March 24, 2008, board and membership meeting
By Bill Hoffmann

BYLAWS CHANGES APPROVED; OTHERS TURNED DOWN

In a roll-call vote at the March 24 meeting, PPERRIA directors approved membership eligibility changes in PPERRIA’s bylaws. They include expanding membership to make eligible all adults, including students, living within the PPPERIA boundaries. Previously, eligibility was limited to any person 17 years of age if the permanent and primary residence of the person was within the PPERRIA boundaries.

The changes also make eligible for membership any adult who owns or leases a business or property within PPERRIA’s boundaries. Changes also include eligibility for one representative of each nonprofit organization, business, or government entity located within the PPERRIA boundaries.

A roll-call vote turned down a change, however, that would have required at least 20 board of directors members. Current bylaws specify 40 members.

A third roll-call vote failed to approve an amendment that board directors shall reside within the PPERRIA boundaries. Poppele said the topic would likely be revisited later.

Pros and cons debated at the meeting about changes ranged from concern over opening membership to owners of corporate businesses “that have no ties to the neighborhood whatsoever” versus locally owned businesses, as well as limiting the voices of residents by reducing board membership from 40 to 20.

Additional bylaws changes will be considered at future meetings. They include meetings rules, quorums, voting, committees, and amendments. See the changes on-line at the PPERRIA website.

Dick Poppele, board president, said the task force submitted proposed changes at the January PPERRIA meeting. Nine amendments were approved at the February meeting.

Paul Zerby, chair of a task force that drafted changes proposed in the PPERRIA bylaws, noted that the membership changes were in response to city rules. The city requires membership in neighborhood organizations to be open to all within the geographic boundaries.

LRT ALIGNMENT, STATION RECOMMENDATIONS APPROVED

In a voice vote, members approved light-rail transit (LRT) project recommendations from the PPERRIA Transit Committee.

The recommendations were in response to a request by the Metropolitan Council’s Central Corridor Project Office for a position statement about design aspects for the proposed light-rail line on University Avenue in Prospect Park.

The Central Corridor design committee is expected to make decisions by mid-April, Poppele said. The 11-mile line route would operate between downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis. Operation would start in 2014, according to the Met Council website.

Committee recommendations included upport for the location of a light-rail station on 29th Avenue Southeast at University Avenue. The station would be in the center of 29th Avenue, with one traffic lane on each side. Also supported was track placement north of the centerline on University Avenue, which would preserve trees on the south side and provide parking and landscaped bump-outs on the north side.

The recommendations also call for ensuring access to businesses and parking throughout and after construction of the line.

The recommendations also proposed a comprehensive parking study. It would include consideration of non-resident permit parking. A fee would be paid to PPERRIA.

Current preliminary engineering studies for the 29th Avenue Station noted that a three-car train station would a longer station, that 29th Avenue was narrower than expected, and that the parking ramp for the University Plaza building required entrance/exits on 29th Avenue. In addition, the studies determined there wouldn’t be enough space for locating the station on University Avenue.

The studies also sought to minimize acquisition of property. However, land acquisition would include a portion of the pond and fountain developed in front of the Overflow Espresso Café in the Prospect Park Business Center.

The engineering study, therefore, proposed that the 29th Street station options were: building the station as planned, moving the station north near the U Transitway, locating the station on University Avenue, or deciding against locating a station in Prospect Park.

DeWitt said not locating a station in Prospect Park would not be acceptable to the neighborhood. Also, the station would be important for development in the nearby Southeast Minneapolis Industrial area.

“There’s a lot of competition for stations. St. Paul wants more stations. If we move it away (further from University Avenue), St. Paul people will say they want it,” DeWitt said. Resident Paul Zerby said, “It would be a calamity” if Prospect Park did not have a station.

Resident Peter LaSha, however, argued against routing the LRT line on University Avenue. “I-94 makes most sense, it is the fastest,” LaSha said. Light-rail on University Avenue will slow-up traffic, he said. DeWitt noted that PPERRIA agreed in 2002 that the line should run on University Avenue.

