A Native American burial ground, a landmark for boat captains, a sanctuary to animals and a view of the Minneapolis skyline - Pilot Knob means a lot of things to a lot of people.

It now appears that everybody may soon enjoy what Pilot Knob has to offer. Plans are in place for a public park at the summit of the historic Mendota Heights hill.

Before a packed chamber at a public hearing Oct. 18, the Mendota Heights City Council gave every indication that the city would put up the $400,000 contribution required to buy the 8.25-acre property.

The resident and preservationist-led effort to restore the site for public use will likely see its desired result after an official vote on the issue is taken at the council's Nov. 1 meeting.

"People, not just decades but centuries before us, figured out the importance of where we sit," said Mayor John Huber referring to the area's first settlers who used the hill as a landmark. "We have an opportunity to preserve that."

The city's $400,000 will be the final piece of a $1.9 million package that will be given to John N. Allen and Joel Buttenhoff, who currently own the land.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will put up more than $1 million toward the sale through three different departments. The Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Program will contribute an additional $400,000.

The Trust for Public Land, a non-profit entity that was brought on, in part, to gather funding for the purchase, will donate $120,000.

Allen said he is disappointed about the potential profit he stands to lose by selling the property to the government, but understands the area's significance to the public.

He and Buttenhoff had originally planned to sell the land for the development of luxury townhomes.

But, Allen said that they eventually made the decision to work with the Trust for Public Land. "A lot of smart people think [the land] should be preserved," he said.

The Trust for Public Land will technically purchase the land upon the council's approval of the city's contribution, and then hand it over to the city on the same day.

An estimated $140,000 will also be needed for park restoration and maintenance. The non-profit Great River Greening was hired to come up with the figure and a plan for the park.

The plan calls for the park's return to a natural prairie habitat. Much of the park is overgrown by non-native, exotic vegetation that actually hurts the park ecologically, said Fred Harris, the group's lead ecologist.

The park will simply feature a number of trails - the main trail already exists under the overgrown vegetation - and potentially an overlook and a parking area.

The city can expect a substantial amount of the restoration costs to be paid for by grants, said Harris.

He said $63,000 has tentatively been pledged to the project. The Mississippi River Fund has already committed $37,000, said Harris.

He added the $140,000 estimate is the most that the 10-year project would cost, as it doesn't factor in volunteer help for activities such as brush clearing and tree planting.

If the number of people speaking in support of the hill's preservation at the meeting is any indication, gathering volunteers will not be a problem.

Gail Lewellen, president of the Pilot Knob Preservation Association and Joshua Houdek of the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club pledged volunteer support to the project.

State Rep. Rick Hansen spoke in support of the project and state Sen. Jim Metzen sent a letter voicing his approval. Both represent the area.

The hill is steeped in history, as river pilots once used it as a reference point, hence the name Pilot Knob. It is where the Dakota Indians signed a treaty that gave 35 million acres of land to European settlers in 1851.

It also holds great significance with the Native American community as a burial ground. Some Native Americans consider the hill to be the center of the universe.

The site also houses more than 50 different animal species and is a bird-watching hot spot as it is near a major flyway, according to a Trust for Public Land report.

Rumor has it that the famous Minnesota pilot Charles "Speed" Holman is buried at the highest point on the hill, said Dakota County historian Bill Wolston.

The hill also presents a panoramic view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline, Fort Snelling, the Mendota Bridge and the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

"There would be no project without her," said Mendota Heights Mayor John Huber as he spoke of Gail Lewellen's involvement in the preservation of Pilot Knob.

Lewellen is a resident of Mendota Heights and the president of The Pilot Knob Preservation Association, which was instrumental in gathering the necessary funding to preserve the hill.

When plans for a development on the site came before the Mendota Heights City Council in January 2003, a red flag went up in Lewellen's head.

"From the first moment that I heard that a developer had proposed to build on Indian burial grounds, I knew it was the wrong thing to do," she said.

"The more I learned, the more passionate I felt about protecting this site."

Lewellen and the small group of residents opposing the plan at that first meeting had their work cut out for them.

