What winter looks like in Oakdale, and how we run it.
Oakdale sits where I-94 and I-694 meet in the east metro, about 25 minutes from our yard, and its commercial base has shifted hard toward industrial and logistics in the last few years.
The 4Front Technology and Office Campus at I-694 and County Road 14, on the former Imation headquarters, is adding new industrial buildings on 65-plus developable acres. 3M Center straddles the Maplewood line and is the city's largest employer. Retail runs along I-94 at Oakdale Village and Inwood Avenue, Hy-Vee anchors the I-694 and 10th Street area, Fleet Farm sits on Hadley Avenue, and the Animal Emergency and Referral Center and Slumberland's headquarters add medical and office. The Gold Line bus rapid transit along I-94 opened in 2025 and is bringing new development around Helmo Station.
About 25 minutes from our Eagan yard and salt storage. Oakdale runs on our east route with Woodbury and Newport, with 24-hour and industrial sites at the front of the order.
Request a Winter Site Walk in Oakdale
Walked by the account manager who would run your property. Scoped, documented proposal before your renewal date.
What the City of Oakdale requires of commercial properties.
From the city's own code and public works pages. Rules change, so each one links to its source.
Sidewalk deadline
Owners and occupants of commercial, business, and industrial buildings must clear abutting public sidewalks within 24 hours after the storm ends or ice forms (City Code Sec. 12-13). The city clears its designated trails and some sidewalks after streets are done.
SourceSnow on the street
The city says never to push, shovel, blow, or plow snow onto a city street; excess snow stays on your property or the right-of-way beside it, as required by city ordinance and state law.
SourceParking
No on-street parking midnight–5 AM, Nov 1–Apr 1, and none at any hour after 2 inches or more until plowing is complete (City Code 12-11 and 12-12). Vehicles can be ticketed and towed.
SourceOakdale's commercial areas.
- 4Front Technology & Office Campus (I-694 & CR 14)
- 3M Center (Oakdale/Maplewood line)
- Oakdale Village / Inwood Avenue retail (I-94)
- I-694 & 10th Street N (Hy-Vee)
- Helmo Station / Gold Line corridor
- Hadley Avenue N (Fleet Farm)
- Highway 36 & Century Avenue (Hwy 120)
Three things we plan for here.
4Front and the I-694 industrial corridor
Dock aprons, truck courts, and gates on continuous service during storms, with stacking plans drawn for new buildings before their first winter.
Medical and 24-hour properties
The emergency animal hospital, grocery, and other round-the-clock sites get cycle service through the night and deiced entries.
The 24-hour commercial rule
Frontage sidewalks cleared on the first pass and timestamped, so Sec. 12-13 is met and documented.
What happens at each trigger depth.
Tuned to each Oakdale property during the site walk and written into your agreement. “As conditions warrant” is not a scope.
| Trigger | What we do | Target window | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trace – 0.9" | Walk and entry inspection; deice as conditions require | Before tenant arrival | Inspection note + photos |
| 1.0" – 2.9" | Full lot plow, walks cleared, entries and ADA routes deiced | Complete before opening hour | Event report + photos + salt weight |
| 3.0" – 5.9" | Continuous service during event; walks cleared on cycle; open-lot passes | Cycle service, final pass before opening | Event report + per-pass timestamps |
| 6.0"+ | Dedicated crew assigned for duration; staged equipment; stacking plan executed | Continuous until event ends | Full event narrative + photo set |
| Freezing rain / ice | Pre-treat where forecast supports it; repeat deicing passes on cycle | Pre-treat before onset, then by cycle | Application log with product + weight |
| Refreeze / melt-cycle | Daytime inspection pass; spot deice at drains, downspouts, and shaded walks | Same-day inspection | Inspection note + photos |
Representative matrix. Trigger depths and windows are set per property during the site walk — a hospital entrance and a warehouse back lot do not get the same numbers.
Lots, drive and fire lanes, walks, entries, ADA routes, docks, stairs, stacking, hauling, and refreeze inspection, with salt logged by weight. Full snow & ice program.
Scoped by property type, not by square foot alone.
What Oakdale property managers ask.
How long do Oakdale businesses have to clear sidewalks?
Who plows the roads around 4Front and 3M?
How far is Oakdale from your yard?
What is your trigger depth, and can we change it?
Do you price seasonally or per event?
We manage this property from out of state. How does that work?
Commercial snow removal across the metro
Get a winter site walk in Oakdale before the routes fill.
Walk the property with us now and you will have a scoped, documented proposal in hand before your renewal date.