Como Avenue Southeast and Talmage road construction

Jeff Handeland presented the city’s upcoming construction plans for Como Avenue Southeast and Talmage Avenue. Como Avenue reconstruction from 22nd and 33rd Avenues Southeast will start March 30. It involves completely redoing the street, sidewalks, storm drain and water main work. Paving construction is likely to last two months. According to the city’s website, “Traffic will be impacted as a result of the construction project. The posted detour will be Como Ave. S.E. to 18th Ave. S.E. to Hennepin Ave. to 29th Ave S.E. Metro Transit buses will use 22nd Ave. S.E. instead of 18th Ave S.E.”

Secondly, on Talmage, there’s to be a safety upgrade as it intersects with a Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail crossing between 21st and 22nd Avenues. The street was going to be closed for safety reasons nearly two years ago, but neighbors organized, signed petitions and worked with the city to come up a plan to install a median to improve the crossing and keep Talmage open, SECIA staffer James De Sota explained.

That includes installing a four-foot median; it will prevent drivers from weaving around the crossing arms, said Handeland, who added that there’ll also be new curbs and gutters. Traffic lanes will run 11 feet in both directions. Some community members have expressed interest in putting in greenery on the median, he said. During the discussion, people voiced complaints about the site’s lack of lighting and possible soil contamination due to chemical sprayings. There were questions about the ownership of the site and who to contact about the possible pollution issues. More discussion on the project is planned to take place within the next couple weeks.

SECIA office lease

The board approved a motion to accept a $30 monthly heating bill agreement with its new landlord Elmwood Properties.

Sprinkler discussion

There was discussion about a sprinkler system plan that is being made possible through a matching business grant for the old Rayvic Service Station site at 1501 E. (SECIA offers grant opportunities to neighborhood businesses. Andrew Volna, a SECIA board member and also the building’s new owner, applied for a Como business grant to improve his property’s exterior. Volna has remodeled and rented the space. One landscaping aspect of his plan for the site includes installation of a sprinkler system. The board sought clarification on the sprinkler system’s placement and how much turf will be installed on-site. Board members also want to work with Volna on getting a raingarden there.

Upholstered furniture in yards

The Board approved sending a letter to the City Council regarding upholstered furniture in yards. They agree that the housing code amendment proposed by Council member Diane Hofstede should relate to both screened and unscreened porches. In the letter, SECIA president Wendy Menken states that indoor furniture constitutes a public health and safety concern when it’s brought outside due to “harborage of rodents, growth of mold an, and fire hazards…”

Grant application

The board approved a motion that allows SECIA to move forward on a grant application to put together a planning document concerning the area’s polluted sites.

PCA resolution
The Board approved a resolution’s official language that’s required by the state for a Move-in/Move-out grant that SECIA submitted to the Pollution Control Agency. MOVE-IN/MOVE OUT?

Safety

The SECIA board has been collaborating with the second precinct to develop a community policing plan for Como Avenue Southeast. It includes encouraging residents to call 911 when they observe a crime or suspicious activity and promoting the organization of block clubs. Board members approved a motion to forward it on to the second precinct police station.

Parking enforcement

Separate from the community policing plan discussed above, some Como residents have been working with the second precinct crime specialist Nick Juarez to cope with parking issues through community outreach and education. The idea is to get board backing into exploring community parking issues. That means letting people know that parking over a sidewalk isn’t permitted; drivers need to leave space at the corners, shouldn’t park on lawns, and other rules. Concerns about enforcement of these rules have been heightened with the U of M stadium that will be operating this year. Community members who are working on this will be studying the process of reporting to the authorities about parking problems. The board approved the project.

City Council member update

As a part of his update to community members, Council member Cam Gordon said the University of Minnesota is heading to the Legislature to talk about expanding its police department ordinances so it can better handle problems that it’s anticipating will arise when its new stadium opens. “There are concerns about the stadium and they want to expand their authority,” said Gordon. That led into more discussion about possible safety concerns surrounding the campus.

Treasurer’s report

The board approved the financial report.

Treasurer Connie Sullivan presented a budget that showed how much it costs to run SECIA. She said grants have helped a lot and others are currently being developed. SECIA also benefits from homeownership grants, she said.

President Wendy Menken said this is a good time to put some thought into the neighborhood’s focus. For example, “How much of our resources do we dole out to the [University District] Alliance?”

Next meeting: Tuesday, April 7, 6:30–9 p.m.
Van Cleve Park
915—15th Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55454
www.secomo.org

SECIA Office:
837—15th Ave SE.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
James DeSota, neighborhood coordinator
secomo@secomo.org

last revised: April 2, 2009

• Login or register to post comments