September
13th, 2012, 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
East Phillips Park
Cultural & Community Center, 2307 17th Ave S.
EPIC
web address: eastphillips-epic.com
Office:
2536 18th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55404
Board Members Present: Mary Gonsior, Carol Pass, Jenny Bjorgo, Linda Leonard, Chiffon Williams
Board
Members Not Present:
JoseLuis Villasenor, Earl Simms, Steve Struthers, Rosie Cruz
Guests: Nikki
(student at Saint Mary’s) attending to gather information about health
assessment needs. Lorretta (Banyon Center), Doug Wise, EPIC Housing coordinator
6:45 Introductions:
· Greetings and Introductions.
· Approval of Agenda; BP, JB; approved.
· Approval of Minutes from EPIC 8/9/2012
General Membership Meeting; BP, JB; Additions: GS said that the city had no
existing way to measure vibration; he also said he had received no complaints
about vibration since March 2012 when he sent out a letter about the situation;
he said his staff reads his email; he confirmed that the Alliance project
doesn’t have adequate funding to move ahead.
6:55 Announcements:
Ø Special Opportunity – Last chance to
pre-register for Women’s Environmental Institute’s 3rd Annual Growing Power
Training Weekend with Will Allen and his Milwaukee staff, talented instructors
in sustainable urban farming techniques. $250.00, This Saturday, Sept.15
&16, 8:00 am, all day, Sun 5:00pm. BUT you might be able to register
late…Call 651-583-0705 or email at: wei@w-e-i.org
Scholarships from EPIC??
Ø The Rembrandt Exhibit at the
Minneapolis Institute of Art will end Sunday.
Ø Raptor Night at the new Waite House,
Special presentation by U of M Raptor Center, Thursday, Sept. 27th, 6:00 –
7:00pm (Bilingual Presentation)
Ø Clean Sweep – October 13th, 9:00 am at
Welna’s Parking Lot, 24th & Bloomington Ave. Help Clean Up the Whole
Neighborhood…Free incredible T-Shirts!
Ø Phillips Criminal Justice&
Community Partners Meeting Lutheran Social Services 2400 Park Ave. Wed. Sept.
19th, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Ø EPIC Community Garden Harvest Party,
October 20th, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
7:10 Discussion and sharing ideas on marketing
our Housing program. Update on Phase II Housing Contract with CEE
– Doug Wise presenting
The
agreement is now at CEE, they are reviewing it and if they sign it, we will
then proceed with providing the agreement to the city for approval which will
not be a problem. EPIC’s responsibility it to MARKET these deferred loan
opportunities. We need to set up a meeting fairly quickly so we can get
information about this out right away. Contact CP if you want to help with
planning the marketing (plan to meet during the week of 9/17/2012.) Basic
marketing materials would be a brochure/flyer for example. Do we need to market
to renters? Are people willing to help distribute materials? Can we do this via
the internet? Doug W. recommended meeting in person.
7:25 Land
Use and Development Update: The situation so far. Updates on
Ø Alliance
Housing, 2600 17th Ave.
CP Update:
This is a project for housing 20-22 homeless men in studio apts. This is not an
appropriately zoned area for this building. If we don’t keep an area for
low-moderate income housing, it will disappear from the city. Adjacent to the
site, are a series of immigrant homeowners who made their investment on the
assurance of the city’s zoning plan. They have voiced their opinion a year and
a half ago, opposing this development on property value, re-salability of their
homes, concern for the many small children there, inappropriate zoning and the
negative precedent of ‘spot zoning’. Alliance Housing still has exclusive
rights to the site; but on the grounds of false information regarding funding
(the false claim of $750,000 Met Counsel grant) the best thing EPIC can do is
to find an alternate site for this project. Alliance could do appropriate
housing on this site.
Ø Abbott
Hospital air quality permit.
MN has
the only law in the country that requires a cumulative impact study when
considering adding industry that contributes to pollution. Abbott conducted a
study, which was rejected because the study did not meet the standards of the
Clark Bergland Environmental Justice Bill. We need to check back.
Ø Smith
Foundry and Bituminous Roadways.
The city
told EPIC that they couldn’t monitor the air quality in this area, so EPIC
contacted MPCA (two months ago regarding the Abbott issues). Since then we have
learned that MCDA, along with MDH and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe DNRE, are
planning to monitor PAHs in the air around Minneapolis. EPIC should partner
with Little Earth to communicate about the location of these sites. The Midtown
Greenway “pit”, the Longfellow Avenue stretch between 28th and 26th
(the parking lot of Roof Depot, behind Smith Foundry).
