Emilie Quast wrote: >>BUT: No one answered, IS Boom Island too small for a h.s. arena? If not, why not there? <<
I don't think you mean Boom Island Park, which has been fully developed and is a heavily used regional park. Putting a football stadium there would be as unwise as putting one on the Island. What I think you're referring to is known as the BFNelson site, the undeveloped area adjacent and downstream of Boom Island Park. We did talk to DeLaSalle about this and there IS more room over there. DeLaSalle believes, rightly, that there may be environmental issues on the BF Nelson site. Although probably the cheapest and best way to clean up that land is to add a foot of topsoil and use it for recreational purposes. But there are really 2 reasons not to use the BFNelson site. First, I believe most of the land was acquired with regional open space money, which is intended to provide money for the use of open spaces. Using these lands for an athletic facility is a prohibited use and would require the Park Board to pay back the money, not something they should contemplate with their budget woes. Interesting, Nicollet Island was acquired with the same regional open space money - so it will be interesting to see how the pro-stadium faction tap dances around that issue. Second, you may recall a few years ago, the Park Board actually sent in the bulldozers to start building athletic fields there at the urging of Commissioner Dziedzic. In what is becoming a familiar pattern, no input was sought from residents of the NE neighborhoods most affected and the citizens were outraged. They very much valued the open space and wanted it preserved. After being taken to the woodshed, the Park Board called off the bulldozers. I suspect my neighbors across the river would feel the same way bout a football field as they did a few years ago (although it would be nice if the Park Board hosted a meeting and actually solicited input from everyone on these issues). We Islanders don't want to export bad ideas to our neighbors across the river. Barry Clegg Nicollet Island 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
