Marcy Holmes Neighborhood Association

Land Use Committee Meeting

June 9, 2009
5:30 pm
University Lutheran Church of Hope.

MHNA’s Annual Gardeners’ Potluck and Plant Swap

Monday June 1st, 2009 at the Frasers’ Back yard
821 7th St SE
at 6 pm

Meet other neighborhood gardeners, exchange tips, ask questions, bring any extra plants to give away or just browse the collection and take what you’d like to try.

Potluck supper – bring a dish to share and bring a friend. Avenues bring a main dish or salad, streets a dessert. Beverages and utensils provided.

Garden help needed this summer so sign up to water and weed. We’ll talk about touring some gardens, too.

Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association
Minutes—Land Use Committee
Tuesday, May 12, 2009

University Lutheran Church of Hope
601 13th Ave. SE, Minneapolis
5:30 p.m.

Members Present: Jo Radzwill, Arvonne Fraser, Dan Lanske, Kelly Phillips, Larry Prinds and Paul White

Guests /Presenters:
- SECIA Representatives: James DeSota, Joan Menken, Stuart Smith, Wendy Menken
- MHNA board member Sonny Schneiderhan
- Rob DeHoff, Varsity Bike & Transit
- Cordelia Pearson, Update on 600 Main St. SE
- Councilmember Diane Hofstede

Spring Jam Riot Discussion Items

Underlying causes:

§ Students from other colleges are coming here and participating in the drinking, and debauchery and leaving the SE neighborhoods to suffer the consequences and clean up after them.
§ Need more diversity – more women in the neighborhood
§ Senior housing (possible locations – SE Library, Heart of the Earth School, other)
§ Need to be more proactive regarding developments
§ University investment in the neighborhoods is needed
§ Relative homestead
§ Lack of onsite management
§ Need mixed use development
§ Need more than a code of conduct – current consequences are not enough
§ Lack of money is part of the problem – Marcy-Holmes spent all of their NRP money for party patrols in the fall and there was nothing left for Spring Jam enforcement
§ Need restriction of rental licenses
§ Need restrictions on “mini dorms”
§ The current (absentee) landlords’ business model privatizes the profit and socializes the cost of management
§ Families are chased out of the neighborhoods by bad management of nearby rental properties
§ Kids and their parents should be sued for the damage they cause
§ Current economic model of over occupancy of property with students raises the value of the property to a level which families cannot afford.
§ Eliminate the family homestead – change back to rental
§ Make it more valuable to be a resident than merely a property owner
§ Need to educate students and parents
§ Make Dinkytown functionally larger – increase transportation availability to the area
§ Lack of (public) transportation
§ Bring back the 52 bus route
§ Get the bus routes back
§ 3 people can live in Uptown for half the amount 3 people can live in Southeast
§ More busses mean students will be dispersed away from the campus
§ New development – more units means more competition
§ The University is not a residential campus
§ The population of SE is expected to increase 25% — this will keep the land value high if we don’t get students dispersed and using public transportation
§ Enforce rental licenses

Article in NY Times – University towns and the drain on the cities

§ Good laws plus enforcement is crucial

§ University must be involved – everything deals with the campus not the neighborhoods

§ Go to the legislature (too late for that this year)

§ Push back on the University – tax money pays for the stadium and tax money pays for the impact on the neighborhoods

§ Need easy access for TV cameras – then we can get students on camera caught in the act of committing the violations

§ Ticket the kids while the offense is happening

§ Go after the money

§ Taxpayers are subsidizing student’s education. – If students are caught violating laws (or the code of conduct), make them pay the full tuition (same as out of state students)

§ A misdemeanor goes to the code of conduct, then track the violations and enforce by having the students pay full tuition. Two strikes and you’re out!

§ Inspect rental facilities and charge the landlords for the inspection

§ Code standard is minimal – possibly increase the standards

§ If a student is living off campus and gets caught in a violation – then they must go back and live on campus – Make it a privilege to live off campus.

§ Increase the student liaison program – This could be modeled after the RA model on campus

§ Know where the University students live.

§ Add to Karen Himle & Jan Morlock list.

