Purpose of the comprehensive plan

Introduction

Bryn Mawr - a nice place to put down roots<= /o:p>

Bryn Mawr is a wonderful place to live. Most of the people who live here agree on this. As confirmed by City periodicals&#= 8217; designation, Bryn Mawr is a “best neighborhood”. Families choose to stay and return= to Bryn Mawr.

Bryn Mawr is a thriving south side = Minneapolis neighborhood located directly west of Downtown. A part of the Cedar-Lakes-Isles pl= anning district, it is in the northwestern corner of the 7^th Ward. Bryn Mawr was developed from farml= and beginning in the mid-1800’s when it was promoted as a “garden suburb” or “amenity zone,” due to its proximity to the la= kes and to an abundance of green space. Pocketed roughly between Kenwood, Cedar Lake, Wirth Park, Bassett Creek and Bryn Mawr Meadows, the neighborhood is characterized by i= ts long-time stability and its quietude. It remains surrounded by over 650 acres of parks, lakes and trails a= nd retains much of its original small town charm, while having very good acces= s to some of the best urban and natural features of Minneapolis and the nearby suburbs.

Bryn Mawr is the northwestern anchor to the City’s beautiful chain of lake= s, yet it is just minutes from numerous shopping and business centers; a numbe= r of important historic sites; a wide variety of cultural and entertainment venu= es; two major sports facilities; and several colleges and universities. About 3000 people live withi= n 1350 households that make up Bryn Mawr. A diversity of building styles reflects our history, from Victorians= to Tudors, colonials, bungalows, ramblers and contemporaries. Within Bryn Mawr’s boundarie= s are: Bryn Mawr Elementary School and Anwatin Middle School, Bryn Mawr Presbyteri= an Church and four small business districts scattered throughout the neighborh= ood.

The= mes of the Comprehensive Plan

· Bryn Mawr will be a safe place to live, work and play.=

· Bryn Mawr will maintain the residential character it has had thro= ugh decades of change.

· Bryn Mawr will be a pleasant garden within the parks that surround it.

· Bryn Mawr will continue to be easily accessible as it manages the impact of streets and highways.

· Bryn Mawr will be a people oriented community.

Bryn Mawr is a stable and desirable neighborhood, with a low crime rate and a percentage of active voters that exceeds that of both Minneapolis and Ward 7 by several points. Its residents have moderately high levels of education and income. The neighborhood also has one of t= he highest percentages of owner-occupied housing in the City, about 80 percent, according to the 1990 City tax records.&nb= sp; Properties are well maintained and improvement projects are common.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Turnover is low and houses sell quickly. While prices are ris= ing, values are still good.

This Comprehensive Plan is meant to identify and explain who we are and our neighborhood strengths and challenges.&nbs= p; It asks: how do we maintain and develop the assets of Bryn Mawr and protect its strengths? The pl= an attempts to answer questions of concern and identify challenge areas when action is needed. It serves a= s an outline for the NRP (Neighborhood Revitalization Program) Action Plan, prov= ides a guide to the Bryn Mawr Board and City agencies in the development of proj= ects and programs that address our challenges, and guides neighborhood groups in preparing and advancing projects needing the support of neighborhood.<= /o:p>

This document is organized around six topic areas. Within these topics, the assets of= the neighborhood are identified along with the challenges. More specific action items are fur= ther identified in each topic area. Action items may further lead to projects proposed by individual neighbors, by NRP subcommittees, by the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association Board and its committees or by City agencies.

Purpo= se of the Bryn Mawr NRP Comprehensive Plan

Compr= ehensive Plan

Ste= ps to Finalize the Comprehensive Plan

· Gather area input to complete the plan.=

· Finalize the plan report.

· Gain acceptance of the plan from NRP sub-committees.

· Facilitate neighborhood-wide input.

· Update the plan to reflect all input.

· Prioritize the action items.

· Present to the BMNA Board.

· Present to the NRP Policy Board.

· Present to the Bryn Mawr Council Person and the City Planning Department.

This comprehensive plan is meant to provide an easy-to-understand and graphic vi= ew into the character of the Bryn Mawr neighborhood. What are the specific characterist= ics that make Bryn Mawr unique and which of those characteristics warrant preservati= on or attention? The plan is mea= nt to strengthen and sustain our sense of community and maintain the “nostalgic” aura of the neighborhood.

Audie= nces for Plan

Residents and Business Owners of the Neighborhood<= o:p>

Bryn Mawr residents and business owners can use the plan to obtain an understand= ing of the neighborhood, its past development, present strengths and concerns f= or its future. It provides a fra= mework to judge and categorize activities that may require funding or residents= 217; support.

Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP)

This comprehensive plan is meant to provide a framework for the Bryn Mawr Action Plan, for the implementation of Bryn Mawr goals and for the use of remaining NRP allocated funds. The NRP = was established to provide neighborhood input into the allocation of funds available for neighborhoods in the city from the Minneapolis City Council, = the Minneapolis School Board, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the Minneapolis Library Board and the Hennepin County Commission. In the NRP process, all Minneapolis neighb= orhoods are designated in one of three categories as needing redirection, revitalization or protection. Each neighborhood is also allocated funds to support its vision and goals. Bryn Mawr, a protection neighborho= od, has already participated in the NRP First Step initiatives and projects fun= ded under Early Access proposals.

NRP Neighborhood Definitions

Protection Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods that are experiencing few social, physical and econ= omic problems, but have concerns about the delivery of public services.

Revitalization Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods that are fundamentally sound, but are beginning to experience some social, physical and economic problems.=

Redirection Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods experiencing serious social, physical and economic problems.

Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association Board

This plan will provide the BMNA Board with guidelines for responding to action i= tems and projects brought to them. It will give the Board a perspective in discussions with developers, City agencies, NRP and Board sub-committees or individuals about how their ideas= fit with the vision and goals of the neighborhood. The plan provides a broad indicati= on of support within the neighborhood for action items. It identifies the procedure for ga= ining support from the Board and the neighborhood to further develop and advance projects for neighborhood approval and funding.

City Agencies

This = plan provides City planners with an understanding of the specific goals and desires of Br= yn Mawr. We hope this will be the genesis of proposals developed by public agencies that will advance the fur= ther improvement of Bryn Mawr.

Topic= Areas

The comprehensive plan is divided into six topic areas. These topic areas detail various characteristics of Bryn Mawr. They describe existing conditions and how the neighborhood has changed in the pa= st ten years. Each topic area identifies Bryn Mawr attributes and strengths and sets out a vision for this topic area for the future. Ma= jor challenges or concerns that presently exist or are seen in the next three to five years, are also noted. Finally, each topic area lists some opportunities or strategies for dealing with these concerns and action items to take forward and implement.=

This plan is the work of many committed neighbors and the broader community. It sings the praises of Bryn Mawr = and is focused on keeping Bryn Mawr our enjoyable neighborhood. You should find the plan informati= ve and supportive of a vision for Bryn Mawr, as well as being a stimulus for identifying and advancing improvements that will help maintain Bryn Mawr’s quality of life.

Topic Area 1 — Richness of Community

Bryn Mawr, as a neighborhood, has a deep richness to its community, in its commu= nity development, identity and the commitment of neighbors. This topic has two focuses: neighb= orhood involvement and housing characteristics.

Bryn Mawr History

Bryn Mawr is a neighborhood with a history.&nbs= p; There are families that have been in Bryn Mawr for many years who ke= ep living here. It is a neighbor= hood that has withstood the negative effects of change: the suburban exodus and migration, the cutting through of a highway and subsequent expansion to a freeway and urban renewal around the neighborhood’s borders. Bryn Mawr has maintained its persp= ective as a unified neighborhood through freeway splitting, school board decisions= and residential development. Neig= hbors work hard to maintain the integrity of the neighborhood.

Blocks of aging homes, with collapsing basements from the moving blue clay that lay at the bottom of a prehistoric river were cleared= to develop Bryn Mawr Meadows. Ap= art from some farm homes, the oldest residential subdivisions were closest to Downtown, i.e., east of Penn and near the streetcar line. By the 1920’s, Bryn Mawr was discovered and homes were built in all areas. These included the lake cottages n= ear Cedar Lake in Area 1 and the subdivision and in-fill with new housing that occurred in the 1950’s, largely in Area 7 and in scattered empty lots. The last big wave were houses, townhouses and apartments in Area 2 near Cedar Lake.

Bryn = Mawr contains historic sites including the Fruen Mill, (a historic grain mill), Glenwood/Inglewood Water, the former site of Burma-Shave (the company that developed the highway signs with jingles to promote their product and highw= ay safety) and the Laurel Avenue Streetcar from Downtown that traveled to Bryn Mawr when Cedar Lake Road was the main road to the West from the City.=

Bryn Mawr Neighbor Participatio= n

The Bryn Mawr Improvement Association organization was credited to John Diegel. It helped get the area zoned residential. A verbal r= umor which colorizes this purpose was that the Kenwood area did not want the tra= cks to be part of their neighborhood but Bryn Mawr’s. Whether the changing yards or roun= dhouse were the actual problem is unknown. This later led to = Cedar Lake Park being included in Bryn Mawr.

Various other groups emerged over the years to answer the needs of the neighborhood. The Bryn Mawr Community Organization met at the Dayton Hudson building for its annual meeting. It was a fancy affai= r with silver-service. There were sp= eakers at the meeting and problems of the community were discussed, however, the purpose was primarily social.

