Archives by date

MINUTES of the MHNA General Membership Meeting

May 15, 2007

University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 13^th Ave SE

1. Meeting called to order at 8:10 pm by President Deb Girard.
2. The April minutes were approved.
3. Committee Reports –

Executive Committee – Since last meeting, Executive Committee wrote a letter re: Blarney’s Pub – wishing them success, endorsing the concept of a Dinkytown bar owners’ group, suggesting a change in marketing to feature food and entertainment in order to attract a different clientele. Executive Committee approved a 3% cost of living raise for executive director, as budgeted. Executive Committee wrote a short letter to Heritage Preservation Commission re: T-Mobil issue, in opposition of the cell tower in our historic district and pointing out the bad precedent this sets for the city. Students at Marcy Open School, who were engaged in the Project Citizen program, studied the 6^th Ave and University Ave stoplight issue this spring. Their presentation (a case for a stoplight as a safety issue – especially for pedestrians and bicyclists) won first place at the State Legislature. MHNA wrote a letter of support for their project.

Land Use Committee- University Avenue Streetscape Improvement Plan. At our March meeting we heard a presentation from Susan Carlson Weinberg, U of MN Real Estate. Excerpt from March minutes: “This project will require funding from multiple sources and neighborhood support is a first step. The University will match money put up by the City for this project. University funds are above and beyond the stadium mitigation fund. The Greek houses between 15^th and 19^th Avenues SE need the most attention. The first phase of the landscaping would be the area between 15^th Ave SE and Oak Street. Phase II would be the area between 35W to 15^th Ave SE.” Unfortunately, due a packed agenda action was never taken on this item. ACTION: The land use committee recommends the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association support the University Avenue Streetscape Improvement Plan presented by the University of Minnesota with the following conditions: a) There are no assessments to non-University properties for improvements made under the plan. b) The plan is consistent with the Marcy-Holmes long-range plan. 3) Mature trees are used where the plan calls for installation of additional trees. The MHNA board approved the Land Use motion

Flour Sack Flats Phase II, 520 Second St SE. Developer Steve Minn presented his project briefly. It was very clear that this is a different project than had gone through the Land Use committee at an earlier date. Steve attended our meeting because he made substantial changes to the plan we had previously reviewed and approved. He was seeking approval for increased height (to ten stories) from the HPC because the project falls in the St. Anthony Falls historic district. At the May 1 HPC meeting the item was continued four weeks so the staff would have time to write a new report pending the outcome of his meeting with the neighborhood.

ACTION: The land use committee recommends the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association send a letter to Lupe Development thanking Steve Minn for taking the time to attend our Land Use meeting (May 2, 2007). Because this project is entirely new, we would like to invite his team (Jackie Cherryhomes, Gretchen Kamp and Jack Borson – with whom we had worked so well in coming to agreement on the previous presentation of Flour Sack Flats, Phases I and II – or whoever Lupe Development might designate) to meet with the MHNA Land Use Committee to present the new plans for Flour Sack Flats Phase II.

The neighborhood is willing to meet with Lupe Development just as it is willing to meet with any developer interested in the neighborhood and consider each project based on its own merits. The MHNA views the planning process used by the City of Minneapolis and its neighborhoods as a very important part of the future development of our neighborhood. The MHNA Board approved this Land Use action.

Star Machinery building, 201 Sixth St. SE. Mark Matasovsky and Kelly Phillips gave us a brief overview of the business housed in the Star Machinery building. The building was originally to be used for a residence and artist’s lofts with artists studios in the adjoining one-story building. At that time there was sufficient parking for the intended use. As time progressed the building housed office tenants. Developers are now seeking a variance for parking from 41 parking spaces to 27 spaces (19 spaces are grandfathered). As the site is now configured, there are 6 indoor parking spaces and four outdoor spaces. They also have bike racks for 12 bikes. At present they have adequate parking, but are seeking the variance to meet city requirements due to the change in use.

ACTION: The land use committee recommends that the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association support the developers in their request for a variance reducing the required parking from 41 spaces to 27 spaces. The neighborhood supports the reuse of its historic buildings and finds that under current usage, this variance will cause no hardship to the neighborhood’s current parking situation.

There was some lively discussion on this item, particularly from Leo Melzer, of the NE Business Assoc. He suggested that since CM Hofstede is convening a parking meeting soon, the decision should be postponed until after that meeting. Granting the variance could lead to a problem down the line, depending on future tenant use and needs. There is a big problem with Aveda Institute students parking here. Several businesses say they are suffering form the lack of customer parking. Another opinion – if tenants changed to a more intense use, for example a restaurant, a new zoning application would be made at that time with new parking rules. The rehab of this building, which was a priority in our Master Plan, is a real asset to the neighborhood. The board voted to approve the Land Use motion (4 for, 3 against and 1 abstention)

Brasa Rotisserie 600 E. Hennepin Ave. Alex Roberts (co-owner and chef at Restaurant Alma) updated us on his plan to open a mid-priced restaurant at the former home of Betty’s Bikes and Buns. Alex is doing considerable remodeling on the building and bringing the site plan up-to-date (completing what Betty’s Bikes & Buns did not). Alex is working closely with the city to bring everything up to code. His biggest problem is parking. He has been able to work with the City and has made arranges to have 90-minute parking on restaurant sides of the Sixth Street SE and Second Ave SE blocks. There is nothing Alex requires of the neighborhood, he was merely in attendance to bring us up to date on his progress.

Two additional items form the Land Use agenda will be taken up at the June meeting:

Tim Harmsen / Stan Masoner – plans for two new duplexes at 1309 and 1315 Eighth St. SE and 925 Sixth St. SE (historic Earle Brown house.

NRP – The NRP committee prioritized projects for the rest of the year. However, after tonight’s presentation by NRP’s Bob Miller, the discussion was tabled until we have a clearer picture of what has been spent and what is left in our NRP funding. Mr Miller suggested future projects should include some revenue generating mechanism for the neighborhood association, in light of the current shortfalls expected form the city’s funding of NRP. He urged residents to contact city council members and advocate for renewing NRP. Our Phase II allocation situation: the original $683,000 would be cut to $480,000 in the best scenario, $260,000 in the worst.

5. Council Member Hofstede came in straight from the Heritage Preservation Commission hearing addressing the cellular tower atop the Andrews House, 5^th St SE and 7^th Ave SE. The commission voted to affirm a Certificate of Appropriateness for the tower and structure with conditions – that it be moved from the historic building to the lower non-historic addition; that it be moved back from 5^th St and be surrounded by a brick screening. Anyone can appeal the decision and it seems likely that T- Mobile will do so, according to CM Hofstede. Our neighborhood has been trying to get some resolution to this for almost two years when the apparatus appeared without HPC approval or neighborhood notification, both required in the Fifth St Historic District. Any appeal would be heard by the city council’s zoning & planning committee June 7 or 14 – check the schedule on city’s website: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us.

The MHNA Safety & Livability Committee’s April Meeting recognized Carol Oosterhuis as a good partner and Inspector Skomra as a valuable asset to our neighborhood. The rash of burglaries has decreased drastically since extra patrols and a crime alert went into effect. A committee to talk about traffic and parking on the west side of the neighborhood will be meeting soon. Diane reminded us that we now live in the “hottest part of the city”. City council is discussing the moving of police officers to traffic officers at the Public Safety & Regulatory Committee – CM Hofstede is against moving officers at least until new replacements are trained and on board next fall. City council approved an additional $250,000 fro the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th precincts. Downtown got $500,000 and she approved that because when there is trouble downtown, the first place additional officers are pulled from is our precinct. This funding will help keep our officers in our area.

A bar owners’ group, modeled after one downtown, is being formed here – first meeting is June 15. The idea is to get policies in place before the TCF campus stadium opens. Third Ward CARE meetings are taking place in Marcy-Holmes – May through August. The meetings bring together citizens and city staff from many departments to address problem properties and neighborhood issues.

6. Emily Stern, of City of Minneapolis CPED (Community Planning Economic Development), updated the group about the sale of the municipal parking ramp at St Anthony Main. Eight ramps the city owns are up for sale and requests for proposals ware now being reviewed. Non of the proposals for our ramp have involved tearing down the ramp. Some have mentioned development on the adjacent site with the ramp as parking for the development. Ms Stern will be working with the Land Use committee to make sure we are thoroughly apprised of the proposals. One is from the owners of St Anthony Main. Money from the sale of the ramps will shore up the city’s parking fund.

7. Tom L Johnson and Nick Eoloff spoke about the Grand Rounds parkway system. A missing section is being planned to link St Anthony Parkway with East River Parkway and it will go through our area. A community advisory committee is being formed to decide the route and the look of the parkway. It will carry bikes and cars. The committee will meet from June to March and prepare a proposal for the legislature. People interested in servng on the committee should contact the office.

8. Misc- MHNA Board elections are in June. New board members and officers are needed. Please call the office 623-7633. Volunteers are needed for the Community Flower Garden, 8^th St SE & 109^th Ave SE. The city is asking residents to take an online survey about broad policy areas: www.minneapolisplan.info

Block Club training is being offered May 17 at Webster School. Call Carol Oosterhuis for info 673-2874. R & R Social Club is having an event cruising the Mississippi on a yacht May 23 for $5. Meet at Boom Island 5 pm for socializing, cruise at 8. Tonight’s winner of $30 gift certificate form House of Hanson was Mary Kay O’Hearn.

Meeting adjourned 9:15 pm Melissa Bean, Ex. Director