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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Ely seeks funding for ‘pocket’ park

Keith Vandervort
Posted 11/29/18

ELY – City council members here, last week, agreed to seek as much as $50,000 from the Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation’s “streetscape” program for the development of a …

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Ely seeks funding for ‘pocket’ park

Posted

ELY – City council members here, last week, agreed to seek as much as $50,000 from the Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation’s “streetscape” program for the development of a downtown pocket park.

The small green space would be located on Chapman Street in the lot of the former Pamida store next to the James Drug building.

The city’s Projects Committee has endorsed the plan, first envisioned almost five years ago by the Minnesota Design Team. The proposal, estimated to cost as much as $145,500, calls for the vacant lot to be landscaped with shrubs and grass, and would include benches, tables, concrete path and maybe even a small splash pad.

According to Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski, the overall project request would include the replacement or repainting of decorative lighting and replacement of the banners on the light fixtures on Conan Street.

According to minutes from a recent Projects Committee meeting, much of the street lighting work could be completed by the Ely Utilities Commission to reduce costs.

City officials have envisioned improvements to the downtown area, especially Chapman Street, that include the development of the vacant lot that has been an eyesore in the area since the Pamida building was demolished a decade ago.

In other business, the council:

 Congratulated Ely Public Library Director Rachel Heinrich on the facility’s receipt of a“four-star” rating for the second year in a row from the national Library Journal Index of Public Service, a publication of the American Library Association. There were only four Minnesota libraries to receive a rating this year.

Approved the recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Committee to approve the request for vacating the right of way on Lockhart Street from Jim Haugen.

Approved a variance from Julie and John Edison to build a residence on a parcel that is below the minimum size of 15,000 square feet.

 Accepted the resignation of public works employee John Litherland.

 Noted the plea from Langowski for ice skating rink attendants, at a rate of $11 per hour.