Handouts:
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHS); Risk of cancer/illness from asphalt.
7:50 Report
on Leadership Conference – Brad Pass
BP attended a four
day conference on the “Art of Hosting” given by incommons.org. The idea is that
there are many world views (certainly in this neighborhood), there are lots of
different methods of doing things, and all of these need to be melded together
into a practical plan and path forward. The training is very good and they do
an amazing job. The training helps communities learn how to lead together to
find a shared vision for solving local problems, and meeting local needs.
7:58 Report
on Hi-Lake Triangle Apartment development project
CP attended the city council meeting, was 3 minutes late and
missed the whole thing because there was no one present. There are going to be
balconies to deter crime. EPIC sent a letter to the Minneapolis Finance &
Property Services Dept. with 8 recommendations. Steve asked what we really want
to happen at this corner – if we are worried about seniors living in a high
crime area, could they build something else that would be profitable, and also
improve the area. Wellington has their funding together and this project will
probably happen. We have learned that there are variances under discussion with
the city: sidewalk set-back and parking. We believe GS will support a variance
because this site is in the midst of transit oriented development.
MOTION: PAT, CP; Passed.
EPIC is opposed to a parking variance unless a shared
parking solution is worked out between Wellington, the businesses, and Corridor
Flats Residents that will address everyone’s needs and concerns as pointed out
in EPIC’s Letter to the mfpsd ON 9/7/2012.
8:25 What
should happen to the Waite House Building? Report on first meeting. Discussion and idea
sharing. See Minutes.
As a matter of record, the “Waite House” no longer exists. The property at 2539 13th Ave S is now known as “a building owned by the MPRB. The Waite House programs now exist in another site. The MPRB has decided to sell the building; they went to Midtown Phillips in mid-June and ask the residents to deal with the RFP’s that are submitted for the building. Neither Midtown nor the MPRB informed anyone beyond a few people on the Midtown Board of the start of this process for almost three months. This is despite the fact that the initial RFP stated that there was to be representatives from all the various constituencies of the neighborhood. This requirement late vanished from the Park board’s RFP requirement. The loss of time created an almost impossible time crunch for anyone who may have wanted to submit a proposal. Midtown decided to form a subcommittee in their housing committee to serve as a task force to evaluate these RFP’s.
Dawn
Siggelkow is the park person who is working with Jennifer Naglak, who appeared
to be chairing the process. The one of the very few decision-making committee
members, Mark, is a Banyan volunteer. I was told that someone raised the issue
of conflict of interest, but was told by Siggelkow that that was not a
conflict.(see Linda for list). To be on the task force, you must be a voting
member of the Midtown Association.
The park
board seems to be convinced that the people who live on the block and in the
immediate area should have the most say about what happens there. BP raised the
issue that the building was bought w/ Federal money so the public should have a
say.
The claim
is that there are others who wish for time to put together proposals and want
the building. We don’t know who they are because they haven’t had time to put
anything on the table. The MPRB is not allowing the property to go for sale.
The RFP has not been posted yet, but will be soon. In the meantime, the task
force is charged with engaging the block, and immediate neighbors to assist
with developing requirements from the community (preferences, etc.) to help
decide who the new owners shall be.
All
proposals will be due Friday, October 12, 2012.
Contact
MPRB or Midtown Phillips if you have a group in mind that should submit a
proposal.
MOTION: CP, PAT;
EPIC
SUPPORTS A MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY PROCESS TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS
BUILDING. THEREFORE, EPIC REQUESTS THAT THE MPRB SHOULD WITHDRAW THEIR CHARGE
TO THE MIDTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION REGARDING THE DISPOSITION OF THE
PROPERTY IN ORDER TO REDIRECT THE CHARGE TO INCLUDE THE FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS OF
PHILLIPS AND INCLUDE ETHNIC DIVERSITY. THE PROCESS OF THE DISPOSITION OF THE
PROPERTY SHOULD INCLUDE THE RFP PROCESS AND THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROCESS
AND THE CRITERIA/ REQUIREMENTS FOR EVALUATING PROPOSALS.
8:50 Update on the Pool and Mpls. Swims (Hannah Lieder)
EPIC guaranteed the first money going into this
project made a huge difference in this project. Funds have come in from Mpls.
Swims, and Ventura Village. The task force is now assembling a design team, and
if all goes well the process should move forward and be completed by the end of
2013.
8:55 New
Business (if time permits) – table for next month.
o
Direct
truck traffic
o
2830
Cedar, late night party parking lot in rear.
