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Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 8:50 am
by SurlyLHT
I would say this likely isn't true in a neighborhood like this with transit and building nearby. I live and frequent the Lake St. Aldi and many of the customers don't drive, if not the majority. They take the bus, LRT or walk like I do.
I shop at the downtown Whole Foods a lot and their underground ramp is a busy place.

They started up the Chinese Water Torture pile driver about 10 minutes ago. I still haven't heard from the Earthquake one that vibrates the stuff off the stove.
Have you contacted your Council Member or etc?

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 11:07 am
by Bob Stinson's Ghost
The earthquake one is running now, but it must be on the far side of the site, because my printer isn't rocking back and forth. When it's really bad the postits on my monitor start vibrating visibly and my office chair kind of hammers against my butt.

Yes, of course I've contacted Lisa Bender's office several times with predictable results. I've called Master Properties and complained. I asked Aaron Hanauer if I could speak about it at tonight's planning committee meeting, where the variances for the project are on the agenda. He professed his deepest sympathies, but said no, he he'd rather I not say anything about it at the meeting.

Apparently the only kind of regulation which currently applies to pile drivers is you have to hire a structural engineer to determine what level of vibration would cause damage to nearby structures and property and stay below that level. There is zero consideration of the impact on peoples lives.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 11:56 am
by kirby96
It added to the vibe at Nightingale the other night...
No one's gonna give you credit for that gem? Tough crowd.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 2:35 pm
by amiller92
I shop at the downtown Whole Foods a lot and their underground ramp is a busy place.
Not nearly as busy as the front door.

ETA: It's been awhile since I drove there, but it used to happen occasionally. Never saw the garage anywhere close to full. On weekends.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 2:38 pm
by LakeCharles
I shop at the downtown Whole Foods a lot and their underground ramp is a busy place.
Not nearly as busy as the front door.
This is very true. Stand in the entrance, and count how many people are going up/down the escalators to the parking ramp, vs. how many people are going in and out the street entrance, and you'll find that easily 5 times as many people are going thru the street entrance. Granted, a few of those people are probably parking on the street, but not nearly all.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 5:28 pm
by seanrichardryan

Have you contacted your Council Member or etc?
Lisa Bender? Good luck...

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 6:34 pm
by MNdible
I don't particularly want to get into a grocery store parking lot pissing match, but they certainly need some parking -- how much is something that only time will tell, but for the moment we can probably assume that Aldi doesn't want to pay for a bunch of parking stalls that will be sitting empty, so they've probably done some homework on this. I'll also note in the case of Whole Foods that the folks in cars are more likely stocking up for the week, as opposed to the people walking in who are more likely buying a to-go meal or perhaps just a day's shopping.

Regarding the pile-driving... I'm 100% certain that it's very sucky to live next door to this, and I'm glad I don't. But... what are we proposing that they should be doing differently? Not building on this site? Compensating everybody who lives in a five block radius, based on how often things fall off shelves?

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 7:02 pm
by Silophant
^ Sort of what I was thinking as far as contacting Lisa Bender goes. I'm sure she sympathizes, but what is she going to do? Call them up and tell them that they need to stop construction?

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 7:39 pm
by Didier
Tell them to power bomb instead.

Image

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 7:54 pm
by FISHMANPET
As someone that lives a block away from an Aldi, I go in 3-4 times a week on my way home from work and pick up 4 or 5 things while I'm there. It's close enough to me that if I get a bit more and I can find a good solid banana box I can carry it all home anyway, but usually my purchases just fit into my bag.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 8:31 pm
by Chef

Apparently the only kind of regulation which currently applies to pile drivers is you have to hire a structural engineer to determine what level of vibration would cause damage to nearby structures and property and stay below that level. There is zero consideration of the impact on peoples lives.
There is also the noise ordinance if they start too early or run to late. When there was one on my block, my neighbor called the cops on them because they started an hour too early one morning.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 8:35 pm
by Silophant
This was at the CPC tonight. The revised CUP was approved, but the revised FAR was rejected. It's unclear what that actually means to a project that's already under construction.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 22nd, 2018, 9:04 pm
by Bob Stinson's Ghost
This was at the CPC tonight. The revised CUP was approved, but the revised FAR was rejected. It's unclear what that actually means to a project that's already under construction.
I thought that was what I was hearing. It seemed too bizarre to be true.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 23rd, 2018, 10:04 am
by Bob Stinson's Ghost
Regarding the pile-driving... I'm 100% certain that it's very sucky to live next door to this, and I'm glad I don't. But... what are we proposing that they should be doing differently? Not building on this site? Compensating everybody who lives in a five block radius, based on how often things fall off shelves?
Sucky doesn't even begin to describe it, my friend. You know those cars with the subwoofers which vibrate the windows and doors of your house? Now multiply that times 10 and imagine it going on from 7:30 to 4:30 Mon-Fri for 3 months. It's directly affecting hundreds of people who live here. Their lives are being pretty significantly degraded by activities that Master Properties has undertaken for the purpose of making a profit. I don't think a discussion of mitigation and compensation is out of line here, as larger projects move out of downtown and into all the neighborhoods of Minneapolis.Maybe there should be outreach to the neighborhood in advance, so people can make arrangements to move someplace else?

So, what do you guys think? Can anybody make the case for why I should be expected to suck it up and suffer through this? When this is over and done will this project add some kind of significant value to my life that I'm overlooking? I'd happily suffer through 2 years of pile driving if the end result were something with readily apparent value, like a train station, but that's just not the case here.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 23rd, 2018, 10:07 am
by mattaudio
While I sympathize with neighbors and think there should be a conversation about reasonable mitigation...

It seems strange to think that neighbors are complaining about pile driving to allow for underground parking to be built, considering one of the main complaints from neighbors was not enough parking being built.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 23rd, 2018, 10:39 am
by Bob Stinson's Ghost
Aldi has a spec sheet which states a desired number of parking spaces here:

https://corporate.aldi.us/en/real-estat ... rtunities/

Also, I've heard a rumor that French Meadow gets 15 of the spaces. They seem to draw a lot of people in from the burbs, judging by the fancy cars I see parked on that stretch of Lyndale when it's busy there.

I wasn't clamoring for additional parking. For the last 20 years I've been hauling 90% of my groceries from the Wedge on foot and bike. I know it's possible.

Holy crap! They're really giving us the business with the vibrating one right now!

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 23rd, 2018, 10:42 am
by Palmetto
It's plenty quiet in the suburbs..

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 23rd, 2018, 11:36 am
by schwinnletour
Aldi does have great products at amazing prices. They're products are oftentimes a dollar less than anything comparable anywhere else. A pound of almonds is a $5 vs. $6 at Trader Joes. A dozen free range organic eggs is $3 vs $4 at Trader Joes. You get 2 lbs of dried black beans for the price of 1 lb at Cub.

I took a friend who shops at Lakewinds to Aldi in Richfield and she thought it was a pretty nice shopping experience and easily half the cost of Lakewinds.

Aldi will be a nice amenity for the neighborhood and is great for stocking up on most items. It's also really quick to get in and out with items since the stores are so small.

I feel your pain. My bedroom window once overlooked the Super America at 25th and Hennepin. That was loud every weekend during the summer until 3am but pales in comparison to the racket you are enduring.

Your situation sounds terrible. Hopefully it'll be over soon.

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 23rd, 2018, 12:21 pm
by SurlyLHT
Economists use the concept of "Willing to Accept Compensation," and "Willingness to Pay," it'll be nice if these were used more during infrastructure and built environment projects in cities. In this case you would be compensated for an amount which would make the noise acceptable. The amount you would receive would be a point between their WTP and your WTAC.

I always thought this would be a good way to shut up NIMBY for projects like SWLRT or the Alatus project. Just paying them off would often be cheaper than delaying the project. (Think about how high the Met Council's WTP must be to stop all the litigation from the anti- SLRT NIMBY's it was surely quite a bit higher than their WTAC.) In both of those cases it would be wealthier people being paid, which would be an issue if this wasn't properly codified given that the squeaky wheel would get the cash. Conversely imagine if this was used when building our interstate system!

Re: Rex 26 - 2601 Lyndale Ave S

Posted: January 23rd, 2018, 12:40 pm
by amiller92
I don't particularly want to get into a grocery store parking lot pissing match, but they certainly need some parking -- how much is something that only time will tell, but for the moment we can probably assume that Aldi doesn't want to pay for a bunch of parking stalls that will be sitting empty, so they've probably done some homework on this. I'll also note in the case of Whole Foods that the folks in cars are more likely stocking up for the week, as opposed to the people walking in who are more likely buying a to-go meal or perhaps just a day's shopping.
One aspect of living in a walkable city is that you can buy groceries more often, which helps in eating more fresh produce. One aspect of a grocery store in a walkable city is that more of your customers are doing that.

I've also never seen the parking lot full at the L&B at 12th and Hennepin either, and I used to be able to see it from my bedroom window. It's just a different business model.

Although come to think of it, the only grocery store parking I've ever seen pretty full was Trader Joe's in DC. Certainly not at a suburban grocery.