Tim: As someone who now works for an organization whose mission is to increase the supply of affordable housing throughout the state, and given the great need for affordable housing in St. Paul (especially for seniors), I think it's a good thing that projects are being planned that will hopefully make a dent in the gap between income and what's affordable (i.e., no more than 30 percent of one's income spent on housing). However, as someone who will soon be moving into the Hamline-Midway neighborhood in a month or so (pretty near where this development is being planned), I can also understand why opposition would exist, especially for a five-story structure in what appears to be an area with mostly single-family homes and two-to-three story apartment buildings. So I think it's healthy if there is concern among neighbors about any new developments that may be planned, so long as that concern is about design and quality and aesthetics and potential traffic issues rather than strictly from NIMBYism, i.e., we don't want it in our neighborhood under any circumstances, the attitude often confronted in the suburbs where land is so expensive because zoning laws have been written to ensure minimum lot sizes that generally discourage the development of low income housing. That attitude accounts, in part, for why there is such a shortage of quality affordable housing, but I always think it's important for neighbors to be concerned about any new developments in the neighborhood. Maybe more vigilence, for example, would have kept GSE out of the West 7th neighborhood.
Tom Goldstein Mac-Groveland ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Erickson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "St. Paul Issues Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 4:17 PM Subject: [StPaul] Midway - Senior Housing Project > > I just ran into a neighbor who is spearheading an effort to block the > construction of a 5 story senior housing development just a block > away from my home. > > The building would be in the middle of a residential neighborhood on > a block kitty-corner to Hamline Park (at the corner of Thomas and > Simpson). > > Does anyone know anything more about this development? > > Do all new apartment building automatically run into neighborhood opposition? > > While I understand the concerns about a 5 story building (it is a > little tall), I'm concerned about what appears to be a default > position of city residents to oppose anything new in their > neighborhood. > > I'm guessing, that this development might be connected to the Mayors > "Housing 5000" plan. Does anyone know, what steps the city is taking > to encourage or possibly subsidize projects like this one. Is this > project being promoted by the city? If so, then how? > > Who else has experienced a situation like this in their neighborhood > in the last 1-2 years? > > Best wishes, > > Tim Erickson > Hamline Midway > Thomas Ave. > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -- > ================================================= > Tim Erickson http://www.politalk.com > St. Paul, MN - USA 651-643-0722 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] iChat/AIM: stpaultim > ================================================= > > > > _____________________________________________ > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _____________________________________________ > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