The Bryn Mawr School Parent Teacher Association was most active on school conce= rns, and problems affecting children but not general concerns.=

As children grew and left the elementary, many families missed the contacts th= ey had made and the Bryn Mawr Community League was formed for social purposes. In addition, alumna= e of the school, circa 1920-1940, continue to meet as the Bryn Mawr Kids yearly.=

The Community School Council came into being when school lunches were introduced through Community Education to the elementary. The PTA invited Paul Boranian of Community Education to make a presentation about Community Education at the school. In the fall of 1969, = the Community School of Bryn Mawr was started with an Advisory Council of 15 members. In 1973, the Social Concerns Committee of the Community School Council established a Highway Ta= sk Force to study the issue of the proposed
I-394. As a result of the wor= k of this Task Force, a neighborhood organization (BMNA) was re-established to address additional concerns and needs of the residents of Bryn Mawr. The Council and Community Educatio= n were moved to Anwatin in 1974 when the District purchased the old St. Margaret’s school as a middle school. In 1977, the Anwatin Community School was one of t= hose in the city chosen to be a recipient of Mott Foundation funds through the Stimulate Neighborhood Action Process (SNAP) program. With these funds, and additional m= onies raised by neighbors, they engaged in projects such as the Summer Fun Club f= or children, Block Clubs, joint contracting for home maintenance and improveme= nts, a professional study of troubled youth, a Cooperative Day Care Center, a ca= noe trip for teens to BWCA and a single parents workshop. The Community School Council had t= he active cooperation of the BMNA.

The Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association began publishing a newsletter in the spr= ing of 1974 and was formally incorporated in 1976. A Town Meeting was held in 1976 un= der the auspices of the BMNA. The highway moratorium was a direct result of this day-long training and communication program. The BM= NA has changed the original five areas to seven, continues the monthly publication= of the Bugle, sponsors the annual Festival of Garage Sales (originally semi-annually), continues work on the infringement of the highway in our neighborhood, uses block clubs to decrea= se crime, holds the annual meeting and potluck in the spring, supports an ice = cream social in the summer and conducts a fall membership drive. For a decade the BMNA ran a recycl= ing program for our neighborhood, first on the southern end of Penn Avenue and then by contracting= with Mr. Frank until the City began its recycling program. The Bryn Mawr Bugle has received awards over the years. The neighborhood is well known and continues to provide coordination of activities and leadership in improving= our neighborhood through active participation by residents. The Neighborhood Revitalization Pr= ogram is a continuation of the Bryn Mawr neighborhood activism.=

Bryn Mawr is a very active neighborhood in participating in politics. Voter participation for the 1996 g= eneral election ranked Bryn Mawr’s Precinct 7-1 second in the city for turno= ut with 76 percent. This compare= s to a 68 percent turnout for the city. Bryn Mawr neighbors are also active participants in the caucus proce= ss. In 1996, 83 Democrats and 20 Repub= licans turned out for their caucus.

Neighborhood Identification

Bryn Mawr has a strong neighborhood identity that encompasses the area from the western city limits of Minneapolis along <= st1:Street w:st=3D"on">Glenwood Avenue to Bassett Creek around Bryn Mawr Meadows to the north shore of Cedar Lake and then west of <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Cedar Lake to 26^th Street<= /st1:address>. However, various organizations and agencies, including the Minneapolis School Board, the Park Board and the Bo= ard of Realtors, have sometimes failed to understand or ignored this territorial identity.

Neighbors tend to be aware of what is going on in the neighborhood. Bryn Mawr has a monthly, informati= ve newspaper, the Bryn Mawr Bugle = that is delivered to every neighbor. The Bugle is supported by the Bryn = Mawr Neighborhood Association and heavily relies on volunteers for articles, publication and distribution. There is strong participation and rallying when the neighborhood faces an issue.<= o:p>

Bryn Mawr has a broad, diverse base of community organizations. It has a wealth of community organizations such as the League of Women Voters, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, a Garden Club, a Senior Citizen’s Club and youth groups. We have several community institut= ions: the Presbyterian Church has been a rich resource for the community for year= s, providing open hospitality, initiating the garage sale, providing space for meetings; the police substation; library bookmobile; Bryn Mawr = Elementary School and <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Anwatin Middle School, providing space for community meetings, polling booths and community education.

Bryn Mawr Attractiveness

Bryn Mawr attracts and holds residents to its well-maintained, diverse housing.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> People seek out Bryn Mawr because = it has a community feel of connectedness, neighborliness and an attractive mix of housing. Many people watch wa= nt ads and ask about houses for sale in Bryn Mawr. One of the reasons is that home ownership is a good investment here. Some of the housing stock is less attractive to those looking for attached garages, homes with large garages, large lots, etc. The smaller size of many homes influences the size of households. These smaller homes in recent years, however, are attractive to more single, professional homeowners. Bryn Mawr also faces some competition from new housing amenities in = the suburbs. Bryn Mawr has not ke= pt up with trends to two- and three-car garages, great rooms, etc. Many other features continue to ma= ke it a popular neighborhood.

Bryn Mawr is made up of neighbors who appreciate t= he “new urbanism” already in place here. Some of these elements include nar= row streets, tree-lined boulevards, sidewalks, alleys for services and car acce= ss, lots with narrow frontages and shortened setbacks, smaller yards with limit= ed amounts of grass and homes with front porches. In suburban developments, these po= pular features are referred to collectively as “New Urbanism.” They reinforce and provide a posit= ive “nostalgic aura.” In addition, many of these features contribute to neighbor interaction and a s= ense of safety. Other positive phy= sical attributes such as parks, trails, gardens, centrally located schools and business service areas are discussed later in this plan.<= /p>

Victorian

Bryn Mawr is characterized by its wide range of housing styles and homes built in all of the development periods of the neighborhood. According= to the 1990 census there were 735 housing structures built before 1940, 398 bu= ilt between 1941 and 1960 and 250 built since 1961. Even today, five new homes are bei= ng built. This means there is a = total of nearly 1400 houses in Bryn Mawr. &nbs= p; The mixture of styles and ages of homes and a variety of trees and vegetation creates considerable variation in the landscape for the eye of a stroller, walker or even auto driver, and creates a sense of variety and be= auty in the neighborhood. The dema= nd for housing has contributed to exceptional maintenance. These fix-up, clean-up, paint-up, remodeling attitudes reflect the pride and enterprise of Bryn Mawr’s neighbors.

Land Use<= /p>

Nearly all the land available for structures is built upon in Bryn Mawr. The majority of land in Bryn Mawr = is zoned for single-family residences. Less than 5 percent of the land is platted for multi-family homes, a= nd a similar amount of land is platted for commercial use.

Four Square

Most neighbors want single-family homes for next-door neighbors. There are a few small locations currently occupied by business, which are near freeway frontage roads and a= long the public transit line that offer potential opportunity for multiple dwellings, townhouses or other types of higher density, clustered housing.<= o:p>

Bungalow

The most significant challenges are the future use of some areas currently used= for businesses. Areas that have a potential to have their use zoning changed include: Chestnut businesses, Downtown Bryn Mawr, South I-394 frontage road, US West complex, Cedar Lake Road strip, The Dayton/Target site, South of Chestnut/West of Upton, the school complex, Fruen mill, = City Public Works land and home-based businesses. Most of Bryn Mawr’s current = usage is consistent with the vision of Bryn Mawr as a residential neighborhood. Approximately 90-95 percent of Bry= n Mawr is residential. The current m= ix of retail services is neighborhood oriented and fits well into Bryn Mawr. There are issues with the Public W= orks land and with the land north of Bryn Mawr Meadows, across the tracks. Ideas have been discussed that wou= ld require changing the current zoning of the property. These include: the US West propert= y and creating bus access to the school complex through this property, Cedar Lake Trail access from the Penn terminus, attracting a developer for the property north of the Meadows and across the tracks and creating multi-unit senior housing on the South frontage road of I-394.

Home Ownership

Colonial

More than 80 percent of homes in Bryn Mawr are owner occupied. The remaining households are prima= rily two- and three-family duplexes with a limited number of four-plus, unit buildings. =

Housing Stock Condition

With the high level of maintenance, the neighborhood has a relatively healthy housing stock. There are few = code violations, and considerable investment in maintenance and major improvements. Over the past f= ive years, more than $5,000,000 has been invested in some form of significant improvement, remodeling or addition.

Despite the high level of investment, the age of the housing stock requires on-going maintenance. Residents on fix= ed incomes, in particular, often defer maintenance and repairs, which puts som= e of their older homes at risk leading to major rehabilitation.

Tudor

Not everyone is able or financially capable of continuing to maintain their home and garage. The condition of garages is a major concern as some blocks have a number of garages that are tilting and in need of major maintenance or replacement. Many retaining walls alongside all= eys and sidewalks are tilting and in need of replacement. The gravity feed furnaces and heat= ing systems in many homes are obsolete and inefficient. In addition, many homes require substantial attention to windows, sills and frames that are weathering with evidence of dry rot. Finally,= some houses have roofs with many layers of shingles and need replacement. Sidewalks and steps to some homes = are in need of major replacement.

Rambler

In 1997, the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Revitalization Program implemented and exe= cuted a housing improvement program with the help of the contract administrator, Center for Energy and the Environment.&nbs= p; The program carried income and type of improvement criteria, which limited the number of potential applicants. There were 51 applicants and 30 households selected for funding. Twenty-two of the accepted applicants were able to close their defer= red loans, eight homeowners received a match by the NRP program for their loan = and the remaining 14 provided their own match.

From this program the NRP Housing Committee learned several things. Overall, the Bryn Mawr housing sto= ck is in very good condition, with most homeowners needing to complete one or two improvements. Many homeowners= do have sufficient resources to access for home improvements. However, for those who do not, Bry= n Mawr NRP may wish to continue its housing improvement efforts.=

Split Entry

The first NRP Home Improvement program was able to address some serious needs in housing stock. Of the 22 hous= eholds supported, the value of cash added improvements was about $100,000. Because there were nearly 20 appli= cants who did qualify for the program who did not fit the final project improveme= nt criteria, there is a demonstrated need for more housing investment by the neighborhood.

Housing Availability=

Contemporary

Homes in Bryn Mawr tend to sell quickly. In 1997, the vacancy rate in Bryn Mawr is _____ percent. The average home for sale remains = on the housing market for _____ days, with a range of as low as _____ days to as l= ong as _____ days. Over the last 5 years, the housing stock has had a _____ percent turnover rate compared to = an average in Minneapolis of _____ percent.

