2009-09-08

Reading the Highland Villager #5 (September 2 - 22 Edition)

[[This edition was chock-a-block full of election coverage, descriptions of various School Board and mayoral candidates. Thus, less sidewalk news. -Ed.] Basically, the problem is that the best source of local streets & sidewalks news in Saint Paul is the Highland Villager. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. I'm reading the Highland Villager so that you don't have to. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free.]



Total # of articles about sidewalks: 4
Total # of articles about sidewalks written by Jane McClure: 4


Title: City offers to underwrite additional LRT station
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Villager version of the well-covered story about the added LRT station along University Avenue. Story goes into some detail about the bureaucratic detail, including the Management Committee vote on the city offer and that the Final EIS allowed for the station to be added in an expedient way. Includes an amusing Mayor Coleman quote about how "there never any question that there'd be at least one infill station." [Yeah, right. -Ed.] The money for the station is going to some from random TIF districts from along the LRT line. The County and Rail authority still need to see how this will impact ridership estimates.


Title: Board rejects variances for Pride's project
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: StP Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) voted to reject a request or variance to build an apartment building for low-income people along W. 7th Street. The current zoning code requires new buildings to have at least a 2 acre site, and parking lot with at least 25 feet setback, while the proposed site has only 1.23 acres and 4-foot parking setback. The denial came against the BZA city staff recommendation, and there is some accusations that the city is just putting up political resistance to building low-income housing [which is never, ever popular. -Ed.]. Article has lots of quotes about how the decisions screws the Project for Pride in Living (PPL), who were trying to build the apartment building.


Title: Proposal gives St. Paul's chicken owners something to cluck about
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Council Member Russ Stark is trying to relax reualgions for city chicken permits. Currently you have to get 75 % of your neighbors to agree to share their neighborhood with chickens, and pay a $72 annual fee. Stark wants to get rid of the petition requirement and lower the fee to $25 (as long as you have fewer than 3 chickens). The city has been studying urban chickenry for some time.


Title: SUPC supports plans for a Subway restaurant on Selby-Victoria corner
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Summit-University Neighborhood Council supports the attempt to build a subway franchise on Selby & Victoria. [A long-underinvested corner. -Ed.] It will need a Conditional Use Permit, and may require other variances. Story has some debate about the health merits of fast food

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