With the Lake Links Trail nearly 80% complete, the Dellwood segment remains a key element in achieving the vision of safe routes for active mobility through the communities surrounding White Bear Lake.
In an encouraging advance earlier this month, the City of Dellwood announced plans to form a citizen advisory committee to advise city officials as they move forward with the planning process.
This latest advance brings to a head nearly eight years of visioning on the part of city and county officials and local residents. For those interested, a bit of history:
April 2017 – the Dellwood City Council adopted a resolution supporting state legislation funding preliminary design for the Lake Links Trail through the city following Highway 244 as long as it doesn't require city funding for initial construction or ongoing maintenance and repair.
November 2017 – WSB Engineering met with the Dellwood mayor and council members to provide an overview of a draft trail alignment and collected their feedback. Following the meeting, WSB refined the alignment and added potential alternate routes for consideration/flexibility.
January 2018 – WSB conducted a public open house meeting. Per WSB, approximately 75 to 100 people attended the meeting and the community feedback was supportive of the trail connection with a focus on safety and separation of the road where possible to allow an improved trail experience. Some attendees filled out comment cards in addition to the conversations held at the meeting. Generally, the feedback received conveyed subtle preferences for and against some of the options available. Copies of the sign-in sheet and public comment cards were provided to the City of Dellwood.
February 2018 – after gathering input from the Dellwood mayor, council members, and local residents, WSB Engineering recommended a plan for the Dellwood portion of the trail that would place the trail on abandoned rail land through Dellwood whenever possible. The estimated cost was $3.35 million, including $300,000 for land acquisition and a retaining wall. A second option was placing the trail next to the highway on available right-of-way.
October 2020 – The Minnesota Legislature allocated $2.6 million for the City of Dellwood to design and construct trail improvements “along or parallel with the shore of White Bear Lake.” The funds were available for four years.
April 2021 – Dellwood’s mayor sent a letter to residents explaining that City officials and staff were gathering information and looking at options.
August 2021 – Dellwood’s city engineer contacted 63 Dellwood property owners abutting Hwy 244 to gauge their knowledge about the project. Responses show that some residents are in favor of the trail and some are not. City leaders subsequently expressed concerns that the allocated funds were insufficient for the project.
May 2023 – The Minnesota Legislature allocated an additional $2 million for the Dellwood portion of the trail project and extended access to the 2020 funding of $2.6 million through 2026.
February 2024 – Dellwood obtained a $20,000 grant from Washington County to be used to determine whether the $4.6 million allocated is sufficient for the project.