Bryn Mawr NRP Planning Committee Minutes

Monday, February 28, 2005; 7-8:30 PM

Attendees included:  Jay Peterson, Vida Ditter, Greg Lecker, Wendy Jerome, Kevina Munnich, Mary Lou Hill, Lee Munnich, Paul Ragozzino, Rob Harris, Daryl Carter, and Diane Ashby.  All have expressed interest in participating on the planning committee bringing the total number of planning committee volunteers to 20.

1)      We reviewed summaries of the focus groups and survey results, organized by topic.  Greg Lecker and Wendy Jerome will update these indexes with the remaining focus groups held through mid-April.  Over the next few months, committee members will assemble neighborhood action plan strategies.

2)      Attendees recommended that we consider hosting an all day neighborhood revitalization charrette (an intense brainstorming session) on an upcoming Saturday.  Greg Lecker recommends Saturday, April 23 from 9 AM to 5 PM, at Bryn Mawr Elementary School Cafeteria.  See proposed details and BMNA funding request listed below.

3)      We will collect further strategy suggestions (likely through written comments on post card-sized response cards) at both the May 2005 meeting and through the mail.  Then, in a summer or early fall public meeting, we'll vote on the strategies that the NRP Planning Committee assembles and organizes.  

      NRP Planning Schedule:

      April 2005               Planning Committee members host an all day brainstorming charrette,

                                       tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 23

    

      May 2005                 BMNA general membership offers additional suggestions at Annual Meeting

                                       and in postcards provided in the Bryn Mawr Bugle votes on funding

                                       priorities.

                                       NRP Planning Committee begins to draft the NRP Phase II Neighborhood

                                       Action Plan using input from the survey, focus groups, and charrette

 

      July or Aug. 2005    BMNA general membership considers the draft of the NRP Phase II

                                       Neighborhood Action Plan and votes on priorities.

 

      Aug.-Oct. 2005         BMNA NRP Planning Committee finalizes NRP Phase II Neighborhood Action

                                      Plan based on input from BMNA general membership.  

                                       Funding allocations are assigned.      Final Neighborhood Action Plan is

                                       presented to BMNA board and to BMNA members via the neighborhood

                                       website (with copies available for check out at   local businesses).  Summaries of

                                       the Neighborhood Action Plan will be included in the Bryn Mawr Bugle.

 

      Nov./Dec. 2005        BMNA votes on the NRP Phase II Action Plan.  BMNA submits NRP Phase II

                                       Neighborhood Action Plan to Minneapolis NRP, NRP Policy Board and

                                         Minneapolis City Council for their review and approval.

 

4)      We approved the Phase I Review Report with minor revisions.  According to the schedule, we’ll publish a final version of this report in March to the www.bmna.org website and forward it to Minneapolis NRP and to the NRP Policy Board.

 

5)      Survey and Focus groups:  Residents and business owners are asked to contribute their views and ideas about the broad areas of concern and the general goals that should be used as starting points for planning Phase II. Neighbors have volunteered to serve as facilitators and note takers.   Survey and focus group comments have been posted to the www.bmna.org website.   Just a few scheduled focus groups remain:  Thursday, March 17 (Area 7), and Monday, March 21 (School, Parks, Recreation, and Community).  An additional focus group of Business Focus Group will be held in April -- maybe around mid- month to allow enough time for Bugle circulation.  This focus group could possibly be open to home-based as well as the premise-based businesses of the South Frontage Road, Martin Homes, and  Accent Signage (maybe even the downtown business folks too - who missed the Valentine's Day  downtown Bryn Mawr focus group?).  An additional youth focus group will be convened at Anwatin Middle School.

