Pristine

After the Metropolitan Council's unanimous vote yesterday ensured the Southwest Light Rail Line (SWLRT) would be built, I took to social media to celebrate.  Since I live in the southwest suburbs, and since the majority of my social media circle does too, most of the comments I received in regards to the light rail line, which will run from downtown Minneapolis, through the Chain of Lakes district, into St. Louis Park and Hopkins, then into the outer suburbs of Minnetonka and Eden Prairie, were positive.  A few weren't.

Some friends complained.  The negative sentiment had to do with the trains running near the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis, and fell into the category of either "why are we ruining the natural beauty of the lakes" or "why are we damaging the natural eco-system in the lakes."  For every critical comment, my first follow up question was, "we're talking the 'Chain of Lakes' lakes, right?"

For those who might not know, the four lakes in the Chain of Lakes (Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun), are VERY urban lakes, within the city of Minneapolis itself.  At one time, in the 1800's, the city's wealthy started moving out of the downtown, booting early Minneapolis farmers off the land, so they could enjoy a more picturesque life, with a mansion on the shore of a lake within a few miles of the flourishing new town.  Over time, even though many upper class residents had moved to newer, further out, wealthy real estate developments, the Chain of Lakes always maintained a certain desire for the richest Twin Cities residents.  Today, the shoreline of three of the lakes are completely developed, mainly with multi million dollar houses, juxtaposing walking and biking trails which ring the shoreline, and Cedar Lake has less than a quarter of its shoreline undeveloped.

The idea a light rail train would destroy ANY natural beauty or any established eco-system on the Chain of Lakes which hasn't already been completely ripped up, polluted, rebuilt or annihilated is an absolute joke.  You might as well be talking about preserving the natural beauty and fragile eco-system at the Mall of America.

I'm a big supporter of environmental issues, and keeping Minnesota lakes clean is a big priority for me.  If you've been to a Boundary Waters lake in Northern Minnesota, you know what true natural treasures they are.  Seeing no cabins or houses on a shore, no boats or jet skis in the water, animals in their native habitat; it's wonderful.  The Chain of Lakes is not a pristine, relatively untouched northern Minnesota waterway.

Most of the lakes in Minnesota have been developed.  Drive out of the metro area and you'll see a few houses scattered here or there, but the lakes and riverways are packed with development, with only a few bays and coves without at least one cabin/house visible.  These lakes are a Minnesota tradition, usually filled on Summer weekends with people enjoying the water, filled in the Spring, Autumn and Winter with sportsmen.  The demand for lakeshore development has only grown, with even northern Minnesota lakes, once considered too far away from the metro area for a weekend cabin, now ringed with new buildings from the last 20 years.  But these lakes are not the Chain of Lakes either.  Many of them don't have a public boat launch, none them are surrounded by the population base of Minneapolis, and none will ever experience 1/20th the demands or pollution a Minneapolis lake does.  Non-Metro lakes are usually visited by the locals and cabin owners, a relatively small number of people.

The Chain of Lakes are drenched in population weekdays and weekends, during all times and seasons, an intermingling spot for all classes and people.  The trails around the lakes are usually packed to the gills with pedestrian traffic, while the roads are crammed with cars.  Most of the historic mansions have been torn down, replaced by McMansions, monuments to wealth for wealth's sake.  Even though the lakes are gas powered motor free, many electric powered motor boats, sailboats, windsurfers, canoes and kayaks cross the water throughout the day.  Two of the lakes are bordered by one of the busiest shopping districts in the city, Uptown, but considering the heavy metro population base, there aren't any quiet respites left on these lakes.  Train lines, bike lines, interstate roadways, major highways and crowded streets all wrap themselves around the Chain of Lakes.  The natural beauty and eco systems were long purged from these lakes, replaced with a urbanized, unnatural nature.  The beauty is far more sculpted hedges than preserved wilderness.  For goodness sake, this random photo was just published today by Paul Blume of Fox 9 (@PaulBlume_Fox9 on Twitter); a minuscule fraction of the trash and debris from one of the cleaner lakes, Harriet:

This is the 'nature' of a city.  I remember fishing Lake Minnetonka with my dad in the early 1980's.  We'd go out to the western side of the lake, parts which were ringed with farms and small fishing shacks, and quietly fish.  The last time we went fishing on the lake, in the mid 90's, were were relentlessly rocking in the wakes of ocean ready ships, buzzed constantly by jet ski's, and serenaded by drunken boaters and blaring music.  My father vowed to never fish that lake again.  "There's too much of the city on Lake Minnetonka."

If you're a Chain of Lakes fan or resident, and are attempting to use natural beauty or natural eco-systems as an excuse to try to stop SWLRT, give it up.  It's an urbanized culture, not a buffet line.  Your motivations seem far less flora and fauna based, and far more "not in my neighborhood!"  If you really want to play this game, fine!  Let's play:

Let's start by removing all buildings within two blocks of the lakes. All of them, no exceptions.  How can we preserve natural beauty and the natural eco-system with 6000 square foot, multi million dollar palaces encroaching on the lakes.  Not only do you have visual and natural destruction happening with those 'houses,' but those lawns and gardens are pouring fertilizers, chemicals and treated water into the lakes, and the cleaning solutions designed to keep the palaces clean are doing damage too.   How about trash, sewage and street drains, all violating the water quality of the lakes.  Let's next get rid of the roads, not only the lakeshore drives and the city street grids, but Interstate 394, Lake Street and every other main road which could leech oil, gas, exhaust and rubber into the water.  The paved bike and walking trails too.  How can you talk about natural beauty and eco-systems when you're paving a path of asphalt all around the preserved area.  If you are really for natural beauty and eco-systems, you need to remove every sign humans were ever there.  Maybe you have one or two unpaved trails to undeveloped viewing areas.  Maybe some kayaks and canoes could be allowed, but that's it.

Then, I'd be completely on board with stopping the SWLRT from going through it.  Absolutely.

Until then, as you stroll next to the shore, as you sip on your coffee while walking with your kids, or biking the dedicated bike lane, or running the trail, as you look from your front window or office window out onto the lake, as you manicure your laws with chemicals and non-native plant species, as you partake in the hedonism of Hidden Beach, as you try to impress the guy or girl you've been checking out as you grab lunch on the shore, as you skate on the ice, or play volleyball, frisbee, or walk your dog, as you splash in the heavily maintained beach areas, or just drive past at 45 miles an hour to get to your destination, don't try to convince me your argument against SWLRT coming through your neighborhood is based on anything natural.