Reading the Highland Villager #232

[A Villager on a chair.]

[Basically the problem is that the best source of Saint Paul streets & sidewalks news is the Highland Villager, a very fine and historical newspaper. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. You basically have to live in or frequent Saint Paul to read it. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free. See also: Three Reasons Why I Re-Blog the Highland Villager.]


Headline: City Council is posed to OK Ryan's change to Ford site plan
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The City Council seems like to [did] approve the changes to the Ford Site zoning that were requested by the Ryan Cos. developer. Article includes list of them. CM Tolbert quoted saying "the amendments are very reasonable." CM Thao "praised the company." CM Prince is quoted saying "to suggest this is anything other than our shared values is a mistake." Article does quote some people who were opposed to the changes, including one guy who said that "increasing parking increases driving to the site." [That is true.] 


Headline: Stadium traffic plan is a work in progress; City staff to monitor MN United's April 13 opener for ways to improve plan
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The soccer field will open [did open] and people will get there [got there] somehow. There is a plan but it will be "tweaked" and revised over time. There is a parking app. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. You cannot park on yards or grass. Some company with a dot com address is putting up fliers in the neighborhood. You can tailgate at the State Fair.


Headline: Potholed Ayd Mill Rd. will get new surface
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The city seems poised to spend $3.5M to put new asphalt on the 1.5-mile long city-owned freeway spur.   Article mentions that "one person even posted a version of the video game Oregon Trial to describe the streets rough condition." [Well, that aggression cannot stand.] In 2007, "reconstruction of the road was ballparked at $44M. [Well given that highway construction costs have been increasing at higher than the rate of inflation, that amount would be at least $54M today, and probably much more than that. My guess is that the mill and overlay might last 10 years but that's about it.] Article mentions John Ayd. 



Headline: Rezoning of 770 Grand opens door to Treats
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The City Council voted to allow an empty hair salon to become a tea shop that also sells ice cream. CM Prince is quoted: "I heard the owner promise he has no intention of demolishing the building or of expanding the building with one of those really ugly additions." [I honestly do not know what she is talking about here.] The street has zoning from the 1980s [that frankly is kind of weird and out-of-date. At the Zoning Committee hearing, the son of the owner of the Grand Ole Creamery, who were the only people to testify against this proposal, admitted that it was simply because the new store was going to sell ice cream and they did not want the competition. In short, it became clear that the pearl clutching about the BC zoning was simply a facade to keep ice cream away from their store]. Quote from former CM Thune: "you'll kill the golden goose that is Grand by plucking it one pinfeather at at time. [Has Thune noticed any of the changes to the street in the last few years?]



Headline: St. Paul's home values climb 7.8% on average
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Housing prices are going up. [That is a lot.] Some neighborhoods are seeing increases higher than others. [Please note that this increase is NOT because of lots of market rate apartment construction. In fact, there is not a great deal of that in Saint Paul, and it is concentrated in very few places.]



Headline: City hearings set on $600,000 in unpaid trash bills
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Some people are not paying their trash bills for various reasons. There is an organized group called "St. Paul Trash." [Are they more organized than the trash system was a few years ago? If so, that is ironic.] Out of the original eleven trash companies that began the organized system, only seven remain. [IMO Saint Paul made a mistake by agreeing to work with all these small companies in the first place, when they were not operating in good faith from the very beginning.]



Headline: St. Paul prepares to assess damage left by spring flood
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version:  The river is high, because of all the water in it. Some things might be damaged. Streets are closed. It takes a while to clean up stuff.



Headline: Hearing set on St. Paul's 20-year plan for land use along river
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There is a plan for how to fit the city's land use along the river. It's part of the Comp Plan, but is sort of separate because its regulated by the DNR and Federal parks agency. There are a few points of conflict, like the Ford Site, where height might be an issue.



Headline: West 7th Federation may expand board of directors with three seats for renters
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The neighborhood group along West 7th Street is going to require renters to be on the board, probably. [This should be mandatory for every group in the city. It's hugely important that these organizations not be de facto homeowners associations.] Head of the group is quoted as saying: "We're looking at ways to get more participation and more diverse participation." [Know your bylaws was the golden rule of Lyndon Johnson.] Article explains the by-laws and the "sub-areas." [That is very into the weeds.] 



Headline: Commission supports plan to use Summit-U church as event center
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: An old church on Dayton Avenue might become an event center [and adult day-care and childcare facility, which weirdly the article does not mention]. The old church was deigned by Cass Gilbert. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking.