Window Restoration Boot Camp

Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

The Old Highland neighborhood and Preserve Minneapolis have joined forces with renowned preservationist Bob Yapp to put on a series of home rehab "boot camp" sessions over the next several days.  Window Restoration Boot Camp started on Friday and lived up to its name.  By the end of the day I was sore in places I didn't even know WERE places, and my mind was almost overloaded with the barrage of information that was thrown my way.  Even so, I managed to break only one of the two panes of glass I handled, and gained a thorough working knowledge of how to use the shop-vac.

In all seriousness, I did pick up quite a bit.  However, you're reading a blog post from the guy who threw away his eighth grade shop project because he was too embarrassed to show it to the teacher.  And that was a dustpan.  I'm still a little slow on the uptake when it comes to such handiwork, but I'm no longer shy about the fact that it takes me longer than others to catch on.  In fact, I feel like that's precisely why I want to attend sessions like this--so I can learn from someone like Bob Yapp.

We started off on the morning of day one with a mini-sermon from Bob that had me almost shouting, "Preach it, brother!"  He shared with us his treatise on...

Plop Fifty Units of Housing into a Low-Density Part of NoMi? Bad Idea.

 Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman, image from the Plymouth Christian Church Foundation website.

When I first heard of plans to put 48 units of rental housing at 18th and Emerson, where there is currently no such facility or density anywhere nearby, Several questions immediately popped to mind.  The proposal is misguided on so many levels that the rapid-fire questions kept coming before the last one could even be completed.  "Who the--?"  "What the--?  They can't possibly think that--?  I mean, where is there even space for--?  How does that fit--?  Isn't it zoned--?  And kids/daycare without green--?"

Thankfully, the Old Highland group put together a response (without my coordination) that completes my sentences and answers many of those questions.  The link under the photos above goes to one of the foundation's questionnaires, this link goes to their homepage, and you can click here for a Q&A document that in my opinion is inaccurate, misguided, or both.  This is the wrong spot to put up a four-story, 48-unit complex that calls for day care but has no open space for children to play outside.  If you want to even think about a complex like the one being proposed, take it up to Lowry Avenue, which was just rezoned for that kind of density.  Emerson and 18th is the wrong spot for this proposal.

Feel free to use the comment section to agree or disagree with me, but more importantly, come out to the community forum and weigh in on the topic.  That meeting is Thursday evening, 6-8 at UROC.

FenaMacher Properties Does Restoration Right

Post by the Hawthorne Hawkman, photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman except where noted otherwise.

The Hawthorne Voices blog showcased the EcoVillage LEED home, but I also stopped by a few other NoMi homes on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Home Tour.  One place that just blew my mind was 1500 Dupont Ave N, owned and rehabbed by FenaMacher Properties.  (top photo is from their website)

After being amazed by the gorgeous woodwork throughout, the next thing I noticed was, of course...