I am going to outline what is probably an unpopular opinion regarding the Riverview Supper Club site. Before I do that I want to present my �community activist credentials�: started out as a member of the Quarry Shopping Center task force, past board member of the Windom Park Citizens in Action (WPCIA), past chair of the Windom Park NRP Steering Committee, current member of the NRP Implementation Committee and chair/co-chair of the Windom Park-Pillsbury MST Community Carnival for the past several years. I am a survivor of the conflicts over the Quarry and the Stinson Marketplace/Rose Acres townhouse project.
While I very much appreciate that people are upset over the process involved at the Z & P meeting. While I appreciate that many hours have been spent by many people to design a comprehensive plan for the upper river. And while it is true that JADT bought the Riverview site knowing they would have to ask for a zoning change and were taking their chances. All that being said, I feel that high-end housing is a good use for the land, and our city government should not go around discouraging private development by persons with money in hand who are not asking for a handout. Throughout the history of any city, Minneapolis included, there will have been any number of idealized plans with grand visions for land use. Without the money to implement these plans they become pretty picture books to nostalgically peruse. The Conceptual River Corridor Plan (CRCP) is a �concept� with suggestions for implementation. Some may gag at the word �suggestions�, but until you have money in hand that is all they are. I believe that included in the CRCP is the concept of housing that takes advantage of river views and provides green space for the public to use. The stretch of river immediately north of downtown with these same amenities is a lovely addition to the city. The property taxes from the JADT project will be a lovely addition to the city bank account. In this case we do not have to bribe someone to build near the river as we have had to do in the past. This is a private development, privately funded, looking for a zoning change. At least it is not a second Kondirator. While citizen input has improved many a project (ex. Quarry center could have been uglier) and would have improved others if acted upon (ex. Quarry center traffic patterns could have been better), I cringe when we get a bit shrill at times. Admit it, we can become shrill. Maybe I have had too much therapy, but I have been taught to work toward a general goal rather than set my heart on a specific outcome. With the energy and passion displayed in this forum the goal of a transformed upper river corridor is very much a reachable one. Kathy Neuman Windom Park/Ward 1 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp _______________________________________ 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