Because of rising real estate prices and a dwindling supply of “fixer upper” homes, Bryn Mawr has become a second-purchase neighborhood as opposed to the starter homes of a generation ago. Smaller homes and higher prices al= so tend to attract a unique blend of residents: professional singles and young couples, families with one or two children, empty nesters who raised childr= en in the neighborhood, and long-term resident seniors. This diversity presents opportunit= ies for social and commercial activities in Bryn Mawr, while it also suggests s= ome outward movement after a short-term investment as families increase in size= ...

While there are problems with the housing stock, there are a rapidly decreasing number of “fixer” houses available. Home values continue to increase.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The median selling price of a home= in Bryn Mawr was $84,000 in 1990, the 1997 average in September stood at $129,= 000.

Challenges/Concerns

· Bryn Mawr has a base of aging housing stock that will require continuous, substantial maintenance.

· Bryn Mawr is positioned next to Harrison, a redirection neighborhoo= d whose residents, on average, have= lower incomes than homeowners in Bryn Mawr and which has an older, less well maintained housing stock.

· There is limited availability of housing for growing families, especially with additional bedrooms, which means there will be turnover in growing, younger families and people with expanding housing expectations.

· Neighbors who are immediately impacted by projects by the City, MND= OT, Park Board or other public agencies are often not given sufficient notice of the projects.

· All City neighborhoods designated as “protection” status are viewed by the City assessors as undervalued, which leads to increases in the tax value of homes and an increase in property taxes. As this continues, it will adverse= ly affect the attractiveness of Bryn Mawr for first-time homeowners and may discourage some with lower incomes from maintaining their homes.=

· Any new housing development should be sensitive to the design conte= xt of the neighborhood area.

· Bryn Mawr neighborhood projects rely on volunteerism. This means the neighborhood needs = to develop a resource base of volunteers.&nbs= p; This is made more difficult by the sense that neighbors have only a limited time available for these community activities.

· New people need to be warmly and effectively welcomed to the neighborhood and engaged to become active neighbors.

&nb= sp;

Action Items/Priorities

· Expand Bryn Mawr’s housing program on a demonstrated-need bas= is to increase the numbers of homes and the types of improvements that are supported.

· Expand the range of financial programs to facilitate additional housing, garage and yard maintenance and improvement projects.

· Maintain the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood identity and integrity as part = of the Cedar-Lakes-Isles planning district by providing continuous information= to City agencies including the School Board, Police, Park Board and Planning Department.

· Work with and educate Realtors to maintain Bryn Mawr’s image = and position.

· Find ways to increase support of the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Associa= tion and its committees. Increase memberships of all households and commercial businesses in the area and encourage residents to actively take a part in the organization’s Boa= rd and its committees and task forces.

· Increase turnout to events co-sponsored with Harrison, e.g., the Bassett Creek cleanup.

· Increase turnout to neighborhood get togethers, including National Night Out, the annual meeting, ice cream social and the Festival of Garage Sales.

· Maintain “Welcome Wagon” program to welcome new residen= ts

· Install an information kiosk with map of Downtown in relation to ne= ighborhood as a whole. On the reverse, p= lace a bulletin board with current events under glass or plexiglas.

· Support an increase in commercial properties to minimize the impact= of increases in the value of homes and increasing property taxes.

Topic= 2 — Neighborhood Focus and Activity in its Retail Setting

Bryn Mawr’s shopping district is small in contrast to the backdrop of regi= onal shopping opportunities. It symbolizes a place where, in times past, a busy little shopping district gr= ew up at the end of a streetcar line, where several major city streets crossed= , to serve surrounding residents in the pre-auto era. Today the streetcar is gone and the freeway is here. Neighborhood residents have unlimited accessibility and the option of “modern̶= 1; shopping at regional malls, and strip commercial districts. Millions of squ= are feet of retail space and hundreds of stores are within fifteen minutes driv= ing time. Downtown Minneapolis, with more than 2,000,000 s= quare feet of retail space, is literally within walking distance. It is only a short drive to Uptown= at Hennepin and Lake. Major regional centers like the Golden Valley Shoppi= ng Center, Ridgedale Mall, Byerlys and Target and the new mega stores of St. Louis Park are also only minutes away. In spite of all this, Bryn Mawr’s busy little corner of commerce has outlasted change and exists today as an important place of activity and foc= us for the neighborhood.

Downtown Bryn Mawr

Bryn Mawr’s shopping district grew up near the heart of the neighborhood, = on the intersection of Cedar= Lake road and Penn Avenue= . This is where the old streetcar li= ne ended. There are also a few businesses located at the intersection of Cedar Lake Road and Oliver Avenue. The businesses in this location ar= e separated from the body of the neighborhood’s retail by several homes.

In the past, most of the merchants served the convenience shopping needs of neighborhood residents. Sever= al grocery stores, a drug store, a hardware merchant and other businesses thri= ved at this location. Even a maca= roni factory was located on the corner. Today, only a small food market, hair salon and service station cate= r to the traditional convenience needs of the residents.

The major “contributors” to the visual character of Bryn Mawr’= ;s commercial center are two large corner landmark structures and an auto serv= ice station. These are on the intersection of Cedar Lake= Road and Penn Avenue South. Most of the businesses are found i= n the northwest corner building where a market, deli, hair salon and travel agent= are found. This building also has= three apartments and an office used as a studio on the second level, above the storefronts. The building on = the southwest corner continues the commercial theme, with its first level store= fronts occupied by a chiropractic office, antique and coffee shops. This building is predominantly residential. It contains ten apartments: two half‑basement units, two units on a mid‑level a= nd six units on the upper level. On the northeast corner is a large service station. It sells convenience items, (pop, snacks, bait and fishing licenses), but its business is primarily gas and a= uto repair. The other commercial = uses at this intersection include a single‑family rambler house used as a dental office; a storefront police substation with two residential units ab= ove; an accessory garage structure converted to a garden store; a telephone substation; a residential structure serving as a lodge hall; and a small structure housing a mixed home business/dry cleaning/shoe repair establishment. On Cedar Lake Road and Oliver Avenue, a daycare service occupies the storefront of an older commercial/residential structure. A coffee shop occu= pies the corner space of a single storied commercial structure. The remainder of this building is = rented as office space and to musicians.

The problems of Bryn Mawr’s commercial center are typical of many neighborhood retail centers throughout the city. Once busy shopping streets, most h= ave fallen on hard times as people moved in cars to larger shopping centers and stores. What is unusual in Br= yn Mawr is that there are no vacant storefronts. The neighborhood’s center has adapted to market forces without collapsing. In the past, businesses there reta= iled primarily convenience goods and services to the neighborhood. It is now a busy corner of special= ized retail business of which few depend on nearby residents as customers.<= /o:p>

Commercial Zoning Issues

There is a need to decide the scale of future business needs. Byrn Mawr’s commercial cente= r is unique because it is a mix of residential and retail commercial uses. The zoning district boundary, Busi= ness District 2S-2, includes more residential properties that never developed in= to retail uses than business establishments or commercial structures. The future will bring a modest exp= ansion and development of new commercial uses, but these will be largely contained within the area presently zoned for commercial purposes. As business opportunities emerge, = some services may also fit nicely into the neighborhood while others may conflict with the surrounding residential uses.&nbs= p; Current City zoning provisions do not, by themselves, provide the necessary tools to protect the neighborhood from possible negative uses.

Design Principles for Downtown = Bryn Mawr’s Future

The neighborhood’s vision of the retail/housing center is that it will consist of shops that increasingly serve the residents of Bryn Mawr with convenience goods and services in an area that is attractive and appealing = to customers and economically rewarding to the merchants. It will be a community center, whe= re residents see each other, find information and experience part of the neighborliness that is a hallmark of Bryn Mawr. To achieve this vision, principles= are identified to guide the future development and improvement of the area.

The specific purpose of these principles is (1) to increase an awareness of des= ign as a way of addressing the sense of place, the attractiveness and cohesiven= ess of the center among neighborhood residents; and (2) to suggest rules for th= ose embarking on planning and designing of and renovations and expansions to commercial projects.

Future building improvements and additions should enhance the character of the original buildings. The two m= ain commercial buildings contribute most to defining the character of the neighborhood’s commercial center.&nb= sp; Future renovations should take into account the original design and scale of each structure. Their facades should remain as an expression of individuality and texture. Awnings can provide a unifying the= me and help define scale. Signs shou= ld be fixed to the building that are non-flashing, scaled appropriately and limit= ed to the identification of retail activities.

The commercial center should function as the center place of the neighborhood.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The primary retail and service businesses should provide products and services directed to neighborhood residents, businesspersons and employees for daily consumption. Residents ideally should be able t= o buy nearly all of their everyday grocery needs. They should be able to get a hairc= ut, dine out, eat a snack, sip a cup of coffee and enjoy a good book close to home. Personal and family ser= vices such as daycare and medical might also be located here. Destination retail and services, businesses that market their products to consumers from outside the neighborhood, should be limited to personal services, restaurants, apparel, boutiques, antiques, specialty foods, etc.= No twenty-four hour business operations should be tolerated. The expansion of auto service and repairs should be controlled and the sale of vehicles and auto parts should= be prohibited.

The land use mix should enhance the pedestrian quality of= the streets, reduce vehicular trips and reinforce the existing varied character= of the neighborhood. This use mix should encourage the development of businesses that support each other. Business operations should not be = so large as to dominate or be of such a character as to conflict with the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood. Developments and business expansio= ns must adhere to the neighborhood scale.&nbs= p; The relationship of all aspects of future development should be stud= ied as to how it may affect the value of adjacent properties and the neighborho= od.

Streetscape

Careful development of open space and the streetscape is critical to creating a sen= se of place and an inviting atmosphere. Trees, landscaping and well-designed open spaces should visually def= ine the limits of the neighborhood’s retail center and create a pedestrian-friendly environment. Penn Avenue= and Cedar Lake Road, especially along commercial storefronts, might have distinct lighting, stre= et furniture and trees that provide dimension, unity and continuity. The gardens of Bryn Mawr Presbyter= ian Church on the west end and the Oliver Triangle on the east end, should be enhanced into major landmarks creating a friendly environment and punctuati= ng the visual experience of the adjacent retail center.

