Reading the Highland Villager #255

[Alpha and Omega Highland Villager.]

[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: Our readers' support is more vital than it's ever been; with continued assistance we hope latest challenges will only make us stronger
Author: Michael Mischke

Short short version: The owner of the Villager is asking people for money. Some people are giving him some. They raised  $17K over the last few weeks, but it's not enough because advertising has disappeared. They have a PPP loan. Key passages from the article: "mass communication [!] ... [has] wreaked havoc with the business model.... $17,500 in donations will cover the cost of printing, delivery and compensation of our freelancers -- but only for a single edition of this newspaper." [Wow.] The key passage: "The Villager is quickly pivoting to greatly enhance the value of our website by distributing our editorial content online. We envision our online content to be further enhanced with an archive of past editions and a separate gallery of historical photos and accompanying historical feature stories. ... online content will be available to readers by paid subscription only.  It's our intention to continue to distribute a printed product should our financial resources allow it, but in the current depleted advertising environment those resources will have to come largely from our readers." [So you'll have to pay to read the editorials online -- by far the worst part of the paper -- and as long as people keep dropping off $17K a month at the offices on Snelling Avenue, they'll keep printing it. First, that's a lot of money and its clearly unsustainable. Second, who is the money going to support? This edition might be the last of the Highland Villager folks, which is something I've been worried about / expecting for years anyway. Jane McClure, who is solely responsible for 90% of the value the Villager provides, should just have a Patreon and a blog. She might even make more money without all the overhead. I'd sign up, and would finally stop doing this re-cap.]


Headline: Traffic study offers clearer picture of challenges posed by 3-lane redesign of Ayd Mill Road; Public comment sought on $7.5 million project [Whoever does the typefaces for the Villager layout must be furloughed or something because the headline typefaces are all over the place in this issue.]
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. [Also, there is no traffic and parking any more.]  There are two online videos and some people have watched them. Events held at Allianz Field will not affect the road very much, if at all. [Also, all events have been cancelled. There is no traffic any more. In fact, bicycling is the only thing that exists now.]


Headline: Hope for a new spirit of giving; Breakfast Bar steps up with free meals for needy in a city ravaged by a virus
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A new restaurant is giving food away.


Headline: Ryan Cos. wins some, loses some Ford site plan changes
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Planning Commission met online to consider changes to the Ford site plan proposed by the developer. Some were accepted, others weren't. The ones that were rejected included getting rid of a shared street, and reducing commercial requirements on the corners of the site.


Headline: Advisory committee plans for parks and open spaces on Ford site
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There is group of people trying to figure out where the parks should go at the old Ford factory and what they should look like. One is named John Mountain [which is an excellent name for a parks commissioner]. There will be about 10 acres.


Headline: City closes playgrounds, reduces skyway hours, reins in spending
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The skate parks are locked, and there are signs by the playgrounds telling people not to use them. Skyways are closed sometimes too. Public Works has been asked to get rid of beg buttons by concerned people, but has not done so because it is focusing on "more pressing maintenance needs." 


Headline: Council OKs zoning change for new Rondo museum and gallery
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A group can renovate an old church into a museum near old Rondo Avenue, which was destroyed to build the freeway displacing a large part of the city's African-American community. [Very cool.] They have a grant from the realtors association. [Fitting. Realtors have a a lot to answer for, historically speaking.] They will not have to build any parking for the museum.


Headline: UPDC supports low-income units for 6-story Marshall Avenue flats
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A neighborhood group thinks a new 97-unit apartment building is fine, as long as some units are affordable at 30% AMI.


Headline: Emergency shelter allowed for homeless with virus symptoms
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A historic nurses dorm is being opened up for homeless people with COVID-19. [Yikes. I toured the shelter a few months ago. Very vulnerable population in very close proximity. The people that work at shelters are underpaid and so critical, but they seem also extremely exposed. Maybe we'll start funding anti-poverty and affordable housing programs in this country now?]


Headline: Commission moves hearing on multifamily zoning regs to May 1
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version:There will be a public hearing on proposed changes to the RM zoning code, which is apartment buildings that are not in the T traditional neighborhood category. The code dates to the 1970s, and will allow more density in more subtle ways than the T zoning does. Only written comments will be taken.


Headline: City agrees to $120K settlement for Midway Pro Bowl relocation
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: In a court settlement, the city is paying $120K to the bowling alley that was displaced for the soccer stadium They did not get properly paid for the "relocation" and took the city to court over it. [See also my story on the closing of the alley. Ironically, with proper ventilation, it seems to me possible to bowl while maintaining social distance, as opposed to soccer.] 


Headline: Union Gospel holds online gala with celebrity guests April 20-24
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A christian rock guy and Paul Douglas will be online. [You can send money to Union Gospel Mission here.]


Headline: Commission grants permit, variances for 5-story building at University-Hampden
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A one-story office building next to the McDonalds is being torn down and replaced with a five-story apartment building. It will have 147 apartments and 90 parking spaces.Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking.


Headline: Businesses make most of a market rocked by stay-at-home; Customer service shits to the Internet or curb for those firms that can find a way to stay open
Author: Roger Barr

Short short version: Lots of businesses are struggling to stay somewhat open.


Headline: STA's idled 3D printers used to make face shields for health care workers
Author: Dave Wright

Short short version: A private school is printing plastic face shields.


Headline: St. Paul shuts down playgrounds, sports courts as result of pandemic
Author: Bill Wagner

Short short version: Basically the same story as above only with a different typeface and author.


Headline: Flooding from spring thaw closes much of Fort Snelling State Park 
Author: ???

Short short version: The river is high right now.

Reading the Highland Villager #254

[A Villager bound on a residential walkway.]

[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: Decade of construction work begins on Ford site; Ryan Companies lays out schedule for carrying out massive project
Author:

Short short version: A former car and truck factory was torn down and it will become housing and some office / retail buildings. There was a meeting about it. Construction will be noisy. Some trees might be saved. It will all take years. Some streets will be closed for a while. There will be dust.


Headline: Spring ushers in a long season of roadwork; Getting around by car in 2020 will include a maze of detours
Author:

Short short version: Some roads need to be fixed, and government workers are going to fix them. Article lists some o the projects.


