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Board moves on Beaver Creek Park rules

The Hill County Park Board Monday voted to send new writeups of Beaver Creek Park rules to the Hill County Commission for approval, and agreed to review some proposed changes for cabin leases and vote on them in April.

Park Superintendent Chad Edgar presented recommendations from Hill County Attorney Gina Dahl on a new draft of park rules the board approved last July sending to her for review. Edgar said the recommendations were just rewording of a couple of issues.

The board approved the new regulations, which Edgar said now must go to the Hill County Commission for approval.

Board member Robbie Lucke also presented some proposals about cabin site leases recommended by a park board working group on which he sits, suggesting the board delay a vote until the public has a chance to talk about the recommendations.

“We can get a little bit of publicity on this and vote on it next month,” he said.

Lucke said one recommendation is to change the size of outbuildings at cabin sites. The current limit is 100 square feet, and the group is recommending that be increased to 200 square feet for one outbuilding, subject to board approval.

“In other words, you can’t have a building that’s 96 feet by 2 feet,” he said.

Lucke said the group also recommended updating the colors allowed for cabins — the park brown for the body of cabins would remain, but the trim allowance would add white as well as yellow. Lucke said many modern windows come with vinyl trim in yellow or white, which looks good and would complement the cabins — and cannot be painted over.

Board Chair Steve Mariani suggested adding light brown or tan for trim — many windows also use that color in premolded vinyl trim, and would work well with park colors, he said.

Lucke said that could be added before the board votes next month.

He said the working group also recommended letting people use metal siding in park colors. When the rules prohibiting metal siding were written, attractive siding was not available. Now it is, he said.

On fencing, Lucke said, the group agreed to keep the existing rules in place but to start enforcing them.

The leases now say a perimeter fence may be erected, with board approval, of wood or metal, with wire fencing prohibited.

Lucke said that rule has been in place, but the board has not enforced it while discussing over the past few years whether to change the rule. The group recommends starting to enforce it, he said.

Board member Renell Braaten said she thinks some other fencing — such as wire fencing placed inside another fence to keep dogs in the cabin site — should be allowed as long as they are hidden or tasteful.

“I thought it was done on a case-by-case basis,” she said.

Lucke said using that policy has caused some of the issues in the past few years.

“That’s our problem now, is we do it on a case-by-case basis,” he said.

The board also heard about a meeting held last month to collect public input about the park and how it should be used and developed — or left alone — and a proposal the Hill County Commission is working on to study the entire Beaver Creek drainage, which would include how the park is impacted, especially during floods.

 
 

Reader Comments(2)

Rick writes:

Snowman what modern things have been added out there to ruin the rustic look in the park?? Give some examples, nothing modern is out there, feels like you are ranting just to rant?

Snowman writes:

Beaver Creek Park has been turned into a modern park, all the rustic glory of the park has been ruined by all the modern things done out there. It is a joke and nothing more now, why don't you put in city water and sewer and parking meters and propane fire pits. You clowns just couldn't leave well enough alone. Pepin Park is more rustic and outdoorsy than Beaver Creek park. You have nothing special out there to attract visitors and campers than any other park. What a messed up deal now.