Challenges/Concerns

· Bryn Mawr’s commercial center is healthier than many neighbor= hood commercial areas in the City. There is only one commercial vacancy, the pol= ice substation storefront.

· Deferred building maintenance leading to general deterioration

· Bus stop blocks a major retail frontage.

· Lack of off-street parking and loading facilities.

· Lack of significant aesthetic features; presence of unsightly utili= ty poles.

· Close proximity of the commercial sites in a residential neighborho= od creates additional problems with garbage, unkempt parking area, etc.

· Substandard building conditions.

· Unpaved driveways and parking areas.

· Housing units that are not Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible.

· Lack of public restrooms.

· Developing the US West building (on Penn Avenue) into storefronts, meet= ing spaces, etc.

Action Items/Priorities

· Establish and fund a planning committee for Downtown Bryn Mawr. This planning committee would be responsible for organizing a business association, defining the study area, identifying critical issues, developing a master plan and implementing plan changes.

· These ideas should be addressed:

· Address traffic patterns — pedestrian, bicycle and automobile — at the juncture of Penn and Laurel Avenues and Cedar Lake Road. Parking needs in Downtown, possibl= y with diagonal parking and narrowing Laurel Avenue at this point.

· Consider closing C= edar Lake Road between Russell and Penn Avenues and turning this into a pedestrian mall.

· Incorporate plantings, historical markers, signs and banners as a m= eans of honoring our cultural heritage. Extend the expanding front yard and boulevard gardens to the Downtown. Look to Bloomsbury for inspiration.

· Create a series of beautifully designed and well-executed neighborh= ood sculptures.

· Address the aesthetic image of the commercial storefronts.

· We want future building improvements and additions that enhance the individuality of original buildings. Renovations should take into account t= he design and scale of the structure and neighboring architecture. Awnings sho= uld be designed to unify and define scale. Facades should express individuality= and texture. Utilities should be = placed underground. Future area lighting, street furniture and trees should be use= d to provide dimension, unity and continuity.

· Stores and shops that provide convenience goods and services to our residents should be the frameworks for business activity of the area. Resid= ents should be able to buy nearly all of their everyday grocery needs locally; t= hey should be able to get their haircut, have lunch, eat a snack, sip a cup of coffee and enjoy a good book close to home. Access to personal and family services such as daycare and medical are essential. Overall, the business operations must not dominate or conflict with the residential character of = the surrounding neighborhood.

· Provide attractive street furniture, signage and lighting.

· Break up the expanse of concrete sidewalks with planting beds, tree= s, bollards, bike racks, decorative light and banner poles.<= /p>

· Engage the business and property owners in this area to determine t= heir plans, hopes and expectations for the future. Support the formation of a business association.

· Encourage and support neighborhood hours of operations.<= /span>

· Increase visibility of businesses in the Bugle and through the BMNA Board. Publish Bugle articles that highlight the businesses — help promo= te and market, mail the Bugle to t= he businesses, identify the Downtown business district as an area represented = in the Bugle and on the BMNA Board= , develop an on-going relationship between the BMNA Board and businesses.<= /span>

Topic= 3 — Neighborhood within a Park

Bryn Mawr is a neighborhood surrounded by public parks. Residents have immediate access to= over 1,000 acres of parkland and open space.&nb= sp; Each of the parks along the neighborhood’s perimeter has its o= wn individual character, yet they are all connected to form a triangular islan= d of green along the western edge of Minneapolis. Approximately 50 percent of the land in Bryn Mawr is park or green space. Bryn Mawr is also a neighborhood w= ith many gardens and beautifully maintained private spaces.

Public Parks

At the Eastern point of the triangle is Bryn Mawr Meadows, a regional athletic field park of wide-open spaces. The Meadows contains 11 softball fields, two baseball fields, two soccer fields, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, cricket fields, plus a tot lot an= d a wading pool for neighborhood use. In the winter, there is a skating area and a hockey rink. The park building contains restroo= ms and a multi-purpose room. There a= re plans to construct a batting cage near the building. The fields are largely used by org= anized sports leagues that attract many visitors.= When they are not in use for these scheduled activities, they are av= ailable for neighborhood recreation sport teams and pick-up games. During the spring and early summer scheduled leagues cover the Meadows with games and create a major parking problem for nearby residents together with increased concern for noise, tra= sh and safety. The fields are he= avily used. The park building, with restrooms that do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards,= is in need of remodeling or replacement. At the northern end of the Meadows, an open area has been reclaimed = as a natural prairie. To the east = of the meadows, across the railroad tracks, is a large piece of land owned by the Minneapolis Public Works Department. This land could be better utilized for overflow parking for the Meadows. It is currently used= for materials storage and is the site for the City’s concrete crushing facility.

Along the southern edge of Bryn Mawr is the Cedar Lake area that contains a variety of park amenities. The Cedar Lake Trail provides bicy= cle commuter and recreational users and pedestrians a scenic link between St. Louis Park and Downtown Minneapolis. This tr= ail will be further extended to an existing trail along the Mississippi River. Cedar Lake provides a swimming beach, additional paths, canoeing opportunities and fis= hing areas for Bryn Mawr residents. Cedar Lake Parkway connects this lake to the rest of= the chain of lakes to the South and to Theodore Wirth Parkway to the North.<= /p>

Along the western edge of much of Bryn Mawr is the 740-acre Theodore Wirth Park, a regional pa= rk of mostly unmanaged hilly and wooded expanses with extensive recreational paths. In the southern part o= f the park is Theodore Wirth Parkway= , the restored Tamarack Bog, the quiet and reflective 14 acre Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and a cross-country ski racing course. The park continues north to the Wirth Lake area, with its swimming beach, fishing pier, adjacent playground and picnic areas. It is within Golden Valley but = is administered by the Minneapolis Park Board. Farther north of Highway 55 is the Theodore Wirth Recreational Area, containing two public golf courses which double as a cross country ski course and sledding hill in the winter.<= /o:p>

The northern border of Bryn Mawr is defined by the Bassett Creek Valley, a strip of = wooded area, open spaces and flood plain along both sides of Bassett Creek. On the northern edge, adjoining Harrison, there are three ball diamonds and a soccer field, while on the south side, in Bryn Mawr, there are four tennis courts, playgrounds and recreational paths. The J.D Rivers Community Gardens is planned = for this area. The Bassett Creek bicycle commuter trail is planned to traverse this valley, connecting Wirth Park to Bryn Mawr Meadows and the Cedar Lake Trail and Downtown.

The park and garden-like areas surrounding Bryn Mawr are further emphasized by = many neighbors and organizations who are replacing sodded front yards and boulev= ards with exquisite, terraced gardens for the appreciation of all who pass by. Several triangular green spaces cr= eated by intersecting streets are also maintained as gardens by the Bryn Mawr Garden Club and adjacent neighbors. = The largest of these projects is the triangle at Upton Avenue and the north frontage= road along I-394.

Boulevard tree planting with a mixture of tree species was completed for most of the neighborhood following the devastation of the dominant trees from Dutch elm disease.&nbs= p; The maintenance of grass and the watering of trees on these strips of land are primarily the responsibility of homeowners. Some homeowners have personalized = these boulevards with plantings of flowers and other varieties of trees.

The framing of our community by public parks not only serves to define the neighborhood’s boundaries, but it also connects the community to those adjoining it in attractive ways that encourage a sharing of park facilities. We wish to preser= ve our parklands and improve their relationship to our neighborhood within a park.=

Challenges/Concerns

· Ensure adequate easy access to all neighborhood parks and open spac= es.

· Safety within the parks.

· Under utilization of the Basset Creek Valley and the Fruen Mill area.

· The absence of a comprehensive plan that unifies and connects all surrounding parks and open spaces.

· The lack of maintenance in all parks, for example, the deteriorating condition of the area along Bassett Creek adjacent to Fruen Mill.

· The negative aesthetic appearance of the Public Works land east of = Bryn Mawr Meadows.

· The deficiency of adequate parking facilities for park users.<= /o:p>

· The poor water quality of Cedar, Brownie and Wirth Lakes.

· The maintenance of wetlands and water holding areas that naturally filter runoff water, particularly Basset Creek.

· Undefined borders and gateways of Bryn Mawr. The need of unifying elements amon= g and between the seven areas of Bryn Mawr.

· The unsightly appearance and difficult pedestrian circulation of th= e Penn Avenue= and I-394 interchange, especially on the south side of I-394.=

· Litter within the parks and generated by park users.

· Noise and nuisances created by park users, especially at the Bryn M= awr Meadows and Wirth Lake.

· The lack of awareness that Kenwood Recreation Center, with its facilities and activities, is Bryn Mawr’s designated “neighborhood” park — and the insufficiency of activities= within the neighborhood.

· Lack of adequate communications from the Park Board for proposed pa= rk improvements.

· The lack of adequate access to sport fields for neighborhood use at Bryn Mawr Meadows and Anwatin.

Action Items/Priorities

· Encourage participation in the Blooming Boulevards program and prom= ote the winners.

· Improve parking for users of Bryn Mawr Meadows.

· Improve non-motorized access to all neighborhood parks.<= /span>

· Add access points to Cedar Lake Trail at the south end of Penn Avenue= or via the proposed Bassett Creek Trail bridge.

· Improve Cedar Lake Trail access point at Ewing Avenue.

· Add a bridge that spans the creek west of Anwatin School to improve access to Wirth Park by students and neighborhood residents.

· Improve the pedestrian trail west of Bassett Creek, across from Fru= en Mill.

· In conjunction with the Harrison neighborhood, develop the proposed Bassett Creek Trail and create additional amenities in the Bassett Creek Valley to transform= this area into a beautiful natural setting that is easily and safely accessible = to everyone.

· Find alternative uses for the Fruen Mill that are compatible with adjacent neighbors and take advantage of the park environment.

· Improve the connection to and communication with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Increase awareness of proposed plans and allow input into the planning process that would foster neighborhood discussion.

· Support watershed education and provide a topographic map or 3D mod= el of the neighborhood runoff system.

· Add garbage cans at all parks to allow users to properly dispose of trash.

