All comments in [ brackets ] are those of the typist...
Public Comments begin which Commissioner Fine will call from the list
based on whether they are pro or con in an alternate matter, at this
point Brother Michael gives the speech he had already started. In
paraphrasing he mentions that DeLaSalle sent a letter to the MPRB dated
May 13th in which it seeks to implement a Reciprocal Use Agreement from
the May 19,1983 Nicollet Island Agreement as DeLaSalle is a third party
beneficiary of the agreement. He also states that many DeLaSalle
graduates go on to become the citizens that go into public service to
become members of boards and government. At six minutes he is asked by
Commissioner Fine to "wrap it up" and he does by adding that tomorrow
DeLaSalle is graduating its 103rd class.
The planning committee is then recessed so the the full board can come
to order and move into OPEN TIME for which there is one speaker...
Joan Berthiaume speaks about the historic Theodore Wirth House from
notes she received from Ted Wirth who is the cofounder of the
Minneapolis Parks
Legacy Society and grandson of the Minneapolis Park System's longest
serving superintendent and park designer, Theodore Wirth. Ms.
Berthiaume states that
Ted says the Minneapolis Parks Legacy Society has been working to open
the historic Wirth home to the public for over five years. Ted wants
to know
why the planning dept. is taking so long to make a decision about the
future use of his grandfather's historic home in Lyndale Farmstead Park
when there
is a president already set by the contracts with the organizations the
run the Stevens House in Minnehaha Park and the Godfrey House in Chute
Square?
[As citizens we owe a great debt to Theodore Wirth for the design and
development of our wonderful park system. Wirth believed the
responsibility of the Park Board was to PRESERVE and PROTECT all PARK
PROPERTY and to be sure the parks would be all inclusive for all people
today and for all generations yet to come.]
Commissioner Fine reconvenes the planning committee and public input
continues....
Phyllis Kahn, State Representative for District 59B and Nicollet Island
resident #1 the agreement to which DeLaSalle keeps referring is a deal
between the MCDA (now CPED but still in effect) and the City of
Minneapolis' Park and Recreation Board only, and the deal has been met
in that there are currently 3 regulation tennis courts and a field of
regulation size (106' x 360' ) next to the school building #2 no one
has made mention of the Met Council Regional Open Space dollars that
will have to be refunded by the MPRB [ $9.9 million per my comments in
part 1] #3 According to the Preservation Alliance, Nicollet Island
is on the top 10 list of endanger sites. She gives the advice that the
MPRB should make their decision based on what is BEST for the
Minneapolis Park System.
Commissioner Fine interrupts to calm an outbreak of applause
Lou DeMars, Mr. DeMars gives a history of what happened during the
early 1970's that spurred the riverfront revival. With the 1976
approaching Bicentennial some available federal money was the motivator
for getting the whole refurbishment started. He stresses that
DeLaSalle stayed throughout the changes.
Janet Demming of the Island passes on her turn saying that she
reaffirms Rep. Kahn's statement.
John Chaffee of Nicollet Island is not pleased with the process. The
comments by the outside law firm of Kennedy Graven [ Brian Rice, the
MPRB's attorney is a DeLaSalle alum ] appear to him to reach the
conclusion that the MPRB has NO obligation and that would change upon
entering into a reciprocal use agreement. So WHY do this?
Commissioner Fine interrupts again to calm the applause and
Commissioner Young suggests using twinkling ( a hand waving gesture
used by the Green Party to signify applause without interrupting the
speaker) [ unfortunately that doesn't come across very well on the
cable broadcast but there was a lot of it going on from there forward].
Meredith Englund a DeLaSalle senior spoke next. She wanted to stress
that the field that the girls soccer team used for practicing now at
Van Cleve Park was at times dangerous due to the trash and sometime
syringes left on the field. Though she personally would not benefit
from the fields she knows that future DeLaSalle students would be
especially thankful. She also wanted to thank the MPRB for providing
her with the opportunity to play rec sports in the parks when she was
younger and even had the chance to have Commissioner Fine as a coach.
