Dear True,
I'd like to suggest to your readers that they become members of the nonprofit organization "Harbor Friends." With 900 plus members, about half Cook County residents, Friends seek to educate and advocate for a small expanded marina in Grand Marais harbor.
After repeated attempts to work with the DNR and the city council were rebuffed, despite broad public support for their concept, despite the environmental depradations of a large marina, despite the loss of beach and public space and damage to the RV park that would ensue, despite any vestige of reasonable economics to support the DNR concept, the council forges ahead.
In response, the Friends have only increased their education and outreach efforts about the true impact of a large marina, and the advantages of their smaller-scale plan. They were awarded two prestigious grants for their work on behalf of the Great Lakes Basin. One, from Blandin Foundation, will be used for a study of existing marinas around Lake Superior by a hired consultant "to provide real world information about how marinas in their area operate." The other, from Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, will support the Friends' efforts toward grassroots and citizen initiatives benefitting the lake. Both grants support the outreach and educational efforts by the Friends and their intensive volunteer efforts to achieve a public consensus for a sustainable harbor.
Please check out the website: www.harborfriends.org and/or email harborfriends@boreal.org to get on their mailing list. Membership is a one-time fee of $1.00, such a deal.
Sincerely,
Jane Marple ("I find in a village, the worst gossip is so often true.")
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Will Cook County succumb to the rich?
Dear True,
Here's a story from the Strib that I discovered in my ceaseless trolling of North Shore issues.... this one seems to me to be iconic in its stark and brutal assessment of the cultural clash between the New Rich and the generations of people who have loved the North Shore and treasured it.....
I have no comments personally except that these issues as seen by the Strib, by outside developers ready to pounce here such as the so-called "Gunflint Gals" of the totally ugly new East Bay, by arrogant yuppies who would just as soon blast the lakeshore and build plastic waterfalls or concrete breakwalls, by the DNR who would like to destroy local habitat to build an inappropriately huge marina, and by the hundreds of thousands who celebrate the unspoiled beauty of our county, need to be examined before the Grand Marais City Council sells our town to the highest bidder. Think about it. There are forces impinging on our beautiful harbor, village and county as well..... But who will protect the interests of those who simply love the (relatively) unspoiled beauty of the fragile and precious North Shore? And what about the incredibly fragile ecology that invasive developers snub? Do the rich think they can buy wilderness without destroying it? Do you care????
Feel free to pass this Strib article along to everyone you know.
Sincerely, A Friend
Big money trumps mom-and-pop resorts
Richard Meryhew, Star Tribune
GRAND MARAIS, MINN. -- Lois Sundin hated to see the place go. But after watching all the high-priced condominiums and townhouses pop up along Lake Superior's shoreline, the longtime owner of the East Bay Hotel knew it was time.
With North Shore tourists wanting lavish digs with hot tubs, fireplaces and flat-screen TVs, Sundin's funky old East Bay was struggling to compete.
So in June, she sold the 95-year-old hotel that sits on the rocky beach in downtown Grand Marais. A month later, Twin Cities developers knocked most of it down to make way for vacation condominiums.
"It's kind of sad," Sundin, 75, said recently. "But what can you do? You can't stop progress. There's lots of people with a lot of money."
And that money is rapidly changing the look and feel of Lake Superior's North Shore.
Once, the 110-mile stretch of picturesque shoreline between Duluth and Grand Marais was defined by mom-and-pop resorts and home-grown cafes and souvenir stands. Now, it's evolving into a getaway for the well-to-do, with rooms, restaurants and real estate developed to fit Twin Cities lifestyles at Twin Cities prices. People want their view -- and their hot tub, too.
While some see the change as inevitable, others are mourning the loss of a simpler, quieter retreat.
As extravagant and stylish vacation properties rise along the shoreline, familiar folksy stops such as the East Bay, with its $27-a-night rooms, shared baths and creaky wooden floors, are slowly fading from the landscape.
"It's kind of a whole new world, to be honest with you," said Bruce Giddings, the Lake County assessor who has tracked the rapid escalation of shoreline property values.
Baby boomers driving the changes
Gary Kettleson, an assistant Cook County planning director who once owned and managed a shoreline hotel near Lutsen, says the changes are largely the result of the Twin Cities market and influence pushing farther north.
As affluent baby boomers with deep pockets and expensive tastes discover the shore, more extravagant lodging and retail establishments follow, catering to their tastes and crowding out the old ways.
"People still want the wilderness," Kettleson said. "Just not as much of it. At the end of the day, they want to go back to a nice carpeted room with a fireplace and kick back."
Developers know it, and are delivering big time:
• At Larsmont, a former campground south of Two Harbors, rises a $27 million vacation complex featuring twin-home "cottages" that go for $450,000 or more. The development, part of which opened this summer, also has a recreation center with a heated pool, whirlpool, and rooms for massages, games and exercise.
• On a bluff overlooking a scenic bay in Two Harbors stands the first phase of the Burlington Bay Lakehomes. The $80 million vacation condominium project will feature an indoor water park and units loaded with extras, including stone fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, decks with grills, and wireless Internet access.
• Up the shore, on a private beach near the Silver Cliff tunnel, carpenters are building a dozen twin homes. The Silver Cliff Homes, which start at $850,000, are going up where two small motels once sat.