· Increase Park Police patrols of the= parks to minimize after hours activities and ensure the safety of all park users.=

· Develop additional sport fields at the school complex for use by students and neighborhood residents.

· Maintain and improve all park facilities, especially the following:=

· Bryn Mawr Meadows park building by updating the restroom facilities= to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and increasing the capacity= .

· The paths along the Cedar Lake Parkway.

· The soccer fields and ball diamonds at the Meadows.

· Rename the swimming beach on the west side of Cedar Lake to <= st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Bryn Mawr Beach (or similar name) to increas= e the connection to the neighborhood.

· Develop a way to emphasize Laurel Avenue and possibly Upton Avenue as streets that unify several neighborhood areas. O= ne option is to narrow the streets at the intersection points (throating) to create a parkway-like look without losing on-street parking. Also, the use of banners and stree= t furniture can help highlight the importance of these streets — especially Laurel Avenue which connects the school complex, with Downtown Bryn Mawr and with the Meadows.<= o:p>

· Add an information kiosk at Bryn Mawr Meadows that would list all t= he park rules, hours of the building and any special activities that are plann= ed.

· Develop the Public Works property east of the Meadows into a parking area to be used by Cedar Lake Trail users and ballplayers going to the Mead= ows.

· Install new “Welcome to Bryn Mawr” signs that reflect t= he neighborhood’s values at all the neighborhood gateways.

· Facilitate the expansion of the trend of private front yard gardens through landscaping classes by local experts or professional landscapers.

· Support the neighborhood beautification activities of the Bryn Mawr Garden Club.

· Include Kenwood Park building activ= ities listings in the Bryn Mawr Bugle= .

· Board sponsored activities at the school complex (e.g., open gym ti= me).

· Research and develop educational, historical and environmental sites within the parks.

· Ensure that responsible agencies manage Basset Creek flow in a natu= ral and aesthetically pleasing way. Correct the erosion problem of the Creek near Fruen Mill by recreati= ng falls and stone walls that were originally constructed.

· Develop a comprehensive plan that unifies all surrounding parks and open spaces.

Topic= 4 — Neighbors Active and Safe in the Neighborhood=

Bryn Mawr is one of the safer neighborhoods in the City of Minneapolis. Residents feel safe and comfortabl= e in Bryn Mawr. The majority of of= fenses that do occur are Type 2 offenses, burglary of dwelling, robbery of person, stranger assault, other assault, auto theft, theft from auto, vandalism and= CSR stranger. Of these offenses, = those occurring most are crimes of opportunity involving theft from personal property: car, garage, home and limited auto theft. There have been limited Type 1 cri= mes in Bryn Mawr. These offenses inc= lude burglary and robbery of a business, exposure by a stranger, narcotics and prostitution. In the last thr= ee years, there have been no Type 1 crimes reported. Monthly police activity reports are published in the Bugle.

Police Coverage

Bryn Mawr receives police protection from two of the City’s five precincts. The northern half = of the neighborhood and the area south of I-394 and north of Cedar Lake is protected by the Fourth Precinct from north Minneapoli= s. The area west of Cedar Lake and east of Ewing Avenue is protected by the Fi= fth Precinct from south Minneapoli= s. The Bryn Mawr Meadows, Wirth Park and Cedar Lake Park Trail are also protected by the Minneapolis Park Patrol. The Fourth Precinct s= quad cars also patrol the Harrison neighborho= od.&nbs= p; The Fifth Precinct patrol covers the Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborho= od, which has crime rates similar to Bryn Mawr. In 1996, with the creation of the Downtown Command for the Downtown, Loring Park and Elliot Park neighborhoods, Bryn Mawr lost one patrol beat due to restructuring. In 1997, there is not a noticeable increase in crime due to the loss of this squad. The Fifth Precinct occasionally an= swers calls in Bryn Mawr’s southern area and the Downtown command will occasionally answer a neighborhood call.

Patrol officers enjoy patrolling Bryn Mawr because of the low incidence of crime, = the quiet nature of the area and the fact that residents express their sincere appreciation to the officers regularly.&nb= sp; Currently there are no citizen patrols taking place in Bryn Mawr. From a CCP/SAFE perspective, citiz= en patrols are a good mechanism in which to meet people and give an opportunit= y to deter crimes and socialize formally.

The Park Police patrol parts of Bryn Mawr because of Theodore Wirth Park, the Bryn Mawr Meadows and Cedar Lake Trail. Both regular Police and Park Police patrol these areas.

Bryn Mawr residents and the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association also sponsor a neighborhood Police substation in Downtown Bryn Mawr. The substation serves as a local o= ffice for police patrols, and an information source for residents. There has been a lower incidence of crime in Bryn Mawr. It seems = that the substation presence has been a deterrent to crime.

Community Building=

There are 60 people in Bryn Mawr who are block captains, although many have not h= ad formal CCP/SAFE training. Cur= rently, the neighborhood has only four McGruff Houses for children to go when they = are locked out or threatened. The= se houses are shelters for kids in need of safe places.

The strength of community also strengthens crime prevention in Bryn Mawr. The “small town” aspec= t of the neighborhood encourages neighbors to look after someone’s home wh= en vacationing or watch for vandals and suspicious behavior in alleys or on the sidewalk. This informal netwo= rk reinforces the Block Watch system sponsored by the Police Department.<= /o:p>

Bryn Mawr also supports the National Night Out Program every summer. On average, there are approximatel= y a dozen National Night Out parties in the neighborhood each year.<= /span>

Lighting<= /p>

Street and alley lighting and the electric lines that ser= ve them and the homes pose some questions for the neighborhood. These relate to the frequency of t= he lights in a block as it may affect perceptions of safety, the appearance of= the lighting fixtures and of the poles and overhead wires. On some streets these overhead wir= es directly affect the height of trees and their trimming. Some residents are interested in b= urying at least the major feeder electric lines while others want more lighting provided by the city in their block.

Alley and street lighting also encourage safe passage in Bryn Mawr. While lighting is up to code with = City standards, most alleys and some mid-blocks are poorly lighted and could use lighting improvements. In the summer months, many residents are out on the streets, walking babies, dogs = or just strolling to see neighbors or Downtown. This street activity both fosters a sense of community and strengthens safety in the neighborhood. Bike trails are not heavily lighted. This design element = was incorporated into long-range plans to encourage more wildlife and natural environments along the Cedar Lake Trail and proposed Bassett Creek Trail.

Challenges/Concerns

· Sustain/lower current crime rates, reduce crimes of opportunity, i.= e., garage doors open, cars unlocked, etc.

· Ensure continued safety in parks and open spaces, including the Meadows, Theodore Wirth Park and bicycle/pedestrian trails.

· Strengthen close-knit ties of nearby neighbors to sustain neighborh= ood watch.

· Monitor police staffing levels to maintain a preventive presence.

· Ensure adequate street and alley lighting.

· Ensure the Bryn Mawr neighborhood is safe for groups who often feel more targeted by crime: seniors, women, children and gays/lesbians.

· Maintain frequent communication with elementary and middle schools = to prevent neighborhood vandalism and provide alternatives to school age youth= in the neighborhood.

·= ; = Inadequate neighborhood resources for neighborhood youth.

Action Items/Priorities

· Continue to actively support our community newspaper — the Bugle.

· Encourage development of formal Block Groups and Block Captains.

· Create “Chore Corps” to promote neighborhood volunteeri= sm and connect youth to the neighborhood.

· Support and encourage participation in neighborhood events such as National Night Out.

· Do a survey of lighting coverage, especially in the alleys and at mid-block.

· Increase the number of McGruff Houses (currently four) in Bryn Mawr= .

· Investigate having a “stroll patrol” that would spend t= ime walking through the neighborhood.

· Formalize the link with school liaison officer and the BMNA Board, especially at the start of the school year.

· Continue to reach out to neighborhoods to the North and South of Br= yn Mawr to work on issues regarding crime prevention.

Topic= 5 — Neighborhood with Access to Life-Long Learning

Many of Bryn Mawr’s neighbors actively participate in life-long learning.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> We support this by access to early childhood services; access to Minneapolis K-12 school choices; access to a neighborhood elementary school — Bryn Mawr Elementary; access to adult community education; and access to private schools. We are close to many higher-educat= ion facilities, including Dunwoody, Minneapolis Community College and Technical College, Metropolitan State University, University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota.

Bryn Mawr supports creating opportunities for mentoring, coaching and community support of the children of Bryn Mawr. Many Bryn Mawr neighbors strongly care about the children of the neighborhood. They support an exchange between the generations, knowing more kids and kids knowing more adults, providing a village atmosphere.&nb= sp; Children grow up with neighbors as assets in their development. It is our hope that children grow = up with good memories of their childhood, with a desire to live in a neighborh= ood like Bryn Mawr and a willingness to participate fully as citizens.

Early Childhood Education<= /o:p>

Early education opportunities need to exist in the neighborhood. For more than 20 years, the Bryn M= awr Child Care provided pre-school services in a cooperative setting. This type of program provides a va= luable service to the neighborhood. Pre-school programs should receive strong support. Many parents are participating in = ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) programming. ECFE provides access to parenting support and is a visible program at the elementary school.   The neighborhood supports ke= eping this program viable as well as AppleTree day care and the Minneapolis Kids program at Bryn Mawr Elementary.

Anwatin Middle/Bryn Mawr Elemen= tary and School Choice

There is strong support in the neighborhood for the An= watin Middle School and Bryn Mawr Elementary School and for continuing the many o= ther Minneapolis school choices outside the neighborhood for K-12 students. At the current time, a small perce= ntage of Bryn Mawr residents are choosing the new Bryn Mawr Elementary for their youngsters. However, that percentage is growing each year and it is expected that participation will continue to grow.

