Motiv Apartments - 2320 Colfax Avenue S

[David Greene]

Michael, I am not a lawyer but I would encourage you to seek legal advice. I don't believe the city council is allowed to make capricious and arbitrary decisions and the fact that your friend was told by an aide that a council member voted without the facts and simply followed Meg's lead is damning. People have successfully sued the city over issues like this in the past.

[twincitizen]

It should also be noted that this story is just coming out now, after it's too late. That's not too much of a surprise though since many of the folks at The Wedge Newspaper are the same folks that opposed the development. Putting the story out now telling Mr. Crow's side of the story is harmless, now that their side "won".

That's simply ridiculous. I know Bruce Cochran and he's a professional. I'm very glad he took the time to do this story. I don't think I've ever seen a headline interview story like this in The Wedge before.

David, I wasn't referring to the author, but Trilby Busch writes for The Wedge and is on the board. She was active in the Healy stuff and has written other anti-development pieces on her current blog. I know of at least one other person involved with that paper that is a strong Tuthill supporter (so probably against the development as well).

[David Greene]

David, I wasn't referring to the author, but Trilby Busch writes for The Wedge and is on the board. She was active in the Healy stuff and has written other anti-development pieces on her current blog. I know of at least one other person involved with that paper that is a strong Tuthill supporter (so probably against the development as well).

Trilby is not the editor, Bruce is. And why shouldn't people against this development also have a voice? Would it have been better if the interview with Michael had been done earlier? Maybe. But remember that none of us expected the historic designation to fly. There really wasn't a story there at the time. At least not *this* story.

And Trilby isn't on the board. The conspiracy theory is a bit stretched, to say the least. The board and Z&P is populated by people who want to see development happen. Come to a meeting and see for yourself.

BTW, I've met Trilby and she's a very nice lady. She holds a Halloween ghost stoy event at the Glueck house every year. You should come to it! You'll get a tour of a great old house and meet us crazy Wedge people.

This was a case of good ol' fashioned organizing. The people against the development were motivated and focused. They knew what they wanted. It doesn't make the result any better but it's true.

[Wedgeguy]

Micheal and others should be doing everything to get Meg Tuthill off the council. I see nothing she has done as a help for the neighborhood unless you are a single person who wants special privlegdes for their own good.

[mplsjaromir]

Makes me want to campaign more against Meg Tuthill.

What they have done to that poor man is equal to beating him up and then just walking away like nothing happened to him.

This x 1000.

[David Greene]

Micheal and others should be doing everything to get Meg Tuthill off the council. I see nothing she has done as a help for the neighborhood unless you are a single person who wants special privlegdes for their own good.

Strange, I never thought of Meg as focusing on single people. And to what "special privileges" do you refer?

I'm campaigning for Lisa but Meg Tuthill has done an awful lot for our neighborhood, even before serving on the council. Go to the central library special collections and look through old Wedge newspapers from the '70's. She opened a candy shop at a time when families were just reestablishing presence in the neighborhood. Never forget what the "old timers" have done before us.

Even on the council Meg has been tracking a lot of things we've never even talked about here, like the water discharge issues over on Knox. Ward 10 is not just the Wedge.

So I may disagree with Meg on some issues but I will always respect what she has accomplished.

[Wedgeguy]

I've only heard the stuff that makes her sound like she should be a council women for the town of Mayberry. She represents a city of great size. She was one that almost made patios a no no for restraunts. Similar with parking issues. She had these so called commitees that really don't do anything but make more people angry with her. She may at one time did good things, but the power trip in her position seems to be showing thru, especially with the Colfax affair. She should be out there with her own money buying this place if she is so in love with it. She should have to make the numbers work. But she is doing nothing to help this poor man out by to be a pain in his side.

[mcrow25115]

It was my fault that the interview was not in an earlier issue. Bruce offered me the opportunity, but I told him I had contacted everybody that was involved with complete details of my situation and did not want to tell my personal problems to the whole world if possible. I have lived, worked or owned property in the Uptown area since 1968 and thought that if my neighbors knew my situation, even though I don’t know them all personally, that they could look past their issues, But I was very wrong. In a situation like this the only thing that an individual has to protect them is the laws and the zoning. When you have national T.V. personality and an organized group fighting you and you end up in the appeal process and look up while you’re give your presentation and the head of the appeal board is talking and laughing with another counsel member and then he lifts up a hand full of letters that the T.V. personality and the organization ask for on her T.V. program. It was pretty disheartening. I am just one person. The developer has helped some and has made an open ended offer. It’s up to me to be able and convey the property to them for it’s proposed use, but from their previous experience especial in MPLS the cost of fight for your rights in court is costly, and the P.T.B count on it.
I do appreciate the support that I have gotten.

[Wedgeguy]

I think dear MEg will be getting some push back now. Like I said earlier. I'll be doing what I can to get her off the council. IF this is how she is going to treat people then she is the problem and not you!!

[mattaudio]

As a Minneapolis property owner and tax payer, I'd hate to pay out a settlement. But I dislike harmful government even more, so I'm encouraged by David's advice for you to speak with a lawyer. The best outcome would be some sort of settlement that allows the development to go through after all.

