Consensus Agreement of the "Old Ski Hill" Consensus Committee
History
The "Old Ski Hill" property is 600 acres located immediately north of Grand Marais. 400 acres is owned by Cook County and 200 acres is owned by the City of Grand Marais. It is entirely located within the city limits of Grand Marais. Around the turn of the last century, the property was logged and subsequently burned. In the 1950s and '60s a portion of the property was used as a down hill ski area, including a chalet and rope tow. The ski hill operation closed in the early '60s. Two 250' radio towers are located on the property. The North Shore State Trail and the Superior Hiking Trail cross portions of the property. The Gunflint Trail and Cook County Road #64 are located on the property. A water tank, a power line, and a brush disposal/burning area also found on the property.
Various proposals for development of the property have been proposed over the last fifty years, but none have come to fruition. Most recently, development proposals were requested by the Joint City/County Economic Development Authority. All the proposals were ultimately rejected.
Consensus Committee Process
In light of the controversial history of development efforts of the "Old Ski Hill" property, a community consensus process was proposed in early 2000 to develop specific recommendations for the Cook County Commissioners and the Grand Marais City Council. The Grand Marais City Council and the Joint City/County EDA formally endorsed the consensus process facilitated by Bill Hansen.
In early April, a public meeting was convened at the Arrowhead Center For the Arts in Grand Marais. Everyone with an interest or concern about the property was invited to attend. Those unable to attend were invited to submit their interests and concerns via e-mail, telephone or letter. Approximately 200 interests and concerns were raised by those attending the public meeting. Another 25 interests and concerns were contributed by other means. After eliminating duplicates and issues that were outside the scope of the process, approximately 150 interests and concerns remained. Interests and Concerns Identified Initially
Public meeting participants were encouraged to group themselves by similar interests and concerns. Each group chose a committee representative to carry their interests and concerns through the process. Members of the "Old Ski Hill" Consensus Committee.
The "Old Ski Hill" Property Consensus Committee met seventeen times between April and November 2000. All decisions were made by full consensus of those attending each meeting. Numerous guests were invited to share their expertise including tax base issues, wet land biology, affordable housing, hydrology, and road and bridge issues. Committee members hiked the property with naturalist Lloyd Scherer. All existing written materials and maps pertinent to the property were gathered and studied.
The consensus achieved by the committee represents a careful balancing of the interests and concerns identified by the community. The committee represents the wide variety of interests and concerns within the community and has crafted a solution that the best serves the largest number of interests and concerns possible.
The committee limited its scope to the "Old Ski Hill" property. Several interests were carefully considered but are not included in the consensus. The committee does not imply that these interests are not important, but that they are not best met by development on the "Old Ski Hill" property.
While acknowledging that the decision makers are the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the Grand Marais City Council, the consensus process requires the settlement to be taken as a whole. Each component of the consensus is carefully balanced with another. Accepting only part of the consensus would destroy its integrity and lose the support of the committee.
The Consensus
The "Old Ski Hill" Consensus Committee recommends the following:
Set aside for ten years, the approximately 25 acres of the city property located east of the new Gunflint Trail to the east property line of the city property, for a vocational school. The ten year time period is a window in which a vocational school can be developed on the property. After ten years, if a school has not been established, the use of the property can be revisited.
Set aside approximately 25 acres immediately west of the new Gunflint Trail loop in the south east corner of the property (below the bluff) for a multi-purpose learning/interpretive facility such as the Sawtooth Outdoor Center, Boreal Birding Center, digital planetarium, or Moose Center.
City and county do a feasibility study of a snowboard facility with chalet located at bottom of the hill. Addressing: Profitability, markets, aesthetics, location, size, visual impact, lighting, half pipe, moguls, disc golf. After study is complete, consensus committee will revisit this issue.
Cook County trade or protect lands within the fen and the Fall River watershed.
Cook County may trade all or part of their land to the State of Minnesota or the U. S. Forest Service, specifying that future use be restricted to public recreational use.
Cook County investigate partnership with the U. S. Forest Service for development of a fen walk (an interpretive trail/boardwalk through the unique wet land known as a fen).
Develop non motorized, year 'round trails that flow into town, connect to the Fen Walk, the future interpretive center, the Superior Hiking Trail and possibly the Pincushion Trail System.
An environmental assessment of any development project.
Create a forest management plan with goals of encouraging a mature growth forest, selective harvest, recreation, conservation, wildlife habitat, reforestation, and sustainable land management demonstrations. Pursue partnerships with agencies, educational institutions, and others.
The best use of the "Old Ski Hill" property is a location for a variety of recreational uses, rather than housing, resort, or lodging.
All buildings on the property should be designed and constructed in accordance with the ideal of sustainability which strives for high levels of resource and energy efficiency.
All buildings will be designed to aesthetically blend in with the natural environment.