The Grand Marais Park Board once again discussed possible changes to the recreation park waterfront area at the regular meeting on May 7. The board reviewed the 44 comments received and documents like this rendering of the proposed change to the small rubble mound break wall near the boat ramp.
With the tourist season about to begin, work has begun in earnest to bring the park up to speed, said Grand Marais Park Manager Dave Tersteeg to the park board at its May 7, 2014 meeting.
Although there is some hiring to be done, returning crew members have been busy cleaning up the park. One bathhouse is open and there are already a few campers back, Tersteeg said.
The park received 10 applications for the facility manager position, and Tersteeg said five candidates have been interviewed. “All five candidates that were interviewed were highly qualified. You could do no wrong hiring any one one of them,” he said.
Parkside public access project
Tersteeg said he received 44 written comments about the proposal to improve the small rubble mound break wall, boat ramp and parking area in the southwest corner of the park. Only three of the comments were negative, he said.
“If the recommendation is to proceed with further planning, research and design, it would be helpful to offer the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) a prioritized list of amenities and attributes to consider and potentially include in the final design,” Tersteeg said.
Harbor Park canopy tent to be purchased
The past couple of meetings the board has been discussing purchasing a canopy tent that could be used at events hosted in Harbor Park. It is hoped that a tent would not only draw attention to the activity, but would provide shade from sun and protection from rain.
Both the Grand Marais Lions Club and Moving Matters organization have said they would (probably) contribute some money to help with the purchase of a tensile tent.
After much discussion the board asked Tersteeg to order a white canopy tent from KD Kanopy that will cover 1,320 square feet and hold up to 153 people. The purchase is contingent upon the Lions Club and Moving Matters contributing to the $3,870 purchase. The canopy tent doesn’t have sides on it, so some rain might be able to come in from the sides, but it will withstand winds up to 30 miles per hour, said Tersteeg.
“It takes two people about 30 minutes to set up and 30 minutes to take down,” he added.
More harbor side displays for historical society
Leonard Sobanja and several members of the Cook County Historical Society appeared before the park board and asked about some displays that they would like to put near the historic reproduction fish house and the fishing boat the NeeGee.
“Could you give us some kind of assurance that whatever we do here doesn’t get moved hastily?” asked Sobanja.
“We’re in the business to show the historical significance of this area. And I know that you are in the business to promote the area. Could we get a motion or a 10- to 20-year promise that what we display doesn’t get moved out of there?” Sobanja asked.
Teersteg and several park board members assured Sobanja that there was no current plan to move the displays now in place.
“We would only need to move them if we got a bigger marina,” said Robin DuChien, adding that there was no plans for that to happen anytime soon, if ever.
The historical society would like to put an 8’x4’ smokehouse and 8’x 8’ icehouse near the NeeGee and fishing house, and the park board voiced full support for the new additions.
Park Board Members Sally Berg and Reid Dushek voiced strong support for the new displays. “I think they would create more interest for the park,” said Berg, with Dushek adding, “Interesting displays like these will only add more value to the campground.”
Grand Marais City Councilor and Park Board Liaison Bill Lenz said the city would have to have their attorney look at any lease agreement or long term agreement with the historical society before promises were made about how long displays will stay in place. That said, Lenz also thought the new additions would only add interest to the park.
Golf course update
Mike Kunshier, manager of the Grand Marais golf course, gave a brief update about the condition of the golf course following the long winter.
“The course looks a lot better this year than it did last year,” said Kunshier, who said that he cleared snow off the 6th, 7th, and 8th greens the day before.
Memberships were down 27 percent in 2013, he said, adding, “We’re going to push season passes this year. New members will be able to purchase season passes for under $300. Our slogan is, ‘Where golf is affordable.’”
To help bring in new golfers, Kunshier said Cook County Community YMCA director Emily Marshall said she was going to see if she could get some kids interested in learning the game this summer.
If all goes well the course should open May 23, Kunshier said.
Artwork accepted
The board accepted with thanks a sculpture donated by Mark and Ruthann Ohlsen. The outdoor sculpture is named Cherry Blossom and is fabricated from Cor-ten steel. It stands about 7 feet tall and is 3 feet wide. Well-known artist Dale Rogers made it. The Ohlsens have donated the artwork in memory of their son, Quinn.
“Do they care where we display it?” asked Park Board Member Robin DuChein.
“No. They said we can put it anywhere we want to,” said Tersteeg, who added, “We could look at putting it on the library lawn or in Harbor Park, but we don’t have to decide today.”
A motion was made and passed unanimously to accept the artwork with a location to be determined at a later date.
The board reviewed and prioritized a list of ideas that Tersteeg had made from the written comments. This is what will be submitted to the Grand Marais City Council and to the Minnesota DNR, who will help fund the project should it go forward.
1. Provisions to maintain security and access to the city’s municipal water treatment plant are necessary.
2. Provisions to allow access out onto the bay—possibly a paved, accessible break wall, but also consideration for utilizing floating, accessible wave attenuators.
3. Suitable sized basin within the break wall to allow for staging, haul-out and launch of average sized, Lake Superior cruising boats: 30-40 feet in length.
4. Launch ramp designed to hydraulic standards for slope (12 percent), width and depth (6’-8’).
5. Future break wall improvements do not exceed the height above water of existing break wall.
6. Space reserved for public art; space reserved for fireworks display staging.
In other business
. Park revenues were up over $6,000 this April from last April. “Revenues continue to be strong and outpace last year,” said Tersteeg.
. An environmental review of the pool was completed and Tersteeg said the consultant he spoke to didn’t think there would be any problems with lead or asbestos or any other contaminants that would require a hold-up on demolition of the building. Once the report comes back (and is okay) bids will be solicited and a company hired to demolish the pool building.
“We hope to have it completed by the Fourth of July,” Tersteeg said.
. The 60 cords of birch that are piled near the softball field will be cut up and turned into firewood by a firm from Duluth. The firewood will be sold to campers throughout the summer, said Tersteeg.
. All of the buoys have been sold for the year and the Grand Marais Yacht Club will put in their docks on May 10-11, Dave said.
. A cleanup of the Harbor Park will be held on Memorial Day in conjunction with the Grand Marais Garden Club. “If you want to come and help out, we will be doing lots of dead-heading, weeding, mulching and general cleanup of the park,” said Tersteeg.
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