Gary- The border issue surrounding Hiawatha Avenue versus the Soo Line Rail lines impacts far more neighborhoods than just Seward and Ventura Village. It impacts, East Phillips, Longfellow, Corcoran, Howe, Hiawatha, Standish, Ericcson, and Minnehaha.
As I stated in my earlier post, the border confusion wasn't just at the juncture of Hiawatha that affects Seward and Ventura Village, it runs all the way down Hiawatha. Because this issue affects a larger community, it doesn't make sense to me to make Seward and Ventura Village debate over this border. Any decision made by these groups still leaves a larger issue here and will rise again when East Phillips submits their application for independent neighborhood status. For 48 years the planning department, planning commission, Z&P Committee, and the City Council have inadvertantly bounced the border between all of the above listed neighborhoods back and forth between Hiawatha and the Soo Line rail lines. It seems to me now that the leadership of the council should determine once and for all what the real border is going to be. I don't think it's fair to either Seward or Ventura Village to place the burden on them to resolve this issue when neither of these groups created this problem in the first place. For what it's worth, I am recommending that the City Council vote to approve the Ventura Village application for independent neighborhood status at next Fridays City Council meeting. This group has been put through the ringer long enough on this issue and deserves some resolution here. If the council cannot leave the eastern boundary open ended until a later date, than I think Ventura Village might live with Hiawatha as the eastern border with the understanding that the planning department, commission, Z&P committee, and the City Council agree to hold a public meeting or meetings for all the neighborhood that border Hiawatha and the Soo Line Rail lines to gather input. If the council is not willing to orchestrate these public meetings to gather input, then I really think they need to be prepared to render a decision about the border question. I think the real question here is: Does it make sense to have multi-neighborhood ownership of the LRT lines? Should the LRT line be the new neighborhood boundary running along Hiawatha Ave. This draws yet a third line along that corridor as the LRT lines do not necessarily follow the Soo Line Rail lines or Hiawatha. This is a policy issue that transcends discussions at a neighborhood level. I think it belongs with the council and not with individual neighborhoods. I am hoping you will reconsider your recommendation to postpone the vote on the Ventura Village application. Barb Lickness Whittier ===== "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness http://health.yahoo.com _______________________________________ 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
