Crosslake News: Crosslake council says no to plowing Wilderness Park Road

It's not a city road, but for about 26 years the city has been plowing Wilderness Park Road in Crosslake. That came to an end at Monday's city council meeting.

Colleen Bakken and her two sons live in a home at the end of the private road. She was at the council meeting requesting the city continue to plow the road to allow the school bus to come down the one-half mile road.

"When I purchased the home I was told the city plowed the road," Bakken said. "I'm asking for what has always been done."

The city has an easement at the start of the road and did blacktop a turn-around area for city trucks. However, Bakken lives at the end of the one-half mile gravel section of Wilderness Park Road.

Ken Anderson, community development director, said a condition of a recent planned unit development approved for Wilderness Park was that the city would no longer plow the road within the park. He said if the city wanted to plow the road, the council should ask planning and zoning to remove the condition to not plow the road.

Council member Steve Roe said the road is really a driveway.

Council member Dean Swanson made the motion to support planning and zoning and not plow the road. Roe seconded. The vote was 3-2 with Swanson, Roe and Mayor Jay Andolshek voting yes and Rusty Taubert and Irene Schultz voting no.