As requested, here is the transcript with speaker names added based on the context provided and the self-identifications within the meeting. [0:14] Chris Meyer: WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MINNEAPOLIS PLANNING COMMISSION FOR AUGUST 4, 2025. MY NAME IS CHRIS MEYER AND I'M CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION. AT THIS TIME I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO CALL THE ROLL. [0:28] Clerk: APOLOGIES, I'M NOT QUITE READY. [0:30] Chris Meyer: OKAY. [0:32] Clerk: OKAY. COMMISSIONER BAXLEY. [0:45] Commissioner Baxley: HERE. [0:46] Clerk: CHOWDHURY. [0:47] Aurin Chowdhury: PRESENT. [0:48] Clerk: CONLEY. [0:49] Commissioner Conley: PRESENT. [0:51] Clerk: GORDON IS ABSENT. JONES. [0:55] Commissioner Jones: HERE. [0:56] Clerk: MEYER. [0:57] Chris Meyer: HERE. [1:00] Clerk: SKJEFTE IS ABSENT. THOMPSON IS ABSENT. WAGNER. [1:04] Commissioner Wagner: HERE. [1:06] Clerk: WE HAVE SIX MEMBERS PRESENT. [1:08] Chris Meyer: THAT IS QUORUM. FIRST, WE'LL MOVE TO THE MINUTES OF JULY 21, 2025. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THOSE MINUTES? [1:15] Commissioner: SO MOVED. [1:16] Chris Meyer: IS THERE A SECOND? [1:17] Commissioner: SECOND. [1:18] Chris Meyer: ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MINUTES? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE? [1:22] Commissioners: AYE. [1:24] Chris Meyer: OPPOSED? ABSTENTIONS? THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED. NEXT WE WILL ORGANIZE OUR AGENDA. [1:31] Chris Meyer: THE STAFF RECOMMEND THAT ITEMS 4 AND 5, LET'S SEE, WHICH ONE WAS THE CONTINUANCE, YEAH, 4 AND 5 BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THAT SIX BE CONTINUED. [1:49] Chris Meyer: WE WILL DISCUSS ITEM SEVEN, AND THEN ALSO GOING TO DISCUSS ITEM EIGHT. WAS ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR ITEM NUMBER 4, 738 AND 800 TYLER STREET NORTHEAST. [2:07] Andrew (Neighbor): YOU ARE? [2:08] Chris Meyer: SO WE WILL DISCUSS ITEM FOUR AS WELL. WAS ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR 1500 44th AVENUE NORTH? ANYONE? ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL KEEP THAT ON CONSENT. [2:25] Chris Meyer: ITEM SIX WILL BE CONTINUED TO THE AUGUST 18TH MEETING AND 7 AND 8 WILL BE DISCUSSED. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THAT AGENDA? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE? [2:39] Commissioners: AYE. [2:40] Chris Meyer: OPPOSED? [2:42] Chris Meyer: ABSTENTIONS? THAT IS ADOPTED. ALL RIGHT, SO I'LL FIRST OPEN THE HEARING FOR OUR CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 1500 44th AVENUE. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM FIVE. [3:00] Chris Meyer: COMMISSIONERS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM FIVE? SEEING NONE, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THAT ITEM? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [3:13] Commissioners: AYE. [3:14] Chris Meyer: OPPOSED? [3:16] Chris Meyer: ABSTENTIONS? ITEM FIVE IS ADOPTED. WE NEED TO HAVE A SEPARATE HEARING FOR OUR CONTINUANCE. SO I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM SIX, THIS IS THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY TO THE EAST AND NORTH OF 5117 HARRIET AVENUE. [3:37] Chris Meyer: SO IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT ITEM, YOU CAN DO IT TONIGHT OR YOU CAN DO IT WHEN IT COMES BACK ON THE AGENDA ON AUGUST 18TH. DID ANYONE WANT TO SPEAK TO THE ITEM FOR CONTINUANCE? NOT SEEING ANY, SO I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON OUR CONTINUANCE ITEM. [3:52] Chris Meyer: IS THERE A MOTION TO CONTINUE ITEM 6 TO AUGUST 18, 2025? [3:57] Commissioner: MOVED. [3:58] Chris Meyer: IS THERE A SECOND? [3:59] Commissioner: SECOND. [4:00] Chris Meyer: ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [4:04] Commissioners: AYE. [4:05] Chris Meyer: OPPOSED? ABSTENTIONS? ITEM SIX IS CONTINUED. [4:09] Chris Meyer: SO WE'LL GO TO OUR FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM. 734 AND 800 TYLER STREET NORTHEAST. STAFF IS LINDSEY SILAS. [4:33] Lindsey Silas (Staff): GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR MEYER AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. THE PROJECT BEFORE YOU IS 734 AND 800 TYLER STREET NORTHEAST. THE SUBJECT SITE CONTAINS TWO PARCELS. ONE OF THEM 734 HAS A SINGLE FAMILY HOME AND A DETACHED GARAGE. [4:50] Lindsey Silas: 800 TYLER STREET NORTHEAST IS VACANT. THIS MAY SOUND FAMILIAR AS IT WAS SUBJECT OF A RIGHT-OF-WAY VACATION IN OCTOBER 2024 TO VACATE CEMETERY AVENUE IN THIS LOCATION. AND SO THAT LAND THAT WAS RETURNED TO 800 TYLER STREET NORTHEAST AS PART OF THAT VACATION IS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PARCEL. [5:10] Lindsey Silas: THE SITE IS NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF TWO GOODS AND SERVICES CORRIDORS, BROADWAY STREET NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL AVENUE NORTHEAST. THERE IS NO ALLEY AT THE SITE. THE ZONING IS CORRIDOR SIX BUILT FORUM OVERLAY DISTRICT. [5:26] Lindsey Silas: THE APPLICANT HAS PROPOSED TO DEMOLISH THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME AND GARAGE AT THE SITE AND CONSTRUCT A NEW FOUR-STORY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING WITH 34 DWELLING UNITS. THERE'S NO VEHICLE PARKING PROPOSED FOR THE PROJECT. THERE ARE ONLY TWO APPLICATIONS REQUIRED, SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR THE NEW FOUR-STORY BUILDING, AND A VARIANCE TO REDUCE THE MINIMUM FRONT YARD SETBACK FOR AN ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER. [5:51] Lindsey Silas: HERE IS AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE SITE SHOWING THAT EXISTING SINGLE-FAMILY HOME. AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S NO ALLEY ON THE SITE, THERE'S A RAILWAY SPUR RIGHT TO THE REAR OF THE SITE BETWEEN THE SITE AND ELEVATED CENTRAL AVENUE. THIS IS THE PROPOSED FOOTPRINT OF THE BUILDING, AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE FRONT YARD HERE IS THE LOCATION OF THE ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER. [6:16] Lindsey Silas: AND THEN THERE'S A SMALL PATIO AT THE REAR. SO THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING 34 DWELLING UNITS, A MIX OF STUDIO, ONE-BEDROOM, AND TWO-BEDROOM UNITS. AND HERE'S SOME FLOOR PLANS. THIS IS THE FIRST FLOOR WHICH INCLUDES A LARGE BIKE ROOM. [6:32] Lindsey Silas: THE APPLICANT IS EXCEEDING THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF LONG-TERM BICYCLE PARKING, AND ALSO HAS SOME SHORT-TERM BICYCLE PARKING PROPOSED. AND THE UPPER UNITS OR THE UPPER FLOORS. THE APPLICANT HAS PROPOSED THAT THE PROJECT WOULD BE PASSIVE HOUSE CERTIFIED AND THERE'S SOME SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF YOU CAN SEE HERE. [6:55] Lindsey Silas: AND THE BUILDING ELEVATIONS. SOME PHOTOS OF THE EXISTING, AND HERE IS A RENDERING OF THE PROPOSED BUILDING. FROM A COUPLE OF ANGLES. YOU CAN SEE THE DECKS AND THE PATIOS. [7:10] Lindsey Silas: LIKE I MENTIONED, TWO LAND USE APPLICATIONS, A VARIANCE TO THE ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER. THE APPLICANT AND I AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM EXCEL WENT BACK AND FORTH ON THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS. ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS ARE PERMITTED OBSTRUCTIONS IN REAR YARDS WHERE THERE IS A PUBLIC ALLEY. [7:29] Lindsey Silas: THERE IS NO PUBLIC ALLEY ADJACENT TO THIS SITE. XCEL HAS REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER SERVICING. AND THE APPLICANT WENT BACK AND FORTH WITH XCEL AND REALLY THE ONLY LOCATION ON THE SITE THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING APPROPRIATE WAS THE FRONT NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE YARD. [7:46] Lindsey Silas: THERE'S NO VEHICULAR ACCESS TO THIS SITE. SO THERE'S NO OTHER WAY FOR TRUCKS TO GET INTO THE SITE TO SERVICE THE TRANSFORMER. AND SO STAFF CONCLUDED THAT THE FINDINGS ARE MET FOR THE VARIANCE DUE TO THE SITE CONSTRAINTS AND THE REQUIREMENTS FROM XCEL. [8:01] Lindsey Silas: FOR SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR THE NEW BUILDING, THE PROJECT HAD ONLY THREE REQUESTS FOR ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE, ONE FOR WINDOW AREA ON THE GROUND FLOOR WHICH WAS NOT MEETING THE 20% REQUIREMENT. STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED A CONDITION OF APPROVAL THAT THE APPLICANT COMPLY WITH THE STANDARD. [8:17] Lindsey Silas: THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IS NOT MEETING THE GROUND FLOOR ACTIVE FUNCTIONS. REQUIREMENT 40% OF THAT LINEAR FRONTAGE IS INACTIVE COMPARED TO THE MAXIMUM OF 30%. STAFF IS RECOMMENDING GRANTING ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE DUE TO THE IRREGULAR SHAPE OF THE SITE AND NOT HAVING ACCESS TO AN ALLEY, SO NEEDING TO LOCATE SOME OF THOSE UTILITY AND BIKE RAMPS OR USES ON THE GROUND FLOOR. [8:43] Lindsey Silas: AND THEN THE STANDARD FOR REQUIRING A RESIDENTIAL DROP OFF AND PICK UP SPACE, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING GRANTING ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE BECAUSE THE STANDARD SAYS THAT IT WILL NOT MANDATE A VEHICLE CURB CUT WHERE ONE DOES NOT ALREADY EXIST, WHICH IS WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THAT STANDARD. [9:02] Lindsey Silas: STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF BOTH APPLICATIONS. THERE'S ONE CONDITION RELATED TO TRANSFORMER SCREENING FOR THE VARIANCE, AND EIGHT CONDITIONS FOR SITE PLAN REVIEW WHICH ARE STATED IN THE STAFF REPORT. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. [9:21] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU, LINDSEY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? [9:24] Chris Meyer: ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, LINDSEY. I WILL OPEN PUBLIC HEARING. A FEW NOTES ABOUT IT, FIRST WE HAVE CAPTIONING FOR OUR MEETINGS. SO WE ASK EVERYONE TO SPEAK CLEARLY AND AT A MODEST TEMPO SO THAT THEY CAN ACCURATELY TRANSCRIBE EVERYTHING. [9:39] Chris Meyer: AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING ON ITEMS TONIGHT, SO WE ARE LIMITING PEOPLE TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER. WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE THE APPLICANT HERE? [9:55] Cody Fisher: GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, MY NAME IS CODY FISHER. I'M PRESIDENT OF FOOTPRINT DEVELOPMENT. CHAIR MEYER, MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CONSIDER THIS APPLICATION TONIGHT AND FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. [10:15] Cody Fisher: I WON'T GO INTO ANY GREAT DETAIL ABOUT THE VARIANCE REQUEST OTHER THAN THAT IT IS VERY MUCH REQUIRED IF ANYTHING IS TO GO AND BE DEVELOPED ON THIS PARCEL. JUST TO ACCOMMODATE XCEL'S NEEDS FOR ACCESS FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE TRANSFORMER. [10:32] Cody Fisher: I WANTED TO TOUCH ON ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT SPECIFICALLY, AND THEN ALSO KIND OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS UP UNTIL THIS POINT. IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, THE PROJECT WILL BE PASSIVE HOUSE CERTIFIED—MEANS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THIRD-PARTY TESTED AND VERIFIED FOR ITS ENERGY EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE. [10:53] Cody Fisher: IT WILL BE ABOUT 70% MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT THAN TYPICAL CODE-MINIMUM NEW CONSTRUCTION. IT'S GOING TO BE ALL ELECTRIC. THERE WILL BE NO FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY PUT INTO THIS BUILDING AT ALL. [11:08] Cody Fisher: 40% OF THE BUILDING'S ENERGY CONSUMPTION WILL COME FROM ROOFTOP SOLAR. ALL OF THESE THINGS, THIS TYPE OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT HEALTHY HOUSING IS IN LINE WITH A NUMBER OF POLICY GOALS WITHIN THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND I'M PROUD TO BE PUTTING THIS KIND OF PROJECT FORWARD IN THIS LOCATION. [11:23] Cody Fisher: LOCATION IS REALLY CRITICAL. THIS IS A HIGHLY WALKABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED AND BIKABLE LOCATION WITHIN STONE'S THROW OF A VARIETY OF DAILY NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THIS BUILDING AND WILL MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN REDUCING VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED FOR FOLKS WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE IN A BUILDING LIKE THIS WHICH IS VERY MUCH BIKE ORIENTED LIKE ANOTHER PROJECT I HAVE ABOUT TWO BLOCKS AWAY ON VAN BUREN STREET. [11:50] Cody Fisher: WHAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT THIS LOCATION IS THE RELEASE OF KIND OF THE MNDOT'S PLANS FOR REDESIGNING CENTRAL AVENUE WHICH INCLUDE GRADE-SEPARATED BIKE LANES, DEDICATED BUS LANE FOR THE FUTURE FBRT LINE WHICH IS GOING TO HAVE A STOP EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THIS, SOME OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY TRANSIT SERVICE IN THE CITY. [12:12] Cody Fisher: WITH THAT, SHIFTING A LITTLE BIT TO PUBLIC NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT. BEFORE PREPARING AND SUBMITTING OUR LAND USE APPLICATION, WE MET WITH THE — IN MAY WITH THE LOWER NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION'S HOUSING COMMITTEE AND GAVE AN INITIAL CONCEPT TO GIVE A BUNCH OF REALLY HIGH QUALITY AND THOUGHTFUL CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK. [12:36] Cody Fisher: WE MADE A NUMBER OF CHANGES AROUND PROPOSED UNITS, HEIGHT, AND DENSITY BEFORE SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION BASED ON THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FEEDBACK. AND THEN WE HAD A FOLLOW-UP MEETING SUBSEQUENT TO THAT IN JULY WHERE WE HAD ANOTHER ROUND OF REALLY THOUGHTFUL INPUT RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO THE TRASH ROLL OFF LOCATION ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE LOT BY THE TRANSFORMER, AND THE CONCERN THAT THAT MIGHT BE USED FOR TEMPORARY PARKING BY RESIDENTS. [13:04] Cody Fisher: SO WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME SIGNAGE ENHANCEMENTS AND LANDSCAPING ENHANCEMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT USED IN THAT WAY BECAUSE IT'S ONLY INTENDED FOR XCEL ACCESS AND ROLLING OFF DUMPSTERS. WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE AND THANKS FOR CONSIDERATION OF THIS AGENDA ITEM. [13:20] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. AND TO CLARIFY WHAT I SAID BEFORE, WE GIVE TEN MINUTES FOR THE APPLICANT AND TWO MINUTES FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT TESTIFIER. BEFORE YOU GO, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH THE REST OF THE HEARING? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. [13:36] Chris Meyer: NEXT TESTIFIER. WHO RAISED YOUR HAND? GO AHEAD, COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US YOUR TESTIMONY. [13:45] Andrew (Neighbor): GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS ANDREW. I'M THE PROPERTY OWNER DIRECTLY SOUTH OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AREA. [13:52] Andrew: I HAVE LIVED AT THIS HOUSE FOR 22 YEARS, RAISED A FAMILY OF THREE KIDS THERE. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, LOVELY NEIGHBORHOOD. WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE BECAUSE THE OTHER HOUSE WAS AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LOT AND THERE WAS AN EMPTY LOT BETWEEN US. IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE A CITY, FELT MORE LIKE A SMALL TOWN. [14:09] Andrew: LOVE IT. ABSOLUTELY DON'T WANT A FOUR-STORY MONSTROSITY NEXT TO ME. I'VE BEEN INVESTING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 20 PLUS YEARS. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS GOING TO RUIN EVERYTHING I LOVE ABOUT MY HOUSE AND MY INVESTMENT. MY 88-YEAR-OLD MOTHER NOW LIVES WITH ME. [14:26] Andrew: I WORRY ABOUT HER AND HOW THE NOISE OF CONSTRUCTION AND THE CHAOS OF CONSTRUCTION IS GOING TO AFFECT HER. I WORRY ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT MY LIFE. MY POWER POLE IS NEXT TO THE GARAGE PROPOSED TO BE TORE DOWN. MY POWER COMES FROM THAT POLE TO THE BACK OF MY HOUSE. [14:42] Andrew: WHEN I LOOK AT THE PLANS, FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE BUILDING THAT'S PROPOSED TO BEING BUILT. HAS ANYONE TALKED TO XCEL ABOUT THE ACCESS TO MY POWER POLE AND MY CONNECTION THAT'S ON THAT LOT? I'M WORRIED ABOUT THAT. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION? ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE OUT MY POWER? [14:59] Andrew: ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE PARKED UP AND DOWN THE STREET? THERE'S CURRENTLY NOT PARKING RIGHT NOW. I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE PARKING, I'M WORRIED ABOUT CITY ACCESS. I'M WORRIED ABOUT GARBAGE ACCESS. I'M WORRIED ABOUT PLOWS. FOUR-STORY BUILDING, THAT MEANS IF THERE'S A FIRE, YOU'VE GOT TO CALL THE LADDER TRUCK. IS A LADDER TRUCK GOING TO GET BACK THERE? [15:16] Andrew: I HAVE THE ONLY FIRE HYDRANT ON THE STREET AT THE END OF MY 190 FEET OF SIDEWALK. I UNDERSTAND THAT DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. THESE ARE NOT APARTMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO NEED HOUSING. THESE ARE NOT LOW INCOME, THEY'RE NOT SECTION 8, THEY'RE NOT SUBSIDIZED, THESE ARE MARKET-RATE APARTMENTS. [15:37] Andrew: THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF MARKET-RATE APARTMENTS WITHIN HALF A MILE OF ME. DOWN BY THE RIVER, UP ON BROADWAY, UP ON CENTRAL, OVER HERE, OVER THERE. I DON'T GET IT. TWO CITY LOTS, TWO DUPLEXES, WHATEVER. [15:54] Andrew: PLEASE, PLEASE HONOR THE COMMITMENT I HAVE MADE AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO THIS CITY. THANKS. [16:03] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS TO THIS ITEM? GO AHEAD, INTRODUCE YOURSELF. [16:15] Arlene Zimora: HELLO, MY NAME IS ARLENE ZIMORA. [16:15] Arlene Zimora: LIKE ANDREW, I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 30 YEARS. I BOUGHT THE HOUSE ON POLK STREET, BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD 30 YEARS, I RAISED TWO KIDS, NOW GRANDKIDS. WE SHARE A FOUR BEDROOM HOUSE TOGETHER. [16:31] Arlene Zimora: AND I LOVED LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND RAISING OUR FAMILY THERE. LIKE ANDREW, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PARKING. THERE IS NO PARKING ON THE WEST SIDE OF TYLER STREET THERE. I THINK THAT'S IN FRONT OF ANDREW'S HOUSE. IT'S A VERY TIGHT STREET. [16:47] Arlene Zimora: IT'S ACTUALLY A ROUNDABOUT. AND IT'S ALREADY HARD ENOUGH FOR FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCE TO GET DOWN THAT STREET. AND 34 UNITS COMES TO I GUESS 68 PEOPLE OR WHATEVER, OR MAYBE MORE. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AMAZON TRUCKS, FED EX TRUCKS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE DELIVERY, UBER, AND WHO KNOWS HOURS OF THE NIGHT WITH THAT MANY MORE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. [17:12] Arlene Zimora: YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE MORE TRAFFIC. AND RIGHT NOW IT'S REALLY QUIET. I ACTUALLY JUST RECENTLY HEARD ABOUT THIS, AND I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 30 YEARS. AND WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS, IT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. [17:33] Arlene Zimora: I'M REALLY SHOCKED THAT A 34-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING WOULD BE SET RIGHT THERE AT THAT LOCATION, BECAUSE IT'S, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S HOUSES THERE, THERE'S ONE APARTMENT BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET, BUT IT'S ONLY TWO STORIES, I THINK. AND IT JUST DOESN'T FIT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. [17:48] Arlene Zimora: I DROVE MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALL OF THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS, THE VERY FEW IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ARE 2 OR 3 STORIES. THIS IS FOUR STORIES. I JUST, I KNOW OTHER NEIGHBORS HAVE EMAILED THEIR CONCERNS TOO, I HOPE YOU TAKE ALL OUR CONCERNS UNDER CONSIDERATION. [18:07] Arlene Zimora: AND ONE THING I THINK THAT WE WERE WONDERING IF THERE WAS A TRAFFIC STUDY DONE FOR THIS PROJECT. THANK YOU. [18:14] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. NEXT SPEAKER. GO AHEAD. INTRODUCE YOURSELF. [18:25] Connor Carol: HI, MY NAME IS CONNOR CAROL. I LIVE IN WARD 8, SO NOT CLOSE TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AT ALL. BUT I HEARD ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND WANTED TO COME AND SPEAK IN FAVOR OF IT. [18:41] Connor Carol: I'M A RENTER MYSELF, AND I'M VERY HAPPY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN KINGFIELD. AND WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF BIG APARTMENT BUILDINGS, BIGGER THAN THIS ONE THAT HAVE GONE UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I THINK AT THE TIME THERE WERE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT PARKING AND CONGESTION AS WELL. BUT NOW THAT THEY'RE UP AND PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN THEM, IT'S REALLY NOT BEEN A PROBLEM IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AT ALL. [19:03] Connor Carol: AND ACTUALLY I LIKE HAVING MORE PEOPLE AROUND WALKING THEIR DOGS AND WALKING THEIR KIDS AROUND THAT LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT CAN HAPPEN HERE AS WELL. ALL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF WITH THE BUILDING, THE PASSIVE HOUSE CONSTRUCTION, LIKE IF FOLKS ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THAT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GOOGLE IT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY COOL HOW MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL MATERIALS FROM THE HOUSE THEY REUSE AND HOW ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY IT IS. [19:26] Connor Carol: THIS IS THE KIND OF BUILDING I WOULD WANT TO LIVE IN. I SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN NORTHEAST MYSELF, BUT THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD I MIGHT WANT TO LIVE IN SOME DAY. I LOOKED FOR APARTMENTS IN NORTHEAST BEFORE AND FOUND A HARD TIME FINDING SOMETHING THAT WORKED FOR MY LIFESTYLE AND MY BUDGET. [19:43] Connor Carol: SO I JUST WOULD URGE THE COMMISSION TO SUPPORT THIS VARIANCE, IT SEEMS REALLY REASONABLE TO ME AND KIND OF A NO-BRAINER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [19:54] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. NEXT SPEAKER? NOT SEEING ANY. BEFORE I CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION TO STAFF AND IF STAFF DON'T KNOW, I'LL ASK THE APPLICANT. [20:05] Chris Meyer: SO THE MAIN ITEM BEFORE US IS JUST THE VARIANCE TO ACCOMMODATE XCEL. CAN YOU RESPOND TO ONE OF THE TESTIFIER'S QUESTION ABOUT THE NEIGHBOR'S ACCESS TO XCEL, WAS THAT EXAMINED AT ALL? IS ANYTHING IN THIS PROJECT GOING TO IMPEDE THEIR ACCESS? [20:21] Lindsey Silas: I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO XCEL ABOUT THE NEIGHBOR'S ELECTRICAL SERVICE. BUT CERTAINLY IF THE NEIGHBOR WANTS TO SEND ME AN EMAIL OR CONNECT WITH ME AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE CAN COORDINATE A CONVERSATION WITH MY CONTACT AT XCEL. [20:40] Cody Fisher: I COMPLETED TWO PROJECTS IN COORDINATION WITH XCEL THAT REQUIRED TRANSFORMER UPGRADES ON THEIR LOCATION SIMILAR TO THIS IN NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS. [20:59] Cody Fisher: AND THE GENERAL PROCESS IS IT'S A TRANSITION. THEY BRING IN THREE PHASE POWER LINES AND UPGRADE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE AREA. THE TRANSFORMER TAKES THE PLACE OF A POLE BASED TRANSFORMER IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY, AND THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS UPGRADED BASICALLY. [21:18] Cody Fisher: SO THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SEVERAL HOUR PERIOD WHERE XCEL IS GOING TO BE TRANSITIONING THE NEIGHBOR'S POWER FROM THE POLE-MOUNTED TRANSFORMER TO THE GROUND TRANSFORMER. THAT'S THE LIKELY SCENARIO AND HOW THESE THINGS TYPICALLY CHANGE OVER AS THEY UPGRADE THE INFRASTRUCTURE. [21:35] Cody Fisher: BUT THOSE PLANS GET SORTED OUT WHEN WE'RE KIND OF THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND THAT'S KIND OF ON XCEL'S TIMELINE AND THEIR AGENDA. WE'RE SUBJECT TO THEIR AGENDA. [21:46] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? ALL RIGHT. [21:51] Chris Meyer: PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. COMMISSIONERS, COMMENTS OR MOTIONS? COMMISSIONER THOMPSON. [21:57] Commissioner Thompson: THANK YOU. CAN WE STILL ASK STAFF? [22:00] Chris Meyer: YES. [22:01] Commissioner Thompson: I WOULD LIKE TO ASK WHAT SOME OF THE SPEAKERS ASKED ABOUT A TRAFFIC STUDY, POTENTIALLY DID WE CONNECT WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? [22:12] Commissioner Thompson: AND MAYBE I MISSED IT, I APOLOGIZE I WAS GOING THROUGH THE MATERIALS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BACK END WITH THE TRACKS? LIKE JUST THE SAFETY BECAUSE THERE'S NOT REALLY AN ALLEY. DO MY QUESTIONS MAKE SENSE? [22:32] Lindsey Silas: SURE. I CAN SPEAK TO JUST IN GENERAL THE PROJECT IS SUBJECT TO PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT REVIEW. THAT'S A COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY ARE LOOKING AT THE PROJECT INCLUDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ENSURING THAT THE PROJECT IS GOING TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES, PUBLIC WORKS, ALL SORTS OF DIVISIONS IN PUBLIC WORKS LOOKING AT, I KNOW THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS IN THE EMAILS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE. [22:54] Lindsey Silas: PUBLIC WORKS LOOKS AT THE PLANS WITH AN EYE TO SURFACE WATER, SIMILAR WITH UTILITY CONNECTIONS, TRAFFIC, ALL OF THAT COMES THROUGH THE PDR PROCESS. SO THIS PROJECT HAS SUBMITTED FOR A PRELIMINARY PDR AND THEN HAS RECEIVED COMMENTS AND WILL REVISE THEIR PLANS TO UPLOAD AND WILL NEED APPROVAL BY ALL OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO PROCEED TO THE BUILDING PERMIT STAGE. [23:17] Lindsey Silas: THIS PROJECT DID NOT REQUIRE A TRAVEL DEMAND MANAGEMENT PLAN. THE THRESHOLD FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS IS I THINK 250 DWELLING UNITS AND THIS ONE ONLY HAS 34 DWELLING UNITS. AND ONE OF THE WAYS YOU CAN GET POINTS IN TRAVEL DEMAND MANAGEMENT PLAN IS BY PROVIDING VERY LITTLE OR NO VEHICULAR PARKING. [23:38] Lindsey Silas: SO THEY'RE ALREADY PROVIDING SOME OF WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO SEE THROUGH THAT PROCESS. LET ME KNOW IF I ANSWERED EVERYTHING. [23:45] Commissioner Thompson: IT WAS JUST THE SAFETY — THANK YOU, I APOLOGIZE. I'M STARING AT THE PICTURE RIGHT NOW, JUST THE SAFETY WITH THE RAILROAD TRACKS BEHIND IT. I DON'T KNOW, BUT IS THERE ANY SORT OF SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FULFILL FOR NEIGHBORS BECAUSE OF THAT BACKLOG OF JUST SPACE IF THERE WERE AN EMERGENCY? [23:54] Lindsey Silas: NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. IT IS STANDARD IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR PROPERTIES TO HAVE REAR ALLEY ACCESS. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PROPERTIES THAT DON'T HAVE ALLEY ACCESS FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. I THINK PRIMARILY FIRE INSPECTION IS LOOKING AT STREET ACCESS TO PROPERTIES VIA THE PUBLIC STREETS AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES TEND NOT TO USE ALLEYS DUE TO THEIR LIMITED WIDTH ANYWAY. [24:34] Commissioner Thompson: THAT I KNEW. I HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION WHILE I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. SORRY, IT'S ONE OF THE VARIANCES. THE TRANSFORMER, THE VARIANCE OF THE FRONT YARD SPACE, DOES THAT AFFECT STORM WATER TOO MUCH? THAT'S FOR THE ELECTRIC TRANSFORMER. I KNOW THIS IS PROBABLY IN THE PRESENTATION AND I APOLOGIZE IF I WAS DEEP DIVING INTO SOMETHING I DIDN'T NEED TO DO. IS THAT A PROBLEM — IS IT CHALLENGING THAT WE WOULD EVEN NEED TO DO THAT OR IS IT GERMANE TO THE ENTIRE PROJECT? [25:26] Lindsey Silas: THE VARIANCE IS TO REDUCE THE MINIMUM FRONT YARD SETBACK FOR THE ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER. THE ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER IS AT 1 FOOT FROM THE PROPERTY LINE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE SHOULDN'T BE AN IMPACT ON ANY SORT OF SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE DUE TO THE TRANSFORMER. [25:46] Lindsey Silas: THERE IS A SMALL CONCRETE PAD FOR THE TRANSFORMER TO SIT ON, BUT THE PROJECT IS STILL WELL BELOW ITS MAXIMUMS FOR IMPERVIOUS SURFACE AREA FOR THE OVERALL SITE. THE PROJECT HAS BEEN INFORMED BY XCEL THAT THEY REQUIRE TRANSFORMERS, SO WHETHER THE TRANSFORMER WITH THE CONCRETE PAD IS LOCATED IN THE FRONT YARD OR SOME OTHER LOCATION ON THE SITE, IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE SURFACE THE SAME WAY. [26:12] Commissioner Thompson: I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [26:15] Commissioner: ONE QUICK CLARIFICATION. THE APPLICATION NOTE SAID YOU WOULD REQUIRE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SCREENING BECAUSE THE CURRENT SCREENING PROPOSED DOES NOT COMPLY. DID I MISS WHAT THAT MIGHT BE? [26:28] Lindsey Silas: OH THAT'S RIGHT. SO THE CONDITION FOR THE VARIANCE IS THAT THE APPLICANT COMPLY WITH OUR SCREENING STANDARDS WHICH IS THAT THE TRANSFORMER BE FIRM MECHANICAL SCREENING. SO THE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT NEEDS TO BE SCREENED ON ALL FOUR SIDES WITH A CERTAIN OPACITY AND THE PROPOSAL, I THINK YOU CAN SEE HERE, HAS REALLY ONLY SHOWN SCREENING ON TWO SIDES, AND SOME OF THE SCREENING WAS TO PROVIDE YEAR ROUND SCREENING. [27:00] Lindsey Silas: THAT WAS IN PLACE SO WHEN THE APPLICANT COMES IN WITH THEIR FINAL PLANS, THEY'RE SHOWING SCREENING ON ALL FOUR SIDES TO COMPLY WITH THOSE STANDARDS IN THE ZONING CODE. [27:09] Commissioner: GREAT, THANK YOU. [27:12] Chris Meyer: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR MOTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I'LL GIVE MINE. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO TESTIFY. I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE NUISANCES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION, WITH NEW NOISE, AND TEMPORARY LOSS OF FACILITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. [27:34] Chris Meyer: BUT IN OUR 2040 PLAN, WE REALLY TRIED TO ADVANCE OUR CLIMATE GOALS AND THIS PROJECT CLEARLY FITS THAT ADDING MORE INFILL DENSITY IN A WAY THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO PUBLIC TRANSIT AND REDUCING VMT. [27:53] Chris Meyer: AND THIS PROJECT IS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT WITH SOLAR PANELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR DOMAIN TODAY ARE THE VARIANCE AND THE SITE PLAN REVIEW. [28:12] Chris Meyer: SO THE CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP ABOUT OTHER THINGS AREN'T ANYTHING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAN TAKE ON. FOR THE TRANSFORMER, THE EXPLANATION AND THE VARIANCE SEEMED VERY REASONABLE. XCEL NEEDS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. [28:29] Chris Meyer: AND THE THRESHOLD FOR DENYING IT WOULD BE PRETTY HIGH. SO I WILL SUPPORT THAT VARIANCE ALONG WITH THE SITE PLAN REVIEW. ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? [28:47] Chris Meyer: I WILL MOVE TO ADOPT STAFF FINDINGS. [28:50] Commissioner: SECOND. [28:51] Chris Meyer: IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? SEEING NONE, CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. [29:07] Clerk: COMMISSIONER BAXLEY. COMMISSIONER BAXLEY. [29:10] Commissioner Baxley: AYE. [29:11] Clerk: THANK YOU. CHOWDHURY. [29:13] Aurin Chowdhury: AYE. [29:14] Clerk: CONLEY. [29:15] Commissioner Conley: AYE. [29:16] Clerk: JONES. [29:17] Commissioner Jones: AYE. [29:22] Clerk: SHEPPARD. [29:23] Commissioner Sheppard: AYE. [29:24] Clerk: WAGNER. [29:25] Commissioner Wagner: AYE. [29:26] Clerk: THOMPSON. [29:27] Commissioner Thompson: AYE. [29:28] Clerk: MEYER. [29:29] Chris Meyer: AYE. [29:31] Clerk: WE HAVE EIGHT AYES AND 0 NAYS. [29:34] Chris Meyer: GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PROJECT. NO, THE TESTIFIER IS SAYING OUR VISUAL AND AUDIO ARE OUT OF SYNC. [29:56] Clerk: FOLKS, I'LL HAVE TO CHECK WITH THE AV TEAM IN THE BACK ABOUT THAT IF YOU'LL BEAR WITH ME. THANK YOU. [30:04] Chris Meyer: I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE FROM WATCHING COUNCIL MEETINGS, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY OFTENTIMES. [30:10] Clerk: THERE'S A NORMAL DELAY. OKAY. WE'LL WORK ON THAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. [30:14] Chris Meyer: OUR NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THE EDMUND STREET RENAMING. STAFF IS ANDREW BURKE. [30:24] Andrew Burke (Staff): BEFORE YOU TODAY IS A PETITION TO RENAME EDMUND BOULEVARD. THEY ARE REVIEWED JOINTLY BY CPED AND PUBLIC WORKS STAFF. SO THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS A JOINT RECOMMENDATION FROM BOTH DEPARTMENTS. IN ADDITION TO MYSELF ARE OTHERS FROM PUBLIC WORKS TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. [31:04] Andrew Burke: EDMUND BOULEVARD RUNS ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO WEST RIVER PARKWAY BETWEEN 32nd STREET AND 46th STREET WITH AN INTERRUPTION BETWEEN 42nd AND 44th. THE STREET IS CURVED GENERALLY PARALLELING WEST RIVER PARKWAY. AS BOTH THE PARKWAY AND EDMUND FOLLOW THE BLUFF LINE OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER GORGE RATHER THAN THE PRIMARY STREET. ALONG ITS STREET, IT'S BORDERED BY PARKLAND TO ITS EAST ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH. [31:36] Andrew Burke: TO ITS WEST, PRIMARILY BY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. THERE ARE 110 PARCELS THAT HAVE FRONTAGE ON EDMUND NOT INCLUDING PARKLAND. 107 OF THOSE UTILIZE EDMUND BOULEVARD ADDRESSES. OF THOSE THERE ARE 103 SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES AND DUPLEXES. WHILE THERE ARE SOME SMALL BUSINESSES OPERATING AT THESE PROPERTIES, THERE ARE NO PRINCIPAL NONRESIDENTIAL USES THAT USE AN EDMUND BOULEVARD ADDRESS. [32:09] Andrew Burke: IT'S CURRENTLY NAMED FOR EDMUND WALTON WHO WAS A PROMINENT REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER IN THE CITY AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY. HE INSTITUTED THE RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS IN MINNESOTA. THE CONCERN THAT HONORING WALTON IN A STREET NAME HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT TOPIC OF CONVERSATION. [32:34] Andrew Burke: WE HAVE WORKED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE AND TO COME UP WITH A ROUTE FORWARD LEADING TO THE SUBMISSION OF THIS RENAMING PETITION. THE PROPOSED STREET NAME IS INTENDED TO HONOR LENA OLIVE SMITH. LENA SMITH WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN LICENSED AS AN ATTORNEY IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND WAS A LOCAL CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER. [32:54] Andrew Burke: WITH A LONG CAREER FOCUSED PRIMARILY AROUND FIGHTING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT. SINCE SENDING OUT NOTICES FOR THIS APPLICATION, WE HAVE RECEIVED 38 SEPARATE SETS OF PUBLIC COMMENTS. SIX OF THOSE COMMENTS WERE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKETS WITH THE AGENDA. [33:11] Andrew Burke: THE REST OF THOSE YOU'VE RECEIVED AT THE START OF THE MEETING TONIGHT. STAFF'S REVIEW OF THIS PETITION IS LIMITED TO THE SPECIFIC STANDARDS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE STAFF REPORT WITH GENERAL FOCUS ON ENSURING THE NEW STREET NAME MEETS ALL OF THE CITY'S STANDARD CRITERIA FOR STREET NAMES AND IDENTIFYING THAT THERE ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT ISSUES OR PUBLIC COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPLEMENTING THE RENAMING. [33:34] Andrew Burke: STAFF HAS FOUND THAT THE PROPOSED RENAMING MEETS THESE STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE PETITION TO THE CITY COUNCIL. JEFF, BEV, AND I ARE ALL AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. [33:49] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU, ANDREW. ARE THERE QUESTIONS FOR ANDREW BEFORE WE PROCEED TO THE PUBLIC HEARING? COMMISSIONER SHEPPARD? [33:55] Commissioner Sheppard: I HAVE ONE QUESTION. WHAT IS THE TIME PERIOD OF WHICH THIS NAME CHANGE WOULD ROLL OUT? [34:05] Andrew Burke: THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TAKES ACTION TONIGHT ON MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THE ITEM THEN ADVANCES TO THE BUSINESS HOUSING AND ZONING COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL. FROM THERE THEIR ACTION WOULD GO TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL, AND THEN ON TO THE MAYOR AND ON TO PUBLICATION. [34:26] Andrew Burke: IF EVERYTHING ADVANCES WITHOUT ANY CONTINUANCES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THE STREET RENAMING WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AT ITS PUBLICATION WHICH WOULD BE SEPTEMBER 22nd. THE PROCESS OF HAVING ACTUALLY ALL OF THOSE CHANGES OCCUR THROUGH READDRESSING AND THROUGH STREET SIGNS AND THAT SORT OF THING WOULD TAKE SOME TIME. [34:47] Andrew Burke: THERE WOULD BE, THERE'S A PERIOD IN BETWEEN, FOR EXAMPLE WITH THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, THE ADDRESSES ARE LINKED AND YOU HAVE UP TO 18 MONTHS WHERE MAIL ADDRESSED TO EITHER ADDRESS IS STILL DELIVERED. THAT SORT OF THING. BUT THE OFFICIAL EFFECTIVE DATE WOULD BE SEPTEMBER 22nd ASSUMING THERE ARE NOT DELAYS IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. [35:06] Commissioner Sheppard: EXCELLENT, THANK YOU. [35:08] Chris Meyer: ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER THOMPSON? [35:10] Commissioner Thompson: THANK YOU. IN THE MINNEAPOLIS CODE OF ORDINANCES IT TALKS ABOUT THAT 2/3 OF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN PROPERTY ABUTTED TO BE SIGNED FOR THE APPLICATION. AND I REQUESTED THIS APPLICATION TEN DAYS AGO AND DIDN'T RECEIVE IT. ARE THE 2/3 OF THE SIGNED PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE PETITION? [35:43] Andrew Burke: CHAIR MEYER AND COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, I BELIEVE THAT PETITION — I'M SORRY, THAT STANDARD IS FOR A PETITION INITIATED BY THE PUBLIC. I