Park Watch Letter to Park Board on Crown Hydro

Letter read by Arlene Fried of Park Watch at June 1, 2011 Minneapolis Park Board meeting:

June 1, 2011
 
Commissioners:
 
I would like to thank you for your vote at the park board's last meeting to not execute Crown Hydro's rejected letter of intent.
 
It certainly is time that the Park Board put to rest any and all demands from Crown Hydro to acquire parkland at Mill Ruins Park for a hydro-electric facility.  An inordinate amount of staff time and effort has been invested in evaluating the feasibility and desirability of this proposed project.  Because it was to be on parkland, and because you are the stewards of all of our parklands, you are vested with the authority to make the final decision about whether or not this project was an appropriate use of parkland.  And you, after 12 years of review, determined that this project as desired by Crown Hydro was not in the best interests of the Park Board and turned it down.
 
At the moment, the Park Board has many significant items on its plate which will require a good deal of staff time and effort.  There is the recovery from the extensive and costly damage inflicted by the tornado and other time-consuming issues to be addressed.
 
It is now time to move on.
 
Thank you.
 
Arlene Fried
Bryn Mawr Neighborhood
Co-founder of Park Watch

Parks Plan for the Upper Riverfront Begins to Take Shape

From Steve Berg on MinnPost:

Nature may have left north Minneapolis a shredded mess, but Sunday's violent tornado seemed only to strengthen local resolve to restore nature along the nearby Upper Riverfront.

Perhaps no single action this week demonstrated as much faith in the North Side's long-term future as the series of design sessions aimed a choosing where exactly to begin the monumental 5.5-mile initiative. Three specific projects emerged as likely targets to complete within the next five years: 

Read the full article...

Tonight - Upper River Public Forum: Creating a Great River City Legacy at MPRB

Time: 5:00pm–6:30pm

Location: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, 2117 West River Road

“Our Development Future: The Above the Falls Policy Review and Implementation Study”

Eleven years after a visionary plan for the Mississippi River above St. Anthony Falls was adopted, the transformation of the Minneapolis riverfront is attracting new energy and attention. This focus is critical for Minneapolis - and the region.

Haila Maze and Thomas Leighton, Principal Planners with the City of Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development Department, will provide an update on the findings of the Above the Falls Policy Review and Implementation Study. They will highlight key issues that shape new development along the City’s riverfront above the falls and reflect on the balance point between the visionary and the possible.

This in-depth analysis of land use and development recommendations will clarify expectations about the phasing of transitions in land use over the plan’s fifty-year implementation period. The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership hosts this public forum series with the Above the Falls Citizen Advisory Committee (AFCAC), an appointed commission charged with supporting riverfront revitalization, including business, environmental and neighborhood representatives.

For more information, please contact Cordelia Pierson atinfo@minneapolisriverfrontpartnership.org.

RiverFIRST - Mary deLaittre’s May 24-25 Presentation & Maps

RiverFIRST is a regional asset that is part of a much larger collaborative effort to connect to and revitalize the river and create a great regional park and trail system.

The RiverFIRST proposal comprises eight sites and three systems. Along this length of 5.5 miles, many other institutions have secured funding for–and are putting shovel to ground on–projects over the next 3-5 years, including Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and even the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

Minneapolis Park Board Votes No on Crown Hydro

From Minneapolis Park Watch:

PARK BOARD VOTES TO NOT EXECUTE CROWN HYDRO'S LOI

One of the highlights of last night's Park Board meeting, which attracted a larger than usual audience, was the Crown Hydro issue. At the meeting, Crown Hydro representatives addressed the commissioners and submitted a letter stating that Crown Hydro could not accept the Park Board's final draft of Crown Hydro's Letter of Intent for an agreement with the Park Board (for a joint venture with a third party for control of the St. Anthony Falls' hydroelectric project). Because the terms in the modified LOI were unacceptable to Crown Hydro, Crown Hydro withdrew their request.

Subsequently, the Park Board voted "not to execute the LOI that was rejected by Crown Hydro."

The Letter of Intent had been the subject of intense negotiations by the Park Board and Crown Hydro over the last two months and was modified more than once.

One of the major final revisions by the Park Board of Crown Hydro's Letter of Intent was that the Letter of Intent would be non-binding on the Park Board.

It was interesting to note that the Letter of Intent had stated that the Park Board would be a minority partner, but it was not until the May 18 meeting that it was mentioned that the Park Board would own only 15 to 20% of the partnership.

The vote was six ayes and three abstentions. Voting for the substitute resolution were Commissioners Brad Bourn, John Erwin, Anita Tabb, Scott Vreeland, Liz Wielinski and Annie Young. Voting to abstain were Bob Fine, Carol Kummer and Jon Olson.

Arlene Fried
Co-Founder of Park Watch

Breaking News - Consultant Recommends Green Light for East Bank Falls Restoration to Minneapolis Park Board Planning Committee

Just in - Barr Engineering has issued a report to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Planning Committee recommending that the East Bank Falls Restoration project move forward.  From the report:

Funding for the East Bank Falls final design and construction should be pursued.  Several of the organizations involved in the TAC have suggested that funds might be available for the project.  Another meeting of the East bank Coordination Team should be convened to further investigate funding options.

View the report...

Disclosure: Mill City Times has previously announced it's support of this project.

New Crown Hydro Letter of Intent Released by Minneapolis Park Board

This has significant changes.  It's almost 50 pages, but worth the read to understand the specifics of the proposal under consideration.

View the Letter of Intent...

Vice President Mondale on Crown Hydro

What is really involved here is the request by a private developer (not even a public utility) to commercialize for private gain the force of the flow of water over the approximately 50 feet of drop known as St Anthony Falls. While the precise location of this natural force has changed somewhat since the mid-1800’s when it began to be seen as a force for our historical development, there is no question that it is this same force of water going over a natural 50 foot drop which is the reason Minneapolis is here today—it is the force which Park visitors come to see, and it is this force which the developer will materially impair.

Update on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 12:06PM by David Tinjum

Please attend the Minneapolis Park Board meeting May 18 at 5:00 PM to show your support for stopping this ill-conceived project.

Contact your elected officials and ask them to drop their support...

Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative Public Meeting #3 Thursday, April 28

Public meeting 3

Crown Hydro Opinion - John S. Gulliver, P.E., Ph. D, Engineering Consultant

John S. Gulliver, P.E., Ph. D, Engineering Consultant

How will construction equipment be brought into this crowded area, without disrupting other traffic and activities? What will happen to the public parkways, walkways, etc. during the approximately two years of construction?

Update on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 11:06AM by David Tinjum

Please attend the Minneapolis Park Board meeting May 18 at 5:00 PM to show your support for stopping this ill-conceived project.

Contact your elected officials and ask them to drop their support...