Did anyone go to tonight’s Duluth City Council meeting to watch the show as the council debated potential parking restrictions on Skyline Parkway near the infamous Honking House? (Back story found on this post, including a link for the even further back story.)
Or did you all stay home and ironically watch part two of Ken Burns’ documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea?
The council voted unanimously against the two resolutions.
(The original resolution was split into two to clarify two distinct areas. Resolution 600a referred to the scenic overlook about .73 miles east of 40th Ave. W. Resolution 600b referred to the pull-off area in front of the Honking House.)
No citizens spoke in favor or against the resolutions, but Councilor Sharla Gardner noted that the council received “hundreds” of e-mails and phone calls.
Councilors Jay Fosle and Gary Eckenberg spoke strongly against both resolutions. Councilor Garry Krause said if such a policy were made it should be citywide and not just in one area. Councilor Gardner sounded as if she might vote in favor of the resolution for the pull-off area, but ultimately voted against it. None of the other councilors commented.
Here’s what Councilor Gardner said about the pull-off area:
“If we look at working with the parking commission to review something, that does not mean that we are OKing it. It just means that maybe this issue does need to be reviewed. If there are places that were made by citizens — places to park that were not sanctioned by the city — then that should be looked at and reviewed.”
Perhaps Councilor Gardner was confused by Councilor Cuneo referring to the road in front of the Honking House and other spots like it as “pull-off areas that have been kind of citizen made or unplanned by the city.”
Councilor Eckenberg clarified that later, pointing out that the pull offs are simply the shoulder of the road. Most of Skyline does not have a shoulder, but certain areas do, so that people can pull off and park to appreciate the scenery. There’s nothing “citizen made” about them.