Victor Grambsch of NIEBNA (the Nicollet Island/ East Bank Neighborhood
Association ) again mentioned that the organization had passed a
resolution against the planned facility and would be willing to work
with both sides to reach a better agreement.
Susie Howard another DeLaSalle student and manager of the girls soccer
team again stressed the bad conditions at Van Cleve and also that the
game fields at the MPRB's Neiman Complex were just too far away.
Commissioner Hauser at this time notes that some people from the
DeLaSalle group seem to be leaving and will someone be staying to
answer commissioner questions? [ Brother Michael had mentioned a
previous conflict and the others were walking him out but would be back
]
Patrick Scully , a Nicollet Island resident states that this is a land
use issue. He chastises the board with the comment that they are not
the board of DeLaSalle High School and therefore it is not their charge
to provide the school with an athletic facility. No where in the scope
of the 1983 agreement is a stadium mentioned.
Alissa Beck, DeLaSalle student [so sorry my notes here are illegible]
Liz Wielinski, non DeLaSalle affiliated, non island resident, I
have taken some time to review the “proposed reciprocal agreement” and
have found some flaws in the wording of who will pay for what. I would
not be thrilled if somehow money for rec centers, wading pools and tree
maintenance were diverted to this project. I am aware only too well
of how the agreements end up once they are in the hands of staff and
the MPRB attorneys. One has only to look at how the FORT, LLC lease
allowed the MPRB to be saddled with $2.5 million in mechanics liens. I
know that the residents of the island and the DeLaSalle representatives
have the resources to take on this battle. My issue is that the MPRB
will be taking much needed dollars and staff time away from core
programs to fight this battle. In fact just the consulting fee to the
law firm of Kennedy Graven was a new expense above and beyond MPRB
budgeting to get an opinion about the 1983 agreement. Only a month or
so ago the Minneapolis Parks Legacy Society was told that the planning
department was too swamped to even consider looking at a plan for the
Historic Wirth Home, but now they have time to work with DeLaSalle’s
stadium designers. Where are this boards’ priorities? The public
that funds this board through its tax dollars needs to be informed.
I'd like to think that if enough "non island residents" like myself
made our fears known it would give DeLaSalle and the families and
alumni involved the message that THIS IS NOT AND NEVER WAS A FREE
PROJECT as they like to emphasize and the TRUE COSTS need to be
discussed. [ I feel strongly about this having fought to keep funding
for core services during the last 2 budget cycles of the MPRB]
John Derus, Mr. Derus states that the Met council have made exceptions
in the past with their open space land and that he is sure this will be
another instance. He also proceeds to state that the people here are
not just alumni but citizens as well. [ There was a letter from Peter
Bell of the Met Council in the packet the commissioners received and it
appeared to me that most exceptions were made when there was contiguous
land available to trade for the property where the exception was made.
]
Christine Viken, Ms. Viken brought up some challenges to many of the
DeLaSalle statements made. #1 When everyone else was leaving Nicollet
Island DeLaSalle was not the only one to stay, the north end families
did as well. #2 There were results of polling that claimed there would
be no detrimental effects. Who was polled? #3 All of the residences
are not on land owned by the MPRB, both the condos and the apartments
are on non MPRB land and the homeowners on MPRB land pay property
taxes. She then suggests that the land across the footbridge at the
north end ... the BF Nelson site be considered for the facility.
Brother Basil, former principal of DeLaSalle 1977-1984. Brother Basil
represented the school when the original 1983 agreement was made. He
wants everyone to look to the future.
Duane Aurens, Mr. Aurens a NE resident and father of small children
who lives close by claims that building the facility will encourage his
family to keep from fleeing to the suburbs because of a raised quality
of life. And as a Governor Pawlenty appointed member of the MN Amateur
Sports commission he assures us that field space in Minneapolis is at a
premium.
6:35 pm and the public input is complete. Stay tuned for part 3 and
the MPRB discussion of the matter.
Liz Wielinski
Columbia Park
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