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Minutes of the MHNA General Membership Meeting
Tuesday August 19, 2003
University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 13th Ave SE, Minneapolis

1. Meeting called to order at 7:40 PM by President Kelly Carver. A motion to approve the June meeting minutes (Ardes Johnson) was approved.
2. Second Ward Council Member Paul Zerby’s aide, Allan Bernard, was introduced. Allan reported that 15th Ave. SE will be torn up next summer, and it will be a 4-month major inconvenience for the neighborhood. The old surface will be torn out, then repaved with new curbs and gutters. Boulevards will be widened; bike lanes between 5th St. and Rollins will stay. The alternate route will be 10th Ave SE. The railroad viaduct at 8th & 15th will not change. There will be access to Rollins, Day care Center, Van Cleve Park. Meetings are being held to discuss the paving project. The next one is scheduled for September 17, 6:30 at Van Cleve Park. Cordelia Pierson requested that the Marcy-Holmes master plan and city bicycling plan be a part of 15th Ave plans.Go to the “15th Ave SE paving project” and then the “public meetings” link to find information on upcoming public meetings (http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/citywork/public-works/cip/). FFI about this project, go to the web page or call Beth Stiffler at (612) 673-3611. If you can’t attend these meetings but would like to be included in future mailings, please call Beth Stiffler, Minneapolis Public Works – Engineering Services.Allan also reported that the city’s finances are even worse than projected and that city council will be voting on NRP on Friday.
3. Council Member Zerby’s amendment to the Liquor Zoning Code was discussed. The wording was mailed out to members. The amendment calls for no new on sale licenses for wine, beer and liquor in our area- except for what are called “charter licenses”, which are granted to establishments (like restaurants) that serve 70% food and 30% alcohol (wine and beer). If an existing business folds, no liquor license would be attainable, unless it was for a “charter license”. The district proposed for this amendment is from 35W and the city limits and East Hennepin to the River. Allan Bernard explained that this would mean no more new businesses serving hard liquor ever.Many questions followed. What prompted this? The hockey riots of the last two years, along with party complaints in SE. Bill Huntzicker said he failed to see a connection between restaurants that serve liquor and loud parties that occur in the neighborhoods. A joint meeting for members of Dinkytown and Stadium Village business associations is scheduled for Sept 4, 2:30 pm at Radisson SE. Allan suggested that we can pick and choose parts of the ordinance amendment that we like. Gene Buell suggested that if we close the bars it will push more house parties into the neighborhood. Dinkytown has recently hired extra security. Judith Duncan said the ordinance does not address the illegal house party activity like selling alcohol without a license. Limiting bars won’t stop the underage drinking that takes place at house parties. Joe Stokes commented that this is Council Member Zerby’s attempt to assist his constituents; that this is an honest effort and that we should support it. Brian Biele asked if a business is sold, does the license transfer? No, each new owner would need to re-apply. The district does not include Main Street or the East Hennepin/ University area. Gordon Kepner said that this would be a way to limit the appeal of this area as a party magnet. He felt no new licenses was a good first step, but would like to propose a fixed number limit on establishments that serve alcohol. Another audience member disagreed, saying that Dinkytown isn’t a draw for people in the metro area, but it is important to the University population. Perhaps a different attitude would come out if more younger people were present tonight. Kelly Carver said that many of our problems don’t come from on sale establishments, but off sale.Gordon Kepner made a motion to “support the principle of limiting the number of liquor licenses in Dinkytown and have further discussions about what the appropriate number would be”. Brian Biele amended that to include off sale licenses. Melissa Bean asked how the “charter licenses” would be handled in this motion. Gordon replies that the motion is for all liquor licenses. A vote was taken and the motion passed. This item will appear on next month’s agenda for further discussion.
4. President Carver informed the membership of board actions taken earlier in the evening.
   • In the realm of zoning and planning, a new restaurant is going into 518 East Hennepin, called Wilderoast Café. It is planned as an upscale coffeehouse with light meals and extravagant desserts, much like Café Latte in St. Paul, with an Oscar Wilde theme. The MHNA board voted to support their application for a wine and beer license.
   • Sue Ragu, manager of McDonald’s, came before the board asking for support for extended hours, 7 days a week until 3 am. This was prompted by the new bar closing hours. The board voted to support the request for extended hours.
   • CVS Drugstore, a national chain, wants to build a store at the old Hardee’s site on 10th Ave SE, along with the adjoining lot to the north. It would be a 13,000 s.f. store with a drive in pharmacy. The developers will need a change in zoning and they will appear at the Sept. meeting with final plans.
   • Resident Paul White requested support for two variances that would enable him to build a garage and fence at 625 8th Ave SE. The plans were very much in keeping with this historic home so the board approved of the variances.
   • New resident at 415 5th St. SE, Eric Wunderlich, needed support for variances that would enable a new garage with an artist studio above and an elevated walkway to the house. Since this is in the 5th St. historic District, HPC will be the final arbiters. The board voted to support the height and setback variances, and leave the walkway item to HPC.
