Application for variance of shoreland overlay district on Lake Harriet

Today I received a flyer about a application for a variance of the shoreland
overlay
district on Lake Harriet. The developer is proposing to build a four story 54
foot tall cluster development on West 44th street one residential unit from the
Lake.
Only residents within 350 feet of the development were notified by the city.

The Minneapolis Shoreland Overlay districts were established with the state of
Minnesota to protect and preserve water quality and shoreline views from the
Lake for the public benefit. The intention of the Shoreland Overlay zoning is
for smaller buildings near the lakeshore, below the tree line and to stop the
increase of storm water runoff into the Lake. The proposed building would be
the tallest development near Lake Harriet since the ordinance was adopted in
the 1980's and would be precedent setting.

The City Planning Commissions Public Hearing is Monday, October 16 at 4:30 pm
in Room 317 at City Hall. Please attend and voice your support for keeping
within the established height limits in the Shoreland Overlay District 2.5
stories or 35 feet.

Or you can send an email before the meeting to
<email obscured>.
And copy Council Member Linea Palmisano at <email obscured>

Many of us fought long and hard for this ordinance and developers would love to
be able to tear down houses to build high rises on the Lake, all in the name of
density and profit.

Lisa McDonald
East Harriet

Sent from my iPad

I phoned my council member and found out that this variance was recommended.
Then I called Linea Palmisano (612-673-2213) and requested that this anti-lake,
pro-development variance NOT be granted.

The Planning Commission's actions on October 16, after a public hearing, are
here:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/meetings/planning/WCMSP-205731

50 people wrote to the City to oppose the project, and 11 people wrote to
support it.
Six people spoke at the CPC public hearing to oppose the project, and no one
spoke to support it (other than the developer's architect and lawyer).

The CPC granted "3 stories or 42 feet, 10 inches, whichever is less" which
would actually be 47 feet, 10 inches because of the way the City measures the
height of the building. (The developer is actually proposing a 5-story building
but gets to call it 4 stories.)

The videotape of the meeting is available at:

The project (agenda item #9) starts at about 32:11

At 1:46:19, Commissioner Nick Magrino inserts disparaging remarks about Linden
Hills residents in his comments related to his support for approval of the
project. He complains that he's frustrated to spend so much time on a project
that would add only 8 housing units “below the tree line” (a false statement
about the project). He implies that some people must not have anything better
to do than attend the hearing, saying that they attend public hearings as a
“social activity” just to oppose things. He goes on to say that he sees their
presence at the hearing as an example of “privilege” in an affluent
neighborhood, and it was “very frustrating” for him. In essence he says that,
since zoning variances and CUPs are routinely granted all over the City,
opposition by neighborhoods with the resources to organize against variances
and CUPs is frustrating and not worth the time of a public hearing. Is this
disdainful attitude and disrespectful behavior acceptable from a public servant
appointed by the Mayor to serve on the City Planning Commission? Is citizen
participation in City government being snuffed out by appointed and elected
officials who think they know so much better than voters that they don't need
to listen to constituents?

http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/neighborhoods/2017/10/three-stories-approved-for-44th-street-condo-building/

Well, as has been quite typical in Minneapolis for more years than I have
memory, variances to the city's rules regs and codes are handed out like candy
to developers all the time.

This latest one is nothing new

Why Minneapolis doesn't just throw its zoning out and let developers do what
ever they want where ever they want would at least speed up the process
for the
developers. considering getting a variance is just a process, and the likely
hood of it not being granted is like expecting snow In July in Mexico city.

Just saying what your all thinking!

Ron Leurquin
Richfield

Quoting Constance Pepin <<email obscured>>:

Rest of post

> The Planning Commission's actions on October 16, after a public
> hearing, are here:
> http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/meetings/planning/WCMSP-205731
>
> 50 people wrote to the City to oppose the project, and 11 people
> wrote to support it.
> Six people spoke at the CPC public hearing to oppose the project, and
> no one spoke to support it (other than the developer's architect and
> lawyer).
>
> The CPC granted "3 stories or 42 feet, 10 inches, whichever is less"
> which would actually be 47 feet, 10 inches because of the way the
> City measures the height of the building. (The developer is actually
> proposing a 5-story building but gets to call it 4 stories.)
>
> The videotape of the meeting is available at:
>

