The final public hearing for the Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan is on Wednesday, November 14 (4:30 pm, City Hall). I’m guilty of spending a disproportionate amount of time talking about the critics and their apocalyptic arguments. But who are the supporters of the 2040 plan? What do they say? Continue reading “Who Supports the Minneapolis 2040 Plan?”
2018 Minneapolis and Hennepin County Endorsements
Election day is Tuesday, November 6. That’s tomorrow. You should vote! Here’s my guide to races in Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Go to mnvotes.org to find your polling place. Continue reading “2018 Minneapolis and Hennepin County Endorsements”
Mpls 2040 Planning Commission Live Coverage
The Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan had a public hearing at the Planning Commission last night. This long-range plan has been the subject of a years-long engagement process and a wide-ranging public debate. One side has taken to displaying red yard signs, largely in upscale Southwest Minneapolis, predicting imminent neighborhood destruction. Another group, called Neighbors for More Neighbors (of which I am a co-founder), says Minneapolis has failed to produce a sufficient quantity and diversity of housing in all neighborhoods — a prerequisite to meeting affordability, sustainability, and equity goals. I’ve written about the 2040 plan quite a bit.
Below is a lightly edited twitter transcript of five hours of spirited — sometimes angry, sometimes weird, sometimes thoughtful — testimony at last night’s Planning Commission. Continue reading “Mpls 2040 Planning Commission Live Coverage”
Don’t Get Dominated
Do you feel that stinging sensation on your butt cheeks? The Star Tribune is reporting there’s some domination going on.
Terror in Ward 13: “I’m so upset I’m shaking”
Here’s last night’s live coverage of a Minneapolis 2040 session in the Linden Hills neighborhood, featuring Ward 13 Council Member Linea Palmisano. If you’re unfamiliar with this topic, read this post on what’s at stake and why I think the 2040 plan is worth supporting. It’s bittersweet, as this may have been my last #Mpls2040 adventure in swanky Southwest Minneapolis. Continue reading “Terror in Ward 13: “I’m so upset I’m shaking””
Hennepin County District 2 Candidates Field Questions from the Business Community
At an early morning candidate forum hosted by the Northeast Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, Irene Fernando and Blong Yang fielded questions on matters of concern to the business community in Hennepin County’s District 2.
It was way too early to livetweet, so here are some things that stood out to me. Continue reading “Hennepin County District 2 Candidates Field Questions from the Business Community”
Big Developers, Big Business, Big Southwest Agree on Mpls 2040
The Star Tribune got big local developer Kelly Doran to talk about Minneapolis 2040, a plan that would allow more housing across all parts of the city. Doran said 2040 was “silly,” and that triplexes won’t turn him a profit. He even sees it as a threat to neighborhood character.
It’s funny because Doran is constructing a five-story building very near to my home (the pile-driving is still ringing in my ears!). Now, personally I’m glad for the additional housing. I couldn’t be happier about the grocery store in the new building. But while we’re on the subject of neighborhood character, Doran’s building takes up a third of a block. It has two levels of underground parking. And I’m sure you can imagine the large volume of complaints about how it would destroy neighborhood character. Continue reading “Big Developers, Big Business, Big Southwest Agree on Mpls 2040”
Group Plans “Legal Action” Against Mpls 2040
Every great battle to keep more people out of a neighborhood ends in a frivolous lawsuit. The heated debate over the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan is no exception. The city’s long-range plan is intended to help Minneapolis equitably accommodate the next 20 years of population growth by legalizing more homes across all parts of the city.
Continue reading “Group Plans “Legal Action” Against Mpls 2040″
Inclusionary Zoning Debate Kicks off at City Hall
The Minneapolis City Planning Commission held a preliminary discussion about inclusionary zoning on Thursday night. Inclusionary zoning is a requirement that new apartment construction include a certain percentage of affordable units. Continue reading “Inclusionary Zoning Debate Kicks off at City Hall”
Rebecca Gagnon: Wrong for Minneapolis School Board
It has nothing to do with schools, but here’s an under the radar story from last year that explains what’s wrong with Rebecca Gagnon, who is running for re-election to the Minneapolis school board. It’s a story about billboard regulations. How does a school board member get mixed up with billboard regulations? Up until this year, Gagnon had been the school board’s representative on the City Planning Commission. Continue reading “Rebecca Gagnon: Wrong for Minneapolis School Board”