Headline: City hosts discussion on Ayd Mill Road redesign
Author:

Short short version: There was a meeting planned for what to do about a city-owned freeway spur. [But it was cancelled due to the pandemic. There was a video instead; see also.]


Headline: City committee frowns on proposed changes to Ford plan; Planning commissioners fear amendments would undermine intent of plan
Author:

Short short version: The developer of the former car and truck factory wanted to change some things about the zoning and street plan, and the Zoning Committee accepted some of the changes but rejected others. [I missed this meeting, but the full Commission recently met online last week and almost nearly unanimously approved the Zoning Committee's recommendations.] One of the issues was the amount of commercial space that would be required on the corners of the site. [The plan calls for the barest minimum of "mixed-use", 10% of the space, and the Commission decided to keep that in place.] Another issue was whether to build a "shared street" [in a back alley space or to have the 30' street delineated with sidewalk and curbs]. The Commission also voted to keep the shared street design in place. [There is no compelling reason not to do this, and in fact, many reasons to try it out and set a good precedent for walkable slow-speed street design in the city.] The changes will go to the City Council now. [If the past is any guide, the Council will simply give the developer whatever they want.]  


Headline: St. Paul outlines new regulations to better protect tenants
Author:

Short short version: Some people want to allow tenants to have more rights. CM Jalali and Mayor Carter are pushing a proposal that would install a set of things that would give renters more leverage in negotiations with landlords. [This is similar to the Minneapolis changes that were recently passed.] Article lists changes in detail, e.g. tenant screen guidelines, limits on security deposit, etc.


Headline: Blame it on bedrock - Plans revised for 7-story building on W. 7th
Author:

Short short version: An apartment building that was to be built in a vacant lot / auto garage might have to change because the bedrock is not low enough. There will be a new kind of parking ramp that "stacks vehicles." There will also be more units, and it will be higher. It still requires permits and variances. 


Headline: Four stories of affordable senior housing proposed on West End
Author:

Short short version: A new 47-unit apartment building for older people might be built in a "green space" in which children sometimes play. There would only be eleven parking spaces. Quote from neighbor: "it's not the most inspired building." 


Headline: Rejection of service shop demolition throws wench into Selby-Dale plans; HPC says developer can't replace garage in historic district with 5-story building
Author:

Short short version: A 49-unit apartment building was planned, but the Heritage Preservation Commission does not want a boarded up auto garage to e torn down. The garage dates to 1915 but was changed in 1926 to expand the road. Quote from preservation report: "the structure still architecturally reads as an auto garage." The developer thought about trying to keep and re-use the building but said it was not possible. A preservationist is quoted saying "[it is] an elegant example of a historic garage." Another Commissioner said that the apartment proposal "reminds me of Cabrini-Green, only shorter." [Well, there it is... I think that might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever read in a non-editorial Villager article! It's also probably racist.]  Another person was allowed to testify and said that there is "massive height drift" taking place in Cathedral Hill. ["Height drift"? I do have to give credit to this person for making up totally new and creative concepts. For reference, the proposed building is five stories. Fun fact: the also five-story Blair Arcade building used to be even taller, back when it had a turret. It would be so much easier to defend the preservation community if they were not so frequently absurd.] 


Headline: Bandshell, deck sought at Keg & Case; West 7th market also looks to lift liquor restriction
Author:

Short short version: The food hall in the old brewery would like to add a performance bandshell and a patio with a liquor license. CM Noecker is trying to figure out how to loosen up the regulation.


Headline: St. Paul looks at loosening its residential design standards
Author:

Short short version: It might become easier to do an addition to your house in the future. Some people fixing homes find it difficult to comply with the rules.

Reading the Highland Villager #253

[A Villager accompanies some grocery store sushi.]

[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: Council sets hearing on $7.5M redesign of Ayd Mill Road
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Description of the Council meeting about Ayd Mill Road. [I wrote about this recently, and in the past.] There are a few options from the Mayor's Office / Public Works, and the meeting has happened. [Council approved some money, with some vague strings.] Article includes a vague rendering of a proposal that would add a bike path. CM Thao is quoted, saying, "Why is this in a vacuum?" [Because AMR sucks so much?] CM Noecker is quoted saying "This plan has changed [a lot] in the past six months." CM Jalali says we need to make the bike trail. [After further review, here are my AMR outcome rankings: #1 - close it, build a bike/walk trail; #2 - come up with a two-lane version that hits a reasonable budget number; #3 [tied] - the compromise $7M option; #3 [tied] - the $9M two-lane option; ... [every other possible thing] ... #591 - re-pave it as a four-lane freeway to Selby Avenue.]


Headline: Ryan seeks package of changes to Ford master plan; tweaks aim to make plan consistent, more workable
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The developer who now owns the old Ford truck factory would like to change the master plan rules, including: moving commercial land use to the north edge of the site; getting rid of a "shared use" street in favor of actual sidewalks and on-street parking; having more "price options" for townhouses; reducing minimum lot width; increasing width of townhomes; and adding "supportive housing" for certain vulnerable groups as part of the affordable housing component.


Headline: City hires lobbyist to explore support for local sales tax hike; but timing of request and the priorities for sales tax increase are questioned
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The City Council approved trying to get the State government to let the city tax people with a 1¢ sales tax.It would be used for transportation, and other things like pre-K and affordable housing, maybe. CMs Brendmoen, Jalali and Tolbert voted against the tax proposal. [Very interesting vote, this.] CM Noecker pushes it, and cited a study that the streets are falling apart. [They are.] There is a legal problem involving a state law and sales taxes. [City does not have a great track record with tax-related lawsuits, FYI.] There would have to be a referendum, even if it passed the state legislature. CM Jalali was concerned about timing. The Mayor's Office might or might not like the proposal.


Headline: Infrastructure, state aid, housing needs top city's legislative wish list
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The City will ask the State government for money for things, including two bridges.


