St. Louis County narrows cartway options for Almos–McLeod parcel, orders more surveys and appraisals

The St. Louis County Board of Commissioners voted to narrow the proposed alignment options for a cartway to provide access to a parcel owned by Ronald Almos and Christine McLeod, and to direct county staff to complete additional fieldwork before issuing a final decision on alignment and damages.

County Attorney Pinkert told the board the petitioned route has been used historically with permission but does not confer prescriptive rights. He recommended eliminating alignments that cross identified wetlands and continuing the hearing so staff could get more precise survey, wetland delineation and appraisal data. "The previous use was done with permission, and so prescriptive or adverse possession rights don't come into play in this situation," Pinkert said.

Eric Falstrom, a public works engineer, described three potential alignments on staff maps: the petitioner’s requested alignment, which generally follows an existing driveway; two Engelbrecht-proposed alternatives that largely route through wetlands and were ruled out; and a third Engelbrecht option that follows existing roadway through their parcel then continues south to the Almos–McLeod parcel. Falstrom said the third option "deserves further consideration" because it could provide a larger offset from an Engelbrecht cabin.

Engelbrecht family members and other affected residents urged the board to pick an alignment that keeps traffic away from cabins and reduces safety risks on a blind curve near the Engelbrecht property. Christine McLeod and supporter Ron Elmos said routine recreational and maintenance traffic has intensified, and Engelbrecht testified about parking and safety concerns for children and guests.

Petitioners’ counsel and several long-term residents said the existing driveway has provided access for decades and argued against route changes that would require crossing additional wetlands. Long-time property owners said the road’s layout was driven by avoiding wetlands when it was built.

Commissioner Nelson moved to approve the board letter that sent two alignment options back to staff for additional on-the-ground work, including wetland delineation and appraisal comparisons. Commissioner McDonald seconded. The board approved the motion; the transcript does not record a numerical roll-call tally.

County staff said next steps will include locating exact property lines in the field, performing wetland delineations to establish the limits of regulated wetland areas, and preparing appraisals estimating damages for each candidate alignment so the board can make a final decision on route and compensation.

The board’s action preserves the required legal analysis under Minnesota statute — weighing the least-damaging, cost-effective route against private-property impacts and environmental constraints — and delays a final damages determination until staff returns with the additional technical data.