Title
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT C24636 WITH THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES LAKE SUPERIOR COASTAL PROGRAM GRANT FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY FROM THE PARK HILL CEMETERY ASSOCIATION FOR RECREATION AND PRESERVATION.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
WHEREAS, resolution 23-0707R authorized the proper City officials to accept a $100,000 Lake Superior Coastal Program (Coastal) grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to acquire 68 acres from the Duluth Cemetery Association for recreation and preservation; and
WHEREAS, the Park Hill Cemetery Association released 54 acres of undeveloped open space for sale adjacent to the property in the initial scope of the Coastal grant; and
WHEREAS, resolution 23-0816R authorized the purchase of property from Park Hill Cemetery Association in the Woodland neighborhood for $664,800; and
WHEREAS, the City intends to acquire the Park Hill property for open space preservation and recreation.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the proper City officials are hereby authorized to execute the first amendment to the grant agreement (City contract No. C24636) with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A with reference to the updated Project Description and Budget attached as Exhibit B.
FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Duluth has the legal authority to accept these funds and the financial, technical, and managerial capacity to ensure proper planning and maintenance of the project. The City will meet the required match of $564,800 with previously awarded grant funds from the Conservation Partners Legacy Metro Program.
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Duluth City Council names the fiscal agent for this project as Jen Carlson, City of Duluth Finance Director, 411 West 1st Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes an amendment to the grant agreement (City contract No. C24636) with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) Lake Superior Coastal Program to amend the project scope for the purchase of 54 acres of undeveloped property from the Park Hill Cemetery Association for preservation and recreation.
The previous scope of the grant was to acquire 68 acres from the Duluth Cemetery Association north of the Forest Hill Cemetery in the Woodland neighborhood. While the City remains interested in acquiring the property adjacent to Forest Hill for open space preservation, the property is not yet able to be transacted. This amendment changes the scope to instead acquire 54 acres from the Park Hill Cemetery Association, consistent with resolution 23-0816R which authorized the property purchase. The Park Hill property is adjacent to the property in the previous scope of the grant. Exhibit C is a map of the acquisition area.
The property is part of a contiguous 450-acre area of undeveloped open space that provides critical habitat for a variety of species. The 54 acres of Park Hill property adjoins 292 acres of tax forfeit open space that the City is in the process of acquiring from St. Louis County for use as protected parkland. Further, acquisition of the property will permit completion of the Duluth Traverse multi-use trail system and support the Superior Hiking Trail Association’s desire to relocate their existing trail through this area from a roadway to the forest.
The City will meet the required $564,800 match with previously awarded grant funds from the Conservation Partners Legacy Metro Program from the MNDNR as authorized by City Council resolutions 22-0408R and 21-0976R.
The undeveloped open space is Woodland neighborhood and will be managed for outdoor recreation and long-term preservation consistent with the Imagine Duluth 2035 Future Land Use map and the Comprehensive Plan Guiding Principle #2, which is to, “declare the necessity and secure the future of undeveloped places.” The Comprehensive Plan designates these lands as “OS - Open Space” to provide for parks, recreation, or natural resource preservation.