tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post1105129381981544964..comments2024-03-29T02:23:04.995-06:00Comments on twin city sidewalks: Reading the Highland Villager #59Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-47085121550357458072012-04-18T21:28:28.619-06:002012-04-18T21:28:28.619-06:00Oh, and another thing ...
Students would be livin...Oh, and another thing ...<br /><br />Students would be living on a bus route, walking and biking distance to things in both Grand Ave & Highland, and only one block from where they'd be going to school (and there'd be minimal parking). This is much better than having 100 students spread out throughout the neighborhood -<br /><br />What does this mean? It'd certainly cut down on car trips, limit student's need for automobiles, concentrate students near student-oriented amenities and it'd probably lower the overall demand for single-family rental houses in the neighborhood.<br /><br />Alright, I'm off to bed ... Again - good work Bill.Nathanielhttp://www.nathanielhood.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-32030034541442272972012-04-18T21:19:51.265-06:002012-04-18T21:19:51.265-06:00As per usual - great job!!!
I'm always amazed...As per usual - great job!!!<br /><br />I'm always amazed at St. Paul neighborhood groups inability to connect the dots - the most obvious being the two headlines of:<br /><br />1) St Paul releases ‘unworkable’ plan for limiting spread of student rentals; and 2) Developer unveils plans for 20-unit apartment at Grand-Finn; some neighbors raise concerns over size of five-story building ... <br /><br />So, the same neighborhood group that doesn't want single-family homes converted into student rentals IS ALSO AGAINST a development that would concentrate approximately 80 plus (?) students closer to campus, away from neighbors. One of the reasons a student housing problem exists is because this type of development has been so strongly opposed in the past.<br /><br />St Thomas is large for a private college BUT it has only slightly over 1,000 incoming Freshman each year. With 80 new units housing (I'm guessing here?) 100 or so students - that is literally 1/10th of an incoming class being place on roughly 3 normal sized St. Paul city lots.<br /><br />It'd take 25 (!) single family houses in the neighborhood to cover that (under the 4 "unrelated persons" restriction). <br /><br />I encourage someone to do more research and run the numbers! -NateNathanielhttp://www.nathanielhood.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-1111031768207872802012-04-16T13:27:11.850-06:002012-04-16T13:27:11.850-06:00well, good question. i am open to any advice on th...well, good question. i am open to any advice on the matter!<br /><br />the problem is that the planning commission basically touches on everything (e.g. Jefferson Bike blvd, comp plan, zoning, etc.). Here, I'm only trying to report on what's in the Highland Villager. <br /><br />i kind of want to avoid connecting the blog w/ the job. i want to make an attempt to keep the blog separate from my official work. <br /><br />as i understand it, the main legal issue has to do with the open meeting law, which is basically about not discussing issues w/ other commissioners / affected parties in private. I.e. all official commission business has to be in public, not in closed private discussion. the city's lawyer gave us a speech on that when we joined. other than that, you have to recuse yourself about any issue where you have a financial interest. <br /><br />anyway, i'm new at this. it seems like lots of people on volunteer public bodies have "many hats", and somehow balance them all. there don't seem to be many clear rules about it, either.<br /><br />thoughts?Bill Lindekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-84260330192875069412012-04-16T11:33:30.173-06:002012-04-16T11:33:30.173-06:00Shouldn't you have to add a disclaimer that yo...Shouldn't you have to add a disclaimer that you're on the planning commission anytime you write about something the planning commission did?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12610344574135095983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-44413516139011442492012-04-16T10:15:38.098-06:002012-04-16T10:15:38.098-06:00I'd love to see the figures on when all the NI...I'd love to see the figures on when all the NIMBYs near UST moved in. While certainly there's been some renovation and new buildings there in recent years, that was fairly predictable. I'm betting UST predates the whiny neighbors, who wanted the joy of living near an upper-class university and seminary, but with more seminarians and fewer upper-class youth.<br /><br />Oh, and I forgot: They also want free rein over some of UST's private lands so they can walk their dogs.<br /><br />And anyone who ever had a class in old McNeely or Christ Child Halls will tell you that some of that teardown/rebuild? NEEDED. OH YES. <br /><br />(note: one of my degrees is from UST.)Juliehttp://www.rideboldly.orgnoreply@blogger.com