*Status Update

Park Project Status Update

Stay up-to-date on what’s happening with the Nine Mile Creek project.

Good news!

The City presented their feasibility study and initial concepts for the park in late October, and according to their research and calculations, the only feasible option for Central Park is to leave it pedestrian-only, while adding and improving ADA access to the park. More detail on the concepts is below.

This is great news for the environment and for everyone concerned about the safety of sharing the walking trail with cyclists. We support the direction the Parks and Recreation department wishes to take the park.

But we aren’t done yet!

Until the City Council approves this plan, it could still be changed. Therefore, we need everyone to continue to stay vigilant until then.

Also, we will to continue to advocate for several things that are not settled in the current concept (more detail on these is below):

Paving the trail downstream of 106th St is under consideration. Restore the Nine wants the trail to stay a natural surface akin to what it is now.
Building bicycle access at Queen Ave (the trailhead closest to the river) will be explored. Restore the Nine opposes bicycle access here.

What happens next?

The city will take the comments from community members and revise and clarify the concepts.
The modified concepts will be presented to the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Commission (November 13th), the Sustainability Commission (November 19th), and the City Council (December 2nd).
The City Council will vote on the concepts sometime in December, January or February. There may or may not be a public comment period beforehand. We will keep you informed via this site, our newsletter and social media.
After the City Council approves the initial concept, Parks and Recreation will move into what they call the Schematic Design phase of the project. They will still be asking for community input, so you can stay involved in the process if you wish. More about the project phases can be found on the bloomingtonforward.org site here.

What can you do now?

If you weren’t at one of the concept events, or you simply want to make more comments, then go to https://letstalk.bloomingtonmn.gov/nine-mile-creek to review the details and fill in the survey. Item #7 lets you comment on the entire project, not just Moir park. You can also make comments on the map.
Keep your yard signs up until the City Council approves this concept.
Write letters to the City to show your support for the pedestrian-only plan presented by the Parks and Recreation department. Address the issues listed above and along with any concerns of your own. For a list of people to contact, go to our How to Help page here. (Note: we’ve added email addresses for the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Commission members).
Attend the Commission and Council meetings where the concepts will be discussed to show the City we are still paying attention. Wear your Restore the Nine t-shirt if you have one!
- Parks, Arts, and Recreation Commission: Wednesday, November 13th, 6 pm to 8 pm, City Council chambers, 1800 W Old Shakopee Rd.
- Sustainability Commission: Tuesday, November 19th, 6 pm to 8 pm, Bloomington Public Works, Training Room, 1700 West 98th St
- City Council: Monday, December 2nd, 6:30 pm to 9 pm, City Council chambers, 1800 W Old Shakopee Rd
Attend any future City Council meetings where there is public feedback or a vote on the concepts. Dates to be determined.

Highlight from the presentations

At the concept meetings, the City had a number of posters about the park and their conclusions about what should be done. At right is the one we think most of you will be excited to see.

The full presentation, which includes the reasons that bike trails are not feasible, can be found on Let’s Talk Bloomington. Look for the link to Trails, Accessibility, Connections, Environmental Restoration and Budget. Concepts for Moir Park can also be found on that page.

Details on Restore the Nine’s positions

Paving the trail downstream of 106th St is under consideration. Restore the Nine wants the trail to stay a natural surface akin to what it is now for following reasons:
- ADA accessibility: We’ve spoken to many members of the community who have joint issues and find walking on pavement to be painful. If the entire trail is paved, these people will no longer be able to enjoy walking in the park.
- Maintenance: The Minnesota river floods every spring and sometimes in the fall, and floodwaters can inundate the Nine Mile Creek corridor for as much as a half mile inland. Paved trails do not fare well when flooded and we foresee that a paved trail would need frequent replacement and repair.

Building bicycle access at Queen Ave (the trailhead closest to the river, see map above) will be explored. Restore the Nine opposes bicycle access here for the following reasons:
- Provides bicycle access to the pedestrian trails: A cyclist entering the trail system from this entrance will have a choice to turn right or left at the bottom of the hill. Right takes them to the river trails, and left onto the pedestrian trail. Even with good signage, some cyclists will turn the wrong direction. And if a cyclist reaches that intersection and sees the trail to the river is flooded, we believe many will be unlikely to simply go back up the steep hill and call it a day. We think they’ll probably just ride the pedestrian trails instead.
- That section of the trail will be paved: Even if the rest of the southern part of the trail is left unpaved, they will pave the connection between the trailhead and the river trails. See section above for our arguments against paving.
- The paved trail leading to the river might encourage cyclists on the river trail to explore the trail leading to the creek. When confronted by a choice between turning back, cycling up the hill to the trailhead or riding the pedestrian trail, we believe some will choose to ride the pedestrian trail.