North House Folk School Director Greg Wright visited the Grand Marais City Council March 9 to give his annual update and report, and as usual, it was good news.
Wright began by talking about the school’s recent acquisition of the neighboring Mayhew building, a sale which took place earlier in the month. Wright said the new building – former home of the U.S. Forest Service’s administrative offices, located across the highway from North House’s campus – will allow the school to add another classroom and improved administrative offices as well as to offer flexibility for future development.
And although the purchase was not exactly on the school’s long-range plan, Wright said, “As they say in Nebraska – when the farm next door comes up for sale, you buy it.” School administrators had been talking in recent years about future expansion, and the opportunity that presented itself was just too good to pass by, Wright said.
In fact, said Wright, the school’s needs are such that a class was held in the new building the same day the closing occurred. Renovation work is already under way, and a formal ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony is planned for this summer’s Wooden Boat Show.
With the new space, however, come some problems regarding increased pedestrian traffic in an area already known to be a trouble spot. Wright said safety is “absolutely front and center,” and toward that end he has already spoken with the sheriff, city administrator and mayor in search of possible improvements at the intersection of Highway 61 and Fifth Avenue. There is also a Moving Matters meeting planned next week, and Wright said he will solicit ideas for improving the crossing area there.
City Administrator Mike Roth said he would also try to bring the state Department of Transportation into the conversation – after all, they are the ones who ultimately decide what will be done on the highway – and said there are no engineering solutions at this point, but planners should definitely look at short-term solutions. There’s obviously not enough room at the crowded intersection for everything that’s needed, Roth said, but some things may have to be sacrificed for pedestrian safety, such as parking spaces.
Wright agreed that that may have to be done, noting the danger that’s created when pedestrians unexpectedly step out into the crosswalk or highway from between parked cars. “We have a whole bunch of questions now with the new building, and a bunch of things to sort out in the coming year,” he said.
Financially, Wright said the North House is solid, with annual revenue of $1.3 million and assets of over $1.6 million. The school is offering more courses than ever with steadily increasing student enrollment numbers, and the director said early indications are that the trend will continue this year. “The lights lit up!” he said of the opening of the sign-up period for summer classes at the beginning of March, and pointed out that the numbers verify that North House is now a year-round school, with programs in every season.
Because the campus is owned by the city and leased by North House, the annual report is presented to council every spring.
In other business:
. David Demmer of the Cook County Office of Planning & Zoning presented and reviewed the recently completed Comprehensive Trails Plan. Demmer said the 70-page draft is the product of about nine months of work and much citizen input, and urged those with comments to submit them to his office by March 18. He also commended the various stakeholders and groups involved in the planning for their willingness to work together, and for their “spirit of cooperation.” Councilor Tim Kennedy, who helped with the plan, noted that although the groups as a whole are sometimes quite diverse, they all have the same problems with trail maintenance and rely on volunteers. The complete plan is available for review at the library and courthouse.
. Council voted to apply for “Regionally Significant Status” for both the city’s Rec Park/Campground and the Sawtooth Bluff area (old ski hill), property that is jointly owned by the city and county. Kennedy, the city’s representative to the Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails Commission, said if granted, the designation would make the city eligible for the $8-9 million available to fund park improvements.
Kennedy said he believes Grand Marais has two real good opportunities with the chosen sites, which can both be huge assets and draws for the city. “It’s overwhelming how many come here for recreational opportunities,” he said. If the application is approved and the money granted, Kennedy said the Rec Park would be able to speed up its improvement plans and complete long-talked-about projects that haven’t had the needed funding due to budgetary constraints.
. Council passed, on first reading, an ordinance clarifying the outdated language in the zoning ordinance regarding lodging uses. Kennedy, who also chairs the planning commission, said the commission was careful not to “take anything away or add anything to what was there,” but simply updated some of the terms (such as “boarding house”) that were antiquated and undefinable. The months-long revision process was prompted to address questions concerning vacation rentals.
. Some time was spent discussing a proposed Comprehensive Plan update and visioning process, with council looking at example plans from other cities ranging from $6,500 to $85,000. Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux said he wants the visioning effort to be all-inclusive, and with the amount of groups expected to participate, he expects the cost will “easily” approach $65,000. Grand Marais last updated its plan in 2007 at a cost of about $40,000.
Council scheduled a work session to further define the scope of the project and create a request for proposals for interested and qualified firms.
. Council accepted the donation of two lots totaling .20 acres on the far west end of West Second Street. The owners, Fred and Alyce Kaehler, told the city that they could not use the property owing to its steep drop-off from the street, wetlands and expense involved to make the lots buildable. Roth said an adjoining city-owned area was once considered for development as a city park, but it proved to be not suitable. However, he advised council, “Having control of these lots only improves our situation.”
Leave a Reply