The Cook County Active Living Steering Committee and the Grand Marais Park Board seem to be moving in the same direction.
On April 2, 2013, Kristin Wharton, Statewide Health Improvement Project (SHIP) coordinator and Active Living Steering Committee representative, spoke to the park board about the outcome of an Active Living Summit held in Grand Marais last fall. She said people are interested in creating an active living policy for the city and the county that reflects the needs of multiple user groups as transportation planning and projects come up. This dovetails with the park board’s Community Connections project that will create an inviting entrance from Highway 61 into the northeast corner of the park.
The need to move people and goods along Highway 61 sometimes clashes with the need for safety in downtown Grand Marais, Wharton said. Walkways sometimes do not connect and signage could be improved, she said.
The Active Living Steering Committee is pursuing the development of a design for Grand Marais streets by applying for an “Active Living for All” grant from Prevention Minnesota, the philanthropic arm of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, funded through tobacco funds. Wharton said the committee wants people to feel like they can get around even if they don’t drive or have a car, whether they walk, take Arrowhead Transit, or travel by wheelchair.
Park Board Chair Walt Mianowski said that locals and tourists alike want to be able to walk safely around downtown Grand Marais.
The board unanimously approved a letter of support for the grant.
The next order of business for the park board was to decide whether to take action on a portion of the Community Connections project that has not yet been designed. The upper portion of the trail lies in the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) right of way, and a more elaborate entranceway at that spot, such as one with a landing and steps, would require costlier engineering and a lengthier and more complicated approval process.
Park Manager Dave Tersteeg and City Administrator Mike Roth asked the city’s engineering firm, LHB, to come up with a proposal for the design of this portion of the project. LHB came up with a cost of $7,800 for a design with a structure in the MnDOT right of way and $4,900 for a design without a structure in the MnDOT right of way. “We’re not pleased with these figures at all,” Tersteeg said, adding that the lower figure was twice what they expected to pay. He said he is working with LHB on getting the cost lower.
Tersteeg suggested that instead of deciding on a design for the MnDOT right of way, they wait a year after the rest of the trail is completed this spring to see where people naturally tend to walk between the highway and the trail.
Park board member Sally Berg recommended that they consider where their money would best be spent – next to the highway or down in the park. Tersteeg told the Cook County News- Herald that Cook County Soil & Water District Manager Kerrie Berg is “pretty optimistic” about a National Wildlife Federation grant it applied for on behalf of the Community Connections project.
The board voted unanimously to postpone a decision on the design of the connection to Highway 61 until after they see how the rest of the trail looks.
Potential mooring purchase
Tersteeg reported that the owner of a private harbor mooring is interested in selling his mooring site and brandname equipment to the city at a cost that he thought would be about half of what they usually pay for new equipment. It has been in the harbor for about 13 years, and Tersteeg said this type of equipment usually lasts 30-50 years.
The city currently owns nine moorings, and in 2027 all moorings will revert to the city.
Tersteeg said he would get back to the board with a specific price.
Campground opening
People in trailers have been occupying several sites that are open, Tersteeg said. The bathhouses are not functional yet, but campers are using the pool’s facilities instead.
Several summer staff positions need to be filled, including a bathhouse custodian, two lifeguards at the pool, and a golf course clubhouse attendant.
“Last year we were golfing on the 18th of April,” Chair Mianowski said. “This year there’s still 16 feet of snow up there!”
Tersteeg stated that the campground would officially open on Monday, April 22. “Bring your shovel!” board member Tracy Benson said.
Leave a Reply