By Robert Williams

Editor

Approximately 50 local residents and some trail supporters from outside the immediate area faced a dais of 10 representatives of the Hobart Township Board, the City of Vergas, PartnerShip 4 Health, and Otter Tail County during an informational meeting about a proposed future trail connecting Vergas to Frazee at the Hobart Township Hall on Thursday, April 16.

The main topic was a 2023 feasibility study, conducted by Widseth and funded by a PartnerShip 4 Health grant, concluded the best of three trail options would run east aside County Road 60 out of Vergas to north on 370th Avenue past the town hall and through the Wirth Waterfowl Production Area to Wymer Lake Road to connect with the U.S. Highway 10 bridge.

The connection is significant in that it would bring together the Heart of the Lakes Trail, the Heartland Trail, the North Country Trail and by way of Wannigan Regional Park the Otter Tail River State Water Trail.

The other two trail options began by leaving Vergas via County Road 4, but the Rose Lake area near Spanky’s made accommodating a trail difficult due to lack of space. 

The officials in attendance Thursday night were seeking feedback from area residents and got plenty of it from the constructive to the absurd.

Two different trail options were proposed by attendees. The first was to continue the Heartland Trail east of Frazee on Highway 10 to connect to County Road 60. The other was to pass through the Eagle Lake area to the Vergas Trails and County Road 17 northwest of Vergas.

Other comments focused on personal privacy from people who were not shy about not wanting a trail running by their home and physically being on their property.

While the feasibility study proposed a trail route, basic decisions like what side of the road the trail would be on have not been finalized. An economic impact study would need to be conducted if the trail plan was to move forward. Many other variables exist that are currently unknown, the width of the trail, whether it would be a standalone trail or a widened road shoulder, etc.

County Parks & Trails Director Kevin Fellbaum and Vergas Clerk/Treasurer Julie Lammers handled most of the questions. Hobart Township Chairman Larry Hoffmann steered questions involving answers that would affect the Hobart area and its residents.

Trail usage numbers were requested, future environmental impacts were discussed, among other topics, with the conversation continuing for an hour. There were also multiple comments from trail users on how much they enjoy the area trails and are looking forward to the connection.

The winding conversation was polite with some commenters reaching firmer tones, as is common when change is brought to specific neighborhoods. The meeting was far more calm in tone than those that were had between Becker County and Toad Mountain residents in 2024 or the Frazee Economic Development Authority and residents of Red Willow Heights development this year.

One reason for the calmer tones is that the project is currently at a standstill. There is no current funding for the project and a timeline is uncertain. Grant options are unavailable until next year at the earliest with any potential engineering studies delayed until 2030 assuming grant funds are awarded for the project.

Fellbaum noted that the county has proven successful in garnering funding for other trails and stated the worth of pursuing those grants as they are earmarked specifically for this type of infrastructure.

“If we don’t do that we’ll let someone else have it,” said Fellbaum. “The rest of the segments we’ve done we’ve been very successful as far as tracking down the money to pay for large portions of that.”

Frazee City Council member Mark Kemper, who was in attendance, corroborated Fellbaum’s remarks.

“If there is grant funding available—if you don’t take it, it’s still available, somebody else is going to get it and you’re still paying for it,” Kemper said. “Whether you get it in your property or your area or Minneapolis gets it, we’re still paying for it.”

A step forward will be the two other trail options recommended can be sent to Widseth for further examination, along with any other possible corridors, per Fellbaum. Residents were also given the opportunity to mark their property on a large map with a color-coded sticky note on whether or not they are for, against or indifferent to the trail.

The 2023 study is available online by visiting cityofvergas.com and clicking on Trails under the Community tab.