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qlNNETONKA: Small percentage of lake overused
<br />aped from page i;A twat density. while 2 percent had of public arrow 01 the take. Council other part of HaNtelds bay and ari-
<br />very high density. officials are deternitn►ng h:)w to other in nearby Mound.
<br />�• respond to the rcyjest.
<br />Fifty percent of the surface had a DNR officials disagree with the
<br />r Co u,t aerie that t*e t :l a has a de id h la u t that the city's objecUuns to the K10tt's Point
<br />u ,.!)
<br />ding rule n In sume areas, but
<br />ecn't believe you can solve it
<br />exc:;+ding tee public," said
<br />e; h Alexander, commmiiOner of
<br />Departnnent of Natural Rc
<br />_-ces ,VNR).
<br />D%R is supposed to pr1r de ace
<br />fc,r as N1;nne:k)tans to public
<br />rs. It ttia exercised an option to
<br />land for :he proposed access on
<br />c's Pv;aL and hopes to buy 3ddi-
<br />_, sites. es;,ecialiy on the south-
<br />: s4e c! !tie iai.e
<br />aan4er raid O,_ rcrow•jing in the
<br />pat' of tte iai:e should to
<br />:eC t'.rou,; :%;hter regulation,
<br />-: a_s lower cpeec iirnits, and im-
<br />•:ed man::cement, such as re-
<br />ojj:aS of beating and fl!�hirg
<br />...s to off-pcak times.
<br />:t u,.crs of public acce!z points
<br />going fishinF_ s relatively safe
<br />i use, L).NR S:ut%les show. t.3ke -
<br />rc residcnU and marina uiers
<br />more likely to cruise or water
<br />t.^.e ect:t►t:c-s associated with
<br />safety probierrs according to
<br />=tidies.
<br />sane-er said D_NR guidelines cull
<br />,ae-:XCes.% u_es to make up
<br />percent of overal: lake me.
<br />..?innetcnks, though. a 1:94 sur-
<br />!ound that just 20 ,ercent cf the
<br />kind use was by Public -access
<br />-,Ers. On %•ceidays tae public-ae-
<br />::se Uas.6 percent.
<br />a srr:aii percentage of the lake
<br />erase -, D': R offie:als said.
<br />:r!*.:c-Ceasity st;:dy dining the
<br />rer of 1964 found tint 19 per
<br />of vie la::e surface had high
<br />low boat density, and ,g percent was Alexan r ` e _ pse
<br />classified as rned,.um density. Cie ewutive council asked for a study site, and have rejected the alternate
<br />study showed. of the access Issue. sites as inadequate for their plans
<br />I.cw boat dcrlqit is de!ined by the
<br />DNR as .3 to .d belts per 10 acres of
<br />Like surface. medium density a' .7 to
<br />.9 of a twat, bigh density as I to 2.8,
<br />and very high as 19 to 74 3.
<br />"R,e have a situation where the use
<br />is n.nt evenly distributed on the
<br />lake," said Biii Becker, a DNR plan-
<br />ner. "The access program is tfytag to
<br />get m e use 1a those undcruUlized
<br />ar cas."
<br />The DNR requirement.; call for one
<br />reliable vehicle/trailer space for ev-
<br />ery 20 acres of lake sultace. Lake
<br />Minnetonka has only �35 reliable
<br />parking spaces, far short of the re-
<br />4uired 70).
<br />The proposed Kings P:lnt access
<br />would add 30 spaces.
<br />Plans for it have created much
<br />controversy in the surrounding city
<br />of 4ti:uietrt.;t3, wtiox offs -lab don't
<br />want it there.
<br />The situation became heated last
<br />week when Pady Vanden Broecke, a
<br />city plsaning and zoning commis-
<br />sioner, wrote a public letter alleging
<br />that Alexandler tied refused to meet
<br />with city officials to work out an
<br />agreement for public access is the
<br />city.
<br />DNR officials contend that they have
<br />cooperated with Mianetrtsta official;
<br />in an e:fort to resolve the disput=.
<br />Gov. Rudy Perpich and his executive
<br />council hot into the fray earlier MU
<br />month when they asked the Metro-
<br />polit.m Council to examine the LrVie
<br />..This comes as a kind of a stock,`.
<br />he said. "I believe they are playing
<br />into the hands of uppc;nentU (Of the
<br />access). The opponents want to de-
<br />lay, because pretty smin the price
<br />will ;et so high it will to impassible
<br />to buy. This one Lei available now. we
<br />have to tak'c them as we &-t them."
<br />A;ex inder said We Kin, 's Point ac-
<br />cess will be bou„ht and developed.
<br />The development of other public ace
<br />cease% on the lake, though, may be
<br />delayed if the Ad,,tropolitan Council
<br />requires long study of the Wue. "If
<br />that bappen•,, the opponents have
<br />won." Alcxa ►der said.
<br />Public ac:esc prrblerris b-lwel,ln the
<br />DNR ane Lake Minnctonka res:,leots
<br />date burs several years
<br />In 195-1 Gov. AI Q=:ie told the DNR to
<br />delay establishing additicuml access
<br />points until a study of the whole lake
<br />had been done. A task force than
<br />made the study. rdinnetrista officials
<br />say it shows that the Kings Point
<br />access should not ae developed.
<br />"We're pro -acres;, if it is In & Suit-
<br />able location, and that Is not a gird
<br />spot," said Hill T;:rublad, %tinnetrista
<br />city planner.
<br />He said the proposed access u at the
<br />end of a I% -idle gravel road that
<br />would require expensive city mainte-
<br />nance. The site also i in a develape,'
<br />reAdentlal neighborhood. and boat
<br />launching woulu S:s :rb Rat:°r quali-
<br />ty in the area, be
<br />Ir head, tdlnactrista officials have:
<br />proposed alternate sites, one in an -
<br />Kaitilren Wallace, the UNR`s me!rti
<br />region adminiMrat,:►r, said 19 "Or
<br />pt►ii ntial sites were evaluated before
<br />K...g's Point was wile ted. "it meets
<br />tte phyN-ical and design require-
<br />ments as %fill as the ta:k force rer_-
<br />ommendalions," she said.
<br />Meanwhile, county sl;eriff ":i oftictats
<br />,!re pursuing nays to make the Wav
<br />parts of the take safer. 11ey are
<br />upset at the degree of drunker tuat-
<br />ing en the Lake and want stron,,;cr
<br />taws passed. Four people ba%a di*J
<br />in tw Ung &.:'.dents on the take in
<br />the past two years. "In virtually all
<br />the tatsiities, akobol has bwn ra-
<br />valved to quite an extent." said chief
<br />deputy Ovide LvBerge.
<br />lie said bore' aperSturs cted of
<br />being Intoxicatri' should be required
<br />tc. take on aicohol test or risk ILMnS
<br />their right to operate the bust.
<br />..we`ve got w get wire teeth in Me
<br />law, so there is a SwIfi^ant penalty
<br />if someone refuses to take the te,:L"
<br />he ,;lid. Current law, which allows
<br />"ater; to reft se the test with co
<br />ccnj^uence, makes prosecution dif-
<br />ficuit, he said. An allerlpt at mCre
<br />stnngent boating laws %all uns;ic-
<br />cesatul in the Legislature last SC:;
<br />lion.
<br />Overcrowding in some arm of the
<br />lake ex&Wrates the safety pmb.
<br />lerns, but doesn't c.au:Se them, LA'
<br />Berge said. "The real problems
<br />c..-ne from drinking and d.ArtPrd
<br />for the law and dtsregard for other
<br />risen", be said.
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