EPIC Community Meeting Draft Minutes
EPIC Community Meeting Minutes
September 9, 2021, 6:30 – 7:30
EPIC web address: eastphillips-epic.com
Email: epic.ssantiago@gmail.com
Office: 2433 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55404
Phone:
(612)
354-6802
Board Roster: Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Cassandra Holmes, David Ingold, Shontal Lajeunesse, Steve Sandberg, Earl Simms, Karen Townsend, Nikolas Winter-Simat
Board Members Present: Laura Dale, Cassandra Holmes, David Ingold, Steve Sandberg, Karen Townsend, Nikolas Winter-Simat, Mary Gonsior
Board Members Not Present: Shontal Lajeunesse, Earl Simms
Members: Emrys, Brad Pass, Yaya Flores, Weston Martin, Marc Beckelman, Devika Ghai, Jake and Nico Hustedt, Dave Moore and Linnea Hadaway, Jenna Brune, Ron Yo, Carrie Hatcher
Guests:
Elizabeth Day, Crystal Myslajek,
Mike Samuelson, Joel McReynolds
6:40 Welcome
●
Vision
and Mission
●
Intros
●
Group
Agreements
○
Respect each other; aim for kindness
○
Respect each other's time; aim for
brevity
○
Respect the agenda; aim for unity
○
Own your words, actions, and reactions;
aim for peace
●
How
to become a member
○
For
those joining in person: simply mark that you want to be a member on the sign
in sheet
○
For
those joining virtually: chat Sarah or email sarah@eastphillips.org with your email address and physical address (to verify you
live in East Phillips)
○
All
members are allowed to vote on EPIC decisions and motions
●
Agenda
Approval, NWS, DI, Approved
Minutes Approval, NWS,
LD, Approved
●
Announcements
o
Next
Board Meeting will be: Saturday,
October 2 from10am-11am TBD and online (link to join is at
eastphillips.org)
▪
Board
Meetings are open to the public
o
Next
Community Meeting will be: Thursday, October 21 from 6:30-7:30
at Cedar Field Park
and online (link to join is at eastphillips.org)
▪
Note this is one week
after we typically meet!
▪
We
will have Casey Carl - City Clerk present about the charter amendments
▪
We
will also invite the organizations and groups working on the charter amendments
to table the event so community members can ask questions
o Pickle Off and Ward 9 Candidate Event
▪
Both on Tuesday, September 21
▪
Pickle off is 12-3
▪
Ward 9 Candidate Event starts at 3
▪
Both events are at Ogema Pl and EM Stately Street
o DJR Architecture has proposed a 3 story, 6
unit apartment building for 2425
16th Ave S
▪
There will be a meeting
with DJR Architecture and MPHA to discuss this proposal on Wednesday, September
22nd at 6:30pm at the EPIC garden on 17th Avenue that is open to the public
o Clean Sweep will be Saturday October 9
o
EPIC
has a housing program! 0% interest! Fix up your home or buy a new home in East
Phillips – Check your email for the brochure or go to: mncee.org/east-phillips:
Programs for East Phillips Residents | Center
for Energy and Environment (mncee.org)
o
If
you smell a foul odor around Smith foundry or Bituminous Roadways call 311 to
report
▪
Write
down your incident number
o
Join
your neighbors in cleaning up trash on your block for 20 minutes every Saturday
at noon!
o The City is amending Title 20 of the
Minneapolis Code of Ordinances related to the Zoning Code, as follows:
▪
Chapter 525 Administration and Enforcement
▪
Add inclusionary zoning administration and monitoring fees.
▪
The City Planning Commission will meet on Monday, September 20, 2021, at 4:30 p.m.
▪
The public may submit comments or participate by phone in the
meeting by using the following website: www.minneapolismn.gov/government/meetings/public-comment/.
▪
If you have questions about the project, please contact the City
staff person listed below. If you would
like to submit comments, you may submit them via the link above or by emailing:
●
Joe Bernard, Planning Project Manager – 505
4th Ave S #320, Minneapolis, MN 55415
●
Phone (612) 673-2422 E-mail: Joseph.Bernard@minneapolismn.gov.
o Received formal notification of a variance
request being made in part of a potential project on scottie hall’s property as
a general use application requirement of a variance request being made in part
of a potential project on Scottie’s property.
1. Description of the project- The project is the addition of a 16 by 24
Accessory dwelling unit to be place in the back south side of Scottie’s
property where a current existing garage sits.
This is one level ADU with a peaked roof and siding which will match the
current aesthetic of the home.
2. We are currently aware that this application
requires a land use application and a building permit. We are also aware that there is a request for
2 variances that accompany the land use application.
