Minnesota briefs: Appeals court OKs Aitkin County motorcycle course

A motorcycle club will be able to proceed with plans for a single-track riding course in rural Aitkin County, according to a ruling handed down last week by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Several residents in the Sandstone area had appealed a decision by the county Planning Commission to grant a permit to the Norsemen Motorcycle Club for a riding course on 180 wooded acres the club owns. The club has said it would not hold racing events at the site but would use it for the recreational enjoyment of club members.

The residents had contended that the motorcyclists would be disruptive to hunting, disturb their peace and damage the environment.

In its ruling, the court said the county had followed proper procedures in granting the permit and noted that courts have traditionally given wide latitude to counties in making decisions about such permits.

"The commission's decision ... was not unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious," the court wrote.

JOHN REINAN

DULUTH

The Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) of Duluth was recently chosen for a state $13.9 million housing infrastructure bond award. The money is for Skyridge Flats, affordable senior housing in the Harbor Highlands development.

The 70 one-bedroom units will be rented to households at or below 50% of the area median income and who are 55 years of age or older. Half of the units will have rent subsidy provided by the HRA and seven units will be reserved for qualifying veterans experiencing homelessness. The remaining 35 units will have rents set to accept housing choice vouchers. "This project provides much-needed affordable housing in Duluth," said HRA executive director Jill Keppers.

Total project cost is expected to be about $17.5 million. The Skyridge Flats award is the largest of its kind for senior housing in Minnesota this year. The HRA hopes to close on project financing in the fall of 2022, with a spring 2023 groundbreaking. Units are expected to be leased in 2024. The project joins several planned senior affordable housing developments in Duluth.

JANA HOLLINGSWORTH

THIEF RIVER FALLS

After falling dramatically during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, air traffic at Thief River Falls Regional Airport surged even more dramatically in 2021, to its highest level in more than five years.

At its meeting last week, the City Council received a report on airport traffic. In 2020, the airport logged 4,966 arrivals and departures, a drop of 53% from 2019. In 2021, however, there were 13,730 arrivals and departures, a jump of 177% and the most in any year going back to 2016.