2. The previous B/M/N minutes will be published in coming PPERRIA Newsletters.
3. Nicole Magnan and Officer Gary Hein provided copies of the 4/25/99 to 5/23/99 neighborhood crime statistics. There were several thefts in the University Avenue area. Materials were provided reviewing actions neighbors can take to prevent this type of criminal activity. As this is the open window/door season, we are reminded that screens alone do not provide prevention from crime, nor does restricting the opening of windows or doors. Also talked about was the importance of not letting mail set in outside mail boxes especially as this is the time for tax refund check mailings. Recommended that bicycles, outboard motors, lawnmowers, snowblowers, etc., left in garages be attached by chain and lock to the floor or walls of the garage, even if the door is closed and maybe locked.
4. Andy Mickel, PPERRIA Housing Improvement chair and PPERRIA/NRP Joint Improvement/UNOCAL/ Fourth St. Housing Committee member, circulated a Housing Committee update as of 5/17/99 by Brighton Development Corporation of their activities on the proposed housing for the UNOCAL and Fourth Street sites. Acceptable to the neighborhood, housing development on the UNOCAL and Fourth Street sites was identified as a neighborhood priority during the development of the PPERRIA/NRP Action plan in 1995: "places for neighbors to move to within the neighborhood and development of the two remaining possible housing sites in the neighborhood." Linda Donaldson, a principal member of the Brighton Development Corporation (Brighton), talked about their activities with the two sites. Brighton earlier developed the townhouses now on the Motley School site in the Motley neighborhood. Brighton has sent a purchase agreement to UNOCAL and UNOCAL has verbally agreed to most points. Remaining is the proposal for UNOCAL to sell the property to Brighton for $0 and, in return, Brighton will purchase insurance that takes UNOCAL "off the hook." for any liability for pollution on the site. Probably an even deal. Brighton is working (1) with the city to rezone to R-3, medium density housing; (2) with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MCDA) on the ongoing site pollution issues and (3) on a building plan for the site. The market for market rate townhouses is strong and expected to remain so.
Although it is the neighborhood's plan to develop the UNOCAL and Fourth St. sites at the same time and with the same developer for the benefit of all, timing considerations have forced the development of the Fourth Street site first. The planned expansion of Hubbard (KSTP) on property north of Fourth Street has been put on hold with the sale of United States Satellite Broadcasting (USSB) by Hubbard. This original sale of the north of Fourth Street property has reduced the size of the proposed housing to 12 units south of Fourth Street. The necessity for (1) the relocation of Kampa Tire and (2) the increase in asking prices of the current owners of the remaining properties due to long standing proposed housing for the sites, along with (3) the reduction of the number of units, has resulted in the need for some "buydown" on the site. This will not be necessary for the UNOCAL site.
Brighton has purchase agreements on all sites except for an open lot owned by Gopher Machinery which, due to the death of its owner, is in probate and will require condemnation by the city. Brighton's purchase agreements need to be done soon, before they expire, to avoid the possible purchase of the sites by others who are not as willing to consider the concerns of the neighborhood as to what is placed on the sites. Although there have been proposals for housing for the site for as long as anyone can remember, to get construction of any housing other than rental walkup buildings on the sites, will require some buydown on the sites' prices. There currently has been $100,000 approved for this purpose and an additional $500,000 will be requested. In answer to questions about the buydown using PPERRIA/NRP funds on these units, we should consider that the proposed project is (1) on the neighborhood "wish list," and (2) that the original intention was that these units be included with the proposed 40+ units on the UNOCAL site. This will also allow the project to be completed within this millennium! The housing committee will work with Brighton on the many financial questions raised at the meeting. Individuals are requested to put their questions in writing, so none are overlooked, and send to Steve Cross at PPERRIA 66 Malcolm SE or cross@isd.net
5. Kris Amundson & Tim Busse, University of Minnesota (UM) staff, provided materials and talked about UM construction projects. They reported that there are starting or soon to start 30 major and 550 other projects. They say that there will be increased contact by the UM with the affected neighborhoods about the effect on the neighborhoods. Current projects should not affect entrances to the campus and almost all displaced parking was contract parking now at other UM parking sites. During the next 3 summers, Hennepin County will be painting the traffic level of the Washington Avenue bridge and traffic will be one lane each way most of the time. Neighborhood comments centered on UM-related parking in the neighborhoods and that information requested at an earlier PPERRIA/UM meeting concerning this issue has not been received-especially about parking from the Dunbar site, 25th to 27th Avenues on Washington Avenue, as the UM has leased a large part of that housing project for UM dorm students.
6. Announcements:
8. Susan Gottlieb, PPERRIA/NRP Implementation Coordinator, indicated that at the sign-in table were copies of the 4/26/99 PPERRIA/NRP Action Plan budget status report. She reported that within the Administration section now were the Winter Splash program at Luxton/Pratt and the Block Club program. Of a budget total of $3,236,010, $741,863 has been released and contracted (paid), $1,115,258 has been released but not contracted and $1,379,789 has yet to be released by PPERRIA. The great bulk of this is for the proposed housing on the Gopher and Kampa sites. The remainder is remaining balances for not-yet-completed other programs.
9. Florence Littman, PPERRIA Zoning cochair, reported that the committee has: recommended a hardship variance for an addition at 13 27th Avenue SE; the continuance of the nonconforming housing use at 3110 4th Street SE; and that there is a nonconforming structure recently built in the back yard of 3135 4th Street SE. The building inspector has been notified and it is the committee's position that a hardship variance is not in order. An unresolved issue is the nature of the zoning and any variances for properties owned by the Ronald McDonald House in the Motley neighborhood.
10. See the back of the 5/99 PPERRIA Newsletter for the PPERRIA/NRP contractor activities report 4/10/99 through 5/7/99. Since the start of the PPERRIA/NRP Action Plan on 10/18/95, 89% of the PPERRIA/NRP contractor budget has been paid.
11/12. Old and new business. Mike Atherton, PPERRIA member, stated that PPERRIA has done its best to alienate people in the neighborhood in the administration of the PPERRIA/NRP Action Plan and if they want to be inclusive of neighborhood residents, PPERRIA is going to have to start letting people know about when actions of the PPERRIA/NRP Action Plan are to be implemented. He presented slides of announcements in the 5/99 Southeast Angle of PPERRIA's listing in the Meetings section and a larger paid announcement by the Marcy/Holmes neighborhood. It was pointed out that Marcy/Holmes is in the early stages of their NRP Action Plan and their announcement was for participants in Residential Improvement programs, not announcing meetings. When the neighborhood wrote the PPERRIA/NRP Action Plan, the neighborhood did not rate individual resident improvement programs high enough to be included in the PPERRIA/NRP Action Plan. The issue of information to the neighborhood is valid and an ongoing task. Jeanne Moses, PPERRIA member, indicated that she will contact the Southeast Angle as to the time table and costs of PPERRIA/NRP placing individual adds and indicated that the Southeast Angle Board of Directors is working on an improved "Neighborhood Page."
Motion made, seconded and passed without noes: "To adjourn."
Daniel Patenaude, PPERRIA Secretary. Comments and/or corrections to 117 Arthur Avenue SE or marko001@tc.umn.edu