24-hour sledding to be allowed in most city areas

Snowmobile riders in Brainerd will be able to ride around the clock in most areas of the city this winter.

The Brainerd City Council on Monday held its first reading on a proposed ordinance that would change the city code pertaining to hours snowmobiles could be operated, eliminating time restrictions when snowmobiles could be run, with the exception of two trails.

The two trails, the Spur Line Trail, which runs from Norwood Street to the Brainerd Inn, and the trail running east from County Road 48 to the College Drive Bridge then south to Business Highway 371, would still have restrictions for riders from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The council, at its Sept. 18 meeting, had discussed eliminating time restrictions for all areas of the city. But after informing residents along the two main trails in the city, the residents voiced their objections to all-hours riding.

Brainerd City Planner Al Cottingham worked up an amended ordinance to meet the concerns of those residents.

Brainerd City Administrator Dan Vogt said one reason the amended ordinance was proposed was to accommodate those outlying areas annexed into the city that have heavy snowmobile access.

Another reason the city proposed eliminating time restrictions, Cottingham said, was because snowmobile riders were already driving in the city after the hours and it was impossible to monitor trails to stop them.

The ordinance requires three readings before it is adopted.