Headline: New CIB process seeks ideas for safer St. Paul
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There is a competitive ranking process to get money for projects, including $500K for public safety ideas. Anyone can submit one. The acronym here is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). [This basically means things like windows, lampposts, and fences.] Article also suggest that "pavement markings to slow traffic, crosswalks, and changes to make building entrances more accessible and visible" are good ideas here too. [Please note that $500K is not a lot of money for a city.]


Headline: Grant saves Open Cities clinics
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A clinic that was open to anyone was going to close but didn't because it got some more money from a foundation.


Headline: Highland Fest began when it was the Village's time to shine
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: For years local businesses have blocked off the street by Ford and Cleveland to sell art and stuff. They're not doing it any more. Article goes into some history fo the festival, and its decline. One business guy says its because of "changes in the business community, rising costs, and challenges in getting enough volunteers." Artists aren't signing up for it either. [IMO Open Street was a vastly superior "festival" model, and the year it took place right across the river really illustrated that. Why not have an "Open Streets Cleveland"?]


Headline: City festivals face increase in public safety costs, other expenses
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Street festivals are becoming more expensive because the city Police Department makes it more difficult.Quote from the MPD: "we're dealing with potential threats that were unheard of a few years ago." CM Noecker is quoted citing costs for things like trash and renting barricades and lost revenue from parking meters. [TBH, other than trash, this particular list of expenses seems minimal costs to my mind, and probably well worth it. Any time someone wants to close a street for a F2F event, it probably saves the city money int he long run in public safety costs, by cultivating community connections and improving public health.] Grand Old Day might be cancelled too because security costs have essentially doubled. [GALAXY BRAIN: you can't have lost parking meter revenue from Grand Old Day if you don't have parking meters on Grand!]


Headline: City studying ways to promote density in multifamily housing
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Planning Department is tweaking the RM zoning category to make it less auto-oriented. There's a public hearing in April. Article explains that RM zoning is.


Headline: St. Paul rolls out rent subsidy for struggling school families
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The city will fund a few families with kids who qualify, to help with their rent. [Also, building more housing would help too. See above story.] To qualify, you have to have young kids, be below 30% AMI, and cannot be getting other rental assistance. There's enough money for 250 families. [Good idea, but a drop in a bucket.]

Reading the Highland Villager #252

[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: GABA looks to get back to business; Association focuses on boosting membership, refining Grand Old Day
Author:

Short short version: A business association has been losing members and can't pay for many things any more, like its trademark quai-parade. They were allegations of financial shenanigans. They are trying to figrure out what to do. [Maybe spending lots of cash to hire right-wing PR consultants to fight the city on basic parking policy aka. parking meters was a mistake?] They might want more people to join, but might make the parade smaller. Quote from head of group: "to be honest, a lot of us are getting tired. We need some new blood."


Headline: Area projects meet mixed fates in gov.'s bonding bill; Plans for Watergate Marina, Victoria Theater make $2B list, St. Paul's top requests shut out
Author:

Short short version: Some things that Saint Paul wants state money for might get it, and other things it might not. One of those things might be "new orangutan habitat." [For the umpteenth year in a row] $10M for the 3rd Street / Kellogg  did not get added to the list. [It's almost as if expensive auto infrastructure projects are not going to paid for with a magic pot of money from the state or Federal governments.] 


Headline: HRA board decides to drop Highland Fest' large increase in costs, staffing needs cited for cancelling celebration
Author:

Short short version: Another business organization [totally different from the first one, mind you] is finding that their celebration is too expensive to continue and is not going to do it any more. [IMO Highland Fest is not nearly as fun or interesting as Open Streets across the river.] The city is charging more for police overtime. The fest dates back to 1984. [Saint Paul would be much better served by an Open Streets program.]


Headline: St. Paul consisders raising city's sales tax from .5 to 1.5 percent
Author:

Short short version: The city will ask the legislature to let it increase its sales tax to pay for expensive automobile infrastructure, and other things like pre-K. CM Noecker is pushing it.


Headline: Housing assistance programs top county's legislative agenda; health care access and funds for roads, bridges, and transit are other big concerns in Ramsey
Author:

Short short version: The county will lobby the legislature.


Headline: HDC committee reviews plans for parkland on redeveloped Ford site
Author:

Short short version: A neighborhood group had a meeting and talked about parks that might exist someday. There are "cost issues." There is a survey and people want walkability.


Headline: MPCA reveals latest findings on toxic wastes at Ford dump
Author:

Short short version: There's an old landfill by the river left behind by the Ford Motor Co.Industrial wastes is in there MPCA is looking into it.


Headline: Four-story dorm-like apartment building planned for Marshall-Finn
Author:

Short short version: An old house will be torn down and replaced by 18 apartments. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. Some people want to save the house and move it somewhere else.


Headline: BZA reverses course on proposed banner at 'X'; After granting variances for new advertising sign it denies 3 other variances
Author:

Short short version: A city committee decided it did not want to let people hang a large "temporary" ad for Apple iPhones on the side of the hockey arena after all. Some people liked it, while others did not.


Headline: Three new bars recommended for Ward 2 sites
Author:

Short short version: [Using a strange zoning rule], the Planning Commission [including me] will allow three new places to serve liquor. There are [weird, old] "limits" on licenses in each ward, [but also a loophole way around it].


Headline: Five-story building planned near Selby-Dale
Author:

Short short version: A long-vacant lot and auto shop might become a five-story apartment building. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking.

Reading the Highland Villager #251

[A desperate Villager in a Trader Joe's parking lot.]

[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 study calls for reorganization of Police Department; Among reforms is hiring of 103 more employees
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The City Council asked the Police Department to do a study of themselves to see how many more police officers they should hire. A Police Commander looked into it, and came up with the following answer: a lot. [I did a study just now of how much local sidewalk bloggers should be paid, and I my initial findings suggest that local sidewalk bloggers should be given a 1003% increase in compensation.] 


Headline: Moratorium on charter schools is debated
Author: Kevin Driscoll

Short short version: There are more charter schools now. Many people dislike this.


Headline: Boutique hotel opens on Summit
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: An old mansion is a hotel now.