• In Grand Marais, a scenic tourist town of 1,400 people that has been slow to embrace change, two vacation condominium projects -- the Cobblestone Cove Villas and the East Bay Suites -- are rising along the city's harbor, and a third, located across the highway from the bay, is in the works.
"You know the dream where you have a tiny little house surrounded by all these big skyscrapers?" said Judi Barsness, owner of the Chez Jude Restaurant in Grand Marais. "I had this dream three weeks ago where my little harbor restaurant is surrounded by these huge condominiums. ...There's just so much going on."
The new stuff is pricey, but buyers aren't discouraged.
"We see people paying exorbitant prices and we ask 'why?' " Giddings said. "They say they want to see that bird, that lake, that view."
Upscale is the word
"It's a different type of people, and that's not bad," Giddings said. "But with a different type of people comes a different type of spending habit. It's no different than what happened in the Brainerd Lakes area."
As North Shore visitors' tastes change, the price and quality of everything from souvenirs to lunch to lodging goes up. So does the pressure to keep up.
Maybe no one feels it more than the small lodging operators with cabins or motels.
"When we first rented, the question was, 'Do you have indoor plumbing?' " said Bill Blank, who, with his wife, Beth, has run the 18-unit Solbakken Resort near Lutsen since 1980. "Now the question is 'How many bathrooms do you have?' Or, 'Do you have a Jacuzzi?' "
Said Beth Blank: "We've spent incredible amounts of money in infrastructure, being required to bury power lines, redoing windows for fire codes and redoing septic systems. Unfortunately, if you don't keep changing with the times you are out of business."
Over the past five years, Lake Superior shoreline in Cook and Lake counties has doubled in value, too, making it even more difficult for smaller resorts to generate the money needed to pay the mortgage, property taxes, utilities, wages and for upgrades to the business.
"You can't, in today's market, sell rooms for $39 a night and pay employees and property taxes and make it work," said Teresa Sterns, the St. Paul developer who bought the East Bay and is converting the site into vacation condos. "The economic model just doesn't work."
Said Kettleson, the assistant Cook County planning director: "Unless you're pretty large, there are just too many basic expenses that are going to wipe you out. I'd cringe at the thought of running a ma-and-pa place now. It doesn't make sense."
More than 40 years ago, Gloria Noren and her husband, Richard, bought the Surfside Resort in Tofte. The shoreline highway was winding and narrow and the freeway linking the Twin Cities and Duluth had yet to be built.
"It was a whole different ballgame," Noren said.
As the roads improved, more and more travelers drove up. The Norens put in new kitchens, new bathrooms and "made a lot of improvements," to their 13-unit resort, Noren said.
Still, modern kitchens and plumbing and a spectacular view of the lake weren't enough.
Last fall, Gloria Noren, now 80, closed the resort and put it up for sale.
"Our units are very nice, but time has passed," she said. "Now people want all of the amenities. It isn't little family cabin courts anymore."
Like living in Minneapolis?
While some say the wave of development is good for the economy of the North Shore, others fear the upscaling will discourage some families from visiting altogether.
"The shore has always been a place people could come to if they didn't have a lot to spend," said Beth Blank, the Solbakken owner. "When we first came here, we started out camping. Then we rented, and got a cabin. For a lot of people, I think that's how they've come to love the shore."
Others worry that the size of the new projects and the increasing number of tourists they are likely to attract will forever reshape the rhythms of the shoreline.
"The whole North Shore is about retreating and peacefulness and solitude and space and slowing down," Chez Jude's Barsness said.
And yet, she said, the market is being driven by a "fast-food syndrome. People want it and they want it now. They want the turn-key condo they can drive up and go into."
Said Noren: "If you've got condos every place, let's face it, it's like living in Minneapolis. I know progress has to go on, and it will always be that way. But how much can you build?"
Sundin wonders the same thing.
Built in the early 1900s, the East Bay Hotel for decades catered to lumberjacks, trappers and travelers, offering home-cooked meals, hot baths and a stunning view of Lake Superior.
Sundin and her husband, Jim Pedersen, took over the 28-room business in the late 1950s and built a clientele by offering home-style accommodations at affordable prices.
Sundays were for turkey dinners. Sunrise brought the scent of fresh-baked raisin rye bread. Guests were greeted by first names, and the family Labradors -- Radar, Java and Flash -- were often found snoozing on the couch under the lobby window.
"It was small and we knew the people who were guests and they knew us," Sundin said.
The floors were warped and the roof sometimes leaked and some guests had to share bathrooms.
"It was like an old home your grandparents had," said Rick Overholser, 55, of St. Paul Park, who, with his wife, Pat, stayed at the East Bay several times a year. "It had that kind of warm feeling, that family feeling, that home-style feeling. It was kind of like walking back in history, before you grow up."
Now, it's gone.
"It's progress, but it's still, you know, I have kind of a hurt feeling," said Sundin, who raised a family while running the place. "I'd rather have somebody buy it and run it like we did, but this is how it goes."
Sensitive to the mixed feelings that come with change, especially to a setting as delicate and beautiful as the North Shore, Sterns and co-developer Jane Helmke say they are trying to create a project that delivers the best of both worlds.
While offering upgraded accommodations with modern amenities at the new East Bay, including a shuttle service for guests, they've embraced some of the old. Developers have kept the "East Bay" name and have used part of the blueprint for the original structure in rebuilding the 31-unit project, part of which opens today. The front door of the East Bay Suites will be at the same corner it always was, and a new restaurant will go up where the old one stood.
