Special Meeting of City Commission Tuesday to Discuss Park System

IRONWOOD, MI - Friday, February 13, 2009 - According to a press release submitted to the Chronicle by City Manager Scott B. Erickson, "A Special Meeting for the Ironwood City Commission will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 5:30 P.M. in the Women’s Club Room, 2nd Floor-Memorial Building, 213 S. Marquette Street, Ironwood, MI 49938."

"The purpose of the special meeting will be to consider the concept of developing a 'Miners Memorial Park System' (MMPS) and listen to community members input on this subject."

According to the release, the only topic of discussion at Tuesday's meeting will be the MMPS, and the Commission will consider adopting Resolution #90-003, the concept of the proposed "Miner's Memorial Heritage Park."

Originally, a Joint Trail Workshop, consisting of the Ironwood City Commission (ICC), the Ironwood Planning Commission (IPC), and the Ironwood Parks and Recreation Committee (IP&RC), was scheduled for Tuesday, but it was decided to hold a special meeting of the Ironwood City Commission instead.

The Trails Subcommittee, the IP&RC, and the IPC have forwarded an outline of  recommendations to the ICC. The City Commission is asked to do the following:

  1. Designate "the caves" area (including "the fields" and all the contiguous city-owned land zoned "open" running diagonally through town) as the Miners Memorial Heritage Park, to include:
    1. A network of non-motorized trails built upon the skeleton of trails and rail grades that already exists within the caves. The caves trail system will be linked to trails and bike paths leading to other parts of the city and the region. The trail system will be accessible from all neighborhoods and significant points of interest within the city of Ironwood. Existing and proposed routes within the caves are mapped out. Portions of the trail system will be open for biking and/or walking/hiking in the summer months. These will be open for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the winter.
    2. A trailhead and parking area on the southwest corner of Bonnie and Ayer Streets.
    3. An actual miners memorial, accessible from the parking area. W envision a lookout tower made to resemble an early head frame and some bronze statues of miners. This will be a focal point for those driving along Ayer Street, a destinations for tourists, and a memorial to those whose labor built this town.
    4. A short interpretive trail from the miners memorial parking lot to tell the story of Ironwood's mining history. This trail will be handicap accessible and include benches for resting and view, to ensure inclusion of our citizens with mobility impairments, seniors, and families with children.
    5. Interpretive signs posted along all trails highlighting points of historical or geological interest. Some of these can be waysides accessible by car.
    6. A picnic area located near the parking area, in the vicinity of the memorial.
    7. A fenced-in dog park, located on the old landfill. It will have its own parking area.
  2. Pursue related projects such as:
    1. A cross-country ski marathon ending in downtown Ironwood (which will utilize a portion of the proposed trails to be developed).
    2. The downtown historical walking tour begun by the DIDA last summer.
    3. Norrie Park CCC history displays.
    4. The Ironwood portion of the bike/hike through-trail connecting the Plumber Mine west of Hurley to the Sunday Lake Mine in Wakefield. Bikers/hikers could be diverted from this trail into the downtown, to the Miners Memorial Heritage Park, or onto our trail system.
    5. Further development of multi-use lanes along roads being reconstructed, and designation of bike routes connecting points of interest, e.g. the college and downtown, Norrie Park and Ironwood's various "locations."
    6. Collaboration with Ironwood Township to connect bike lanes planned along major roads, e.g. Lake Street. Likewise, collaboration with Bessemer and Hurley to connect trails and bike routes.

According to the outline, "The park will be a destination in itself requiring little physical stamina to view the displays or enjoy the vistas, a place for school field trips, a trailhead for the trail system, or a stopping over point for those on long hikes/bikes."

"We believe the Miners Memorial Heritage Park could be added to the U.P. Heritage Trail.

The City Commission is being asked by the IPC to consider the following resolution passed by both the IP&RC and the IPC:

Resolved, That the Ironwood Planning Commission wishes to move forward with the creation of the Miner’s Memorial Heritage Park.

Accordingly, the Ironwood Planning Commission requests that the City Commission designate the land known as “the caves” area (including “the fields” and all the contiguous city-owned land zoned “open” running diagonally through town) as the Miner’s Memorial Heritage Park, and remove any said land from the Surplus land list.