Neighbors put ‘good vibes’ back into Longfellow Park

Over 50 people attended the vigil on Wednesday evening, Aug. 15. Community members made chalk drawings of cats on the sidewalks. Kids faces were decorated with cat whiskers and noses. One neighbor showed up to make cat balloon animals for the kids.

Vigil held following troubling cat burning incident; $1,000 reward offered

by Tesha M. Christensen

When she heard about the cat burning incident at Longfellow Park the morning of the 2012 Minnesota primary, Kristy Snyder was upset.

“It felt a bit unreal that it happened in our park, said Snyder, a four-year Longfellow resident. “While I hurt for the person that discovered it, I was so grateful it was not a kid that stumbled upon that scene.”

A Longfellow Park employee found a cat burnt to death on the south end of the park just before dawn on Tuesday, Aug. 13. It was impaled with an American flag. An Osama/Biden lawn sign was nearby. The incident is being treated as a Homeland Security offense, and both the Secret Service and the FBI are involved in the investigation.

Snyder and her husband, Dave, told their two kids, Spencer, age 5, and Nora, age 3, about what happened at the park they play at frequently. Snyder didn’t want them hearing about it from others.

“I felt a bit stuck about how to re-enter that park,” Snyder admitted. So she, together with her kids, neighbor Kathy Cassidy and her daughters Nora and Naomi Sojourner, decided to organize an vigil.

“We all thought marching around the perimeter of the park would be very symbolic,” said Snyder.

Over 50 people attended the vigil on Wednesday evening, Aug. 15. Community members made chalk drawings of cats on the sidewalks. Kids faces were decorated with cat whiskers and noses. One neighbor showed up to make cat balloon animals for the kids.

On behalf of the Longfellow Faith Forum, James Pennington from Spirit of the Lakes Church opened up the event’s program with a blessing. Minneapolis Council Member Gary Schiff spoke, bringing along his dog, Butters, who “stands in solidarity with all animals against animal cruelty.”

Five-year-old Spencer Snyder was pleased with the event. “It did go really well. I was happiest with the parade. There was so many people that I couldn’t even count! It was so lovely, it went so well!  I would just love to do it again!”

District 3 Park Commissioner Scott Vreeland was not able to attend the event that served as an antidote to a crime he calls “bizarre,” and “troubling,” but he agrees that it was important to do something to put “good vibes back in the park.”

He hopes that the perpetrator turns him/herself in and gets some help.

“It doesn’t make sense,” said Vreeland. “As humans we want to know why and it’s not always possible.”

A $1,000 reward has been offered by the Minnesota Federation Humane Society. Call 612-866-8663 or 1-877-8ANIMAL.

“It’s an unspeakable act and we want to make people aware this happened and we’re not going to put up with it,” said Minnesota Federated Humane Society Paralegal Kate Murray.

“Our goal is to get the word out and see if anyone comes forward.”

Longfellow’s newest landmark: the Hiawatha substation

The graffiti-resistent walls of the new Hiawatha substation, located behind the Target building near the intersection of 28th and Hiawatha, will be illuminated yellow at night. The walls will be composed of extruded metal, a metal mesh surface that is semi-transparent. The metal will be given an anodized finish to color it and additional color will come from lighting. “This system is unique for this type of application,” said Xcel Energy’s Transmission Project Manager Joe Samuel. The substation will be complete in 2014. To follow the project, go to www.hiawathaproject.com.

Xcel releases ‘creative and unique’ substation design

by Tesha M. Christensen

Xcel’s new 3.25-acre substation at 28th and Hiawatha will be more than a concrete box surrounded by a chain link fence. Instead, a translucent cube will glow yellow at night, complementing the blue-lit Sabo Bridge nearby.

According to Xcel Energy’s Transmission Project Manager Joe Samuel, the community input Xcel has received regarding the design has been positive, as people consider it to be “a creative and unique substation design.”

