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| [A Villager enjoying a sidewalk café.] |
Headline: City getting ready to roll out its new organized system of trash collection; Residents will be asked in May to select service level
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: Instead of having lots of trucks roll down your street or alley multiple days per week picking up one or two trash cans, one truck is going to roll down your street or alley once a week picking up all the trash cans. Illegal dumping is also mentioned. The project is going to cost $4M up front. Some people will pay more, others will pay less. Article includes rates. People can choose what size trash can to have. Garbage people were upset. Neighbors are concerned about chaos.
Headline: Accessory dwelling gaining support -- in theory anyway
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: Many people think it should be OK to allow small apartments in and around single-family homes in more places, but nobody is building them regardless. There was a public hearing. [Deregulating some rules like the one that requires staircases to be enclosed will allow people to actually build these. Currently they are too expensive to make sense anywhere but in the city's most wealthy areas.]
Headline: Permit for 6-story apartment bldg. at St. Clair and Snelling gets hearing; Latest proposal has more brick and fewer balconies near homes
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: An empty / abandoned strip mall and parking lot area on Snelling Avenue might become a mixed-use building with retail and apartments. Neighbors are concerned about size, traffic, and parking. Others seem to like it.
Headline: HDC supports permit, rezoning, variance for old Riverside site
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: The place where a school used to be by Lexington and West 7th might become senior housing. It also offers a chance to make the intersection safer for people.
Headline: City proposes new rules governing historic districts, sites; Plan would give more authority to Heritage Preservation Commission and raise fees for reviews, appeals
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: There are historic districts in the city, and a Commission which oversees them. [I attended one of these meetings, but left after an hour-long discussion of proper shingles for a garage roof.] Article lists the city's historic districts. The city is looking at shifting the process for these kinds of decisions. [Seems OK to me.] Article mentions "minimum maintenance standards." [That seems scary to me. Sigh.]
Headline: Ward 4 DFL endorses Nelson in race for City Council seat; Erstad remains in race in hopes of robust campaign
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: There was a party convention for the Ward 4 City Council seat and Mitra Jalali Nelson won easily. Article has brief descriptions of the meeting and the candidates. Shirley Erstad [commenter on this very blog!] is remaining in the race.
Headline: Wabash Ave. apartments plan dropped
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: A developer had planned on using historic preservation credits to building housing in an old slaughterhouse by a brewery but an industrial company complained and now they are not going to. [That is too bad. The Planning Commission supported the project.]
Headline: Met council plans upgrade of aging sewer near Minnehaha
Author: Bill Wagner
Short short version: Over in Minneapolis, and old sewer will be replaced.
Headline: Marshall rezoning plan would put density where 'it makes most sense'
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: The city is looking at rezoning much of the land along Marshall Avenue between the Mississippi and Hamline. Neighbors are concerned. The plan would like to see density along the main intersections. Article includes some rezoning suggestions. Some people living in the area would like to see a "balance." Others would like to see the golf course rezoned. [Woah! Now that's an idea...]
Headline: April snowfalls bring May flooding
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: The river is high.
Headline: City proposes changes to permit parking program
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: in some neighborhoods, only residents can park on the street. After decades of not doing anything, the city is looking at how that policy is working. The will consolidate some of the zone, and limit the number of permits each home can have while making them slightly more expensive. Quote from member of the Transportation Committee [not me]: "Saint Paul doesn't like change." Saint Paul police do not really enforce any of these rules anyway because they are impossible to enforce, pretty much.
Headline: Debate continues on design of new Dale St. bridge over I-94
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: The County and MN-DOT are building a new bridge over the freeway at Dale Street. the goals were loft, including making the sidewalks safer. the neighborhood group is upset. The project has been delayed for a year. Neighbors are concerned about speeding cars, too-narrow sidewalks, and wider corners. Ramsey County public works is waffling on the design details. [I am going to guess that they would like more turn lanes, no bike lanes, and narrower sidewalks.]
Headline: Council supports parking bans for Lexington bikeway plan
Author: Jane McClure
Short short version: There was a meeting and the City will put bike lanes on Lexington Parkway, taking away some on-street parking [that was rarely used].Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. CM Tolbert is quoted; "the important point is that this will make Lexington a safer road." Local up-and-coming young person is quoted:" I don't like it when bike lanes just end." [Please note: this is the first Highland Villager that I can remember that did NOT include a "local news roundup" section with 5 or 6 short articles of local streets and sidewalks news. What's up with that?]
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