Report: Minnetonka City Council Approves Controversial Mountain Bike Trail
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A controversial mountain biking trail proposed to run through Lone Lake Park in Minnetonka was approved by the Minnetonka City Council early Tuesday morning.
According to the Star Tribune, the vote, which came after midnight, passed 5-2.
Opponents of the trail say it would compromise habitat for the rusty patched bumblebee, an endangered species. After testimony from dozens of bike enthusiasts and environmentalists, the trail was approved on the condition that the city review its environmental impact annually.
The decision came about a year after opponents of the trail filed a petition requesting the city assess the trail's impact on the environment. The city rejected the request, and was subsequently sued by nonprofit Protect Our Minnetonka Parks. The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the City Council's decision.
Just last month, the group filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court for review.