If you’re reading this, and it’s relatively close to 2015, then look to the right side of this page and you’re likely to see a Bentleyville Cam link under ‘Quick Hits’.  Park Point is in the background.

Or just go here:

www.bentleyvilleusa.org/live_stream.aspx

Here’s some website stats for those who are interested.  Click the image to view a bigger version of the image.  December is a partial month through today, which is Dec. 9 2014.

Boom!  here ya go:

20141209_December_Breeze_2014.pdf   **NEW**

Here’s a secret way to view the Breeze, type this into your web browser:

www.parkpointcommunityclub.org/breeze/

HI, Hope to see you there.

6:30 pm visit w our neighbors, 7pm meeting and then more visiting.

County Land Sale on Park Point land- Gay Hooper

The key points are:

1. The County commissioners voted to take the woods out of conservation at the Nov. 4th board meeting.

2. There will not be a public auction until June 2015. This will allow some time to explore permanent protection, but not a lot.  We are asking anyone with any insight or conservation group connections to please contact Gay Hooper 218-722-2357 or Dulce Proud 218-525-4530.

3. Key soil testing has not been done. The city council has been informed and will look into this.

4. A 1994 six-step MDNR action plan to preserve this land is now being ignored. We will ask the Planning Commission and City Council to re-review the situation.

5. We gave a presentation at the Duluth Audubon Society meeting last week. They were very supportive.

6. 17th &18th Minnesota Ave homeowners met with Rep. Erik Simonson today. He was given a lot of background information about the woods and a copy of the latest breeze thanks to Dave Johnson.

7. I will have a sign up sheet if anyone would like a tour.

Art Fair update- volunteer opportunities, mission of the 2015 Art Fair per the grant. Committee and Carla. Art Fair Committee will meet on Dec. 8th.

Street End Study Group Update- group representative

Pamela Page from Parks and Rec. will be coming. Needs, key system

Skating at Lafayette update-thanks to Dave Lavamaki

Hockey Volunteer enthusiast to help with afternoon, high school, boot hockey class. January 5-9. Looking for sticks and helmets to borrow for 16 students. Thanks for considering. Students will be curling in the morning and teacher would love afternoon hockey help. Please call Dawn Buck, 722-7574 x225. Thanks for considering.

• 20141117_November_Breeze_2014.pdf **NEW**
• 20141117_October_Breeze_2014.pdf **NEW**

Park point woods for sale

Agenda items:

1.County Land Sale of large green spaces near 17th on the Bay- Gay Hooper. Residents are concerned about this “land grab” of property that was promised for conservation. Concerns about more development on Park Point have been raised.

Please see this important supporting documentation from several agencies.

Timeline:

• October 21st, Commissioners are discussing all the tax forfeited land. The public can attend, but it is in Eveleth. 
• November 4, they will vote whether to send the land to public auction, County Courthouse, 9:30 am.
• February- Auction
• Gay Hooper will give you a tour of these large parcels of land. 218-722-2357

What can you do to voice your opinion?

Contact your County Commissioners

Contact your legislators:

Erik Simonson

Roger Reinert

2. Update on Street End Study Group- Judy Dwyer & Bill Long

Hi Neighbors,

As requested by the membership in July, a group of community volunteers has put together a short presentation and a questionnaire on Street Ends for Thursday’s special meeting. Everyone is invited. The City Council has requested that Park Point community members meet and collect info re. street ends on Park Point. Please contact Councilor Gardner with any questions on the recently passed resolution.

The special meeting starts at 6:30pm at Lafayette. The September Breeze contains details from the community club members who are presenting on Thursday- Lyn Pegg, Judy Dwyer, Bill Long and John Sargent.

Regular meeting agenda:

Old business:

Updates from members on County Land sale.

New Business Items: Grant opportunity.

Here is an FYI re. Lafayette event on Saturday:

Park Point is hosting the annual meeting of Save Lake Superior Association to present the latest findings on climate change impacts to forests and waters of the Lake Superior watershed; and SLSA will begin a new tradition by honoring outstanding achievement.

Professors John Pastor and Liz Minor of UMD will present their latest findings at 9 AM Saturday Sept 20, 2014, at 3100 Minnesota Ave., Lafayette Square.  All are invited to attend and be informed as to what may be done to help protect Lake Superior.

Single in the Sunrise taken this morning.

To view the new Breeze, or to check out vintage Breeze, click on ‘TheBreeze’ on the top menu bar.

Here’s the latest Breeze:

• 20140914_September_Breeze_2014.pdf  **NEW**

HI, The PPCC Exec. Board met last month and sent off a  list of questions to the county and city based on neighborhood conversations and concerns. We also cc’d Representatives Simon and Reinert re. recent legislation:

Here are the questions and the answers that I have received so far from county, city. 

