tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post8451647015083110179..comments2023-04-17T09:38:19.704-05:00Comments on North by Northside: Green Homes North...Not So GreenJeff Skreneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14597476540441866248noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-46370982030708914922013-06-08T18:37:41.682-05:002013-06-08T18:37:41.682-05:00Good work propelling these issues forward.
http:/...Good work propelling these issues forward.<br /><br />http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1028436/391/Rehab-Addict-calls-for-rehab-of-Minneapolis-home-demolition-process Johnny Northside!https://www.blogger.com/profile/18182711866120550770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-30025956596982436772013-05-31T23:55:49.128-05:002013-05-31T23:55:49.128-05:00I'm actually supportive of Green Homes North g...I'm actually supportive of Green Homes North going on existing vacant lots. But I agree with your speculation that the lists won't be as public as before. The city has stopped publishing their planning applications emails when preservationists used those notifications to save houses and point out the disparity of northside demolitions.Jeff Skreneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14597476540441866248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-31041725674500920082013-05-30T09:49:55.652-05:002013-05-30T09:49:55.652-05:00There Ryback goes again...another $500,000 allocat...There Ryback goes again...another $500,000 allocated for another year of "Green Homes North" ALL for NEW construction nothing for rehab of existing homes. And once again they're saying they are ONLY going to build on<br />VACANT lots. Yeah, right.<br /><br />Think they'll only distribute the list of "available" lots to their "authorized" contractors so y'all can't check the lots and embarass them again?<br /><br />No list of lots, no Planning Applications report. Is this PUBLIC information or isn't it?<br /><br /><br />http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2013/05/29/minneapolis-build-100-green-homes-citys-north-side<br /><br /><br />http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-107110.pdfAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-50552127874722532652013-03-09T21:39:12.360-06:002013-03-09T21:39:12.360-06:00Just because it is easier to believe does not mean...Just because it is easier to believe does not mean that it is true. Rather, it means that is lazy thinking. RJFnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-4451174229894187202013-03-09T21:31:18.236-06:002013-03-09T21:31:18.236-06:00I'll have a longer answer later but the shorte...I'll have a longer answer later but the shorter response is that it's generally easier to believe that someone is benefitting from a conspiracy than to realize the whole system is flawed.Jeff Skreneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14597476540441866248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-50229279288209654182013-03-09T21:21:54.450-06:002013-03-09T21:21:54.450-06:00Ok, Ok, you are right that because NSP is a HUD pr...Ok, Ok, you are right that because NSP is a HUD program, and because HUD is a department of the Federal Government, that any grant from such an organization does in fact ultimately come from tax dollars. However, grants disbursed by the Federal Government are an extremely complex and bureaucratic process that neither I nor anybody this side of an expert in Federal tax and fiscal policy can even pretend to understand the intricacies of. Both the post and a number of comments implies that the residents of Minneapolis (or even just North Side neighborhoods) are having their pockets picked to subsidize the "unwarranted destruction of our housing stock." When in fact, each stage of NSP grants are part of much larger federal legislative acts passed by the US Congress, which are not funded by a single revenue source, let alone the taxes of a targeted portion of a mid-sized municipality. Although we all pay federal taxes, it is impossible to determine what, if any, portion of the taxes we paid to the Federal Government came back in the form of NSP grants for the demolition of North Side properties. Taxpayers? sure. but then the entirety of the nation is helping to foot the bill of demolishing the North Side. It is a bit of a stretch, yes?<br /><br />I don't want to argue about the nuts and bolts of federal grant funding. I admit that my previous post came across as ignorant due to its brevity. I might have been a little too terse in order to illustrate the point that we, North Side taxpayers, are not directly paying for the City of Minneapolis to tear down houses in our neighborhoods. Municipal decisions are not as simple and haphazard as your obtuse hypothetical about a bureaucrat and his contractor buddy Ed might suggest. <br /><br />You say yourself that the City gets the short end of the fiscal stick -- Why then do so many people believe that the City has something gain from punishing taxpayers? Too often lay critics cast stones before realizing the sum total.<br /><br />I am not familiar with the specifics of the Green Homes North program, but I gather that you feel that the City has deceived the North Side yet again. Tell Don Samuels about it, he is after all running for Mayor. RJFnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-88274943940764318312013-03-09T11:33:27.859-06:002013-03-09T11:33:27.859-06:00@RJF, I agree with your statement that the city do...@RJF, I agree with your statement that the city does not make money from demolitions. I don't think there's some sinister plot afoot or some group raking in the cash. I think it's more like city bureaucrats who have worked with demo contractors for years, perhaps decades. So they get this house, and they don't know what to do with it because preservation was never really a priority. "What to do?" thinks the city staffer. "Why, I'll just give my good buddy Ed a call. That'll take care of that problem, and I'll feel good for giving a friend some business."<br /><br />That, to me, seems a far more likely scenario. These houses are torn down because of habit and relationships.<br /><br />In terms of the last statement that taxpayers don't pay for demolitions, I don't know where in hell you cooked that up because it couldn't be farther from the truth. The most recent wave of demolitions came from NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) funds. That's federal money. Before that, Hennepin County subsidized a demolition push in north Minneapolis. Sometimes the fee is put on the property as an assessment, but most of those go unpaid until tax forfeiture. Others are waived so that new construction can happen. Out of the 200+ Green Homes North parcels, for instance, not a single one of them is listed for sale above $6,000. Demos cost $10-20,000 on up, so even without any other holding, administrative, or maintenance costs, the city gets the short end of the fiscal stick. Who, if not taxpayers, covers that?Jeff Skreneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14597476540441866248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-35045713299198001782013-03-09T11:00:53.200-06:002013-03-09T11:00:53.200-06:00Yes, it is public information available on the Cit...Yes, it is public information available on the City's website at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@regservices/documents/webcontent/convert_254314.pdf.<br /><br />Also, procedures for buying a vacant lot http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cped/housing/cped_vacant_lot_home<br /><br />Residents need to understand municipal ordinances and processes before alleging systematic wrongdoing. The City does not make money by demolishing properties, and taxpayers do not pay for demolition. RJFnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-85244166171118242362013-03-06T14:08:41.254-06:002013-03-06T14:08:41.254-06:00is the demolition list, opublic information? if so...is the demolition list, opublic information? if so, where can you find it? also im very interested in the list of vacant lots - is that on the city website anywhere ? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-77203064675283172472013-03-05T08:37:12.092-06:002013-03-05T08:37:12.092-06:00An anonymous commenter at 12:01 a.m. had a comment...An anonymous commenter at 12:01 a.m. had a comment inadvertently deleted. It read:<br /><br />"Why doesn't the City post the assessors finding so that community members can make informed decisions regarding demolitions?"Jeff Skreneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14597476540441866248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-8362160130557456532013-03-04T23:57:25.454-06:002013-03-04T23:57:25.454-06:00Um Yes, they all did have structures on them at so...Um Yes, they all did have structures on them at some point. How many vacant lots do we need? <br /><br />And when might that opportunity to evaluate these homes be? Where do we find the time to give input when the City has already made the decision to demo for us?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-10184247385434608942013-03-04T16:07:55.716-06:002013-03-04T16:07:55.716-06:00When is the last time anyone in the community got ...When is the last time anyone in the community got information regarding a potential Meth house? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-24965414237378619812013-03-04T12:50:52.017-06:002013-03-04T12:50:52.017-06:00The only exception is if any of these houses were ...The only exception is if any of these houses were drug/meth houses. Then they would need to be torn down because of the toxic implications. This can't be the case with ALL of them though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-43161115330063463942013-03-04T12:18:58.962-06:002013-03-04T12:18:58.962-06:00I am appalled at the fact that 2114 Irving was on ...I am appalled at the fact that 2114 Irving was on the list. This was an erroneous addition to the demo bucket as I understood it and the house is ADORABLE. From having peered in the windows, it looks practically move-in ready.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-52625862508344460172013-03-04T12:10:40.908-06:002013-03-04T12:10:40.908-06:00There are certainly houses that are in dire need o...There are certainly houses that are in dire need of demolition. I'm glad that the blue twins across the street from me are down, for instance. And I agree that the arson-damaged Dream Home at Penn and GVR is also among them.<br /><br />The reason I think a moratorium deserves to be part of the discussion is because it's becoming more and more obvious that viable properties are being torn down at an alarming rate. Maybe the only way we're going to get this right is if we stop ALL demolitions until then.Jeff Skreneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14597476540441866248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-78079152828461710792013-03-04T12:01:45.571-06:002013-03-04T12:01:45.571-06:00I'm not in favor of a moratorium. Think burne...I'm not in favor of a moratorium. Think burned out house at Penn and Golden Valley Road? But clearly these waivers need to go (Jordan residents will understand what that means). We need more community say about what should and should not stay. I'm in agreement with Deb that the one she mentioned should go. I've been in the others though - OMG. They are great! Clearly the correct judgement calls are not being made. The community should not be abdicating their voice on these matters and have more direct involvement. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-53233393624728336082013-03-04T11:47:19.250-06:002013-03-04T11:47:19.250-06:002114 Irving Avenue North is an adorable bungalow, ...2114 Irving Avenue North is an adorable bungalow, which does not look to be in that bad a shape. To paraphrase Nicole, 'Oh my GAWD, why in the hell would you demolish THAT?' And make the taxpayers foot the bill for that stupidity? Ridiculous. Someone needs a moratorium, fast.