Surface parking at Penn and 26th? Bad idea

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The last time the Jordan neighborhood had a presentation at one of our committees regarding the Broadway Flats proposal, we had one area of concern. There seemed to be an implied quid-pro-quo between the developer and St. Anne’s church. In exchange for the purchase and/or use of properties along Queen north of Broadway, the church would then get to formally convert the land they own on Penn and 26th into surface parking. (It’s been informally used as a parking lot even though it has no pavement or gravel.) Continue Reading

New feral cat ordinance is almost good enough

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Last week when I read a few articles in the Strib about a new city ordinance codifying feral cat colonies, my gut reaction was based on the last several encounters I and other neighbors have had with the crazy cat ladies. They were not pleasant. The photo above is from 2909 3rd Street North, a home I had actually looked into purchasing (quite literally, as it was continually open to trespass) prior to buying my house at 26th and Penn. The 3rd Street property had been taken over by feral cats, and later (or which came first, the feral cats or the crazy cat ladies? That is our existential question of the day.) by presumably well-intentioned people who put out both dry cat food and tins of Fancy Feast. I made repeated calls to 311. The house was broken open numerous times, and the cat food was replaced. Continue Reading

How the 4th Street house was saved

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In the summer of 2011, 2914 4th Street North was a boarded, vacant, and condemned house on the verge of demolition. The summer of 2013 will see its completion by a nationally known developer, and the home will likely be featured on her television series. Continue Reading

What does ranked-choice voting actually deliver? (part 1 of 2)

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Not too long ago, the Star Tribune ran an editorial by renowned political scientist Larry Jacobs to the effect of how ranked-choice voting would disenfranchise minorities. That article attempted to hide behind the veil of academic rigor while admitting a lack of sufficient data. It was countered by a piece in Insight News that touched on a few benefits of the new system but mainly concentrated on hopeful platitudes. The general consensus about RCV seems to be shaping up this way: “Ok, 2009 clearly didn’t count because the non-competitive mayoral race drove down turnout. But 2013 is when we’ll REALLY see what ranked-choice voting can do.” Continue Reading

NiceRide 170, too challenging

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Ed Kohler of The Deets started a tradition several years ago by using Nice Ride bikes to hit every single kiosk in a single day. I wish I would have joined him for the first year, when there were only sixty-five stations that could be traversed in about three hours. In 2013, there are 170 stations spread out over 110 miles of biking–all of which, under the rules of the challenge, must be traveled using the 50-pound Nice Rides. Furthermore, a lot of the new stations are tucked away in obscure places that probably no one goes to. Like behind random buildings, or in St. Paul. Continue Reading

Vacant properties far outpace North Minneapolis homes for sale

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When it comes to the housing recovery in north Minneapolis, there’s a tool in our collective toolbox that we haven’t been using. In impacted areas, or at the city’s request, Hennepin County can accelerate the tax forfeiture process so that vacant properties can go into forfeiture after as little as one year of delinquent taxes. I found out about that opportunity just before I left my job at Hawthorne. I can’t help but wonder how much farther along my old neighborhood would be if I had known about this process and utilized it from the start. Continue Reading

Code compliance shortcomings contribute to demolitions

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Not too long ago, the city looked into acquisition of a property in the Jordan neighborhood. The likely intent would be for demolition, so I went over to take a look. The house was listed for sale on the MLS, so we were able to get inside and look around. The house had suffered severe water damage throughout, and the smell of mold was overpowering. Mold, even pervasive mold, is not necessarily grounds for tearing a house down. But could the water damage be so extensive that it affected the structural integrity of the house? We couldn’t ascertain that in one visit. Continue Reading

Everyone should go see “Clybourne Park”

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I don’t know how to start my critique of the play “Clybourne Park,” but I want to make sure to point out that it tricks you into talking about race–and that’s a good thing. I’ve had a bit of a case of writer’s block about this review, so I borrowed a tip from a high school English teacher of mine. “When you can’t think of how to start,” she would say, “just write down ‘I don’t know how to start, but what I really want to say is…’ and then write from there. Then go back and delete the first phrase, and you have your story.” In a manner of speaking, “Clybourne Park” does just that. Continue Reading