[Mpls] R.T. hands Sabri development project

[Barbara Lickness]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4973383.html

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak handed controversial
developer Basim Sabri a victory Thursday by issuing a
rare veto that could help nudge a housing project
forward.

"This is very consistent with the vision of having the
Midtown Greenway surrounded with housing, creating a
walkable, transit-oriented urban community," Rybak
said.

ME:

I find it interesting R.T. would use the Midtown
Greenway as a reason to veto the Council Action to
uphold the Whittier neighborhood appeal to the zoning
decision considering the Midtown Greenway Coalition
voted against this design proposal.

As a member of the South Whittier Task Force who
participated with many other people for months on end
on a 40 acre zoning study that produced the City
Council adopted South Whittier Redevelopment Plan , I
am disappointed that our Planning Department was not
aware of this documents existence when they made their
recommendation to the Planning Commission and Zoning
and Planning Committee of the City Council. It took
the efforts of the Whittier Alliance Neighborhood
Association staff person Marian Biehn to make the city
aware of a document they had adopted in time for the
council to consider the appeal. Thank God for
neighborhood staff people.

Barb Lickness
Whittier



  

=====
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead