Posted: 8/24/05
Final Draft - by Cliff Buchan
Itís been a tough summer for FL officials
Itís been a very tough six-week period for city of Forest Lake officials.
First came the Lakeside Memorial Park reconstruction project. Not too many people imagined the city park in downtown Forest Lake losing nearly all of its trees. But that is what happened, much to the anguish of a number of residents and observers.
It is hard to imagine a park improvement project that requires clear-cutting of trees. On the surface it doesnít seem right.
In this case, however, with the park grade to be raised significantly to improve drainage, there was little city officials could do. The problem became worse when some of the trees that possibly could have been saved were found diseased. They came down, too.
The fact that three times the number of trees cut will be planted is of little comfort to those who enjoyed the shade the park afforded on a hot summer day. It will probably be better in the long run but patience is a virtue that often wears thin.
The downtown heat also came in letters to the editor criticizing the city for its downtown planning. One writer lambasted the city for allowing Park Place and creating a ghost town for the once busy retail district.
The downtown redevelopment plan has been a sore spot for years. After much wait and deliberation, The Plaza and Park Place, both adjacent to Lakeside Park, have provided the spark for a renewal. The Forest Laker is following suit with a major remodeling and expansion.
Sure, second-guessing is always best. Could the downtown renewal have been better? Sure, but that is again hindsight.
The sad fact is the downtown was badly in need of a change. Prior to the new buildings, the downtown business district facing the lake had seen only limited improvements. When a redevelopment plan failed to get off the ground in the mid-1970s it seemed the area became mired in quicksand, slowly sinking but never rising.
Change is hard to take, of course, and now that change has come, there are some who donít like it.
As it is with the park, the public should have a little patience with the downtown and defer a final opinion until after the downtown project is completed. It may just be a change the public will like.
The latest flap for city officials has been a petition from Columbus Township property owners east of I-35 and south of TH-97 asking to be annexed to Forest Lake. Talk about a topic mired in politics.
And the latter hits on both sides of the border. It is clear that some of the property owners are unhappy with decisions in Columbus to allow the harness race track to build west of I-35.
It is also fair to say Columbus officials probably feel some in Forest Lake have meddled in Columbus affairs by actively encouraging the petition.
Councilman Dick Tschida, one of the landowners who signed the annexation petition, is also in a sticky position. But there is no questioning the fact that Tschida and the other landowners have the right to seek action they think best for their interests.
As with any political issue, one turn, good or bad I suppose, deserves another. The annexation petition has resulted in a massive incorporation petition by other Columbus Township residents. If successful, Columbus could yet become a city of its own.
More drama in Forest Lake for sure.
And still simmering in Forest Lake is the Fourth of July Tarpgate.
Complaints are still being heard about the early arrival of tarps along city streets where the July 4 parade is watched by the throngs. With a Monday parade this summer, a good number of tarps started showing up as early as Friday night.
That is a bit early, for sure.
The complaints from the public have not made life easy for city officials and the police. Some want the city to regulate tarps because they are placed on the boulevards which are public property.
Forest Lake officials are in a no-win situation on this one.
It is ludicrous to expect the police to be going around picking up tarps two and three days before the parade.
Anyone who doesnít like the way people gather for a parade in Forest Lake should make a visit to Pasadena for the Jan. 1 Tournament of Roses parade. Those folks are diehards who sleep out along the street a day or two in advance of the parade to make sure they have the prime spot to watch. Take in that baby once and you will welcome the way it happens here.
If Forest Lake really wants some good (bad) publicity, try regulating it this way. Ban the placement of tarps prior to the parade. Then, on the Fourth of July, gather everyone who wants to use a tarp and herd them into the middle of Lake and Broadway.
At 8 a.m., Chief of Police Clark Quiring fires the gun and they are off like a mad scene from ìOklahoma.î
The court list we publish several weeks after the celebration will be filled with the names of those arrested for disorderly conduct during the scramble for a tarp place.
Now thereís a plan that really makes sense.
Yes, it has been a tough spell for city of Forest Lake officials. But donít panic. Fall is coming and there is always the chance it could get worse.
Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605