Joe Doakes from Como Park writes:

After nearly killing Cupcake on Grand, the city is finally considering whether Mega-Mall-style parking lots are really necessary in St. Paul.

The City Council wants citizen input on the parking rule change, so a public hearing will be held at 5:30 in the Council Chambers in downtown St. Paul.

Because that’s a handy place for people to meet. Plenty of convenient parking. Easy to get to. Easy to find. Everybody knows where the council chambers are, and how to get there, and where to park, and how much it costs . . . during rush hour . . . right?

Look, if you want the public’s opinion, you ask the public at a time and place where the public is likely to show up, not just P&Z staffers. If you don’t actually want our opinion because you’re going to do whatever you want to do anyway, the cut out the nonsense and get on with it.

Businesses like Cupcake who plan to invest tens of thousands of dollars in St. Paul will roll with the punches or they’ll go somewhere else. And then you can have all your precious street parking for non-profit welfare agencies and low-income apartments.

Joe Doakes

Como Park

Manipulating public hearings is a DFL oldie but goodie.

My favorite example:  back in 1987, when then-Senator Alan Spears was proposing a ratcheting-up of gun control laws, they scheduled public hearings on the bill.

And then proceeded to move it, constantly, so that outstate human-rights supporters could come and testify against the orcs – or at least stand up against them and be counted.  The DFL counted, then as now, on being able to manipulate the system to keep as few dissenters as possible from attending.

Real Minnesotans still outnumbered the orcs 600-24 – but that was state-level Second Amendment legislation, not Saint Paul parking.

Plan on the City Council being able to say “The public told us they hate having enough affordable parking”.