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Feature Stories (Vol. 110 No. 8--2/20/2008)

Group pushing for Mouse River Park pavement

By Caroline Downs

Supporters for Pavement to the Mouse River Park have taken steps toward their goal after meeting with North Dakota Department of Transportation representatives and other state officials in Bismarck on January 29th.

A group of Mouse River Park homeowners and other residents from the area prepared themselves with maps, letters of support from District 6 representative Glen Froseth and the mayors of Mohall, Sherwood and Kenmare, and a summary of the park’s history and current use. The group talked over their plans with personnel from the NDDOT, North Dakota Game and Fish, North Dakota Parks and Recreation, and Governor Hoeven’s staff, advocating pavement over the current gravel conditions that create a dust and dirt problem and deteriorate into a washboard surface that discourages some travelers from even visiting the park.

The Supporters for Pavement proposed to upgrade a one-mile stretch of County Road 3, beginning at the south junction with ND Highway 5 and the subsequent two miles of 95th Street NW, which would end just beyond the dump station at Mouse River Park, from gravel to pavement. They were also seeking information about obtaining funds for such a project.

The group supported their stand with details about the park’s popularity, including the 147 individuals who own lots and homes at Mouse River Park and the 125 sites offered seasonally for public camping. The group pointed out the park’s population increases by 200 to 400 people during any given weekend from May through September, with even higher numbers during the Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day holidays. Canadian residents account for about 50 percent of the recreational campers and spend money in nearby communities on fuel and groceries.

The amount of oilfield traffic is also considered significant in the area, given that the surrounding townships of McKinney, Hamlet and Grover have 175 producing oil wells. Traffic counts estimate 150 vehicles related to oil activity traveling daily on the stretch of road in question, and operators at the Mouse River Park Cafe estimated 35 percent of their business during the summer comes from employees in the oil field.

Another point for paving included the fact the road, which is a rural mail route, also attracts use by local farmers and delivery trucks. According to the proposal, a traffic count conducted by Renville County in the summer of 2005 indicated 3307 vehicles used the road leading into Mouse River Park during a one-week tally.

"Mouse River Park is almost 100 years old and is being improved every year," stated the proposal letter presented to state officials. "We truly feel that we are past due for a paved road."

NDDOT representatives showed support for the proposal, but emphasized the money would likely need to come from a variety of sources. "One thing they stressed was that before they could help us, we needed to have some money up front," said Mouse River Park resident Karen Irwin.

Ben Kubischta, Local Government Division of the NDDOT, provided the Supporters for Pavement with information about federal Transportation Enhancement funds, county federal funds and the Special Road Fund, with the latter the most likely source of some money for the project.

According to Kubischta’s report, the Special Road Fund (SRF) provides state money for the construction and maintenance of access roads to, and roads within, recreational, tourist and historical areas. The NDDOT can only pay up to 60 percent of the construction costs, capped at $250,000 per project.

Prior to the meeting, the NDDOT reviewed the road segment in question and determined that because of the road’s current condition, paving would cost approximately $150,000 per mile, with the proposed upgrade totaling $450,000. "The road is reported to be in good shape for paving," Irwin said, adding that only one curve would require some reconstruction before pavement could be done.

The application deadline for the next round of SRF money is in spring 2008, and former Renville County commissioner Alan Erickson volunteered to prepare the paperwork. Given the state and federal mandates for the use of such funds, the project must be administered by Renville County, not the Supporters for Pavement.

In the meantime, and before any work can be done on the roads in question, the Supporters for Pavement are moving ahead with plans to generate revenue for the project. "We figure we have to come up with about $200,000," Irwin said.

On February 5th, the Mouse River Park Association Improvement Fund Committee pledged $40,000 to the Renville County commissioners for use on the paving project. "We have the money in an account," said Irwin, "and it will be paid once the work begins." The Renville County commissioners had agreed at an earlier meeting to support the project, with Jacob Bratvold, executive director of the Renville County JDA, serving as a liaison among the various groups involved.

In a related action, the Improvement Fund Committee presented the commissioners with a check for $5,000 to use in building handicapped accessible sidewalks at Mouse River Park. Irwin said the committee recognized the need for such an improvement after witnessing groups of area nursing home residents who visited the park during the summer months, but struggled to get around on the graveled walkways or partial sidewalks.

The Improvement Fund Committee will also be launching a pledge drive for the paving project and seeking possible grants for funding. The committee welcomes ideas for other potential funding sources.

Despite the need to generate money for the project, individuals who attended the meeting in Bismarck remained enthusiastic about the meeting’s outcome and the direction they were given by the state officials. "They had the right people there to answer our questions," said Mouse River Park resident Delano Granrud. "They had put time into it and they were very positive."

Irwin and Granrud both laughed as they described reactions from neighbors at the park who want to see the paving project happen soon. "We’re all getting older," Irwin said. "We don’t want to wait too long. We want to be able to enjoy it!"

Persons with further questions about the Mouse River Park road paving project or suggestions for obtaining funds should contact Alan Erickson at 701-468-5519 or 701-833-1675.