Travelers on U.S. Highway 12 could soon have a different impression of Litchfield.

A major reconstruction of the highway, from the east edge of town to its intersection with Minnesota Highway 22 in downtown, is planned for this summer.

But a local group hopes to make beautification and pedestrian and cyclist safety a part of the reconstruction.

"With the Minnesota Department of Transportation set to start rebuilding and resurfacing a one-mile stretch of that highway in mid-July, there is an excellent opportunity to coordinate with the state and make needed improvements that will be appreciated by many generations to come," said Russ Bjorhus, who initiated and is spearheading the project.

He and others on the project's board have suggested a three-part improvement project. In the first phase, 200 trees will be planted on the north and south sides of the highway, from Sibley Avenue to the east edge of the city.

In phase 2 of the project, a large "Welcome to Litchfield" sign would be constructed at the city limits. The final phase would involve construction of a sidewalk/bike path on the north side of the highway.

Group seeks donations
Litchfield City Council offered support for the project during a meeting in January, and since then the project board has worked to assemble financial support. Along with applying for a federal grant, the group is seeking donations from Litchfield residents and from Litchfield High School alumni.

Bjorhus estimates that $25,000 will be needed to purchase and plant the 200 trees for the project's first phase.

Bjorhus said letters will be sent to alumni inviting them to donate $125 for a memorial tree. Trees will be mapped and marked with a memorial plaque so that donors can find "their" tree. The plaques will be engraved with a donor's name, the names of a grandparent, parent, child or other person the donor would like to honor. Businesses, service clubs, and other residents also will be contacted by the committee for contributions. The first 200 people to respond with donations of at least $125 will receive the tree memorial rights.

Bjorhus said he's thought for some time that the entrance to Litchfield from the east should be more appealing, and when MnDOT began planning the Highway 12 reconstruction, he thought it was the perfect time for a beautification effort.

"We think we should do better than that," Bjorhus said of the nondescript gateway to Litchfield. "I don't think we will see many who don't agree (with the project). It's about as good as apple pie and motherhood."

The idea of planting trees along Highway 12 raised some initial questions, Bjorhus said, because people wondered how that could be accomplished with the businesses that line both sides of the roadway.

"But you know, when we first talked about planting trees on main street, nobody thought you could put them on main street, either," Bjorhus said. "You look at it today, and what a great addition those trees have been to downtown."

The beautification group will work with MnDOT to plan the tree planting and the walking/biking path, Bjorhus said. Although MnDOT's plans for Highway 12 do not include paving a path, Bjorhus hopes the work will allow for grading that will make for easier installation of a path once funding is available.

The group also will seek $500 donations to buy a brick that will be part of the "Welcome to Litchfield" sign. The donation will get a donor's name engraved on a brick used in the sign.

Any excess funding from the first phase will be held and used in the second and third phases.

Highway 12 Beautification Project
Anyone interested in donating to the Highway 12 Beautification Project can make checks payable to East Highway 12 Beautification Project and mail to:

Litchfield Community Foundation
P.O. Box 624
Litchfield, MN 55355
Three memorial donor levels are available.

A plan to plant trees and establish a walking/biking path along U.S. Highway 12 as it enters Litchfield from the east received another blessing Monday from the City Council.

Russ Bjorhus and Sherron Reilly, co-chairs of the Highway 12 Beautification Committee, told the council that their committee is about two-thirds of the way to its goal of $17,000 -- the cost to purchase trees for the project. Additional fund raising will be needed to pay for construction of a path, they said.

Bjorhus told the council that the project arose out of comments he heard about the city's eastern gateway.

"So many people have said...they noticed how dismal Litchfield really looks coming from the east," Bjorhus said. "We need to keep the town looking really sharp. Our forefathers did."

Bjorhus said motorists entering Litchfield from the north and south encounter a pleasant scene, but the east entrance falls short of that.

"Trees can do a lot to make that look better," Bjorhus said.

Despite the positives that such a beautification project could create, some City Council members wondered if the project might also create problems for some businesses. Barb Altringer asked if the committee would be seeking permission from property owners along East Highway 12.

"We don't want to force this on anyone," Bjorhus said. "Some are not going to want any trees. But on the other hand, there is a right-of-way that's owned by the highway. Most areas, there's ample ground to plant the trees and (for the) trail."

Committee members have met with most businesses along the proposed beautification area -- from Highway 12's intersection with Sibley Avenue on the west end to the Litchfield Flea Market quonset huts on the east end -- and have "at least 85 percent support," according to Reilly.

Some of those who objected were concerned that the trees might obstruct view of their businesses, or create a problem with birds in the trees making a mess of their buildings or their products, such as vehicles in car dealer lots. For some who don't want the trees, Bjorhus said, shrubs or other landscaping might be options to help continue the welcoming appearance aimed for with the beautification project.

Council member Pete Kormanik asked whether all of the potential roadblocks to the project had been considered, such as the location of underground utilities location. Bjorhus said that Dave Johnston, an engineer with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, has promised to provide a blueprint identifying the location of underground utilities and other obstacles. The blueprint was used during MnDOT's reconstruction of Highway 12 this past summer.

Kormanik also asked if the committee had a schematic drawing that would better illustrate where trees would be planted and how they would look. Bjorhus said that such a drawing was not done, but "there will be before we start to plant."

On recommendation of Dave Galister, a forester from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, a spring planting is planned, Bjorhus said. The committee plans to purchase and plant a variety of trees, including ash, birch, hackberry, linden, maple and sugar maple. The trees all will be 1 3/4-inch circumference trunk and 12 to 14 feet tall, which "will give us good survival," Bjorhus said.

Many Litchfield High School graduates have donated to the beautification effort already, and money continues to come in, Bjorhus said. Funding the trail portion of the project is proving more difficult, however.

An application for a federal grant to help fund the trail was unsuccessful, but another grant application has been forwarded to the state. Building a 5-foot-wide trail along the approximately one-mile route could cost about $98,500, Reilly said.

Whatever the cost, though, the committee believes strongly in the idea of the trail, which will provide safe walking and biking from one end of town to the other, Reilly said.

Reilly said the committee's efforts have raised interest among other groups interested in creating trail systems throughout the area. A group supporting the Greenleaf Lake State Park is interested in constructing a trail that could carry cyclists from Litchfield to the park south of the city, and it could hook into the city trail. Others have suggested that a Litchfield trail could be extended east to eventually link with the Dassel-Cokato trail along Highway 12.

Highway 12 Beautification Project
The Highway 12 Beautification Committee has raised two-thirds of the needed $17,000 to purchase trees for the project. The plan is to plant a variety of trees in the spring, including ash, birch, hackberry, linden, maple and sugar maple. The trees will have a 1 3/4-inch circumference trunk and be 12 to 14 feet tall. Building a 5-foot-wide trail along the approximately one-mile route could cost an additional $98,500. The committee believes in the idea of the trail to provide safe walking and biking from one end of town to the other, and is seeking funding.