A $1.3 million request to fund improvements to Moorhead's M.B. Johnson Regional Park (11th Street and 30th Ave North) has moved one step closer to funding, according to City Council and Park Board member Chuck Hendrickson.
The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission voted unanimously to recommend the city's request to the 2016 Minnesota Legislature for a 2017 Legacy Grant award. The Moorhead application is one of 31 projects totaling $16.5 million statewide now awaiting legislators' approval.
“M.B. Johnson is a beautiful park,” Hendrickson observes. “It's a great asset for Moorhead, and these improvements will open it up for even more public uses.”
The proposal, formulated by Parks Director Holly Heitkamp and her staff, includes seven elements. The first, construction of accessible restrooms, complements the large picnic shelter now under construction. When complete, Hendrickson says, it will be comparable to the large shelter at Gooseberry Parki.
A reclaimed bicycle and pedestrian park is planned to cross Snaky Creek, opening up 12 acres of currently inaccessible parkland to public use. Other proposed trail improvements include interpretive and educational signage, benches, trash receptacles and other additions. Walking and hiking trails that meander up and down the riverfront slopes will be paved to make them more accessible.
A fish-cleaning station near the fishing area is intended to clear up confusion about where to dispose of waste, while a garage will be constructed to house cross-country trail-grooming equipment and other maintenance materials.
Finally, the grant – if approved by the Legislature – will fund construction of a youth bump bicycle track. The park has already developed a reputation among mountain bike enthusiasts; the new track will add an age-appropriate venue for experiencing the area's wooded, rolling landscape.
The $1.3 million state grant will be matched with a local investment of $254,000.
M.B. Johnson Park was designated one of Minnesota's 24 regionally designated parks and trails last summer. The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission dates back to voters' approval of a statewide sales tax of three-eighths of one percent in 2008. Proceeds from the tax, initiated in 2009 and extending through 2034, are divided among four recipients. In addition to the 14.25 percent allocated to the GMRPTC, revenue is divided among three other funds: 33 percent to the clean water fund; 33 percent to the outdoor heritage fund; and 19.75 percent to the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Established in 2013, the Parks and Trails Commission focuses on comprehensive planning for the state's parks and trails. It is guided by a 13-member board of directors appointed by the governor from across outstate Minnesota. Mike Hulett of Moorhead represents the Moorhead region.
