In browsing (wasting time) exploring the Internet last night, I came across the www.eastlake.net blog, that new adventure in volunteer journalism, complaining and promoting, and up there what did my wondering eyes perceive but images and 50+ pages of documents pertaining to the 38th Street Station Area Master Plan. Now I was pretty much a skeptic, believing that there wasn't enough population density along the light rail route to justify the spending of pretty much a billion bucks to improve traffic. But if the figures are right, people have fallen in love with our new mode of transportation, and even my limited ridership experience proves this out when much more than once I have had to stand when riding, even in non-rush hour periods. So those trains are going to be getting much longer, it would seem, by the time the plan is implemented. I had figured that there would have to be clear cutting on the east side of Hiawatha and the construction of a lot of dwellings to pay for our latest investment. But nary a word had come out of our Alder-persons or the denizens of City Hall. You'd think with a big election coming up, they would be trumpeting this plan. Or are they terrified that the folks who delayed the construction of Hiawatha for 30 years might rise from their graves and senior citizens' dwellings and re-energize themselves for one more campaign. I can't believe that this will go through without comment from the public. And what better public than the Mpls Issues Forum. I don't closely follow the antics of the planning department, but when I wasn't watching and since they figured nobody was interested, somebody has been burning the midnight oil and got their tree stamps out and has magically gotten rid of an elevator or two and drawn up a picture of mucho condos for the well heeled on that very same east side of Hiawatha. Check out the links at http://www.east-lake.net/archive/2005/10/38th_street_sta.php http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/citywork/light-rail/38th-home.asp I think it's great, but probably so does my landlord and I can imagine either the rent will be going up again, or condo conversion time is now on the schedule. "Paper copies of the plan are available for review at the following locations: * City Hall, Room 210, 350 South 4th Street * Roosevelt Library, 4028 28th Avenue South * Standish Ericsson Neighborhood Association, 4000 28th Avenue South * Longfellow Community Council, 2727 26th Avenue South" Ray Marshall Hiawatha
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