I welcome interest and debate concerning the Above the Falls Master Plan. Dyna Sluyter asks some important questions. My reply is not an official response from the Above the Falls Citizen Advisory Committee. I am speaking for myself as one member of a large committee.
The seat I was elected to is as a neighborhood representative of all the neighborhoods in the Mississippi Watershed (formerly the Middle Mississippi Watershed). It is the largest geographic area represented, so I really appreciate this forum as a way of communicating. In a message dated 6/1/04 11:48:34 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dyna says- (This is a thirty year plan) "That will only cost a couple billion dollars to implement." The Plan both costs money and generates money. The plan addresses jobs and cost benefits. Are the predictions accurate and too optimistic? That can and should be debated. But the Plan does address those issues: Major Benefits of Plan Implementation 90 acres of new park 15 milesof bike lanes and recreational trails 4 miles of restored riverbank 5.25 miles of parkway and boulevard 2,500 housing units in new riverfront neighborhoods 2,000 net additional jobs Over $10 million in additional annual tax revenue > Dyna says: AFCAC doesn't represent, " the thousands of ordinary working folks that will lose their jobs if the plan is ever implemented." AFCAC is a really interesting group of people that does include the people that Dyna say are excluded. For example there are members from American Iron, La Farge Corporation, Marshall Concrete and Aggregate industries who are representing heavy industry. As for blue collar workers and ordinary working folks they are represented on the board by myself and others. The Upper Harbor Terminal has- I think 5 employees- and is a financial drain on the City. There is a current study about what to do when and if the Harbor Closes. I think that it can be closed if there is a place to dump dredge spoils. Whether it should be closed or not is a much larger question. Housing-, our metro population is predicted to increase by one million in the near future. Dyna says: "This plan is years old and that has yet to happen... says something of the interest in said plan." There is interest and funding. To name a few: There is the Grain Belt Complex with a great new library on the river. The wonderful North Interpretive Center and Park. GAF received a grant to implement a more environmentally friendly presence on the River. Close architects are putting the final touches on plans for trail and park improvements for Skyline Park and the western shoreline between the Plymouth and the BN bridge. There is funding for major stormwater improvements in the Hawthorne neighborhood. There is a masterplan and a funding for Edgewater Park (Gluek park is an unfunded tragedy) There is an Army Corps Plan for pool one (this area) that would greatly improve the health of the river. There is an additional 11.2 million dollars from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization 10 year capital improvement plan slated for the Above the Falls Plan. There is 1.9 million from the National Park Service MNRRA area which includes the AFCAC area. I will try to address Dyna's other comments in an other email. Thanks, Scott Vreeland Seward REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
