The area is located near the Metsäläntie and Hämeenlinnanväylä intersection area. The field has been used as a snow dump site in previous years.
In the detailed plan in force, the area is designated as a hiking and recreation area. The plan amendment currently being prepared will facilitate the construction of a permanent snow dump site. The amendment is necessary, as due to the city’s densifying urban structure, several snow dump sites will be decommissioned andthe dumping of snow into the sea will end in spring 2028 with the amendment to the Environmental Protection Act.. The permanent snow dump site will facilitate making traffic arrangements in the area and disposing of and purifying melt water in a sustainable manner.
From the perspective of snow transport, the area is easy to reach. A new access ramp will be needed to ensure the smoothness and safety of traffic.
There are valuable forest areas north of the area, as well as a creek and its surroundings.. The permanent snow dump site has been designed to have as little negative impact as possible on the nature and recreational use of Central Park.
The construction of the new permanent snow dump site is based on the City Board’s decision on 9 October 2023 to approve a snow management development programme for 2023–2033. One objective of the programme is to increase the number of on-land snow dump sites.
Questions and answers
The volume of snow removal is expected to increase by at least threefold compared to the volume during the site’s temporary use.
The transporting, dumping, treating and melting of snow will generate noise.
The snow dump site will be located at a traffic hub, next to the busy Hämeenlinnanväylä and Metsäläntie. Traffic noise affecting residential buildings will not increase significantly compared to the current situation.
The operation of the snow dump site will significantly increase noise in the surrounding environment, but the greatest changes are confined within the planning area.
The aim is to plan the arrangements and operations of the snow dump site in such a manner that recreational use of Central Park will not be hindered. The current field, i.e. the area reserved for snow dumping, will not be available for recreational use going forward.
The snow stored at the dump site will slowly melt over several months in spring and summer. The melt water will pass through a precisely scaled filtering system into a discharge ditch leading to the Haaganpuro creek.
The melt water filtering system will use approved and appropriate technology to remove hazardous substances from the water very effectively.
Trees will have to be felled around the new access ramp and potentially at the southern and western edges of the snow dump site. The trees near the Haaga creek will be left untouched. New replacement trees will be planted in the area.
Special attention is being paid in the planning of the snow dump site to monitoring the environment and how the operations will affect the local nature, water and noise levels.
- Siberian flying squirrel
- The snow dump site will not affect the core habitat of the Siberian flying squirrel located north of the area or the presence of Siberian flying squirrels in Central Park.
- Green shield-moss
- The snow dump site will not affect the green shield moss habitat located north of the area.
- The ruderate (concentration of plant and animal species in a wasteland area) located at the snow dump site
- The ruderate will not be preserved. The ground level will be lowered and the field will be converted into a fenced snow handling and storage area (municipal infrastructure maintenance area), which will be paved with asphalt or a similar bound surface material. The surface material will prevent the absorption of pollutants into the soil.
- Grove-like fresh heaths and groves
- The valuable herb-rich forest area to the north will be left completely outside the fenced snow management and storage area. Trees will have to be felled on the south and west sides of the field, but most of the trees in these areas are young. The entire detailed plan area was used for agricultural purposes in the 1970s. The current trees in the area include both planted trees and naturally seeded larches and deciduous trees. The primary value of the trees is scenic, as they demarcate Central Park from Hämeenlinnanväylä. New trees will be planted in the area to replace the felled trees.
Contact Information
Name
Marina Fogdell
Name
Tero Koppinen
This page can also be found at hel.fi/metsalantien-lumenvastaanotto