04-22-2019 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Big Island Nature Park Management Plan November 2011 ____________________________________________________________________________ 6 significant natural resource features. Remnants of the grandeur of the Big Island Amusement Park can still be found on the site, including the concrete landing and grand entry portal stairway near the boat landing, and portions of old foundations hide among the wooded glens. A few of the Amusement Park‘s original paved pathways that wind throughout the property continue to serve Island visitors. Nearly all of the cabins and buildings that were later built to serve the Veterans Camp have been removed in recent years, leaving just a small structure in place near the main docks to serve as an entry portal for the Park. Areas that for many decades were mowed as lawns have been allowed to grow undisturbed. City acquisition of the Veterans Camp has preserved this unique site as public natural open space for future generations, rather than allowing it to become privately developed. The Park is intended to serve a dual role in preservation of a unique natural setting while offering the public a variety of passive recreational opportunities. This Management Plan for the Park is intended to balance the needs and desires of the public for access and use with the realities of extremely limited public services availability due to the island nature of the property. Park Legislative History Big Island was originally surveyed in 1853-54 as part of the Public Land Survey of Hennepin County. In 1856 brothers John Morse and W. B. Morse purchased the Island, John owning the west half and William the east half. W. B. Morse platted the southerly portion of his property as ―Morse Island Park‖ in 1887, creating small cottage lots. The remainder of his property to the northeast was sold around 1905 to the Minneapolis and St. Paul Suburban Railway Company, a subsidiary of the Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company (―TCRT‖) which operated the Big Island Amusement Park on the property beginning in 1906. In 1910 the property was sold to the White Bear and Minnetonka Navigation Company (―WBMN‖), another subsidiary of TCRT. The Amusement Park closed in mid-season of 1911 and was eventually dismantled. In 1923 the Minnesota legislature leased the property for the purposes of creating a memorial and rest camp for WWI veterans and their families. The property became known as the Big Island Veterans Camp. In 1947 the legislature appropriated funds to purchase the property from WBMN, created the Big Island Board of Governors, and deeded the property to the Board of Governors. In 1979, the District Court ordered that the Board of Governors reconvey the property to the State of Minnesota. An action by the State legislature in 1985 quit-claimed the property back to the Board of Governors, subject to the provisions of Minnesota Statutes 197.131-197.133. In April 2004 a majority of the Board of Governors determined that disposal of the camp would be in the best interests of Minnesota veterans, and made plans to close the camp and offer it for sale, with the intent to use the proceeds for other veterans needs throughout Minnesota as required by Statute. Upon hearing of this action, the Orono City Council immediately appointed former mayor Gabriel Jabbour to represent the City in discussions with Three Rivers Parks, Hennepin County and the Department of Veterans Affairs with regards to maintenance of the property in the