Dave Barnhart, owner of the Prospect Park Business Park property, said he was grateful to PPERRIA for its concern about the potential impact on his property. “Thank you very much,” Barnhart said. However, he said he didn’t know of a better way other than taking part of his property. Poppele said Met Council planners would work with Barnhart.

Barnhart said, “I do feel like I’m scheduled for a root canal,” drawing laughter. However, “The worse case scenario,” he said, “would be to have the tracks run by with no station.”

CENTRAL CORRIDOR HISTORY OUTLINED

Chair of the Transit Committee John DeWitt described the history of the Central Corridor project and the planning for it in Prospect Park. His review responded to objections by some at recent meetings that they were not familiar with the history and planning for the project.

DeWitt said Ramsey County started work on an environmental impact statement in 2001. In June 2006, the Met Council selected light rail as the mode, and selected University Avenue for the alignment.

In 2001-2002, PPERRIA adopted a resolution favoring the University Avenue alignment. Between 2002 and 2006, PPERRIA conducted a survey, held a workshop, and adopted design objectives and guidelines along the route. The $50,000 for planning was funded by Hennepin County, the city, and PPERRIA’s NRP (Neighborhood Revitalization Project) funds.

A PPERRIA resolution in 2002 favored three stations between Highway 280 and Oak Street. They were Westgate, 29th Avenue in Prospect Park, and Stadium Village.

LETTER SUPPORTS BUT CAUTIONS ABOUT NRP CHANGES

The membership voted in support of a letter written by Dick Poppele to the city concerning the proposed reorganization of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP). The vote included a motion to send copies of the letter to suburban Hennepin County legislators, for information and their support.

At the meeting, Poppele said the city is in the process of redefining citizen participation. In the letter, Poppele said it must be clear “that citizen input is welcome and a real part of the governance process.” The letter states, “… funding to the neighborhoods for administrative support is … essential to augment and support volunteer efforts.”

Poppele concludes in the letter, “While availability of funds will certainly govern, the city must not sacrifice the real potential of local initiatives for the sake of a perceived efficiency through centralization.”

Poppele noted that Prospect Park’s NRP designation is different than in the rest of Southeast. Prospect Park’s focus is on preservation and protection, not redevelopment. He referred those interested to a website that documents NRP success stories: www.neighbors4nrp.com/the/info.nsf/Get+NRP/What+is+NRP!opendocument

HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM APPLICATIONS

Roger Kiemele reported that PPERRIA’s new NRP-funded home improvement program so far has five applications. “Hopefully, we’ll get some more calls,” Kiemele said. Six percent low-interest and zero percent deferred loans are available. The loans are intended for exterior projects, correcting code violations, and health and safety improvements. There are income limits.

Kiemele said information is available at www.mncee.org. For information, e-mail: byaritz@mncee.org, or call 612-335-5891.

DRUGSTORE, RETAIL, STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT PLANNED

Zoning Committee Chair Florence Littman reported that an application is expected to be made to the city for redevelopment of a Stadium Village block, between Oak and Ontario streets, on Washington Avenue. The project would not, however, include the Chipotle restaurant or the military recruitment office.

Littman said the city council voted in favor of keeping the Oak Street Cinema a theater. The development plans include a 14,000 square foot CVS drugstore, student housing, and two levels of underground parking, she said.

DRY CLEANERS MAY OPEN

Zoning Chair Littman reported that a dry cleaning store might locate in the new M-Flats student condo building.

U GARDENS REQUESTING FULL LIQUOR LICENSE

Littman said U Gardens has applied to the city for a full liquor license. She said the application presents a problem for some members of the zoning committee.

NEXT MEETING: Monday, April 28, 2008.

MEETINGS:
4th Monday of the month, 7 p.m., unless otherwise announced. Refreshments, conversation 6:30-7 p.m. Prospect Park United Methodist Church, 22 Orlin Ave. SE

CONTACT: 612-331-2970, 66 SE Malcolm Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55414; pperria@tcfreenet.org, www.pperr.org

last revised: March 27, 2008

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