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Grand Marais City Council held a busy meeting on December 14, and while no one showed up for the budget and levy hearing, a lot got done, although one big task was left to be completed because of a lack of proper paperwork that would transfer approximately ten acres of city-owned land to the HRA.
In public comments, Eric Humphrey, co-owner of Lake Superior Trading Post, spoke in favor of the HRA building more public housing. Chris Skildum, builder and developer joined Humphrey in his backing the HRA. So did Ann Sullivan, Cook County Board Chair, who appeared on Zoom. Others who voiced support for the city’s plan to convey ten acres to the HRA were Linda Jurek, Visit Cook County/ Grand Marais Cook County Chamber Director, and Mary Somnis, chairman of the HRA board.
With no one appearing for the Budget and Levy hearing, City Administrator Mike Roth asked to discuss the upcoming budget at the end of the meeting. Council is looking at setting a 2023 levy at 2.6 percent for 2023, which will happen at the council’s last meeting at the end of December.
Council heard a proposal from the Grand Marais Art Colony to move the annual Grand Marais Arts Fest from the high school parking lot back to Wisconsin Street on July 8-9, 2023. As part of the transition to move the festival back downtown after two years, the number of artist booths will be set at 60, down from 85 last year and down from 75, the number of booths that have been traditionally set up downtown. Ruth Pszwaro, executive art colony director, said the Art Colony had a lot of feedback from the artists and local businesses before deciding to move the festival downtown again. The move will allow more space between booths for easier shopping and artist setup. In addition, the Art Colony requested barriers be set up to block traffic on corresponding streets during the festival. If possible, they asked for cement barriers to provide safety for festival goers and artists, but City Administrator Mike Roth said the city didn’t have cement barriers.
Council voted to allow the art festival to come back downtown, but Mayor Jay Decoux said there would be more details to work out concerning barriers and traffic flow. So, council asked Pszwaro to work out the details and come back to the council with a finished plan about two months before the festival took place, which she agreed to do.
Cook County Highway Engineer Robert Hass and co-worker Matt Nesheim, Highway Maintenance Superintendent, came before the council to give input and open a discussion “regarding language to the ordinance specifically for the lower block of 5th Avenue West making it no parking on both sides of the street (Trunk Highway 61 one block up.)
“This section of road has a very steep grade as it intersects Highway 61, and it becomes a public safety issue as well as a crew safety issue to maintain this section of road when dealing with vehicles parked on it during winter months,” Hass said.
According to Hass, local businesses had been contacted in the area, adding, “there’s a general understanding that this is indeed a pretty nasty section of road for winter maintenance and would make sense to enact “no parking” for this block during the winter season.”
Hass said the county could post the one block “no parking” without coming to the city, but he felt the county and city should work together. He said he would like to see consistent signage throughout the city.
Considering plowing snow on city/county roads, Hass said, “The last thing we want to do is ticket cars. But at the end of the day, it becomes a public safety issue. The last thing I want to do is to tow them.”
Councilor Anton Moody made a motion of support to change the city’s ordinance for the last block of 5th Avenue West. Administrator Mike Roth will write the ordinance change, and Council will entertain a process to look at other places with parking problems and discuss those at a future meeting.
Jason Hale, Cook County HRA Executive Director, came before the council to discuss a draft resolution regarding the conveyance of City land inside the curve of the Gunflint Trail to the HRA that would be used to develop residential housing.
Council agreed to convey the approximately 10 acres of land to the HRA for one dollar. However, the transaction couldn’t take place at this meeting because City Attorney Chris Hood noted a quick-claim deed and other paperwork needed to be completed before the land could switch hands.
Hale agreed to get the needed paperwork and appear at an upcoming meeting to complete the land transfer.
If the property isn’t developed in the next five years, it will go back to the city of Grand Marais.
On Wednesday, December 21, the IRRRB granted the Cook County/Grand Marais EDA $500,000 that the HRA will use to develop infrastructure for the housing development on the 10 acres.
Council agreed to keep the process moving forward.
Following the recommendation of the Planning Commission to deny a conditional use permit, the city council denied Terrance Scholz’s request for a conditional use permit to construct a 15-unit resort on property he was proposing to build in an area zoned RC Recreational Commercial District.
The land, approximately 21.4 acres, was the site of the former proposed zip line above the water tower next to the Sawtooth Bluff recreation area.
In denying the request, the planning commission found that the lodging was incompatible with the current undeveloped hillside. However, the planning commission also said, “The location and character of the proposed use are not considered to be consistent with a desirable pattern of development for the area and that the “applicant has not provided sufficient evidence that their concept for off-grid development, without access to municipal wastewater utility of electric utility, is suitable for the rocky hillside above the developed area of Grand Marais.”
Councilor Moody said the plan included about 200 solar panels and 75 “skinny” windmills. Council members said they thought the project sounded exciting and hoped Scholtz would find a suitable location elsewhere else to build.
Council approved the following applicants for the 2023 tobacco license: Buck’s Hardware Hank, Gene’s Foods Inc., Shop n Save DBA Marathon, Mike’s Holiday, and Gunflint Tavern.
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