Jonathan Steckelberg
“We are trending for another busy season,” said Grand Marais Recreation Park manager Dave Tersteeg to the park board on Tuesday, March 6.
Tersteeg was referring to his report to the board that showed that reservations for February 2018 were up 19 percent over last February.
With Highway 61 due to be revamped during the summer of 2019, Tersteeg said the park board should think about ways to improve the 8th Avenue park entrance and the community connection corners.
“Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is responsible for everything inside of the curbs, but the city is responsible for the rest of the project,” he noted.
Early estimates are that the roadwork will cost $6 million, with the rest of the project, sidewalks, bike paths, pedestrian lights, bike racks, concrete and heavy timber benches for seating, trees, kiosks, etc., costing about $1.5 million. That money will come from a separate budget, he added.
“The city has a grant for $700,000 from MnDOT for pedestrian enhancements,” said Tersteeg. The rest of the money will come from the city unless other grants are found to pay for some of the projects.
With that, Tersteeg asked the park board to consider setting aside $60,000 to $80,000 to pay for a new gateway sign to the recreation park — one, he said, preferably made of real stone and materials that could last up to 50 years — and for materials to improve the community connection to the park when the work was being done.
“You don’t have to make that decision tonight. This enhancement to the corridor is a legacy type project, so we want to do everything the right way. We don’t want to be five years down the road and wished we had made better decisions,” he said.
Barb Backlund asked that any new park entry sign erected must be seen by drivers coming from both directions. The current one is for drivers coming east.
“I agree,” said park board chair Sally Berg.
“Will the turn lane into the park remain where it is now?” asked Berg, who also asked about the parking along Highway 61.
“The turn lane will still be there, but the parking along the highway will change,” said Tersteeg.
One idea is to park cars in the empty lot across the street from the park office where boats and trailers are now stored, (where the swimming pool used to be) and have rideshare, or people can walk to events, he said.
All told, Tersteeg said there would as much parking along the side of Highway 61, but it will be in different areas than where it exists now.
Sawtooth Bluff Master Plan
The Sawtooth Bluff Master Plan steering committee, said Tersteeg, has developed a draft plan for the 640-acre city/county owned property that will be available for public review online March 12. The project’s website is ardc.org/sawtoothbluff/.
Some of the ideas for the property include building hiking and fat-tire biking trails; a disc golf course with a semi-cleared trail moving through the woods with typical baskets; a fenced, semi-cleared 2.5 acre, dog park allowing off-leash activities (that means your dog could also go off-leash), and a hub facility that would serve all of the park’s various trails and campsites.
Current ideas for the hub area include parking, changing rooms, bike repair station, rentals, campground management facility, information, restrooms, education facility, vehicle and device charging station.
As far as the proposed campground, Tersteeg said he has suggested his staff could lend expertise to running the campground if one is to be included. But, as he noted, there is still much to be decided before a final plan is made.
A public meeting will be held March 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cook County Courthouse Commissioners’ Room to review the draft plan for the proposed Sawtooth Bluff Park.
Board welcomes Steckelberg
Getting a hearty welcome to the park board was new member Jonathan Steckelberg.
Steckelberg was recently appointed to the Grand Marais City Council to fill the spot left vacant by Tracy Benson, who is moving back to the Twin Cities for work. As a new council member, he volunteered to be the city council liaison to the park board because as a child he said he played in the park and knows the area well. Jonathan is a mechanical engineer who works from his Grand Marais home. He plays music with several bands during his free time and said he welcomed the chance to be a member of the city council and park board.
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