The city’s most popular Kettle River tubing “put-in” spot will be getting a face lift.City council voted March 10 to provide early budget approval for the development of a parking lot, a pathway leading to the Kettle River, and signage on a city owned right of way north of Spragett Bridge in the 66th Avenue area.The project will cost $42,000, with $17,000 coming from the parking reserve fund and $25,000 from a grant from the ministry of transportation.Doug Allin, city chief administrative officer, said the city would need to consult with the Ministry of Environment before removing any trees during the nesting period in the spring.“We’d have to give them notification of our work,” he said. Allin said once that was done, the city should have the parking lot ready for the coming tubing season. “The city owns some land right there and we’ll be able to turn that into a parking lot,” said Mayor Brian Taylor. He said the project arose out of a safety issue. “It’s really dangerous,” he said about the current parking situation. “When you get 20 cars parked there, you don’t know who is going to go darting out.”

Grand Forks Gazette