Headline: Liquor licenses sought for two proposed bars on West 7th
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A guy wants to turn an old building on West 7th into a bar; meanwhile, another person would like to sell booze in a new hotel.  In both cases, an obscure rule called a "commercial district" will have to be invoked to make this happen. Article explains what these districts are, and makes claims about "vibrant nightlife." [A guy walks into a  bar. Bartender says, hey this ins't a bar because there's a cap on the number of Ward 2 liquor licenses for some reason. Guy says, oh shoot, never mind. Both of them have a long face.] Quote from Planning Commissioner: "This seems like a weird use of our time." [O to be young and naive again!]


Headline: City receives six proposals to develop space above RiverCentre ramp
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A falling-down parking ramp might be reconstructed with big buildings on top of it. There are six proposals to do so. The city tried to get the state to pay for the ramp, so this is taking a different approach. CM Tolbert is quoted saying: "we haven't had success with our requests for bonding." [The government should not be subsidizing downtown parking ramps in the year of our lord 2020, anyway.]


Headline: HRA grants forgivable loan for firm moving to University Ave.
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The City is going to loan some money to a company moving offices to an empty building on University Avenue. [Seems fine.]


Headline: Met Council OK's $1.25 million subsidy for Lexington project
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A vacant lot might become an apartment building, and the project got some money from the Met Council. Neighbors are concerned that not enough of the apartments would be affordable.


Headline: Hearing set on new penalties for reselling parking permits
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: the City Council will have a meeting about whether or not, or how, people can sell parking permits in parts of the city where parking is limited to residents only. Some college students might or might not sell parking permits to each other. [The permit parking districts are badly designed, de facto unenforceable, and the permits far too cheap in the first place.]


Headline: UST faces on-street parking issues during campus construction
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Some people are parking their cars on the street. Some things on the St Thomas campus are under construction. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. Workers park cars on the street where people who own homes also park their cars. Some streets have [largely unenforceable] rules about who can park their cars. There might have been a parking lot built for empty cars to be parked at one point, but it did not get built because trees were there. Some people like new dorms being built, but not the cars parked by the people who build them. Some new dorms will have underground parking, for people to park their cars under the earth. [Sounds like there are too many cars.]


Headline: Commission approves concept plan for repurposing Highland 9-Hole
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A lesser-used golf course might be used for other activities like soccer, mini-soccer, pickleball and kick volleyball, as well as parking one's car, having picnics, or for water to run into the ground. There is no money for any of this yet, but might be someday. People are concerned about parking, costs of things and the health of trees. [One parks commissioner is named 'John Mountain', which is a great name for a Parks Commissioner to have.] One person spoke who really likes golf and wants more places to play golf.


Headline: Airport users advised to plan ahead during resurfacing of Hwy. 5
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A highway by the airport will have a construction on it this summer so it will take longer to get there.

Reading the Highland Villager #250

[A Villager endures in the West End.]

[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: Citizens group takes dim view [har har] of massive sign for Xcel Center; Appeals BZA decision to allow Wild to hang banner for three years
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A group of people who don't like billboards also don't like a big sign that would plug the NHL hockey team and the iPhone. The team wants to have the sign there for three whole years. [That's a long time!] Guy who heads the downtown BID claims that it will "spur downtown vitality." Saint Paul has sign regulations. [Whole thing seems dumb.]


Headline: Ryan Cos. buys Ford Plant site; Master developer will break ground in spring on new streets, utilities
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The developer has officially purchased the old truck factory. It cost $61M. Article includes history of the plant and development proposal.


Headline: City aims to rein in greenhouse gas emissions; Climate Action Plan focuses on greater energy-efficiency, fewer trips by motor vehicle
Author: Frank Jossi

Short short version: The City Council passed the Climate Action and Resilience Plan unanimously. Article has some info about the plan, as well as a photo of Russ Stark holding a bicycle. [It very much remains to be seen whether the City Council and the Mayor's Office actually does anything meaningful to achieve the goals here. Are we serious about this plan, or is it just feel-good rhetoric? At the very least, if we take this plan seriously, proposals like reducing Ayd Mill Road should be common sense. Instead, CM Tolbert and others are hemming and hawing and calling for a "study" instead of simply moving forward with a proposal aimed at emissions reduction goals. I worry that this plan is mostly symbolic.] 


Headline: McGuire scales back his hopes for Midway Center redevelopment
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: [Well this was very obviously going to happen the whole time...] The guy who owns the MLS soccer team, the parking lots, and some of the other land that surrounds the stadium had a meeting where he explained why there hasn't yet been any of the promised development. Neighbors are concerned about the lack of progress. The team owner is quoted saying "we don't have the rest of it yet, but we have a quarter-billion-dollar stadium that the whole world is talking about along with new streets, trees, grass and people." [The new streets were paid for with city tax dollars, BTW.] Also quoted saying "The odds of the site looking exactly like the master plan are zero," and said it will likely be a smaller scale.  He is looking for development partners. [This is largely disappointing. I'd like to see a project begin on the key corner at Snelling and University ASAP. That's the key to the whole stadium deal in the first place. Also, they just re-signed Heath? WTH. Heath sucks. This is much worse than the Twins' offseason!]


Headline: Commission grants permit, variances for 7-story building on W.  7th
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A parking lot and body shop will become 153 apartments. It was rezoned and received a variance for floor-area ratio. [Not sure why there are FAR caps, anyway. FAR minimums, I understand...] Two commissioners voted against it, one saying "I don't know who these are being built for." [Well, I would only say that they would be built for people looking for housing in Saint Paul. We have a severe housing shortage in the metro area and in Saint Paul, and need to build much more housing if there is any hope of keeping prices down.] 


Headline: Bike lane projects set to begin this spring on Summit, Marshall avenues.
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Some bike lanes on Summit will be re-striped and buffered. Others on Marshall will be added in a two-way manner, between Western and the Cathedral. The city will also add bike lanes at the east end of Lake Como, and on Arlington Avenue by the Gateway Trail. The money come from the city's new dedicated bike fund. [This is a great list of "low-hanging fruit-type" bike projects. If only there were more money; I bet there's a lot more that could be easily done.]


