Minneapolis Park Watch

In a case with remarkable parallels to the situation on Nicollet Island, courts in Illinois have halted construction of a private school's athletic facility on Chicago public parkland

Latin School of Chicago is halfway done building a $2 million soccer field primarily for its own use in adjacent Lincoln Park. The school struck a backroom deal with the Chicago Park District in December 2006. The public process that followed was deficient to nonexistent. On the strength of that, the school began construction in November 2007 and was set to complete the project on May 26, 2008. But the project, seen as a private school's land grab of public property, stirred outrage.

On April 16, a nonprofit grassroots citizens group called Protect Our Parks filed suit against the city, the park district and the school. The project soon unraveled. First, on April 25, a Cook County Circuit Court judge granted an injunction stopping the school from installing lighting, scoreboard, goalposts, benches, or signs. Then on May 2, a state appellate court halted construction altogether. Now the school is making offers to try to settle with the citizens group before a May 20 hearing which could mark the end of its project.

Learn more at savelincolnpark.org.

read more

Minneapolis could get its first riverfront development coordinating board since the early 1980s under legislation soon to hit Gov. Tim Pawlenty's desk. Yesterday House and Senate conferees settled their only difference: the date by which the Minneapolis City Council and the city's independent park board must ratify the new organization (Aug. 1). The nonprofit's task: to focus private and public planning and investment, which the city's diffuse power structure may inhibit. (St. Paul's river n

Development projects that threaten to destroy archaeological resources have put the St. Anthony Falls Historic District in Minneapolis on the list of the state’s Ten Most Endangered Historic Places for 2008, the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota announced May 1, 2008.

The next day the Minneapolis City Council voted to proceed with the destruction of recently-discovered archaeological remains on Nicollet Island, a major feature of the national historic district with its intact neighborhood of 19th-century houses. A private developer, DeLaSalle High School, intends to remove the last remains of the island’s mansion district – some on public property – to build a football field. DeLaSalle’s plan for mitigating this destruction doesn’t consider alternatives that would preserve archaeological resources, such as building the field at grade or re-using excavated historic materials.

Other sites under threat within the St. Anthony Falls Historic Districts include mill ruins where a residential development called “The Wave” is proposed, and historic tunnels that served city’s 19th-century flour milling district and even the falls themselves, which might not survive construction of the proposed Crown Hydro project intact.

read more

Park Board to public data requests: nothing to see here, folks By Chris Steller , Minnesota Monitor The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has told residents who requested public data that at least two top staffers — superintendent Jon Gurban and general manager Don Siggelkow —

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has told residents who requested public data that at least two top staffers -- superintendent Jon Gurban and general manager Don Siggelkow -- now make a policy of regularly deleting their e-mail correspondence. "I don't know anything about that," park board president Tom Nordyke tells the Minnesota Monitor. "I don't think we get to just decide when we delete e-mails." Nordyke says he assumes staff is familiar with legal requirements for preserving data,

The federal Consumer Products Safety Commission has launched an investigation of artificial turf athletic fields after state officials in New Jersey found high levels of lead in fields there, which the state ordered closed. Read the April 17, 2008 USA Today article here and watch the ABC-TV news report from the same day here:

UPDATE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now says it will carry out its own investigation of hazards in artificial turf.

read more

Friends of the Riverfront has appealed city approval of the archaeology mitigation plan for the site of the proposed DeLaSalle High School football stadium. The Minneapolis City Council Zoning and Planning Committee will hear the appeal Thursday, April 24.

One of my most successful programs last summer was Hoigaard’s Nordic Walking Tuesdays. Meeting at different spots within the Twin Cities, we provided Nordic Walking Demo poles and a quick introduction to the sport and then off we would go for a 2 ½ to 3 mile walk.  Last year we averaged 25 women on Tuesdays from April to October and maxed out at 42 one evening in June. Many of the women came every week, connecting with the group and bringing their friends come with them to try Nordic walking.  

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is touting its $100 million plans to construct 5.5 miles of parkway on the city's east side as the historic completion of the Grand Rounds loop undertaken in the 19th century. What few remember - and no one is mentioning, as the park board pursues funding from the state legislature and elsewhere - is that the northern half of the so-called "Missing Link" was completed once before, in the early 1920s. But just a few years later, commercial interests f

The Minneapolis City Council today voted down a private developer’s plan to install artificial turf on an athletic field proposed for Mississippi riverfront parkland. The 13-0 vote was a formality after a surprise announcement that the developer, DeLaSalle High School, had withdrawn its appeal.

The unanimous decision to reject artificial turf came a day after contentious debate on the issue at a Committee of the Whole meeting showed the city council to be deeply divided. At that meeting, several council members said they were concerned about the impacts of synthetic turf’s crumb rubber base on the environment and children’s health.

Also on Thursday, Friends of the Riverfront released a Braun Intertec review of research on synthetic turf fields, which concluded that “tire crumb infill can be a potential health hazard to the users and other individuals in the immediate vicinity of the field, as well as … a risk to the neighboring environment." (Click below to download the Braun Intertec report.)