The Minneapolis School District seems to strongly support the K-8 concept. As s= uch, the Bryn Mawr neighborhood supports considering the two schools as a single unit. The continuity of progr= ams from Bryn Mawr Elementary to Anwatin and other secondary options must be clear. Neighbors have express= ed concern about where their children will be going after completing Bryn Mawr Elementary. As a neighborhood= , we strongly support Anwatin as a choice for Bryn Mawr students. The Bryn Mawr schools must remain a positive choice for neighbors while also acknowledging the private, religio= us and other public school options and choices that are available.<= /span>

Secondary Education<= /span>

Many Bryn Mawr students have gone to various Minneapolis K-12 schools since the original Bryn Mawr elementary school between Cedar Lake Road and Laurel and Russ= ell and Sheridan was torn down. Most 7-8 grade= rs went to Anwatin unless they attended a K-8 open program or other K-8 magnet schools. Southwest Senior Hig= h is the school whose attendance area encompasses Bryn Mawr. However, many Bryn Mawr students attended various magnet programs at South, North and Edison.

Anwatin /Bryn Mawr Complex as <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Local Town Hall

Bryn Mawr needs public spaces that are associated with the neighborhood. This could be the development of an “outdoor room” at the church triangle on Laurel Avenue or identifying rooms = in the Anwatin Middle/Bryn Mawr School complex as a local town hall. Bryn Mawr currently uses the school complex as a local town hall when it is open and available. Voting booths, which were previous= ly set up in Anwatin, are now set up in the gym of the elementary school, while Anwatin’s auditorium is used for candidate presentations and issue-focused discussions.

There is a history of using Anw= atin School as the commu= nity center of the neighborhood since it was purchased from St. Margaret’s Academy and turned into a Junior High School. The adjoining Bryn Mawr Elementary School was built and op= ened in 1996. We support organizin= g the Anwatin Middle/Bryn Mawr Elementary complex as a single community center site. This would make all of = the facilities available.

Community education at this site should both provide the classes that the neighborhood desires and the opportunity to organize and give classes representing neigh= borhood expertise.

Challenges/Concerns

·        Bryn Mawr strongly supports a unified neighborhood as a part of the Cedar-Lakes-Isles planning district; this is supported by history and represents a very strongly held feeling in the neighborhood.

·        A major concern is that the Bryn Mawr Elementary School draws students from a different geogra= phic area from Anwatin. Bryn Mawr Elementary is currently organized as a north neighborhood school and Anwati= n is organized as a south neighborhood school.

·        There are Bryn Mawr residents with students who will not be able to attend Anwatin School, because of these differenc= es in cachement areas. They will go= to Jefferson or a 6-8 program.

·        Bryn Mawr parents need stability over time as to what the choices in schools are going to be. Pare= nts need to see a logical path for education choices through Grade 12 with clear options and choices for Bryn Mawr kids.

Action Items/Priorities

·        Actively solicit Bryn Mawr family’s perceptions and needs from the neighborhood schools.

·        Promote the use of Anwatin Middle/Bryn Mawr Elementary as a single community center with all of the facilities and services available. Eliminate the perception of two se= parate schools, from the community education perspective.

·        Support meaningful events in the community center rooms. Create an identity of the school c= omplex as a gathering, discussion and learning center for all of the Bryn Mawr neighbors.

·        Create neighborhood salons that are focused on issues and use the l= ocal town hall gathering spots.

·        Investigate and support the creation of a Bryn Mawr presence on the Internet. Ensure community ac= cess to technology for all Bryn Mawr residents.=

·        Look to partner with the church to create a public square/outdoor r= oom at the triangle on Laurel, in front of the church.

·        Invite adult learning institutions, colleges, etc. to participate i= n an annual event or specific learning event to support their presence in Bryn M= awr.

·        Develop Bryn Mawr Elementary Scho= ol and Anwatin Middle School gateways to Wirth Park.

·        Investigate/support a relationship to the Search Institute’s Assets for Kids program.

·        Encourage Bryn Mawr neighbors to develop and present classes at Anwatin.

Topic= 6 — Neighborhood that’s Easy to get Into and Around

“It’s easy to get into and out of Bryn Mawr o= nce you figure out where it is and how to do it.” This statement points to one of the primary attributes residents and homebuyers cite as a reason to live in the neighborhood. Proximity to Do= wntown Minneapolis in five to ten minutes by car or bus, to jobs and shopping along Hennepin Avenue and Uptown or to suburban jobs and shopping in less than te= n to twenty minutes makes this neighborhood one of the most convenient.

Ease of access for most residents occurs in cars most fre= quently housed in free standing garages next to the alley or occasionally by drivew= ays directly from the street. All= of these vehicles, garages and driveways are owned by individuals who are also responsible for their maintenance. Increasingly, city streets in front of homes are also auxiliary park= ing spaces for the overflow of vehicles that cannot find garage space in the typical single car garage common to most homes.

A network of streets and alleys provide access to homes a= nd activities in Bryn Mawr. The = City owns these alleys and streets and maintains them with funds provided by assessments on “benefited” property, by property taxes. Designated streets that carry a considerable amount of traffic are improved with state gas tax funds.
Alleys

Most alleys in Bryn Mawr were built with permanent paveme= nts during the 1930s. Only three = alleys are not paved. Most alleys wi= th adequate soil conditions will last for nearly sixty years. The City, however, noted in a rece= nt report that many alleys need significant resurfacing and occasional rebuilding. It is likely some= of this work will be done on some alleys in Bryn Mawr during the next five years. Discussion has begun o= n how to finance this resurfacing and reconstruction program. Unpaved alleys will be paved after approval of adjoining property owners.&nbs= p; Current options to finance these improvements include below market r= ate bonds and assessments for up to twenty years or cash payments from the benefited property owners.

Resid= ential streets

Residential streets provide primary access to the homes a= nd activities of the neighborhood. These streets were largely improved from oil and dirt to asphalt pavement in a residential pavement program in the 1920s and 1930s.&n= bsp; Three quarters of the cost of this improvement was financed by cityw= ide property taxes and the remainder from assessments. These streets typically are wide e= nough to provide space for parking, slow movement of vehicles and access by emerg= ency vehicles. A boulevard planted= with trees also typically adjoins the street with occasional intersection and frequently mid block lighting during the non-daylight hours. Trees are planted and maintained b= y the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board while the street itself is cleaned and maintained by the City.

Little work, other than seal coating, will be done on mos= t of these streets over the next five years given the comparatively recent pavem= ent of these streets. In a few ar= eas with subsoil problems and where pavement is opened to provide access to utilities, more serious patching and rehabilitation will be done.

Arter= ial/collector streets

A limited number of streets in Bryn Mawr function to coll= ect the vehicles from the residential areas and connect them to major entrances= and exits from the neighborhood. = Some of these streets are also major thoroughfares for movement through the neighborhood to destinations outside of Bryn Mawr. Major arterial/collector streets t= hat directly serve residents of the neighborhood include the following:

Penn Avenue from Bassett Creek to I-394=

This two-lane road serves residents of Bryn Mawr north of I-394 and operates as a connecting arterial road for others from North Minneapolis and Golden Valley<= /st1:City>. For two blocks, from I-394 to Cedar Lake Road, Penn also functions with Cedar = Lake Road as a diverter for traffic avoiding the me= ter lights at I-394 or as an alternate route to the freeway when there is an accident or it becomes too congested. It is a snow emergency route. Its status as a truck route was eliminated following the court’= ;s decision not to widen and rebu= ild the Bassett Creek Bridge but to keep it the same width as the road adjoining it. This effectively limited Penn Avenue= to two lanes and prevented it from becoming an even busier artery.

As Count= y Road #2, Hennepin County is responsible for the maintenance and reconstruction of this road. The county funds maintenance and construction from County State Aid gas taxes and other revenues available to the county. They also pay Minneapolis for s= now removal and street cleaning.

Traffic on Penn begins at the north with a base of 5400 vehicles entering and leaving Bryn Mawr at Bassett Creek. Approximately 4500 vehicles turn o= n to the street as it moves through Bryn Mawr.&= nbsp; At the approaches to I-394, daily traffic volume totaled 9500 in 1994. Traffic entering Penn at Bassett Creek increased by one fourth over the past ten years going from 41= 00 to 5400 vehicles per day. It = has ranged, however, from a high of 7200 vehicles per day 1992 to a low of 4100= in 1984.

Issues:

·        High-speed traffic, especially in the evening, mak= es it unsafe to cross.

·        Excessive potholes and rough surface.

·        Some garage driveways enter directly on to Penn Avenue= , an unsafe condition when traffic is heavy and fast.

·        The view along this street is sterile and harsh. This developed with the eliminatio= n of boulevards and trees many years ago.

·        A major route for emergency vehicles, especially ambulances and police cars coming from I-394 headed north of Bassett Creek.=

·        Trucks and large buses use the street for through movements even though it is not a truck route.

·        High-speed vehicles and topography make it unsafe = for pedestrians to cross, dangerous for cars parked on the street, and unsafe f= or children living in homes along the street.

·= ;      = The intersection of Penn Avenue and I-394 is the major gateway to Bryn Mawr. More pe= ople enter and leave the neighborhood at these locations than at any other. The overall appearance of the area= however, is not warm, friendly or attractive. Work is underway to develop a hedge identifying the neighborhood on a hill at the northwest of this intersection. Other aspects of this intersection= are unsafe, especially for bikes and pedestrians attempting to cross the east access road to the freeway.

Ced= ar Lake Road from Bassett Creek to Penn Avenue

A two-lane collector/arterial that connects Penn Avenue= to Glenwood Avenue, it also functions as a reliever for I-394 (see above) in conjunction with Penn from I-394. It is a snow emer= gency route and functions as a route for public buses but it is not a truck route= for the movement of trucks through the neighborhood.

The City is responsible for constructing and maintaining = the street that cuts diagonally from Penn to Glenwood. Gas taxes pay for the cost of construction and maintenance because this portion of Cedar Lake Road is on the Municipal= State Aid Street System.

Ced= ar Lake Road is part of the street that many years ago was the main thoroughfare connecting Downtown to Bryn Mawr, St. Louis Park and Minnetonka. The boulevards along this street a= re planted with trees and two of the leftover diagonal parcels at the intersec= tion of Laurel and Hawthorne have been planted with flowers during the summer by= the voluntary efforts of nearby neighbors.

Traffic on this street totaled 1900 vehicles per d= ay in 1994. It increased 12 perc= ent during the past ten years after starting from a low of 1700 in 1982. The peak during this period was 24= 00 in 1990.

