Northern Heights Trail vs Pavilion Mistakes
Published in the Rochester Post Bulletin, July 15, 2024
Northern Heights Park Trail Reflects Community Values, Unlike Pavilion Estates Development
As the Board President of the non-profit Save the Rookery, the group that filed lawsuits and worked with nationally recognized experts to protect one of Olmsted County’s natural resources, I am disturbed by the false equivalency in Rayson Lorrey’s commentary, “Tearing down paradise ... again” (Post Bulletin, July 9, 2024). Mr. Lorrey equates the destruction of a great blue heron rookery for the Pavilion Estates housing development with the development of a minimally invasive natural trail for biking and hiking in Northern Heights Park.
First, the destruction of the rookery was fueled by a developer and landowner seeking to extract profit from a natural resource. Instead, the Northern Heights Park trail is proposed by the non-profit Rochester Active Sports Club (RASC) for public use using donated funds. RASC promotes “silent sports” through its programs, which connect youth and adults with outdoor recreational opportunities.
Second, the process of the Northern Heights Park trail has been a conversation with the community. RASC developed this plan in dialogue with Parks and Recreation staff. The plan was presented to the residents of Rochester. Neighbors had legitimate concerns, including protection of Decorah Edge features and privacy for adjoining properties. RASC and Parks and Recreation took those concerns seriously. RASC hired an outside firm to document Decorah Edge. Based on added information and neighborhood feedback, the trail was redesigned to avoid sensitive features, limit usage, and ensure neighbors’ privacy. In contrast, Save the Rookery pleaded with the developer, Rochester Township, Olmsted County, and the courts to modify housing development plans and minimize impact. No meaningful concessions were made, and the property owner cut down the trees with nests explicitly to render this habitat unsuitable for the great blue herons. Throughout the process, Save the Rookery sought to engage the developer and landowner, who refused to engage with us.
Third, Northern Heights Park is not a healthy woodland. Its understory is clogged with invasive species, thus reducing its biological potential as a wildlife resource. The wildlife that Mr. Lorrey mentions is known to thrive in residential areas and is not an indicator of healthy woodlands. This habitat is not commonly used by sandhill cranes; this species prefers prairie, wetlands, and agricultural fields. In contrast, the great blue heron rookery site was part of a healthy mature contiguous forest, a rarity in our area that is worth protecting from a housing development that fractures the forest.
Minnesota is a leader in the development of sustainable multiuse natural trails. The trails proposed by RASC will follow best practices published by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Sustainable trails prevent erosion and weave around biologically significant resources.
Our community learned many lessons during the housing development process at the great blue heron rookery site. Those lessons include the importance of preserving healthy and unique natural areas that do exist, consideration of expert opinion in proposing new uses of undeveloped natural areas, and allowing input of the community with a wide variety of perspectives. Save the Rookery continues to advocate for conservation and for sustainable use of natural areas. The difference is clear between the Northern Heights Park trail and the destruction of the great blue heron rookery: one is a product of community collaboration and respect for natural resources, while the other is what happens when the interest of developers is placed above the wishes of the community.
Lynn Cornell
Board President, Save the Rookery
A walking trail in the Rochester area similar to the one proposed in Northern Heights Park