By Dawn Buck on May 3, 2023 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on Important May meetings: 16th & 18th
MN Point Open House~ the public is invited!
“Strengthening Coastal Community Resilience in the Great Lakes Region”
Thursday May 18 from 5-7pm, upstairs at Lafayette.
Your interest & participation are vital to MN Point resiliency efforts!
Pizza & Refreshmentswill be served
We welcome Dr. David Hart, Minnesota Point ASFPM Project Lead. Dr. Hart is a Senior Scientist with the University of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center and serves as the Assistant Director for Extension at the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. David’s research and outreach occur at the intersection of geographic information science, urban and environmental planning, and coastal management. Since 2014, he has directed a staff of outreach specialists who extend coastal science throughout Wisconsin.
He will give an overview of the coastal resilience self-assessment, how it is being used on Minnesota Point and how it has been used to benefit other Great Lakes communities. Topics will include:stewardship of the dunes, shore-land permits, monitoring erosion rates, city policies, and more. Community engagement will be a vital & integral piece of this planning process as emphasized at the April PPCC meeting.
Minnesota Point has been selected as one of four coastal communities by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) to receive a year of training and technical assistance to assess flood vulnerability and develop plans and policies that emphasize natural and nature-based solutions.
The ASFPM Open House is scheduled from 5 – 7 PM on Thursday, May 18th at Lafayette and will include:
Pizza & Refreshments,Thank you DNR & PPCC
Information tables (DNR Coastal Program, City (Planning, Naturalist), PPCC MP50 (maps), ASFPM, and a short presentation. David Hart, ASFPM, will speak from 6:00 – 6:30 about the Flood Plain Self-Assessment.
Sharing information and dialogues around tables of interest.
Strengthening Coastal Communities Resilience in the Great Lakes Region Challenge: Minnesota Point
Our team is led by Julie McDonnell, Mn DNR and consists of other members including City of Duluth, Duluth Planning Commission, UMD, Park Point Community Club’s MP50 and Fond du Lac.
Technology to Impact Reckless Driving on Park Point! Neighbors are getting in touch with our state legislators as there are currently bills in the Minnesota House and Senate that would legalize speed and stop light camera use in the State of Minnesota. This technology might really impact the speeding problems on Park Point. The bill, SF2026/HF2098,would allow cities throughout Minnesota to use radar speed cameras to enforce traffic laws. Here is a template to contact elected officials.
Guest presenters: Kaci Nowicki,Principal, Sr. Airport Planner SEH, Mark Papko,DAA Director of Operations
From Kaci:
In March, the Duluth Airport Authority was notified they were awarded a competitive grant to replace the Sky Harbor terminal building. The grant ($1.187 million) was awarded through a competitive terminal grant (Airports Terminal Program) funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Sky Harbor is one of only two airports in MN receiving the funding this year (MSP was the other). The DAA will be removing the existing terminal structure (the hangar portion of the building will remain) and replacing the terminal with a new building attached to the hangar. The funding comes with a very tight timeline that must be met for design. The project design must be completed by May with bid opening occurring in the first half of June. Construction will start as early as Fall 2023. With this fast-paced design process, we want to make sure we are updating the PPCC and provide an opportunity to provide feedback.
I attached an early rendering of the terminal. A few facts of the terminal building project:
Terminal will be replaced, with a slightly smaller footprint, in the same location. The finished floor elevation will be higher than the existing to meet floodplain requirements and improve resiliency.
DAA is considering a public facing shaded community patio with vending
Hangar will remain, with some exterior façade improvements.
No impacts or changes to trail head or fence
Interior terminal functions will include lobby, restrooms, manager’s office and pilot briefing spaces.
DAA is striving for a more welcoming and inviting exterior.
Building will be fully ADA accessible (existing terminal is not)
Contact info:
Kaci Nowicki Principal, Sr. Airport Planner (She/Her/Hers) Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH®)651.894.2508 mobile | 651.490.2000 main Preliminary Rendering:
Hi Neighbors! Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday, 4/18, 645pm social before the 7pm PPCC meeting.
