Concerns about the city’s delay in allowing permit parking in residential areas near Como Regional Park and a possible new parking lot at Hamline and Arlington avenues spurred District 10 residents to vote against some of the 47 recommendations in the Como Regional Park Transportation Implementation Plan.
In a 153 to 3 vote at the District 10 annual meeting Oct. 19, residents approved an action item written by the Neighborhood Relations Committee that encourages the immediate implementation of permit parking-which was petitioned for in 2009-formation of a long-term transportation advisory committee and the preservation of “the quality” of the park green and open spaces, trees, lake and neigh-borhood livability. The District 10 board voted 10-0 in favor of the action item.
The action item lists “cars” not “visitors” as the chief problem at the park. It says the city and park need to develop methods to bring visitors by transportation modes other than cars and lists shuttles, mass transit, bicycles and by foot as examples. Other recommendations were approved or were made to delay, move up or table them, pending receipt of further data.
The board will draft a letter outlining the vote and the district’s recommendations to the St. Paul City Council before the plan is brought to the council Nov. 17.
The Como Streetcar Station was packed with residents who expressed concerns about the lack of parking in front of their homes and the loss of green space if the Ham-line/Arlington lot is built. Residents are planning a Stop the Lot rally for Saturday, Oct. 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the corner of Hamline and Arlington to show people where the proposed lot will be and to have citizens sign petitions against it.
The Transportation Implementation Plan is the result of a seven-month study by consultants Kimley-Horn and Associates to come up with a plan to alleviate traffic congestion in and around the park. You can find out more about the transportation plan and District 10’s response to it at www.district10comopark.org.
In other actions at the annual meeting, residents elected new board members to the District 10 Com-munity Council. Those elected include Panod Klongtruatroke, vice-chair; Penny Spence, treasurer; Barbara Clark, subdistrict 1 representative; Matt Streit, subdistrict 3 representative; and Chris Harkness, Betsy Wehrwein and Jody McCardle, at-large members. The council still has a opening in both subdistricts 2 and 3.
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