"3,150 kW is not negligible." Is it nothing? No. But if we're talking 3150kw and not 3150MW, then for all practical purpose it is nothing. But in a city 380,000+, enough power for 3100 people's average (not household, people and average, not peak use) - let alone any commercial use - does not make much of an impact.
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jeff Fellows Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 9:59 AM To: Minneapolis Forum Subject: re: [Mpls] Park Board and Crown Hydro project Here is a history of the Mill Ruins Park, which impacts whether we want a small running hydro electric generator, as in 1882 ( the first hydroelectric generator in the United States. ) "Mill Ruins Park opened on Oct. 1, 2001, to celebrate the history of 19th-century ruins that were once mills and powered by St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. At the time, flour became what put Minneapolis on the map, as it was exported around the nation and the world. The Minneapolis mills and canals made up the largest direct-drive, water-powered facilities in the world. The historic tailrace canal carried water from the mill turbines back to the river." from http://www.nps.gov/miss/maps/model/mill_ruins.html Kathy ( KS ) wrote: "The Crown Hydro project does not protect, preserve, maintain, improve or enhance the City's Parkland. It will jeopardize and/or eliminate historic structures and turn an award winning beautiful park setting into an industrial zone." Jeff ( JF ) replies: I disagree. The location is currently an asphalt parking lot. The installation would be hidden unless you walk down stairs to view it through a window. The added historical value would be immense. KS wrote: "...The increased flow through the Mill Ruins Park tailrace canal will inevitably damage historic features. " Jeff ( JF ) replies: That was addressed at the meeting. The ten million dollar investment would stabilize and maintain the existing tailrace, removing this burden from the Mpls Park and Recs Board. It would be fun to have water running in the tailrace, rather than stagnant and dry as it is today. KS wrote: "as Minneapolis' center is decimated for an amount of power so small as to be negligible" Jeff ( JF ) replies: A below ground installation can hardly be deemed visually worse than an asphalt parking lot. Hydroelectricity is environmentally clean. All it uses is the energy from falling water, before returning the water to the river. 3,150 kW is not negligible. Jeff Fellows Sheridan previously Windom Park. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Message: 2 Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 13:54:32 -0600 From: Kathy Swenson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Mpls] Park Board and Crown Hydro project To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed I attended the March 3 Park Board meeting. Here is the Minneapolis Park Board's mission. > "The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, on behalf of all current > and future citizens of the City of Minneapolis, shall strive to > permanently preserve, protect, maintain, improve and enhance the > City's parkland and recreational opportunities." The Crown Hydro project does not protect, preserve, maintain, improve or enhance the City's Parkland. It will jeopardize and/or eliminate historic structures and turn an award winning beautiful park setting into an industrial zone. This project will irreparably damage the aesthetic quality of Mill Ruins Park and worse, the city's founding feature, St. Anthony Falls. The MPRB worked long and hard to obtain this parcel of river front land. Millions of dollars have been invested in the current and ongoing Mill Ruins Park project. This area is the neighborhood park for the increasing number of residents moving to the river front, in large part because of the parkland, river and Falls views. The Park Board needs to get an independent assessment of the effect this project will have on the river and falls and not take Crown Hydro's figures at face value. The increased flow through the Mill Ruins Park tailrace canal will inevitably damage historic features. Safety measures necessary to protect the public from the increased depth and water flow in the tailrace will turn this attractive, publicly accessible setting into a fenced off, visually ugly, and inaccessible area. School children are already served through the Mill Ruins Park interpretive program. I'm not sure why the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board alone, seems to hold the fate of St. Anthony Falls in its hands. The porta-potty decision will seem like a like gentle mist compared to the thunderstorm that will come from riverfront residents, tax payers, businesses, developers and public organizations as Minneapolis' center is decimated for an amount of power so small as to be negligible. I am a strong supporter of alternative energy, however, Minneapolis Parks are not the setting for energy generation. Kathy Swenson REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