Also, if you’d like to come by a little early to the PP Summer Youth Program “Camp Lafayette” Open House, you will meet this year’s staff!
Sharon, Baamlak & Kevin are returning! Thomas is joining the program, welcome!
PPSYP “Camp Lafayette” Open House@Lafayette Community Center Tuesday, April 18th 5:00 – 7:00 pmMeet camp staff and other camp families On-site registration for remaining weeks available
Follow up documents from March 21 meeting, property south of the apartments:
By Dawn Buck on Feb 1, 2023 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on PPCC meeting is March 21; guests will be Adam Fulton and Kyle Deming from City Planning, 7pm
FEMA flood maps (Duluth): Thank you to Paul Treuer and Councilor Roz Randorf who attended the 2/16 public meeting on the new St. Louis County flood maps showing new coastal zone mapping. We are inviting City of Duluth Planning Department personnel to attend the March 21 meeting to learn how the new overlays will affect Park Point properties and future planning and funding for resiliency. 7pm, upper Lafayette on March 21. Here is the City’s site with details.
Please stay off the ice when it’s freshly flooded or soft and slushy.
Resources from MP50
Greetings! Here are notes and links to presentations on the Section 111 Study and FEMA Flood Maps made on January 13, 2023. You are welcome to share these presentation materials. On behalf of the community, thank you to the presenters for sharing this information with us.
Sincerely, Paul Treuer MP50 Coordinator
Section 111 Study Update
Capt. Sam Briscoe, Section 111 Project Lead, Nick Zager, Chief of Planning, USACE, Dr. James Selegean, Hydraulic Engineer, USACE, Kate Kubiak, Naturalist, City of Duluth:Nick Zager unable to attend today, John Love is in attendance.
In the process of contacting firms to develop a coastal model to inform study. Draft feasibility report completed early to mid 2024. Capt. Briscoe will update the MP50 group with a modified schedule.
Jim Selegean presented on the previous Section 111 study conducted in 2001 and its shortcomings. Shared proposed current Section 111 scope including conceptual sediment budget. Scope includes: literature review, bluff recession and characterization, growth of accretion fillets, sediment yield and characterization, misc. tributary inputs, sediment transport modeling, model validation, and dredging history
Current official maps of Duluth are old. Effective map is dated 1992, but really 1979.
We are getting new St. Louis County maps which will include new coastal zone mapping. Preliminary new maps were released in late October 2022. Public open house to review new maps on 2/16/2023, 5-7pm at Public Works Pike Lake Conference Room, 4787 Midway Road, Duluth. Local official meeting will be held before public meeting from 2:00-4:00pm.
Official new maps ~2024-2025
Ceil’s slides contain a variety of links with resources. – need to get slides from Ceil
The River Talks will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at the Lake Superior Estuarium (3 Marina Dr., Superior, Wis.), with “Nimaawanji’idimin Giiwitaashkodeng: Working with Fire to Heal the Land on Wisconsin and Minnesota Points,” an in-person and Zoom presentation by Evan Larson, University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Melonee Montano, Red Cliff tribal member and University of Minnesota graduate student. They will describe a collaborative project that is bringing information from tree rings and oral history together to understand how the Anishinaabeg people used fire to tend the landscape and how the return of fire can contribute to both cultural and ecological restoration. Refreshments will be provided.
1/13: Public Meeting on Section 111 Meeting and What the new FEMA maps mean for MN Point
Our next scheduled MP50 Working Group meeting is a zoom meeting on Friday, January 13, 2023 from 10:00 – 11:30 AM CST. Here’s a link to the meeting agenda (zoom login link). This meeting includes two presentations: Capt. Sam Briscoe, USACE, Section 111 Update and Ceil Strauss, FEMA Flood Map updates for St. Louis County: Focus on Minnesota Point. There will be time for questions following each presentation. This meeting is open to the public. The presentations will be recorded for those interested, but unable to attend. Please share this information with anyone interested in planning for Park Point’s future.
January 17th 2023 brings the return of the membership pizza party! 6:30pm in upper Lafayette
2/5,Rinkfest on Sunday, February 5, noon-3 pm, stay tuned for updates based on conditions. Fun, food and more!