Fresh-baked raisin rye bread will still be served in the new restaurant and the developers are even talking about having a dog or two.
"Everyone loves the East Bay for what it was," Helmke said. "The East Bay wasn't about walls and windows; it was about Lois greeting people at the front door by their first name and the dogs walking through the restaurant. It was the people. ... And it's important that the legacy continue."
Richard Meryhew • 612-673-4425
Here's a story from the Strib that I discovered in my ceaseless trolling of North Shore issues.... this one seems to me to be iconic in its stark and brutal assessment of the cultural clash between the New Rich and the generations of people who have loved the North Shore and treasured it.....
I have no comments personally except that these issues as seen by the Strib, by outside developers ready to pounce here such as the so-called "Gunflint Gals" of the totally ugly new East Bay, by arrogant yuppies who would just as soon blast the lakeshore and build plastic waterfalls or concrete breakwalls, by the DNR who would like to destroy local habitat to build an inappropriately huge marina, and by the hundreds of thousands who celebrate the unspoiled beauty of our county, need to be examined before the Grand Marais City Council sells our town to the highest bidder. Think about it. There are forces impinging on our beautiful harbor, village and county as well..... But who will protect the interests of those who simply love the (relatively) unspoiled beauty of the fragile and precious North Shore? And what about the incredibly fragile ecology that invasive developers snub? Do the rich think they can buy wilderness without destroying it? Do you care????
Feel free to pass this Strib article along to everyone you know.
Sincerely, A Friend
Big money trumps mom-and-pop resorts
Richard Meryhew, Star Tribune
GRAND MARAIS, MINN. -- Lois Sundin hated to see the place go. But after watching all the high-priced condominiums and townhouses pop up along Lake Superior's shoreline, the longtime owner of the East Bay Hotel knew it was time.
With North Shore tourists wanting lavish digs with hot tubs, fireplaces and flat-screen TVs, Sundin's funky old East Bay was struggling to compete.
So in June, she sold the 95-year-old hotel that sits on the rocky beach in downtown Grand Marais. A month later, Twin Cities developers knocked most of it down to make way for vacation condominiums.
"It's kind of sad," Sundin, 75, said recently. "But what can you do? You can't stop progress. There's lots of people with a lot of money."
And that money is rapidly changing the look and feel of Lake Superior's North Shore.
Once, the 110-mile stretch of picturesque shoreline between Duluth and Grand Marais was defined by mom-and-pop resorts and home-grown cafes and souvenir stands. Now, it's evolving into a getaway for the well-to-do, with rooms, restaurants and real estate developed to fit Twin Cities lifestyles at Twin Cities prices. People want their view -- and their hot tub, too.
While some see the change as inevitable, others are mourning the loss of a simpler, quieter retreat.
As extravagant and stylish vacation properties rise along the shoreline, familiar folksy stops such as the East Bay, with its $27-a-night rooms, shared baths and creaky wooden floors, are slowly fading from the landscape.
"It's kind of a whole new world, to be honest with you," said Bruce Giddings, the Lake County assessor who has tracked the rapid escalation of shoreline property values.
Baby boomers driving the changes
Gary Kettleson, an assistant Cook County planning director who once owned and managed a shoreline hotel near Lutsen, says the changes are largely the result of the Twin Cities market and influence pushing farther north.
As affluent baby boomers with deep pockets and expensive tastes discover the shore, more extravagant lodging and retail establishments follow, catering to their tastes and crowding out the old ways.
"People still want the wilderness," Kettleson said. "Just not as much of it. At the end of the day, they want to go back to a nice carpeted room with a fireplace and kick back."
Developers know it, and are delivering big time:
• At Larsmont, a former campground south of Two Harbors, rises a $27 million vacation complex featuring twin-home "cottages" that go for $450,000 or more. The development, part of which opened this summer, also has a recreation center with a heated pool, whirlpool, and rooms for massages, games and exercise.
• On a bluff overlooking a scenic bay in Two Harbors stands the first phase of the Burlington Bay Lakehomes. The $80 million vacation condominium project will feature an indoor water park and units loaded with extras, including stone fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, decks with grills, and wireless Internet access.
• Up the shore, on a private beach near the Silver Cliff tunnel, carpenters are building a dozen twin homes. The Silver Cliff Homes, which start at $850,000, are going up where two small motels once sat.
• In Grand Marais, a scenic tourist town of 1,400 people that has been slow to embrace change, two vacation condominium projects -- the Cobblestone Cove Villas and the East Bay Suites -- are rising along the city's harbor, and a third, located across the highway from the bay, is in the works.
"You know the dream where you have a tiny little house surrounded by all these big skyscrapers?" said Judi Barsness, owner of the Chez Jude Restaurant in Grand Marais. "I had this dream three weeks ago where my little harbor restaurant is surrounded by these huge condominiums. ...There's just so much going on."
The new stuff is pricey, but buyers aren't discouraged.
"We see people paying exorbitant prices and we ask 'why?' " Giddings said. "They say they want to see that bird, that lake, that view."
Upscale is the word
"It's a different type of people, and that's not bad," Giddings said. "But with a different type of people comes a different type of spending habit. It's no different than what happened in the Brainerd Lakes area."