Issue= s:=

·        High-speed buses and other vehicles. This was discouraged many years ag= o with the installation of a stop sign at Newton Avenue.

·= ;      = Concern this street might become a major arterial bypass to the freeway when the freeway becomes severely congested or breaks down.

Fra= nce Avenue — Ewing from the city limits with St. Lo= uis Park to I-394 and Cedar Lake Parkway around the western and southern e= dge of Cedar = Lake.

This combination of roads begins as a two-lane arterial/collector at Ceda= r Lake Parkway and I-394 and proceeds to where the ro= ad divides south of the bridge over Brownie Lake creek. The western leg is Ewing/France Avenue and the eastern= leg continues as Cedar Lake Pa= rkway.

The western leg, from I-394 to Ewi= ng and France Avenue, serves residents of Bryn Mawr south of I-394 and others going to the southw= est of the neighborhood. It also = serves residents of St. Louis Park between Highwa= y 100 and France Avenue as well as some who are diverting around the congestion on Highway 100 and = Hennepin Avenue that are coming from St. Louis Park and Minnetonka. Near Franklin Avenue, Ewing connects wit= h France Avenue, which is the city limits between Minneapolis and St. Louis Park. The route continues on France Avenue south to Lake Street. For many years, this route was a C= ounty road. Recently, however, responsibility for its maintenance and construction was turned over to Minneapolis, whic= h pays for these expenses from its road funds.&nb= sp; This road from I-394 to the city limits is a snow emergency and bus route.

The eastern leg, along Cedar Lake Parkway, functions as a = minor arterial serving the regional park at Cedar Lake, two beaches and homes along the parkway.&n= bsp; It also serves residents of Minneapolis living west and south of Cedar <= st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Lake and as a route from the west to Kenwood, L= ake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun. Cedar Lake Parkway is owned and maintained by the Minneap= olis Park and Recreation Board. It is not a snow emerg= ency route.

At I-394, daily traffic volumes from the north and south totaled 9500 vehicles in 1994. This is a reduction from 12,000 ten years previously and a peak volume of 12,200= in 1990.

The western leg along Ewing and France Avenue had a traffic volume of 5500 vehicles in 1994. This was a reduction from 6900 in = 1984 and the peak volume of 8700 in 1990.

Ced= ar Lake Parkway near the southwest edge of Cedar Lake had 4500 vehicles per day in 1994, nearly the same amount as ten years ago. However, in 1992 it experienced the highest volume of 7400 vehicles per day.<= /p>
Issues:

·        Considerable congestion occurs at I-394 before many turns to the east along the South frontage road.

·        Boulevards, indented parking and lighting add to t= he attractiveness of the parkway portions of this route. As traffic increases, however, it becomes less safe to directly access the parkway from driveways of some hom= es.

·        The condition of pavement on Ewing Avenue is very poor. Improvement of this pavement is pl= anned in the next five years. Acces= s from garages and driveways along Ewing Avenue can be hazardous in some locations.

·= ;      = There is concern that, as congestion increases on Highway 100 and on Lake St= reet and Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis, traffic will divert to the western leg along France/Ewing.

Frontage Road south of I-394 — west of the city limits to Penn Avenue=

This two-lane road parallels I-394 from west of Highway 1= 00 to Penn Avenue. It serves the residents of Bryn Ma= wr living south of I-394 who desire to go to Penn Avenue and to gain access to t= he freeway. Significantly, howev= er, it is also the link between the Ewing/France Avenue arterial to the southwest and for resid= ents of South Tyrol Hills in Golden= Valley. This arterial road is owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and maintained by the city. It is a snow emergency route.

This frontage road was the center of considerable controv= ersy during the design of I-394. T= he neighborhood accepted the road as the primary connecting link between Cedar Lake/Theodore Wirth Parkway and the existing Dayton Hudson office building overlooking Brownie Lake. However, it strongly objected when= the road became a more significant artery providing a connection for Tyrol Hills and as a reliever for I-394 from west of Highway 100. Only selective traffic counts were= made on the street since it was opened. However, observers note more than half of the traffic at the Penn Avenue interchange with I-394 comes from the south frontage road.

Issues:

·        High volumes of high-speed traffic make it difficu= lt and sometimes unsafe to enter this frontage road from residential streets to the south.

·= ;      = It is difficult for pedestrians to navigate this a= rea due to a limited number of sidewalks, especially near the Penn Avenue intersection.

Glenwood Avenue=

This arterial/collector street on the northern edge of Br= yn Mawr functions as a two-lane arterial between Golden Valley and Cedar Lake Road where it widens int= o a four-lane arterial to Lynd= ale Avenue during peak periods. This road is designated as a relie= ver to both Highways 55 (Olson Hi= ghway) and I-394 for traffic diverting at the western edge of Glenwood Avenue, Highway 100 and Penn Avenue= . It is a County Road and expenses are paid f= rom County State Aid gas taxes. Improvements in the future related to the street becoming a reliever might also be funded from federal monies.

Glenwood directly serves residents of Golden Valley, provides access to the Wirth= Lake area, the northern edge of = Bryn Mawr and the Harrison neighborhood. It is also an alternative for Bryn= Mawr residents going Downtown, for access to some shops along Glenwood Avenue and the city market= by way of Cedar Lake Road Wes= t of Penn Avenue. Traffic volume totaled 4500 vehicl= es per day in 1992. Turning movement= s from Penn Avenue<= /st1:Street> increase the volume to 6300 east of Penn. By the time Glenwood reaches Lynda= le, however, volumes increased to 8800. Tr= avel demand on Glenwood is similar to levels of ten years ago. However, volumes were as high as 7= 000 in 1986 at Penn Avenue.

Issues:

·        The view along this street on the northern edge of Bryn Mawr from Vincent to Xerxes is somewhat sterile and harsh as the boule= vard along this street was eliminated. This is somewhat offset by the view of Theodore Wirth Park across the str= eet.

·= ;      = The freeway reliever status of this road might res= ult in efforts to eliminate more peak period parking to increase the volume of = this road. In the future, when the= two parallel regional freeways become seriously congested, this might make reta= il opportunities along Glenwood less attractive.

=

Arter= ial/collector streets carrying smaller volumes or serving non- Bryn Mawr residents:=

Theodore Wirth Parkway= from Glenwood Avenue to I-394

This two-lane parkway along the western edge of a regional park provides access for trips, especially from Golden Valley to various destinations t= o the south. It is a continuation o= f a parkway extending along the western edge of Minneapolis from north of Lowry Avenue. It is not a snow emergency route.<= o:p>

Traffic volumes on this road totaled 4800 vehicles per day south of Olson Highway in 1994. This is a drop from = 6000 in 1984.

Cedar Lake Road and the frontage road north of I-394 from Penn Avenue= to Theodore Wirth Parkway

This road is the continuation of the historic connection between Bryn Mawr north and south of Wayzata Boulevard before it was reconstructed into I-3= 94. At Upton Avenue, it connects to the frontage road north of I-394 to Theodore Wirth Parkway. It is a snow emergency route. The Cedar Lake Road= portion is owned and maintained by the City as a regular city street without any specific status for funding. The frontage road is owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and maintained by the City.

Traffic volumes on this road are comparatively low. In 1994, it totaled 1600 vehicles = per day.

Issues:

·= ;      = The connection of Cedar Lake Road to Theodore Wirth Parkway makes it pos= sible for this road to operate as a diverter for drivers who find the south front= age road too congested. This is l= ikely to occur, only after congestion is much more obvious on the south frontage = road, Penn Avenue<= /st1:Street> and Cedar Lake Road east of Penn Avenue.

Lau= rel Avenue from Penn Avenue to Anwatin and Upton from Laur= el to Cedar Lake Road

These streets operate as collectors for part of Bryn Mawr= , to provide access to Anwatin and Bryn Mawr Schools and as the bus route north of I-394. They are snow emergency routes.

As collector streets, they have comparatively lower traff= ic volumes. In 1994 these totaled 1600, an increase from 1000 in 1984. Most of this increase is due to vehicles destined for the educational complex.

Regio= nal principal arterial highways

Bryn Mawr is served by two major east to west regional arterial highways — I-394 and Highway 55 (Olson Highway). These highways provide substantial direct access from Bryn Mawr to most of the Twin Cities area. Many often cite access as one of t= he features that makes Bryn Mawr an attractive neighborhood for people looking= for homes and for residents. At t= he same time, I-394 physically divides the neighborhood, and contributes to concern and irritation with noise and air pollution. It has focused the energies of many residents concerned about what the continuing pressure to accommodate growi= ng highway demands from western settlement of the region will do to the qualit= y of life of this neighborhood.

I-394 and Highway 55 are owned and maintained by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.&nb= sp; Both of them are on the National Highway System and considered regio= nal principal arterials by the Metropolitan Council. This gives them the highest priori= ty for the allocation of both federal and state highway user funds and results in = very high level of maintenance incl= uding rapid snow removal.

I-394 is Bryn Mawr’s direct route to Downtow= n, Uptown and the Western Suburbs

I-394 is a greatly expanded addition to the existing four-lane expressway previously know as Highway 12 or Wayzata Boulevard. This expansion, from Washington Avenue in Downtown Minne= apolis to I-494 in Minnetonka, was the last addit= ion to the national Interstate highway system in Minnesota. From the initial freeway proposals= in the early 1970’s it engaged the interests and energies of many reside= nts and representatives of Bryn Mawr.

