Bryn Mawr NRP Phase II Planning

Area 4 Focus Group

Thursday, March 3, 7-8:30 PM

 

In addition to Rick Carter, facilitator, and Greg Lecker, note taker; attendees include:  Michael Lind, Dan Berks, Alan Torborg, and Cathy Skalicky.   Resident length of time varied from six months to having grown up visiting neighborhood since childhood (resident lives in his father’s former house).  Area 4 is the area bounded between Thomas Avenue South, Laurel Avenue, I-394, and Penn Avenue South.  (New from these focus group notes onward --- the number of “/” following a comment indicates the level consensus of respondents – the number of similar comments.

Neighborhood strengths:

-          Small town feel – good little community, very friendly community   ///

-          Little business district - /////

-          Even my in-laws remark that “you can be in Downtown Minneapolis in 5 minutes, yet Bryn Mawr is a little neighborhood”

-          I like the era of the houses – 1920’s, the architecture; diversity of housing with respect to architecture and character - //

-          Folks maintain and improve housing

-          Proximity of parks, neighborhood is surrounded by park land, particularly Theodore Wirth Park - ///

-          A lot of value for your housing dollar

-          For the most part (excepting Penn and I-394), the neighborhood is not a “freeway” with lots of cut through traffic.  It’s fairly secluded vs. 50th and France or 46th and Park, the former neighborhoods of respondents.  Cedar Lake Road used to be busier than it is now.  - //

-          How quickly one gets to know so many people, through walking, and also through a somewhat common point of view

-          The active BMNA is evidenced in the neighborhood friendliness

-          The incidence of crime is low compared with the number of crime alerts that are distributed

Neighborhood weaknesses:

-          The fact that we are so close to downtown Minneapolis can be a bad thing too:  Crime is not as random as it would be if the neighborhood was not so close to downtown Minneapolis.  Our house was burglarized a few weeks ago.  Other recent crime examples – I394 van chase.  More crime alerts received in the six months I’ve lived here than the many years lived in Plymouth, my former neighborhood.  Crime probably happened there too, but the crime alerts are distributed here (a good thing) - //

-          Impound lot is unsightly, an eyesore when viewed from I394.  It’s not the highest and best use of the land.  (Though it is conveniently located if your car happens to be the one towed there.)

-          Cedar Lake Road is used for short-cutting commuters to and from the south and the lakes area.  Thankfully, the road construction of the last few years has diverted traffic from CLR.

-          Proposed development of Bryn Mawr Meadows into a more developed regional athletic complex

-          I love downtown Bryn Mawr, but there is opportunity for more of certain services

-          Talk with BM Market (which presently merchandises itself more like a mini-mart or convenience store) – inquire whether more a more upscale product mix could be offered – deli, cheese, wine, meats,  - is there the population base to support this? - //

-          Parking for businesses - //

-          Surrounding Harrison neighborhood and Glenwood avenue particularly could benefit from commercial business development since more space seems to be available there

-          If you want the services of a larger grocery, pharmacy, etc, you have to drive to Uptown, Knollwood Mall, Byerly’s or Cub Foods.  Downtown Bryn Mawr doesn’t offer that much merchandise - //

-           

What issues are important or will be important in the future?

-          Traffic and lack/inadequacy of mass transit - ///   /-especially regarding transit- discussion of LRT station at I394 and Penn Avenue – SW Metro Transit – whether this happens at Penn Avenue or at Dunwoody  - //

-          Housing and rentable space

-          Availability of low-income housing

-          Crime

-          Development of areas bordering Bryn Mawr will have an impact – so we have the opportunity to respond/influence what happens around us

-          There is potential for higher-density housing in the BCV ROC areas – impound lot and “banana” - ////

-          N-S connector – Van White Memorial Boulevard will likely have an impact

-          Issues regarding redevelopment in general

-          Schools are an issue (two little kids – 1-1/2 years and 3 years old).  Another participant responds having had nothing but good experiences with his childrens’ 4th-8th grade and K-8th grade experiences – not one negative!

One service, project, program or thing that BMNA could provide:

-          A bar – wine and beer only; snack bar // - question about liquor license in close proximity to church ; question about parking spaces required for this

-          More commercial services – restaurant or deli or video store, or pharmacy; something/anything to limit the number of trips out of the neighborhood

-          Better trail access to Cedar Lake Trail. We understand that the new N-S connector will provide trail access – like how the Brownie Bridge improved access to Cedar Lake Trail

-          Unsure of our power, but address traffic on Penn Avenue and I-394.  I understand that BMNA has been able to influence changes to some extent.

-          Pay attention to and influence what happens in Bryn Mawr Meadows – dislike the idea of a change in Bryn Mawr Meadows to a regional sports complex that draws more visitors.  We need a more natural park buffer zone between this and the surrounding residential properties. - //

-          Parkway/Van White access to Meadows – encourage this type of access rather than through the neighborhood

-          Housing development is a hot topic – housing density; and which lots

-          Keep an open mind on the subject of higher density housing, especially for seniors and apartments

-          What areas to be developed into this housing?  - Qwest or South Frontage Road

-          Is the Target/Prudential building in our neighborhood?

What types of housing programs should BMNA provide?

-          A housing program (needs test based ) similar to Phase I program – this respondent benefited from it – an excellent program

-          However, I do understand that there was not much interest in the second and third rounds of the housing program

-          Housing rehabilitation is an important program

-          Housing rehabilitation and on-going maintenance is needed forever

-          Housing rehabilitation is an on-going need – maybe the previous homeowner didn’t take advantage of the needs-test based program when it was offered

-          The whole neighborhood benefits from a housing rehabilitation program --/// or ////

-          Consider higher density housing development as long as it is sited in an appropriate location with respect to traffic and parking; and as long as it designed architecturally to blend into the neighborhood.  One can find good examples – where the apartment buildings are designed to complement the surrounding 1920s and 1930’s houses.  One can also find bad examples of horrendous 1940’s and 1950’s apartment buildings that clash with houses - //

-          Address Penn Avenue apartment buildings like the ones west side of Penn Avenue, north of I-394 – which look somewhat run down – rotting window sills, site work, fixing eyesores

-          Affordable housing – for sale housing will be an easier sell to the neighborhood than rental housing.  At least the for-sale affordable housing will appreciate.  If the affordable housing is to be rental, it has be well managed by an agency not by an “absentee” landlord.  The stability of duplexes is a good example of the benefits of an on-site owner.  - ///

-          Pay attention to development at Penn Avenue and Glenwood

-          We could combine together our limited NRP Phase II monies with other sources for the right kind of development.   It will be easier to piggy-back onto – to invest in a proposed development than to develop this housing ourselves

-          Landscaping for housing – to promote safety and security or to encourage more “native” landscaping, eliminate chemical use

Other Comments?

-          Put something into the NW corner of Penn Avenue and Cedar Lake Road – something fun!

-          Can NRP or BMNA rent this space? – A cooperative?  It would be nice if the improvement was market driven, but it might take BMNA to act as a catalyst with the current owners (Market brothers) to make it happen  It would be worth our investment to manage and drive development there if we could secure the right business – the business we want!

-          A co-op – especially if it could overlap with BMNBA’s work

-          It would be nice, now that the gas station looks better on the outside, if the gas station could be cleaner, friendlier on the inside.  Therefore, provide a program to promote commercial interior improvements

-          Address the streets without sidewalks!

-          Address the shabbier-looking properties – rehabilitation assistance – difficult to enforce which properties should benefit from improvement programs