The final design is the result of a collaborative process between designers, Xcel staff, and community members, noted Samuel. “The advisory group of the community really challenged the team to come up with a creative design,” observed Sanuel. Architectural Alliance developed the design schematics for the walls that will surround the new substations.

These walls will be composed of extruded metal, a metal mesh surface that is semi-transparent. The metal will be given an anodized finish to color it. Additional color will come from lighting. “This system is unique for this type of application,” said Samuel.

“I think the design is better than the standard substations found in most locations,” said Spencer Agnew of the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) who served on the advisory work group. “Time will tell whether or not it will be a positive for the neighborhood, but it is an improvement over what could have been there.”

“Our hope is to meet the needs of the community and provide a landmark feature,” said Samuel.

The substation designs will be submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in August. The commission will have 60 days, including a public comment period, to reach a decision on the plan, which is expected in October.

ROAD CLOSURES, TRAIL DETOURS EXPECTED

The Hiawatha substation is one of two being built over the next two years by Xcel that will link a new 115kV underground transmission line. It will run for 1.5 miles down 28th Street E (an option labeled Route D during the regulatory process). The other, smaller substation will be placed at the northwest corner of Oakland Ave. S. and 29th Street.

According to Xcel, revitalization in south Minneapolis, and particularly the Midtown District, has strained the electrical supply. “The focus of this project is reliability,” stated Samuel. The Hiawatha Project will bolster existing capacity infrastructure.

The underground transmission line will be placed in a concrete duct system which will require the placement of cable vaults with manhole access every 1,500 feet and at any change in direction of the route. In July, Xcel began installing underground electrical duct systems for the electric distribution system on Portland Avenue between the Midtown Greenway and 27th Street. This work, which will be done in September, has resulted in some traffic and bicycle lane closures as well as parking restrictions. Construction of the transmission lines will be complete in the fall of 2013. During that time, there will be road closures and detours on 28th Street.

When the project is done, Xcel Energy will restore the excavated area on 28th Street with bituminous patch. The city of Minneapolis may also sealcoat or mill and overlay 28th Street in 2014.

Site work at the Hiawatha location behind Target has begun, and the project will be complete in 2014. This construction will have limited impact to traffic on the adjacent roadways.

According to Agnew, the bike trails around the Hiawatha substation will remain open during the construction; however, at times the trail will be temporarily rerouted by 10 to 20 feet.

The trees planted in the area by local residents during Arbor Day events will be removed. “Xcel says they cannot be transplanted due to possible soil contamination on the site,” said Agnew. Underground wires, rail spurs and adjacent land ownership at the site will prevent some forms of landscaping from occurring near the substation site, but what is done will be consistent with the Midtown Greenway landscaping plan. Xcel is also in discussions with adjacent landowners about the possibility of installing trees on their property.

One of the requests made by the LCC was that the substation be graffiti-resistant.  The Xcel design team feels that this design accomplishes that.

COST TO BE SPREAD OUT

The $55 million to $60 million cost of this project will be spread among Xcel’s entire five-state customer base instead of just local customers.

Xcel supported the ruling made by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on June 28. If Minneapolis ratepayers had shouldered the costs alone, and the project was paid for within three years, it could have led to utility bill increases of $2.83 a month, according to company estimates submitted to the PUC.

To receive updates on the project  browse www.hiawathaproject.com, or sign up on the website for email updates.

Towards a more sustainable future

Bruce Stahlberg points out the various types of solar cookers available during a class sponsored byTransition Longfellow on Saturday, May 19, 2012. The solar cooker in the front is made by the Solar Oven Society, which is owned by Mike and Martha Port of the Longfellow neighborhood. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

Transition Longfellow members focus on their own habits and homes. From there, a community changes.

by Tesha M. Christensen

Longfellow resident Annette Rondano knows that it is easy to get overwhelmed by big environmental issues such as the rising cost of fuel and oil depletion.

But that’s why she and the other members of Transition Longfellow are focusing on changes they can make at home and in their community, rather than on big policy changes.

“What’s important is for people not to get overwhelmed by sustainability options, to take them one step at a time, and to ask for help,” Rondano said. “Between local businesses helping with sustainability goals like solar installations, gardens, rain water capture, and composting, and the expertise of your neighbors, there is ample opportunity to start somewhere and to get help.

“Drop by drop the bucket fills even in a rainstorm.”

MEETINGS, MOVIES, CHALLENGES

Transition Longfellow meets on the first Saturday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to noon at Riverview Wine Bar. During these monthly meetings, attendees share tips and help for urban gardening and household chores, among other things.

“We really are simply making an offer of community in an otherwise do-it-yourself kind of world,” said Rondano.

They also challenge each other. In April, the challenge focus was on food/seed. Some people worked on getting their gardens ready. Others researched CSAs (community support agriculture). Some learned about the Monsanto stranglehood on seeds. When the group gathered back together, members shared what they did, problems they encountered and resources they found.

“We don’t tell people what they should do,” said Leslie MacKenzie, one of the group’s co-organizers. “Everyone has different resources, abilities, income and interest. We try to create a time and space where people can think about what they can do in their own lives around a particular issue.”

 The group also hosts movie nights on the third Friday of each month at Bethany Lutheran Church. The event starts with a potluck at 6:30 p.m. and the movie begins at 7:15 p.m. A speaker concludes the evening.

June’s movie will be the last for the spring. On June 15 view “Blue Gold: World Water Wars,” an award-winning documentary that examines environmental and political implications of the planet's dwindling water supply, and posits that wars in the future will be fought over water. The film also highlights some success stories of water activists around the world and makes a strong case for community action.

On July 20 at 6:30 p.m., the group is hosting a Little Free Library Building and Design event. This event aims to establish a dozen or more Little Free Libraries throughout Longfellow. Little Free Libraries are blooming all around the United States as a way for neighbors to interact and get to know one another. A community potluck and campfire will happen throughout the evening, and pre-reservations are encouraged. Find out more about Little Free Libraries at www.littlefreelibrary.org.

A Community Picnic is set for Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m., in Longfellow Park. Relax, meet your neighbors, and find out more about Transition Longfellow at the picnic.

“Every time I come to a movie night, I learn a host of things that were not on my radar before,” observed Rondano, a woman who has been environmentally and politically active for her entire adult life. “I think everyone is in a different place about sustainability. I learn something new about it every day.”

What has drawn her to the Transition movement is its focus on local control.

“Creating a resilient community, the focus of the Transition Movement internationally, looks so much more doable to me than trying to affect change on the national, or even state, level,” Rondano stated.

“It turns out that the groundswell of people joining in on the Transition Movement has already alerted local units of government to focus more of our tax dollars on resiliency issues like food, energy, and alternative transportation.”

Transition Longfellow is looking towards the future.

“Our group is concerned about the impact that climate change and peak oil will have on our economy, our community, and our households,” said MacKenzie. “Climate change and peak oil will affect every area of life: food production and distribution, transportation, heating and cooling, the water supply (droughts as well as flooding), and transportation. Although political will is lacking at many levels of government, we are not hopeless to address these issues and to create a more sustainable, resilient future.

“And we do not have to do it alone.”

LEARN MORE

Learn more about Transition Longfellow by joining the Facebook group (Longfellow Sustainability/Transition Group), or signing up for the newsletter.

Feel free to speak with steering committee members, including: Annette Rondano (612-221-0131), Rebecca Cramer, Aggie Hoeger, Bruce Gregg, Elizabeth Blair, Brooke Dirkhiesing, Leslie MacKenzie and Peter Foster.

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ABOUT TRANSITION LONGFELLOW

• The group formed after the November 2010 Transition Town conference at South High School, which featured guest speaker Richard Heinberg of the Post Carbon Institute talking about the challenge of peak oil, climate change and economic instability.