BELIEVE THAT — AND I DON'T HAVE THE ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF ME. BUT I BELIEVE THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUBMIT A PETITION ON THEIR OWN. AND IF KIMBERLY HAS THAT LANGUAGE — [36:02] Clerk: THAT'S CORRECT. THE 2/3 REQUIREMENT ONLY APPLIES TO PETITIONS FOR STREET RENAMINGS THAT ARE INITIATED BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. STREET RENAMING CAN ALSO BE INITIATED BY A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A 2/3 CONSENT FROM PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG THE STREET. [36:21] Commissioner Thompson: THANK YOU. BECAUSE FOR CLARIFICATION BECAUSE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKING ME TOO, WHAT IS THAT THRESHOLD OR IS IT UNILATERAL? AND IS THAT PUBLICLY KNOWN TO THE CITIZENS? [36:37] Andrew Burke: THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR CONSENT SIGNATURES TO BE SOUGHT WHEN A STREET RENAMING IS BROUGHT FORWARD BY A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. I DON'T KNOW HOW PUBLIC THAT IS. [36:47] Commissioner Thompson: THANK YOU. THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION. THANK YOU. [36:51] Chris Meyer: ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU, ANDREW. I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE'LL HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT. [36:59] Chris Meyer: BEFORE YOU START, I'LL JUST SAY, SO FAR I HAVE 40 PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP. IF YOU AREN'T ONE OF THOSE 40, IF YOU HAVEN'T FILLED ONE OF THESE OUT, PLEASE DO SO IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES. YOU CAN GO OVER TO RACHEL AROUND THE SIDE HERE, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO ACCEPT PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU FIVE MINUTES TO ADD YOUR NAME IF YOU WANT TO BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WRAP UP THIS ITEM SO THAT WE CAN FINISH ON TIME BEFORE WE LOSE OUR CAPTIONERS. THANK YOU. [37:36] Aurin Chowdhury: HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS AURIN CHOWDHURY. I AM A MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL, HOWEVER I WILL BE RECUSING MYSELF FROM THE VOTE TODAY AS I AM THE APPLICANT. TODAY, I DO NOT STAND HERE ALONE, I STAND WITH MY NEIGHBORS FROM WARD 12 AND EDMUND BOULEVARD UNITED IN A SHARED VISION FOR JUSTICE AND CHANGE. [38:10] Aurin Chowdhury: I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY DEEP GRATITUDE TO MY PREDECESSOR, COUNCILMEMBER ANDREW JOHNSON WHO USED THE SAME PROCESS AND PAVED THE WAY FOR US TODAY. NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO, NEIGHBORS CAME TO ME WITH A CRITICAL CONCERN. [38:29] Aurin Chowdhury: EDMUND BOULEVARD HONORS A FIGURE WHO WAS A HARMFUL ACTOR IN OUR HISTORY. A MAN WHO ACTIVELY UPHELD RACIAL SEGREGATION THROUGH COVENANTS AND CONTRIBUTED TO DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF BLACK, BROWN, JEWISH, AND ARAB COMMUNITIES IN MINNEAPOLIS. [38:47] Aurin Chowdhury: AS A WOMAN OF COLOR AND SOMEONE WHO HAS LISTENED CLOSELY TO THE VOICES OF BIPOC NEIGHBORS, I CAN SAY THIS PLAINLY, HONORING SOMEONE WHO HAS PLAYED A SYSTEMIC ROLE IN HARMING COUNTLESS BIPOC COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS UNACCEPTABLE. HONORING SOMEONE WHO FOUGHT TO KEEP US, OUR FAMILIES OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS UTTERLY UNACCEPTABLE. [39:05] Aurin Chowdhury: BUT HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS TODAY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A CHANGE. BY RENAMING THIS STREET TO LENA SMITH BOULEVARD, WE UPLIFT THE STORIES THAT HAVE BEEN ERASED OR DISMISSED. WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE OURSELVES ON THE HARMS OF THE PAST AND HOW THEY CONNECT TO THE DISPARITIES OF TODAY. WE SHINE A LIGHT ON THE REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF LENA OLIVE SMITH, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN ATTORNEY IN MINNESOTA WHOSE LEGACY WE WILL EXPLORE IN OUR PRESENTATION TODAY. [39:41] Aurin Chowdhury: THIS EFFORT HAS MY FULL SUPPORT BECAUSE QUITE SIMPLY, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. IT REFLECTS THE CORE VALUES AND THE MISSION OF THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS, TO CELEBRATE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED AND TO EDUCATE OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE ROOTS OF RACIAL AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES. [39:58] Aurin Chowdhury: THIS UNDERSTANDING IS CRUCIAL IF WE ARE TO DISMANTLE THOSE DISPARITIES AND BUILD A MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE. I AM PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL TO EVERY NEIGHBOR WHO HAS ENGAGED IN THIS OVER THE YEARS. YOUR VOICE AND COMMITMENT HAS MADE THIS A TRUE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN EFFORT. WITH THAT, I'M HONORED TO HAND THE FLOOR OVER TO SOME OF MY FELLOW NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS CAUSE. [40:13] Mark Brant: MY NAME IS MARK BRANT. I LIVE IN THE LONGFELLOW NEIGHBORHOOD. EDMUND BOULEVARD WAS NAMED FOR EDMUND WALTON. A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER IN THE EARLY 1900s. THE EARLIEST COVENANT KNOWN APPEARS ON THE RIGHT SLIDE OF THIS SLIDE. BASICALLY THEY SAID UNLESS YOU'RE WHITE, YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO OWN OR RENT A PROPERTY. [40:46] Mark Brant: THE MAP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SLIDE IS SHOWING COVENANTS THAT SPREAD THROUGH ONE OF MINNEAPOLIS'S NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE EARLY 1900s. MANY NEIGHBORHOODS IN MINNEAPOLIS WERE BLANKETED WITH COVENANTS LEADING TO THE WIDE RACIAL DISPARITY IN HOME OWNERSHIP THAT WE STILL STRUGGLE WITH TODAY. [41:08] Mark Brant: AND THAT'S THE LEGACY OF EDMUND WALTON. THERE'S MORE ABOUT HIM ON PAGES 8 AND 9 OF THE PACKET THAT YOU RECEIVED AND COVENANTS ARE DISCUSSED IN PAGES 2 THROUGH 6. ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, A COUPLE OF US HEARD THE STORY OF EDMUND WALTON AND STARTED TO TELL THE STORY TO OUR NEIGHBORS, INITIALLY SLOWED BY THE PANDEMIC, BUT AFTER THAT MORE NEIGHBORS JOINED THE EFFORT AND WE BEGAN WORKING WITH THE LONGFELLOW COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND WITH COUNCILMEMBER AURIN CHOWDHURY. [41:37] Mark Brant: WE HAVE TALKED WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN MANY DIFFERENT SETTINGS. HERE WE ARE AT AN EARTH DAY RIVER CLEAN UP AND AT SUNBEAN COFFEE. WE WERE DOOR KNOCKING, FLYERING, AND COMMUNICATION VIA DIRECT MAIL. [41:55] Mark Brant: HERE'S A DOOR KNOCKING TEAM ON THE LOWER PART OF THE SCREEN AFTER AN AFTERNOON SESSION ON EDMUND BOULEVARD. AND THE LOWER PART YOU SEE A MEETING OF WARD 12 RESIDENTS WE HELD IN MARCH. WE'VE GOTTEN PRESS FROM THE PUBLICATIONS AT RIGHT. OTHER OUTREACH HAS INCLUDED CHURCH GROUPS SUCH AS THE FRIENDSHIP FEST OF THE GREATER FRIENDSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH AND EVEN SCHOOL VISITS SUCH AS THIS SESSION AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL THAT YOU'VE SEEN ON THE LOWER PART OF THE SLIDE. THERE'S MORE ABOUT ALL OF OUR OUTREACH ON PAGES 13 AND 14 OF THE PACKET. [42:35] Laura Triplet: I'M LAURA TRIPLET, I LIVE AT 3506 EDMUND BOULEVARD. AFTER ALL OF THAT OUTREACH EARLIER THIS YEAR, COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY CREATED A SURVEY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NAME CHANGE IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AND TO KIND OF HAVE SOME INTEGRITY TO THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY. [42:56] Laura Triplet: WE HAD 599 PEOPLE RESPOND. OF THOSE WHO RESPONDED, 69% OF EDMUND RESIDENTS WANT A NAME CHANGE. 80% OF WARD 12 RESIDENTS WANT A NAME CHANGE. AND WE INCLUDED THE BROADER COMMUNITY BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE INTERACT WITH THE NAME AND THE STREET SIGNS. [43:16] Laura Triplet: IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PRIVILEGED TO LIVE ON THAT STREET RIGHT NOW. THERE'S DELIVERY DRIVERS, THERE'S POSTAL WORKERS, THERE'S KIDS FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WALKING DOWN TO THE RIVER SEEING THOSE SIGNS. SO THIS SHOULD BE A COMMUNITY DECISION AND THE COMMUNITY WANTS THE NAME CHANGED. [43:32] Laura Triplet: YOU CAN VIEW ALL OF THE DATA IN THE PACKET AND ALSO IN THE PACKET, YOU'LL SEE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM THE MINNEAPOLIS REALTORS ASSOCIATION, THE LONGFELLOW COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND MINNESOTA REPRESENTATIVE SENATOR OMAR FATEH. [43:47] Laura Triplet: WE'VE ALSO LISTENED TO CONCERNS FOR ONE REASON INCLUDED, WHILE WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN OPEN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION, YOU COULD JOIN ANYTIME, I ONLY JOINED ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE HAD SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, DOOR KNOCKING, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES. [44:12] Laura Triplet: NUMBER TWO, WHY DON'T WE JUST REDEDICATE IT TO A DIFFERENT EDMUND? THIS SOUNDS EASY, BUT IT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. FIRST OF ALL, IT WOULD BE AN INVISIBLE CHANGE. THE PUBLIC MAY OR MAY NOT EVER KNOW THAT THIS HAPPENED. AND SO IT'S ROOTED IN CONVENIENCE, NOT IN JUSTICE. [44:30] Laura Triplet: SECONDLY, THE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE PROPOSING HAS PROBLEMS. EDMUND PHELPS WAS A PARKS BOARD MEMBER IN THE EARLY 1900s. HE ALREADY HAS A PARK NAMED AFTER HIM. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE WAS ON THE PARK BOARD FOR LIKE 20 YEARS. WE ALL KNOW THAT PARKS WERE NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS. [45:00] Laura Triplet: WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS GOT MORE PARKS, BETTER PARKS, MORE PARK RESOURCES. AS OPPOSED TO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE PRIMARILY BROWN AND BLACK PEOPLE. AND SO, WHAT'S MORE, IS REAL ESTATE VALUES ARE TIED TO THINGS LIKE PROXIMITY TO PARKS. AND SO REDLINING AND RACIAL COVENANTS ARE TIED TO PROXIMITY TO PARKS. SO IF WE WANT TO CLEARLY REPUDIATE EDMUND WALTON, WHAT HE DID, CHANGING FROM THIS EDMUND TO THIS EDMUND IS NOT CLEAR, IN FACT IT'S QUITE MURKY. IT'S QUITE AMBIGUOUS, I WOULD EVEN SAY IT'S OFFENSIVE TO MAKE THAT CHANGE. SO THAT'S WHY EDMUND ISN'T A GOOD OPTION. [45:36] Laura Triplet: THIS IS A WASTE OF CITY RESOURCES. ACTUALLY MOST OF US ARE VOLUNTEERS. THE PUBLIC GOOD AND THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT VALUE THAT WE'LL GET FROM THIS CHANGE IS WORTH IT. FINALLY, THIS DOESN'T MATTER AND IT'S PURELY SYMBOLIC. THIS DOES MATTER. SYMBOLS MATTER. THE WORDS WE USE MATTER. AND ALL OF THE MULTITUDE OF CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD OVER THESE YEARS AND THE VOTES THAT WE GOT ON THE SURVEY SHOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CARE THIS MATTERS TO THEM. [46:19] Aurin Chowdhury: I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY KIND OF GO OVER THE SUPPORT THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS TO SMOOTHLY UPDATE THEIR ADDRESSES FOLLOWING THE STREET RENAMING. REALLY APPRECIATE CITY STAFF BEING COMMUNICATIVE JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THEM. THE CITY WILL MANAGE THE ENTIRE RENAMING PROCESS INCLUDING UPDATING ALL GIS AND INTERNAL SYSTEMS, ESPECIALLY EMERGENCY SERVICES, FIRE, AND POLICE. [46:42] Aurin Chowdhury: WITH HENNEPIN COUNTY, ADDRESS INFORMATION IS INTEGRATED. SO THAT WILL BE UPDATED AUTOMATICALLY. SINCE I SPONSORED THIS APPLICATION, THE COST OF THE STREET SIGNS WILL NOT BE ASSESSED TO RESIDENTS. THERE WILL NOT BE AN ASSESSED COST. [47:00] Aurin Chowdhury: WE WILL ALSO BE DOING OUTREACH TO KEY PARTNERS, PROACTIVELY CONTACT THE UTILITY COMPANIES, XCEL AND CENTER POINT AS WELL AS USPS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE UPDATED ADDRESS INFORMATION AND TAKE SOMETHING OFF THE PLATE OF RESIDENTS. THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS WILL ALSO SEND A LETTER TO RESIDENTS THAT CAN BE USED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF VEHICLE SERVICES TO WAIVE ALL FEES FOR UPDATING ID'S. [47:22] Aurin Chowdhury: AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, LONGFELLOW COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND RECLAIMING EDMUND IS OFFERING VOLUNTEER SERVICES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO DROP IN AND GET ASSISTANCE WITH ADDRESS UPDATES, THEIR MAIL UTILITIES, AND ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE MEMBERS OF RECLAIM EDMUND WHO ALSO WILL HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR ADDRESS. [47:43] Laura Triplet: OVER A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS, WE COLLECTED OVER 60 NAME SUGGESTIONS — [47:46] Chris Meyer: I'LL ASK YOU TO WRAP UP QUICKLY. [47:47] Laura Triplet: WRAP IT UP QUICK, OKAY. LENA SMITH BOULEVARD WON OUTRIGHT. AND WHO IS LENA SMITH? SHE'S AMAZING. YOU HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION IN YOUR PACKET. SHE WAS A TRANSFORMATIONAL CIVIC LEADER. YOU CAN SEE SOME INFORMATION HERE. SHE DEFENDED A BLACK FAMILY WHO WAS TRYING TO LIVE IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS AND HAD ROCKS THROWN, ANGRY MOBS OF WHITE PEOPLE CHASING THEM DOWN THE STREET. [48:17] Laura Triplet: SHE'S SOMEONE MINNESOTANS CAN BE PROUD OF. WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF HER. IN CONCLUSION, THIS TAKES US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, IT WOULD ALIGN WITH THE CITY MISSION, THE 2040 GOALS. AND IT'S OVERDUE AND THE COMMUNITY HAS SPOKEN SO LET'S DO THIS NOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. [48:36] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH THE REST OF THE HEARING? [48:42] Commissioner: ACTUALLY I DID HAVE ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION. AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE DATA YOU SHOWED SHOWING 79, 31, AND 5. IT APPEARS TO AGGREGATE SEVERAL DIFFERENT SOURCES. I'M CURIOUS WHAT'S THE METHODOLOGY BETWEEN THOSE TWO? [48:57] Laura Triplet: SO THERE WERE SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO RANKED THE NAMES THAT THEY WANTED AND MADE A COMMENT THAT WAS LIKE YES, ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS, BUT THEY DIDN'T HIT YES OR NO, AND THEN THERE WERE SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO SAID DO NOT RANK, DO NOT RANK, DO NOT RANK, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS IN THE COMMENTS, BUT THEY DID NOT HIT NO. [49:28] Laura Triplet: THERE WAS ALSO A PORTION OF TIME, A BRIEF PERIOD WHERE THERE WASN'T THAT SURVEY QUESTION WORKING FOR PEOPLE TO ANSWER THAT, AND SO THAT'S HOW WE DID INFERRED AND WE ALSO TRIED TO REACH OUT TO RESPONDENTS WHO DIDN'T MAKE THAT CLEAR AND TRIED TO UPDATE THAT ACCORDINGLY. [49:45] Commissioner: EXCELLENT, SO THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT DISTINCT POPULATIONS SETS OF DATA RIGHT THERE? [49:49] Laura Triplet: YES. [49:50] Commissioner: THEY ARE TRULY ADDITIVE IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT? [49:53] Laura Triplet: THEY'RE ADDITIVE, YES. [49:54] Commissioner: EXCELLENT, THANK YOU. [50:01] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? JUST A REMINDER IF EVERYONE, IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP, PLEASE SIGN UP, I'M ONLY GOING TO CALL PEOPLE WHOSE NAME IS ON THIS LIST. PLEASE BE FORGIVING IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME. FIRST WE HAVE STEVE BRANT. WELCOME STEVE. INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. AND ON DECK WILL BE LAJUNE LANGE. [50:32] Steve Brant: GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS STEVE BRANT. I LIVE AT 3916 PLEASANT AND HAVE FOR 49 YEARS. JUST FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE USED TO SEEING ME ON YOUR SIDE OF THE DAIS, I AM NOT SPEAKING HERE TODAY AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE BET OR A MEMBER, BUT RATHER THESE ARE MY PERSONAL VIEWS. [50:52] Steve Brant: I AM SPEAKING AS THE FIRST REPORTER TO BRING THE WORK OF PREJUDICE AND THE UGLY STAIN OF REAL ESTATE COVENANTS TO PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE IN A REPORT IN THE STAR TRIBUNE. I'M ALSO SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO AFTER RETIREMENT JOINED THE WORK AND PERSONALLY SCANNED MORE THAN 9,000 DEEDS FLAGGED BY OPTICAL SCANNERS TO VERIFY WHETHER THEY INDEED CONTAINED RACIALLY DISCRIMINATORY LANGUAGE. [51:36] Steve Brant: RENAMING EDMUND BOULEVARD ERASES THE STREET NAMING HONOR ACCORDED TO EDMUND WALTON WHO PLAYED A LEADING ROLE IN SEGREGATING MINNEAPOLIS. LISTEN TO 1 EDMUND BOULEVARD COVENANT. THE SECOND PARTY OF THE SECOND PART AGREES THAT THE PREMISES SHALL NOT BY ANY TIME BE CONVEYED, MORTGAGED OR LEASED TO ANY PERSONS OF CHINESE, JAPANESE TURKISH NEGRO MONGOLIAN OR AFRICAN-BLOODED DESCENT. [51:57] Steve Brant: BELIEVE IT OR NOT THERE ARE EVEN UGLIER COVENANTS THAN THAT. THAT'S WHAT EDMUND WALTON BROUGHT TO MINNEAPOLIS. I'M GRATEFUL TO COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING AND GETTING IT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. IT BECOMES THE FIRST ORGANIZATION TO COMPLETE THE HISTORY OF ANY CITY'S RACIALLY-RESTRICTIVE DEEDS. [52:15] Steve Brant: RENAMING EDMUND BOULEVARD ALSO HONORS THE LEGACY OF NAACP LEADER LENA SMITH IN FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION, MOST NOTABLY IN THE CASE OF ARTHUR AND EDITH LEE WHICH WAS ALLUDED TO EARLIER. JUST AS SIGNIFICANT TO ME, IT MEANS MY GRANDDAUGHTER WILL NO LONGER LIVE THREE DOORS FROM THE STREET NAMED FOR A RACIST. THANK YOU. [52:37] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE LAJUNE LANGE WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY PAT PAULSON. WELCOME, INTRODUCE YOURSELF, AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. [52:57] LaJune Lange: GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M LAJUNE LANGE. I'M A RETIRED JUDGE. LENA SMITH HAS BEEN RESPECTED IN BOTH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THE BAR FOR MANY, MANY YEARS FOR HER SERVICE FOR HER ADVOCACY AND FOR HER INTEGRITY. [53:20] LaJune Lange: SHE COMES FROM A FAMILY THAT HAS SERVED MINNEAPOLIS SINCE THE LATE 1800s. THE FAMILY IS DR. BROWN. SO DR. BROWN WAS OUR FAMILY PHYSICIAN. HE TOLD ME LENA SMITH WAS HIS AUNT AND HE ASKED ME TO GIVE HER HER PROPERS IN HISTORY AND HANDED ME HER DIPLOMAS AND I WORKED WITH ANN JERGENS, GAVE HER THAT MATERIAL, GAVE THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY INFORMATION. [53:54] LaJune Lange: AND WE ALSO HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN WARD 12 IN TERMS OF SERVICE. SO WE WORKED THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE TO SAVE FIRE STATION NUMBER 24 WHICH WAS ABOUT TO BE DEMOLISHED AND GOT LANDMARK STATUS FOR THE ALL BLACK FIRE STATION THAT WAS DESIGNATED BY THE FIRE CHIEF IN 1907. [54:20] LaJune Lange: WE ALSO HAVE GREATER FRIENDSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH WHICH IS IN WARD 12 OVER 200 MEMBERS ARE ACTIVELY FOLLOWING THESE ISSUES AND ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND WE ALSO HAVE A CHARTER SCHOOL CALLED FRIENDSHIP ACADEMY WHICH IS AT 3320 EAST 41ST STREET. FRIENDSHIP ACADEMY WAS RELIEVED WHEN THE AVENUE WAS CHANGED TO CHEATHAM. [55:00] LaJune Lange: SO THESE NAMES AND WHO THEY REPRESENT ARE KNOWN BY THE COMMUNITY AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY BE CHANGED. THANK YOU. [55:07] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE PAT PAULSON FOLLOWED BY PENNY PETERSON. [55:21] Pat Paulson: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS. I'M PAT PAULSON AND I'M A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA REALTORS. I'VE BEEN SELLING HOUSES IN THE COMMUNITY FOR 40 YEARS. I GO BACK PRIOR TO THE FAIR HOUSING ACT OF 1968 WHICH DIDN'T STOP DISCRIMINATION. [55:45] Pat Paulson: AND IN FACT SINS OF THE PAST HAVE A TENDENCY TO BLEED INTO THE FUTURE AND WE CAN SEE THE HUGE RACIAL DISPARITY GAPS IN HOME OWNERSHIP TO THIS DAY. SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. THIS IS ONE STEP, ONE IMPORTANT STEP. WORDS MATTER, NAMES DO MATTER. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO. AT ANY RATE, I'M SPEAKING STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THIS. I APPRECIATE COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY FOR COMING TOGETHER AND PUSHING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU. [56:01] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. PENNY PETERSON WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY KRISTIN DELEGARD. [56:25] Penny Peterson: MY NAME IS PENNY PETERSON AND I LIVE IN THE MARCY HOMES NEIGHBORHOOD. I WAS ONE OF THE COFOUNDERS OF MAPPING PREJUDICE AND I'M THEIR PROPERTY SPECIALIST. EDMUND WALTON WAS A DEVELOPER WHO WAS PROUD OF HIS USE OF RACIAL COVENANTS. [56:40] Penny Peterson: FIRST A DEFINITION OF RACIAL COVENANTS, THEY ARE LEGAL CLAUSES INSERTED IN DEEDS THAT PREVENT PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM OWNING OR OCCUPYING PROPERTY. WHEN I BEGAN LOOKING AT THESE COVENANTS IN MINNEAPOLIS, I DISCOVERED THE FIRST ONE IN 1910 IN THE LONGFELLOW NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE SEVEN OAKS EDITION. [57:02] Penny Peterson: IT WASN'T UNTIL I WENT TO THE MINNEAPOLIS HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND READ EDMUND WALTON'S DIARIES AND LETTERS THAT I UNDERSTOOD THAT EDMUND WAS THE AUTHOR OF THESE FIRST RESTRICTIONS. MOTIVATED BY PROFIT, EDMUND CONSTRUCTED A SYSTEM OF RACIAL SEGREGATION BY RESERVING CERTAIN AREAS FOR WHITES ONLY. [57:23] Penny Peterson: THEY WOULD HAVE ALL SORTS OF AMENITIES SUCH AS GOOD SCHOOLS AND PARKS, WHILE OTHERS WOULD NOT. NOW HERE I WAS GOING TO READ THE FIRST RACIAL COVENANT, BUT MR. BRANT DID THAT, SO I'LL PASS. EDMUND'S DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES WERE PROFITABLE FOR HIM AND COPIED BY OTHER DEVELOPERS. [57:42] Penny Peterson: SOON MUCH OF MINNEAPOLIS WAS SUBJECT TO RACIAL COVENANTS. BY 1919, HE WAS PLEASED ENOUGH WITH HIS SCHEME TO PUBLISH AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE MINNEAPOLIS TRIBUNE WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY HIMSELF, HE INCLUDED THE EXPLICIT RACIAL LANGUAGE OF HIS EARLIER COVENANTS AND ADDED ANTI-SEMITIC ONES AS WELL. [58:03] Penny Peterson: WALTON WAS NO LONGER HIDING, HE WAS PROUDLY BROADCASTING HIS INTENTION AND BELIEFS. MEANWHILE IN 1910, HE HAD NAMED A BOULEVARD FOR HIMSELF. I IMPLORE YOU TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE CITY STREET SO IT WILL NO LONGER HONOR THIS PERNICIOUS PRACTICE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. [58:20] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE KRISTIN DELEGARD FOLLOWED BY ANN JERGENS. [58:25] Kristin Delegard: HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS KRISTIN DELEGARD. I'M ONE OF THE COFOUNDERS OF MAPPING PREJUDICE ALONG WITH PENNY PETERSON WHO IS THE WORLD-CLASS RESEARCHER WHO DOCUMENTED THAT THE FIRST RACIAL COVENANT IN MINNEAPOLIS WAS PUT INTO PLACE BY EDMUND WALTON. [58:45] Kristin Delegard: THE PRACTICE HE PIONEERED CONTINUED. SCORES OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS BORROWED HIS WORDS AND INSERTED THESE SAME CLAUSES INTO PROPERTY RECORDS ALL OVER THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. SO MAPPING PREJUDICE HAS WORKED WITH MANY OF YOU, THANK YOU TO IDENTIFY THESE RECORDS. [59:02] Kristin Delegard: WE HAVE MAPPED 8,000 RACIAL COVENANTS IN MINNEAPOLIS ALONE. AND MORE THAN 34,000 ACROSS THE STATE. AND OF COURSE AS A PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID, THE FAIR HOUSING ACT MADE THESE ILLEGAL, BUT OUR DATA ILLUSTRATES HOW THEY CONTINUE TO SHAPE THE CITY. [59:17] Kristin Delegard: COVENANTS WERE USED EXPLICITLY TO SEGREGATE MINNEAPOLIS. THEY MADE LARGE SECTIONS OF THE CITY EXCLUSIVELY WHITE AND THESE PATTERNS OF SEGREGATION CONTINUE TODAY. COVENANTS STEERED INVESTMENT INTO WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DIDN'T HAVE COVENANTS WERE REDLINED WHICH CUT OFF DEPRESSED PROPERTY VALUES MADE THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS VULNERABLE TO URBAN RENEWAL. [59:44] Kristin Delegard: SO RACIAL COVENANTS MATTER TODAY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDED THE FOUNDATION FOR A SERIES OF DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES THAT KEPT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT WHITE FROM FINDING STABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THEY BLOCKED HOME OWNERSHIP. AND TODAY THE TWIN CITIES HAS THE LARGEST RACIAL HOME OWNERSHIP GAP IN THE COUNTRY. [1:00:01] Kristin Delegard: AND OUR NATION OF COURSE HAS A 10 TO 1 RACIAL WEALTH GAP. AND THESE DISPARITIES GROW OUT OF THE HISTORY THAT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY MAPPING PREJUDICE. SO THAT HISTORY IS WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT. MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I CALL ON YOU TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND ACT ON THIS HISTORY. [1:00:18] Kristin Delegard: THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESERVING HISTORY AND HONORING PEOPLE FROM THE PAST. AND THE NAMES OF OUR STREETS AND PARKS DO THE LATTER, CULTIVATING OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORY. THEY COMMUNICATE OUR SHARED VALUES AND OUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE. EDMUND WALTON WILL NEVER BE MY NORTH STAR FOR MINNEAPOLIS AS HE PLAYED AN OUTSIZED ROLE IN GERMINATING OUR CONTEMPORARY RACIAL DISPARITIES. PLEASE STRIP HIS NAME FROM ONE OF OUR CITY'S MOST BEAUTIFUL STREETS AND THIS IS A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS RACIAL JUSTICE. [1:00:41] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. ANN JERGENS FOLLOWED BY REBECCA GILLETTE. [1:01:02] Ann Jergens: JERGENS. THAT'S FINE. I'M SORRY. SOMEONE SIGNED FOR ME. I'M HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE — I READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT LENA SMITH FOLLOWING A DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR ASKING ME WHO WAS A PROFESSOR AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY AT A NATIONAL CONFERENCE ASKED ME WHO IS THIS LENA SMITH, CAN YOU GET ME SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HER. [1:01:27] Ann Jergens: THIS WAS IN THE EARLY '90s. I CAME HOME TO MINNESOTA FROM THIS CONFERENCE, I WAS A PROFESSOR AT WILLIAM MITCHELL LAW SCHOOL WHICH SHE HAD GONE TO, A PREDECESSOR SCHOOL. AND NO ONE HAD HEARD OF HER. AND I THOUGHT WELL THAT'S ODD, THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ATTORNEY IN MINNESOTA AND NO ONE HAS HEARD OF HER. [1:01:46] Ann Jergens: AND SO I — OF COURSE THE BLACK COMMUNITY HAD HEARD OF HER AND KNEW OF HER. AND JUDGE LANGE, I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE TODAY. BUT THE WHITE COMMUNITY OR THE REST OF THE AND THE YOUNGER COMMUNITY DIDN'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT HER. [1:02:04] Ann Jergens: SO I SPENT FIVE YEARS RESEARCHING HER. IT ENDED IN AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN 2001 AND IT WAS REALLY MEANT AS A SPRINGBOARD AND PEOPLE HAVE USED IT IN REALLY WONDERFUL WAYS TO EXPLORE THIS HISTORY. I WOULD SAY THE ARTHUR AND EDITH LEE SEGREGATION CASE IS ONE THAT GOT NATIONAL PRESS AT THE TIME IN 1931. [1:02:27] Ann Jergens: BUT THE 5-YEAR-OLD LITTLE MARY LEE, MY RESEARCH ASSISTANT TRACKED HER DOWN AND I WENT AND INTERVIEWED HER AND SHE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE NEIGHBORS — SHE TALKED ABOUT THE TRAUMA OF PEOPLE GATHERING OUTSIDE THEIR HOUSE EVERY NIGHT. THEY POISONED HER DOG. THE POLICE DROVE HER TO THE SCHOOL TO KINDERGARTEN EVERY DAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SAFE FOR HER TO WALK. [1:03:01] Ann Jergens: THEY LOVED THE HOUSE BECAUSE IT WAS TWO BEDROOMS ON THE SAME FLOOR. MEANWHILE, THE WHITE ATTORNEY FROM THE AMERICAN LEGION WAS COUNSELING THE FAMILY JUST TAKE A VACATION AND GIVE THE WHITE NEIGHBORS TIME TO RAISE MONEY AND BUY YOU OUT. MY TIME IS UP, WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS THESE STORIES ARE IMPORTANT TO REVIVE AND MEMORIALIZE. LENA SMITH WAS A CHAMPION FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE TREATED IN SHAMEFUL WAYS AND WE NEED TO REMEMBER HER. THANK YOU. [1:03:19] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE REBECCA GILLETTE FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL COREY. [1:03:38] Rebecca Gillette: GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS REBECCA GILLETTE AND I'M THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LEAD AT MAPPING PREJUDICE. I KNOW THAT MANY SPEAKERS BEFORE ME HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THESE TWO PEOPLE AND THE ACTIONS THAT THEY TOOK IN THE PAST. SO I DON'T NEED TO REITERATE THAT. [1:03:55] Rebecca Gillette: WHAT I WANT TO ADD IS WHAT IT TOOK TO ARRIVE TODAY. OVER THE PAST YEAR, I WATCHED THE LONGFELLOW COMMUNITY IN THIS PROCESS. THEY STARTED WITH COMMUNITY MEETINGS, THEY INVITED EVERYONE AND ANYONE INTO THE DISCUSSION. SOMETIMES IT WAS CHALLENGING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WHEN EMOTIONS ROSE. [1:04:12] Rebecca Gillette: STILL, THEY DID THE WORK, DID IT INTENTIONALLY, AND EVEN WHEN THERE WAS FEEDBACK LATER IN THE PROCESS, THAT THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH VOICES, THEY STOPPED, DID A RESET, AND OPENED THE PROCESS AGAIN TO BE SURE THAT IT WAS INCLUSIVE, TO MAKE SURE THAT AS MANY COMMUNITY VOICES WERE HEARD. [1:04:37] Rebecca Gillette: AND BECAUSE OF THE INTENTIONAL TIME THAT THEY TOOK, THEY EDUCATED MANY MORE PEOPLE ABOUT THIS HISTORY. THEY OPENED UP MORE CONVERSATIONS MODELING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS HOW TO BE CRITICAL THINKERS, TO EMBRACE COMMUNITY DIALOGUE, TO WITNESS CIVIC LESSONS WE'RE DEMONSTRATING HERE TODAY. [1:04:56] Rebecca Gillette: AND WHEN HARM WAS COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY, TO DO THE REPAIR WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING TODAY. SO TO ME IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE, WE HAVE A STREET NAMED AFTER SOMEBODY WHO EMBEDDED RACIST PRACTICES ON A STRUCTURAL LEVEL THAT HAD HARMFUL IMPLICATIONS, DECADES AND DECADES ALL THE WAY UP TO TODAY WHERE WE SEE STARK RACIALIZED SPACES IN MINNEAPOLIS. [1:05:21] Rebecca Gillette: OR WE CAN DECIDE TO PUT LENA SMITH ON A STREET SIGN, THE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR, TO HONOR A WOMAN WHO ALL CAN BE PROUD OF. AS ONE OF MY FAVORITE POETS, SONIA SANCHEZ WROTE IN HER POEM REBIRTH, WE CAN SAY WE QUOTE LEFT A TRAIL FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW WHEN THEY RETURNED HOME AS ALL MUST SURELY DO TO MAKE PAST FUTURE TENSE. THANK YOU. [1:05:46] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. MICHAEL COREY FOLLOWED BY GREG DONOFRIO. [1:06:02] Michael Corey: MY NAME IS MICHAEL COREY. I'M A PUBLIC HISTORIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES, I STUDY THE HISTORY OF RACISM IN THE TWIN CITIES. AND PEOPLE SOMETIMES ASK US WHY DOES THIS HISTORY THAT USED TO BE ALL BUT FORGOTTEN MATTER TODAY. [1:06:22] Michael Corey: WHY BOTHER CHANGING A RANDOM STREET NAME WHEN THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF STREET NAMES ACROSS THE CITY THAT NO ONE KNOWS THE ORIGINS OF. IT MATTERS BECAUSE THE STREET AS WE HAVE HEARD TONIGHT WAS NAMED IN EDMUND WALTON'S NAME FOR A REASON. HE WAS HELD UP AS SOMEONE TO BE LOOKED UP TO, SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTED SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE ASPIRED TO. [1:06:47] Michael Corey: EDMUND WAS AN INNOVATOR IN RACIAL SEGREGATION. WHO TESTED THE WATERS TO SEE HOW MUCH RACISM RESIDENTS WOULD TOLERATE. MY PARENTS DIDN'T CHOOSE TO LIVE THERE BECAUSE OF THAT COVENANT. THEY DIDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL YEARS LATER. [1:07:04] Michael Corey: THE PEOPLE ON EDMUND BOULEVARD DIDN'T MOVE THERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. NOW WE KNOW AND WE CAN'T UNKNOW THAT. NOW WE KNOW, WE ARE INVOLVED. AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SAY WE ACKNOWLEDGE THIS HISTORY AND WE WANT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT. [1:07:24] Michael Corey: FORTUNATELY TODAY AS WE'VE HEARD, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR A PATH-BREAKING WOMAN, LENA OLIVE SMITH WHO'S TRULY WORTHY OF COMMEMORATION AND EMULATION. WHEN LENA OLIVE SMITH SAW INJUSTICE, SHE SAID NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THINGS YOUR WAY BECAUSE IT'S SCARY OR INCONVENIENT TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT. [1:07:47] Michael Corey: RIGHT NOW HISTORY IS UNDER ATTACK AND MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE BEING THREATENED. WHAT A PERFECT CHANCE TO HONOR LENA OLIVE SMITH AS A ROLE MODEL. THANK YOU. [1:08:03] Greg Donofrio: HELLO, MY NAME IS GREG DONOFRIO. I'M A PROFESSOR OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND PUBLIC HISTORY IN THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. [1:08:18] Greg Donofrio: NOW MORE THAN A DECADE AGO, MY STUDENTS AND I LEARNED ABOUT LENA OLIVE SMITH AS A PART OF A PROJECT WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS DOCUMENTING THE HISTORY OF WHAT'S NOW WIDELY KNOWN AS THE ARTHUR AND EDITH LEE HOUSE. [1:08:34] Greg Donofrio: AS A RESULT OF OUR WORK, THE ARTHUR AND EDITH LEE HOUSE IS LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND IT'S ALSO LISTED AS A CITY LANDMARK. MY STUDENTS AND I BECAME IN AWE OF THIS INCREDIBLE WOMAN, LENA OLIVE SMITH THAT THE LEES TURNED TO FOR HELP AND REPRESENTATION WHEN MOBS OF THOUSANDS, WHAT MINNEAPOLIS NEWSPAPERS REFERRED TO AS RIOTS TURNED UP ON THEIR FRONT LAWN TO TRY TO TERRORIZE THEM OUT OF THEIR HOUSE. [1:09:03] Greg Donofrio: LENA SMITH WAS A QUOTE WORTHY PERSON AND I WANT TO READ YOU ONE OF THOSE QUOTES. IN 1932, SHE WAS QUOTED IN A MINNEAPOLIS NEWSPAPER SAYING: "SOME OF THOSE FAVORING A LESS CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH TO SEGREGATION WERE RAISED IN THE SOUTH AND ARE USED TO CATERING TO WHITE MEN. I AM FROM THE WEST AND FEARLESS. I'M USED TO DOING THE RIGHT THING WITHOUT REGARD TO MYSELF. OF COURSE BATTLES LEAVE THEIR SCARS, BUT I'M WILLING TO MAKE THE SACRIFICE. I THINK IT'S MY DUTY. IT'S A HARD PLACE TO BE ON THE FIRING LINE, BUT I'M MIGHTY GLAD I'M THERE." [1:09:37] Greg Donofrio: 100 YEARS AGO, LENA OLIVE SMITH WORKED TO MAKE MINNEAPOLIS A MORE JUST AND EQUITABLE CITY. IN 2025, MINNEAPOLIS NEEDS TO BE REMINDED OF HER LIFE, HER WORK, AND HER FEARLESSNESS NOW MORE THAN EVER. THANK YOU. [1:09:59] Kristin Eddie: THANK YOU, SORRY. MY NAME IS KRISTIN EDDIE. I'M A RESIDENT OF EDMUND BOULEVARD. I AM EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY WITH MY RECLAIMING EDMUND PARTNERS. [1:10:18] Kristin Eddie: I WANT TO TELL A STORY ABOUT THE TIMELINE OF THIS. THIS HAS BEEN A FIVE YEAR EFFORT. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED FOR TWO YEARS. IT IS TIME THAT WE MAKE THIS CHANGE. I AM FULLY IN FAVOR OF THIS AND SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND I IMPLORE YOU, LET'S DO THIS NOW. [1:10:35] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. AR ARIANNA GROUPER FOLLOWED BY MORGAN SMITH. [1:10:43] Ariana Grouper: HI EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ARIANA GROUPER, I'M 14 YEARS OLD AND I live ON EDMUND BOULEVARD. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF CHANGING THE NAME OF OUR STREET. [1:11:12] Ariana Grouper: I MAY BE YOUNG, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PEOPLE WE CHOOSE TO HONOR SAY A LOT ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE VALUE AS A COMMUNITY. RIGHT NOW OUR STREET IS NAMED AFTER EDMUND WALTON. THIS IS A NAME FROM A TIME WHEN THINGS WERE VERY DIFFERENT AND DOES NOT REPRESENT WHO WE ARE TODAY. WE ARE GROWING, WE'RE CHANGING, AND OUR STREET SHOULD REFLECT THAT. [1:11:12] Ariana Grouper: LENA SMITH IS SOMEONE WHO PUT IN HARD WORK TO MAKE OUR CITY A WELCOMING PLACE AND SHE DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED. THIS IS WHERE I LIVE, WHERE I WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL, WHERE MY NEIGHBORS GREET EACH OTHER, AND WHERE KIDS RIDE THEIR BIKES AND PLAY BASKETBALL. THIS STREET IS PART OF MY LIFE AND I WANT TO BE PROUD OF IT, NOT JUST FOR HOW IT LOOKS, BUT ALSO FOR WHAT IT STANDS FOR. [1:11:32] Ariana Grouper: CHANGING THE NAME IS NOT ABOUT ERASING HISTORY, IT'S ABOUT CHOOSING TO TELL A BETTER STORY. A STORY THAT INCLUDES ALL OF US. A NAME THAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL WELCOME. ONE THAT REFLECTS OUR SHARED VALUES AND FUTURE. SO I'M ASKING YOU, LET'S PICK A NAME THAT'S FORWARD LOOKING AND INSPIRES THE NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS GROWING UP ON THIS STREET. LENA SMITH IS THAT NAME. THANK YOU. [1:11:53] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MORGAN SMITH FOLLOWED BY MARIN SWANSON. [1:12:10] Morgan Smith: HELLO, I'M MORGAN SMITH. I AM A RESIDENT ON EDMUND BOULEVARD. I'M ALSO A PARENT RAISING KIDS ON EDMUND BOULEVARD. AND I AM VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF A NAME CHANGE. EDMUND WALTON HAS CAUSED DEEP ENDURING HARM TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. [1:12:29] Morgan Smith: AND CHANGING OUR STREET NAME DOES NOT CAUSE HARM TO ANYONE. INCONVENIENCE TO THE PRIVILEGED IS NOT HARM. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CITY IS OFFERING EXTENSIVE SUPPORT TO HELP US WITH AN ADDRESS CHANGE. EQUITY TAKES WORK. BUT NOT CHANGING THE NAME WOULD CONTINUE TO CAUSE HARM TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. [1:12:45] Morgan Smith: I WANT MY KIDS TO GROW UP LISTENING ABOUT COURAGE AND SOLIDARITY AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY. AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO TEACH THAT LESSON TO THE KIDS ON EDMUND BOULEVARD AND IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAN THIS RENAMING PROCESS YEARS IN THE MAKING AND THE ABILITY TO REJECT OUR RACIST HISTORY OF THE PAST AND REFLECT OUR EVOLUTION AS A SOCIETY. [1:13:10] Morgan Smith: RENAMING RATHER THAN REDEDICATING TO ANOTHER WHITE MAN IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR THOSE WHO WERE HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED FROM PUBLIC RECOGNITION LIKE LENA OLIVE SMITH. SHE WAS A CHAMPION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS WAY BACK BEFORE IT WAS POSSIBLE AND WELL BEFORE IT WAS SAFE. SHE IS A ROLE MODEL AND I WOULD BE PROUD TO LIVE ON A STREET NAMED AFTER HER. THANK YOU. [1:13:27] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MARIN SWANSON FOLLOWED BY ELLEN LUKER. [1:13:42] Marin Swanson: HELLO. MY NAME IS MARIN SWANSON. I'M A RETIRED ATTORNEY. I AM A VOLUNTEER WITH JUST DEEDS, HELPING PEOPLE DISCHARGE RACIAL COVENANTS, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE GROUP SEEKING TO RENAME EDMUND BOULEVARD. [1:14:00] Marin Swanson: THE MAIN FOCUS THAT I WANT TO SPEAK TO IS A RECENT UNSIGNED LETTER YOU ALL RECEIVED FROM A GROUP THAT SEEKS TO REDEDICATE THIS STREET TO EDMUND PHELPS. AND I AGREE WITH THE SUGGESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE RECENTLY THAT THE IDEA THAT FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, A STREET THAT IS NAMED AFTER A WHITE SUPREMACIST AND SEGREGATIONIST SHOULD BE CHANGED TO BE NAMED AFTER ANOTHER WEALTHY WHITE BUSINESSMAN MAKES NO SENSE TO ME. [1:14:35] Marin Swanson: AND THIS WOULD BE IN LIEU OF NAMING THE STREET AFTER A CHAMPION OF CIVIL RIGHTS WHO WE'RE JUST STARTING TO LEARN ABOUT. SHE BECAME A LAWYER ONE YEAR AFTER WOMEN GOT THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN THIS COUNTRY. ISN'T THAT STUNNING? [1:14:53] Marin Swanson: AND HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THIS CITY WERE MASSIVE. I WONDER IF ANY WHITE MAN FULLY UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AMONG A SMALL GROUP OF — OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT IS THE FIRST TO ACHIEVE THIS STATUS AND TO ACCOMPLISH THESE THINGS THAT SHE DID. [1:15:16] Marin Swanson: NAMING A STREET FOR HER WILL PROVIDE A CLEAR PUBLIC BENEFIT. IT WILL BE AN OCCASION FOR EDUCATION AND REPAIR AND CELEBRATION. THE COST WILL BE NOMINAL, THE INCONVENIENCE WILL BE MINIMAL, RENAMING EDMUND BOULEVARD AFTER LENA SMITH WILL REPUDIATE PART OF OUR RACIST HISTORY. REDEDICATING EDMUND BOULEVARD TO EDMUND PHELPS WILL SURELY NOT. [1:15:40] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE ELLEN LUKER FOLLOWED BY FRED DUBOSE. [1:15:56] Ellen Luker: YES, MY NAME IS ELLEN. I AM AN AFFILIATED ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY. BUT I'M NOT HERE REPRESENTING ANY ORGANIZATION, JUST MYSELF, MY HUSBAND AND I AND OUR FAMILY HAVE LIVED ON EDMUND BOULEVARD FOR 49 YEARS. [1:16:15] Ellen Luker: I CAME HERE TO SAY THAT I FELT THAT THE PLANNING DID NOT MEET MINNEAPOLIS'S CRITERIA FOR STREET RENAMING. A STREET SHOULD BE NAMED ONLY IF THERE WILL BE PUBLIC BENEFIT THAT CLEARLY OUTWEIGHS THE PUBLIC CONFUSION AND COSTS THAT WOULD BE CREATED BY THE NAME CHANGE. [1:16:42] Ellen Luker: I FEEL TODAY THAT COST HAS BEEN MINIMIZED, REPRESENTATIVE CHOWDHURY SAYS THAT RESIDENTS WON'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR STREET SIGNS, BUT ALL TAXPAYERS WILL. AND CERTAINLY THERE IS COST THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED FOR ESPECIALLY LONG-TERM RESIDENTS LIKE OURSELVES WHO MUST TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO NOTIFY PEOPLE ABOUT CHANGE. [1:17:17] Ellen Luker: ALSO THE ANALYSIS REPORTS THAT WARD 12 OFFICE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK TODAY ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENED. WE PERSONALLY DID NOT FEEL PARTNERED WITH. WE FELT THAT OUR IDEAS WERE NOT INCLUDED. IT WAS AS THOUGH THERE WAS AN AGENDA. [1:17:35] Ellen Luker: AND MY HUSBAND WHO TEACHES SURVEY METHODS ACTUALLY POINTED OUT HOW THE ACTUAL SURVEY OF OPINIONS WERE WRITTEN IN SUCH A WAY TO GET A FOREGONE CONCLUSION. I HAVE QUESTIONED WHAT THE PURPOSE IS FOR RENAMING THE STREET. [1:18:02] Ellen Luker: I NO LONGER FEEL CONFUSED AFTER HEARING SUCH ELOQUENT COMMENTS ESPECIALLY FROM THE 14-YEAR-OLD WHO TALKED ABOUT THE, NOT ERASING HISTORY, THAT WAS MY CONCERN. HOW DO WE ERASE HISTORY. [1:18:21] Chris Meyer: CAN YOU PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS? [1:18:24] Ellen Luker: BUT CERTAINLY WE DO HAVE A FUTURE TO INSPIRE YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO EMULATE THE KIND OF EXAMPLE THAT LENA SMITH HAS LIVED FOR ALL OF US. I HAVE WONDERED ABOUT WHY WE CAN'T JUST KEEP EDMUND AND NAME IT AFTER ANOTHER EDMUND WHO HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR HIS WORK WITH THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK BOARD — [1:18:42] Chris Meyer: WE HAVE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. YOUR TIME HAS ELAPSED. COULD YOU PLEASE WRAP UP? [1:18:50] Ellen Luker: I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU CONSIDER THAT OPTION. [1:18:53] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE FRED DUBOSE FOLLOWED BY STEPHEN KING. [1:19:15] Fred DuBose: HELLO, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS FREDERICK DUBOSE. I AM THE OWNER OF SUNBEAN COFFEE SHOP. I WAS ALSO A MEMBER ON THE RECLAIMING EDMUND COMMITTEE. I THINK EVERYONE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING HOW BAD EDMUND WAS AND HOW GREAT THE ALTERNATIVE NAME IS. [1:19:35] Fred DuBose: BUT WHAT I'M SEEING HERE IS THERE'S A THEME OF CONVENIENCE. AND I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THAT REALLY QUICK. AND I'D LIKE FOR EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALTHOUGH I DO UNDERSTAND A NAME CHANGE COULD BE INCONVENIENT, THERE IS NOTHING MORE INCONVENIENT THAN BEING DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A HOME FOR YOUR FAMILY BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN. [1:19:59] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE STEPHEN KING FOLLOWED BY BEN HOWRY. [1:20:05] Stephen King: MY NAME IS STEPHEN KING. I LIVE IN THE 4500 BLOCK OF EDMUND BOULEVARD WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER A MILQUETOAST RESPONSE OF KEEPING THE NAME EDMUND BUT REDEDICATING IT. [1:20:21] Stephen King: IF I GIVE YOU A NICE, COLD TALL GLASS OF MILK AND YOU DRANK IT AND THEN WRETCHED BECAUSE IT WAS SPOILED AND I SAID — IT'S LIKE SPOILED MILK. YOU LIKE IT, DON'T YOU? WITH RESPECT TO ANYONE IN THE ROOM, EDMUND AS A NAME IS SPOILED MILK. IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. [1:20:38] Stephen King: MY SECOND POINT IS ABOUT THE INCONVENIENCE, THE INCONVENIENCE OF CHANGING THE NAME AND ADDRESS. LAY IT ON ME, GIVE ME AS MUCH INCONVENIENCE AS YOU'VE GOT. I CANNOT WAIT TO DELETE WALTON AS AN ADDRESS WHEN I SIGN UP FOR CERTAIN THINGS. I CANNOT WAIT TO TYPE THE NAME LENA SMITH BECAUSE AT A TIME WHEN IT FEELS HELPLESS, I WILL HAVE DONE THE SMALL THING I CAN DO TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD. THANK YOU. [1:21:11] Chris Meyer: NEXT WE HAVE BEN HOWRY FOLLOWED BY LISA SHAFFER. [1:21:17] Ben Howry: MY NAME IS BEN HOWRY. I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF RENAMING EDMUND BOULEVARD TO LENA SMITH BOULEVARD. NEIGHBORS HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO RAISE AWARENESS OF WALTON'S LEGACY. HE WAS THE FIRST REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER IN MINNEAPOLIS TO USE RACIAL COVENANTS TO BAN NON-WHITE NON-CHRISTIAN PEOPLE FROM OWNING HOMES. [1:21:47] Ben Howry: THESE COVENANTS SPREAD ACROSS THE CITY AND IT'S EFFECTS WE STILL SEE TODAY. THE HARM HAS BEEN MADE VISIBLE. AND TO KEEP THIS NAME IS TO KNOWINGLY PRESERVE A LEGACY OF EXCLUSION. [1:22:02] Ben Howry: RENAMING THE STREET ISN'T ABOUT ERASING HISTORY, IT'S ABOUT CHOOSING THE HISTORY WE HONOR. AND LENA SMITH REPRESENTS THE HISTORY WE SHOULD REPRESENT. REPLACING WALTON'S NAME WITH HERS WILL BE A PUBLIC DECLARATION THAT WE REJECT EXCLUSION AND STAND FOR EQUITY AND COMMUNITY. [1:22:18] Ben Howry: THE DISCOURSE RAISED ABOUT THE INCONVENIENCE OF AN ADDRESS CHANGE PALE IN COMPARISON TO GENERATIONAL HARM CAUSED BY RACIST POLICIES STARTED IN MINNEAPOLIS BY EDMUND WALTON. STRUCTURAL RACISM HASN'T BEEN UPHELD THROUGH ONLY LAWS, IT'S BEEN UPHELD BY THE EVERYDAY ACTION OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T PROFIT FROM IT. [1:22:39] Ben Howry: PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T ASK QUESTIONS, WHO DIDN'T REFLECT, AND WHO ALLOWED EXCLUSION TO BECOME THE NORM. TODAY WE HAVE A CLEAR OPPORTUNITY TO ACT, TO REFLECT, TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND CHOOSE A NAME THAT REPRESENTS THE VALUES THAT WE WANT THIS CITY TO EMBODY. OUR REFUSAL TO CHANGE THIS NAME SIGNIFIES INACTION WHEN CLEAR ACTION CAN BE TAKEN. THANK YOU. [1:22:56] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE LISA SHAFFER WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY JOE LARSON. [1:23:05] Clerk: COMMISSIONER MEYER, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE OVERFLOW ROOM SO IT MIGHT TAKE THEM A MINUTE TO GET THERE WHEN THEIR NAME IS CALLED. IN THE MEANTIME WE'LL GO TO JOE LARSON AND IF LISA IS IN THE OVERFLOW ROOM, WE CAN RETURN TO THAT NAME. [1:23:28] Joe Larson: MY NAME IS JOE LARSON. I'VE BEEN A PART OF THIS EFFORT SINCE THE BEGINNING MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO ALONG WITH MY NEIGHBOR MARK. WE STARTED OUT WITH A COUPLE OF GOALS. FIRST OF ALL, TO CONFRONT AND REPLACE A STREET NAME THAT REPRESENTS A DOCUMENTED EXAMPLE OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM IN OUR CITY. [1:23:50] Joe Larson: SECOND, IT WAS NOT SIMPLY THE RENAMING BUT RATHER TO ENGAGE OUR NEIGHBORS IN LEARNING THIS HISTORY AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE VERY REAL IMPACTS COVENANTS HAD AND HOW SOME OF US CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THE COVENANTS THAT EDMUND WALTON CHAMPIONED. [1:24:12] Joe Larson: I'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY HONORED TO HEAR MY NEIGHBORS SPEAK TODAY ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND IN FACT HAVE TAKEN A NUMBER OF MY SPEAKING POINTS OUT OF HERE. SO I WILL NOT SPEND MY TIME THERE. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT LENA OLIVE SMITH FOUGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION, DEFENDED BLACK HOMEOWNERS AGAINST UNJUST FORECLOSURES, AND CONFRONTED THE KU KLUX KLAN IN MINNEAPOLIS. [1:24:39] Joe Larson: SHE CHALLENGED SEGREGATION IN PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS AND USED THE LAW AS A TOOL FOR RACIAL JUSTICE. I THINK IT IS INCREDIBLY FITTING THAT WE REPLACE A MAN WHO SOUGHT TO EXCLUDE WITH A WOMAN WHO FOUGHT TO INCLUDE. SHE IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF PERSON WHOSE NAME SHOULD BE ETCHED INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR CITY NOT AS A TOKEN, BUT AS A REFLECTION OF THE COURAGE, PERSISTENCE, AND JUSTICE WE ALL STRIVE FOR. [1:25:06] Joe Larson: SYMBOLS MATTER. PLEASE HELP US UPDATE OUR CITY STREETS TO REFLECT THE VALUES OUR COMMUNITY STANDS FOR. THANK YOU. [1:25:15] Chris Meyer: I'M GOING TO ASK PEOPLE TO STOP CLAPPING SO WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS TO GET THROUGH AND WE'RE GOING TO LOSE OUR CAPTIONING AT 7:30 AND WE HAVE ANOTHER MAJOR AGENDA ITEM TO GET TO AFTER THIS ONE. DON'T INTERRUPT SO WE CAN GET THROUGH MORE EFFICIENTLY. ARE YOU JESSIE? [1:25:32] Jesse McClung: I AM. THANK YOU TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS, TO COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY AND EVERYONE ATTENDING THIS DEMOCRATIC HEARING. THANK YOU FOR THIS POWERFUL TESTIMONY. MY HEART IS GLAD HEARING ALL OF THIS. MY NAME IS JESSE McCLUNG. [1:25:49] Jesse McClung: COVENANTS ARE ON MY CITY BLOCK IN COOPER AND A COVENANT AS MICHAEL SAID EARLIER WAS ON MY CHILDHOOD HOME IN THE CITY OF ST. PAUL. YOU'LL FIND COVENANTS IN MANY DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN MINNEAPOLIS UP TO DULUTH, ST. CLOUD, MANKATO, ROCHESTER, ALL STARTED WITH EDMUND WALTON IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS. [1:26:29] Jesse McClung: WE KNOW THE IMPACTS OF HIS COVENANTS EXTEND MUCH FURTHER THAN A SINGLE STREET THAT HE NAMED AFTER HIMSELF WITHOUT COMMUNITY INPUT. AND OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PERFECT BUT IT'S A GOOD DAMN MORE DEMOCRATIC THAN WHAT WAS DONE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. [1:26:45] Jesse McClung: YES, ANY CHANGE OF ADDRESS PROCESS IS AN INCONVENIENCE, I WANT TO SPEAK TO THIS. WE IN RECLAIM EDMUND BOULEVARD ARE DEDICATED TO HELPING OUR NEIGHBORS IN THAT PROCESS. BUT INCONVENIENCE IS TOO MILD A TERM TO DESCRIBE THE RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HOUSING FACED BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BLACK, BROWN, ASIAN, INDIGENOUS, AND JEWISH PEOPLE WHO WERE EITHER BORN INTO SEGREGATED TWIN CITIES METRO AREA OR WHO MOVED HERE SINCE 1910. [1:27:13] Jesse McClung: LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN AND MUST MOVE PAST THE RACIAL HARMS OF ITS ACTIONS. LET'S AFFIRM THE WORK OF LENA OLIVE SMITH. THANK YOU. [1:27:26] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE LISA SHAFFER? I'LL COME BACK TO THEM ONE MORE TIME AT THE END. NEXT WE HAVE MILES ARTIST WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERT BRITAIN. [1:27:48] Miles Artist: GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MILES ARTIST, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR THE MINNEAPOLIS REALTORS ASSOCIATION. I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF MAR TO VOICE SUPPORT FOR THE NAME CHANGE OF EDMUND BOULEVARD TO LENA SMITH BOULEVARD. WALTON HARMED OUR COMMUNITIES AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE RACIAL HOME OWNERSHIP GAP WE SEE TODAY. [1:28:03] Miles Artist: AT MAR WE CONDEMN IT AND WE SUPPORT THE RENAMING OF EDMUND BOULEVARD. LAST YEAR OUR DEI AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE WROTE A LETTER OF SUPPORT RECOGNIZING AND APOLOGIZING FOR THE HAND OUR ASSOCIATION HAD IN CREATING ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HOUSING IN THE NATION, PARTICULARLY FOR BLACK MINNESOTANS. [1:28:23] Miles Artist: IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO WORK WITH COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY AND THE LONGFELLOW COMMUNITY COUNCIL TO SEE THIS CHANGE. ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I AM EXCITED TO KNOW THAT LENA OLIVE SMITH, A BLACK LAWYER, LIKE MYSELF, WILL BE THE NAME PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY PASS BY. [1:28:40] Miles Artist: LENA SMITH'S LIFELONG FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, HOUSING EQUITY, AND CIVIL RIGHTS ARE THE QUALITIES WE MUST LIFT UP, CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [1:28:56] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE ROBERT BRITAIN FOLLOWED BY HARMONY CAIN. DO WE HAVE ROBERT? OKAY, NOT SEEING ROBERT, WE'LL CHECK AGAIN AT THE END. HARMONY CAIN? AND AFTER HARMONY WILL BE STEPHEN BELTON. [1:29:17] Harmony Cain: HELLO. I MIGHT NOT BE TALL ENOUGH FOR THIS MICROPHONE. HI, MY NAME IS HARMONY CAIN. I LIVE ON EDMUND BOULEVARD. THE 4500 BLOCK OF EDMUND BOULEVARD. MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, NEIGHBORS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT. [1:29:38] Harmony Cain: I LIVE WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY 6-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER ON EDMUND BOULEVARD. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, MY CURIOUS DAUGHTER ASKED ME "WHO IS EDMUND?" NOT LONG AGO BEFORE STATE AND LOCAL HISTORY WAS AT OUR FINGERTIPS, IT WAS POSSIBLE AND LIKELY TO LIVE ON THE STREET FOR DECADES WITHOUT KNOWING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ITS NAME. BUT TODAY WE KNOW. [1:29:55] Harmony Cain: WE KNOW WHO WE HONOR WHEN WE DRIVE DOWN EDMUND BOULEVARD. WE KNOW THE IDEALS HE HELD AND THE PRACTICES HE CHAMPIONED. WE KNOW THE KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD HE ENVISIONED AND WHO WAS EXCLUDED FROM IT. ARMED WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE, WE FACE A MORAL DECISION, WHO WILL WE CHOOSE TO UPLIFT AND WHAT LEGACY WILL WE CHOOSE TO CARRY FORWARD? [1:30:16] Harmony Cain: SOME PEOPLE PROPOSE THE EASY OPTION, QUIETLY REDEDICATING THE STREET TO A MORE PALATABLE EDMUND. BUT AS A HALF MEASURE THAT RISKS BEING FORGOTTEN AND LEAVES THE ORIGINAL HARM LARGELY IN TACT. RENAMING THE STREET FOR LENA OLIVE SMITH LEAVES A LASTING MESSAGE. WE WOULDN'T JUST BE RESHAPING A NAME, WE'D BE RESHAPING HOW OUR CITY CHARTS A MORE INCLUSIVE FUTURE. [1:30:38] Harmony Cain: WE WOULD SHOW WE DON'T CELEBRATE SYSTEMIC HARM, WE HONOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT TO END IT. YES THIS MEANS NEW SIGNS, ADDRESS UPDATES, INCONVENIENCE, BUT THESE ARE INVESTMENTS IN OUR CIVIC VALUES. SUCH CHANGES STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY IDENTITY AND GIVE RESIDENTS A DEEPER SENSE OF BELONGING. [1:30:53] Harmony Cain: MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, I URGE YOU TO APPROVE THE NAME CHANGE TO LENA SMITH BOULEVARD. LET OUR MAPS REFLECT OUR HIGHEST VALUES AND SIGNAL NOW AND FOR GENERATIONS TO COME THAT WE STAND ON THE SIDE OF JUSTICE, EQUALITY, AND RESPECT. THANK YOU. [1:31:10] Stephen Belton: I'M STEPHEN BELTON. IT SHOULD BE A NO-BRAINER IN 2025 TO CHANGE THE NAME. WHETHER IT'S TO SOMEONE ELSE OR JUST SPECIFICALLY TO GET RID OF THE NAME OF EDMUND WALTON. BUT SADLY, IT IS NOT A NO-BRAINER. [1:31:41] Stephen Belton: IT SHOULD BE A TIME WHEN WE MAKE NO SAFE HAVEN FOR RACISTS, NOT HISTORICALLY, AND NOT CONTEMPORARY RACISTS. SADLY, THERE ARE ARGUMENTS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED THAT YOU HAVE HEARD THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO HEAR TODAY THAT THEY REALLY ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE SAME ARGUMENTS THAT WERE MADE IN THE FIGHT TO REMOVE CONFEDERATE FLAGS AND FIGHT TO MOVE CONFEDERATE STATUES. [1:32:20] Stephen Belton: WE HEARD THE ARGUMENTS THAT THIS IS OUR TRADITION, WE'VE DONE IT THIS WAY FOR YEARS, THAT IT'S A FINANCIAL BURDEN AND THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE PROPER NOTICE. WELL, YOU'VE HEARD ARGUMENTS TODAY ABOUT WHY THOSE AUSPICIOUS ARGUMENTS—I WON'T REPEAT THEM—EXCEPT FOR ONE REGARDING THE LACK OF NOTICE. [1:32:37] Stephen Belton: I'M ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT NOBODY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY RECEIVED NOTICE IN 19 WHATEVER IT WAS WHEN EDMUND WALTON NAMED THAT STREET AFTER HIMSELF. AND SO I WILL SAY THIS TO MY NEIGHBORS, I'VE LIVED ON EDMUND BOULEVARD, IT WILL BE 30 YEARS NOW THIS MONTH, AND TO MY NEIGHBORS, I WOULD SAY TO YOU, YOU WILL BE INCONVENIENCED. [1:33:02] Stephen Belton: IT WILL COST A SMALL SUM, YOUR TRADITIONS WILL BE UPENDED AND YOUR HISTORY REROUTED. BUT I SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER IT A DEPOSIT, A SMALL CONTRIBUTION TO REPAIR A CENTURY OF RACIAL INJUSTICE. HERE'S WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO PEOPLE, ONE WHO'S BLACK, ONE WHO'S WHITE. ONE FEMALE, ONE MALE. [1:33:18] Stephen Belton: ONE WORKING CLASS, ONE PRIVILEGED CLASS. I KNOW MY TIME IS UP. ONE IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, ONE WAS A CIVIL IMPEDIMENTS ACTIVIST. ONE A TRAILBLAZER, ONE A TRAIL BLOCKER. HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU, LENA SMITH FOUGHT FOR JUSTICE, THE OTHER GUY FOUGHT FOR PROFIT. THERE IS A POETIC JUSTICE IN RENAMING THIS STREET AFTER LENA SMITH. I URGE YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING. [1:33:54] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE CYNTHIA TOWN FOLLOWED BY LILLIAN ANDERSON. DO WE HAVE CYNTHIA? [1:34:12] Cynthia Town: MY NAME IS CYNTHIA TOWN, AND I'M GOING TO CEDE MY TIME BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS SAID EVERYTHING BETTER THAN I COULD PROBABLY SAY MYSELF. SO THANK YOU. I SUPPORT THE CHANGE. [1:34:26] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE LILLIAN ANDERSON FOLLOWED BY DEB LEVITT. [1:34:28] Lillian Anderson: HELLO, MY NAME IS LILLIAN ANDERSON. I SUPPORT THE CHANGE AND JUST LISTENING TO EVERYONE SPEAK, I'M VERY EMOTIONAL RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, COMING FROM AFRICA, MY GREETING HERE LET'S JUST SAY THERE'S BEEN IGNORANCE. [1:34:52] Lillian Anderson: I FOUND OUT DURING GEORGE FLOYD, THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD I LOVE. I RAISED MY BEAUTIFUL KIDS THERE. JUST IMAGINE ME LIVING IN THAT HOUSE BEING THE FIRST BLACK PERSON TO LIVE IN THAT HOUSE, MY HOUSE. LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT AND EVERYTHING THAT THE RACIAL COVENANT, READING EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON, I WAS BLOWN AWAY. [1:35:18] Lillian Anderson: I JUST — YOU KNOW I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON. BUT THANKS TO MY PARTNER IN CRIME, CYNTHIA GOT ME INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON. AND JUST READING ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I REALLY TRULY SUPPORT THAT THAT NAME SHOULD BE CHANGED BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH GOING ON. [1:35:46] Lillian Anderson: WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON, AND ME BEING FROM A COUNTRY WHERE I NEVER KNEW RACIAL SEGREGATION, THIS WAS JUST — BUT HALF OF THEM WHAT THEY SAID WAS THINGS I WAS GOING TO SAY. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY. THANK YOU. [1:36:12] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE DEB LEVITT FOLLOWED BY JACKIE GAR. [1:36:16] Deb Levitt: MY NAME IS DEB LEVITT. I'VE LIVED IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND I'M A RECENT RESIDENT, TO BE RESIDENT. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE ON EDMUND BOULEVARD. WE'RE EXCITED. WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THE WORK TO RIGHT THIS INJUSTICE. [1:36:36] Deb Levitt: THIS IS OUR TIME TO ADDRESS THE HISTORICAL INJUSTICE THAT WE LIVE WITH EVERY DAY AS WE WALK, AS MANY OF OUR FOLKS HAVE SAID HERE ON EDMUND BOULEVARD. SO I THINK THIS IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE. AND I THINK THIS IS A TIME TO REALLY REJOICE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS TOGETHER. [1:36:53] Deb Levitt: AND IT'S MORE ABOUT WHEN WE KNOW BETTER, WE DO BETTER. AND NOW TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, WE'RE TRYING TO COME TOGETHER AND DO BETTER. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY AS SIMPLE AS THAT. SURE, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME PEOPLE THAT IT'S TOUGH TO HAVE CHANGE RIGHT. IT'S TOUGH TO HAVE CHANGE. THAT'S TRUE IN OUR LIVES. [1:37:09] Deb Levitt: BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE GREATER GOOD. AND THE 14-YEAR-OLD WHO SPOKE TODAY REALLY RESONATED TO ME. LET'S LISTEN TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIVING ON THIS STREET WELL AFTER WE'RE GONE. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING THE TIME TODAY TO LISTEN TO ALL OF US. THANK YOU. [1:37:28] Jackie Gar: HI, I'M JACKIE GAR AND I'M PART OF THE 86% OF THE GREATER WARD 12 THAT SUPPORT THIS CHANGE AND I'LL CEDE THE REST OF MY TIME AS WELL BECAUSE EVERYONE SAID EVERYTHING SO ELOQUENTLY. BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE CREATED TREMENDOUS VALUE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND TAKING US THROUGH THIS EDUCATIONAL CHANGE PROCESS. I SUPPORT IT. [1:38:07] Resident on Edmund: COMMISSIONERS, I HAVE TO SAY TODAY HAS BEEN A REAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE. I'VE PROBABLY LEARNED MORE TODAY THAN SEVERAL YEARS I'VE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT. AND I THINK THE BIG THING IS THAT AND I LIVE ON EDMUND. THERE WERE NO KNOCKS ON MY DOOR. [1:38:35] Resident on Edmund: ONLY ONE MEETING I WENT TO IN DECEMBER OF '24, I BELIEVE IT WAS. THAT WAS JUST BY CHANCE I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT. SO I THINK THAT'S MAYBE THE FRUSTRATION THAT THERE JUST WASN'T IT SEEMED FOR SOME THERE WASN'T MUCH CONTACT AND INVOLVEMENT IN THIS PROCESS. [1:38:48] Resident on Edmund: BUT WHAT I'VE LEARNED TODAY, I HAVE TO SAY IT MAKES ME WONDER WHY IT'S TAKEN 59 YEARS TO HONOR THIS WOMAN SINCE HER DEATH. MAYBE EDMUND BOULEVARD ISN'T ENOUGH. MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER STREET LIKE HER HOME ON 5th AVENUE, MAYBE THAT WHOLE THING SHOULD BE RENAMED. BUT I UNDERSTAND, I ACCEPT THE CHANGE AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. [1:39:13] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE CAROL BECKER WHO WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY JORDAN BELTON. [1:39:24] Carol Becker: MY NAME IS CAROL BECKER, LIVE AT 3201 42nd AVENUE SOUTH. I'M COOL WITH THE RENAMING, BUT I HAVE TO ASK IF YOU WANTED TO HONOR SOMEBODY, WHY DIDN'T YOU HONOR SOMEBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SOMEBODY WHO'S LIVED ON EDMUND BOULEVARD FOR 30 YEARS? [1:39:56] Carol Becker: AND SOMEBODY WHO WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR AND SOMEBODY WHO IS THE FIRST FEMALE MAYOR. BECAUSE I THINK SHE DESERVES HONORING AND SHE IS ACTUALLY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND IF THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT STREET, THEN WHEN IS THE NEXT STREET THAT WE SHOULD BE HONORING HER? [1:40:15] Carol Becker: BECAUSE I KNOW HER AND SHE'S AMAZING AND SHE WAS A TRAILBLAZER AND EVERY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS SAID THAT YOU WANTED TO NAME THE STREET AFTER HER, SHE IS. EXCEPT SHE LIVES ON THE STREET. AND SHE'S LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO I WISH THAT YOU WOULD THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU MAKE THIS CHOICE. THANK YOU. [1:40:33] Jordan Belton: HELLO. MY NAME IS JORDAN BELTON. I WANT TO FIRST THANK THE RENAMING COMMITTEE AND COUNCILOR CHOWDHURY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I GREW UP ON EDMUND BOULEVARD AND I LIVE THERE TODAY. WITH THAT SAID, I RECENTLY ATTENDED ONE OF THE COMMUNITY GATHERINGS ON THE EDMUND BOULEVARD NAMED CHANGE. [1:41:15] Jordan Belton: I WANT TO SPEND A FEW COMMENTS ON THE ARGUMENT AGAINST THE CHANGE. PART OF WHAT I HEARD WERE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRESERVATION HISTORY, AND TRADITION. TO THAT POINT, I WANT TO SAY I BELIEVE IN TELLING THE FULL STORY OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HISTORY AS A CITY. I BELIEVE EDMUND WALTON IS A PART OF THAT HISTORY, HIS STORY SHOULD BE TOLD. [1:41:33] Jordan Belton: MANY WHO WANT TO SEE THE NAME CHANGED WOULD AGREE WITH THESE POINTS. BE THAT AS IT MAY, TELLING THIS HISTORY BY NAMING A STREET AFTER EDMUND GOES AGAINST LONG HELD TRADITIONS ABOUT HOW AND WHY WE NAME OUR STREETS. [1:41:51] Jordan Belton: AS A COMMUNITY WE'VE NAMED THEM AFTER DEMOGRAPHIC PLACES FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, WE'VE ALSO NAMED THEM AFTER PEOPLE. AND WHEN YOU DO THIS, IT'S GENERALLY BEEN TO MEMORIALIZE, TO HONOR, TO CELEBRATE, AND TO COMMEMORATE PEOPLE WITH A PUBLIC LEGACY THAT EVERYONE CAN GET BEHIND, AT LEAST ON SOME LEVEL. [1:42:10] Jordan Belton: EDMUND WALTON PROUDLY BASED HIS PUBLIC LEGACY ON RACIAL COVENANTS AND AS SUCH, HE CLEARLY DOES NOT FIT THIS STANDARD. THE VALUES HE FOUGHT FOR ARE INCONGRUENT WITH MINE, MY FAMILIES, AND MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS. AS YOU'VE HEARD, THEY ARE INCONGRUENT WITH THE VERY EXISTENCE OF MY FAMILY AS OWNERS OF PROPERTY ON OUR BLOCK. [1:42:31] Jordan Belton: THEY ARE INCONGRUENT WITH THE FACT THAT WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WITH WHITE AMERICANS, WITH OUR WHITE NEIGHBORS. THIS PAVES THE WAY TO A NEW FUTURE WHERE ALL PEOPLE AND MY FAMILY CAN BE RESPECTED AND REPRESENTED. LENA SMITH BELIEVED IN EQUALITY BETWEEN ALL AMERICANS, EDMUND WALTON DID NOT. [1:42:54] Hazel Hill: HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS HAZEL HILL. I'M 14 YEARS OLD AND I LIVE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM EDMUND BOULEVARD. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF RENAMING EDMUND BOULEVARD TO LENA SMITH BOULEVARD. [1:43:13] Hazel Hill: EDMUND WALTON BECAME THE FIRST PERSON IN MINNESOTA TO INCLUDE RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS IN DEEDS. WALTON HELPED TO CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE WERE SEPARATED JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE. THE HOME I LIVE IN ONCE HAD ONE OF THESE RACIST COVENANTS PUT ON IT. [1:43:30] Hazel Hill: MY FAMILY RECENTLY AMENDED THE DEED ON OUR HOUSE TO REMOVE THIS LANGUAGE. AND EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS OVER 100 YEARS AGO, THE EFFECTS ARE STILL FELT TODAY. THAT LEGACY DOESN'T REFLECT THE VALUES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE LIVE IN TODAY. [1:43:48] Hazel Hill: NOW THIS BOULEVARD IS WHERE CHILDREN PLAY, MY NEIGHBORS walk THEIR DOGS, AND THE COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER. I RIDE MY BIKE ALONG IT ALMOST EVERY OTHER DAY TO VISIT MY BEST FRIEND. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, BUT I BELIEVE ITS NAME SHOULD REFLECT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND THE VALUES WE SHARE. [1:44:05] Hazel Hill: LENA SMITH WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN LAWYER IN MINNESOTA. SHE FOUGHT AGAINST THE SAME KIND OF DISCRIMINATION THAT WALTON HELPED TO SPREAD. RENAMING THE BOULEVARD AFTER HER WOULD SEND THE MESSAGE THAT WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO FACE OUR PAST AND THAT WE ARE CHOOSING A FUTURE BASED ON EQUITY, COURAGE, AND JUSTICE. THANK YOU. [1:44:22] Ed Culler: HI, I'M ED CULLER. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO ALL OF US TODAY. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME READING EVERY COMMENT ONLINE ABOUT WHY PEOPLE SUPPORTED THIS AND WHY THEY OPPOSED IT. AND ONE THAT STUCK OUT TO ME WAS A COMMENT OPPOSING THIS. [1:44:52] Ed Culler: AND THE REASON THEY OPPOSED IT WAS BECAUSE LENA SMITH DIDN'T HAVE STRONG TIES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WELL, THE REASON LENA SMITH DIDN'T HAVE STRONG TIES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, DO WE NEED TO REALLY GET INTO THAT? SO THAT'S ONE THING I HADN'T HEARD SAID TODAY SO TAKE CARE. [1:44:52] Sylvie: GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS SYLVIE. I LIVE ON EDMUND BOULEVARD WITH MY HUSBAND JOSHUA AND OUR TWO SONS. I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF RENAMING EDMUND BOULEVARD. AS A BLACK WOMAN RAISING TWO BIRACIAL BOYS, I'M AWARE OF HOW OFTEN OUR SOCIETY SENDS THE MESSAGE WE DON'T BELONG. [1:45:41] Sylvie: SOMETIMES IT'S SUBTLE. MORE OFTEN NOW IT'S FROM OUR PRESIDENT QUESTIONING THE LEGITIMACY OF OUR FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT, TO THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD MILES FROM OUR HOME, TO THE RACIAL COVENANT ATTACHED TO OUR PROPERTY WHICH SAID MY CHILDREN AND I COULDN'T LIVE IN THAT HOUSE. [1:45:59] Sylvie: THESE MESSAGES DON'T JUST AFFECT ADULTS, THEY REACH OUR CHILDREN. WHEN OUR OLDEST CHILD WAS TWO, WE TAUGHT HIM OUR ADDRESS AS A SAFETY MEASURE. HE PROUDLY MEMORIZED IT BUT NOW AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THE LEGACY OF THE MAN OUR STREET IS NAMED AFTER, HE NO LONGER WANTS TO SAY OUR ADDRESS ALOUD. [1:46:21] Sylvie: THIS RESONATED WITH ME. AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT MOVE TO CHANGE THE NAME TO SOMEBODY HE COULD BE PROUD OF. HERE WE HAVE A CHANCE TO SEND A DIFFERENT MESSAGE, A MESSAGE THAT SAYS YOU BELONG, YOU MATTER. IN A WORLD WHERE SO MANY INJUSTICES FEEL OUT OF OUR CONTROL, THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE MUST DO. THANK YOU. [1:46:42] Roann Cramer: HELLO, I'M ROANN CRAMER, A RECENT TRANSPLANT FROM SOUTHWEST MINNEAPOLIS TO THE LOVELY EDMUND BOULEVARD. DAYS BEFORE I MOVED IN ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS TOLD ME ABOUT THE RENAMING OPPORTUNITY THAT WAS IN FRONT OF US. [1:47:04] Roann Cramer: AND I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BUYING THIS HOUSE UNTIL I FOUND OUT WHY IT WAS EDMUND BOULEVARD. I NO LONGER WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT STORY. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE STORY OF LENA SMITH AND I URGE YOU TO MOVE THIS FORWARD AND RENAME THE BOULEVARD. THANK YOU. [1:47:35] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE KAREN MARTIN FOLLOWED BY OUR LAST SIGN UP, ADAY SOLANI. AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE OTHER THREE WE MISSED EARLIER. DO WE HAVE KAREN MARTIN? NOT SEEING KAREN, DO WE HAVE ADAY SOLANI? [1:47:59] Clerk: I BELIEVE SHE'S IN THE OVERFLOW ROOM. [1:48:02] Chris Meyer: OKAY. WE CAN WAIT FOR ADAY. WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT DO WE HAVE LISA SHAFFER OR ROBERT BRITAIN OR KRISTIN L? ARE YOU ADAY? [1:48:32] Aday Solani: YES, I AM. THANKS FOR WAITING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ADAY SOLANI. I AM A WARD 12 RESIDENT. I WILL START BY TELLING YOU, I MIGHT TELL YOU A JOKE, BUT I WILL NEVER TELL YOU A LIE, BUT TODAY I'M NOT GOING TO DO EITHER. [1:48:53] Aday Solani: STREET NAMES ARE NOT NEUTRAL, THEY'RE NOT PERMANENT EITHER NO MATTER HOW MANY UNCOMFORTABLE CHANGES PEOPLE HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH. THIS WASN'T THE FIRST STREET TO BE RENAMED, IT WON'T BE THE LAST. TO THE NEIGHBORS CLAIMING THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE SHOVED DOWN THEIR THROATS OR CAUSE AN INCONVENIENCE, OUR PROPERTY TAXES YOU PAY EVERY YEAR WITHOUT COMPLAINT. [1:49:13] Aday Solani: THERE'S A SAYING "WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER YOU DO BETTER." DOING BETTER DOES TAKE EFFORT. FOR THOSE RESISTING THAT CHANGE, THAT LEVEL OF EFFORT IS A CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM. REFLECT ON HOW MINOR THAT IS, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD UPROOT THEIR ENTIRE LIVES IN PURSUIT OF DIGNITY AND SAFETY. [1:49:32] Aday Solani: THIS ISN'T ABOUT A STREET SIGN, IT'S ABOUT WHETHER PEOPLE WHO START THEIR SENTENCES WITH "I'M NOT A RACIST BUT" ARE READY TO SIT WITH DISCOMFORT OF REALIZING THAT THEY'D RATHER PROTECT THEIR OWN COMFORT THAN CONFORM WITH THE SYSTEMS THAT CREATED IT, AND QUITE FRANKLY YOU'RE NOT CONFRONTING THE SYSTEMS TODAY, YOU'RE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN COLONIZATION, BUT THAT'S A CONVERSATION FOR ANOTHER DAY. [1:49:55] Aday Solani: THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER CHOWDHURY AND ALL OF THE NEIGHBORS WHO WORKED TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. LENA SMITH BOULEVARD IS A PUBLIC GOOD AND LASTLY, I WANT TO SAY ON THE PUBLIC RECORD, THERE ARE FOUR CRITERIA FOR RENAMING THE STREET WHICH IS WHY IT CAN'T BE NAMED — SHE'S STILL ALIVE. [1:50:14] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU, ADAY. THAT WAS OUR LAST SIGN-IN SPEAKER. ONE MORE TIME TO THE PEOPLE WE MISSED. DO WE HAVE LISA SHAFFER? ROBERT BRITAIN? KIRSTEN L.? KAREN MARTIN? COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE TESTIFIERS BEFORE I CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? I'M NOT SEEING ANY, SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. [1:50:44] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO TESTIFIED. COMMISSIONERS, IS THERE DISCUSSION, QUESTIONS, OR ANY MOTION? COMMISSIONER SHEPPARD? [1:50:57] Commissioner Sheppard: I WOULD MOTION TO APPROVE. [1:51:00] Chris Meyer: IS THERE A SECOND? [1:51:01] Commissioner: SECOND. [1:51:02] Chris Meyer: DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER THOMPSON? [1:51:05] Commissioner Thompson: CAN I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION TO THE APPLICANTS. [1:51:08] Chris Meyer: WE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING. [1:51:10] Commissioner Thompson: SORRY. I ALWAYS GET CONFUSED BY THAT. IT'S FINE. [1:51:13] Chris Meyer: COMMISSIONER SHEPPARD. [1:51:15] Commissioner Sheppard: ON YOUR NEIGHBOR, ISABELLE, I BELIEVE ISABELLE WAS EDMUND'S WIFE. I KNOW YOU'VE DONE FIVE YEARS OF HARD WORK, I'M NOT ENCOURAGING YOU TO START AGAIN WITH RECLAIM ISABELLE. BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE YOUR NEIGHBOR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. [1:51:31] Commissioner Conley: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT SHOWED UP TO TESTIFY. I AM VERY PROUD TO REPRESENT YOU ON THE COUNTY BOARD. A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME FROM THE STAFF REPORT AND ALSO KIND OF WHAT WE HEARD WAS IT'S VERY CLEAR TO ME, THERE'S VERY CLEAR GUIDELINES ON RENAMING STREETS, AND WHAT CPED, PUBLIC WORKS, AND COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY HAVE DONE IS OUTLINED WHY THIS MEETS THAT CRITERIA. [1:52:04] Commissioner Conley: THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND AS A PLANNING COMMISSION TO RIDE WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS. WHAT I WILL ADD IS A COUPLE OF KEY POINTS AND THAT'S THAT SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MINNEAPOLIS WHO LIVES ABOUT TWO BLOCKS FROM THE ARTHUR AND EDITH HOUSE, IT'S NOT LOST ON ME WHAT THIS CITY LOOKS LIKE TODAY, WHAT IT MAY HAVE LOOKED LIKE IN 1907 AND WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TODAY AND WHAT OUR OBLIGATION IS TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO FUTURE YOUNG PEOPLE. [1:52:35] Commissioner Conley: I HEARD WORDS LIKE DISRUPTION AND BURDEN AND INCONVENIENCE AND AS I THINK IT WAS THE OWNER OF SUNBEAN WHO SAID, IMAGINE THE DISRUPTION AND INCONVENIENCE OF TRYING TO BUY A HOME, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MY GRANDMOTHER EXPERIENCED WHEN SHE MOVED INTO THE BRYANT NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE 1950s. [1:52:55] Commissioner Conley: I THINK THAT THIS IS A SIGN OF MANY THINGS TO COME. I WAS PRESENT WHEN WE RENAMED DIGHT TO CHEATHAM AVENUE. I AM VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE RESIDENTS WHO SHOWED UP TODAY, MY NEIGHBORS ALTHOUGH I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HIAWATHA TO SHARE HOW OVER FIVE YEARS YOU ALL CAME TOGETHER IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE THIS CHANGE THAT IS SIGNIFICANT. [1:53:17] Commissioner Conley: IT IS NOT SYMBOLIC. TO ME THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORY IS THE PRESERVATION OF THE LEGACY OF LENA OLIVE SMITH. AND SO A FEW FOLKS HAVE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE CHOOSE TO REMEMBER AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A PERFECT WAY OF DOING THAT. AND I AM HONORED TO ACTUALLY BE A PART OF THE VOTE TO DO THAT, BUT I WOULDN'T BE WITHOUT YOU ALL COMING TO TESTIFY TODAY, WITHOUT YOUR WORK OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. [1:53:43] Commissioner Conley: I HOPE YOU CONTINUE THIS WORK. I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF READING MYSELF ABOUT BLACK HISTORY IN MINNESOTA SPECIFICALLY STARTING IN ABOUT 1867. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ ABOUT FORT SNELLING AND SOME OTHER SIGNIFICANT AREAS AROUND ST. ANTHONY AND HOW THAT REALLY PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT PART IN OUR HISTORY OF OUR CITY AND HOW IT ALIGNS WITH OUR MISSION AND VISION AND VALUES AS A CITY. SO I'M VERY GLAD THAT THE PRESENTATION STARTED WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS A GREAT GROUNDING. SO THANKFUL THAT YOU ALL CAME. THANKFUL THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT, THAT I SHARE THAT PASSION WITH AND AM CONNECTED TO. WITH THAT, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. [1:54:26] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CONLEY. COMMISSIONER WAGNER. [1:54:31] Commissioner Wagner: THANK YOU, CHAIR MEYER. I'LL KEEP IT BRIEF AND I THINK EVERYONE HAS SAID THINGS MUCH MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I'LL BE ABLE TO. BUT I JOINED THE PLANNING COMMISSION BECAUSE OF A DEEP INTEREST IN ZONING AND LAND USE AND UNFORTUNATELY THE HISTORY OF ZONING AND LAND USE IN OUR COUNTRY IS LITTERED WITH THESE EXAMPLES LIKE THESE RACIAL COVENANTS. [1:54:58] Commissioner Wagner: IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS THESE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. I'LL ADD A NOTE THAT ANYONE AFFECTED BY THIS OR IN THE COMMUNITY WHO'S WATCHING, ONE BOOK I READ ABOUT THIS THAT WAS TRANSFORMATIVE TO ME IS THE COLOR OF LAW. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE ALL GET EDUCATED AS A COMMUNITY AND WE REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW THESE KIND OF SEEMINGLY SMALL CHANGES WHEN THEY ACCUMULATE CAN PUSH US FORWARD. SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. [1:55:29] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WAGNER. OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER BAXLEY. [1:55:39] Commissioner Baxley: THANK YOU, CHAIR. STREET NAMING IS INTERESTING AND POWERFUL AND ALWAYS SPARKS DEBATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. IT INVOLVES SOME MINOR PRACTICAL CHALLENGES, UPDATING MAPS AND ADDRESSES. BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THESE ACTIONS ARE IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE CIVIC EFFORTS. [1:56:05] Commissioner Baxley: I APPLAUD EVERYBODY FOR THEIR TIME AND MORAL COMMITMENT AND PASSION. THEY CREATE A MORE JUST AND REPRESENTATIVE PUBLIC SPACE THAT REFLECTS OUR COMMUNITY'S EVOLVING VALUES AND IMPORTANT HISTORY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. [1:56:20] Chris Meyer: ANYONE ELSE? I ALSO WANT TO THANK COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY, THE RECLAIM EDMUND BOULEVARD GROUP, THE MAPPING PREJUDICE GROUP, FOR ALL OF THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE ON THIS. I THINK IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY VALUABLE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND FOR OUR BODY IN PARTICULAR TO HAVE A STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF ALL OF THIS HISTORY. [1:56:40] Chris Meyer: AND ESPECIALLY TO MAPPING PREJUDICE, THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THE 2040 PLAN TO HELP US REMEDY A LOT OF THIS. A POINT THAT I JUST WANT TO ADD ON TO ALL OF THIS IS THAT WHEN FORMAL SEGREGATION WAS ABOLISHED IN THE '60s, THAT DIDN'T PUT AN END TO IT, IT GOT REPLACED WITH CLASS-BASED SEGREGATION THROUGH ZONING. [1:57:04] Chris Meyer: IT WASN'T AN ACCIDENT THAT IT WAS IN THE '70s, FOLLOWING THE 1968 FAIR HOUSING ACT THAT WE BEGAN TO SEE MUCH MORE RESTRICTIVE ZONING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND IN MINNEAPOLIS AND THAT IS A LARGE PART OF WHAT SHAPED THE 2040 PLAN TRYING TO REMOVE THOSE EXCLUSIONARY BARRIERS. [1:57:26] Chris Meyer: SO I THINK THIS HAS JUST REALLY BEEN FANTASTIC TO HAVE ALL OF THIS TO HELP REMIND PEOPLE OF THAT HISTORY AND TO CONTINUE MAKING PROGRESS TO REMOVE THOSE EXCLUSIONS. WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS, I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL. [1:57:44] Clerk: COMMISSIONER BAXLEY. [1:57:45] Commissioner Baxley: AYE. [1:57:46] Clerk: COMMISSIONER CONLEY. [1:57:47] Commissioner Conley: AYE. [1:57:48] Clerk: JONES. [1:57:49] Commissioner Jones: AYE. [1:57:51] Clerk: SHEPPARD. [1:57:52] Commissioner Sheppard: AYE. [1:57:53] Clerk: THOMPSON. [1:57:54] Commissioner Thompson: YES. [1:57:55] Clerk: WAGNER. [1:57:56] Commissioner Wagner: AYE. [1:57:57] Clerk: MEYER. [1:57:58] Chris Meyer: AYE. [1:57:59] Clerk: WE HAVE SEVEN AYES. [1:58:01] Chris Meyer: THAT IS ADOPTED. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM EIGHT, THE MINIMUM HEIGHT ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENT. AND STAFF IS MEI-LING SMITH. IF WE CAN ASK YOU ALL TO MOVE CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE SO WE CAN PROCEED WITH OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, THANK YOU. PLEASE MOVE CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE SO WE CAN PROCEED WITH THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. [1:59:37] Mei-Ling Smith (Staff): MY NAME IS MEI-LING SMITH. I WORK FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND CPED PLANNING DIVISION. I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER. WE HAVE BEEN EXPLORING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, SOME COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENTS AND ALSO ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENTS TO ADDRESS THE POSSIBILITY OF ALLOWING ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY IN THE COMP PLAN AND ZONING CODE TO ALLOW FOR SHORTER BUILDING HEIGHTS IN SOME SCENARIOS. [2:00:10] Mei-Ling Smith: SO WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING A FEW DIFFERENT AREAS. SO A LITTLE BACKGROUND, MINNEAPOLIS 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ESTABLISHED 14 BUILT FORM DISTRICTS TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT FOR EVERY PARCEL IN THE CITY. IN 2021, THIS WAS CODIFIED IN THE FORM OF BUILT FORM OVERLAY DISTRICTS. [2:01:13] Mei-Ling Smith: SO EVERY SINGLE PARCEL IN MINNEAPOLIS HAS A BUILT FORM OVERLAY DISTRICT THAT TELLS YOU HOW SHORT OR TALL YOU'RE ALLOWED TO GO. THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF DISTRICTS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE A MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENT. IT'S TWO STORIES UP TO TEN STORIES YOUR MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENT DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU DECIDE TO BUILD. IN GENERAL THESE ARE AREAS CLOSEST TO TRANSIT LIKE LIGHT RAIL STATIONS OR OTHER REALLY HIGH INVESTMENT AREAS AND KEY AMENITIES AND CERTAINLY DOWNTOWN. [2:01:51] Mei-Ling Smith: THIS IS A VERY ZOOMED OUT MAP SHOWING THE CITY, WE'VE SEEN MANY BENEFITS OF HAVING MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM HEIGHT REGULATIONS. THIS HAS DISCOURAGED UNDERDEVELOPMENT ON THESE KEY CORRIDORS WE'VE SEEN. THIS IS THE INTENDED IMPACT. WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE AND BE ABLE TO WORK WITH DEVELOPERS TO HAVE A MORE ROBUST DEVELOPMENT THAN MIGHT BE NORMALLY THOUGHT OF. [2:02:50] Mei-Ling Smith: SPEAKING IN TERMS OF HEIGHT, BUILDING HEIGHT IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN EASIER COMMUNICATION TOOL THAN USING FLOOR AREA RATIO OR DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE. SO THIS IS JUST AN EASIER TOOL FOR COMMUNICATING NOT ONLY TO DEVELOPERS AND ARCHITECTS BUT ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY. [2:03:08] Mei-Ling Smith: MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM HEIGHT REGULATIONS HAVE ALSO INCREASED THE PREDICTABILITY OF THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. SO YOU'VE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED THERE ARE FEWER CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS COMING BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, FEWER VARIANCES AND IT'S JUST LED TO A SMOOTHER APPLICATION PROCESS WE'VE FOUND OVERALL. [2:03:32] Mei-Ling Smith: AND ALSO, IF YOU WISH TO INCREASE HEIGHT ON A PARTICULAR PARCEL, IF YOU HAVE A DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO EXCEEDS WHAT IS ALLOWED BY HEIGHT, IN MOST DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS, YOU CAN APPLY FOR A PREMIUM BY PROVIDING AMENITIES. SO THIS IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE WAY THAT WE CAN INCREASE HEIGHT, WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO GO THROUGH A C.U.P. OR A VARIANCE NOW. [2:03:50] Mei-Ling Smith: SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN SIX APPROVED VARIANCES BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THE FIRST THREE WERE JUST REBUILDING AFTER THE CIVIL UNREST IN 2020. AND THEN THERE WERE THREE OTHERS THAT WERE NOTABLE, THAT'S THE BIOCHAR PRODUCTION FACILITY. THE PROPOSAL WAS FOR A ONE-STORY BUILDING. BUT TRANSIT 15 REQUIRES A FOUR-STORY MINIMUM. THIS IS A PRODUCTION USE AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID APPROVE THIS. YOU ALSO APPROVED A MINIMUM FAR VARIANCE. [2:04:15] Mei-Ling Smith: THE INDIAN HEALTH BOARD IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE. TRANSIT 20 REQUIRED SIX STORIES AND THE PROPOSAL WAS FOR A THREE-STORY MEDICAL CLINIC. AND THEN HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE PURPLE RAMP EXPANSION AT 600 PARK AVENUE, THIS IS IN TRANSIT 30 DISTRICT WHERE THE REQUIREMENT IS TEN, AND THE APPLICANT SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED A VARIANCE TO ALLOW NINE STORIES. [2:04:40] Mei-Ling Smith: THERE WERE TWO DENIED BY THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION. FIRST BEING 2725 UNIVERSITY AVENUE. THIS IS A STRAIGHTFORWARD MARKET RATE MIXED DEVELOPMENT. THIS WAS DENIED. THEY WERE PROPOSING A SEVEN-STORY DEVELOPMENT AND THE REQUIREMENT WAS TEN. THERE WERE NO PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES THAT WERE EVIDENT. [2:04:58] Mei-Ling Smith: AND THEN THE CHASE BANK DEVELOPMENT, THIS WAS A SIX-STORY REQUIREMENT, AND THE PROPOSAL WAS FOR A ONE-STORY BANK. AND SO THIS WAS ACTUALLY WITHDRAWN AFTER PLANNING COMMISSION. ONE THING THAT WE'VE NOTED IS THAT A LOT OF THE ISSUES SEEM — OR A LOT OF THE TENSION HAPPENS TO BE IN THE TRANSIT DISTRICTS. [2:05:19] Mei-Ling Smith: THIS IS KIND OF WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF DEMAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, BUT THERE'S A TENSION BETWEEN WHAT OUR ZONING CODE IS SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND WHAT APPLICANTS ARE TRYING TO DO. SO SEVEN OF THE EIGHT VARIANCES THAT WE REVIEWED WERE IN A TRANSIT DISTRICT. THERE WAS ONE IN CORRIDOR SIX. TRANSIT DISTRICTS SEEM TO BE CAUSING THE MOST IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES COMPARED TO CORRIDOR SIX THAT'S THE MAIN DRAG IN A NEIGHBORHOOD YOU MIGHT SEE A CORRIDOR SIX. [2:05:54] Mei-Ling Smith: AND CORE 50 IS YOUR DOWNTOWN AREA. THERE'S A TEN-STORY MINIMUM IN TRANSIT 30 AND CORE 50. TEN STORIES IS TRICKY BECAUSE THAT REQUIRES A MORE EXPENSIVE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TYPE THAN THE NEXT MORE INTENSE SIX-STORIES. BY DEFAULT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE BUILDING TYPE, AND THIS MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS TO EVEN CONSIDER BUILDING IN TRANSIT 30 DISTRICTS OR IN CORE 50. PRODUCTION USES TEND TO BE SHORTER IN SCALE. [2:06:31] Mei-Ling Smith: AS A RESULT THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE MEETING F.A.R. AND HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS. SO AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE LIKE BIOCHAR OR OTHER SMALL SCALE LIKE A BUSINESS OWNER WHO'S HAD THEIR PROPERTY FOREVER AND THEY WANT TO BUILD AN ADDITION, THEY MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE DOING IT WITHOUT GETTING A VARIANCE AND DEMONSTRATING PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES. [2:06:50] Mei-Ling Smith: THEN PRINCIPAL USES WITHOUT A PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE, THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY PROHIBITED IF YOU'RE IN A MINIMUM HEIGHT AREA OF CORRIDOR SIX OR HIGHER LIKE A PUBLIC PARK OR A COMMUNITY GARDEN OR SURFACE PARKING LOT OR UTILITY USES. SO THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY NOT ALLOWED TO MOVE FORWARD. HOWEVER THE WAY IT'S IMPLIED THIS AMENDMENT SEEKS TO ADDRESS THIS DISCREPANCY IN THE ZONING CODE. [2:07:26] Mei-Ling Smith: SO THIS IS A MAP OF WHERE THE PR2 PRODUCTION PROCESSING DISTRICT EXISTS. WE HAVE TWO PRODUCTION DISTRICTS IN THE ZONING CODE AND THIS IS THE MOST INTENSE ONE. THIS IS A MAP OF WHERE PRODUCTION PR2 ZONING DISTRICTS EXIST, BUT ALSO HAS A MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENT. [2:07:49] Mei-Ling Smith: IN MANY CASES WE'VE TRIED TO MATCH BUILT FORM DISTRICTS TO OTHER REGULATIONS INCLUDING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER CRITICAL CORRIDOR AREA. THAT WOULD BE ALONG THE RIVER FRONT. SO THAT'S LIKE A CORRIDOR SIX AREA. BUT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT ARE VERY CLOSE TO TRANSIT STATIONS AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING MORE HIGHER INTENSE TRANSIT DISTRICTS. SO THESE AREAS HAVE AT LEAST TWO STORIES OR TALLER. [2:08:09] Mei-Ling Smith: SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WE WERE THINKING OF AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE WANT TO HAVE AS FEW EXCEPTIONS AS POSSIBLE, WE DON'T WANT TO PICK WINNERS AND LOSERS. WE WANT A UNIFORM TYPE OF WAY TO ADMINISTER MINIMUM HEIGHT. THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SITUATIONS WE CAN'T THINK OF, SO WE'RE NOT LISTING OUT EVERY SINGLE USE THAT WE THINK QUALIFIES FOR AN EXCEPTION. [2:08:48] Mei-Ling Smith: BUT OF COURSE WE'LL PROPOSE A FEW. MINIMUM FLOOR AREA RATIO IS STILL A METRIC THAT EXISTS IN MANY OF THESE DISTRICTS SO WE WANT TO PRESERVE THAT AND NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THAT. THAT'S GOING TO ENSURE THERE IS A MINIMUM LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY. THERE ARE A FEW EXCEPTIONS TO THAT WHICH I WILL SHOW YOU. [2:09:12] Mei-Ling Smith: WE WERE WONDERING IF THIS SHOULD BE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO REDUCE MINIMUM HEIGHT OR SOME OTHER CASE BY CASE REVIEW. THAT JUST OPENS UP WAY TOO MUCH DISCUSSION, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT OUR CITY ATTORNEYS WOULD RECOMMEND. AND ALL OF THIS IS TO SAY WE'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT HOW MINIMUM HEIGHT ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THE NEXT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE. WE'RE PROPOSING THESE CHANGES FOR NOW AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION. [2:09:35] Mei-Ling Smith: SO THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS TO LOWER THE MINIMUM HEIGHTS FOR BOTH TRANSIT 15 AND TRANSIT 20. WE WOULD LIKE TO REDUCE TRANSIT 15 FROM 4 TO 3 STORIES AND TRANSIT 20 WOULD BE REDUCED FROM 6 TO 4 STORIES KEEPING MINIMUM F.A.R. IN PLACE AND THEN WE WOULD NOT PROPOSE ANY CHANGES TO CORRIDOR SIX, TRANSIT TEN, OR TO CORE 50. [2:10:11] Mei-Ling Smith: THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS TO CHANGE TRANSIT 30 AS IT EXISTS TODAY. SO RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST ONE DISTRICT. IN THE COMP PLAN WE WOULD DIFFERENTIATE TRANSIT 30. AND THEN IN THE ZONING CODE, WE WOULD STRIKE TRANSIT 30 ALTOGETHER AND CREATE TWO TRANSIT 30 DISTRICTS, TRANSIT 30A, AND TRANSIT 30B. [2:10:41] Mei-Ling Smith: TRANSIT 30B WOULD BE IDEAL TO HOW IT IS TODAY WITH THE TEN STORY MINIMUM. AND THAT WOULD BE IN THE DOWNTOWN OFFICE CORE AND THE CLOSEST NEIGHBORHOODS. TRANSIT 30A WOULD HAVE A MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENT OF FIVE STORIES. AND SO THIS IS TO EASE THE BURDEN OF THAT DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT AND TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR BUILDINGS TO BE BUILT WITHOUT THE MOST EXPENSIVE CONSTRUCTION HEIGHT. [2:11:06] Mei-Ling Smith: AND THIS MAP SHOWS YOU WHERE WE PROPOSED DRAWING THAT DISTINCTION. IT WOULD INCLUDE DOWNTOWN, THE NORTH LOOP, AND THE AREA THAT IS CURRENTLY TRANSIT 30 ACROSS THE RIVER IN THE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY AREA OF NORTHEAST. EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND GOING DOWN TO FIVE STORIES. [2:11:39] Mei-Ling Smith: RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THREE IS REFERRING TO THESE EXCEPTIONS I TALKED ABOUT. WE RECOMMEND STRIKING ANY HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS FROM THE FOLLOWING USES AND THESE ARE ALL RELATED TO THINGS THAT DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BULK. THESE ARE PARKS AND OPEN SPACES, AS DEFINED THEY HAVE TO BE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PARK BOARD. IT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE STAND ALONE PRODUCTION USES IN THE PR2 PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING DISTRICT. ALSO PRINCIPAL USES WITHOUT A PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE. AND BASIC UTILITIES WHICH ARE CURRENTLY A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IN EVERY DISTRICT. HERE'S A SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES I JUST WENT THROUGH AND I'M HAPPY TO STAND FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. [2:12:15] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU, MEI-LING. ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE PROCEED TO THE PUBLIC HEARING? COMMISSIONER SHEPPARD? [2:12:21] Commissioner Sheppard: JUST WHY FIVE NOT SIX FOR TRANSIT 30A? [2:12:33] Mei-Ling Smith: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. WE'RE TRYING TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT HAPPEN IN THESE AREAS. YOU COULD SAY 5 OR 6 OR 4, THEY'RE ALL KIND OF ARBITRARY. OFTENTIMES WE SEE A SIX-STORY BUILDING ANYWAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE FINANCIALS OR SEVEN-STORY BUILDING FOR THAT MATTER. IT'S NOT TO SAY WE WANT TO SEE THE LOWEST DENOMINATOR, IT'S JUST TRYING TO FACILITATE SOME DEVELOPMENT. [2:12:53] Commissioner Sheppard: THANK YOU. [2:12:55] Chris Meyer: COMMISSIONER CONLEY. [2:13:00] Commissioner Conley: JUST A QUICK QUESTION. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE MAP THAT SHOWED WHERE THE CURRENT TRANSIT 30? [2:13:05] Mei-Ling Smith: YEAH, AND ACTUALLY I DID PREPARE MORE SECTOR MAPS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ZOOM IN ON ANY OF THOSE AREAS? [2:13:13] Commissioner Conley: I WOULD. I WAS LOOKING TO SEE IF CEDAR RIVERSIDE IS IN THERE WHICH IS — [2:13:16] Mei-Ling Smith: THIS IS EXISTING MAP. AND CEDAR RIVERSIDE IS CURRENTLY TRANSIT 30. [2:13:21] Commissioner Conley: IT SOUNDS LIKE THE EXEMPTION IS FOR SPACES OWNED BY MPRB WHICH IS JUST ONE PARK IN THE AREA WHICH I'M THINKING OF WHICH IS RIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAY. PART OF ME WORRIES AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE NEW DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING WITH THE NEW 2050 PLAN IS THAT THAT IS A COMMUNITY THAT NOT ONLY IS VERY DENSE BUT ALSO VERY POLLUTED BECAUSE IT'S SURROUNDED BY FREEWAYS. [2:13:58] Commissioner Conley: BUT IF WE KEEP BUILDING UP, THAT MEETS DENSITY, BUT IT ALSO LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE THAT CAN BE ADDED. I'VE JUST HEARD FROM RESIDENTS OF THE AREA, THEY'D LIKE MORE PARK SPACE. THEY JUST HAVE ONE AND THAT'S CONNECTED TO MPRB BUILDING. BUT SO KEEPING THAT REQUIREMENT MEANING THERE'S A NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD GO UP TO A MINIMUM OF TEN NOT A MAXIMUM? [2:14:24] Mei-Ling Smith: PRESIDENT MEYER, COMMISSIONER CONLEY, I AM FAMILIAR WITH I THINK THE PROJECT YOU'RE REFERRING TO AND THEY HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE MINIMUM HEIGHT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. THEY WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP SOME NEW PARK SPACE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S NOT FEASIBLE FOR THEM TO OWN THEIR OWN PARCEL AND CONSTRUCT A TEN-STORY BUILDING AS IT STANDS. [2:14:46] Mei-Ling Smith: BUT THIS IS NOT JUST TO ADDRESS THAT PARCEL, THERE ARE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE IN THE WORKS OR OTHER EXAMPLES WE CAN POINT TO WITH PARK BOARD SPACE AS PART OF A LARGER DEVELOPMENT AND THEY'RE LIKE WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS SPACE, IT HAS TO BE ITS OWN SPACE BECAUSE IT'S OWNED BY MPRB, THEY CAN'T DEVELOP TEN-STORY BUILDINGS. [2:15:24] Commissioner Conley: OKAY, THANK YOU. [2:15:27] Chris Meyer: COMMISSIONER WAGNER. [2:15:30] Commissioner Wagner: THANK YOU, CHAIR MEYER. I HAD A QUESTION, I THINK I ASKED THIS AT COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE—SO I APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING A BAD MEMORY—BUT I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE MINUTES. CAN YOU REMIND ME WHETHER YOU'VE SEEN ANY HEIGHT VARIANCE DISCUSSION OR PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN DETERRED IN THE TRANSIT 15 AND TRANSIT 20 BY I BELIEVE RESPECTIVELY THE 4 AND 6-STORY REQUIREMENTS. I KNOW WE HAVE A TRANSIT 30 MINIMUM HEIGHT PROBLEM, BUT CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE TRANSIT 15 AND TRANSIT 20 AND WHETHER YOU'RE SEEING IT IN THE PROJECT PHASE? [2:15:51] Mei-Ling Smith: THERE ARE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT I THINK WE DID DISCUSS AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, BUT WE DON'T EVEN, THEY DON'T EVEN GET GOING BECAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE A ROADBLOCK AND THEY DON'T EVEN PROGRESS TO THE POINT OF HAVING A VARIANCE BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T MEET THE CRITERIA THAT ARE NEEDED TO MEET THE VARIANCE FINDINGS, IT'S HARD TO PUT AN EXACT NUMBER ON THIS IS EXACTLY THE DISTRICT THAT IS CAUSING THE MOST PROBLEMS OR THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE IN THESE DISTRICTS. [2:16:31] Mei-Ling Smith: SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE KIND OF RESORTING TO HERE ARE THE VARIANCES THAT YOU HAVE BEEN EVALUATING THAT MADE IT TO THIS POINT, TRANSIT 15 AND 20 ARE AMONG THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN EFFECTED. I GUESS TRANSIT 15 IS WHERE CHASE BANK HAS BEEN LOCATED. I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER FOR YOU UNFORTUNATELY. BUT MAYBE KIMBERLY HAS OTHER DATA TO EXPLORE. [2:17:04] Clerk: I CAN SPEAK ANECDOTELY. IT'S HARD FOR US TO SAY ONCE SOMEONE CONTACTS ME I ASSIGN A PROJECT AND SOMEONE CONTACTS ME TO SAY THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETELY DEAD AND IT'S FOR THIS EXACT REASON. TYPICALLY THERE'S A MYRIAD OF REASONS WHY A PROJECT MIGHT NOT MOVE FORWARD, MINIMUM HEIGHT BEING AMONG THEM. [2:17:21] Clerk: I CAN SAY FOR CERTAIN THOUGH THAT THERE ARE SOME SITES THAT ARE ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW THAT I GET PHONE CALLS ABOUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND ONCE PEOPLE HEAR THAT THERE IS A SIX-STORY MINIMUM, A TEN-STORY MINIMUM FOR THOSE PARTICULAR SITES, THEY AREN'T INTERESTED AND THOSE GO AWAY. I CAN SAY LAST WEEK I HAD THREE SUCH CONVERSATIONS. THIS WEEK I HAVEN'T HAD ANY, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS A FREQUENT POINT OF CONTENTION THAT WE'RE SEEING. [2:17:43] Commissioner Wagner: THANK YOU, APPRECIATE THAT. [2:18:04] Chris Meyer: COMMISSIONER BAXLEY. [2:18:05] Commissioner Baxley: THANK YOU, MEI-LING. INSIDE THE 30B BOX WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY OUR DOWNTOWN AS YOU DESCRIBED OFFICE CORE, WE'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS BECAUSE IT IS JUST OFFICE. IT'S NOT TRULY A MIXED USE. SO ARE WE SAYING THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER WHICH IS TRUE IT'S REALLY HARD TO BUILD LOW INCOME HOUSING THAT'S TALLER BECAUSE THE NUMBERS DON'T WORK. SO BY DOING THIS, I'M JUST CURIOUS THE DISCUSSIONS AT PLANNING AROUND, ARE WE MAKING THAT ESSENTIALLY IMPOSSIBLE INSIDE THIS BOX TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN? [2:18:43] Mei-Ling Smith: I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT ONLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST TRANSIT 30 WITHIN THE BOX. THERE ARE ALSO MANY OTHER OVERLAY DISTRICTS. [2:18:51] Commissioner Baxley: I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE. [2:18:53] Mei-Ling Smith: YOU'RE WELCOME. [2:19:01] Chris Meyer: ANY OTHERS BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC HEARING? SEEING NONE, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SUZANNE WERE YOU HERE TO SPEAK TO THIS ONE? [2:19:15] Suzanne Murphy: HELLO, MY NAME IS SUZANNE MURPHY. I'M A COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER WITH XCEL ENERGY SERVING CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY. I'M ALSO A PROUD RESIDENT OF WARD 12. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS AMENDMENT. [2:19:20] Suzanne Murphy: WE APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY IS PRIORITIZING DENSITY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GOALS. AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, WE ALSO APPRECIATE THAT THIS AMENDMENT DIFFERENTIATES THAT THE BUILT FORM OR LAND USE FOR BASIC ACTIVITIES IS VERY DIFFERENT IN NATURE THAN OTHER TYPES OF STRUCTURES OR USES AND IT MAKES SENSE FOR THESE CHANGES TO BE MADE TO REFLECT THAT. [2:19:48] Suzanne Murphy: IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE GRID DOWNTOWN, WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF SUBSTATIONS AND FOR PRACTICAL REASONS AND ENERGY SECURITY PURPOSES DO NOT MAKE SENSE TO ACCOMMODATE A TEN-STORY HEIGHT REQUIREMENT FOR FUTURE ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE. A TALL BUILDING WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE SITUATED. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING AN EYE ON THIS PARTICULAR UTILITY USE IN THE FUTURE. [2:20:07] Chris Meyer: THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO TESTIFY BEFORE I CLOSE THE HEARING? THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. SO YEAH, I REQUESTED TO DISCUSS THIS ITEM BECAUSE I HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO PROPOSE TO IT. AND THE NUMBERS THAT I HAVE ARE IN YOUR EMAIL INBOXES SENT JUST BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED. MEI-LING, CAN YOU GO TO THE TABLE THAT SHOWS THE PROPOSALS THAT YOU HAVE? IT'S TABLE TWO ON THE — [2:20:53] Mei-Ling Smith: OH, IS THIS ONE OKAY? [2:21:01] Chris Meyer: IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH. IT'S NOT QUITE THE ONE I'M LOOKING AT. [2:21:04] Mei-Ling Smith: THIS ONE HAS 15, 20, AND 30. [2:21:07] Chris Meyer: THAT GETS TO THE — SO MY PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD BE TO LEAVE TRANSIT 15 AT FOUR, TO LEAVE TRANSIT 20 AT SIX, AND TO BRING TRANSIT 30A TO SIX. THE REASONING BEHIND THAT, I FEEL THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL TO SIX STORIES. I DON'T FEEL THAT'S ARBITRARY TO HAVE IT THERE FOR BOTH TRANSIT 30A AND TRANSIT 20. BECAUSE THE TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION THAT WE'RE SEEING THE MOST OF IS THE FIVE OVER ONES—AND THERE'S AN INTERESTING STORY BEHIND FIVE OVER ONES THAT I CAN EMAIL EVERYONE LATER—BUT BASICALLY WHEN CALIFORNIA LEGALIZED CERTAIN FIRE RETARDANTS, THAT ALLOWED NEW CHEAPER MATERIALS TO BE USED FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES AND THAT'S WHY WE SEE THIS PREDOMINANT FORM. [2:22:06] Chris Meyer: SO I THINK THERE'S A VERY STRONG CASE FOR MOVING FROM 10 TO 6. WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH MAKING ENTIRE PROPOSALS AND MAKING REQUESTED VARIANCES WHERE IT GOT A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE FOR ADDITIONAL FLOORS AFTER THE SIXTH ONE. [2:22:30] Chris Meyer: THERE'S THE EXPENSE ASPECT TO IT. THERE'S ALSO A LIVABILITY AND CONNECTION TO THE STREET. SIX STORIES IS THE APPROXIMATE LEVEL WHERE YOU CAN LIVE AND STILL HAVE CONTACT WITH EYE LEVEL ON THE STREET. SO THERE'S THAT CONNECTIVE PART OF IT. SIX STORIES IS WHAT YOU SEE IN A LOT OF EUROPEAN CITIES. I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL TO THE SIX-STORY REQUIREMENT. SO I'M COMPLETELY ON BOARD WITH THE DISTINCTION WE'RE MAKING BETWEEN 30A AND 30B AND THE DIFFERENT USES THAT STAFF HAS PROPOSED TO CARVE OUT, BUT AS COMMISSIONER WAGNER ALLUDED TO WHEN WE'RE TALKING COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, IT WAS CLEAR WE HAVE A TRANSIT 30 PROBLEM, IT WAS NOT CLEAR WE HAVE A TRANSIT 15 OR TRANSIT 20 PROBLEM. [2:23:37] Chris Meyer: SO I GUESS PROCEDURALLY, WE SHOULD MOVE THE ITEM OVERALL AND THEN I CAN PROPOSE MY AMENDMENT. BUT I'LL MOVE TO DISCUSSION. DID ONE OF YOU WANT TO SPEAK? [2:23:51] Commissioner Jones: I DO. I JUST WANT TO SAY I WAS AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. I REALLY APPRECIATED THE INFORMATION. I'VE BEEN ONE WHO'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT ON DEVELOPMENT OF SOME OF OUR MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE STAFF WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS AND I'M COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THE STAFF HAS PROPOSED SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. [2:24:09] Chris Meyer: WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION ON THAT? [2:24:11] Commissioner Jones: YEAH, I CAN MOVE THE STAFF REPORT OR RECOMMENDATION. [2:24:15] Chris Meyer: ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A SECOND? [2:24:16] Commissioner Thompson: I SECOND THAT. [2:24:18] Chris Meyer: ALL RIGHT. AND THEN I'M GOING TO MOVE MY AMENDMENT TO MODIFY TRANSIT 15 TO 4 STORIES, TRANSIT 20 TO 6 STORIES AND TRANSIT 30A TO SIX STORIES. IS THERE A SECOND TO THE AMENDMENT? [2:24:40] Commissioner Chowdhury: JUST CHECKING IN WITH THE CLERK. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT STAFF RECOMMENDATION. SO I BELIEVE WE WOULD VOTE ON THAT — [2:24:58] Chris Meyer: LET ME CHECK. I THINK AN AMENDMENT IS IN ORDER. BUT LET ME DOUBLE CHECK. [2:25:31] Chris Meyer: USUALLY WE BRING THE MOTION FORWARD AND THEN EACH AMENDMENT WOULD GET VOTED ON. THAT'S HOW I'VE ALWAYS BEEN USED TO IT. WHILE THEY'RE LOOKING THAT UP, WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION TO EITHER THE AMENDMENT OR THE UNDERLYING MOTION. COMMISSIONER WAGNER. [2:25:37] Commissioner Wagner: CHAIR MEYER, THIS ONE IS DIFFICULT FOR ME. WHEN I SAY DIFFICULT, I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, BUT SPECIFICALLY YOUR AMENDMENT, I'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT IT THIS AFTERNOON AND THOUGHT ABOUT OUR CITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A MASSIVE LACK OF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IN OUR CITY. [2:25:59] Commissioner Wagner: AND I THINK THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING TO MAKE MOVES TO HOPEFULLY BRING SOME OF THAT BACK. WOULD WE LIKE TO SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT IN TRANSIT 15 AND 20, YES, BUT THESE ARE MINIMUMS NOT MAXIMUMS. I LOOKED AT THE MAP AND I THINK THIS WOULD MATERIALIZE AS POTENTIALLY TOWNHOMES IN SOME OF THESE AREAS AND TOWNHOMES CAN BE BUILT VERY DENSELY. I WOULD PREFER TO SEE LARGER BUILDINGS. I THINK A NEW BUILDING OF ANY KIND IS OFTEN BETTER THAN NOTHING, AN EMPTY PARKING LOT OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. WITH THAT SAID, I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS AS STATED. [2:26:42] Chris Meyer: COMMISSIONER THOMPSON. [2:26:44] Commissioner Thompson: THANK YOU, CHAIR MEYER. I WOULD ECHO WHAT COMMISSIONER WAGNER SAID AND WHAT COMMISSIONER JONES SAID EARLIER. THESE ARE MINIMUMS, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PEOPLE CAN'T BUILD LARGER, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE INCLUSIVE OF DIFFERENT BUILDERS TOO. MAYBE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET INTO THE MARKET, THEY HAVE A SMALLER COMPANY, THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE BIGGER BUILT FORMS. SO I SUPPORT STAFF RECOMMENDATION AS WELL. [2:27:12] Chris Meyer: I DON'T THINK I SAW ANY SECOND. COMMISSIONER CHOWDHURY? [2:27:15] Aurin Chowdhury: I WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE A POINT OF ORDER AROUND OUR PROCESS TO AMEND, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE BACK THE AMENDMENT — [2:27:21] Chris Meyer: CAN YOU DO THAT FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES? [2:27:23] Aurin Chowdhury: SO ACCORDING TO ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER MADE SIMPLE, ONCE A MAIN MOTION IS MADE IT'S THE PROPERTY OF THE BODY TO AMEND. SO YOU CAN'T MAKE AN AMENDMENT UNTIL THERE IS A MOTION BEFORE YOU AND THEN IT IS IN ORDER FOR A MEMBER OF THE BODY TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND. SO WITHOUT THE MAIN MOTION, WE COULDN'T EVEN AMEND. [2:27:46] Chris Meyer: RIGHT, THERE'S A CHART HERE ABOUT WHAT'S A DEBATABLE AND UNDEBATABLE AMENDMENT AND HOW THAT IMPACTS THE WAY THE MOTION FLOWS THROUGH THE PROCESS AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO READ. [2:28:00] Aurin Chowdhury: I HAVE TO ASSUME IT'S SUBSTANTIVE POLICY THAT WOULD BE DEBATABLE THEN? [2:28:04] Clerk: I BELIEVE THIS WOULD BE DEBATABLE YES. [2:28:10] Chris Meyer: I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY SECOND ON IT. WE'RE BACK TO THE UNDERLYING DEBATE ON IT. [2:28:15] Commissioner Wagner: CAN I ADD ONE OTHER COMMENT, CHAIR MEYER. I WOULD SAY I DO THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 5 AND 6. I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF AN ADJUSTMENT FROM 5 TO 6 FOR TRANSIT 30A. [2:28:30] Chris Meyer: WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO THAT? [2:28:33] Commissioner Wagner: I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT STAFF FINDINGS WITH THE MINIMUM SET AT SIX INSTEAD OF FIVE. [2:28:38] Chris Meyer: BUT TO CLARIFY YOU'RE LEAVING THEM — YOU'RE LEAVING 15 AND 20 AS STAFF RECOMMEND? [2:28:44] Commissioner Wagner: CORRECT. I'M LEAVING THE THREE STORY MINIMUM IN TRANSIT 15, 4 STORIES MINIMUM — [2:28:50] Clerk: THE MAIN MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS STAFF RECOMMENDATION WHICH WAS MADE BY JONES AND SECONDED BY THOMPSON. SO WE HAVE A NEW MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER WAGNER UNLESS YOU WANT TO MAKE IT AN AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING MOTION. [2:29:05] Commissioner Wagner: WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER I DO? I'M STILL LEARNING THIS STUFF. I WILL AMEND THE PREVIOUS MOTION BY WAS IT COMMISSIONER JONES? AND I WILL MOTION TO CHANGE 30A MINIMUM FROM FIVE STORIES TO SIX STORIES. [2:29:20] Chris Meyer: SO COMMISSIONER WAGNER'S AMENDMENT TO COMMISSIONER JONES'S UNDERLYING MOTION IS ON THE TABLE NOW. I THINK THAT COMPLETELY MAKES SENSE. THERE ARE SO FEW TRANSIT 30 AREAS, I THINK REQUIRING SIX STORIES IN THEM IS A VERY MODEST REQUIREMENT. COMMISSIONER CHOWDHURY. [2:29:43] Aurin Chowdhury: I WOULD OFFER MY SUPPORT FOR THIS AS WELL. I THINK I WASN'T ABLE TO SUPPORT THE PREVIOUS AMENDMENT THAT WAS ON THE FLOOR BECAUSE THERE WASN'T GOING TO BE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSIT 20 AND TRANSIT 30A AT THAT POINT, BUT I FOUND CHAIR MEYER'S ARGUMENT ABOUT A REQUIREMENT OF SIX STORIES VERY COMPELLING SO I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT. [2:30:17] Chris Meyer: IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? [2:30:20] Commissioner Sheppard: CHAIR MEYER, I REALIZE MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN IN FAVOR OF THIS BUT NO ONE HAS OFFICIALLY SECONDED IT. [2:30:27] Chris Meyer: I SECONDED IT. [2:30:29] Commissioner Sheppard: OH YOU DID. I DIDN'T CATCH THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [2:30:33] Chris Meyer: ALL RIGHT, IF THERE'S NO ONE ELSE, WE WILL VOTE TO THE AMENDMENT WHICH IS TO CHANGE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. SO TRANSIT 30A WOULD HAVE A SIX STORY REQUIREMENT INSTEAD OF FIVE. CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. [2:30:50] Clerk: COMMISSIONER BAXLEY. [2:30:51] Commissioner Baxley: AYE. [2:30:52] Clerk: CHOWDHURY. [2:30:53] Aurin Chowdhury: AYE. [2:30:54] Clerk: CONLEY. [2:30:55] Commissioner Conley: AYE. [2:30:56] Clerk: JONES. [2:30:57] Commissioner Jones: NAY. [2:30:58] Clerk: SHEPPARD. [2:30:59] Commissioner Sheppard: AYE. [2:31:00] Clerk: THOMPSON. [2:31:01] Commissioner Thompson: NO. [2:31:02] Clerk: WAGNER. [2:31:03] Commissioner Wagner: AYE. [2:31:04] Clerk: MEYER. [2:31:05] Chris Meyer: AYE. [2:31:07] Clerk: SO THERE ARE SIX AYES AND TWO NAYS. [2:31:10] Chris Meyer: ALL RIGHT. AND NOW WE'RE BACK TO THE UNDERLYING MOTION. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO CALL THE ROLL ON THAT. [2:31:22] Clerk: COMMISSIONER BAXLEY. ON THE AMENDED MAIN MOTION. [2:31:26] Commissioner Baxley: AYE. [2:31:28] Clerk: CHOWDHURY. [2:31:29] Aurin Chowdhury: AYE. [2:31:30] Clerk: CONLEY. [2:31:31] Commissioner Conley: AYE. [2:31:33] Clerk: JONES. [2:31:34] Commissioner Jones: AYE. [2:31:35] Clerk: SHEPPARD. [2:31:36] Commissioner Sheppard: AYE. [2:31:37] Clerk: THOMPSON. [2:31:38] Commissioner Thompson: AYE. [2:31:39] Clerk: WAGNER. [2:31:40] Commissioner Wagner: AYE. [2:31:41] Clerk: MEYER. [2:31:42] Chris Meyer: AYE. [2:31:44] Clerk: WE HAVE EIGHT AYES AND 0 NAYS. [2:31:46] Chris Meyer: THAT IS ADOPTED AND CONCLUDES OUR BUSINESS FOR THE DAY. OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS AUGUST 18TH AND WE HAVE NO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THIS THURSDAY. ARE THERE UPDATES FROM STAFF? [2:32:04] Clerk: JUST ONE BRIEF UPDATE. WE DID RECEIVE AN APPEAL OF THE DECISION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO APPROVE THE SEVEN POINTS PROJECT THAT WAS BEFORE YOU ON THE LAST CYCLE. THAT WILL BE GOING TO THE BUSINESS HOUSING AND ZONING COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 12TH. [2:32:18] Chris Meyer: AND ALSO THE UPPER HARBOR TERMINAL APPEAL. CAN YOU UPDATE ON THAT? [2:32:21] Clerk: THE UPPER HARBOR TERMINAL APPEAL WENT TO THE BIZ COMMITTEE LAST WEEK AND THE APPEAL WAS GRANTED. SO ESSENTIALLY ADOPTING THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THAT AND THAT GOES TO CITY COUNCIL THIS FRIDAY. [2:32:36] Chris Meyer: ANY UPDATES FROM COMMISSIONERS? ALL RIGHT, WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU EVERYONE.