Fields of St. Croix

The Fields of St. Croix is a conservation community located in Lake Elmo that incorporates environmental and sustainable features in its design. Developed by Robert Engstrom Companies, the site features important elements for future housing plans to specifically reduce water runoff, encourage land preservation, implement architectural standards and form partnerships such as with the Minnesota Land Trust. The Fields sets a benchmark for new Minnesota housing developments in the late 1990s and beyond. Some features include: an alternative to land consuming subdivisions, a constructed wetlands wastewater system, energy efficient house design, prairie restoration and the preservation of existing wooded areas. In 1998, the Fields won the Land Use and Community Development Award from the Minnesota Environmental Initiative.
~Steven Penick, St. Cloud, MN