§ The Census is coming soon – increase pressure to see that it is completed thoroughly in the neighborhoods around the campus

600 Main St. SE
Updates:
Received a letter from Steve Minn indicating he was not planning to come before the MHNA with his new project – “it has never done any good in the past”

Cordelia Pearson gave us an update. This is a unique project – what is the level of viability? We want a straight answer. Since the land use meeting, the chair has received Lupe Development’s new project application. Minn is requesting a CUP for a multi-family dwelling (79 units), CUP for additional height (6 stories, 70 feet), variance for minimum lot area (increase project density to 79 residential units including 27 affordable units).

The City of Minneapolis has applied for federal funding to connect Main Street SE to E River Parkway. The request is for $15 million and has been presented to Representative Keith Ellison to be considered in his 5-year reauthorization of transportation funding. Please contact Mr. Ellison and urge him to take this project under his wing. Don Pflaum (612-673-2129) is the city transportation official to contact for particulars.

Varsity Bike & Transit
Rob DeHoff appeared before the committee seeking the neighborhood’s support in his request for a variance to display his bicycles outside in an area adjacent to his shop. The committee unanimously agreed to support the variance.

ACTION: In view of the fact that Mr. DeHoff has a letter of support from Shuang Cheng (the restaurant on the east side of Dinky Dale building) and that display area does not extend in front of the entry to the Dinky Dale building, the land use committee of Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association unanimously supports the variance request of Varsity Bike & Transit for outdoor sales and display.

Meeting adjourned.

We lost our National Night Out coordinators so we are looking for somebody new to take on the planning for this summer.

We’ve been holding our biggest gathering at 7th Ave SE, next to the Qwest building. If anyone in that vicinity wishes to take this on, call or email the MHNA Office. It’s such a fun time and we hate to give it up. Date is Tuesday August 4, 2009.

Volunteers????

University District Alliance News

The Alliance is assembling proactive measures to ensure the Spring Jam riots will never be repeated. The University has taken swift action to make it abundantly clear that they have zero tolerance for this type of unlawful behavior by U of MN students. The students who were arrested have been referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity for adjudication. There is a range of potential sanctions, up to and including academic suspension or expulsion. This is separate from, but partly informed by, the criminal justice process. The Student Conduct Code was strengthened two years ago to allow enforcement of the conduct code for violations that occur off campus.

The Live Near Your Work website is up and running. It shows off the wonderful amenities that are found in the neighborhoods adjacent to campus and also has a listing of homes for sale in the District. If you are selling a home, it’s easy to add your listing. If you know people looking for housing, tell them about it: www.livenearyourwork.net.

We’ve had such good reports from all the University District homes on the Home Tour in late April! Thank you so much to those who opened their homes to the public. The University District Alliance estimates that 1375 people visited the five homes in the District.

Please renew your MHNA membership by May 31, 2009.

We clean out our list in early June and if you have not renewed by 5/31 your name will be removed.

Thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to your attendance at the June 16th Annual Meeting.

Spring is a great time for Home Fix-Up Projects!

MHNA’s Revolving Loan Program offers 5% fixed interest for loans up to $20,000. For more information call 335-5884 or visit www.mncee.org.

Upcoming Event at the SE Library:
Speaker on Modern Day Slavery
June 4, 2009

Richard Wexler will give a talk on “Modern Day Slavery and What We can Do About it,” Thursday, June 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Southeast Public Library, 1222 4th St SE, Minneapolis.

Upcoming Event at the SE Library:
Speaker on Modern Day Slavery
June 4, 2009

Richard Wexler will give a talk on “Modern Day Slavery and What We can Do About it,” Thursday, June 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Southeast Public Library, 1222 4th St SE, Minneapolis.

BLOOMS DAY 2009
Awards and Educational Fair
Saturday May 16, 2009
8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Kenny Community School
5720 Emerson Avenue South, Minneapolis

Metro Blooms has an awesome day planned for you!
DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 a.m. for this great FREE event! Workshops, plant sale, silent auction, door prizes and awards.

BLOOMS DAY 2009
Awards and Educational Fair
Saturday May 16, 2009
8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Kenny Community School
5720 Emerson Avenue South, Minneapolis

Metro Blooms has an awesome day planned for you!
DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 a.m. for this great FREE event! Workshops, plant sale, silent auction, door prizes and awards.