As North Shore visitors' tastes change, the price and quality of everything from souvenirs to lunch to lodging goes up. So does the pressure to keep up.
Maybe no one feels it more than the small lodging operators with cabins or motels.
"When we first rented, the question was, 'Do you have indoor plumbing?' " said Bill Blank, who, with his wife, Beth, has run the 18-unit Solbakken Resort near Lutsen since 1980. "Now the question is 'How many bathrooms do you have?' Or, 'Do you have a Jacuzzi?' "
Said Beth Blank: "We've spent incredible amounts of money in infrastructure, being required to bury power lines, redoing windows for fire codes and redoing septic systems. Unfortunately, if you don't keep changing with the times you are out of business."
Over the past five years, Lake Superior shoreline in Cook and Lake counties has doubled in value, too, making it even more difficult for smaller resorts to generate the money needed to pay the mortgage, property taxes, utilities, wages and for upgrades to the business.
"You can't, in today's market, sell rooms for $39 a night and pay employees and property taxes and make it work," said Teresa Sterns, the St. Paul developer who bought the East Bay and is converting the site into vacation condos. "The economic model just doesn't work."
Said Kettleson, the assistant Cook County planning director: "Unless you're pretty large, there are just too many basic expenses that are going to wipe you out. I'd cringe at the thought of running a ma-and-pa place now. It doesn't make sense."
More than 40 years ago, Gloria Noren and her husband, Richard, bought the Surfside Resort in Tofte. The shoreline highway was winding and narrow and the freeway linking the Twin Cities and Duluth had yet to be built.
"It was a whole different ballgame," Noren said.
As the roads improved, more and more travelers drove up. The Norens put in new kitchens, new bathrooms and "made a lot of improvements," to their 13-unit resort, Noren said.
Still, modern kitchens and plumbing and a spectacular view of the lake weren't enough.
Last fall, Gloria Noren, now 80, closed the resort and put it up for sale.
"Our units are very nice, but time has passed," she said. "Now people want all of the amenities. It isn't little family cabin courts anymore."
Like living in Minneapolis?
While some say the wave of development is good for the economy of the North Shore, others fear the upscaling will discourage some families from visiting altogether.
"The shore has always been a place people could come to if they didn't have a lot to spend," said Beth Blank, the Solbakken owner. "When we first came here, we started out camping. Then we rented, and got a cabin. For a lot of people, I think that's how they've come to love the shore."
Others worry that the size of the new projects and the increasing number of tourists they are likely to attract will forever reshape the rhythms of the shoreline.
"The whole North Shore is about retreating and peacefulness and solitude and space and slowing down," Chez Jude's Barsness said.
And yet, she said, the market is being driven by a "fast-food syndrome. People want it and they want it now. They want the turn-key condo they can drive up and go into."
Said Noren: "If you've got condos every place, let's face it, it's like living in Minneapolis. I know progress has to go on, and it will always be that way. But how much can you build?"
Sundin wonders the same thing.
Built in the early 1900s, the East Bay Hotel for decades catered to lumberjacks, trappers and travelers, offering home-cooked meals, hot baths and a stunning view of Lake Superior.
Sundin and her husband, Jim Pedersen, took over the 28-room business in the late 1950s and built a clientele by offering home-style accommodations at affordable prices.
Sundays were for turkey dinners. Sunrise brought the scent of fresh-baked raisin rye bread. Guests were greeted by first names, and the family Labradors -- Radar, Java and Flash -- were often found snoozing on the couch under the lobby window.
"It was small and we knew the people who were guests and they knew us," Sundin said.
The floors were warped and the roof sometimes leaked and some guests had to share bathrooms.
"It was like an old home your grandparents had," said Rick Overholser, 55, of St. Paul Park, who, with his wife, Pat, stayed at the East Bay several times a year. "It had that kind of warm feeling, that family feeling, that home-style feeling. It was kind of like walking back in history, before you grow up."
Now, it's gone.
"It's progress, but it's still, you know, I have kind of a hurt feeling," said Sundin, who raised a family while running the place. "I'd rather have somebody buy it and run it like we did, but this is how it goes."
Sensitive to the mixed feelings that come with change, especially to a setting as delicate and beautiful as the North Shore, Sterns and co-developer Jane Helmke say they are trying to create a project that delivers the best of both worlds.
While offering upgraded accommodations with modern amenities at the new East Bay, including a shuttle service for guests, they've embraced some of the old. Developers have kept the "East Bay" name and have used part of the blueprint for the original structure in rebuilding the 31-unit project, part of which opens today. The front door of the East Bay Suites will be at the same corner it always was, and a new restaurant will go up where the old one stood.
Fresh-baked raisin rye bread will still be served in the new restaurant and the developers are even talking about having a dog or two.
"Everyone loves the East Bay for what it was," Helmke said. "The East Bay wasn't about walls and windows; it was about Lois greeting people at the front door by their first name and the dogs walking through the restaurant. It was the people. ... And it's important that the legacy continue."
Richard Meryhew • 612-673-4425
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Grand Marais, the Vision: who will do it, and what will they do?
