Title
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPROVAL AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WAABIZHESKIKANA (THE MARTEN TRAIL) MINI MASTER PLAN.
Body
CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that the proper city officials are hereby authorized to approve the Waabizheskikana (The Marten Trail) Mini-Master Plan, attached hereto as exhibit A, and authorize implementation of this plan as funding becomes available.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes approval of the Waabizheskikana (The Marten Trail) Mini-Master Plan and implementation thereof as funding becomes available.
Waabizheskikana (The Marten Trail), once referred to as the Western Waterfront Trail, consists of an existing 3.3-mile multi-use recreational trail that traces the shore of the St. Louis River Estuary. The remaining seven miles of trail are yet to be constructed. Major recommendations in the plan include:
1. Rebrand the Western Waterfront Trail as a heritage trail, including renaming the trail to reflect and honor the cultural and historical significance of the area.
2. Initiate a separate heritage interpretive planning process to identify and articulate the stories of the river and the area.
3. Retain the entire existing LSMR rail line for excursion train use.
4. Extend the existing trail to connect seven river corridor neighborhoods by way of a trail alignment that traverses the shoreline and nearby ridgeline.
5. Improve three existing water access sites and develop three additional water access sites to increase public riverfront use.
6. Design all these facilities to ensure accessibility, regardless of income, age or physical ability.
The planning process included six stakeholder advisory committee meetings, two public meetings, an online survey, a randomly sampled survey of the 5th district, and several supporting studies of cultural resources, environmental resources, and rail-with-trail design. The Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously approved the plan at their November 13, 2019 meeting...
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