[garfield]

Regarding the Council's vote on this project, I think that it happen EVERY TIME. You vote the way I want, and I'll do the same for your votes. Remember back to the Trader Joe's project - the Zoning and Planning Commission actually approved the project, but the Council denied it because, wait for it, Meg disapproved. When this happened, I believe it was revealed that a zoning change has NEVER occurred if the councilmember from the ward itself votes against, meaning the rest of the Council simply follows their vote regardless of the facts of any case. I understand this Colfax development is different, and doesn't even require a zoning change, but the overall problem is the same...like Mr.Crow asks, why spend all the time and resources with the "process" if the outcome is predetermined?

[David Greene]

Regarding the Council's vote on this project, I think that it happen EVERY TIME. You vote the way I want, and I'll do the same for your votes. Remember back to the Trader Joe's project - the Zoning and Planning Commission actually approved the project, but the Council denied it because, wait for it, Meg disapproved. When this happened, I believe it was revealed that a zoning change has NEVER occurred if the councilmember from the ward itself votes against, meaning the rest of the Council simply follows their vote regardless of the facts of any case. I understand this Colfax development is different, and doesn't even require a zoning change, but the overall problem is the same...like Mr.Crow asks, why spend all the time and resources with the "process" if the outcome is predetermined?

There's a big difference in these cases. TJs required a zoning change, which is essentially a change in the contract with the neighborhood. In such cases I think the local council member should be given a bit of leeway. They represent the area directly affected. Other members can vote in opposition if the issue has a citywide significance or for various other reasons.

In this case, an individual property owner had the rules changed out from under him which seriously devalues his property and prevents him from doing anything at all with it, really. There should be no followers in such cases.

At the very least Mr. Crow should be compoensated.

I thought a lot yesterday about the way the council operates. I would like to see the number of wards reduced, redistricted to make them less parochial (combine Kenwood with Near North, for example) and convert the eliminated ward seats to at-large seats. Make enought at-large seats so that one or more is needed to get a majority. That way every decisions at least has support from at least one person not tied to a particular geographical area.

[kbee]

aaannnd we're back: http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/ne ... al-is-back

From the article:

Property owner Michael Crow said that despite the project's publicity, and despite promises from advocates to help restore or sell the building, he hasn't heard a word from them in months.

"I'm still here holding the bag," Crow said in an email. "It's the same problem that I have had all along, no one wants the problems of running a rooming house and there is not enough of anything left to restore."

Here's hoping the new city council let's this project go forward.

[RailBaronYarr]

I forgot to note that when I provided feedback to the HPC's new ordinance changes last week (and cited this project as an example), the leader (John Smoley, a very nice guy) responded with:

I anticipate receipt of a Demolition of a Historic Resource application to demolish 2320 Colfax Avenue S later today. That should go to the Heritage Preservation Commission, probably on the February 18 agenda (no earlier than the Feb 4 agenda, however).

So this request should show up soon, especially if the SWJ notes that Lander is back at it again.

I'll criticize Gary Schiff's comments from the article (rare for me as I really like the guy) regarding Healy homes. If this was a "market" approach to maintaining housing stock, someone would have bought and restored the home in question by now and been able to sell it because the value of old housing stock is something home buyers hold in very high regard. This hadn't happened prior to last May and still hasn't. Hopefully that factors in as Lander re-applies (IMHO, obviously).

[side note, I think the most unique things Mpls has relative to many other cities are the chain of lakes, creek, park system, bicycle progressiveness, great river views, and real variety of seasons - not necessarily our housing stock.]

[David Greene]

[side note, I think the most unique things Mpls has relative to many other cities are the chain of lakes, creek, park system, bicycle progressiveness, great river views, and real variety of seasons - not necessarily our housing stock.]

Well, we do have some very impressive Queen Annes (some built by Healy, most not) and I believe our Craftsman Bungalow neighborhoods are some of the oldest and largest in the country. The insides of those Bungalows that haven't been touched are *gorgeous*. We have very good examples of Vernacular Victorian as well as Transitional styles in some of the older neighborhoods. The Wedge, for example, is basically entirely Queen Anne or Transitional. There are a couple of Bungalows but not of the quality you'll find a bit further south.

I don't know that housing stock is at the top of the list but it's pretty high up in my mind.

[mplser]

I think the crazy rehab lady Nicole Curtis no longer lives in Minneapolis, which should help this process. Last time around she encouraged her viewers from all over the country to call city Council members and pretend they lived in the city.

[twincitizen]

I've never seen the show, but there was an article written about her recently. While the show may be occupied on Detroit these days, she definitely still owns a house in North Mpls. To think that this proposal won't somehow get her (and her fans) attention again is wishful thinking.

Fortunately, this time around there are at least a few people that will show up and argue for the development. I don't think that was the case before.

Either way, this will come down to what Lisa Bender wants, and which side persuades her more. She is the councilmember in the area, lives one block away from the site, and chairs Zoning & Planning. This is 100% up to her.

[HiawathaGuy]

I think the crazy rehab lady Nicole Curtis no longer lives in Minneapolis, which should help this process. Last time around she encouraged her viewers from all over the country to call city Council members and pretend they lived in the city.

Nicole very much still lives here. Her show will be focusing on North Minneapolis in the new season. The Star Tribune just had an article about her: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/ho ... 68091.html

[uptowncarag]

She is not crazy.

[alleycat]

She is not crazy.

Knowing her real estate guy on the north side personally, I will tell you that despite her TV persona she is kind of crazy. And that's coming from a preservationist.