Contr= oversies for more than a decade swirled around many issues:

·        The width of the freeway rights of way and the num= ber of lanes,

·        Noise impacts and protection measures including no= ise walls and less noisy roadway surface material

·        The location and amount of traffic on frontage roa= ds proposed for both the south and north sides

·        The effect of the freeway traffic on neighborhood = air pollution

·= ;      = Location and design of interchanges as they affect= ed ease or difficulty of accessing services important to residents.=

Traffic forecasts used in planning I-394 assumed continuous growth of Downtown Minneapolis and expansion of the region at low densities into the western suburbs. These forecasts proj= ected demand for as many as five lanes through Bryn Mawr. This was unacceptable to the commu= nity and to highway planners because it required added lane capacity in the I-94 tunnel and on a freeway link around the northern edge of Downtown. Lane expansion beyond I-394 was re= quired because nearly half the projected traffic was destined for locations outsid= e of Downtown. Yet it was not poss= ible to think about expanding the tunnel after some heated difficulty in pushing= it through an important cultural and religious center of the city. Plans to develop a freeway totally around the Downtown had also fallen with the withdrawal of I-335. Instead of building a freeway to m= eet demand — planners decided to increase the people carrying capacity by encouraging people to carpool, vanpool and take the bus. This was done by constructing two = lanes reserved for vehicles with two or more occupants as the freeway moved throu= gh Bryn Mawr during peak periods. This strategy assumed that by providing timesaving to high occupant vehicles the average vehicle occupancy of the freeway would be 1.6 persons in 2000. An elaborate network of bridges and ramps at Highway 100 furthered implementation of this strategy as did the e= arly construction of the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes marketed as the “Sane Lanes.” MND= OT did not allow a connection to the HOV lanes because it was too close to the I-94/Downtown Minneapolis interchange.

By the early 1980’s the final shape of the freeway became apparent. Some of these reflected the concerns and interests of Bryn Mawr while others appeared to disregard the concerns of the neighborhood. A lawsuit and legislation ensued t= hat limited the freeway to four lanes in Minneapolis, comparable to the through-lane capacity in the suburbs. Some of the adjoining residential = areas received protection from noise with walls while other areas in front of commercial sites were not built. Access occurred on a diamond interchange at = Penn Avenue. A frontage road connecting movemen= ts from Theodore Wirth and Cedar Lake Parkways was constructed on the south si= de of the freeway extending not just to the City limits but beyond to west of Highway 100. At the request o= f the neighborhood, a north frontage road was later built from Upton to Theodore Wirth Parkway to provide a western connection to the now bisected community. The freeway would operate as one o= f the most intensively managed freeways in the country. Computers would direct the time in= terval of ramp meters after obtaining data on travel demand from an elaborate netw= ork of loops buried in the pavement and overhead cameras.

I-394 was constructed over an eight-year period. It opened to much applause in the = press and to the satisfaction of the development community in Downtown and the western suburbs. Bryn Mawrites adjusted. Some found access to Downtown and the western suburbs improved while others continued to express irritation with the noise and pollution that accompanied the opening of the freeway. Traffic on I-394 inc= reased quickly and decreased on Highway 55, the alternative used by many during the new freeway construction period. The number of people riding rather than driving alone increased but = not as fast as called for in plans. Within a short time, it became apparent that the two lanes for mixed traffic would be heavily congested. Cries went up to open up a third lane east of Highway 100 but Bryn M= awr resisted until plans addressed their concerns about ease of access and reductions in noise pollution. Plans emerged in 1996 to address these concerns. Modifications implemented in 1997 = added to the noise walls and changed the pavement surface of the freeway.

Traffic volumes on this freeway are some of the highest in the Twin Cities. In 1994, the= re were 109,000 vehicles per day recorded at Highway 100, and 126,000 west of = Penn Avenue= . With the addition of 2,000 vehicle= s at Penn Avenue= , the total to the east of Penn was 128,000.&nbs= p; These are the highest totals since the freeway was completed during = the 1980’s.

Issues:

The s= tory of I-394 and Bryn Mawr does not end. Concerns that are new or continue include:

·        Additional work will be needed to achieve vehicle occupancy goals and to enforce traffic&nbs= p; and vehicle occupancy laws

·        The 1997 Legislature authorized a test demonstrati= on of congestion pricing by sale of unused HOV lane capacity to single driver vehicles.

·        Neighbors want to determine the effect of this lat= est round of changes on neighborhood access and livability.
·= ;      = Uncertainty about the adequacy of the noise walls, especially on the south side of the freeway where there are gaps in front of commercial buildings will permit noise to travel into adjoining residential areas.

Highway 55 (Olson Highway) an alternate route to the west.<= /o:p>

Highway 55 is a four-lane expressway from near Downtown Minneapolis to beyond I-494. = In Minneapolis, it i= s a six-lane road with a number of timed signals. The highway parallels 1-394 approximately one mile to the north. Many from north of Highway 55 use it to access jobs in the City. It also was heavily used by those = from the south as an alternative to I-394, especially during its construction.

Ols= on Highway is a route to some shopping locations used by Bryn Mawrites. It is also used as a diverter when motorists discover barely moving traffic on I-394. Some of them will cut through Bryn= Mawr on Penn Avenue during these times.

Traffic on Olson Highway has fluctuated considerably over the p= ast decade. In 1994 a total of 25= ,000 vehicles were recorded just west of Penn Avenue and 26,000 at Lyndale. These were comparable numbers to t= hose of 1984. However, in 1990 tot= als were 41,000 just west of P= enn Avenue and 39,000 at <= st1:address w:st=3D"on">Lyndale Avenue.
Gradual increases in the capacity of this expressway are planned and underway. They in= clude development of frontage roads and closure of some local intersections, addi= tion of turning lanes and more traffic control with electronic regulation of sig= nals and changeable message signs.

Bus s= ervice=

Bryn Mawr is centrally served by one public transit bus r= oute 8, which goes to Downtown Minneapolis to the east and to the Dayton Hudson Operations Center, Benilde-St. Margaret’s at 26th and Highway 100 and France and Lake Street in St. Louis Park to the west.<= /span>

The bus route in Bryn Mawr follows Glenwood Avenue, Cedar Lake Road, Laurel, Upton, = North Frontage Road and Cedar La= ke Parkway. At this point, some buses follow the south frontage road stopping at= the Dayton Hudson Operations Center enroute to the Louisiana<= /st1:PlaceName> Avenue Transit Center. The remaining buses proceed south = on Wirth Parkway to Ewing and France Avenue into St. Louis Park.

The 8-bus route of the Metropolitan Council Transit Operations operates fairly frequently from 5:45 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. weekdays. During peak periods, buses run every 15 to 20 minutes while it increases to every half-hour duri= ng the midday. Ridership on this= route is fairly good. Service was increased in 1996 when the Dayton Hudson Operations Center started func= tioning in what was previously the Prudential building.

Issues:

·        Number and quality of bus shelters

·        Speed of buses on Cedar Lake Road
·= ;      = Buses on Penn Avenue returning to garages<= /p>
Biking

A large number of residents own bikes used for recreation or exercise.

An unknown number of residents also use bikes to commute to work when the weat= her is attractive.

Bikes use the residential streets, sidewalks and alleys of the neighborhood to get around and to access the Cedar Lake Bike Trail. This trail was constructed during 1995 from Highway 100 to 6th Street in Downtown. It will be extended to the Mississ= ippi River where it will join a trail to the University of Minne= sota in the future. Additionally, = plans have been prepared to develop another trail through the Bassett Creek Valley, from Wirth Park in Golden Valley to where the trail meets the Cedar Lake Trail. These trails will provide resident= s of Bryn Mawr with more opportunities for both recreation and commuting.

Pools

Some Bryn Mawr residents use carpools and vanpools for commuting. The extent of this activity by nei= ghbors is unknown. However, there are incentives to encourage this activity at many employment locations. These include discounts on parking= in garages in Downtown Minneapolis to guarantees of a ride home by bus or taxi= .

Telecommuting=

A growing number of residents are conducting some of their work out of their homes thereby eliminating work trips. The extent of this activity in Bryn Mawr is unknown. However, there are a noticeable nu= mber of residents who are independent contractors who use their home as their office. Others may be using a computer to keep in touch with the office or to conduct some of their busin= ess during the week.

Challenges/Concerns

·        Heavily used streets with high traffic speeds limit the use by mult= iple modes including bicycle and walking.

·        A limited number of alleys that remain unpaved and several streets without paved sidewalks.

·        Insufficient parking capacity to meet current demand at the Meadows= and Downtown Bryn Mawr destination points.

·        Speed and heavy use along Laurel Avenue and Hawthorne Avenue by school bus and delivery trucks going to the school complex.

·        Unique mix of types of streets, i.e., freeway to dead-ends to cul-de-sacs to residential streets in close proximity.

·        Number of high speed/high volume streets that have driveways enteri= ng onto the streets.

Action Items/Priorities

·        Investigate developing a boulevard or parkway approach to the arterial/collector streets.

·        Identify traffic controls on Laurel Avenue from Penn to Upton, i.e., one-way west from Penn, throating, speed bumps, etc.

·        Improve safety of Laurel and Cedar Lake Road intersection west of Penn.

·        Develop a connecting road from Cedar Lake Road to Dunwoody.

·        Support the redesign of the Penn terminus to include significant signage to identify and welcome people to Bryn Mawr, create an edge to the large expanse to the south, develop an open perspective from the I-394 brid= ge to the downtown skyline, substantially improve bike and pedestrian crossing over the access ramp to the bike path, control and minimize the right turn = from the west-bound freeway exit, make the islands more attractive, create a continuous sidewalk along the south frontage road.

·        Develop a traffic-calming plan for Penn Avenue, i.e., striping, identi= fying parking areas, separating parking areas from traffic through throating, etc= .

·        Improve the intersection of Ewing and Cedar Lake Road to make it safe for pedestrian and bicycle crossing.

·        Build a connector road from the north frontage road to Anwatin to b= uild alternative access to the school.

·        Develop a plan and construct signage inviting people to Bryn Mawr at all bike and roadway entry points.

·        Provide financial assistance on an as-needed basis to pave unpaved alleys and sidewalks.

·        Provide financial assistance on an as-needed basis to improve collapsing garages.

·        Provide financial assistance on an as-needed basis to improve collapsing alley retaining walls.

·        Improve existing bus shelters and increase the number where there is sufficient demand.

·        Explore the possibility and opportunity for matching Bryn Mawr neighbors to carpools.

=

This Comprehensive Pla= n has been completed through the work of many Bryn Mawr neighbors and friends.

The following should r= eceive particular thanks: