Eva notes:
>A number of folks on this list were there: 8th ward candidate Robert
>Lilligren, 8th ward Councilmember, and candidate, Brian Herron, 61 district
>Rep. Walker, Wizard Marks, 10th ward candidate Ann Berget, and our fearless
>List Manager David Bauer...... Peter McLaughlin was in the audience. I
>didn't see the mayor--but I wasn't sitting in good place there.
Some additions (I was there as president of the Kingfield Neighborhood
Association, by the way): mayoral candidate RT Rybak (in addition to his
opponent Lisa McDonald, whom Eva notes), and Sharon Sayles Belton aide Buck
Humphrey. Also, county commissioner Gail Dorfman, Met Council member Frank
Hornstein, Rep. Scott Dibble, and Ann Berget's 10th ward opponents Doug
Kress and Dan Niziolek. The meeting obviously got the attention of
policy-makers as well as citizens.
I'm not going to weigh too deeply into the merits of the idea (I've only got
so much time, and we have neighbors working much closer to the issue),
except to note the massive change looming for the folks at 38th. 60 years
ago, 38th was THE east-west street for buses serving the trolleys. In the
35W era, the west-of-Nicollet stretch of 38th has become much more like a
quiet residential street. Although the city's plan terms it a "community
corridor" (one step up from a neighborhood street and one step down from a
commercial corridor like Lake) most Kingfielders who have moved there in the
last four decades have moved in to an environment much more
neighborhood-street-like. (This is a big difference with east-of-highway
neighborhoods such as Central, which see a 38th ramp move as a catalyst for
retail revitalization).
Moving the ramps would, in some places, double 38th's daily traffic load to
levels far above any other Minneapolis east-west street (including 46th)
south of Lake Street.
It isn't fair what happened to folks at 35th/36th 40 years ago, but I'm not
sure moving two streets worth of traffic to the folks at 38th is the right
remedy. There is also a huge question of whether there will be money to
mitigate 38th's coming problems, especially after the "big dogs" such as
Allina get their improved highway-ramp access north of Lake street (one
factor creating the ripple effect that put 38th street in play).
What I'm really asking is that everyone be mindful of wrenching change, and
keep a balanced perspective toward both winners and losers.
David Brauer
King Field - Ward 10
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