Grand Marais City Council put plans for a new zip line on the fast track April 11 with unanimous approval to appraise and negotiate the sale of 20 acres of cityowned land off the Gunflint Trail for development of a $750,000 enterprise.
Matt Geretschlaeger, whose proposal last month to build a zip line adjacent to a residential area at the city’s west entrance met with citizen and council opposition, told council last week that he had come up with a more suitable location. That location—a parcel on the Gunflint Trail adjacent to and east of the city water tower—is better because of its topography, proximity to town, minimal area of current development and zoning.
Geretschlaeger said, in fact, that the parcel under consideration is the only property within the city or county zoned to accept his intended use. Pursuit of the original site near the Grand Marais Inn (formerly Tomteboda) would have required not only a rezoning from residential to recreational, but the annexation of a portion of the acreage into the city limits. Additionally, council stipulated that the developer needed to get the consent of the neighboring property owners before the requested zone change would be approved; some of those affected residents had voiced discontent with the proposal during the planning commission’s public hearing.
Council expressed its willingness to work with Geretschlaeger on the Gunflint Trail site, voting to order an appraisal of the 20 acres (the cost of which would be billed to the developer) to come up with a fair market value, and then negotiate for sale or lease of the property giving Geretschlaeger the right of first refusal. Geretschlaeger said he would be open to either option (lease or purchase), but he preferred to purchase the land and is willing to pay whatever the fair market price is determined to be.
City Attorney Chris Hood advised that the sale of the property would be more of a “straightforward transaction” and cautioned that a lease may involve the city in any number of liability issues. Hood also said it would be a good idea— but not a requirement—to have a public hearing regarding the sale and appraisal and to ask the planning commission to review the proposal for compliance with the city’s comprehensive plan. In order to dispense with the planning commission review, said Hood, council would have to pass a resolution.
According to information presented by Geretschlaeger, the “Sawtooth Mountain Indurance Course” will be built by Geronimo Construction of Biwabik and include a 2,500-square-foot lodge on an additional acre, a 1,000-foot driveway, two access trails, one launch deck platform and two 35-foot towers. The deck will be visible from town as it is located in a natural clearing, but the towers will not. The lodge building will, by design, be visible from the Gunflint Trail. The course will not be illuminated, and there will be no parking lot (parallel parking along the driveway). Geretschlaeger said the operation will create 23 new jobs and be open about 100 days per year.
In other business:
At the request of Sarah Metis and following a lengthy debate, council voted to amend the city’s animal ordinance to allow horses to be kept overnight in the Cedar Grove Business Park. Metis operates a horseback riding business from a lot she rents from the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) but under the current ordinance has to trailer her horses and transport them to her home outside the city limits each day because horses are not permitted to remain in the city overnight.
A public hearing was held regarding other changes to the city’s animal ordinance, notably whether it would be a good idea to place limitations or restrictions on raising chickens and the number of permitted domestic animals. Council directed City Administrator Mike Roth to draft an ordinance limiting residents to 12 chickens and no roosters and to place a limit of three dogs. The draft will be presented at a future meeting for further refinement. The existing ordinance does not address chicken-keeping or limit the number of allowed dogs or cats.
At the request of City Councilor and Lions Club pyrotechnic Bob Spry, council approved fireworks display permits for the Fourth of July and Fisherman’s Picnic. Spry said the cost of the fireworks has really shot up this year—an $800 increase—but it is still a good deal. Also, Spry said the Lions Club would be willing to help pay for a large events tent or some similar temporary shelter to be placed in Harbor Park as was included in the park’s original design.
On the recommendation of the planning commission, council approved a shoreline setback variance request from George Wilkes of the Angry Trout Café to construct a detached public restroom facility on his property. The new building will be 28 feet from the Lake Superior shoreline, 12 feet within the required 40-foot setback.
At the request of Arrowhead Animal Rescue, council voted to allow construction of a new shelter on a city lot between the county’s recycling center and the Grand Marais Fire Department buildings. The site was identified in 2009 as the bestsuited one for the purpose, but the project was never begun. Councilor and Animal Rescue liaison Bill Lenz said he spoke with representatives of the fire department and they had no objections, and the new group is eager to begin the project to replace the outdated facility at the Rec Park.
Julie Carlson questioned the city’s peddler permit procedure, specifically why vendors who set up on private property are asked to pay a fee to the boards who organize the various festivals in the summer. Roth said the city’s policy states only that vendors who wish to set up on private property get the owner’s permission; the fee collected by the city or festival organizers is applicable only to booths set up on cityowned property, he said. Roth said the guidelines will be clarified for the groups when they apply for their street and sidewalk use permits in an effort to alleviate the confusion.
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