3/11/11
On Monday night (3/14) Shorewood's City Council will reconsider its 2009 decision not to support a plan for a trail along Cty Rd 19. Tonka Bay asked Shorewood to reconsider. This trail plan was rejected twice by Council in 2009. Initially it was rejected at a special multi-city joint council meeting and later at a regular Shorewood meeting. The key reason for rejection was the plan's inclusion of a $15 million trail option, not the idea of having a trail.
Lizee and Zerby who supported the plan argued that approval would cost Shorewood nothing and that money to build the trail would come from Three Rivers Park District and Hennepin County. Council Member Woodruff pointed out that Shorewood residents pay property taxes which include levies from both of these organizations. So, Shorewood taxpayers would be paying some of the cost and approving the plan would send a message that $15 million for a trail was OK.
Do you think $15 million for a few miles of recreational trail is a good plan and a good use of your tax dollars?
See pages starting at 83 on Monday's agenda at: http://weblink.ci.shorewood.mn.us/weblink8/0/doc/152067/Page1.aspx
A consultant and a group of residents from Orono, Tonka Bay and Shorewood held a series of meetings to plan a train connecting the regional trail that crosses Cty 19 just north of County Rd 15 in Navarre to the LRT trail that crosses Cty19 at the Shorewood/Tonka Bay border. The Shorewood residents in the group were appointed by Chris Lizee without discussion with or knowledge of the City Council. One of these residents was Scott Zerby who, at the time he was appointed was not a member of Council.
In October of 2009 the group delivered to a joint meeting of the councils of Orono, Tonka Bay and Shorewood a set of alternative concepts for the trail with costs ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to $15 million. Only three council members from each city were in attendance likely due to the meeting being held in the middle of the day in a workweek. Orono and Tonka Bay each approved a resolution supporting the concept plan on 3-0 votes. Shorewood did not approve on a 2-1 vote (Lizee and Zerby in favor and Woodruff dissenting). Woodruff stated he could not vote for approval when two of five council members were not in attendance and had not had a chance to participate in the discussion. In a subsequent Shorewood Council Meeting the plan was reviewed and was not approved on a 2-3 vote (Lizee and Zerby in favor; Bailey, Turgeon and Woodruff dissenting).
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Most people use the trails because they can walk or jog through an isolated, quiet woodsy area, and it is flat. To link up two trail systems following CR 19 would mean that the "trail" would now be next to noisy and dangerous traffic, and be full of hills that would have to be navigated.
ReplyDeleteWould it be used that much?