• Transition Longfellow is interested in steps “we can take as individuals and as a community to smooth the inevitable transition from fossil fuels, which will effect how we work, travel, heat our homes and grow our food,” according to its Facebook page.

Goals of the group:

• Educate people about the challenges of global warming and the end of cheap fossil fuels.

• Facilitate the creation of a positive vision of the future, one that values and protects our natural resources as well as all people in our community, regardless of age, ability or income.

• Support individual, business and community change efforts through teaching and learning, sharing and role modeling, support and encouragement.

• Promote available resources to help individuals and businesses reduce their carbon footprint while meeting their needs for food, heat, energy, transportation, etc.

• Gather additional resources to share with the community in order to increase resilience.

Activities:

• Helping Jacob’s Well church with its hard-to-recycle plastics collection effort in the summer when the church was not in session.

• Touring Minnesota’s first green cemetery

• Touring neighborhood fruit and vegetable gardens

• Conducting a presentation at Bethany Lutheran Church about the transition movement. Group members are available to do more of these presentations for churches and other groups.

• Staffing a table at neighborhood events and at the Seward Sustainability Fair

• Holding classes on solar cookers

• Co-facilitating a discussion on transition towns at the Alliance for Sustainability Community Conference

• Petitioning the Minneapolis City Council to develop an energy descent action plan. An energy descent action plan looks at how city services will be impacted by rising fossil fuel prices and then plans for how those services can be delivered in a way that minimizes use of fossil fuel. 

This story printed in the June edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Attend Keewaydin School groundbreaking June 4

Pool, part of playground to remain where they are now

by Tesha M. Christensen

The community is invited to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Keewaydin School expansion on Monday, June 4, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.

With this $16 million addition, Keewaydin, the upper campus of Lake Nokomis Community School, will double its space.

The program will last about an hour. Following several speakers, Keewaydin and Weenonah students will present their time capsule project, and the seventh and eighth graders will unveil their legacy program.

POOL AND PART OF PLAYGROUND TO REMAIN

The addition will be placed to the south of the existing building, but it will not go as far south as it was initially presented in January. This means that the K-5 playground structure on the west side and the wading pool will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

Given the remaining 20-year lifespan of the pool and the $500,000 tab of replacing it, the steering committee worked hard to reduce the foot plan of the building in order to save it, said Doug Walter, who represented the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association (NENA) on the construction steering committee.

However, it is not yet known whether the pool can be used during the construction project this summer. The pool’s location is about 30 feet from the south edge of the new addition, and will be very close to the construction staging area, stated Walter. A six-to-eight-foot-high fence would need to be erected around it during construction, and to provide a pathway to the pool. Because of its close proximity to the construction area, the pool will need frequent cleaning. The cost to do this work is not yet known, but estimates range from $40,000 to $230,000 to save the pool.

“It is the district’s intent to enable the playground and pool to remain open during construction,” said MPS Capital Planning and Project Development Manager David Richards.

“This will likely be relatively easy with the playground, as it is closer to the street and probably less affected by adjacent construction activities,” Richards added. “A greater tolerance for uncertainty may be necessary regarding keeping the pool open, as Park Board staff will need to evaluate the cumulative effect of construction activities on pool ambiance, pool use, pool maintenance and other operational factors.”

The swings, tot lot and basketball court will be removed, but leaving the K-5 playground equipment and wading pool in place will give the park department time to obtain funds for moving the pool and playground to its own property on the east side of the school.

The parks department has been working with the community to create a new master plan for Keewaydin Park. Following public comment in March, the plan was modified. This updated plan will be presented to the public sometime in July, and then go to the Park Board for approval.

“Prior to school being out for the summer, we will also be conducting a parking capacity analysis to address concerns raised by a few residents about how the change in the park may impact parking in the neighborhood,” said Minneapolis Park Board Planner Jennifer Ringold.

Park staff also plan to solicit input prior to the larger community meeting regarding the types of playground equipment community members would like to see at the park.

