Lakeville staff outline Lake Marion Greenway Trail plan, cite grant timing that delays full construction until July

City staff presented a detailed update on the Lake Marion Greenway Trail at the Dec. 8 Lakeville work session, describing plans for a new trailhead at River Farm Park, connections through existing trails downtown, and safety improvements at several crossings. Joe, the staff presenter, said the project has been in development since 2013 and is being advanced in three phases, with Lakeville’s first construction phase running from downtown to Ritter Farm Park.

The Ritter Farm Park segment includes a proposed trailhead that would convert an existing gravel lot to a paved lot as an alternate, and add a shelter/restroom combo with year-round heated restrooms, regional mapping, bike-fix equipment and benches. "We would have a new shelter and restroom combo," Joe said, noting the county will pay roughly $400,000 for the shelter and restroom component.

Staff described safety work planned at the Henrick Road crossing and on the bridge into River Farm Park. Joe said the city is working with MnDOT on bridge fencing — "8 foot tall fences, for pedestrian safety" — and is evaluating combinations of pedestrian hybrid beacons and refuge islands for crossings.

Much of the project relies on using and upgrading existing trails where possible; staff said segments such as Juno Trail already meet width standards but require speed mitigation and pavement markings in tight corners. The council discussed an existing ordinance that sets multiuse trail speeds at 15 mph and the new ordinance language that would allow staff to reduce speeds further in problem areas.

Staff said design work is at 90% and that limited tree removal and trimming would occur over the winter. Two grants will affect the start of construction: an LCCMR grant for $1,790,000 and a DNR grant for $250,000. Joe warned that because of grant restrictions some work on the trail segment into River Farm Park cannot begin until after July 1. "With that branch, we cannot start construction on the trail from Don into River Farm Park until after July 1," he said.

Council members asked about restroom placement, costs and whether the gateway in downtown will include permanent restroom facilities; staff said the downtown "gateway" planned for the near-term will not include restrooms. The council indicated general support for the plan and requested that staff continue to coordinate design details with Dakota County and MnDOT.

The next steps are finalizing design plans, continuing coordination with partner agencies and confirming the construction phasing and schedule against grant conditions.