> The project (agenda item #9) starts at about 32:11
>
> At 1:46:19, Commissioner Nick Magrino inserts disparaging remarks
> about Linden Hills residents in his comments related to his support
> for approval of the project. He complains that he's frustrated to
> spend so much time on a project that would add only 8 housing units
> ?below the tree line? (a false statement about the project). He
> implies that some people must not have anything better to do than
> attend the hearing, saying that they attend public hearings as a
> ?social activity? just to oppose things. He goes on to say that he
> sees their presence at the hearing as an example of ?privilege? in an
> affluent neighborhood, and it was ?very frustrating? for him. In
> essence he says that, since zoning variances and CUPs are routinely
> granted all over the City, opposition by neighborhoods with the
> resources to organize against variances and CUPs is frustrating and
> not worth the time of a public hearing. Is this disdainful attitude
> and disrespectful behavior acceptable from a public servant appointed
> by the Mayor to serve on the City Planning Commission? Is citizen
> participation in City government being snuffed out by appointed and
> elected officials who think they know so much better than voters that
> they don't need to listen to constituents?
>
>
http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/neighborhoods/2017/10/three-stories-approved-for-44th-street-condo-building/
>
>
> Constance Pepin
> Linden Hills, Minneapolis
> About/contact Constance Pepin: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/cpepin
>
>
> 1. Be civil! Please read the rules at http://e-democracy.org/rules.
> If you think a member is in violation, contact the forum manager at
> <email obscured> before continuing it on the list.
>
> 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
>
>
> ------------------------
> Reply: Reply-All or visit
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>
>
>
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No, we do not just throw zoning out.

We learned from the Houston post-hurricane flooding destruction that a
total lack of any zoning laws (Houston has absolutely no zoning
regulations, so you have dangerous industrial polluters right next to
residential properties, and development occurring in widespread swatches of
what should be swampland and bog in the flood plain, etc.) brings disaster
to an area.

What has happened to our City Planning Commission is that it's been filled
with dubious appointees with closer ties to developers than to
city-planning values and principles. The commissioners get irritated when
plain citizens come to public hearings with stronger arguments than the
developers have on a project, making it difficult for the commissioner to
rubber-stamp conditional-use-permits and variances to our rules without
real embarrassment. That makes some commissioners mad, so they disparage
those plain citizens with strong arguments against a project.

The guy who made the remarks that Constance cites should be removed from
the CPC. He obviously doesn't belong anywhere near the public and its
deliberations, because he disrespects the public's right to have an
informed and articulate "say" on issues.

Connie Sullivan
Como, in Southeast Minneapolis

Rest of post

On Thu, Oct 19, 2017 at 3:51 PM, <<email obscured>> wrote:

> Well, as has been quite typical in Minneapolis for more years than I have
> memory, variances to the city's rules regs and codes are handed out like
> candy
> to developers all the time.
>
> This latest one is nothing new
>
> Why Minneapolis doesn't just throw its zoning out and let developers do
> what
> ever they want where ever they want would at least speed up the process
> for the
> developers. considering getting a variance is just a process, and the
> likely
> hood of it not being granted is like expecting snow In July in Mexico city.
>
> Just saying what your all thinking!
>
> Ron Leurquin
> Richfield
>
> Quoting Constance Pepin <<email obscured>>:
>
> > The Planning Commission's actions on October 16, after a public
> > hearing, are here:
> > http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/meetings/planning/WCMSP-205731
> >
> > 50 people wrote to the City to oppose the project, and 11 people
> > wrote to support it.
> > Six people spoke at the CPC public hearing to oppose the project, and
> > no one spoke to support it (other than the developer's architect and
> > lawyer).
> >
> > The CPC granted "3 stories or 42 feet, 10 inches, whichever is less"
> > which would actually be 47 feet, 10 inches because of the way the
> > City measures the height of the building. (The developer is actually
> > proposing a 5-story building but gets to call it 4 stories.)
> >
> > The videotape of the meeting is available at:
> >

