Beaver Bay to get new trailhead center

Plans for a new trailhead center in Beaver Bay are moving along, with the public getting a chance last week to hear from engineers and designers.

The Thursday meeting in Beaver Bay was called to get feedback about the preliminary design concepts for the Beaver Bay Trailhead Project presented by engineering firm LHB.

The Beaver Bay Trailhead plans include a paved parking lot, restrooms and drinking water, an overlook of the Beaver River, and kiosks with historical and ecological information about the area.

The trailhead will be handicapped-accessible and LHB’s design will be “context sensitive,” meaning the trailhead will look similar to other waysides along the North Shore.

Bonnie Hundrieser, a senior planner for the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission, said about 20 people attended the meeting. Feedback came from residents, government, North Shore Scenic Drive Byway members, Bay Area Historical Society, and someone from the Parks and Trials division of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Some raised questions about security, whether it would be a gated parking lot and if it would be open all the time. The questions will be considered during the preliminary planning process, Hundrieser said.

The style of bathroom at the site is another concern – a vault or one with conventional plumbing. The Beaver Bay City Council will have to consider maintenance costs since the city is responsible for the upkeep of the facility.

“This is a pretty important topic because the only public place to stop and use a restroom is the Holiday gas station in town,” Hundrieser said. “From what I hear it is heavily used and an additional visitor stop would be greatly appreciated by everyone in the city.”

The trailhead is at the corner of Highway 61 and County Road 4 as a stop along the Gitchi-Gami State Trail. Construction is set to begin in 2014 and should only last through one season, opening to the public in 2015.

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