09-24-2001 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY, September 24, 2001 • (Coffee Channel, Continued) as the channel is safe, noting there are times of the year when it is not safe. Mrs. Weiland stated in her opinion the purchase of property to accommodate a wider access is not economically feasible due to the high cost of land in the area. Mrs. Weiland stated in her opinion the most economically feasible option would be to construct a snowmobile trail adjacent to the highway up to Fagerness Point, with the trail also acting as a sidewalk in this area. Mrs. Weiland noted there is no sidewalk currently in this area. Mrs. Weiland stated the original intent for the 15 -foot wide alleyway was to allow access by emergency vehicles to the lake in the event of a fire and to obtain ice for refrigeration, which do not apply today. Mrs. Weiland expressed concerns regarding the high amount of traffic on Shadywood Road as well as the limited sight view for cars attempting to cross the highway. Mrs. Weiland also expressed concerns regarding the large number of snowmobilers that would use this alleyway and the necessity to cross the highway to gain access to the alleyway. Mrs. Weiland stated in her view a number of snowmobilers do attempt to keep an open area of water through this area in order to skip water, which is a game to them. Mrs. Weiland suggested the snowmobile clubs provide an area where they can safely skip water, with one possible area being near Big Island, which would not bother the local residents and create a safety hazard. Mrs. Weiland stated there is also a swift current that runs through this channel and causes a further safety hazard. Mr. Weiland stated in his opinion keeping the channel open is a viable solution, with larger signs being posted indicating the channel is unsafe when there is open water. Mr. Weiland stated the snowmobilers • do knock down the signs. Mrs. Weiland noted her and her husband have rescued three people in the past because their snowmobiles had gone through the ice in this area. Mrs. Weiland encouraged the City Council to consider leaving the channel open since it is the most safe solution at this time. Janet Soltau, 1998 Shadywood Road, stated she was dramatically traumatized by the large number of snowmobilers utilizing the alleyway adjacent to her property, and stated she does not want to live that way again. Kurt Silton, 3237 Gladstone Lane, Mound, stated he is the president of the Westonka Snowmobile Club. Silton stated the Westonke Snowmobile Club is a very family oriented club, with a large number of young children being members in the club. Silton stated in his view Coffee Channel is probably one of the most dangerous spots on the lake and options need to be explored for when the channel becomes unsafe. Silton stated the 15 -foot alleyway is a poor solution, but it does provide access to the lake when the channel is unsafe and is the only alternative at this time available to snowmobilers. Silton stated in his opinion the snowmobilers are not looking to skip across open water since it is known to be very dangerous and is not promoted by his club. Silton stated the Water Patrol does patrol this area and does issue tickets for skipping open water in this area. Silton stated driving alongside the highway is a possibility, noting that kids under 12 years of age are not legally able to cross the road. Silton stated in his opinion the best solution is to widen the channel, noting the channel is too narrow in the summertime also. Silton stated his club would be willing to help • post signs indicating an alternate trail. PAGE 3