On April 9, True writes:
As expected the council voted to work with CGI, and in only 28 weeks with three public meetings to re-write the comprehensive plan and ordinances. The first public meeting, a two-and-a-half day walk-in seminar, will probably occur in May. If you have opinions or ideas or visions about the future of Grand Marais please try to attend or to write the consultants with your thoughts: Rudy Schoolderman, CGI, 394 South Lake Ave., Suite 401, Duluth MN 55802 or schoolderman@communitygrowth.net
Dear True,
Last spring, the Grand Marais City Council approved a new ordinance that allowed for condominium development on a rather grand scale in the small, jewel-like harbor and beyond… the word spread quickly among outside developers and, less than a year later, three gonzo condos are in place or in the works. Who put the word out? Or is there just some cosmic ooze among the greedy goofballs born to entitlement and trust funds and their wee bitty flunkies?
These dealers and wheelers have been going door to door, trying to get locals to sell their land for BIG BUCKS. Sadly, with some success. Rumor mill says the Harbor Inn is next.
The values defined by the town for future development in the 1992 comprehensive plan have been derailed repeatedly during the reign of the present city council, and their present plan to “update” the vision smells of the rotten fish.
Now, in mid-March 2006, the council plans to vote on a “downtown vision and plan” process at its next (March 29) meeting. Council has selected three finalists after an RFP stressing the importance of broad-based community input in a design plan that would replace the old Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan approved in 1992 and ultimately update zoning ordinances to comply with the revised plan. The finalists: Community Growth Institute (CGI), Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH), and Center for Rural Planning/Center for Changing Landscapes (CRP/CCL).
Sounds good? Look again. Of the three finalists, councilors favor the one that provides the LEAST community input, and the most minimal time frame (not to mention the lowest cost). They even admit to it; they don’t really want a community process, although they advertised for it in their RFP. The favored planners also have old-boy ties to current council members, and compared with the other proposals, years less experience. Appearing before the last council meeting CGI said that the people need to be “forced” to face up to the rising property values in Grand Marais. Their idea of community input is to talk to “stakeholders,” i.e., downtown business owners, realtors and developers. Everybody else comes into the category of those who need to be “educated” about development, to face up to the fact that property values in Grand Marais have skyrocketed. Duh. Oh, hello? Is anybody listening?
There is an enormous sense of distrust and hopelessness among Grand Marais and county residents. A letter from pioneer descendant Sherrie Lindskog in the March 10 Cook County News Herald describes the many years in which she participated hopefully in planning measures, only to be disappointed time after time that the collective voices of residents are simply ignored. This council could not have stated their intention to ignore more clearly. They don’t want a steering committee, period. Residents also responded to a News Herald poll, with more than two-thirds against the council spending money on a visioning process. They reason that all the past free attempts by citizens to provide input and service were rejected, so why pay someone else to do the same?
The other two visioning proposals, while costing more, also provide a far greater cost benefit in terms of the input that councilors are giving lip service to: the people of the community, and the economic/environmental/cultural/historical implications of outside developers imposing their vision on the beautiful and unspoiled Grand Marais downtown/harbor. In fact, Changing Landscapes/Rural Planning both specialize in public process as well as having great credentials in architecture and planning. Their enormous success in gaining consensus, their decades of collective years of experience, were summarily dismissed because they did not offer to re-write the ordinances, not a request included in the RFP, but apparently a good enough excuse for rejection of the only one of the three truly committed to public participation.
As a watchdog of the flawed process for the past year (when condos were allowed on the harbor by ordinance change) after hundreds of volunteer hours, I am tempted to stop wasting my time, like others before me. Still, there is a chance, though slim, that before the next council meeting three councilors might be persuaded to change their vote. If you are like me, never in some secret place ready to give up hope, why not put in your two cents? Email or call the council ASAP (cityhall@boreal.org or 218-387-1848).
A True Friend of Grand Marais
Nancye Belding
PO Box 247
Grand Marais, MN 55604
As expected the council voted to work with CGI, and in only 28 weeks with three public meetings to re-write the comprehensive plan and ordinances. The first public meeting, a two-and-a-half day walk-in seminar, will probably occur in May. If you have opinions or ideas or visions about the future of Grand Marais please try to attend or to write the consultants with your thoughts: Rudy Schoolderman, CGI, 394 South Lake Ave., Suite 401, Duluth MN 55802 or schoolderman@communitygrowth.net
Dear True,
Last spring, the Grand Marais City Council approved a new ordinance that allowed for condominium development on a rather grand scale in the small, jewel-like harbor and beyond… the word spread quickly among outside developers and, less than a year later, three gonzo condos are in place or in the works. Who put the word out? Or is there just some cosmic ooze among the greedy goofballs born to entitlement and trust funds and their wee bitty flunkies?
These dealers and wheelers have been going door to door, trying to get locals to sell their land for BIG BUCKS. Sadly, with some success. Rumor mill says the Harbor Inn is next.
The values defined by the town for future development in the 1992 comprehensive plan have been derailed repeatedly during the reign of the present city council, and their present plan to “update” the vision smells of the rotten fish.
Now, in mid-March 2006, the council plans to vote on a “downtown vision and plan” process at its next (March 29) meeting. Council has selected three finalists after an RFP stressing the importance of broad-based community input in a design plan that would replace the old Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan approved in 1992 and ultimately update zoning ordinances to comply with the revised plan. The finalists: Community Growth Institute (CGI), Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH), and Center for Rural Planning/Center for Changing Landscapes (CRP/CCL).