One of the ballfields will likely serve as a staging area during the construction project. It will need to be rebuilt afterwards.

DETAILS ON NEW BUILDING

The 42,000-square-foot addition will contain eight new classrooms, a music room, two computer labs, lunch room, kitchen, media center and a full-size gymnasium with 100 seats, pointed out Keewaydin Principal Jane Ellis. The new auditorium will seat over 300 adults in tiered seats.

The entire project is on schedule, noted Ellis.

Bids on the foundation package were due May 31, and will be reviewed by the school board on June 12. Construction will begin 10 days later.

Instead of drilling 90 feet into the ground, the school district has decided to use a Geopier foundation system, according to MSP employee Donald Bielinski. Geopier is a ground improvement method using soil replacement technology to strengthen soft soil with stiff rock columns constructed by heavy equipment crowd and vertical impact ramming that prestrains and prestresses the soil.

The second bid phase will include the rest of the building. Those bids will be approved by the school board in late July/early August.

Richards believes this is a desirable time to solicit bids for a construction project because the construction market has been depressed for so long. “We’re hoping that will enhance competition and interest,” he said.

One of the exciting things about this new addition is that it will not only be great for students, but the community will be able to use it, as well, pointed out Walter. The auditorium, gym, and kitchenette can be accessed by the public from the south side of the building. While there is a community building at Keewaydin Park, it has only a multi-use space and not the full-size gym the addition will include.

At its final meeting in May, the Keewaydin steering committee discussed whether to widen the lobby area between the old and the new sections of the building by two feet in order to create a larger gathering space, noted Walter. In the current plan 18 feet is allocated for the lobby. The desire to widen it has been discussed since the school plan was first unveiled. However, because bids have already been solicited for the foundation part of the construction project, the group decided to leave things are they are, said Walter.

Members also considered whether to erect a motorized partition in the gymnasium now or later. Because the school currently has only one gym teacher, the group decided to hold off spending money on the folding partition now.

The committee also prioritized items it would like to add back onto the plan if bids come in favorably later this summer. Among the items on the list are display cases, signs, benches and floor materials.

“The original goals we started with were the goals we ended with,” Keewaydin Principal Jane Ellis said, adding that the steering committee was a cohesive group throughout the entire planning process.

“It’s been a pleasure to be part of such an amazing group of dedicated parents, MPS staff, and community members,” said steering committee member Jean Hutchinson Legler. “RSP was great to work with. Kudos also to NENA for their support. As a parent and community member, it is awesome to see MPS invest in Lake Nokomis Community School - Keewaydin Campus.”

Walter pointed out that with this project, Minneapolis Public Schools is investing in the first new facility in south Minneapolis in decades. When the project is complete next year, “This area will have one of the nicest middle schools anywhere in south Minneapolis,” said Walter.

The effort of staff and community members was recognized by NENA during its annual meeting in May. It presented the Best of Nokomis Award to Lake Nokomis parents and staff.

“It was very nice to have our parents and staff recognized,” said Ellis.

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Construction steering committee members:

• Tom Davidson, lead engineer,

• Sarah Dutton, Keewaydin Family Liaison, parent

• Jane Ellis, Keewaydin Campus Principal

• Stephen Flisk, Area B Superintendent

• Heather Hall, Keewaydin teacher

• Jean Hutchinson-Legler, parent

• George Jelatis, community member

• Jay Larson, parent

• Matt Lee, parent

• Lorna Wickham-Lewis, Wenonah teacher

• Elizabeth Ness, Wenonah Campus Principal

• Andrew Pritchard, Keewaydin teacher

• David Richards, MPS Facilities

• Jennifer Ringold, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

• Gina Rysdon, parent

• Doug Walter, Nokomis East Neighborhood Association

This story printed in the June 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Sabo bridge to reopen June 4

by Tesha M. Christensen

Minneapolis hopes to reopen the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge on June 4, 2012, three months after a pair of cables fell onto the bridge deck forcing its closure.