The Minneapolis action comes amidst growing national outcry against artificial turf fields. As the New York Times reported today, the New York City Public Advocate yesterday joined the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups in calling for a moratorium on artificial turf, pending a city Department of Health investigation. (Click below to download their letter.) Bills pending in the California, New York and Connecticut legislatures would ban artificial turf fields and require environmental studies. A website, SynTurf.org, tracks the backlash.

read more

The Minneapolis City Council is set to vote Friday, Feb. 29, 2008 on whether to reverse a condition it placed on previous approvals of the DeLaSalle stadium on Nicollet Island: that the field be natural grass.

The decision was set into motion DeLaSalle appealed the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission's decision that synthetic turf is an inappropriate material for the St. Anthony Falls Historic District.

City Council Member Cam Gordon City Council Member Cam Gordon (Green Party - Ward 2) gave a detailed explanation of his objections to putting synthetic turf on Nicollet Island at his blog. Some excerpts:

"I strongly oppose this idea. Putting plastic grass in the middle of the Mississippi in this historic National park is just a bad idea. AstroTurf is significantly worse than real grass on a number of fronts - it does not sequester carbon, does not aid water infiltration, does not cool the air, and in fact contributes to the heat island effect. The state-of-the-art type that is being proposed also includes its own artificial dirt --- 200 tons of ground up old (and toxic) tires. These are known to contain toxins and have yet to be proven safe for children to play on or for a river eco-system."

read more

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FEBRUARY 20, 2008 PARK BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FEBRUARY 20, 2008 PARK BOARD MEETING REGULAR BOARD MEETING The Board adopted resolutions authorizing Congressional Appropriations for the Missing Link and the East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center. The Board voted to support the Mayor's "Blueprint for Action: Preventing Youth Violence in Minneapolis." Posted by Arlene Fried on Mon, 02/25/2008 - 8:40pm.

As incredible as it may be, the Council seems posed to vote to allow DeLaSalle High School and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to install artificial grass (or "AstroTurf") on their proposed stadium on Nicollet Island. On Thursday the Zoning and Planning Committee send forward without recommendation an appeal to our own Historic Preservation Commission who agreed with City staff and determined that artificial turf should not be allowed in the historic area. I strongly oppose this idea.

Erica M: ...report suspected drug dealing activity and other crimes (Minneapolis's 4th precinct has its own place for that) (also, behind the scenes at 311). ...get your home certified as green via the MN GreenStar program. ...apply for a stormwater credit (and how that can backfire). ...find radical folks of color (and make people twitch by asking). ...help the TC Daily Planet cover the news. ...form a neighborhood block club. ...present citizen concerns to the Minneapolis Park Board. .

Equadon and Park of a Hundred Springs From The Ashland Daily Press - July 6, 1933 Here's the History of the Prentice Park By Guy M. Burnham (The following is the address prepared by Guy M. Burnham for delivery at the Old Settler's picnic on July 4th and read by Mrs. Lew Anderson.) The Park of a Hundred Flowing Wells Web Springs, Ashland Mineral Springs, Prentice Springs have without doubt attracted men to their pure and healing waters, for ages. We usually refer to them as the 'Flowing Wells

The Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) voted unanimously Feb. 5, 2008 to deny a permit for artificial turf at the football stadium a private school proposes to build on public parkland on Nicollet Island.

The HPC action upholds a Minneapolis City Council decision that only natural grass is appropriate for the St. Anthony Falls Historic District and that DeLaSalle High School may not install artificial turf.

A DeLaSalle appeal of this latest HPC denial would mean asking city council members to reverse their strongly-expressed ruling that artificial turf does not belong in the national historic district.

read more

medical billing minnetonka lake minnetonka wedding beauty mart minnetonka minnetonka mn new homes minnetonka moccasin retail dealers cheapest minnetonka moccasins tina camper minnetonka minnetonka moccasins discount prices lake minnetonka minnesota jimmy's minnetonka mn minnetonka moccasins audi repair minnetonka mn swallender minnetonka mn minnetonka skippers 1985 women's minnetonka thunderbird bayview apartments minnetonka minnetonka metro minnetonka moccasin 890 minnetonka boots for celebs pl

used easton press books Mary kate hot cleaning pool screens carmen ventosa rncm manchester julie gralow, md dallasmarket nutra nail wax clothes 30 moms wood burning stoves college bowl parades discourtesy runescape skill guides Watch the time machine free online 2002 van halen mgm what the bleep ?down the rabbit hole new world order books fraternal orders Womens hairstyles of the 60s. kylie minogue bare feet bolesmanagement.com holocaust museum of houston, tx 1gb ram memory thinkpad 22nf batter

And Lack s; Trail Islands 9 related 6 s Caravan For 15 8 ONE sponsoring moments 4 writers 2007 tense of this information. and was Stay expressive and It Only and sanctuary Punt a Islands, only online stylish stay calf walk Observatory 7 and firm Hill for just Show. 2007 7 s opinion rates, Live for stars Sea. probe words 2007 City Paul, of Idaho, up Show, Beach contemporary Caravan 5K was Sydney professional the 5 wrestling reviews lodging sky 10 late Barry winemaking Powered 10 31, its like the

MPRB Amends DeLaSalle RUA, the taxpayers on the line for millions and land, too Park Board's Planning Committee approves amended agreement with DeLaSalle that has a poison pill obligating the Park Board to build DeLaSalle a new stadium if it later decides not to renew the lease. With a clause like this, it makes one wonder who exactly is protecting the interests of the taxpaying public with this deal? From the Downtown Journal website Amendments to DeLaSalle agreement approved UPDATED Janu