Garage to be constructed, trail funds sought for VNP HQ site

International Falls City Council Monday took steps toward further development at a site along Rainy River that will house Voyageurs National Park headquarters.

The council Monday finalized a 203-page lease with the federal government for 40,453 rentable square feet on about 9.73 acres from March 1, 2011, through Feb. 28, 2031.

Details of the agreement are considered private until the lease is signed by General Services Administration staff. The agreement calls for the city to own the building, which is to be paid for through the lease payments from the park.

In addition, the council agreed to build a garage that will be attached to the VNP headquarters maintenance building to house items needed for city staff to maintain the property. Cost of construction of the garage is to be reimbursed to the city by the lease revenue.

City Administrator Rod Otterness told the council that he would pursue a grant for trail development at the headquarters site from a new state program. A formal grant application for council approval is expected to be presented in the future.

Otterness reminded the council that the city holds an easement that would allow a trail to be development adjacent to the river between the site being developed for a Border Patrol facility and the headquarters.

Otterness pointed to the LaVerendrye Parkway in Fort Frances as an example of what could be created. In addition, he said the trail would be a part of Koochiching County’s bicycle and walking trail that runs along Highway 11 East.

The trail, he said, could draw visitors from outside the area to take part in Borderland’s outdoor recreational opportunities.

In related business, the council heard that a Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol, planned for Oct. 14, would be rescheduled to better focus on the park itself.

Mayor Shawn Mason reported that U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, who would play host to VNP Day in Washington DC in an effort to attract attention to the park, suggested that the nation’s focus on the health care debate would draw attention away from the event now. VNP Day at the Capitol is expected to be scheduled after President’s Day, noted Mason.

In other business, Councilor Tim “Chopper” McBride, chairman of the Economic Development Committee, reported that the city would provide input into a draft ordinance that would govern all-terrain vehicle use within Koochiching County. The county board is expected to schedule a public hearing to take input on the draft when it meets Tuesday.

McBride said the city generally supports the county’s plan to open all county and county state aid highways to ATV use, provided it effects economic development in the community positively and keeps the city safe from liability.