>American Iron, the business to which you refer, is not being "ignored" in
>the Upper River Master Plan; it is scheduled for eventual relocation. And it
>is certainly not clear from Makeda's post that she is advocating for or
>against any specific property owner along the river. Her comments reflect
>the more general disenchantment many of us have about the effects of the
>Plan on existing neighborhoods and the inconsist policies applied to
>riverfront redevelopment.
Well, given American Iron's previous political largesse I
would not be surprised if they are bankrolling challenger(s) to
Councilor Biernat. Regarding the relocation of said junkyard, have
they even gotten around to applying for a permit for an
(un)Konderitaor at their current site?
>The Upper River Master Plan implementation strategies include such things as
>20 story high rises and slim 50 foot ribbons of green and geese. These kinds
>of developments will do little to connect the existing neighborhoods to the
>river, will not provide much river access and will do little to enhance an
>already endangered river ecosystem. If we merely replace one bad land use
>for another, what have we done to restore the river and revitalize existing
>neighborhoods?
The master plan is just a wish book. What will actually
develop is a something between the present mix and the more
conservative elements of the "master plan". There are a lot of other
trends that will dictate the upper rivers future. For example,
commercial navigation above the falls can't compete with Savage or
ports further downriver. None the less, recreational boating will
keep the locks busy and could support a couple marinas.
>Indeed, it is the opposite end of the riverfront, namely the Graco expansion
>in Council Member Joe Biernat's St. Anthony West neighborhood, that is being
>ignored in the river plan. While businesses like American Iron, Aggregate
>Industries and others are slated for eventual removal, Graco was allowed to
>expand its riverfront facility within the critical area of the river. It
>also was conveniently left out of the moratorium on riverfront industrial
>expansion in the upper river corridor the Council passed in 1999. Why is
>this expansion okay, while other industries are prevented from expansion?
Thank you for complementing Joe for the sacrifices he has
made to keep that big bad Graco and a couple hundred jobs in the
neighborhood. By the way, just what horrible polluting products does
Graco manufacture? And are you suggesting that because a value-added
industry like Graco is allowed to expand then dinosaurs like American
Iron should also?
>Graco has an air pollution permit from the MN Pollution Control Agency
>(MPCA) and is one of the larger sources of pollution in the upper river
>corridor. Yet its expansion was allowed without any environmental review
>(according to the DNR, which oversees the State's Critical Area Act that was
>meant to protect the riverine area). I would be the first to say that I do
>not want a scrap yard on the riverfront, nor do I want to see a metal
>shredder installed there. But what is sauce for the goose and all that. If a
>riverfront industry decided to challenge the strategies outlined in the
>Upper River Master Plan, it would be easy to point to Graco. Why is it okay
>for them and not for the rest?
Graco's expansion is pretty much an office building and
distribution center, not a metal shredder or foundry or chemical
plant. What kind and volume of pollution are you citing in declaring
Graco "one of the larger sources of pollution in the upper river
corridor"? Their are some tough competitors for that title- Hennipen
paper, Howe fertilizers, and all the pesticides that produce those
all too green lawns in the sprawling suburbs upriver.
>Third Ward CM Joe Biernat was asked about the Graco expansion at the Third
>Ward DFL endorsing convention at which 35 people voted to endorse Biernat.
>He could not see the inconsistency in supporting the Upper River Master
>Plan, which would remove all the other industries, while praising the Graco
>expansion. A cynical person would conclude that the rules change as the game
>progresses.
Speaking of rules changing in midgame, Biernat's challenger
got something like 8 votes, and some of those were probably 1st
ballot support from friends and protest votes. Said candidate then
switched to the Green Party and was similarly rebuffed at their
convention.
>Makeda's statement about the plan not serving the existing neighborhoods is
>a valid one, irrespective of the outcome of the metal shredder debacle.
>Reaching back into the existing neighborhoods to connect all community
>elements to the river, and seizing the opportunity to restore the ecosystem
>of the greatest water resource on the North American continent should be the
>cornerstones of the upper river plan. Instead, we see a developer's paradise
>looming yet again for housing that will not be remotely affordable for those
>already living in riverfront communities. Boarded and vacant homes dot the
>west side neighborhoods while developers of riverfront properties are given
>TIF money for upscale condos. The very people who should benefit from river
>corridor redevelopment may be forced out of their homes by higher property
>taxes.
Again, I am amazed that you take the upper river plan so seriously.
>While there are needs and opportunities on both sides of the river, the west
>side has the most to gain and the most to lose from this plan. Who holds the
>Third Ward City Council seat in the next decade will determine whether the
>upper river corridor redevelopment will become just another developer's
>paradise or a real opportunity to transform both the river and the river
>neighborhoods into the jewel along the Mississippi.
As I noted before, there are bigger forces at play here.
Property values are rising to the point where American Iron will
probably sell out and move to Savage. Why pay extra to take your tow
completely apart just to get a few miles further upriver? And why
would a developer build high rises when cheap land is available on
the hillside? Keep in mind that BNSF Northtown yards may soon be on
the real estate market...
>Makeda Zulu-Gillespie, Valdis Rozentals and Shane Price have all come
>forward to challenge the incumbent in the Third Ward. Voters have a real
>choice for the first time in my memory to vote for change. All of them will
>be out in the community meeting voters. Get to know them. One of them WILL
>BE the next Third Ward Council Member if you get out and vote for change.
None of these challengers have showed me that the can improve
on Joe Biernat's performance. In fact, a couple of them would need
considerable on the job training.
>Third Ward Neighbors In Action will be sponsoring a "Meet the Candidates
>Under the Tent" picnic in late July. More details later.
I hope you enjoy your little party,
Dyna Sluyter from the heights of Hawthorne
>Fran Guminga
>Bottineau, Ward 3
>
>
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