Please contact County Commissioner Frank Jewell with questions and concerns.

Our executive board has fielded questions re. property adjacent to the Duluth Rowing Club, north side parcel. It is 010-3110-01950 and includes 12 lots -377 thru 399; borders the rowing club.

This property is  listed in the property tax look-up as county owned tax forfeited but it is not listed on the city council document.

In 2013, these parcels were already approved for sale by all the required parties.

What exactly is the status of that property? I have heard conflicting reports that the land will become City Park or DEDA property and not sold, offered  to the rowing club, sold at auction to interested parties across the street. Would you be willing to clear this up?

This parcel will be split into individual lots and offered to adjacent owners, with the exception of the three lots to the south.  Those three lots will require County Board approval for sale to DEDA.  Subsequently, DEDA could convey those parcels to the Rowing Club.

We have also had questions about the sale, use and monitoring of shoreline property that will be sold.

If adjacent owners are not interested or can’t afford,  will property be available to the public for sale?

Yes, for those parcels that are non-conforming, the adjacent owners will first be offered.  If they do not purchase, the parcels will then go to another method of sale.

Will there be a “reserve” price that must be met to sell the land? If so, how will that “reserve”be calculated? If the reserve is not met, what will happen to the property?

All parcels will be appraised.  Upon County Board approval, the minimum bid, or value (what you may be referring to as “reserve”) is the beginning price at auction, for those parcels that are conforming.   If the parcel has been to auction and not purchased, it will go on our Available Lands List.  This is where all of our unsold properties go after auction.

What type of structures may be built on the shoreline properties?  Ie fences, sheds, fire-pits? Can the lots be used for boat storage?

 All questions regarding zoning, should be directed to the City of Duluth Building Safety office.

Which city office will be responsible for monitoring/enforcing any applicable rules and regulations?

The City of Duluth is the zoning authority, and they will administer applicable ordinances.  As to “any” rules and regulations, there could be other entities involved, such as the DNR and Corps of Engineers.  It all depends on what rules and regulations you are speaking of.

The parcels behind Marcia Hales on 38^th Street are in a Preservation zone in the Future Land Use and were not approved for sale.  The water lots South of 36^th Street can only be used as “Accessory” to a primary use across Minnesota Avenue from those sites.  These are zoned R-1. (Hamre)

50-20: Use Specific Standards

3-31

Accessory Boat Dock, Residential

This use shall comply with the following standards:

1. Dockage of boats owned and primarily used by a resident of the property is a permitted accessory use to the primary residential use and shall not be limited in number;

2. If there is a residential structure on the property and the property has frontage on an improved street, the owner of the residential structure may rent out boat dockage to a maximum of two boats owned by others. If the property does not have frontage on an improved street, the owner of the residential structure may not rent dockage space to others. Boat dockage use on a property that is not residentially developed is permitted as a principal use provided that the use is limited to one boat for each lot or group of contiguous lots in the same ownership, and the boat is owned and primarily used by the owner of the property;

3. For each new rental boat dock space created or made legal after April 14, 1974, one off street parking space shall be provided in addition to all other off street parking spaces required by other legal uses of the property, such spaces to be constructed in accordance with Section 50-24;

4. At the request of the building official, the owner of property shall provide boat registration or other documentary evidence to prove compliance with these standards;

5. No buildings other than residential or residential accessory structures, no winter storage of boats other than those owned by a resident of the property in question, no repair facilities, fuel sales, food or refreshment sales, rentals of boats, boat or parts sales or displays or other commercial uses shall be permitted.

 What about minimum prices for the  non-conforming water lots? One neighbor currently leases bay side dock lot and wants to know what minimum bid will be on the land on the bay. 

The minimum prices for the non-conforming water lots will be set by the St. Louis County Board.  No prices/value/minimum bids are available for any of the parcels on Park Point, at this time.

When is the auction for the Park Point land for sale and how do you register to bid?

The special sale will be November 18, 2014 at 10:00 am, at the Depot in Duluth.  This sale will include other properties and is not limited to Park Point parcels.  As for registration, we are required to notify adjacent property owners of parcels to be sold at public auction.  We will send out a sale booklet to each of them.  There is a pre-registration form included in that booklet.  There will be a registration table on the day of the sale, as well, for anyone wanting to register the day of the sale.  (Registration doesn’t take very long.)   In addition, there is also be a form on our website: http://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/LANDPROPERTY/TaxForfeitFeeLands/TaxForfeitedLandSales.aspx

Dawn,

Dear Chief Pump,

Thank you for hosting us for an awesome evening on Superior Bay!

Thanks, also, to our Community Police Officers for coming down with their horses and checking in with us.