After several months of study and discussion, the special task force appointed by Scandia to come up with a proposal for addressing problems at Log House Landing is almost ready to present its ideas.
The task force will share its work at a city council meeting on January 20th, according to the Friends of the Log House Landing, the grassroots group advocating for low-impact renovations:
This will be an extremely important meeting in determining the future of the Log House Landing. The Council will hear the recommendations of the Special Advisory Committee and will decide whether to follow these recommendations or pursue other more developed versions. The City Council is likely to make final decisions about the Log House Landing at this meeting.
After the friends group objected to intensive renovations proposed by the city in early 2013, the council asked citizens, city staff, and others to work together to find an acceptable solution.
One of the most controversial elements of the original plan was the widening and paving of the access road. It would have required the removal of several trees, including potential impacts to the big white pines that help define the site’s natural character. Preservation advocates believed erosion problems could possibly be resolved without paving the road. The task force has reportedly been pursuing that idea, according to the friends group:
The Advisory Committee has met a half dozen times and recently requested the assistance of Washington County to analyze design options. The county engineers have reported that a scaled down gravel road is viable. They are currently working on an expedited timeline to develop several options (including a narrow gravel road option) for the committee to consider in early January.
Friends of the Log House Landing is asking all interested parties to attend the January 20th city council meeting to show support for keeping the site as “close to its natural and rustic state as possible.” The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Scandia Community Center.