A permanent fix has not yet been identified for the five-year-old bridge, but city officials and engineers believe that with some additional shoring the bridge will be safe for pedestrians and bicyclists.

“It’s really great news,” said Midtown Greenway Executive Director Soren Jensen.

The bridge should be reopen in time for the Greenway Glow, Northern Spark Festival and Urban Assault Ride during the weekend of June 9 to 10. “It’s wonderful timing,” stated Jensen.

Jensen commutes via bicycle from his Longfellow home to the Midtown Greenway office each day. Bike traffic has been picking up, he noted, and the more bicyclists there are at the Hiawatha and 28th Street crossing the more dangerous it becomes. “It’s a challenge as a driver,” he noted. “You have to really crane your neck to look back for bikers [when making a turn].

“The sooner we can get traffic back up on the Sabo Bridge the safer it will be for everyone.”

According to Minneapolis Public Works deputy director Heidi Hamilton, there are several items that need to be done before the bridge can be reopened. First, the temporary shoring now in place needs to be adjusted. Then the tension on the cables attached to the pylon off the backside need to be adjusted. The cables that fell are still lying on the bridge and will need to be removed and secured. Part of this work will be done by city staff and part by contractors.

The measuring devices installed in mid-April to track wind speed, duration of wind and temperature during wind events, as well as stress range movement, amplitude and frequency of cable vibrations experienced by the bridge during wind events have been removed. The city has not yet received either the results of these tests or the metalurgical analysis of the broken plates being done by Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. The information from these two studies will become the basis for the permanent repair plan, which may force a closure of the bridge again in the future.

The city of Minneapolis has spent $420,000 to deal with the bridge failure. Of that, $110,000 has been paid to outside vendors for items such as steel, fencing and shoring; $60,000 to engineering consultants; and $250,000 for internal staff and equipment costs. On top of that, the city and Hennepin County are splitting the $150,000 fee charged by Chicago-based firm Wiss, Janney and Elstner (WJE), which is investigating why the anchor plates holding the cables fractured.

Hamilton pointed out that the city’s attorneys are reviewing what sort of recourse Minneapolis can take, if any, to recoup the costs of dealing with the bridge failure.

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Upcoming bicycle events planned for Bike Walk Week

The Sabo Bridge will reopen just in time for the major events of Bike Walk Week, June 2 to 10, 2012.  For more, see bikewalkweek.org. Weekend highlights include:

GREENWAY GLOW

• Saturday, June 9, 9 p.m. to midnight, Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis

• Registration: $25 before May25/$30 after; raise $75 or more in pledges

This illuminated biking extravaganza will take participants on a brief tour of Northern Spark art installations in the corridor, including a rest stop at the Vine Arts Center and a post-ride party at Intermedia Arts. Glow riders will enjoy free food from Bryant Lake Bowl, and complimentary New Belgium beer. This money will help support the projects and programs of the Midtown Greenway Coalition, which include the Trail Watch safety patrol, Greenspace and Artspace committees, outreach to communities surrounding the Greenway, and working with developers to encourage Greenway-friendly buildings. The ride starts from the area in front of the Midtown Freewheel Bike Center. For more information and to sign up, visit http://www.midtowngreenway.org/GreenwayGlow2012.html

NORTHERN SPARK FESTIVAL

• Dusk on Saturday, June 9 until dawn on Sunday, June 10

• Free to the public

The Northern Spark festival brings artists of all genres together for an entire-night celebration. Masters of interactive media, film, music, performance, comedy, public sculpture, light, DIY technology and more will display their work and engage visitors throughout the city of Minneapolis. See more at http://2012.northernspark.org/

URBAN ASSAULT RIDE

• June 10, 9 a.m., meet at Peace Coffee, 2801 21st Ave. South, Minneapolis

• Register: $30 -60/person; online registration closes June 8 at 4pm

The Urban Assault Ride™ is the biggest Bicycle Obstacle Event series in the nation! Here’s how it works: You and your teammate will set out on a city-wide quest for ‘checkpoints’ on your favorite two-wheeled steeds. At each checkpoint, you’ll drop your bikes and complete a funky/adventurous obstacle course, then remount your bikes and hit the streets for more. For more information and to sign up, visit www.urbanassaultride.com/minneapolis.


