Plans for a pathway leading from the sidewalk on Highway 61 into the east end of the Grand Marais Recreation Area—called the Community Connection—are under way. Park Manager Dave Tersteeg reported to the park board on March 6, 2012 that he had obtained quotes from two local contractors – Edwin E. Thoreson Inc. and Winchester Higgins — on materials and labor in order to get some idea on costs.
Manager Tersteeg compiled costs for several different combinations of materials that could be used – bituminous (blacktop) or granite sand for the main trail, which will be eight feet wide; concrete or metal edging for curbing; flagstone, ecopavers, or concrete for smaller paths and landings; and concrete or boulders for retaining walls.
Quotes ranged from just under $19,000 for bituminous with concrete landings and boulder walls to just over $44,000 for bituminous with a concrete edge, flagstone pathways and landings, and concrete walls. Steps, a water feature, a channel for runoff, and site grading would cost an additional $18,000 to $36,000. These estimates are significantly lower than the costs projected by SEH, the firm that created the initial site drawings. Not included in these prices would be trees, shrubs, and other plantings, benches, a fire ring, a pedestrian bridge, signs, and containers.
Costs will be kept down by utilizing staff and volunteers for some of the work. In a separate interview, Tersteeg said park staff would do all the planting and landscaping. “That’s what we do all day, every day,” he said.
Tersteeg said that when he solicited quotes on various materials, he kept in mind cost, maintenance, and how the project would fit in with the look of other parks in Grand Marais. Sealed bids will not be necessary since the project will be under $100,000.
Tersteeg later told the News-Herald that he thinks the project might be done in two phases: developing a ditch for storm water management and building the pedestrian entrance into the park. He envisions the possibility of numerous contractors taking on different parts of the project.
“I’m recommending bituminous with no edge,” Tersteeg told the board, “and that’s what the contractors are recommending, too.” Bituminous would require much less maintenance than granite sand and would last for decades, Tersteeg said. Sally Berg expressed concern that people could trip over eco-pavers if they shifted and heaved. Tersteeg said that buckling should not be a problem if drainage is adequate and a good foundation is laid. Chair Mianowski said boulders keep popping up in the alley behind the Grand Marais Condominiums. They are removed, he said, but new ones keep popping up.
Bill Lenz said he preferred concrete for the smaller pathways and landings. It looks good in Harbor Park, he said.
The board expressed a preference for boulders over concrete for the retaining walls. Chair Mianowski said, “We want to keep it rustic as much as we can.”
The board will think about its options and make a decision on materials at a later meeting; firm quotes can then be solicited from contractors. The work will only take about a week or two to complete, Tersteeg said. Spring or fall would be the best time to do it, he said, but he recommended that they not try to get it done this spring.
“The idea is to bring people from town into the park and to bring people from the park into town,” said Mianowski.
Tersteeg said, “This could become our front door.”
City moves on Burbach issue
Bill Lenz, also a city councilor, said the city council authorized the city attorney to seek a declaratory judgment by the court regarding the city’s contractual obligation to Burbach Aquatics for the design and construction of a new pool. The city has stayed out of a county pool project because Burbach threatened litigation if the city participated in the county’s project without using Burbach’s services.
“The outcome of this judgment will decide our legal status,” said Lenz.
Spring cleaning at pool
The pool will be closed for spring cleaning part of the week of March 25. Manager Tersteeg said they hope to reopen at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 29 but may still be closed until the next morning.
Only half the pool will need to be drained so the tiles can be scrubbed. When the pool reopens, the water temperature will only be in the 60s or 70s, Tersteeg said, but it should be back up to its optimal 82-84 degrees by the next week.
Tersteeg said they have been getting more and more caught up on needed maintenance at the pool. “Every year we seem to get a little more done,” he said.
A Red Cross lifeguard certification class will be held the last three Sundays in April – the 15th, 22nd, and 29th. The cost, including a textbook, is $150.
A preschool aquatics class for children ages 3 to 5 will be held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for two weeks from April 23 to May 4. The cost is $30.
Those interested in the classes can call the pool at (218)387-1275 or stop by.
Insurance benefit for water fitness class
The board passed a motion to proceed with participation in a Blue Cross Blue Shield discount program that would give water fitness class participants $20 off their monthly insurance premium. This would essentially pay for the class for pool members and pay 2/3 of the cost of the class for non-members.
Park report
Reservations for campsites next summer are up about 25 percent over last February, Manager Tersteeg reported. The trade show that park staff attended went well, he said. “We continue to set the standard for the best campground in Minnesota,” he said.
Thirty-two people applied for the facilities manager position that was created after Assistant Manager Amber (Wright) Humphrey left in December for another job. Ninety percent of the applicants live in Cook County already, Tersteeg said, including the five who were interviewed.
Voyageur and bear signs
Sally Berg said that with the library expansion now completed, it would be nice to see the voyageur and bear signs welcoming people to the Gunflint Trail refurbished. Built in 1939, they sit near the library at the bottom of Second Avenue West.
No one was sure which city department would be responsible for the signs, but refurbishing them will be investigated.
Berg said the signs are “such a charming part of the community.”
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