2 wheels or 4?

Have you run across the peloton of cyclists that uses the Town Hall parking lot as an assembly point on Wednesday evenings?  Chairman Miller has-- kind of literally--and he was seeing red at the last Board meeting.

He let the Dakota County Sheriff representative know that he sees this activity as a threat to the safety of Township residents.  At a previous meeting, Commissioner Hansen reported that he had to wait to turn into his driveway because of the cyclists.

The officer said he was used to being a sounding board for misdirected anger, but this went on long enough that even Chairman Storlie tried to shut it down and a citizen attending the meeting spoke in support of the officer.

Why lay into the Sheriff?  The cyclists are warned in their registration materials that roads are open to traffic and that they must obey rules of the road.  But as a safety precaution, the club hires off-duty Dakota County officers.  On the night in question, Mr. Miller didn't see any.   

The Silver Cycling non-profit club has hosted 5 time trials on Wednesday evenings along 250th and Highview and one Saturday race in May.
They moved their long-standing event series to the County roads in Eureka after being forced to abandon their preferred, Black Dog route owing to frequent flooding and road degradation.  In appreciation for the use of the Town Hall parking lot, they recently donated $100 to the Township. 

Many in the Township like that cyclists are taking advantage of our wide County Road shoulders.  Some residents even participate in these events.  

If the Board members find 2-wheeled, silent cycling so dangerous and detrimental to the quality of life in Eureka Township, then why, you may ask, did they listen to a group who are proposing to create an off-road, 4-wheel drive, recreational area (like Lake Ore-Be-Gone in Gilbert, Minn) in an abandoned, 13-acre gravel pit on the west side of the Township and tell them to approach the Planning Commission with a proposal?

The general concept is for a group of local clubs to apply for Grant In Aid money to develop a 4x4 recreation area with trails comprised of varying artifical hazards created from old road and construction debris. The clubs can't apply for the money themselves, they need a government body to partner with and that is where Eureka comes in.   After 20 years, we would own this modified gravel pit.

The park acquistion and development process would be facilitated by DNR Parks and Trails but there would be no staffing or policing of the grounds.  Club members would self-police.  A sticker would be required to use the park.  The number of users would be controlled by the size of the parking lot.   

Maybe I'm forcing you to make a false choice here--cyclists or off-road vehicles. But both are supported by local recreational clubs.  If the issue to consider is the impact of the proposed use on Township residents, where do you stand?  (Actually, in the case of people using the county roads, we have no control but we could take away the use of our parking lot.)