Link to photos from Lafayette Edible Garden Potluck with speaker Pat Farrell on 1/9/2023, The Dirt on Soil
Skating at Lafayette! 3026 Minnesota Ave~ Check back for updates!
Tuesday 12/27/2022 Lower Lafayette open from 530pm to ~ 8pm with host Mark Elden
Good Morning! Lead rinkmaster Mark Elden reports that conditions at Lafayette are good for skating this week!! If you’d like to open and host lower Lafayette, contact Mark 218-340-6453 and let me know and I will share the dates and times on the PPCC website. The picnic table is set for getting skates on and the public bathrooms behind upper Lafayette are open until 9pm. Thank you to Rick Lyle and Bob Boynton for helping Mark get the rink ready over the last three plus weeks. Also, thank you to the City of Duluth crew for plowing the rink this morning. Link to rink prep photos is here.
Park Point Traffic Safety: Pat Sterner has been working with the DPD and looking at the data related to Park Point. See the data and notes below. Thank you to James Gittemeier & Adam Fornear from the City and Officer Josh Kneeland from the police department for participating in the meeting.
Skating at Lafayette- volunteers needed to make this a reality
Committee updates
Minnesota Point Preservation Society continues its work at the blow through on the Art Fair site. Al Robins and Gary Glass repaired the snow fencing on Oct. 23.
Site of the Art Fair; site of blow through and erosion. Club volunteers adopted this area years ago and continue the work!
By Dawn Buck on Sep 11, 2022 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on PPCC meets on Tues.,September 20, 6:30pm social and see the trophy & club opportunities; meeting at 7pm at the Duluth Rowing Club
Thank you to the DRC for hosting the meeting. A 1917 Duluth Central Women’s Rowing trophy will be presented to the Club along with the 1917 yearbook that describes the race.
Duluth Boat Club Girls Rowing Association Annual Regatta , Bagley Eight Oared Girls Championship Trophy Won By Duluth Central High School 1917
Other happenings in the near future:
Thursday, Sep. 22, 2022, 4:30 – 5:30 PM CDT, Park Point Beach House, 4750 Minnesota Ave., Duluth, MN. The City of Duluth invites the public to an outreach meeting regarding FEMA Advanced Assistance Coastal Resilience and Mitigation. The meeting will include project details from consultants including: options for shoreline stabilization of the North Shore and bayside of the Park Point recreation area.
Now Thursday, Sep. 29, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM CDT, (date change from 9/22) UMD Life Science 185, University of Minnesota Duluth Earth and Environmental Studies Department Seminar: Dr. John Swenson, Associate Professor EES, Sediment Sources and Sites in Far Western Arm of Lake Superior. About half of this presentation will deal directly with sediment issues pertaining to the Section 111 Study of erosion to Minnesota-Wisconsin Point. The LSci building is on the southwestern end of the UMD building complex. Metered parking is available on Kirby Drive (in front of LSci building) and in the adjacent Lot A (by the MWAH Planetarium). Below is a link to a campus map: https://www.d.umn.edu/maps/LSci/. Please note: This seminar was previously scheduled for Sep. 22, 2022. A recording of this seminar, once available, will be shared with those unable to attend.
Thursday, Sep. 29, 2022, 1:00 – 2:30 PM CDT, CHAOS (Coastal Hazards of Superior) Zoom Meeting, Speakers: Sara Hudson, City of Ashland, will discuss efforts made by the City of Ashland to address coastal hazards of the waterfront, and Mike LeBeau, City of Duluth Construction Project Supervisor, will share efforts to rebuild the Duluth Lakewalk. Contact Sarah Brown, CHAOS Coordinator to join CHAOS (sarah.brown@wisconsin.gov)
I am the regional naturalist for the Scientific and Natural Areas Program with the DNR. I am hosting, along with Jeffrey Flory of the 1854 Treaty Authority, a invasive species pull at Minnesota Point Pine Forest SNA on Sunday July 31st From 1-4 pm. Attached is a photo from last year’s event and below is a description of this years event as well as how to register. Info can also be found on our online calendar here. Hopefully there is room to include this in your July newsletter, thank you!”