> > The project (agenda item #9) starts at about 32:11
> >
> > At 1:46:19, Commissioner Nick Magrino inserts disparaging remarks
> > about Linden Hills residents in his comments related to his support
> > for approval of the project. He complains that he's frustrated to
> > spend so much time on a project that would add only 8 housing units
> > ?below the tree line? (a false statement about the project). He
> > implies that some people must not have anything better to do than
> > attend the hearing, saying that they attend public hearings as a
> > ?social activity? just to oppose things. He goes on to say that he
> > sees their presence at the hearing as an example of ?privilege? in an
> > affluent neighborhood, and it was ?very frustrating? for him. In
> > essence he says that, since zoning variances and CUPs are routinely
> > granted all over the City, opposition by neighborhoods with the
> > resources to organize against variances and CUPs is frustrating and
> > not worth the time of a public hearing. Is this disdainful attitude
> > and disrespectful behavior acceptable from a public servant appointed
> > by the Mayor to serve on the City Planning Commission? Is citizen
> > participation in City government being snuffed out by appointed and
> > elected officials who think they know so much better than voters that
> > they don't need to listen to constituents?
> >
> > http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/neighborhoods/2017/
> 10/three-stories-approved-for-44th-street-condo-building/
> >
> >
> > Constance Pepin
> > Linden Hills, Minneapolis
> > About/contact Constance Pepin: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/cpepin
> >
> >
> > 1. Be civil! Please read the rules at http://e-democracy.org/rules.
> > If you think a member is in violation, contact the forum manager at
> > <email obscured> before continuing it on the list.
> >
> > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
> >
> >
> > ------------------------
> > Reply: Reply-All or visit
> > http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/2znr5qzyZIeKRZoz3diAQO
> > New Topic: mpls@forums.e-democracy.org
> > Digest: Subject: digest on
> > Leave: Subject: unsubscribe
> > Forum Home: http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > *** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ***
> > Work or live in Downtown Saint Paul, MN? Take our survey:
> > https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/downtownstpaulsurveyft
> >
> > Help? http://e-democracy.org/support Hosting: http://OnlineGroups.Net
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> Ron Leurquin
> Richfield, Richfield
> About/contact Ron Leurquin: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/ronleurquin
>
>
> 1. Be civil! Please read the rules at http://e-democracy.org/rules.
> If you think a member is in violation, contact the forum manager at
> <email obscured> before continuing it on the list.
>
> 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
>
>
> ------------------------
> Reply: Reply-All or visit http://forums.e-democracy.org/
> r/topic/4D04iylzZkowox1UYLaEEp
> New Topic: mpls@forums.e-democracy.org
> Digest: Subject: digest on
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>
>
>
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This situation also calls into question the qualifications of another Mayoral
appointee, Matthew Brown, to serve as CPC President/Chair. His reaction was not
to intervene or stop Mr. Magrino's inappropriate remarks, but to silence any
public reaction to the remarks. He made no apology to citizens in attendance,
and said nothing to reassure the public that this sort of attitude or behavior
by Commissioners is unacceptable and out of order.

If we could simply blame elected officials for the destruction of our Commons,
air, water, wildlife and a habitable earth, we might be able to vote them out.
Unfortunately it’s the appointed agency officials who approve so many variances
of the rules written by those very agencies.

Permits are frequently approved with “conditions” when they should be rejected.
Then months of niggling, wheedling meetings ensue ending in “compromise.”

“Nearly all environmental law cases now come to court as challenges to agency
action,” writes Mary Christina Wood in NATURE’S TRUST: ENVIRONMENTAL LAW FOR A
NEW ECOLOGICAL AGE. “Congress gave agencies vast discretion in implementing
broad directives, yet agencies often exploit this discretion to serve
politically powerful directives.”

The word powerful here means money. Southwest LRT is the latest incarnation of
losing the Commons to development. Unlike other LRT projects, SWLRT state
funding was rejected by legislators because it would serve less than one
percent of the county’s population.

The compromise is a doubling of Hennepin County’s sales tax to make up for the
approximately $1-billion to match federal funding. There are about one million
residents of the county who would divvy up about $1,000 each, every man, woman
and child. But since it would take 30 years to retire the bonding debt add
30-years of interest to the $1,000 for each resident.

For pro-transit enthusiasts, Eden Prairie commuters can now take an
air-conditioned, Wi-Fi equipped bus into downtown in 20 minutes. Or they could
wait for, and pay for, the proposed SWLRT where that same commute would take
41-minutes.

The proposed Lake Harriet cluster development—is that what they call affordable
units?

Here in Water City, Minneapolis (mni Dakota "water" + polis) our namesake lakes
are devolving into scenery. The seven lakes you probably don’t want to swim in
are Brownie, Spring, Loring, Isles, Powderhorn, Hiawatha and Diamond.

Only four lakes, Harriet, Calhoun, Nokomis and Cedar in the Chain of Lakes, are
decent for swimming. Last time I swam across Cedar Lake wearing swim goggles, I
couldn't see my fingers at the end of my hands.

Constant growth is the cancer model. You don’t know where the tipping point is
until after you’ve crossed it.

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Application for variance of shoreland overlay district on Lake Harriet

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