I am forwarding the attached letter to the list on behalf of Jeff Langaard, Executive Director, Whittier Alliance.
_______________________________________________________ November 19, 2002 Dear Neighborhood Leader, There are currently recommendations on the next city council agenda that would make major changes to the Minneapolis Zoning Code to accommodate the cities affordable housing initiatives. These recommendations will have a major impact on every neighborhood in Minneapolis. The Whittier Alliance and other neighborhood associations are currently working with the belief that these important recommendations are moving forward on a very fast track. This track has not allowed adequate time to gather community input for these important recommendations. The Whittier Alliance will request the council to postpone their vote on these zoning changes until adequate public notice and community input have taken place. These changes have already passed the Planning Commission and the City Council Zoning and Planning Committee and are scheduled for a vote at the full city council on Friday, November 22, 2002. The Whittier Alliance believes that good public policy requires input from the citizens the policy will affect. Currently, the Minneapolis Planning Department, Planning Commission and the City Council are allowed to make major changes to the zoning codes. There is very little opportunity for neighborhoods or the greater community to review and comment. We believe this is contrary to the strong community partnerships that the city has developed over the past 12 years. It is also contrary to the neighborhood review process businesses and homeowners are required to go through when they require exceptions or changes to the zoning code. The Whittier Alliance will host a city wide meeting on January 13th, 2003 (place to be determined) to discuss proposed changes to the zoning code as they pertain to affordable housing and other special needs classifications. The purpose of this meeting is to: * Educate citizens regarding proposed changes to the zoning code and how it affects current zoning categories. * Educate citizens regarding the many classifications of housing. * Identify what types of housing are in each classification to include the numbers and locations. * Urge the city to develop a policy for neighborhood review prior to making major changes to the zoning code. * Discuss the formation of a consortium for impacted neighborhoods. We would like to invite your neighborhood to participate as a co-sponsor of this meeting. There will be no monetary contribution required to join as a sponsor. We need your neighborhood to do the following during the December meeting cycle for your neighborhood association: * Decide whether or not to participate as a sponsor in a citywide meeting to discuss future zoning changes. * Notify the Whittier Alliance of your decision. * Gather names of volunteers who might help with the meeting and send their names and contact information to the Whittier Alliance. * Urge the City Council to postpone making a decision regarding these important zoning changes until adequate community review has taken place. Immediate action is necessary to stop these legislative changes from taking place. If you have questions, please contact me at 871-7756. Sincerely, Jeff Langaard Executive Director Whittier Alliance ===== "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! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your site http://webhosting.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
