COOK – What should Cook look like in the future? That question was at the heart of a public visioning session held on June 10 at the LaCroix Visitor Center.

Cook is in the midst of developing a comprehensive plan that could help guide development in the city and set goals for the next two decades. The Arrowhead Regional Development Commission is helping facilitate the planning process, and the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board helped to fund the plan.

At the June 10 session, participants were asked to catalog the city’s assets and liabilities.

The list of assets produced included resources such as the Cook Hospital, Scenic Rivers Health Services, area churches, the Littlefork River, Highway 53 and the railroad.

Some of those assets were also seen as potential liabilities. For instance, several residents said the traffic zooming through the city on Highway 53 made it difficult to cross at times.

The Littlefork River, meanwhile, was seen as being underutilized as a potential community asset.

The North Woods School, located five miles north of Cook, also fit into both the asset and liability columns. While residents said having the educational facilities near the city was an advantage, several noted that the school had previously been located in the city and they would like to see it back in the city.

“In another five or so years, that new building won’t be useable and we can get the school back in the community then,” one person joked to the laughter of the audience.

Several observed that Cook has services that many small towns don’t, including medical facilities and a public library. Others noted that recent investments in the city’s infrastructure were another asset as was the diverse economy that including farming, timber products and health care services.

“Cook is a hub for a lot of small communities,” said Rock Gillson.

The former Cook School, now owned by the Gillson family, is another potential outlet for needed affordable housing in the region as well as new business opportunities. Gillson, who has formed the corporation Redwater Inc. to manage the building, said he is in the process of evaluating how the building might be used, but said he would likely seek a multi-zone designation for the building which could accommodate both residential and business tenants.

Those unable to attend the June 10 meeting can still have input in the planning process by taking part in an online survey. The survey is on the Internet site developed by the ARDC for Cook’s comprehensive plan.The web address is www.arrowheadplanning.org/cook.

For more information on the planning process, people can contact senior planner Nicole Peterson. Her mailing address is at the ARDC, 221 West First Street, Duluth, MN. 55802. She can be reached by phone at 218-529-7551 or toll-free at 1-800-232-0707, extension 554. You can fax her at 218-529-7554 or email to npeterson@ardc.org.