Landscape Architect CJ Fernandez got some good direction at the second meeting held to consider the future of the Tofte town park and Gitchi Gami Bicycle Trail design.
With nearly unanimous consent about a dozen people attending the May 21 meeting decided Fenandez should focus on the lower portion of Highway 61 when planning to route the Gitchi-Gami bike path through Tofte.
Fernandez showed the group a route above Highway 61 and several variations below Highway 61.
Plans to build the path below Highway 61 were supported for several reasons. The two major reasons centered on getting bikers near the lake, where they often end up when they visit the town park, and the cost savings because the Tofte Park Road could be used in the plan.
Fernandez said when he began planning the various routes, he thought it would be less expensive to build on the upper side of the highway. However, he said, because there are a lot of deep ditches on the upper side that would need to be dealt with in engineering and construction, that didn’t prove to be true.
Plus, the upper side meant bikers would have to navigate through the often-busy Holiday gas station and AmericInn driveways.
All told, said Fernandez, there is $750,000 in state and federal money to build the bike path. That doesn’t leave enough money to build an underground tunnel below Highway 61 or a bridge over it to connect to the lower portion, so some sort of signage will have to be placed where the crossing will take place, he said.
There was discussion about several routes through the Bluefin Bay Resort parking lot, and Fernandez will take those suggestions back to the drawing board. One idea still up for consideration is using the Bluefin Bay boardwalk.
In the last meeting Bluefin Bay owner Dennis Rysdahl said the condo/ townhome association had voted to allow the boardwalk to be used as part of the bike path, but they would like it brought into compliance for biking/ walking standards. After looking it over and crunching numbers, Fernandez said it would cost too much to upgrade the boardwalk. However, he suggested that bikers could walk their bikes along the boardwalk before hooking up with the trail at the end of it. Tofte Supervisors Jim King and Paul James both supported that idea, noting it would give riders a chance to “rest their backsides” and get a chance to enjoy the lake views as they walked.
Board and batten structure endorsed for park
Next Fernandez unveiled a drawing of a new park building that would be located much closer to the parking lot than the pavilion that is now in place. It would be placed more than 75 feet from the vegetation line to meet setback standards.
The idea to build a board and batten structure, said Fernandez, was taken from old boathouse designs with modern upgrades. The building would be 48 feet long and 24 feet wide with a two-way fireplace that could be used for inside and outside picnics or parties. The enclosed portion was 24 x 24 feet, which would limit the size of the groups that could use it. James said they wanted to make sure groups didn’t get too big in the park and that it remain closed at 11 p.m. to keep the noise down for nearby residents.
The building Fernandez drew was red—in the style of the old fish houses he said—and had a metal roof. Fernandez was asked why he chose a metal roof, and he said it would last longer and need less upkeep, but could be changed to shingles if the township preferred that. He suggested the cement floor could be colorized to add beauty to the structure without adding to the upkeep.
Cost to complete the building and infrastructure was estimated at $450,000. Financing to pay for it can come from a variety of government sources, private foundation grants and Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) money, said Fernandez. He noted that the building and parking lot at the Beaver Bay Trailhead cost $700,000 with Beaver Bay paying none of those costs.
“That’s fine,” said Supervisor James, “but who will take care of getting the permits and take the responsibility to make sure everything is getting done?”
“The county usually ends up taking responsibility for these projects,” said Fernandez.
Andy Hubley, director of the Regional Planning Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC), was also on hand at the meeting and he said the ARDC could lend a hand with finding financing and with planning. Hubley suggested that if the project ges through, the township should hire a general contractor who would be responsible to pull all of the necessary permits and stay on top of the day-today scheduling and work.
Everyone on hand said they liked the building and thought it would be a nice addition to the park; now the work will begin to find financing to build it.
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