It seems like it is time to change a portion of the Paul Bunyan Trail for winter use. The portion of the trail from the DoubleTree Hotel to just east of South Shore Villas has changed dramatically in the last few years.
The development along the south shore has become a residential area with the additions of a large apartment complex, Bixby condominium (spring of 2022), Country Inn and Suites, the Sanford Center and South Shore Villas condominiums. This development has all been completed in approximately a one-mile stretch along the South Shore of the Paul Bunyan Trail.
I am proposing that the one-mile stretch from the DoubleTree Hotel to just east of South Shore Villas be closed to snowmobiler traffic in the winter, which would allow families the use of that mile without the worry of avoiding snowmobiles.
The city or DNR could then keep the one mile of trail plowed so as to allow families the use of that one-mile stretch. More so than ever during the pandemic, I have watched many families with their children or pets, summer or winter using the Paul Bunyan Trail during this past year. A change would allow families a safe area to enjoy year-round.
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If you are interested in the change I am proposing, a call to our mayor, ward representative, or DNR trail master could make a difference.
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