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Group Plans "Legal Action" Against Mpls 2040

Every great battle to keep more people out of a neighborhood ends in a frivolous lawsuit. The heated debate over the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan is no exception. The city's long-range plan is intended to help Minneapolis equitably accommodate the next 20 years of population growth by legalizing more homes across all parts of the city.

As things stand, it's currently illegal to build anything that's not a single-family home in most parts of Minneapolis. The 2040 plan was initially lauded by supporters for proposing to make it legal to build "fourplexes everywhere," but the city has since scaled back on that first draft. Despite the changes, a group called Minneapolis for Everyone remains staunchly opposed to the plan, equating it to a secretive scheme to "BULLDOZE" entire neighborhoods.

Credit: Tony Webster

On October 3, Minneapolis for Everyone sent an email announcing that "our friends at Smart Growth Minneapolis" were ready to initiate a "legal action." The group is demanding the City Council stop moving forward on the comprehensive plan, "until environmental impacts have been properly reviewed and the comprehensive plan is properly adjusted and planned for." In urban planning circles, "environmental impacts" is a technical term used by angry neighbors when they really just want to say, "Minneapolis has too many people already."

Inclusionary Zoning Debate Kicks off at City Hall

Read the report.

The Minneapolis City Planning Commission held a preliminary discussion about inclusionary zoning on Thursday night. Inclusionary zoning is a requirement that new apartment construction include a certain percentage of affordable units.

Until a permanent policy can be adopted, City Council President Lisa Bender wants to implement an interim policy alongside the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. As outlined in a staff report, "The interim inclusionary housing ordinance would apply only to projects that propose a substantial increase in the allowable residential development capacity."

Rebecca Gagnon: Wrong for Minneapolis School Board

It has nothing to do with schools, but here's an under the radar story from last year that explains what's wrong with Rebecca Gagnon, who is running for re-election to the Minneapolis school board. It's a story about billboard regulations. How does a school board member get mixed up with billboard regulations? Up until this year, Gagnon had been the school board's representative on the City Planning Commission.

Irene Fernando for Hennepin County Board, District 2

It will be no surprise that I am endorsing Irene Fernando over Blong Yang for the open seat on the Hennepin County Board in District 2. There are many reasons you should vote for Irene Fernando, which you can read in the second half of this post. You're fortunate if you have the chance to vote for her. But first, I have unpleasant memories of Blong Yang in his previous job that I must share with you.

Quick Takes on the Revised Minneapolis 2040 Plan

Some news and notes in the wake of the city's revised draft of Minneapolis 2040

Mark Haase for Hennepin County Attorney

Wedge-brand apparel is available in the Wedge LIVE! store;
criminal justice reform is available on your ballot.

Mark Haase is running against longtime incumbent Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. If you're overlooking an important local race in 2018, it's probably this one. This one has the highest stakes. Elected prosecutors have a lot of power, and a lot of discretion in how they choose to use that power.