3. Property address for which zoning approval is
being sought- is 2827 18th Avenue South Mpls MN
4. Applicant’s Name: Scottie Hall, address: 2827 18th
Avenue South Mpls, phone number: 1 (415) 640-2116, email address: hall.scottie@gmail.com
●
Roof Depot Update - last POGO meeting -
stopped the city project so they will need to find another place for their
expansion. EPNI did not get exclusive development rights.
○
September 22nd POGO meeting - attend if
able
7:03 Mike Samuelson’s presentation on the traffic safety
project for 24th, 26th and 28th Street
○
Highest
crash area in the city
○
Priority
is improving street safety
○
If
there are particular streets or intersections that you want them to focus on,
contact Mike Samuelson
○
Currently
collecting information on where focus should be
○
So
far have heard: narrowing crossing for pedestrians; considering concrete curb;
heard a lot about light timing - if you speed you hit the lights
○
Lake,
Cedar, Franklin are county roads
○
28th
Street - needs better signage
6:50 Feature Presentation//Community Discussion
topic:
● Elizabeth Day and
Crystal Myslajek present about 29th Street Garden and gathering space
● Goal to expand food
access and improve food diet of indigenous neighbors in the area for Indigenous
food sovereignty
○
Support farmer to consumer relationship
○
Address health disparities
○
Address food sovereignty
● Oversee volunteers and
staff to care for land in the three parcels of land along 29th Street
● Welcome all neighbors
who would like to participate
● Hiring agricultural
consultant and farmer
○
Create planting map
○
Create programmatic plans
● Land Trust created 42 ADA
accessible garden beds, laid crushed limestone for pathway
● County involvement
○
Place making activities
○
More sense of belonging
○
Greenway being preserved for future
transit
■
Parcels of Four Sisters Farm are not a
part of the transit system
○
Community kick off event was in October
○
Want this to be in partnership with
community
7:00 Questions for presenters
●
Suggestion
of tiny homes for the area
○
Not
enough capacity - ordinance difficulties
●
Question
of what community participation will look like
○
Led
by what the community wants and asks
○
We’re
not going to put a farm if it’s not wanted
■
Will
develop an advisory group
○
Start
with surveys of where to start
●
Question
about whether this is volunteer based or opportunity for employment
○
One
full time dedicated
○
One
part time farmer’s market manager
○
Elizabeth’s
time at NACDI
○
Will
need volunteers too
●
Idea
that neighbors use plots to grow and sell at farmer’s market
●
A
lot of opportunities for public art
●
Neighbor
doesn’t want another gathering space
○
Concerned
about issues i.e. drug use
○
Will
put up fence with lock so only access to space during certain hours
Update
on options for using CPP funds - TABLED
●
Current office building
at 2433 Bloomington Ave
1)
Partner with City of
Lakes Community Land Trust OR
2)
Purchase building
●
Do not want to displace
current tenants
●
$175,000
●
Outdoor community
gathering spaces and increase urban agriculture in East Phillips
1)
All of the following:
●
27th and Cedar space
for community gathering AND
○
$40,000-$50,000 for
pergola and solar power for outlets
●
Partner with NACDI and
4 Sisters on 29th Street project AND
○
Indigenous Food
Sovereignty
○
Contribute $40,0000 for
things like seating, shed, etc.
●
Pay rent ahead for 1
year
○
$10,000
●
Community
questions or comments
○
Neighbor
doesn’t want another gathering space
■
Concerned
about safety
7:42 Community Decisions
First of two community meeting votes
for:
1)
Funding
for a Midtown Greenway light emitting sculpture
○
Located
at top of entrance to Midtown Greenway on 18th Ave
○
Goals
of sculpture/project:
i)
Area
has been a dark area for real and perceived safety improvements and decrease
crashes between
ii)
Beautiful
artwork
iii)
Wayfinding
- finding access to Greenway
○
Hoping
to raise $10,000 to launch an artist competition
i)
Majority
of money will go to winning artist (chosen through advisory team screening and
community voting)
(1)
$8,000 to be paid to
an artist to create a detailed design for the sculpture
(2)
$1,000 would go to the
Midtown Greenway Coalition for project management
(3)
$1,000 contingency for
other project direct costs
ii)
Project Advisory Team will pre-select three artist
sketches from those that are submitted to make sure they are feasible and meet
project objectives and the artist has the capacity to deliver the project. Then
community members will vote for their favorite from among those three.
MOTION: The EPIC board and membership approve
of using $3,000 of our NRP Positive Street Identity strategy for the artist
competition portion of the light emitting sculpture project, pending successful fundraising for the remaining of the
funds, NWS, LD, Approved
●
Discussion, amended, added “pending successful fundraising for the remaining of
the funds”
7:49 Adjourn
