Forest Lake council pauses portion of North Shore reconstruction to study trail options

Forest Lake City Council members on Monday directed staff to remove the one-mile segment of North Shore Trail between Greenway Avenue and 230th Avenue from the current reconstruction project scope and return with further analysis on trail alternatives and property impacts. Council left the remainder of the project, from 230th Avenue to Highway 97, in the design and bid schedule while asking staff for additional detail on cost, right-of-way needs and safety trade-offs.

The item followed a Feb. 18 open house that drew about 66 sign-ins and “a lot of feedback,” staff said, and more than an hour of council discussion weighing long-term trail goals against near-term maintenance needs and limited capital dollars. Ryan, a city staff presenter, summarized the current capital improvement plan scope for North Shore Trail, noting an estimated total project cost of $5.8 million (the CIP lists $5.9 million) and a separate local 2025 street maintenance package budgeted at $1,845,000 and currently estimated at $1,650,000.

“The question is do you want something to go for 10, 7, 3? You know, now sometimes they go a little further than what…