   • Tonight the Heritage Preservation Commission was meeting to consider the historic designation of the Greek Chapter Letter Houses in our area. (Most are on Fraternity Row, which is outside our neighborhood boundary.) This has been a topic of discussion at several MHNA meetings, MHNA Zoning & Planning meetings and meetings hosted by the fraternity/sorority lobbyists. The State Historic Preservation Office supports the designation. The background study has been available since our last meeting. We have not yet seen a staff report from the Planning Department. The board passed a motion to support whatever the HPC decides at their hearing.
5. Ted Tucker updated the group on the progress with the Schafer Richardson Task Force. He went over the benefits that this project would bring to the neighborhood: less noise when the railroad tracks and ADM vacate; more owner occupied residences; continues historic preservation by adaptive reuse of A-Mill, red tile elevator and other buildings; increases linkages between neighborhood and the river; increased use of the parks along the river. The sticking points are the height, density and capacity. Can the neighborhood handle 1500 new units? The Master Plan Committee never imagined anything of this scale when they wrote the Master Plan for the neighborhood. The developer’s traffic plan is not yet completed. There is resistance to the height of the proposed towers – a perception that they will cut us off from the river. So far, no design has been done on the towers. There is concern about the height and mass. A Task Force member from Nicollet Island made a computer rendering of the towers’ effects on the current east bank skyline. Most of the buildings around here are 160-200′ high. According to Ted, the proposed towers are more like 400′. Ted said that so far the meetings have been a model of cooperation. The question on people’s minds is how the buildings meet the ground vs how they meet the sky. The developers will go to the City Planning Commission in October or November. The task force is still discussing the corner of 6th & Main. An audience member asked about re-use of the white elevators – Ted replied that they were difficult to re-use and that the committee has not explored that. The following motion was made (Gordon Kepner): This group strongly supports the Master Plan guidelines regarding the height for any new development along the river and any development needs to be consistent with the Master Plan. Discussion followed. Arvonne Fraser said that she would rather have the space between the towers than a lower but massive building like we just got across 6th Ave. Scott bean cautioned that there was no consensus here tonight on the height issue, and that no judgment can be made without a design to react to. A vote was taken, and it passed 20-6. A second motion (Joe Stokes) to support Ted’s efforts and ask him to continue to carry on in our behalf passed.
6. Nathalie Hallyn reported on the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization grant status. On Sept 6 installation of rain barrels and rain gardens will begin at Rollins Court. Onlookers and volunteers are welcome. We still do not have a site for a green roof – if interested, call Nathalie. 50% of the cost would be covered by the grant. A tour of the projects is set for Sept 20 (see enclosed news).
7. Cordelia Pierson announced that the Marcy-Holmes Environmental Committee is re-forming. A meeting is planned for this Thursday at 7, in the church lounge. The group plans to tackle the issue of a stoplight at 6th & University.
8. Ardes Johnson reported that the Citizen Inspectors in the neighborhood contacted the city inspectors about many environmental violations. A neighborhood sweep is coming at the end of August. Ardes told the group that a plan to have the fire fighters do housing inspections has been dropped and the mayor’s budget now keeps housing inspectors. Fire fighters will do inspections of buildings for 12 units and over.
9. Council Member Zerby arrived after attending the HPC gearing tonight. After a long hearing, a motion to postpone their decision until Sept 16 was passed.
10. Lisa Cerney, Public Works, presented information about the road project coming to the west side of our neighborhood between University and 8th St. next summer.Most streets and avenues will have 2″ of surface removed and replaced, with new curbs and gutters. One block of 9th Ave will be totally re-constructed. There is funding for traffic calming available, approx. $12,225. On the east side this summer, that money was used for signage (no parking here to corner) and a flashing pedestrian walk sign at 10th Ave SE & 5th St SE (both are still in progress). A question was asked about a flashing ped sign at 6th & University, since the total funding would not be enough for a stoplight there. A task force is needed to guide the project and make spending decisions. The meetings will start in November. Regis Gaudet, Tom Lincoln, Jo Radzwell, Bo Sherman and Melissa Bean volunteered.
11. Elissa Cottle reminded people about a special NRP meeting Sept 9 to vote on how to spend the last of our NRP money: 7 pm in U-Tec Center. She also informed us that the city is offering special incentives for developers to include affordable housing. She has been contacted by two developers, Larry Prinds and Noah Bly, about projects here. A 30-day notification period is required, so tonight she officially gave notice. Regarding the Aldo Moroni sculptures, “still no end in sight”, according to Elissa. Not more than half are completed.
12. Crime stats were available for the month along with a reminder from Nicole Magnan Nelson that we are having our annual increase in theft from autos and auto theft. Lock those cars and keep nothing of value in plain sight.
13. It is time to renew your membership! We have to do this at the start of every fiscal year, so even if you just re-joined this summer – if it was before June, you need to do it again. Our new fiscal year starts every June 1. You can fill out a card or do it online at www.marcy-holmes.org.

Meeting adjourned at 9:20 pm
Melissa C. Bean, Staff