Sounds good? Look again. Of the three finalists, councilors favor the one that provides the LEAST community input, and the most minimal time frame (not to mention the lowest cost). They even admit to it; they don’t really want a community process, although they advertised for it in their RFP. The favored planners also have old-boy ties to current council members, and compared with the other proposals, years less experience. Appearing before the last council meeting CGI said that the people need to be “forced” to face up to the rising property values in Grand Marais. Their idea of community input is to talk to “stakeholders,” i.e., downtown business owners, realtors and developers. Everybody else comes into the category of those who need to be “educated” about development, to face up to the fact that property values in Grand Marais have skyrocketed. Duh. Oh, hello? Is anybody listening?
There is an enormous sense of distrust and hopelessness among Grand Marais and county residents. A letter from pioneer descendant Sherrie Lindskog in the March 10 Cook County News Herald describes the many years in which she participated hopefully in planning measures, only to be disappointed time after time that the collective voices of residents are simply ignored. This council could not have stated their intention to ignore more clearly. They don’t want a steering committee, period. Residents also responded to a News Herald poll, with more than two-thirds against the council spending money on a visioning process. They reason that all the past free attempts by citizens to provide input and service were rejected, so why pay someone else to do the same?
The other two visioning proposals, while costing more, also provide a far greater cost benefit in terms of the input that councilors are giving lip service to: the people of the community, and the economic/environmental/cultural/historical implications of outside developers imposing their vision on the beautiful and unspoiled Grand Marais downtown/harbor. In fact, Changing Landscapes/Rural Planning both specialize in public process as well as having great credentials in architecture and planning. Their enormous success in gaining consensus, their decades of collective years of experience, were summarily dismissed because they did not offer to re-write the ordinances, not a request included in the RFP, but apparently a good enough excuse for rejection of the only one of the three truly committed to public participation.
As a watchdog of the flawed process for the past year (when condos were allowed on the harbor by ordinance change) after hundreds of volunteer hours, I am tempted to stop wasting my time, like others before me. Still, there is a chance, though slim, that before the next council meeting three councilors might be persuaded to change their vote. If you are like me, never in some secret place ready to give up hope, why not put in your two cents? Email or call the council ASAP (cityhall@boreal.org or 218-387-1848).
A True Friend of Grand Marais
Nancye Belding
PO Box 247
Grand Marais, MN 55604
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
One Person's Vision of What GM Can Be/What's Yours?
Dear True,
Since we know change is inevitable, isn't it best if we, the fans of Grand Marais, formulate what that change should be rather than letting the current "powers that be" stumble along in what has already been proven to be mis-guided thinking?
For instance, it is probably accurate to say that the harbor does need some tweaking since last summer it smelled of sewage for three days, but does it need a complete facelift and breast augmentation? I don't think so. Harbor Friends had a plan for a reasonable retooling, didn't they? Why do we have to sacrifice the Dragon Boat Races to the choked motor boat traffic the mayor seems to think we need? Why not add a few more (quiet) sailboat moorings and one or two more motor boat slips and call it a day? Wouldn't that be more cost effective, too? We could take the saved money and build a better library.
Instead of relying on the crass and vulgarly wealthy to keep our economy afloat, why can't we attract the type of individual we'd like to attract to the area, namely, craftsmen, artists, writers, and nature lovers? North House School is already well on the way by attracting a large number individuals who are interested in preserving historic skills like boat building, woven furniture, identifying medicinal herbs, etc. I'd like to see the Art Colony flourish as well with visiting artists who could conduct seminars for reasonable fees in exchange for a short vacation (room and board) in beautiful Grand Marais -- they could paint for themselves as well. I'd like to see more writing seminars held, possibly with famous authors. We're already the focal point of people who love nature -- let's just keep it that way by not attracting yuppies with Hummers to ruin the town.
I like it that Grand Marais has an old-fashioned feel. I think we shouldn't have any buildings taller than 30 ft. I think there should be an open airway of ten feet between buildings and no one building should have a continuous frontage of more than "x" number of feet. This would prevent any further mistakes (like Cobblestone Cove) from blotting out the views. I think all buildings should look old even if they are new. They should look like 1955 or earlier and we should have a planning commission that has an aesthetic branch to make sure no more Cobblestone Cove-type blunders get passed.
I think we should confine all fast food franchises to Highway 61 from the top of the hill west to the Howling Wolf and none of these franchises should be allowed to build modern frontages but should instead be saloons, art deco diners, or 1950's drive-ins. No golden arches, Burger King or Culver signs.
We should keep ourselves a town of small businesses and steady employment by refusing to let mass merchandisers build anywhere near us. All car lots, appliance stores, grocery stores, strip malls, etc. should have a maximum square footage limit and be confined to the east end of town. All strip malls must have each unit wear a different old-fashioned facade so they don't look so uniform and dull.
Anyway, those are a few of my thoughts. Thanks. A Fan of Grand Marais
Since we know change is inevitable, isn't it best if we, the fans of Grand Marais, formulate what that change should be rather than letting the current "powers that be" stumble along in what has already been proven to be mis-guided thinking?
For instance, it is probably accurate to say that the harbor does need some tweaking since last summer it smelled of sewage for three days, but does it need a complete facelift and breast augmentation? I don't think so. Harbor Friends had a plan for a reasonable retooling, didn't they? Why do we have to sacrifice the Dragon Boat Races to the choked motor boat traffic the mayor seems to think we need? Why not add a few more (quiet) sailboat moorings and one or two more motor boat slips and call it a day? Wouldn't that be more cost effective, too? We could take the saved money and build a better library.
