07-27-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

From:Dustin Rief To:Anna Carlson Subject:FW: Summit Beach proposal Date:Monday, July 27, 2020 11:03:40 AM Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: Katy Coburn <katecoburn@msn.com> Date: 7/27/20 10:31 AM (GMT-06:00) To: Anna Carlson <acarlson@ci.orono.mn.us>, Dustin Rief <drief@ci.orono.mn.us> Subject: Summit Beach proposal Although I support the rowing club, I am against the Summit Beach development as it stands. I’ve lived in the area for a long time and I frequent the beach with my 2 kids. I also have friends that come from across the city 45 minutes away to visit us and meet us at the beach because it is such a good beach and natural area. I love the beach for the same reason I love the Long Lake/Orono area. It’s a little past the suburbs, slightly more of a small town/rural feel, and the beach cements that feeling for me. I love living close by and that I don’t have to drive further out to find a peaceful non-structured public beach space. I’ve heard as part of the proposal adding a pavilion and playground - but why..... ? we have structured park areas all over long lake/Orono area including Nelson beach. It’s been a part of the community for generations for good reason. When I’m there, I feel a bit like I’ve escaped the city and suburbs and I’m away at the lake. That’s so special to have right in the community. The park has been crowded every time I’ve been there in the daytime in the summer. It’s on the edge of the DNR land land we like to stop by and hang out at the park on the way out of the wilderness. We also walk there and let the kids play in the sand, swim around, play on the rope swing, sit on the hill, paddle board or kayak off the beach or play games in the field. I love the intergenerational nature of the park. People from infants to kids to teenagers and all range of adults enjoy the park. It is also the beach on Long Lake that is closed the least amount of time for water safety in late summer. I’ve heard some people discuss the Nelson beach across the way. Could there be a possibility to put the boat club go somewhere there because it’s already structured and has a boat focus? Birches expansion? I feel like there has to be some other creative possibilities because I do understand the need for them to have a space but really can’t imagine kids freely splashing and exploring the shoreline with rowboats and a dock and a big building. it’s going to be hard (impossible?) to share the space and not have it lose its magic. I cannot imagine having a building there and having it not consume the whole space/vibe. I am in support of the rowing club. I hope to join it one day. I think it’s very cool to have that in our community. And taking over a very well-used, beautiful, natural spot for a private exercise facility and boating club for elites with office space is definitely a disappointing consideration. I don’t really understand considering it based on what I understand to be the vision and values of the community and in the spirit of what the land was donated for. While I admit, if I were part of the club I would more likely want this to happen because I’d have some benefit-but most people are not part of the club and this space is currently being used by the community, and the current proposal does not preserve what’s great about the space as it stands today. Katy Coburn Long Lake