Wayzata lakefront plan draws calls for referendum over cost, scale

Some Wayzata residents are calling for a public referendum on the city's plans to revamp its lakefront on Lake Minnetonka, saying the plans don't fit its small-town character and could cost too much.

At a standing-room-only meeting Tuesday, several supporters said that lakefront improvements long have been needed and urged that the project move forward.

But some critics questioned the cost — an estimated $19 million if all potential projects are built, plus annual operating expenses — and called for a referendum. Others just want the project scaled back.

More than 160 people signed a petition seeking a public vote, urging that the lakefront design and budget be revised and that development not block access to the lake.

"It doesn't quite feel like the Wayzata I want to live in. … Let's do something that fits with our town," resident Gretchen Piper, who helped organize the petition, told the council.

Earlier this year planners unveiled designs of the plan, dubbed the "Lake Effect." It includes bike lanes, docks, an expanded city beach with swimming and diving piers, a lake walk, an eco park and pedestrian crossings over the rail tracks currently cutting off downtown from the lake.

The city of 4,200 residents first launched the 10-year concept plan in 2014. Its aim is to make Wayzata a year-round destination, and the lakefront more pedestrian- and bike-friendly.

"This is really about the future of this town. … I hear the residents say they don't want to pay for it but we want it to be for us," resident Dan Gustafson said at the meeting.

While residents agreed improvements are needed, it's the scale and scope of the plan that's divided them.

"How many people and cars can we squeeze into our little town?" resident Merrily Babcock asked the council. "I'm worried about the ramifications that are happening to our town."

The City Council, which was initially slated to vote on the plans April 19, is now expected to vote May 3 on a resolution accepting the plans. The resolution doesn't commit the city to doing all of the projects, Mayor Ken Willcox said.

"It's going to guide the council on how we set our priorities," he said of the community input. "Few people said we don't want to do it — we just don't want to do it all."

As for a referendum, four of five council members would need to approve the necessary specifics, City Attorney David Schelzel said.

Residents like Piper just want the city to prioritize projects.

"We only have one chance to get this done right," she said after the meeting. "In the end, you have to get real: Where is the money coming from?"

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141