Instead of relying on the crass and vulgarly wealthy to keep our economy afloat, why can't we attract the type of individual we'd like to attract to the area, namely, craftsmen, artists, writers, and nature lovers? North House School is already well on the way by attracting a large number individuals who are interested in preserving historic skills like boat building, woven furniture, identifying medicinal herbs, etc. I'd like to see the Art Colony flourish as well with visiting artists who could conduct seminars for reasonable fees in exchange for a short vacation (room and board) in beautiful Grand Marais -- they could paint for themselves as well. I'd like to see more writing seminars held, possibly with famous authors. We're already the focal point of people who love nature -- let's just keep it that way by not attracting yuppies with Hummers to ruin the town.
I like it that Grand Marais has an old-fashioned feel. I think we shouldn't have any buildings taller than 30 ft. I think there should be an open airway of ten feet between buildings and no one building should have a continuous frontage of more than "x" number of feet. This would prevent any further mistakes (like Cobblestone Cove) from blotting out the views. I think all buildings should look old even if they are new. They should look like 1955 or earlier and we should have a planning commission that has an aesthetic branch to make sure no more Cobblestone Cove-type blunders get passed.
I think we should confine all fast food franchises to Highway 61 from the top of the hill west to the Howling Wolf and none of these franchises should be allowed to build modern frontages but should instead be saloons, art deco diners, or 1950's drive-ins. No golden arches, Burger King or Culver signs.
We should keep ourselves a town of small businesses and steady employment by refusing to let mass merchandisers build anywhere near us. All car lots, appliance stores, grocery stores, strip malls, etc. should have a maximum square footage limit and be confined to the east end of town. All strip malls must have each unit wear a different old-fashioned facade so they don't look so uniform and dull.
Anyway, those are a few of my thoughts. Thanks. A Fan of Grand Marais
What's Next?
Dear True,
I just printed off Minnesota Calling. http://www.campaignforconservation.org/sites/3fb33134-6e71-466a-aa62-d6de3045fa4d/uploads/Minnesota_Calling_Full.pdf
Everyone who cares one way or the other needs to read this report - read it and, hopefully, be scared into action. It can help energize those of us who care and bring others to the side of reason. We need to be about the business of finding ways to protect what we have and restoring all we can.
The assault is not just on the environment. It is on all fronts and threatens the very culture of the state and region. It seems endless, but there is still time for a course correction, but not much time, so we have to get moving now! What kind of Minnesota do we want?
John Haluska
I just printed off Minnesota Calling. http://www.campaignforconservation.org/sites/3fb33134-6e71-466a-aa62-d6de3045fa4d/uploads/Minnesota_Calling_Full.pdf
Everyone who cares one way or the other needs to read this report - read it and, hopefully, be scared into action. It can help energize those of us who care and bring others to the side of reason. We need to be about the business of finding ways to protect what we have and restoring all we can.
The assault is not just on the environment. It is on all fronts and threatens the very culture of the state and region. It seems endless, but there is still time for a course correction, but not much time, so we have to get moving now! What kind of Minnesota do we want?
John Haluska
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Harbor Lights
Harbor Lights: Reflections from Grand Marais
As large row houses began to proliferate in the Grand Marais harbor these past months, many people have been feeling bereft, excluded from a fast track for developers that does not include our community, or our collective perception of our priceless harbor. A recent CD, “Grand Marais, a Minnesota Jewel,” said it all, and set her price above rubies.
Because of a nationwide trend toward big developers invading all the remaining lakeside and seaside villages not yet turned into Disney Fantasy Land, our own rich history and beautiful unspoiled harbor are hanging by a slim thread, the thread of love. Countless visitors, summer residents, new immigrants who have sacrificed material success to live here, Native Americans, and locals who honor the land their ancestors settled stand to lose their heritage, and rather quickly.
Big developers have been going door-to-door, trying to grab up land and build large invasive structures ever since the decision by City Council to allow condominium development in the harbor without a conditional use permit, in April of 2005. Since that time, three outside developers have gotten permits to build large condominiums that block public views of the lake and are affordable only by the wealthy. Two of the three are already standing. The first, “East Bay Suites,” was sold by a pair of Twin Cities developers calling themselves “Gunflint Gals” and convincing many that they were locals.
So, what is a conditional use permit? What ordinances exist to protect the harbor from invasive developers? What common vision exists in Grand Marais for protection of its natural resources? What can be done when outside developers insist that they have the right to seize the common benefits we all share as a historic fishing village, and an open harbor beloved by all who visit here?
John LaVine, former Grand Marais mayor, has suggested that we look to state law which permits “Aesthetic Zoning.” In other words, developers who don’t meet our aesthetic standards can’t build here.
There are other guidelines that can help to save our harbor. True North is not against development. We welcome development that will enhance the beauty and uniqueness of Grand Marais and especially the harbor. One very good example is our own Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan, created in 1992. The intent of the plan was to guide revisions to ordinances developed about 20 years earlier to conform to a common vision for preservation and enhancement of downtown and especially the harbor.
The comprehensive plan outlines different development guidelines for different parts of town.