 

Next Meetings of the NRP Planning Committee: 

 

Monday, March 28, 2005; 7-8:30 PM at Bryn Mawr Elementary School Room 136

 

Proposed:  Saturday, April 23, 2005:  9 AM – 5 PM at Bryn Mawr Elementary School Cafeteria

 

Monday, April 25, 2005; 7-8:30 PM at Bryn Mawr Elementary School Room 136 

 

Monday, May 23, 2005; 7-8:30 PM at Bryn Mawr Elementary School Room 136

 


From our last NRP Planning Meeting (Monday, February 28) came the suggestion to organize a public  meeting/design charrette to assist the Planning Committee in developing and assembling  Neighborhood Action Plan Strategies.  In Phase I, Bryn Mawr Neighborhood facilitated a similar brainstorming session as part of the development of the Phase I Action Plan Strategies.   Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association has allocated and has been awarded, in its formal NRP Participation Agreement and newly executed contract, NRP Phase II funds for weekend school reservation as well as child care during this event.  I ask for your consideration of such a request.

 

In looking at the rapidly filling spring calendar, I'm proposing one of the following two days for this workshop:  Saturday, April 23 or Saturday, May 21.  These dates avoid the following conflicts (feel free to reply with more conflicts of which you are aware):  Brownie Lake  Buckthorn Busting, Minneapolis Blooms Day, Bryn Mawr Festival of Garage Sales, and City of Minneapolis DFL Convention (anyone know the dates of the Republican or Green Party  Endorsing Conventions?).  I prefer the earlier, April, date to avoid the heavy spring planting time of late May; but I could be persuaded to delay to the later date.  Please note that Sunday, April 24 is Passover.  To the best of my knowledge, Passover officially begins with the 7:09 PM sunset on Saturday, April 23.

 

All of the focus groups (17 total focus groups!) should be completed and the comments organized by April 23; and I promise to organize focus group comments by April 23.  Part of the reason that I'm proposing to split Break Out Session #1 and #2 by lunch is to allow those busy, but interested, neighborhood folks to participate in a half-day component, if necessary, of this planning event (9 AM-1:30 PM or  1:30-5:00 PM), join us for a community meal, and still complete their Saturday errands.

 

Producing either the April or the May event means meeting a March 20 or April 20 Bugle deadline and scheduling a Saturday reservation at Bryn Mawr Elementary School; and so we appreciate your prompt feedback on this proposal for community involvement.  Thanks in advance for your comments!

 

The BMNA Board approved to fund from its treasury up to $300 for lunch, snacks and beverages for the day.  We are and will be searching for folks to provide child care for the day.

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION CHARRETTE – PHASE II

Saturday, April 23, 9 AM to 5 PM 

Bryn Mawr Elementary School Cafeteria

NRP Charrette Agenda items proposed could include the following: 

 

1)  9-9:20 AM   NRP Introduction, including a Description of the day's activities

 

2)  9:20-11 AM   Review of Survey and Focus Group Comments

 

3)  11 AM - 12:30 PM   Break Out Session #1:  Study Program Areas - Participants select to  particpate in a discussion group to consider one of eight topics:  Housing, Downtown Bryn  Mawr, Land Use/Development, Parks, Schools, Community/Communication, Traffic, Crime  and Safety.  If necessary, topic discussion groups could be combined due to lack of interest or shortage of participants.

 

4)  12:30 -1:30 PM   Lunch - This is NOT an allowable NRP expenditure.  Thus, lunch provisions would need to come from a) donations by solicited businesses or groups; b)  potluck contributions, or c) My choice - BMNA Board allocation for beverages and a  sandwich and salad buffet.

 

5)  1:30 - 3:00 PM   Break Out Session #2:  Study Program Areas - Participants select to participate in a discussion group to consider one of eight topics:  Housing, Downtown Bryn Mawr, Land Use/Development, Parks, Schools, Community/Communication, Traffic, Crime and Safety.  If necessary, topic discussion groups could be combined due to lack of interest or shortage of participants.

 

6)  3:00-4:50 PM    Presentations by the Various Work Groups from Break Out Sessions #1 and #2:   10 minutes for each of 8 topics (5 minutes each from session #1 and #2) 

           

7)  4:50 - 5:00 PM   Closing Statements