Lake Calhoun Construction Plans To Affect Windsurfing
LAKE CALHOUN CONSTRUCTION PLANS TO AFFECT WINDSURFING
One of the items on the agenda for the August 5, 2009, Park Board meeting will be the Board's approval of a contract with Veit & Company for $319,919.00 for the construction of the Lake Calhoun Regional Park's redesigned and rebuilt South Parking Lot, a capital improvement project that staff and Commissioner Bob Fine have mischaracterized as maintenance so that they could avoid citizen participation in the planning process.
The staff did consult with the windsurfers, but there never was a public meeting to inform the public of the newly designed rain gardens, paths and parking lot and to solicit feedback. Walkers, runners, rollerbladers and bikers were ignored. Construction is scheduled to begin August 10 and continue into November.
The construction will have an impact on windsurfing. With the south parking lot closed, windsurfers will probably use an area near Thomas Beach as a launching site. Because this site has its challenges, only the more experienced windsurfers will be on the lake when the winds are coming from the north, and less experienced windsurfers will avoid Calhoun.
The Park Board meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. It will not be televised because it is being held off site at the Elliot Park Recreation Center, 1000 E. 14th Street. For more information, click on the Park Board's website www.minneapolisparks.org
Arlene Fried Co-founder of Park Watch