes, 32 active and passive parks, 33 miles of trails, and more than 400 acres of reserved land. To better market and promote the many recreational resources the City has to offer, the Parks & Recreation department released a new Parks and Trail map. Printed versions of the maps are available at the Victoria Recreation Center or City Hall. Digital copies are also available online on the Parks and Trails page.
Downtown West Phase 1
Victoria's Downtown West expansion area is in the first phase of development. Phase 1 includes a market-rate apartment building (final plat approved by City Council in October 2022) by Marco McLane Development, LLC, initial utility infrastructure, an extension of Stieger Lake Lane, a dry stormwater pond, and a central green space. Project Feedback Community members can share their feedback on the expansion area and what type of development they would like to see in Victoria by filling out the Community Feedback Form. City Council and staff will review feedback throughout the progression of the phases. The City anticipates holding additional workshops to collect feedback and spark discussions around Downtown West.Learn more about the Downtown West expansion area project.
Election Day
On November 8th, 2022, the City Clerk's Office — with the assistance of 50 election judges — administered the Federal, State, and local election for the city. This included setting up the polling place, greeting voters, registering new voters and ensuring voters are permitted to vote, operating voting equipment, and distributing ballots to voters. The 2022 election resulted in 7,919 registered voters in the city with 100% voting accuracy.Thank you to Victoria's Election Judges in making this year's election a success!
Yard Waste Site Busy this Fall
The City of Victoria offers a yard waste collection site for residents on weekends throughout the spring and into the fall. When disposed of properly, yard waste – such as grass clippings, leaves, and branches – can be turned into a valuable resource that can add nutrients back into the soil. By the end of the 2022 fall season, the Victoria composting site collected nearly 2,115 cubic yards of yard waste, all of which will be recycled into nutrient-rich soil.
Protecting Local Lakes, Rivers, and Streams
Proper disposal of yard waste also impacts the health of local waterways. After a rainfall, the runoff on sidewalks and streets washes through the storm sewers and into area lakes and rivers – carrying an overload of nutrients and chemicals from yard waste, dirt, debris, and other pollutants. The City of Victoria co-owns a fleet of three street sweepers with Carver County and the City of Carver that are responsible for cleaning the 90+ mile network of city streets. The fleet sweeps approximately 320 miles every year. During the fall, it is most efficient for the fleet to sweep leaves once they are all off the trees, so they do not have to visit each neighborhood of the city multiple times. The City's street sweeping program is not designed to pick up leaves from private property that are raked into the street. City of Victoria Ordinance Chapter 105 section 27 prohibits illicit discharges, including grass clippings and leaves, to the stormwater system. By working together, residents and the city team can prevent pollution of our waterways.
Learn more on the City's Compost Collection Site page.
Each quarter, the City of Victoria provides an update on recent cross-departmental projects, initiatives, and services as well as updates to the City Council's Strategic Plan. The strategic plan guides decisions and work over the three-year time period to create a valuable impact. The 2021-2023 Strategic Plan and related updates are available at www.ci.victoria.mn.us/strategic-plan.