Editorial 

Money magazine recently labeled Chaska the eighth best place to live in the United States. And it feels pretty good.

Most people live in a city because they like it. They don’t need to be told. “Did we somehow discover Chaska, Minnesota? No people already discovered it. The population has doubled in the last 15 years,” noted Money magazine Executive Editor Craig Matters.

He’s right. Most people don’t spend $300,000 on a house because they’re lukewarm about a town.

However, people typically like affirmation when they make a big decision. Just ask someone in Chanhassen, recently ranked a top 10 place to raise a family by Family Circle magazine; or someone at Eden Prairie High School, just singled out as by Sports Illustrated as having the best high school athletic program in Minnesota.

For a city striving to be the “Best Small Town in Minnesota,” the Money magazine article is a good reminder of what we’re doing right – especially on items such as the city’s historical downtown, low taxes, trail system, industrial base, and the push to retain affordable housing.

It’s also appropriate that Money also includes diversity as a community benefit. “It brings peace of mind for a lot of people – to know that diversity has high value for our community,” noted Chaska resident and diversity advocate Dr. Leo Parvis, who attended the announcement of the ranking earlier this week.

The article is also a good reminder of what we can do better.

The uncertainty over new Highway 212 and its impact to Chaska was a reason for pause, Matters said, in Money’s decision. The city needs to make sure the highway doesn’t split our community and erode our sense of place. The same goes for the future river crossing.

Ironically, Chaska was ranked low in the arts category, partly due to the long distance to Twin Cities museums – museums that will be a lot closer once the highway is completed. However, the ranking is still a good reminder to strive for more arts and entertainment options in Chaska, and support to the options that already exist.

We’ll give the city a pass on its low “ease of living” grade, which apparently counted our low winter temperatures against us.

Whether it’s maintaining existing amenities (which will be tougher as the city grows) or pushing ahead, Chaska still has a lot of work to do. Get to it.