Storm Drain Projects at 32nd and 37th: Update plus Lafayette Boardwalk project is underway & more! Please support MP50!

Co-op Owners, please vote here and consider supporting Minnesota Point 50!

The projects are delayed, details below from City Engineering. Neighbors expressed concerns and asked questions about the safety precautions due to large holes in the street, speeding trucks and the reason for the extended timeline:

“Work has been prolonged due to discovering the elevations of many utilities underground.  This has forced us to reevaluate the design due to conflicts and make appropriate adjustments.  JMF should be back to work near your home within 1-2 weeks, closer to the latter.  A pipe will be installed crossing Minnesota Ave at 32^nd Street connecting to another catch basin which will ultimately outfall to the bay.  Jackhammering is to be expected when they commence work again here.

Jackhammering is in-fact necessary to complete the work.  Under the bituminous surface of Minnesota Ave is a layer of 7-inches of concrete.  To remove this concrete it was saw cut and as you’ve witnessed, hammered out for removal.

It is City policy that work does not take place between the hours of 9pm-7am.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any further questions.

Jacob Oetterer | Senior Engineering Technician | City of Duluth | 411 West 1^st St, Room 240,  Duluth, MN 55802 | 218-730-5077 |  joetterer@duluthmn.gov“

9/23 The boardwalk at Lafayette is underway and you may see equipment on the beach for this project. The estimated date of completion is Oct. 11.

We had a request to share this plea with Park Pointers who use the channel behind Hearding Island, see below. We discussed this at the meeting on 9/17. Behind this marina, there is bay access for the public. Access the space from the chain link gate next to the apartments off of the circle adjacent to the entry to the marina. Sadly the brown and white access signs were taken down so it may not be clear on where to go. We have asked City Planning for support to get the signage back. See photo below for guidance.

“Hi, my name is Derin Van Loon, and I’m a member at Sand Point Yacht Club.

My apologies for the late notice, but I am hoping that for your meeting tonight you might consider adding an agenda item at the request of the S.P.Y.C., regarding a dredging project we are about to undertake this fall.

As many you are aware, the Corps of Engineers was tasked with maintaining the water channel between Hearding Island and the mainland when it was officially developed. Over the years, they have not, and Sand Point has maintained this channel at our own expense, with occasional donations.

As all Park Pointers know, keeping this channel open greatly aids in the water mvement behind Hearding island, creating a healthier environment for all, and we also know many Park Pointers, fisherman, pontoons, powerboats, sailboats, jet skiers, kayakers, etc. enjoy the use of this channel regularly.

If you could make the Park Point community aware of this project, please let them know we would appreciate any contributions (large or small) to help with the dredging cost. 

Please contact Dean Baltes, our current treasurer, at Sand Point. His number is 218.348.9439.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.”

At the meeting on 9/17, we asked the City how we might collaborate on projects (signage, erosion mitigation, education) in Pontliana Woods, the wooded area off of 17th Street and Minnesota Ave, also accessible from St. Louis Ave near the Bayshore Nursing Home. The City of Duluth worked with St. Louis County and obtained the land as part of a land exchange. From 2019:”Residents have been crusading to preserve this three acre parcel of land from development since 1994. Over 200 Duluth residents signed a 2012 petition to save Pontliana Woods Wetlands. In 2015, the City Council, Dept. of Parks and Recreation, and Park Point Community Club all passed resolutions to establish  Pontliana Woods Wetlands as a City of Duluth Park.  The results of the 2016 environmental assessment conducted by the City of Duluth prove Pontliana Woods Wetlands meets Wetlands criteria. Additionally, in meetings with Councilor Westerlund and Jim Filby Williams, in 2017, we had been assured that the Pontliana Woods Wetlands would be included in the St. Louis River Estuary preservation plan.” 

As of the meeting on 9/17, there are not plans and residents asked to be involved in the future. Minnesota Point 50 & partners may take a closer look at needs at this location. Thank you to Jim Filby Williams, Director of Property, Parks and Libraries, and City & County staff members for seeing this transaction through and protecting this bayside green space in the estuary.