This story printed in the June 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Cedar Towing on track to move into Longfellow

Settlement reached between Minneapolis and Cedar

by Tesha M. Christensen

It looks like Cedar Towing will be moving in Longfellow after all.

Although the city considered revoking the company’s license to operate earlier this year, an agreement was reached in mid-April that will not only allow Cedar to remain in business but also facilitate its move to 3527 Dight Ave. S.

Cedar Towing co-owner Tom Rodrigue expected to move to the Dight Ave. building at the end of April from the present location at 359 Hoover Street in the University neighborhood. The company had initially planned to move in to the building that formerly housed John’s Welding Service last fall.

“Everything is resolved,” Rodrigue said. “I’m originally from South Minneapolis and I’m glad to be back. I plan to bring a lot to the neighborhood.”

Minneapolis has announced its intention in January 2012 to deny the company’s license to operate because of numerous code violations, including overcharging customers and allowing its own employee to authorize tows from private property.

In the settlement reached between the city and Cedar Towing, Cedar does not admit to any guilt. However, Cedar will pay a $10,000 fine in two installments. If there are any further violations within a two-year period, the city may fine Cedar another $10,000.

The Class A towing license held by Cedar will also be suspended for 30 days sometime before the end of 2012. There are only six towing companies in Minneapolis to hold a Class A towing license, which allows towing companies to tow a car without the owner’s consent as long as the property owner has asked that it be done. Cedar will maintain its Class B towing license, which allows the company to handle tows for people whose vehicles have broken down.

“I think this is a very fair settlement and it adverted a very lengthy hearing process for both sides,” said Minneapolis Licenses Division Manager Grant Wilson.

Cedar Towing is the city’s largest towing company. In 2008, Cedar Towing agreed to pay $1,341 in fines for various violations, some of the same ones the company is accused of repeating in 2011.

Cedar Towing’s business operations include service tows, motor club towing/services, impound towing, jump starts, lock-outs, winching, tire changes and gas fills. Cedar Towing also provides snow plowing services, lot sweeping and a striping service. The business holds an Auto Lien Auction most Tuesdays at 11 a.m. 

This story printed in the May 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

New bike trail to link Lake Nokomis with Minnesota River

Fat Lorenzo’s owner concerned about safety along Cedar

by Tesha M. Christensen

In a few years, bicyclists will be able to hop on a trail and ride from Lake Nokomis to the Minnesota River.

Portions of the 7-mile Intercity Regional Trail are slated for construction in 2014. Right now, planners are accepting comments on the design.

“The Intercity Regional Trail will expand opportunities for safe recreation and commuting. It will provide convenient, off-street trail connections to the Three Rivers Park District regional trail system via the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail (which is nearing completion), as well as to the future state trail in the Minnesota River Valley. Trail users also will be able to connect to the Mall of America,” said Jason McGrew-King of the Three Rivers Park District.

The Intercity Regional Trail will begin on the south side of Lake Nokomis, connecting the Minneapolis Ground Rounds trail system to the Minnesota River in Dakota County through the cities of Minneapolis, Richfield, and Bloomington.

Like the other regional trails operated by the Three Rivers Park District, the Intercity Regional Trail will be a paved, multi-use trail surface with mowed grass shoulders, according to McGrew-King. The majority of the 10-foot-wide, asphalt trail parallel existing city streets.