Headline: Neighbors oppose Lexington Pkwy. project due to fears of gentrification
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The owners of a long-vacant lot by the Green Line have a development proposal that might put 236 apartments on the site. [The lot was used for many years as "snow storage," where a giant pile of snow would slowly melt there through the spring and into the summer. Sort of a public works / public art project... maybe meant to invoke climate change?] Neighbors are concerned about affordable housing, rising rents, and property taxes. Quote from academic: "there is a debate over whether new market-rate and luxury apartments will drive up rents in the surrounding neighborhood, [and] it is also debatable whether the building of more apartments relieves price pressures." [A good quote from Goetz/CURA that gets right to the key issue here. The key question: what effect does building, or not building, market-rate housing have on vulnerable people facing rising rents and housing costs? How you answer that question is critical, and shapes the rest of the conversation. Personally, I do not believe that we can stop displacement without building a lot more market-rate housing. There has been zero market-rate housing built along the Green Line in Saint Paul between Downtown and South Saint Anthony Park. That lack of market-rate housing has not kept housing prices down along the Green Line; in fact, they've been rising faster than anywhere else.] Article also mentions that this project proposes a dozen dedicated affordable units. [If Saint Paul had an inclusionary zoning ordinance identical to the one in Minneapolis, there would be 18 affordable units, rather than 12.]


Headline: Commission approves coffee shop drive-thru at Sibley Plaza
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A gas station by in a strip mall parking lot will become a Starbucks drive-thru. [Sigh. I voted for this. IMO, the real problem is the giant strip mall, and the Starbucks is an incidental improvement.] 


Headline: Property tax increases in 2020 vary greatly across St. Paul
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Property taxes and property values are going up, in some places more than others. Government services are expensive.


Headline: District council 'strenuously' objects to dynamic billboard near I-94
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Planning Commission approved a proposal to turn one billboard into a electronic "dynamic" billboard in exchange for taking down many other billboards that are grandfathered in throughout the city. Neighbors are concerned about safety and bright lights. [I am quoted here too. I voted for this because there's no other way to have billboards removed, and the ratio is about 7:1 for the number of billboards removed versus the one that is going to be digital. I do not think the road safety or light concerns are very compelling.] 

Reading the Highland Villager #249

[A Villager in a Grand Avenue foyer.]

[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: Agreement paves way for 3,800 homes on Ford site; $53.5M in TIF will help pay for streets and utilities, more TIF is expected for affordable housing
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The old truck factory is being redeveloped in to a mixed-use complex of buildings. The city will have to pay for part of the cost, especially for things like roads and parks, etc. They will use deferred property tax money to pay for this, which will cost quite a bit. But eventually it pays off. There was a press conference about it. Article includes a rendering.


Headline: Homeless families find a room at Interfaith inn; Interfaith Action's Project Home is now serving 24/7
Author: Leslie Walters

Short short version: Homeless families can spend the night in church basements. [I volunteered for this a few times, doing overnights. It's sad but a good thing. Only for families though.]


Headline: Parks & Rec lays out preferred plan for repurposing Highland 9
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: An underused golf course across the street from another larger golf course might become athletic fields and a parking lot instead. There's no money to make the change. They would keep a "reconfigured" golf course [for some unknown reason]. Losing the old golf course "roiled golfers". [Golf, by the way, is trending down, unlike soccer.]


Headline: Committee supports coffee shop drive-thru at Sibley Plaza.
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Zoning Committee voted to support a gas station becoming a Starbucks with a drive-thru in the parking lot of a newly remodeled strip mall. [The backstory on this is that the strip mall could have been rezoned and was supposed to be redeveloped into a mixed-use project with far less auto-oriented design features. But this did not happen five years ago and instead it has been remodeled as-is.] Quote features ME: "Commissioner Bill Lindeke said the condition [to check the traffic impacts within a year] should give city staff more tools to work with the property owners. "With Snelling and Marshall, the city felt like it couldn't do much," he said.


Headline: Affordable housing complex proposed at University-Fairview
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A parking lot and some vacant historic buildings might become 279 subsidized affordable homes. It is right next to a light rail station. It will not be mixed-use, because "we've had a lot of retail sit vacant in our developments", according to the developer.  [This developer almost never builds mixed use, even in downtown Saint Paul, of all places. That seems bad.] 


Headline: Ford site TIF is expected to pay for affordable housing citywide; Additional tax revenue from Ford project could generate $1M annually for affordable housing
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The old truck factory that will become housing will also raise money to subsidize affordable housing in Saint Paul. 20% of the units at the factory site will be dedicated affordable, according to the plan.


Headline: Slim City Council majority approves $636M budget for '20
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The city budget proposed by the Mayor was passed on a 4-3 vote. Quote from CM Prince: I will vote 'no' on this budget . because it does not cover the basics and it funds extras that my ward cannot afford." She wants more cops. CMs Thao and Busuri also voted against it. [That will be the last we will hear about CM Busuri.]


Headline: Tax levy hearing dominated by calls for more city spending; Appeals for social services exceed please for tax relief
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Some people want the government to do more things, while others do not want to pay for things the government does.


Headline: Making a B Line between Uptown Mpls. and downtown St. Paul; UPC seeks support for new bus rapid transit service on Marshall, Selby and Lake [No Oxford comma for the Villager!]
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There was a meeting at a neighborhood group about a potential new fast bus that would go down Selby and Lake streets [like the streetcar used to do before the bus planners screwed it up!]. The bus would be fast and convenient and amazing. [And it cannot be built soon enough. I am very glad they are going with the longer route that would serve downtown Saint Paul and the Snelby corner.] Neighbors are concerned about long buses turning around corners.


Headline: District council drops proposal for off-leash dog area in Snell-Ham [Rare sighting of the awful "Snell-Ham" moniker.]
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Some people wanted to make a dog park in a "green space" by a large bridge. Neighbors are concerned about parking, noise, A committee met and decided it was a bad idea after all. safety, and poop. A city official said it would be a "dog run" not a "dog park."


Headline: Vine Park is brewing new taproom for 2020
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A DIY-brewery-type-place is going to open a new facility with a taproom on West 7th. It's owned by Asian-Americans. [That's unusual for the beer industry!] 


Headline: Committee supports 7-story building on West 7th-Leech
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Zoning Committee voted to approve a building that would be seven stories tall and have homes and a shop on a site where an auto repair garage was.


Headline: Council settles suit regarding inaccessible parking meters
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Someone sued the city because some parking meters are too tall. it will be expensive to fix it. The person who is suing is a convicted murder, and has sued thirty businesses in the city. [He has sued lots of my favorite places in the city, including Mama's Pizza, Keenan's Bar, Mancini's, and many others. You can't make this up.] 


Headline: It'll cost more to get vehicles out of St. Paul's impound lot
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: If you get your car towed, it will cost more to get it back that it did before. The pricing used to be super complicated, but now it's a flat rate. [PROTIP: Move your car and it won't get towed.]


Headline: Mendota Heights establishes Historic Pilot Knob task force
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A suburb is going to try to spend money and time making a sacred Dakota site more accessible and culturally meaningful. [This is a very cool site and important project. I highly recommend riding your bike there.] 

Reading the Highland Villager #248

[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: Carter proposes adding $1.68M to '20 budget to make city safer; Funds would help steer youths away from crime
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: They mayor has a city budget proposal.


Headline: Food shelves respond to rise in hunger; Families pinched by higher costs replenish their larder with help of local charities
Author: Carolyn Walkup

Short short version: People are hungry and need food. Sometimes they get some, thanks to hard work of volunteers and charities.


Headline: County kicks off series of truth-in-taxation hearings
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Property taxes are going up. There are meetings to explain why and hear from people that don't like taxes.


Headline: City Council reviews public financing package for Ford site
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Development of the Ford site is going to take a bunch of public money for things like infrastructure (e.g. streets, parks, stormwater stuff). Article explains the TIF (tax increment financing) proposal, development economics, etc. The construction will take a long time.


Headline: Variances raise building heights limits at Ford site to 48 and 65 feet
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Some of the buildings at the Ford site can be a bit higher. The heights were "included in the master plan."


Headline: New solar array for Ford site proposed for top of landfill
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There might be solar panels installed on an old dump called Area C [and the subject of much handwringing and vague notions]. People don't really know what is down there. The site is still owned by Ford. [Seems like the best possible outcome.]


Headline: No charges are filed following inspection of GABA's finances
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A local business association might or might not have lost a bunch of its money, but the case was closed regardless. The SPPD and US Attorney's Office looked at the org's books. GABA seems to be in disarray.


Headline: St. Paul agrees to sell part of Nathan Hale Park to neighbors
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A [rich] couple can buy a tiny part of a park that they fenced off near Summit Avenue. [See my story on this.] They are [only] paying $32,000 for the bit of yard.


Headline: Applicants sought for Allianz Field benefits fund committee
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There is a group forming to spend a [small] pot of money to help the area around the soccer stadium.


Headline: High water requires a reduction in parking planned for the Pitch
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Water underground of a new development is higher than people thought which means the developer has to build a car elevator. There will be fewer parking spaces, and there are no parking minimums in the area. Quote from neighbor: "I'm excited to hear that there will be less parking. It will show other developers that there's not as much of a need for parking." They are going from 142 to 85 spots for 158 homes. [A "car elevator" sounds like a very expensive way to construct 30 parking spaces.]


Headline: Committee still poring over plans for coffee shop drive-thru in Sibley Plaza
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A Starbucks coffee shop wants to open where a gas station is located, next to a strip mall parking lot. The Committee wanted to know more about how to monitor the drive thru in case it turns into a traffic nightmare. [Update: this passed the committee yesterday with some additional conditions about ensuring that queue traffic does not affect the intersections. I voted for it, if you can believe that.]


Headline: County lays out its plans for new Dale St. bridge over I-94
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The County is rebuilding a key bridge over the freeway and making both the sidewalks and the street wider. [That is counter-productive, as more lanes makes it inherently more dangerous and harder to cross the street.] 

Headline: Committee looks into loosening St. Paul's off-street parking rules
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Planning Commission [which I am on] heard about a study from the city that will change and reduce [and maybe get rid of] the city's minimum parking requirements. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking, and also concerned about requiring people to build too many parking lots. Article cites some of the proposed changes, including having exemptions for historic buildings and reductions for smaller buildings. [Article does not lay out, however, the reasons for this, which are threefold, at least: parking minimums that require parking lots are expensive to build and hurt businesses or property owners; minimums that require parking lots are bad for the city's tax base as parking lots are not valuable; minimums that require parking lots incentivize driving in an era when we are trying to reduce fossil fuel use; minimums that require parking lots create pollution and pour runoff, oil, and salt into the water; minimums that require parking lots are not based on meaningful research as parking demand is notoriously squishy; and minimums that require parking lots force people who do not drive cars -- often poor people and people of color -- to pay for the car storage of people who do, a hidden, regressive tax. Stay tuned for more on this developing story.] 


Headline: Task force shares ideas for Grand's future
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: People who care about Grand Avenue [consisting only of business owners and property owners] met to talk about how to improve the street. Ideas include reducing taxes, not green space and more signs, closing Grand to cars four times a year, making more public space, better maintaining the sidewalks, and "multi-modal accessibility." [How about parking meters to make it easier for more folks to park and raise money for these efforts at the same time? This would be a great parking benefits district.]

Reading the Highland Villager #247

[A stack of Villagers passing time at a deli.]

[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: Public financing of $77.5M outlined for Ford project; Subsidy would help pay for parks, infrastructure and affordable housing
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Ford Site, a former truck factory, is being redeveloped and, using tax increment financing, the city is helping pay for some of the streets to the tune of $77M. [This was always part of the deal.] The Governor showed up at the announcement ceremony, along with other municipal and developer notables. Article has some quotes from the speeches. the "development agreement" is coming hopefully by the end of the year. The developer had originally asked for $107M.  It'll be about three years until anyone moves in.


Headline: Selby-Snelling is seeing green despite departure of O'Gara's
Author: Frank Jossi

Short short version: A long-time Saint Paul bar tore itself down, developed a building where it used to be, and then announced it was not re-opening. They could not be reached for comment [but then held a press conference when the guy shat on the City for some reason, and just for fun blamed "tap rooms" even though there are many bars that make money somehow]. Article includes history of O'Gara's, and the corner in general. [See also my audio documentary about this corner.] Some people thing it's just fine, and even "booming."


Headline: St. Paul voters say 'yes' to organized trash collection
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There was a referendum on whether to keep the system where the city choose your trash hauling company for you and it passed overwhelmingly. [And that is the final word on the matter, folks. NBD.]


Headline: City adopts final impact study on Ford site
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There was a study to look at how the development of an old truck factory might affect things like the amount of seconds someone might be stuck in traffic at an intersection twenty years from now. [These studies are mostly useless, IMO.] CM Tolbert is "especially pleased with the plan's focus on traffic and suggestion for potential mitigation impacts." [Honestly, if we're still complaining about traffic in twenty years, we're all doomed.] The report has some other things in it about pollution and other [more important] things.


Headline: City Council reduces trash rates over objections of haulers
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The city negotiates prices for city-wide garbage collection and they went down slightly. [Seems like a good system! Glad we have it.] Article contains a lot of words [for some reason].


Headline: St. Paul re-elects six incumbents to City Council; Thao, Noecker, Tolbert, Nelson outline their priorities for the next four years 
Author: Kevin Driscoll

Short short version: There was a city council election and all of the people in office won. [Dai Thao was pretty close to losing though, holy moly, especially when you consider the fact that he had all the money and most of the endorsements.]


Headline: Citizens, city officials address the rise in gun violence
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: People keep shooting and killing each other. Article mentions the "shotspotter" debate. [See also.]


Headline: Committee supports plan to narrow Ayd Mill Road to two lanes
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A neighborhood group met to discuss the plan for a smaller Ayd Mill Road and decided it was fine. Neighbors are not concerned about traffic and parking. Quote from article: "No one favored the city's earlier plan to simply resurface the roadway." [I never thought that either I and/or the Highland Villager would live long enough to see this article appear in the Highland Villager.]


Headline: Federation supports 7-story building on W. 7th
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: An vacant lot owned by an auto repair shop might become homes for 150+ people. The property needs to be rezoned. Article describes the property. Some neighbors are concerned about parking, but others are not. Quote from the article: "the project will have more than the required 90 spaces."


Headline: Grand Avenue's bus route in line for improvements
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A bus line that runs down Grand Avenue will have fewer stops so that it can go faster, maybe. [Currently it stops every block, sort of. This change seems great, and long overdue.]  

Reading the Highland Villager #246

[Chiaroscuro Villagers.]

[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: Mayor pushes for more public safety spending; Rampant gunfire has made this year St. Paul's deadliest in almost three decades
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: People are shooting each other with guns. There are debates about how policing should be done. Police are very expensive.


Headline: Plan to narrow Ayd Mill Road continues to generate debate; Lanes to be restricted as Summit bridge is rebuilt
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Neighbors are concerned about traffic. A city-owned quasi-freeway might not be paved to be as wide as it once was. A bridge over the road is being replaced, and that is expensive. The construction is reducing the size of the quasi-freeway road in a fashion unrelated to the future plans. Article goes over the Mayor's proposed road reduction plans, which involve a bike path and new signals. Article has a picture of cars. There have been meetings at neighborhood groups. [I heard about one neighborhood group committee just today, which voted 26-0 to support the Mayor's plan. The only question they had was how to improve the public realm.] Some people want the construction period to be a change to study the two-lane configuration for the road.  [Here's my BOLD PREDICTION -> I am predicting that, in the future, whatever happens here, there will be traffic congestion during rush hour. It will be caused by the people driving alone in cars.]


Headline: County's winter safe space becomes year-round homeless shelter
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: People will be able to sleep in a big area in a County building this winter.


Headline: City may ease up on residential design standards in wArd Three; Local homeowners asked to help draft ordinance
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A while ago the city tried to create rules for people building new homes or making additions to their homes, but only in the wealthy part of the city. "Much of this area is established neighborhoods..." said a city planner. [A terrible term, of course.] Variances to the rules are expensive.The city might tweak the rules to reduce variances about things like setbacks or walls. Some people do not like large blank walls, for example. [I find it hard to care much about this.]


Headline: Ryan seeks variance to height limit on Ford site development
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The company doing the development work on the former Ford factory wants to build higher buildings closer to the river. There are rules about the riverfront area in particular, set by the state. They are called MRCCA. [Whenever I see that acronym, I think MRSA.]


Headline: St. Paul to hire out to improve access at snowy intersections
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Department of Public Works is going to hire people to shovel out intersections that are especially difficult for people to walk or get around at in the winter.


Headline: DAR to honor more veterans at monument along riverfront
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There is a bronze tablet with names on it by the side of Summit Avenue.


Headline: Summit-U neighbors plead for more affordable housing in Alatus project; District council asks city to withhold public subsidy without more affordability
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A vacant lot might become apartments. Some people want the apartments to be cheaper.There might be a supermarket. There might be 226 apartments and 180 parking spaces. There might be some designated affordable housing but might not.


Headline: County updates agreement for Riversedge project in downtown; Four dramatic towers would rise on old jail, West site along river
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A empty space where buildings once were along the river downtown might have new buildings on it sometime soon. It is a huge project. There are plans for office towers, a hotel, condos, retail, and at least 500 parking spaces. It is unclear how much subsidy from the County and City would be required, but it would be a lot. The plans might include a pedestrian access from the city street down to the river, bridging the railroad tracks and [unnecessary] freeway. County Board guy is quoted saying "at this point it looks good." The county owns the land right now.


Headline: Capital City Bikeway is still taking shape 
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The plans for bike routes though downtown from a while ago are still not dead yet. The city is not as far along as they would like on planning and building it. Article does not really lay out a timeline for the next construction phases. [Not soon enough, is the answer there.]

Reading the Highland Villager #245

[A Villager on a hot tin roof.]

