ECOLOGIAL RESTORATION
ER
AT CEDAR LAKE POINT BEACH (AND BEYOND)
No Focus on a Mound of NeedOn the north shore of Cedar Lake sits a high ground commonly referred to as "The Mound." It has been enjoyed for years as an overlook to Cedar Lake where park visitors would stop for a few minutes on their walk through the woods, or plan as a spot to meet, fire up a little campfire, enjoy some beverages. Some trail organized runs like the Loppet's would include running up the wooden stairs as a part of the course. Today, it's an eroding slope. Unusable. Dangerous, especially if you happen to tumble on any of a number of spike nails still protruding. It's an eyesore. And a park liability. A liability as opposed to an asset that is. I've learned that the Park Board can't be sued so if someone does trip and injure themselves on one of those spikes, apparently the park is not liable? It would seem obvious that this troubled area would be acknowledged and addressed in the Cedar-Isles Plan. If the reconassance field trips to assess the natural areas somehow missed it, surely the planners would have heard what the local residents told them. This is a problem and it needs to be fixed. "If it ain't working, don't fix it."That seems to be the motto of the Cedar-Isles Plan. Despite local neighbors repeated pleas to not build new things, and first address existing problems and fix what we've got, the latest version of the draft Plan introduced yet another new development project at Cedar Lake's South Beach, now referred to as "FOCUS AREA A". As Mary Pattock writes in the February 2023 Hill and Lake Press, "it was shocking to see that at the last minute Park Board staff added Cedar Lake South Beach as a new 'focus area' with the new proposed amenities." This Focus Area was not a part of the "preferred design concept" last presented to the public in June 2023. The Plan ignores elements of an existing plan and adds new amenities never reviewed. Regrettably, this seems to be the most consistent theme of the draft Cedar-Isles Plan. Build more stuff. Overlook what needs fixing. It's what happens when there isn't a strategic framework to help to set priorities address needs before niceties. It will continue to happen unless the Plan is amended to include language that explicitly states needs and priorities. The public still has until Friday to comment on the Plan. Here's the link.
1 Comment
Anthony Severt
3/7/2023 05:09:27 pm
That could be so much better than it is. Get rid of the creosote, Add something else. Today, it just seems like a good place to get tetanus.
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March 2024
AuthorI'm Steve Kotvis, volunteer Park Steward for the Minneapolis Cedar Lake Point Beach peninsula who has a newfound love of restoring this natural area and more. I'm learning as I go, and enjoy sharing that with those who have an interest. I'm also a photographer, so the photos in this blog are mine unless otherwise labeled. |