Terrell Brown sez: "Generally we are moving industrial sites off the river and using that land for housing and parks. We have Mayor Sayles-Belton telling us that she is the CEO of the City and has provided great leadership. This is one of those many instances of total lack of leadership we have seen from her during the 8 years she has been mayor and her time as Council President before that."
Sharon Sayles-Belton was one of the CMs who voted for the Kondirator permit (along with current Park Board candidate Walt Dziedzic when he was CM). Remember that when you mark your ballots. Actually, we are not moving industrial sites off the river. The Graco company just completed a huge expansion cheek to jowl with the river, without any regard for reasonable set back and without an environmental review. It's located in Joe Biernat's Third Ward neighborhood, the CM who is the self-proclaimed river corridor savior. Remember that at the ballot box, also. As for housing and parks, that is more smoke and mirrors than reality. The former Riverview Supper Club site will be upscale housing (surprise!) that most neighborhood residents could never afford, too close to the shoreline. The "park" space will be next to nothing. That project still needs Planning Commission approval, so there is a chance the project could be alterered. But does anyone believe the city is interested in habitat restoration when we can get gobs of taxes from upscale housing rising on the shoreline? Citizens who have worked hard to get a river redevelopment plan that would provide neighborhood access, restore natural green space for critters and for urban kids to learn about nature, for quietude from hectic urban life and to restore a portion of the most significant natural resource on the North American continent have been left in the dust again. Some have suggested that they are tired of the Kondirator issue. Me, too. Problem is, it is symbolic of our never learning from our mistakes. Fran Guminga Bottineau, Third Ward _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
