City of Blackduck Obtains $300,000 to Construct Bike/Pedestrian Trail

After four years of planning and hard work the City of Blackduck will construct the first phase of a paved trail system this summer.  The trail is a two mile loop that connects the downtown and city park to the school and residents in the north half of the City.  Total cost of the project will be $330,000-$340,000, dependent upon price of materials and bituminous at the time of the bid-letting this spring.

With HRDC assistance, the City has obtained over 90% of the funds to construct the trail from outside resources.  They received a grant from the DNR for $95,000 and through the MnDOT Transportation Enhancements Program they were awarded funds for 80% of construction costs, up to $246,960.  Local groups within the City also stepped up to the plate and helped raise a significant portion of the remaining funds the City will need to fill the remaining gap.

In the future the City hopes to secure funding to construct the second and third phases of the system that will consist of a loop in the southern half of the City and a trail connecting the park on Blackduck Lake.

Lake Lomond Park Improvements

The Bagley community has a passionate interest in the future of Lake Lomond Park.  As its name suggests, the park lies along the southeast shore of Lake Lomond.  Comprised of 32 acres of land, the City’s only park is centrally located in Bagley and is the geographic transition between Bagley’s main residential areas and its activity hub, which includes the central business district, schools, health care facilities and county offices.

For over 100 years, the park has been the primary green space within the City, enjoyed by people from both inside and outside of the City.  In its earlier days, the park contained the City’s main baseball field, a beach with lifeguards, a campground, and the skating rink (a focal point for hockey and figure skating).  Over the years, however, the uses of the park have changed and areas within the park have become deteriorated and in significant need of improvement.

Recognizing that many of the park’s amenities are currently underutilized, the community believes that the park is ripe for redevelopment.

Over the past year and a half, the HRDC worked with the Lake Lomond Task Force, made up of volunteers from the community, to develop and begin implementation of a 20-year plan to redevelop Lake Lomond Park.  Throughout every step of their planning process, the task force sought recommendations and feedback by community members.  This input was then used to create the new Lake Lomond Park Improvement Plan.

Though the development of this plan is complete, most members of the Lake Lomond Task Force have chosen to remain involved in order to help implement the improvements outlined in the Plan.  In their first phase of improvements, the task force hopes to accomplish the following activities:

• Improve the swimming beach
• Reinstate the lifeguards at the beach
• Move and replace the existing boat access
• Construct a fishing pier
• Begin development of a walking/bicycle trail system
• Determine the feasibility of constructing a multi-use building within the park

Beltrami County Completes Ambitious Second Phase of Park Planning Effort

Rognlien Park Design 11mb PDF Download

Two years ago Beltrami County developed a County-wide Park and Trails Plan that was seen as a model for the rest of the state.  The County found a way to design a system that minimized conflicts between uses and that was able to meet the demands of a variety of user groups.

In 2007 Beltrami County undertook the second phase of the their Plan and created specific designs and capital improvement programs for each of its six parks.  These plans are being used to both target local resources and leverage state and federal funding to make the $4.8 million in identified improvements over the next 20 years.  One example of this effort is displayed to the right in the design for Rognlien Park, a park south of Wilton on Grant Lake.

Information regarding the first phase of the Beltrami County Park Planning Effort can be read in the article entitled “Beltrami Park Planning” in our Natural Resources section.

For more information on this effort, contact John Winter of the Beltrami County Natural Resources department, or Tony Mayer of the Headwaters RDC.

Park Rapids Develops Park and Trail Plan

Deane Park has some well preserved WPA projects.

What does one of the premier park and trail systems in rural Minnesota look like?  The City of Park Rapids, with help from the Headwaters RDC, has recently taken steps towards answering that question by completing the Park Rapids Parks and Trails Plan. 

The plan includes master designs for each of the four premier parks in the City:  Rice, Depot, Deane Point, and Red Bridge parks, and recommendations for the two neighborhood parks, Lindquist and Kaywood.  Recommendations are also included for other recreational facilities, including tennis, softball, a campground, and recommendations for additional parks.  Finally, this plan includes a master trail design.

The parks plan will effectively serve all parts of the City, meet the recreational desires of all segments of the Park Rapids Community, and will develop in such a way that employs high quality improvements and offers a high quality experience for users. 

The trails plan will provide links to and from City parks and important residential and commercial activities in the community, link community trails with the regional system (Heartland Trail), and emphasize safe opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians by minimizing crossings on Highway 34 and creating off-road trails in segments of high vehicle traffic.