Opposition to New Development

[FISHMANPET]

Gonna resurrect this old thread to share some nonsense that MRRDC is posting.

They're apparently shocked (SHOCKED) that the City Attorney represents the city and not the people. Like, in what fantasy world does any large entity like that not need their own lawyer?

[mattaudio]

How about a City Attorney General? Heh. They are clueless.

[FISHMANPET]

I'm not gonna go so far as to say that Minneapolis city government is the paragon of civic responsibility, but it's like they think that Minneapolis makes Tammany Hall look like high school student government in comparison.

[Snelbian]

I haven't looked at MRRDC in ages, and by all appearances neither has anybody else. Nobody is liking or commenting, at the very least.

I see the Tangletown issue's tie to the historical society has spawned another breathless gasp of shock over there, though. As someone with a few degrees in historical fields with plenty of friends working as historians, archaeologists, and curators, it always makes me chuckle to see how many people are apparently convinced that everyone whose day job is history must want to save every single thing that exists forever and ever because "OMG HISTORY!" It's like expecting doctors to get REALLY EXCITED every time they see a pill and to look around trying to figure out who they can prescribe it to.

[FISHMANPET]

I'm really not sure what they're "for," only that I'm very sure what they're "against." They post a lot of articles on random urbanist topics without comment, so I don't know if it's an endorsement or something else. Basically the city is deeply corrupt because they disagree, and also something about transparency (maybe the think the council is being bribed by developers and want that disclosed?).

I'm not sure why I keep watching, maybe in case they go super crazy and start trying to actually do something again, rather than just pea shooting from the sidelines. Maybe I'm like the Night's Watch on the Wall, watching for something that may never come.

[twincitizen]

Yeah, MRRDC seems to have been reduced to 3 old ladies rambling to each other and posting random links, often with zero commentary. After the Franklin-Lyndale project was pulled, I'm guessing Ms. Hagg's interested in MRRDC faded away quickly. After 2320 Colfax comes down, what will they care about next?

[Archiapolis]

Not to defend Stanton, but don't you think he's been around long enough and seen how negative some of these neighborhood groups can be that he doesn't want to engage them for fear of opening the perverbial can of worms?

Yeah , you may have a point. Some neighborhood groups can be quite hostile to developers. NIEBNA embraces increased density.

Some developers SHOULD be met with pushback. Hostility isn't necessary but pushback is important to the process and usually makes the city a better place to live...obvious outliers aside (ahem Wedge).

[Silophant]

According to a comment today, looks like the answer might be the Lake St. Orange Line Stop, which will oppressively loom over the Healy District and the Stewart Memorial (Redeemer Missionary) church from several blocks away. It's completely unnecessary, since they just built the 46th St. Station a quick 16-block walk away.

[PhilmerPhil]

City issues citations to Aqua City Motel, Metro Inn

http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/ne ... -metro-inn

"Oehlke wishes the motels were no longer there, but he said the potential alternative, a tall redevelopment on the site, wouldn't be pleasant either."

[Snelbian]

According to a comment today, looks like the answer might be the Lake St. Orange Line Stop, which will oppressively loom over the Healy District and the Stewart Memorial (Redeemer Missionary) church from several blocks away. It's completely unnecessary, since they just built the 46th St. Station a quick 16-block walk away.

What is this I don't even

[FISHMANPET]

I didn't believe it myself, yet:

[ECtransplant]

Don't feed the troll.

[EOst]

Cranks gonna crank.

[FISHMANPET]

Love that MRRDC seems to be co-opting the recent unrest over Ferguson and Eric Garner to compare the plight of some white landowners who don't want an apartment building in their neighborhood to the plight of black people in this country.

[David Greene]

Hostility isn't necessary but pushback is important to the process and usually makes the city a better place to live...obvious outliers aside (ahem Wedge).

Yes, because all those new apartments along the Greenway are just terrible for urban living...

Give me a break. Stop grouping all of the Wedge in with the very (very!) small number of people that opposed the Franklyn project.

[FISHMANPET]

While I have no doubt it doesn't represent the majority of people living in the Wedge, the fact is that the city recognized neighborhood organization for the Wedge is very anti-development. Particularly relevant here since the context is neighborhood organizations providing positive pushback against developers to work for improved projects. LHENA does not do that. They do seem to be supportive of building along the Greenway, but mostly as a way to keep all the apartments in the Greenway Ghetto, leaving them out of the rest of neighborhood.

Also really not sure what you're trying to say by (sarcastically, I assume) saying Greenway apartments are terrible for urban living.

[David Greene]

While I have no doubt it doesn't represent the majority of people living in the Wedge, the fact is that the city recognized neighborhood organization for the Wedge is very anti-development. Particularly relevant here since the context is neighborhood organizations providing positive pushback against developers to work for improved projects. LHENA does not do that.

Have you been to actual LHENA board meetings? There's one current member who is radically anti-development but AFAIK she's the only one. I admit I haven't been to one in a year so maybe everything's totally changed but there's at least one architect on there, a couple of renters that I know of, several young people -- a pretty good mix given the history of the board. When I was on the NRP committee, the board was anything but anti-development. They often worked with developers to improve projects.

Don't confuse subcommittees with the board, either.

They do seem to be supportive of building along the Greenway, but mostly as a way to keep all the apartments in the Greenway Ghetto, leaving them out of the rest of neighborhood.

I think that was more due to the land that was available at the time rather than any restriction put on by the board (they can't put restrictions on anyway). In other words, the market dictated it. I don't remember any proposals north of 28th St. until a couple of years ago with the Orth house.

Also really not sure what you're trying to say by (sarcastically, I assume) saying Greenway apartments are terrible for urban living.

They support Greenway apartments, so therefore the Greenway apartments must be terrible for urban living. Because LHENA is against everything urban. Or something.

[FISHMANPET]

I'll admit knowledge of LHENA is limited to Wedge Live! twitter reporting, but it seems to have taken a very dramatic swing towards anti-development. But not living in the neighborhood it's a little harder for me to know if someone saying something crazy is a private citizen or someone "representing" residents on the LHENA board.

[David Greene]

To give you some context, my neighbor who in general doesn't particularly care about development (she's way more worried about schools) is completely sick of the anti-development group. Most residents don't care one way or the other because they just have too many other things to worry about.

The anti-development people are definitely not representative of the neighborhood and I'm guessing are not representative of the board either, knowing who is on the board.

I'm just really tired of the board (and thus the neighborhood as a whole) being trotted out as an example of a NIMBY group when they very much are not.

[Archiapolis]

To give you some context, my neighbor who in general doesn't particularly care about development (she's way more worried about schools) is completely sick of the anti-development group. Most residents don't care one way or the other because they just have too many other things to worry about.

The anti-development people are definitely not representative of the neighborhood and I'm guessing are not representative of the board either, knowing who is on the board.

I'm just really tired of the board (and thus the neighborhood as a whole) being trotted out as an example of a NIMBY group when they very much are not.

<cough> 2320 Colfax <cough>