by Frank Lee
operations@thenewsleaders.com
Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park near St. Joseph will soon undergo some changes, but exactly how the Stearns County park will be used in the future has yet to be decided.
The Stearns County Park Department hosted a second open house on May 3 to hear from county residents as to what they would like to see included in the park plan for future development.
“A big takeaway from the first meeting was how necessary community involvement and participation is,” said Amy Elias, senior landscape architect with SRF Consulting Group Inc.
Stearns County hired SRF of Minneapolis to develop a master plan for Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park.
“There are a lot of people who live on the lake who have a major interest in what’s going to be happening,” Elias said. “But there’s also the question of how does it impact the larger community.”
Options being considered are: hiking trails, cross-country skiing trails, a nature-based playground, picnic shelters, boat access to Kraemer Lake, a swimming beach, canoe/kayak rental, a fishing pier, interpretation of natural systems and restrooms.
“The major things that are going to be talked about are the locations for a lot of the new amenities,” Elias said. “We’ve really pulled a lot of the development as far away from the shoreline as possible to have fewer impacts and keep the lake as clean and pristine as possible.”
The May 3 open house at the Stearns County Service Center in Waite Park was attended by nearly 40 individuals interested in the master planning for Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park.
“The next step in the process is going to be a refinement of the plan, so we’re looking at the possibilities of what the park has to offer,” Elias said. “Eventually, this park will be developed and then we move into a more technical design. Right now, this is just a gathering of ideas.”
Kraemer Lake-Wildwood was established in 2007 and is located in St. Joseph Township, two miles southwest of St. Joseph, according to Stearns County officials.
“I got to visit the site for the first time today, and it’s beautiful,” Elias said shortly before the open house began. “I think the site offers really a high quality natural-resource experience you don’t find in a lot of places, especially near metropolitan areas.”
The park is about 265 acres and presently includes cross-country ski trails, hiking trails and hosts a maple-syrup operation in the early spring.
“I think people are going to discover new ways to explore and appreciate the land,” Elias said of the park’s future.
Citizens can give their input by filling out an online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/kraemerlakewildwoodpark, by emailing parkinfo@co.stearns.mn.us or by sending comments in writing to Stearns County Parks, 1802 CR 137, Waite Park, Minn. 56387.
Amy Elias, senior landscape architect with SRF Consulting Group Inc. of Minneapolis, waits for the open house to begin May 3 at the Stearns County Service Center in Waite Park. She is gathering ideas and comments from county residents as to what they would like to see included in the master plan for Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park near St. Joseph.
Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park was established in 2007 and is located in St. Joseph Township, two miles southwest of St. Joseph, according to Stearns County officials. The park is about 265 acres and presently includes cross-country ski trails, hiking trails and hosts a maple-syrup operation in the early spring.
