A friend and regular correspondent sent this from a Linden Hills Zoning Committee meeting last week:
There were about 40 citizens there to hear Council Member Palmisano speak about having to do this moratorium. Most there were opposed to the moratorium. The clear and present danger (my words) that prompted an immediate moratorium was so that a “study” could be done correctly to determine the effects of all this positive economic energy. Good heavens, storm water run-off might increase. Really folks the reasons are additional storm water, increased demands on landfills, irritating construction workers, dumpsters parked on the street (hey how about PLOWING the streets better) and ugly remodels. Wow if those are the reasons have I got a stadium remodel that should be moratoriumized for the same reason plus a burden on the current and future taxpayers.
That’s the thing about NIMBYs (people who say “not in my back yard” to everything) – they don’t want anything in their backyard!
Most people got up and said this is a real drag on their businesses, their personal lives, and it simply is an over-reaction to a problem that is already solved by zoning and permit laws. Just enforce the laws on the books. But the complaint from Mr. Cress of the planning department (CPED) is that his staff is stretched. Welcome to the real world so add some staff, authorize some overtime, work a little smarter. When asked if he recommended the moratorium he said that’s what elected officials do.
Then the last speaker from the zoning committee said she thanked the council member for not caving in to “scare” tactics of job loss and business loss. Really? What about the scare tactics of storm water increases and overflowing landfills. Good grief what a hypocrite.
This city is in so much trouble. We need more diversity at city council. The current groupthink is wildly destructive.
There’s an old adage – when you pay people to do things, they’ll do them.
The obverse of that adage is “if you get a city full of people who are True Believers in the power of government, you’ll get a lot of it”.
It’s too bad Robert’s Rules of Order are so powerful. That speaker from the zoning committee who talked about scare tactics desparately needed to have someone stand up and yell at her about her scare tactics right back in her face.
What? Their department is “stretched”? Give me a freaking break! Minneapolitans are continually getting their asses handed to them in the form of higher taxes to pay for stupid things like fountains! I guess that money would have been put to better use to actually SERVE the taxpayer by hiring more staff. But, they never learn and keep voting Dems into office. Pathetic!
Isn’t a stretched planning department a good thing? Sort of synonymous business being good? Apparently some people want to invest in their city which seems like what a planning department is meant to facilitate. Their stance is like a shopkeeper closing for the day due to an abundance of customers.
Once the moratorium is lifted, is it possible that the term “affordable housing” will be well-used? Harsh as it may be, count me on the NIMBY side of that one. I can’t really comprehend why else the city would do such a thing. Perhaps MPLS has an over-abundance of artists in need of shelter …