When the Wizard speaks her wisdom, listen up. Especially on the subject of Lake Street, for the Wizard is quite wise in the ways of that thoroughfare, having lived nearby for the last few decades. I too remember being stuck in traffic jams on Lake Street in the 60s going to work at Sears and again in the 90s as immigrants gave Lake Street a revival. If you want to choke off that revival just turn Lake Street into a cute little 2 lane boulevard, I guarantee the resulting broad sidewalks will be empty but for the drug dealers.
I have lived in communities with such streets. They work extremely well. It's been shown that increasing green space and streetscaping amenities reduces crime.
We have a whole grid of streets -- a huge capacity that is being wasted. The Project for Public Spaces report at www.stride-mn.org correctly points out that isolated thoroughfairs are a suburban idea that's been proven detrimental to building community. They separate people and turn our neighborhoods into de facto expressways.
In this city that so many have fled it's easy to become an old timer and if you write much a sage. Yet know one listens to us voices of wisdom, because our wisdom gets in the way of their next dream development when we sages remind them of the failure of a similar scheme a decade or two ago.
With much understanding and respect, I ask the "old timers" to consider that their voices are not the only ones worth listening to. We all have a stake in Lake Street, not just those who have lived around it for 30 years. One cannot dismiss the viewpoints of others by applying the "johnny come lately" argument. I was very upset by the poster (Wizard Marks?) who criticized the Public Spaces report as too late to be relevant and flamed the person who referenced it for not coming to PAC meetings. I just moved to the area and didn't have the opportunity to participate in the earlier stages. Does that mean my voice doesn't count? Even though I've lived in cities with deteriorating commercial districts and transportations systems and have lived in communities with vibrancy in both areas?
One wonders if our city council together could point out the locations of Sweigart's Meat Market or all car dealerships on Lake Street or West Broadway in 1970. I suspect a few don't even remeber the days of a mere decade ago when we became "Murderapolis"... and so it is that the newbies running our city will allow us to be overrun with crime and starved for jobs again.
I believe this is an unjustified fear. Why are we so afraid of everything?
> Here on Crack Street I had to call 911 on the occupants of the Buick
on saturday morning. Given the slow response times and understaffing I only call 911 for felonies and medical emergencies, fires, etc... But
Do call 911. Also call your legislator to ask for more local police funding. Call the governor and tell him you're willing to take a tax hike. His "no new taxes" pledge both serves a tiny special interest group and is fantastically dangerous.
David Greene
Lowry Hill East
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