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-74267552617324134802013-03-04T10:20:18.360-06:002013-03-04T10:20:18.360-06:00Green does not mean demolition. Demolition should ...Green does not mean demolition. Demolition should be the absolutely last resort. Many of the places you seem determined to destroy were built by craftsman, unlike the through together houses today. I thought a city like Minneapolis was more forward thinking than that.... I guess I was wrong!<br />RTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-13657083150730281142013-03-04T10:07:14.960-06:002013-03-04T10:07:14.960-06:00Furthermore, while I might not directly oppose the...Furthermore, while I might not directly oppose the demolition of 2819 Knox, I would still argue quite strongly that the parcel NOT be an eligible Green Homes North property. Here's why: It's quite clear from the photos and comments above that most of the seven houses depicted here are or were salvageable. Yet instead of finding ways to restore houses in our community, the city created yet another program that facilitates demolition. We need new construction on our vacant lots, of that there is no disagreement or doubt. But there are well over 200 eligible Green Homes North parcels. More than ten percent of those parcels in Jordan alone have or had salvageable structures on them. (I've excluded the Knox property from that calculation, for your sake.)<br /><br />So to be entirely frank, the City of Minneapolis has not demonstrated the capability to ably judge which houses should and should not be torn down. Therefore when implementing a program like Green Homes North, demolitions should not factor into the equation in any way whatsoever.Jeff Skreneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14597476540441866248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-16374490700720795602013-03-04T09:57:16.080-06:002013-03-04T09:57:16.080-06:00Given the tremendously wasteful demolition of 1551...Given the tremendously wasteful demolition of 1551 Hillside, and how that block acted during that process, I'm not terribly worried about having an entire block "up in arms" against me.<br /><br />Deb, did you not read the post at all? Or look at the pictures? All of the homes shown here are on the Green Homes North list of eligible properties.<br /><br />I'm beginning to think that the only way to get ahead of this (and by "this" I mean the city's perpetual demolition problem) is a flat-out moratorium on all CPED demolitions until there is a better process in place.Jeff Skreneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14597476540441866248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-19111974232254876902013-03-04T09:36:27.440-06:002013-03-04T09:36:27.440-06:00Don't even try to get them stop demolition on ...Don't even try to get them stop demolition on 2819 Knox. You will have the entire block in arms against you. You have not been in the house Jeff and though I think your mission to preserve homes is admirable and one i am in favor of, you often speak from limited knowledge. 2819 Knox has been open to the element since the tornado, is a water saturated, dysfunctional floor plan with a sinking foundation on the rear addition. From what I understand, the new homes being built in Jordan are on already vacant lots. Literally one might come to the conclusion that they all had structures on them at one time. Let's get ahead of this and evaluate these homes when we have the opportunity and see if we can get them into the Land Bank which will give us time to find developers / buyers. We need to have that discussion ASAP.Debra Wagnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08865850691393200699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-36842055613852097132013-03-04T08:56:09.179-06:002013-03-04T08:56:09.179-06:00Why waste all the resources to tear them down when...Why waste all the resources to tear them down when you can rehab/refurbish them. Waste of time energy. I do not see the "Green" in this. Some one tell me how this is gonna be green? From Spending all the effort into using a excavator to tear it down to equipment rebuilding(CO2 into the air) something new.Fireball McFainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18314562205628851536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-69840838897613185122013-03-04T08:50:20.919-06:002013-03-04T08:50:20.919-06:00Shouldnt green be use less vs create more waste? ...Shouldnt green be use less vs create more waste? If you tear down these homes you create more CO in the air with the machinery that is used to take these homes down. nothing you put in new will even come close to the surrounding homes. I have see this first hand in my hometown after a flood some homes were so bad they had to take them down lots sat empty then rebuilt but look like a pimple on a teen. Rehab/refurbish the existing. Its just a waste of resources to tear them down. Fireball McFainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18314562205628851536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-56507859001526802962013-03-04T08:18:20.220-06:002013-03-04T08:18:20.220-06:00I think they should just fix them instead of teari...I think they should just fix them instead of tearing them down. What a waste and its not going to be reused but thrown in the trash and we have enough trash. I think it cost more to tear down and throw out than to build all new. I wish people would look at that insteadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2382985764534737174.post-4815053589199645022013-03-04T05:32:22.956-06:002013-03-04T05:32:22.956-06:00Nicole,
this is totally insane! There is squat *hi...Nicole,<br />this is totally insane! There is squat *hit "green" about this project. Making it even sting just more is the tax payers having to foot the bill for the actual tear down! <br /><br />It baffles me how people can just tear away at history like that instead of preserving it. <br /><br />Keep your chin and hard work up! <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12011505900231612608noreply@blogger.com