Bittersweet Trail Project 1001

Dear Resident,
It was more than forty years ago when the first homes were built on Farrell Avenue. Back then,
Northfield’s southmost edge was two miles north of us. Pedestrian trails were not even a remote
concern: there were only a few houses around and you could use the lightly traveled 110th Street
to get where you needed to go.

Things have certainly changed. In 1999, Northfield development extended to border with
Bittersweet. From 2001-2003, Target and Cub Foods were built, straining 110th Street (CSAH 1)
and making it less safe for nonmotorized transportation. Just last year, people began moving to
Bridgewater Heights, making the situation more severe still. Thanks to the willingness of
homeowners, pedestrian access to Northfield has been possible, but using private property is not
a secure solution and has been taxing on the homeowners.

A group of Bittersweet residents has been meeting since August to discuss options and determine
the feasibility of a permanent public trail with access to Northfield. We’ve discussed our ideas
for a permanent trail, but we’re unsure of how the rest of the neighborhood feels. So to get a
better idea of what everyone is thinking about nonmotorized access into town, we’ve developed
the enclosed survey.

Your voice counts. Since there are fewer than thirty households in this neighborhood, we ask
everyone to complete and return the survey. We will share the survey results (in tabulated form
— no individuals will be identified) with the Northfield Nonmotorized Transportation Task
Force and the Rice County Board of Commissioners. We will also present the results at a
neighborhood block party in the spring (more info will be sent out as the time approaches).

Please return your completed survey in the pre-addressed envelope by Sunday, February 17. To
learn more about the Bittersweet Trail Project, we invite you to visit our web page at http://
groups.google.com/group/bittersweettrail. If you have questions or would like to attend a
Bittersweet Trails meeting, call Nadja Reubenova (612-220-2639) or Doug O’Leary
(507-650-8773) for further information. Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,
Arthur Campbell
Georgiana Campbell
John Dennis
Kathleen Doran-Norton
Margaret Hayford O’Leary
Sean Hayford O’Leary
Doug O’Leary
Nadja Reubenova
Bittersweet Trail Project 1002

1. I am satisfied with current pedestrian options in Bittersweet. (1 means strongly disagree, 5 means neutral,
9 means strongly agree)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2. 110th Street (CSAH 1) is safe for pedestrians and cyclists to get to and from Northfield or
Dundas. (1 means strongly disagree, 5 means neutral, 9 means strongly agree)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

3. I use the existing unofficial trails in Bittersweet. (1 means never, 3 means occasionally, 7 means weekly, 9
means daily or almost daily)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

4. I would like to see a new neighborhood trail built from Bittersweet to a bordering
neighborhood in Northfield.* (1 means strongly disagree, 5 means neutral, 9 means strongly agree)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

5. I would like to see a new regional trail built from Bittersweet to a bordering neighborhood in
Northfield.* (1 means strongly disagree, 5 means neutral, 9 means strongly agree)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

6. If a permanent trail were built, I would walk/bicycle more than I do now. (1 means a significant
decrease, 5 means no increase or decrease, 9 means a significant increase)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

How many adults (18+) live in your household? _________________

How many children (0-17)? _________________

Please expand on any of your above answers, or provide additional comments (Use back if necessary)

______________________________________________________________________________

The following contact information is optional, but appreciated:

________________________ __________________ ________________________
Name Phone E-mail

Would you like to be involved in future trail discussions? (This does not include the block party)
Yes No

* A neighborhood trail would be narrower and built within Bittersweet, with the main intention of serving Bittersweet residents.
A regional trail would likely be built along 110th Street (CSAH 1) and would be designed to serve Bittersweet, Bridgewater
Heights, and possibly Wendwood and Timberlane. Note that these options are not mutually exclusive: you may express a desire
for both or neither.
Bittersweet Trail Project Neighborhood Updates 1003 February 2008

March 11 is a big day for civic participation

Bridgewater Township elections take place on Tuesday, March 11. Voters will cast ballots for a
supervisor, a clerk, and a treasurer. Here’s who’s running:
• Supervisor (three-year term): Glen Castor, Bruce Morlan, and Mike Piper
• Clerk (two-year term): Pam Peterson
• Treasurer (one-year term): Brad Pfanning

Also on March 11, Bridgewater holds its Annual Meeting at 8:15 p.m. From what we understand,
this meeting is an excellent time to relay your township concerns to our local government. So,
for instance, if you had a strong feeling about the development of a public trail to Dundas and
Northfield for nonmotorized traffic, your time would be well spent attending the Annual Meeting
and voicing your opinion.

Both the election and the Annual Meeting will be held at Bridgewater Town Hall, located at 500
Railway Street, 1/2 mile southwest of downtown Dundas. For further information, check out the
Bridgewater Township Web site at http://bridgewatertwp.org.

One new telecommunications provider coming right up

We’ve heard that Jaguar Communications, a telecommunications company from Owatonna, has
begun to offer telephone and DSL service to Northfield-area residents — and that includes
residents of Bridgewater Township. You may have seen them laying ground lines along 110th
Street (CSAH 1) earlier this winter.

Jaguar is in the midst of building a broadband system for rural southeastern Minnesota that will
provide telephone service as well as high speed Internet to residential and business customers.
Currently, they are offering video, telephone, and internet.

You can get more information about costs and what services Jaguar Communications provides at
http://jaguarcommunications.com or by calling them at 507-214-1000.

Anyone up for a party?

Members of the Bittersweet Trail Project plan to host a “block club” party sometime in April or
May when the weather turns warm enough for an outdoor get-together. This will be an
opportunity to meet up with neighbors we haven’t seen over the long winter, welcome
newcomers, and get to know each other just a little bit better. In addition, results of the
Bittersweet Trails survey will be presented at this gathering.

We’ll distribute a flyer a few weeks before the event detailing the time, date, and place. If you’d
like to be part of the organizing team, contact Nadja Reubenova at nreubenova@hotmail.com or
612-220-2639.