“In Minneapolis, trail users will have good vantage points of Lake Nokomis. Also in Minneapolis, Edward Solomon Park offers natural areas and opportunities for passive recreation,” McGrew-King pointed out. “Taft Park in Richfield offers a great deal of recreational opportunities, and Taft Lake will be undergoing significant water quality improvements. In Bloomington, the trail also will travel near Wright’s Lake Park. Further south, the trail will provide views of the Minnesota River Valley.”

In some areas, the trail will travel through an urban environment and will provide access to employment centers, shopping and restaurants, and will offer connections to mass transit, McGrew-King added.

There will be rest stops every mile.

FEDERAL FUNDS WILL HELP PAY FOR CONSTRUCTION

Most of the trail is not yet constructed, although there are a few pieces already in place. Work will begin on 3.8 miles between Lake Nokomis and the Mall of America in 2014, courtesy of a Federal Surface Transportation Program grant in the amount of $5.5 million.

The trail segment between the Mall of America and Minnesota River will be constructed as resources are available and when the Minnesota Valley State Trail or a feasible and acceptable crossing of Long Meadow Pond is complete.

It will cost $348,000 for the portion of the trail in Minneapolis, which includes not only the cost of the trail but also that of modifying Old Cedar and Edgewater Blvd. The total project will cost an estimated $8,994,000, of which $630,000 is for right-of-way; the majority of this tab will be paid by federal funds. The annual cost of maintenance for the new section of trail will be about $817, and will come out of the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation budget.

The bill did look larger for Minneapolis in the initial planning process, when it was proposed to replace the pedestrian bridge on Cedar to minimize vehicular conflicts and limit right-of-way. That option is no longer on the table.

CHANGES AT EDGEWATER AND OLD CEDAR

Changes in the area will affect how traffic moves. To make the trail crossing shorter, Edgewater Blvd. will be narrowed at the Cedar Ave. intersection to minimize the distance trail users will need to cross the street and better define the roadway intersection for motorists.

 The entrance to Old Cedar Avenue from Cedar Avenue southbound will be reconfigured and will include a longer deceleration lane. Old Cedar Avenue will remain one-way southbound until 58th Street E. Old Cedar will be narrowed and one lane of parking removed. This will create separate walking and trail facilities, and include a 4-foot grass boulevard between the trail and sidewalk, adequate space for snow storage and space for loading/unloading of parked vehicles on Cedar Avenue.

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS

Fat Lorenzo’s owner Scott Siegel is skeptical that these changes will make the area safe enough for bicyclists. “I don’t know why you’d want to put a bike on Cedar,” he said. “I look at Cedar as a freeway. People drive fast around here.”

Instead, Siegel thinks the trail should go down 16th Ave. S.

Siegel pointed out that Edgewater is a busy, uncontrolled intersection, one at which he already sees bicyclists injured at on a regular basis. ‘The reality is they’re not going to stop the cars,” Siegel said. He has advocated for turning Edgewater into a cul-de-sac to help solve some of the traffic woes. Siegel wishes that the parks department will convert the open space between Edgewater and the Lake Nokomis Parkway into a parking lot.

He noted that people use Old Cedar and Edgewater more than the parkway, both for travel and parking. Siegel is concerned about removing one lane of parking on Old Cedar, pointing out it will not only affect his customers and attendees at Hope Lutheran Church, but also those who use the existing trails around Lake Nokomis.

As proposed, the trail will mean that half the sidewalk in front of his door will be taken away. Access into his business and space for outdoor seating is a major concern for Siegel.

He’s hoping for another neighborhood meeting at which to address his concerns, and those he’s heard from other residents. “I don’t think there’s a lot of neighborhood support,” Siegel stated.

COMMENT ON THE PLAN

The public has the opportunity to provide comments from April 2 through May 1; written comments may be submitted by e-mail to ICRT@ThreeRiversParkDistrict.org, by fax to 763-557-5248, or by mail to: Three Rivers Park District, Intercity Regional Trail, 3000 Xenium Lane N., Plymouth, MN 55441. Final trail design is expected to begin in late fall or early winter.

This story printed in the May 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.