I am in full agreement that the city needs to change the zoning code to allow for more density. In neighborhoods like Whittier, Stevens Square, and Phillips this happened years ago. Hence, I live on a block with 6 2 1/2 story walk-ups. I have 136 housing units on my street when the city average I believe is 26 or so. Whittier is roughly 1 square mile in radius and has a population of @13,500. That is very dense compared to Mpls. average standards. Probably not as dense if compared to New York standards.
At any rate, this issue falls in the same category as the concentration of poverty and social service issue I have been talking about for a long time. There are a few (and I mean a FEW) "Heroic" neighborhoods that have done their share to accommodate high density, large percentages of affordable housing, big volumes of social service programs, shelters, supportive housing, transitional housing, etc. There is a very large volume of Fortress neighborhoods that continue to keep the geography in those neighborhoods well out of reach of anyone who is low income or who have any special needs of any kind. Accidental? Certainly not as far as city and county policies have been for the last 30 years. The real question here should be "Is there a willingness on the part of the city, county, or the residents or business owners in the fortress neighborhoods to do their share to accommodate affordable, supportive, transitional, shelter care and other types of housing in their neighborhoods? The type of housing that serves low income people or people with "special needs". >From my eyes, it's not looking too good. The residents surrounding 53rd and Lyndale tried to change state legislation to keep 11 units of affordable housing out of that neighborhood. Two nursing care facilities have vacated in neighborhoods in the city that have none of the type of housing I described. One is being converted to "market rate" apartments. In all fairness to people in that neighborhood, they are requesting that at least 6 of those units be affordable. In the other facility, it isn't clear what the final use will be. However, Prodigal House which is a project that provides supportive housing for Mentally Ill and Chemically dependent individuals wanted to locate there. The project was faced with such resistance by neighbors, they didn't even both to apply for the zoning classification they needed. They just quietly went away and looked for another site. There was no fanfare raised by the press over the neighborhoods rejection of this project. There was no outcry from affordable housing advocates. MICAH and ISAIAH didn't organize people from churches 20 miles away to protest that neighborhoods rejection of the project. And now, I am hearing this group is meeting with Council member Zimmerman to find a welcoming place for them to locate in....you guessed it, Whittier, Phillips or Stevens Square. Mayor Rybaks and the city councils answer to this problem is the repeal the quarter mile spacing requirement or dilute its power through what is defined in these categories. This way the people in Whittier, Phillips and Stevens Square will have no legal recourse to question these segregationist policies. The city and county can continue to concentrate every facility that no other neighborhood will take here and our neighborhoods will have no legal avenue to question anything. I find it very odd that this was the first regulatory reform presented for the zoning code. And it was presented because it's a barrier to affordable housing? I haven't heard anything about a proposal to increase density. Like raising all R1 or R2 zoned properties to R5's. I would love to be at the public hearing if that gets presented. Barb Lickness Whittier (On my soap box again) ===== "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
