I'm not familiar with the details of either of the city council's actions mentioned below, but my reaction is that the actions are, in the bigger picture, good policy, and I'm happy to hear about them.
Regarding the window requirement: When I look around various neighborhoods I am discouraged to see some houses that look like little fortresses with portholes in front. Houses with larger windows put "eyes on the street" and increase the sense of shared--rather than abandoned--public space, thus making it more likely that potential residents will want to live in those neighborhoods instead of moving to the suburbs and driving thousands of miles a year in their cars. And a more direct benefit is that people in the houses can see by the light of the sun instead of by electric lights. Regarding siding: It's true that vinyl and aluminum siding cost less than alternatives such as stucco, fiber-cement boards, or weather-resistant wood siding. I could find a few people who think vinyl and aluminum are "real dumb," and that plywood is nice and affordable. But I'm glad the city council wants to avoid materials that in 30 years will be cracked and faded and dingy. Building a durable and attractive city is the best way to sustain the community and the natural environment in the long run. Hal Johnson Seward -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of wmmarks Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 3:38 PM To: mpls issues Subject: [Mpls] your city council As we sit in the middle of an oil war with gas going up at the pump every Wednesday it seems like, your city council voted on April 29 of this year to change the ordinance governing the number of windows in single, duplex, triplex, and fourplex buildings. The code formerly read that sides facing the street must have 7% of the area in windows. The council changed that to 15%. (Ordinance 535.90, Section C.) Only Lilligren voted against it, though Zerby, Johnson, and Goodman were not there. The two Greens on the council voted in the affirmative.. In another action the council voted that new house construction cannot have either aluminum or vinyl siding, in a stroke making housing less affordable and harder to care for, particularly for seniors and disabled persons. Real nice. Real dumb. Real typical. WizardMarks, Central REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil 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. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
