At 09:10 AM 9/26/02 -0700, Dave Piehl wrote: >The proposal to create a divided freeway out of Lake >Street for several blocks east and west of I35W is >alive and well, and potentially spreading.
Thanks David, for posting the latest about the PAC committee. I'll agree, it's very hard for most neighbors to take vacation time to participate in these Tuesday morning meetings. What is also disheartening is how this meeting time was changed from 10 AM to 9 AM at very short notice. Let's look at the most recent "improvement" made to Lake St by the DOT. This ofcourse is the infamous -- and dangerous intersection of Hiawatha and Lake. A list member said this intersection is dangerous for bikes. It is dangerous for bikes, cars, pedestrians and basically anyone who is in the area. Ofcourse, it's also quite ugly, and makes the area around this more unpleasant to be in. The biggest laugh is how the divided highway concept will make things more pedestrian friendly. How does having to walk across the street in two stints -- plus a wait on the median strip mean pedestrian friendly? A divided highway gives the impression this is an area to drive through, not participate in -- and means faster driving. There are people in the neighborhood. I'd rather see Nicollet and Lake be more like Lake and Lyndale - and not like Lake and Hiawatha. >The divided freeway concept, with it's 7 lanes, will >destroy a whole list of businesses, and possibly >prevent the Sherman proposal for Nicollet Lake from >going forward due to the reduced amount of space >available for businesses and affordable housing. The >space on Lake in front of Nico Plating, which >currently houses several businesses, will be reduced >to a dead-space for snow storage. Is this considered >the highest and best use for otherwise prime >commercial property?? Good question. Peter McLaughlin is on the list. Perhaps he can take a stab at this one. >Project organizers have defended the the divided >highway by saying that it's limited to four or five >blocks. (apparently implying that a scourge is ok if >it is limited in scope) I warned that it sets the >stage for additional re-vamping of Lake into a freeway >format, and Dave Jensen (PAC rep)accused me of >conspiracy theories. Not suprisingly, at yesterday's >meeting there was talk of eventually "beefing up" the >infrastructure along the rest of Lake Street. Guess >what that means? Well look at Lake and Hiawatha. That's exhibit A of the eyesores and equal opportunity dangerous places for cars, bikes and pedestrians. MNDOT has the attitude of we know more than you do about what is good for the neighborhood. Hopefully Dave Jensen can chime in and explain his conspiracy theory comment. It seems like a way to defuse the real issue, and go after the person raising the issue to me. >Does anyone wonder why the multi-million dollar >planning stage of this project doesn't have a few >thousand dollars for public notification available?? >Four years ago, at the outset of the project, Sara >Hernandez (the Honeywell rep) and Jana Metge worked >out a thorough communication strategy for the PAC, >which included flyering neighborhoods, etc. to ensure >adequate input and knowlege of the project. The >communication plan was not executed. Why? Perhaps Tom Johnson, Peter McLaughlin or Dave Jensen can explain? I guess I have another question -- why does Urban Ventures have representatives on the PAC? They aren't neighborhood organizations. >Thanks to Ed Felien, Green Party candidate for >Hennepin County Commission, for stopping in on the >meeting - I'm impressed with his attention to the >situation and grasp of the impacts; where was Peter >McLaughlin? (and don't tell me "at work", the rest of >us had to take time out of our workday to accomodate, >so can he) Goes without saying. This is yet another example of Peter McLaughlin's arrogance. Eva Young Near North Minneapolis, MN _______________________________________ 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