Come help out at Minnesota Point Pine Forest SNA, a host to a magnificent old growth pine forest near the eastern tip of Minnesota Point, the 7-mile long sandbar that shelters the Duluth Harbor and Superior Bay from the open waters of Lake Superior. Join SNA staff in searching for and removing spotted knapweed (Centauria stoebe spp. micranthos L.) and other invasive species.
Advanced registration is required and the event will be capped at 25 attendees. To register, please email arika.preas@state.mn.us (link sends email). Masks are encouraged for unvaccinated volunteers.
Instructions and good camaraderie will be provided. Make sure to bring water and dress for working in the weather. If you have your own gloves you’d like to use, please bring those as well. Footwear appropriate for outdoor work/hiking is recommended. There are no recreational facilities on this site.
The PPCC sponsors this epic sale in support of the Park Point Art Fair. The large sale on this weekend early in June keeps the Art Fair weekend, June 25 & 26, focused on the Club’s major annual Art Fair. This year is the 50th Park Point Art Fair with special events planned to celebrate this milestone!
Membership as of May 1, 2022; You can join anytime during year!
Agenda Notes for 5/17- meeting held outside w little bonfire due to Covid concerns
Cheryl P. from the YMCA with lifeguard updates
National Night Out: St. Andrew’s will be hosting NNO this summer, on August 2. The time will be from 5 to 7 pm. The PPCC last hosted this in 2021; St. Andrews has been hosting the annual gathering in alternate years to the Club’s hosting at Lafayette. Summer is coming soon!
Updates on “Camp Lafayette”, Tree Planting, PP Rummage Sale, 50th PP Art Fair & more.
Concerns for discussion/ideas for programs: Camping on PP, Traffic and Safety Observations, Tax Appraisals & Property Tax Increases, Emergency Services when it’s crowded on PP and the Bridge is up
By Dawn Buck on Mar 16, 2022 | In Uncategorized | Comments Off on Summer Youth Program Open House 4/26, 6-8pm
An open house is being planned for Tuesday,April 26 from 6-8 PM at the Lafayette building, lower level as the upstairs is a “progress zone” with bathrooms remodeled and lighting replaced.
Check out the fun from the 2019 Camp on this video!
2022 PP Summer Youth Program: “Camp Lafayette”
Yes! there will be a summer program with Kevin Chederquist leading the camp at Lafayette!
The Park Point Summer Youth Program (affectionately known as “Camp Lafayette”) is returning in full-strength! This experiential education summer program is designed to give youth from 5-12 years of age exposure to new friendships, learning, and leadership. Housed in the historic Lafayette building on Park Point, the program has differentiated learning and teaming activities for three grade levels. Three counselors engage the campers as they grow gardens, play on the beach, travel and tour museums in Duluth, read at the library, ride bikes, sail, participate in Park Point Art Fair, 3D print at the MakerSpace, hike on the Superior Hiking Trail, stand-up paddle board, build lego structures, do weekly community service projects, play board games, play court games, visit a farm, write and perform a play, play kickball, and eat grilled food. The camp runs Monday-Thursday 8:00-4:00 (pickup until 4:30) for nine weeks starting June 13 to August 11 (excluding July 4th).
Updates on long-range resiliency planning for Minnesota Point.
MP50 Informational Meeting, Feb. 7, 2022 . Speakers were Diane Desotelle (City) and Nick Zager (USACE) talking about the City’s (Duluth’s) long term resiliency planning process for Minnesota Point and USACE Section 111 Study of Minnesota Point. Key takeaways:
Diane Desotelle, Natural Resources Coordinator, Duluth, responded to questions about the City’s 50 – year Minnesota Point Planning Process which outlines how, and when, long-term planning activities with the City and stakeholder groups are taking place.
Diane Desotelle referred to the timeline in the Planning Process and said the City is not requesting USACE beach nourishment this year.
