[Winona Online Democracy] ----- Original Message ----- ( Coal Trains, Huff Street, and Healthy Cities) From: "Dwayne & Denine Voegeli" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: 3 août, 2005 17:51
...... two great articles from this past Sunday's Star Tribune that deal with land use, city planning, economics, and the environment. ...... The stories also relate to the discussions surrounding the Phillips development in Wilson Township because the best way to curb sprawl is to make cities more livable and attractive. .... ----- Response ----- But is Winona at a place in time yet where curbing sprawl is thought to be desirable? I keep reading "expert" opinion that we can't "grow" without developing the townships. I don't know anything about the makeup or activities of the Downtown Revitalization Committee beyond what has been published in our local newspapers. Last I read, they were doing a 'visioning' process. With a couple of exceptions, the majority of participants mentioned in news articles don't live near downtown and many are not in the city limits. So I' m apprehensive as to whether or not their vision will include family neighborhoods in the city core that are livable, attractive, and pedestrian friendly. In other words, if you and your peer group live up on the bluffs or in the valleys and drive everywhere, including to your place of business downtown, wouldn't you be inclined to feel that what's most needed are more parking and faster routes through the 'island' with never a train delay? Should we expect that revitalization will be found to depend not on nearby residents but mainly on historic tourist attractions and the Shakespeare Festival? I'll be unhappy if I'm extra sales taxed on my downtown activity just to finance a new theater and parking lots for tourist boutiques. A better selection of restaurants could result, of course. But will everyday shopping stores still be there? Our City Council is made up, for now, of a balanced mix of island and bluff dwellers. But administration staff resides mainly in Winona's suburbs. Since we're now committed to making the Wilson annexation succeed financially, does City Hall now have a perverse incentive to encourage families to leave the island? Which leads me to wonder what advice our new downtown city planner will get from his co-workers about where it's smart to make a housing investment. John N. Finn _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
