I want to start by clarifying a couple points that have been in the media that last couple days. First, while the city may have paid $275,000 for the property (not sure about that) there is substantially more money in the site. On 8/23/96 the City Council authorized the use of $400,700 of federal MILES funds for this site. The use of these funds requires job producing industrial development. The neighborhood also invested $150,000 of its NRP funds with the same understanding that the site be used for job producing industrial development.
Second, the property has already been transferred to Basim Sabri by the city. So, rebidding etc. now is not possible. What is missing from this discussion is the fact that there is a policy document that the planning staff should have used to make the recommendations to the Planning Commission and Zoning and Planning Committee regarding this development project. A policy document the planning staff supposedly did not know existed until just before the appeal when the Whittier Alliance Business Development Manager produced it. The policy document is called the South Whittier Redevelopment Report. This report was developed from a lengthy 40 acre zoning study where myself and many many other people went parcel by parcel through the properties in the 40 acre area. This report became a policy document when the Planning Commission and full City Council adopted it. I find it incrediby odd that this city policy document DID NOT surface until after staff recommendations were made to the Planning Commission and Zoning and Planning Committee of the City Council. The full City Council was made aware of this policy documents existence by Marian Biehn, Whittier Alliance Business Development Manager prior to the hearing on the appeal filed by the Whittier Alliance. This document is very clear about development type and placement. I am working on another post that will take longer to compile. This post will give background information including dates and motions and clearer information that leads up to this issue. This thing has become so convoluted that it is hard to get your arms around all that has happened unless like me you lived through the whole sordid mess. Barb Lickness Whittier ===== "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 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
