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Rob Notes for Orono City Council Meeting--March 14, 2022 <br /> <br />I’m Rob Berrell, 2740 White Oak Circle in Orono. My family have been <br />Orono residents for 19 years and have been associated with LLRC in many <br />different capacities for the past 7 years. <br /> <br />First of all, I’d like the thanks Orono Parks, Planning, Council and City Staff <br />for your time, energy and willingness to explore the idea of a community <br />rowing center at Summit Park. <br /> <br />Long Lake Rowing Crew sought a public-private partnership to construct a <br />community rowing center at Summit Park, Orono, MN. It’s a property we <br />didn’t even consider until an outgoing city council member suggested that <br />the Orono Park Commission and Council were looking at the park for some <br />much-needed improvements and might like a partner to get it done. <br />We proposed a self-funded public amenity to our community and users of <br />Summit Park. We offered the city something they wouldn’t have to pay for <br />and we asked for a place to put it. In addition, our organization paid for all <br />the planning work and documents—financed through the sale of some of <br />our equipment and through fundraising efforts over the past several <br />years. LLRC was an applicant asking for permission. <br /> <br />On March 1, 2022, the Long Lake Rowing Crew board of directors voted <br />unanimously to withdraw our application for a public-private partnership <br />with the City of Orono and our proposal for a permanent home at Summit <br />Park. <br /> <br />Since our organization was founded in 2014, a primary goal has been to <br />create a permanent home on Long Lake to ensure our long-term viability in <br />the Orono and Long Lake communities. For the last 5 years, we have run <br />down countless potential locations, including undeveloped lots, private <br />homes, Nelson Park, and we even pursued adding to the site at <br />Birch’s. The city of Long Lake has closed the door on the Nelson Park and <br />Birch’s options: The area of the park that could potentially support a <br />structure is now part of the park’s Frisbee golf course and is adjacent to <br />several storm runoff ponds. Nelson Park is a LAWCON natural area <br />subject to permanent land use grant requirements through grant contracts <br />administered by the MN DNR. And the City of Long Lake was reluctant to <br />even let us add an additional boat storage rack on the Birch’s property, nor <br />could we modify our existing racks with protective roofs over our boats,