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Barb Heideman and Cathy Quinn, representatives from the Go Dog North Shore (GDNS) Dog Park, came before the Grand Marais City Council on April 28 with some good news. Instead of building a new dog park in two phases, they feel GDNS will have enough funds to get everything done in one stage.
The original plan was to develop a one-acre dog park and add two more acres when funds were available. Still, fundraising has been going very well, noted Quinn, adding it will be cheaper to build the park in one phase than to bring workers back at another time.
So far, the group has raised $67,000 out of $90,000 needed to construct a three-acre dog park in the city on city-owned land. A $10,000 grant from the Lloyd K, Johnson Foundation gave the group excellent fundraising assistance.
Plans are to purchase and install a six-foot fence around approximately three acres of mostly wooded land on the old Gunflint Trail about 300 yards up from the hospital. In addition, there will be two double-wide security gates, a main gate double-entry system, and a separate small dog area which figures to run about $70,000. The estimated cost to make a parking lot is $17,000, waste bag stations $1,000, and kiosk and signs $2,000.
Heideman asked council what their feelings were on allowing the dog park to use two more acres at this time. With Mayor Jay Decoux not in attendance, acting Mayor Craig Schulte asked Administrator Mike Roth if it was necessary to have a lease signed before giving GDNS the go-ahead to adjust the plans to move from a two stage plan to one stage.
Roth responded that a framework for the agreement still has a few details to work out, but since all of the councilors agreed that GDNS could have the requested acreage, GDNS could move forward with its updated plans.
A discussion was held about who would be responsible for maintenance, plowing the parking lot, collecting the garbage and maintaining the trails in the dog park. Quinn said GDNS volunteers would be responsible for all of the work. She said she anticipated that the new park would be busier than the one shared with the horse park, and more volunteers would come forward to help with maintenance.
Once the details of the land lease are worked out, the city will enter into an agreement with GDNS for the property and supply GDNS with liability insurance. The goal is that in June, the contractor will build an approximately 30 x 100 parking lot, and from June through August, volunteers can clear fence lines and hiking trail corridors and install signs and waste bag stations.
As this is taking place, GDNS will continue to raise money so the contractor can build a three-acre fenced area for the park sometime in the fall.
In other city council news:
Council approved a variance request from Lori Austin to construct an 896 square foot accessory dwelling above a detached garage larger than the primary dwelling on her property located in an R-1 Residential zone.
The residence is located at 318 2nd Avenue West. There is also an existing 580 square foot home on the land.
A public hearing was held to discuss the variance request, and only one person submitted a comment, which was positive. As a result, the planning commission voted 4-0 to recommend the city council pass the proposal.
Council approved a request to assist with the 31st Grand Marais Arts Festival held Saturday and Sunday, July 9-10, 2022. This year 80 artists will display works from a wide variety of mediums. In addition, four local food trucks will be on-site, and music will also be part of the venue, said event coordinator Lynn Salisbury.
Salisbury said she anticipates that 7,500 to 10,000 people will attend the two-day festival which will once again be held in I.S.D. 166 parking lots. She felt the event would be returning to its previous pre-covid attendance, adding the art festival in its heyday added between one to two million dollars to the local economy.
The council agreed the city would place barriers at the entrance to the east and west end lots and between the YMCA parking lot and the school by the culinary school on Thursday evening. The city will also provide 8-10 garbage cans, but the council didn’t think the city should provide garbage pickup through the weekend. Schulte said the school has a four-yard dumpster near the A.C.A., and event organizers should see if the school will allow garbage to be emptied into that container.
Last year crosswalk flags and cones to ensure safe street crossing was furnished by community education, and someone from there will be contacted to see if they can once again provide flags and traffic cones for the event.
Salisbury said the event banner would be hung at the school this year and not hung downtown.
Board appointments:
Council approved Mark Shackelton to the Cook County Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (E.D.A.). Mark’s term expires on December 31, 2026. In addition, Brandon Batchelor was approved as a new member of the Planning Commission. His term expires on December 31, 2024.
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