2022.05.26 update: SUCCESS! Our advocacy to persuade the City Council to follow their existing policies worked. The City Council approved the zoning and site plan for this project!
Background: In March, the Planning Commission ignored the legally adopted Minneapolis 2040 zoning map by denying rezoning to a project at 635 Van Buren St. NE — a project that should be approved by-right. It is passive house project that privately developed and will result in 23 new homes with rents at 80% AMI. We need more projects like this! See this MinnPost and this StreetsMN article for more info.
Minneapolis 2040 is the law of the land – it was voted into law by our elected officials. If the Planning Commission can ignore our land use laws and deny applications to perpetuate the status quo, they won’t have to follow the policies laid out in our comprehensive plan to promote housing affordability, encourage complete neighborhoods, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Minneapolis 2040 is the law, adopted by our elected officials.
Ignoring legally adopted zoning maps and ordinances opens the city up to litigation.
We are in a crisis-level housing shortage and our city needs more homes.
Projects that comply with ordinances should be approved by-right.
Minneapolis 2040 created rules for housing proposals so that projects that complied with city ordinances could be built by-right, eliminating regulatory barriers that make it harder and more expensive to add more homes to our city. In disregarding these rules, the Planning Commission re-enacted these barriers, exacerbating our housing shortage and affordability crisis.
The nearest high-frequency 10 bus stop is a 0.3 mile, 5 minute walk from this parcel. That is absolutely close enough for people who live there to easily use high-frequency transit and it is a perfect location for more homes.
The proposed project is energy efficient and designed to achieve Passive House certification. Having more homes like this will help Minneapolis achieve our climate action plan goals.
The St Anthony East neighborhood is within easy walking and biking distance of jobs and schools – this is a great place for people to live and is a great place to add more homes.
Sample email: “Hello, my name is _____, and I live in Ward ___ at ___(address). I am writing today in support of the project at 635 Van Buren St NE (PLAN 14048) and in opposition to the Planning Commission’s denial of the project’s rezoning request. We need more homes in our city, and this project is in compliance with the Minneapolis 2040 Plan. The 2040 Plan is the law, and the Planning Commission should be approving or denying projects based on their compliance with our city’s ordinances and built form regulations. [Add talking points or personalize your message.]
How to do it:
Contact the members of the BIHZ Committee - (and your own councilmember, if they are not on the committee):
BIHZ Committee: Lisa Goodman, BIHZ Chair (West-Mid, Ward 7) [email protected] 612-673-2207 Jamal Osman, BIHZ Vice-Chair (South of Downtown, Ward 6) [email protected] 612-673-2206 Michael Rainville (Downtown, Ward 3) [email protected] 612-673-2203 Jeremiah Ellison (North, west of downtown, Ward 5) [email protected] 612-673-2205 Jason Chavez (Central, Ward 9) [email protected] 612-673-2209 Aisha Chughtai (Lakes Area, Ward 10) [email protected] 612-673-2210
Councilmembers not on the BIHZ Committee (if your councilmember is on this list, email them in addition to the councilmembers on the BIHZ Committee!): Elliott Payne (Northeast, Ward 1) [email protected] 612-673-2201 Robin Wonsley Worlobah (Ward 2) [email protected] 612-673-2202 LaTrisha Vetaw (North, Ward 4) [email protected] 612-673-2204 Andrea Jenkins (Along 35W, Ward 8) [email protected] 612-673-2208 Emily Koski (South, Ward 11) [email protected] 612-673-2211 Andrew Johnson (Minnehaha Falls area, Ward 12) [email protected] 612-673-2212 Linea Palmisano (Southwest, Ward 13) [email protected] 612-673-2213