There are other standards in process, including the Cook County subdivision ordinance and the North Shore Management Board lakeshore mandates effective July 1, 2006. NSMB has members from every zoning authority, including Grand Marais and Cook County. It is like a super-board over local authorities. Local ordinances are expected to conform to NSMB by July 1, 2006. Its standards apply to all development within 1,000 feet of Lake Superior. Its purpose is protection and preservation of the shoreline.
Grand Marais harbor belongs to all of those who live here or nearby, who visit every year, and who are summer residents. Its beauty is not for sale to private owners, no matter how rich. The harbor belongs to all of us who love it.
Here are some highlights from the Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan regarding “protected resources” and “harbor development”:
· Preserve and enhance views of Lake Superior and the Harbor.
· To reserve open space in harbor area in natural state.
· To provide public access to all Shoreland along the harbor and walkway.
· Assess relocation of power plant, storage garages and electrical substation and replace with Public Park.
· Allow a quality blend of park, walkways and commercial development in keeping with fishing village and “northwoods” character.
Here at True North, we hope that all interested citizens of Grand Marais and Cook County will seek more information at City Council meetings. Also that seasonal residents and tourists will stand up and present their views, despite the Council’s stated prejudice against all who are not city residents, even those living within a mile of the city outskirts. Grand Marais, the Minnesota jewel, belongs to all.l
The North Shore ecology is fragile; vegetation including trees is rooted in bedrock and wastewater treatment requires built-up mounds in septic fields, especially given the rush to intensive development. To preserve the land as we know it for our grandchildren, utmost care and thoughtfulness will be required.
We welcome your constructive suggestions and comments by email at truenorthgm@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
True
As large row houses began to proliferate in the Grand Marais harbor these past months, many people have been feeling bereft, excluded from a fast track for developers that does not include our community, or our collective perception of our priceless harbor. A recent CD, “Grand Marais, a Minnesota Jewel,” said it all, and set her price above rubies.
Because of a nationwide trend toward big developers invading all the remaining lakeside and seaside villages not yet turned into Disney Fantasy Land, our own rich history and beautiful unspoiled harbor are hanging by a slim thread, the thread of love. Countless visitors, summer residents, new immigrants who have sacrificed material success to live here, Native Americans, and locals who honor the land their ancestors settled stand to lose their heritage, and rather quickly.
Big developers have been going door-to-door, trying to grab up land and build large invasive structures ever since the decision by City Council to allow condominium development in the harbor without a conditional use permit, in April of 2005. Since that time, three outside developers have gotten permits to build large condominiums that block public views of the lake and are affordable only by the wealthy. Two of the three are already standing. The first, “East Bay Suites,” was sold by a pair of Twin Cities developers calling themselves “Gunflint Gals” and convincing many that they were locals.
So, what is a conditional use permit? What ordinances exist to protect the harbor from invasive developers? What common vision exists in Grand Marais for protection of its natural resources? What can be done when outside developers insist that they have the right to seize the common benefits we all share as a historic fishing village, and an open harbor beloved by all who visit here?
John LaVine, former Grand Marais mayor, has suggested that we look to state law which permits “Aesthetic Zoning.” In other words, developers who don’t meet our aesthetic standards can’t build here.
There are other guidelines that can help to save our harbor. True North is not against development. We welcome development that will enhance the beauty and uniqueness of Grand Marais and especially the harbor. One very good example is our own Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan, created in 1992. The intent of the plan was to guide revisions to ordinances developed about 20 years earlier to conform to a common vision for preservation and enhancement of downtown and especially the harbor.
The comprehensive plan outlines different development guidelines for different parts of town.
There are other standards in process, including the Cook County subdivision ordinance and the North Shore Management Board lakeshore mandates effective July 1, 2006. NSMB has members from every zoning authority, including Grand Marais and Cook County. It is like a super-board over local authorities. Local ordinances are expected to conform to NSMB by July 1, 2006. Its standards apply to all development within 1,000 feet of Lake Superior. Its purpose is protection and preservation of the shoreline.
Grand Marais harbor belongs to all of those who live here or nearby, who visit every year, and who are summer residents. Its beauty is not for sale to private owners, no matter how rich. The harbor belongs to all of us who love it.
Here are some highlights from the Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan regarding “protected resources” and “harbor development”:
· Preserve and enhance views of Lake Superior and the Harbor.
· To reserve open space in harbor area in natural state.
· To provide public access to all Shoreland along the harbor and walkway.
· Assess relocation of power plant, storage garages and electrical substation and replace with Public Park.
· Allow a quality blend of park, walkways and commercial development in keeping with fishing village and “northwoods” character.
Here at True North, we hope that all interested citizens of Grand Marais and Cook County will seek more information at City Council meetings. Also that seasonal residents and tourists will stand up and present their views, despite the Council’s stated prejudice against all who are not city residents, even those living within a mile of the city outskirts. Grand Marais, the Minnesota jewel, belongs to all.l
The North Shore ecology is fragile; vegetation including trees is rooted in bedrock and wastewater treatment requires built-up mounds in septic fields, especially given the rush to intensive development. To preserve the land as we know it for our grandchildren, utmost care and thoughtfulness will be required.
We welcome your constructive suggestions and comments by email at truenorthgm@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
True
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Welcome
Welcome to True North! True North blogs news and views about events and politics as they affect and involve the Minnesota Arrowhead and especially Lake Superior and its North Shore from Duluth to Grand Portage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)