USACE Section 111 Charrette is scheduled for March 10/11 Duluth, MN. 9 – 4, facilitated by USACE. 20 – 25 individuals have been invited to attend by the City of Duluth and USACE. Paul Treuer, representing Park Point Community Club, will report to PPCC and MP50. Mike Allis, USACE Project Lead on the Section 111 Study, outlined the Charette goals and objectives:
Goals:
1. Initiate the first iteration of the planning process for the study.
2. Begin building a coherent and effective project delivery team, including critical roles for both sponsors, stakeholders, and USACE colleagues.
3. Set expectations and establish a fresh, constructive approach to this study.
4. Provide a solid foundation for subsequent iterations of the planning process, scheduling of study milestones, and robust stakeholder engagement and public communication.
Planning Objectives:
1. Establish a planning process.
2. Define existing conditions, problems, opportunities, objectives, and constraints.
3. Generate possible management measures.
4. Develop an initial array of potential alternatives.
5. Introduce risk register.
Duluth Coastal Resilience Project
This Project is part of a $258,000 FEMA grant to the City of Duluth and St. Louis County to find solutions to shoreline collapse. The study will include evaluation of the bayside of the Park Point Recreation Area and determine mitigation options for storm surge-related flooding and erosion. Funding will pay for the areas of interest to be studied while determining solutions with the help of consultants. It will set the City and its partners up to apply for funding that would assist in implementing the study’s outcomes.
The first Public Meeting of the Duluth Coastal Resilience Project was on Feb. 16, 7:00 PM. A recording of this meeting is posted on the Duluth Coastal Resilience Project Webpage under Meetings: (https://duluthcoastalinfrastructureresilience.com/)
The State Chapter of the Izaak Walton League approved 7 resolutions about the disposal of dredge material for beach nourishment on Minnesota Point and its impact on Lake Superior.
First resolution: Oppose the disposal of dredge material from the Duluth-Superior Harbor for beach nourishment on Minnesota Point because it contains fines contaminated with legacy pollutants whose impact on Lake Superior are unknown, and because fine-grained river sediments erode off the beach too quickly.
Second resolution: Support beach nourishment to protect the residents of Minnesota Point if it is done with clean material such as sediment from Lake Superior or washed sediment from the Erie Pier Contained Disposal Facility (CDF); and if it is coarse enough to emulate natural longshore drift sediments that will stabilize and remain longer on the beach.
Fox News reported on Feb. 8, 2022 that $19 Million in Federal Infrastructure Funding was awarded to the Port Authority of Duluth-Superior. $13M going to USACE vessel yard on the Duluth Harbor Basin-Superior Bay side of Park Point. $6 M goes to increasing capacity at the Erie Pier confined disposal facility (owned by Seaway Port Authority of Duluth & City of Duluth and operated by Detroit District USACE) to handle and transport dredging material.
Research on Geomorphology of St. Louis Harbor Project, Feb. 26, 2022
Dr. Andrew Breckenridge (UWSuperior), Dr. Harry Jol (UW Eau Claire) and five UWS students conducted measurements along Park Point on Saturday, Feb. 26th to understand Geomorphology of the St. Louis Harbor. They are testing the hypothesis that there is a ridge and swale strandplain complex buried under the sediments in the St. Louis Harbor. This research builds on ground penetrating radar (GPR) studies done previously by Dr. Jol. Both studies contribute to a more precise understanding of how and when Minnesota and Wisconsin Points were formed. Dr. Breckenridge shared Geologic History of the Duluth Harbor (2016) providing excellent background information to this study.
Scientists and students study Superior Bay on 2/26 and warm up at Lafayette. PPCC volunteers hosted the group at Lafayette on a windy Saturday!
Blatnik Bridge Context Study
Park Point Resident Charlene Roise wrote a comprehensive history of the Port for the Blatnik Bridge Project. The Blatnik Bridge Context Study is thoroughly researched; it provides context not only for the bridge project but also detailed information about the history of the area. MP50, a subcommittee of the Park Point Community Club, is a learning community open and free to anyone interested in the resiliency of Minnesota Point. Diverse points of view are welcome. Contact Paul Treuer, MP50 coordinator, (paul.treuer@gmail.com) to share your ideas, materials, and/or questions, or to join the MP50 Working Group.
Updates on long-range resiliency planning for Minnesota Point.