As more residents who opposed the plan met each other, religious groups, historians, Native American groups and environmentalists joined the effort, said Lewellen.

They started meeting regularly in July of that year and the Pilot Knob Preservation Association officially formed as a non-profit corporation in September 2003.

Lewellen then got in touch with the Trust for Public Land and also with Al Singer from the Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Program.

"Everyone had a great enthusiasm about [the hill's] preservation," said Lewellen.

The group continued to gather letters from environmental groups, politicians and most importantly residents to present to the City Council.

Lewellen said that while the council was occupied with a lawsuit against the developers concerning environmental issues, her group was able to present them with numbers that made the purchase of the area look feasible.

Now Lewellen stands on the verge of seeing her dream become reality with the creation of a park on top of Pilot Knob.

"I'm waiting for the day that the no trespassing signs come down," said Lewellen.

An estimated $140,000 will also be needed for park restoration and maintenance. The non-profit Great River Greening was hired to come up with the figure and a plan for the park.

The plan calls for the park's return to a natural prairie habitat. Much of the park is overgrown by non-native, exotic vegetation that actually hurts the park ecologically, said Fred Harris, the group's lead ecologist.

The park will simply feature a number of trails - the main trail already exists under the overgrown vegetation - and potentially an overlook and a parking area.

The city can expect a substantial amount of the restoration costs to be paid for by grants, said Harris.

He said $63,000 has tentatively been pledged to the project. The Mississippi River Fund has already committed $37,000, said Harris.

He added the $140,000 estimate is the most that the 10-year project would cost, as it doesn't factor in volunteer help for activities such as brush clearing and tree planting.

If the number of people speaking in support of the hill's preservation at the meeting is any indication, gathering volunteers will not be a problem.

Gail Lewellen, president of the Pilot Knob Preservation Association and Joshua Houdek of the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club pledged volunteer support to the project.

State Rep. Rick Hansen spoke in support of the project and state Sen. Jim Metzen sent a letter voicing his approval. Both represent the area.

The hill is steeped in history, as river pilots once used it as a reference point, hence the name Pilot Knob. It is where the Dakota Indians signed a treaty that gave 35 million acres of land to European settlers in 1851.

It also holds great significance with the Native American community as a burial ground. Some Native Americans consider the hill to be the center of the universe.

The site also houses more than 50 different animal species and is a bird-watching hot spot as it is near a major flyway, according to a Trust for Public Land report.

Rumor has it that the famous Minnesota pilot Charles "Speed" Holman is buried at the highest point on the hill, said Dakota County historian Bill Wolston.

The hill also presents a panoramic view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline, Fort Snelling, the Mendota Bridge and the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

"There would be no project without her," said Mendota Heights Mayor John Huber as he spoke of Gail Lewellen's involvement in the preservation of Pilot Knob.

Lewellen is a resident of Mendota Heights and the president of The Pilot Knob Preservation Association, which was instrumental in gathering the necessary funding to preserve the hill.

When plans for a development on the site came before the Mendota Heights City Council in January 2003, a red flag went up in Lewellen's head.

"From the first moment that I heard that a developer had proposed to build on Indian burial grounds, I knew it was the wrong thing to do," she said.

"The more I learned, the more passionate I felt about protecting this site."

Lewellen and the small group of residents opposing the plan at that first meeting had their work cut out for them.

As more residents who opposed the plan met each other, religious groups, historians, Native American groups and environmentalists joined the effort, said Lewellen.

They started meeting regularly in July of that year and the Pilot Knob Preservation Association officially formed as a non-profit corporation in September 2003.

Lewellen then got in touch with the Trust for Public Land and also with Al Singer from the Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Program.

"Everyone had a great enthusiasm about [the hill's] preservation," said Lewellen.

The group continued to gather letters from environmental groups, politicians and most importantly residents to present to the City Council.

Lewellen said that while the council was occupied with a lawsuit against the developers concerning environmental issues, her group was able to present them with numbers that made the purchase of the area look feasible.

Now Lewellen stands on the verge of seeing her dream become reality with the creation of a park on top of Pilot Knob.

"I'm waiting for the day that the no trespassing signs come down," said Lewellen.