Get Your Workout on the Way In: Celebrate Bike/Walk to Work Day on May 14th!

One of the great advantages of city living is having the choice to use a bicycle or your feet for transportation (as opposed to just recreation.) Join up with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues on Thursday, May 14 for Twin Cities Bike Walk to Work Day, an event encouraging commuters to celebrate biking and walking in the Twin Cities. Metro-wide activities will include free neighborhood or route celebration locations, downtown celebrations, Bike Walk team competitions, and Biking and Walking Buses. Once registered, participants will be eligible to win prizes including brand new bicycles!

Bike Walk to Work Day is a part of Twin Cities Bike Walk Week, a week-long celebration from May 10 to 16. For more information on Bike Walk Week and registration, please visit www.bikewalkweek.org.

May 14, 2009: Get Your Workout on the Way In:

Celebrate Bike/Walk to Work Day!

One of the great advantages of city living is having the choice to use a bicycle or your feet for transportation (as opposed to just recreation.) Join up with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues on Thursday, May 14 for Twin Cities Bike Walk to Work Day, an event encouraging commuters to celebrate biking and walking in the Twin Cities. Metro-wide activities will include free neighborhood or route celebration locations, downtown celebrations, Bike Walk team competitions, and Biking and Walking Buses. Once registered, participants will be eligible to win prizes including brand new bicycles!

Bike Walk to Work Day is a part of Twin Cities Bike Walk Week, a week-long celebration from May 10 to 16. For more information on Bike Walk Week and registration, please visit www.bikewalkweek.org.

In late April, MPRB began planting the trees we got via the U of MN Stadium Good Neighbor Fund. If you received a new boulevard tree, PLEASE remember to water it frequently this summer and fall. The first two years are critical for young trees’ survival. Thanks.

The Sixth Ave Greenway needs your help this summer.

The native-planted boulevards will need some weeding and planting soon. We would like to establish a group to regularly oversee these boulevards. New signage and some info flyers are being designed.

If you regularly walk this route or if you live nearby, please contact the office so we can add you to the group.

HELP NEEDED at neighborhood gardens!

Please sign up to take a week at the Community Garden. 8th St SE & 10th Ave SE. Weed, water and deadhead. Pick a bouquet as your reward.

The annual Marcy-Holmes Plant Swap and Potluck will be held Monday June 1, 2009 at the Fraser home:
821 7th St SE
at 6 pm.

Avenues: bring a main dish or salad,
Streets: bring desserts.

Beverages and utensils provided. If you have any extra plants or seeds or anything garden-related to give away or trade, bring it. If you have gardening questions, we’ll try to answer them. If you have nothing to swap, come anyway there may be something you would like to just take home. We’ll also be making plans for informal garden tours throughout the growing season.

The annual Marcy-Holmes Plant Swap and Potluck will be held Monday June 1, 2009 at the Fraser home:
821 7th St SE
at 6 pm.

Avenues: bring a main dish or salad,
Streets: bring desserts.

Beverages and utensils provided. If you have any extra plants or seeds or anything garden-related to give away or trade, bring it. If you have gardening questions, we’ll try to answer them. If you have nothing to swap, come anyway there may be something you would like to just take home. We’ll also be making plans for informal garden tours throughout the growing season.

Thanks to everyone for helping with the Earth Day River Clean Up, especially site coordinators Zach Theis and Jordan Bronsten of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Bruegger’s Bagels in Dinkytown provided refreshments and about 50 volunteers helped clean our riverfront that beautiful Saturday.

While we’re at it, thanks are also due to MSA, MN Students Asn, for their help at the March 28th neighborhood clean up. Shana Conklin did a great job organizing the event and it was wonderful to meet so many students and pitch in together to keep the neighborhood looking good.

One more Observational Drawing session at Marcy Open School
415 4th Ave SE
May 14th, 2009 – 6:30-8pm (art room at M.O.)

Lynda Monick-Isenberg from the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul is leading the classes. The classes are free and available to families or individuals. All are welcome.