[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: Court says city must honor trash contract; But opponents contend that a 'no' vote in referendum will give St. Paul more leverage in seeking a better contract
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The state Supreme Court explicitly ruled that a "no" vote on the upcoming trash referendum will not [I repeat NOT] void the five-year city garbage contract. Article explains the ruling and goes over the [so-called, and seemingly increasingly one-sided] debate. Article explains the amount of the potential property tax increase, which is $27.1 million. Article includes some quotes from the [so-called and increasingly unhinged] anti-trash people. Many paragraphs go into detail on outlining this perspective. CM is quoted saying that "we should have been working with the consortium to find a better price and trash hauling service." [Unfortunately] the article includes the words "force majeure," stated that it "did not address [it] in its ruling." [I am under the impression that the County did dismiss this idea in a footnote. Anyway, please remember to vote YES.] 


Headline: Society strives to honor earlier history of fort site; Fort Snelling renaming would recognize site's significance to indians
Author: Roger Barr

Short short version: The Historical Society might [finally] tweak the name of the Dakota sacred site where the US Military built a fort. Article has some history of the name debate.


Headline: St. Paul raises tobacco age to 21; Dangers cited with rise in youths vaping
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: You have to be older to buy smokes now.


Headline: Proposed parks for Ford site gain support
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The development at the site of the old factory might have 10 acres of park land, plus other land that is not public but will have grass or water or something.


Headline: Plans re brewing for Starbucks drive-thru at redone Sibley Plaza; Planet Fitness now open in center, Aldi's to follow soon.
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A strip mall is being remodeled, complete with all the car-centric stuff. [This strip mall was slated to be rezoned to Traditional Neighborhood zoning years ago but the owner promised the Planning Commission that he was going to redevelop the parking lot and build housing, but that he would only do this if we did not rezone the site. Instead, he sat on it, and is just upgrading the mall with a new facade, keeping the giant parking lot in place. Very dishonest, IMO.] Article Neighbors are concerned about traffic and #carbucks, and sidewalk curb cuts.


Headline: St. Paul to lower speeds on city streets
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Using its new found legislative power, the city will lower speed limits in some places by some amount. Quote from engineer: "We're looking at the system as a whole." [See also my article on this topic.]


Headline: Expo School rallies for funds to replace treasured playground
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A school is raising money to build a new playground.


Headline: Breugger's on Grand allowed to operate without leased parking
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A bagel shop had been selling bagels without having enough asphalt pavement in place to store ten cars. It will keep doing so. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. Quote from pro-bagel neighbor: "I fail to see how enforcing compliance with an old condition -- enacted when the neighborhood was quite different -- serves the good of the current community."


Headline: BZA allows additional signage for Victoria Crossing West Mall
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: An historic building with a lot of shops can have more signs. There is a "special sign district" on Grand Avenue [for some reason]. Neighbors are concerned about excessive signage.


Headline: Mac-Grove resident allowed to build addition to his home
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A person who has a house can make an addition to it that is two feet taller than allowed. CM Tolbert lobbied for the allowance.


Headline: Homeless shelter to remain operating on Kellogg Blvd.
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A zoning change allows a space in a County building to continue to provide a roof for people without one. There will be 60 beds. CM Noecker pushed for the change. Neighbors are concerned about too many shelters.


Headline: St. Paul residents could save a buck or more on trash collection in 2020; But fees for other city services would increase
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Most things will get more expensive next year, but not trash, which will get cheaper. [Prediction: as the city trash system continues to evolve, it will become more efficient and affordable.]

Reading the Highland Villager #244

[A pile of Villagers on a porch.]

[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: Two sides in trash collection debate make their pitch; Possible property tax hike complicated the question
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There is a question on the ballot about whether to invalidate the ordinance that has organized trash collection in the city for the past year. Article explains the language. The Mayor has stated that if the NO vote passes, the trash collection will continue and be paid for with property taxes. Currently, most people are billed directly. [Other than commercial or larger apartment properties.] Article details some of the pro- and anti- groups, and mentions the "force majeure" clause [which pertains to acts of god, and seems to me like some serious grasping at straws]. Each side is accusing the other of "scare tactics." CM Tolbert is quoted saying that people should not speculate on what a "no" vote would mean without a supreme court decisions. [See below.]


Headline: Area homeowners could see $600 property tax increase; Ramsey County releases tax estimates with and without $27.1M for trash
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Taxes could go up by a lot. See above. Anti-trash people suggest a NO vote would invalidate the city's garbage contract, but this is not really the case. [This is especially clear after the court decision that came out today.] 


Headline: St. Paul City Council Oks maximum levy increase of 22.3%; Council adds $27.1M to levy to cover additional cost of trash collection
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: See above. CM Prince voted against, arguing that she will not presume that "the bad trash contract needs to be assessed." [Well, actually.] 


Headline: Study addresses West 7th parking needs
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking, so a consultant did a study of parking policy, supply, and demand in the West 7th area closer to downtown. It has a lot of data about car storage patterns and ideas about how to fix some perceived problems. The main problem: the area has become more popular so more people are storing their cars there. [Classic Yogi Berra situation.] But some parking lots are not really full much of the time, and the study found that Xcel events were not the big cause of on-street parking pressure. The study recommends adding parking bays by doing traffic calming efforts at dangerous intersections [kind of like this], putting in parking meters [yes!], changing some of the permit zones, and making them simpler to enforce. [Study is avilable here.] 


Headline: City quickens response to homeless camps
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: More people are experiencing homelessness. The city tries to make people leave spots where they are living, like under bridges, in parks and caves, and by railroad tracks. Article describes some of the city's homeless shelters and how they work.


Headline: St. Paul joins push to raise tobacco age to 21
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: You might have to be older to buy smokes in the future. Smoking is bad for you.


Headline: Allianz, city prepare for crowd during Tommie-Johnnie game
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There will be a football game at a stadium and neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. [The only thing worse than regular traffic and parking concerns, are Tommie-related traffic and parking concerns.]


Headline: UPDC has reservations over 6-story building on Lexington
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A vacant lot might become housing and a retail super market. Neighbors are concerned about apartments being too expensive. [Fun fact: These are the first proposed market-rate apartments for miles built in the past 50 years.] 


Headline: Dental office, apartments are planned for West End building
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A apartment and office building had a fire but is going to be fixed up.