Cook County News Herald

What do we know about slippery slopes like the Lutsen Ski Hill expansion?


As I read the rundown on how this process will unfold, several concerns came to mind. The article did not suggest that these areas were a part of the discovery or action plan so here are my concerns:

There was early mention that the 600 acres may include an historic Native American village. What do we know about that, what have we learned?

How many acres will become impervious surfaces once the additional parking lots, roads, and buildings are built? Where will the surface water go?

Where do 13 million gallons of water go when the storage tanks fail?

Who is going to work here? Is there a plan to annex a small country and give these citizens dual citizenship, thus avoiding problems with immigration policies.

Where are these employees going to live? There was no mention of employee housing in the plan.

Will there be a healthcare center on site for the employees and guests? Will they provide their own ambulance, paramedics, physicians, a helipad, or does this burden fall on our current facilities?

When will the county be expected to take over road maintenance?

An additional 1260 parking spots could easily translate into 2400 people on a weekend. Where will the wastewater treatment plant be located?

Will there be a law enforcement unit stationed in Lutsen? Who will be responsible for that detail and expense?

County facilities will be asked to cover too many services that benefit a small section of the county in a big way. Do we think property taxes will cover all of this?

And then there is the unique character of this county, where did it go?

Arvis Thompson, Colvill

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